cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transitioning Home: Comprehensive Case Management for America's Heroes

Purpose The conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, also known as Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn, have created unique challenges for rehabilitation teams, including nurse and social work case managers. Active duty service members, National Guard and Reservists have deployed in large numbers and as many as 20% have been exposed to blast injury, which can result in polytrauma and traumatic brain injury, the “signature injury” of the war, as well as psychological trauma, and painful musculoskeletal injuries. In addition, there are also documented emotional injuries associated with the constant stress of war and the frequency of exposure to the graphic scenes of war. Findings/Conclusions The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs work closely to provide comprehensive care coordination and case management for service members and veterans who have honorably served our country. This article describes the case management collaborative between Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense that ensures service members and veterans receive their entitled healthcare services. Clinical Relevance The complex care needs of these returning service members require astute case management in addition to clinical care. This collaboration ensures the best life-long outcomes and will be discussed in detail in this article.
Flexible tetracycline synthesis yields promising antibiotics.

Access to new analogs of the tetracycline family of antibiotics has thus far been limited to compounds that can be prepared by modification of the isolable natural products. An efficient total-synthesis pathway with extraordinary flexibility has now made it possible to identify new tetracycline derivatives with activity against a wide range of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
An analysis in vivo of histidine transfer RNA during repression and derepression in Bacillus subtilis

Abstract Bacillus subtilis 30 contains two iso-accepting species of tRNAHis that are relatively labile to hydrolysis when aminoacylated. The two species, when studied under repressive and derepressive states of the histidine biosynthetic enzymes, are qualitatively and quantitatively equivalent. However, derepressed cells have an average of 66 % of the histidyl-tRNA present in repressed cells in vivo. This difference is not due to the total amount of tRNAHis present in the two states but may reflect differences in the aminoacylation reaction in vivo.
Algorithms for the optimal identification of segment neighborhoods

Two algorithms for the efficient identification of segment neighborhoods are presented. A segment neighborhood is a set of contiguous residues that share common features. Two procedures are developed to efficiently find estimates for the parameters of the model that describe these features and for the residues that define the boundaries of each segment neighborhood. The algorithms can accept nearly any model of segment neighborhood, and can be applied with a broad class of best fit functions including least squares and maximum likelihood. The algorithms successively identify the most important features of the sequence. The application of one of these methods to the haemagglutinin protein of influenza virus reveals a possible mechanism for conformational change through the finding of a break in a strong heptad repeat structure.
Prisoners’ Coping Skills and Involvement in Serious Prison Misconduct

AbstractPrison misconduct generates serious problems and costs in prisons across the United States. This study examined whether prisoners’ ways of coping affected their involvement in serious prison misconduct. The study also examined the traditional predictors of serious prison misconduct and their relationship to coping. The research included self-report surveys administered to a stratified random sample of 312 prisoners in medium- and maximum-security facilities as well as data extracted from the prison system’s database. Three of the eight ways of coping studied were directly related to serious misconduct along with several of the traditional predictors.
Campaign to counter a deteriorating consumer market: Philip Morris's Project Sunrise.

Summary Objectives From 1997 to 2000, Philip Morris implemented Project Sunrise. This paper discusses the impact of this project on national and Philip Morris's cigarette unit sales, public opinion about smoking and secondhand tobacco smoke, and national prevalence trends for tobacco use. Study design A qualitative archival content analysis of Project Sunrise from 1997 to 2000, and a descriptive statistical analysis of cigarette unit sales and operating profits, acceptability of smoking and secondhand tobacco smoke, and national prevalence trends for tobacco use from 1996 to 2006. Methods Qualitative data sources related to Project Sunrise found on WebCat, Pubmed.com , LexisNexis Academic and Philip Morris's website, and archived tobacco industry documents were analysed using NVivo Version 9.0. A descriptive statistical analysis of cigarette unit sales, public opinion about smoking and secondhand tobacco smoke, and national prevalence trends for tobacco use was undertaken. Results Project Sunrise was a high-level strategic corporate plan to maintain profits that included four possible scenarios resulting in seven interwoven strategies. However, national prevalence rates for tobacco use declined, sales of national and Philip Morris cigarettes declined, operating profits remained at substantially lower levels after 2000 from 2001 to 2006, and a large majority of Americans agreed that there were significant health dangers associated with smoking and secondhand tobacco smoke. Conclusion The impact of Project Sunrise, including countering the anti-tobacco movement, was less than successful in the USA.
A simple plastic perfusion chamber for continuous maintenance and cinematography of tissue cultures.

Abstract A simple and inexpensive laminated plastic perfusion chamber has been developed for tissue culture applications, with emphasis on time-lapse cinematography. Commercial Plexiglas has been found a satisfactory material. Details of fabrication and manipulation are furnished.
Dirac structures and paracomplex manifolds

Abstract We introduce the notion of a generalized paracomplex structure. This is a natural notion which unifies several geometric structures such as symplectic forms, paracomplex structures, and Poisson structures. We show that generalized paracomplex structures are in one-to-one correspondence with pairs of transversal Dirac structures on a smooth manifold. To cite this article: A. Wade, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 338 (2004).
Formex- and paper-insulated wires in transformer oil

WIRE INSULATION is probably the most important component of the insulation system used in oil-immersed transformers. Its strategic location — in contact with and separating turns — results in the insulation operating at temperatures very near that of the conductor which is the maximum temperature encountered in the transformer. Therefore, its thermal aging characteristics are of considerable interest.
Comparison of continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in children

The clinical courses in 10 pediatric patients undergoing CAPD for 15.0±2.8 months and subsequently CCPD for 9.3±3.2 months were evaluated. During CAPD patients received four or five daily exchanges, and during CCPD five 2-hour nocturnal cycles over 10 hours plus a diurnal dwell. The only significant biochemical difference during CAPD compared with CCPD was the serum creatinine concentration (9.7±1.0 mg/dl vs 10.8±0.9 mg/dl, P
Targeted Deposition of Antibodies on a Multiplex CMOS Microarray and Optimization of a Sensitive Immunoassay Using Electrochemical Detection

Background The CombiMatrix ElectraSense® microarray is a highly multiplex, complementary metal oxide semiconductor with 12,544 electrodes that are individually addressable. This platform is commercially available as a custom DNA microarray; and, in this configuration, it has also been used to tether antibodies (Abs) specifically on electrodes using complementary DNA sequences conjugated to the Abs. Methodology/Principal Findings An empirical method is described for developing and optimizing immunoassays on the CombiMatrix ElectraSense® microarray based upon targeted deposition of polypyrrole (Ppy) and capture Ab. This process was automated using instrumentation that can selectively apply a potential or current to individual electrodes and also measure current generated at the electrodes by an enzyme-enhanced electrochemical (ECD) reaction. By designating groups of electrodes on the array for different Ppy deposition conditions, we determined that the sensitivity and specificity of a sandwich immunoassay for staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) is influenced by the application of different voltages or currents and the application time. The sandwich immunoassay used a capture Ab adsorbed to the Ppy and a reporter Ab labeled for fluorescence detection or ECD, and results from these methods of detection were different. Conclusions/Significance Using Ppy deposition conditions for optimum results, the lower limit of detection for SEB using the ECD assay was between 0.003 and 0.01 pg/ml, which represents an order of magnitude improvement over a conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. In the absence of understanding the variables and complexities that affect assay performance, this highly multiplexed electrode array provided a rapid, high throughput, and empirical approach for developing a sensitive immunoassay.
Guest Editorial The Fifteenth Special Issue on High-Power Microwave Generation

The publication this year of the Fifteenth Special Issue on High-Power Microwave Generation continues a tradition in the field dating back to 1985. While the editors are concerned with the somewhat sparse selection of papers in this issue, the diversity of authorship both geographically and across research institutions is gratifying. The body of work represented by this volume emphasizes a clear continuation, in fact acceleration, of the use computational tools, which has represented a consistent trend in recent issues. Most notable are Particle in Cell (PIC) codes, which have enabled the optimization and virtual prototyping of a variety of High Power Microwave (HPM) sources. The overwhelming success of modern computational tools has all but eliminated the need for empirical iteration in the hardware realization of a given source design. Instead, any iteration proceeds during a virtual, numerical design process, and the final design is the only one built, saving both time and money.
Argininosuccinate lyase deficiency

The urea cycle consists of six consecutive enzymatic reactions that convert waste nitrogen into urea. Deficiencies of any of these enzymes of the cycle result in urea cycle disorders (UCDs), a group of inborn errors of hepatic metabolism that often result in life-threatening hyperammonemia. Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) catalyzes the fourth reaction in this cycle, resulting in the breakdown of argininosuccinic acid to arginine and fumarate. ASL deficiency (ASLD) is the second most common UCD, with a prevalence of ~1 in 70,000 live births. ASLD can manifest as either a severe neonatal-onset form with hyperammonemia within the first few days after birth or as a late-onset form with episodic hyperammonemia and/or long-term complications that include liver dysfunction, neurocognitive deficits, and hypertension. These long-term complications can occur in the absence of hyperammonemic episodes, implying that ASL has functions outside of its role in ureagenesis and the tissue-specific lack of ASL may be responsible for these manifestations. The biochemical diagnosis of ASLD is typically established with elevation of plasma citrulline together with elevated argininosuccinic acid in the plasma or urine. Molecular genetic testing of ASL and assay of ASL enzyme activity are helpful when the biochemical findings are equivocal. However, there is no correlation between the genotype or enzyme activity and clinical outcome. Treatment of acute metabolic decompensations with hyperammonemia involves discontinuing oral protein intake, supplementing oral intake with intravenous lipids and/or glucose, and use of intravenous arginine and nitrogen-scavenging therapy. Dietary restriction of protein and dietary supplementation with arginine are the mainstays in long-term management. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is best considered only in patients with recurrent hyperammonemia or metabolic decompensations resistant to conventional medical therapy. Genet Med 2012:14(5):501–507
Angiosarcoma of the Maxillary Sinus - Literature-Review and Case-Report

A rare case of angiosarcoma of the maxillary sinus is reported. Review of the literature concerning angiosarcoma of the head and neck revealed 14 previously published cases involving the nose, nasal sinuses, and nasopharynx. Angiosarcoma of the skin and soft tissues of the head and neck differs in behavior from that affecting the nose, nasal sinuses, and nasopharynx. The case reported presents the protracted clinical course of this malignant tumor.
Ethnicity, Body Mass, and Genome-Wide Data

This article combines social and genetic epidemiology to examine the influence of self-reported ethnicity on body mass index (BMI) among a sample of adolescents and young adults. We use genetic information from more than 5,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms in combination with principal components analysis to characterize population ancestry of individuals in this study. We show that non-Hispanic white and Mexican-American respondents differ significantly with respect to BMI and differ on the first principal component from the genetic data. This first component is positively associated with BMI and accounts for roughly 3% of the genetic variance in our sample. However, after controlling for this genetic measure, the observed ethnic differences in BMI remain large and statistically significant. This study demonstrates a parsimonious method to adjust for genetic differences among individual respondents that may contribute to observed differences in outcomes. In this case, adjusting for genetic background h...
The occurrence of vitiligo after psoralens and ultraviolet a therapy.

The ability of photochemotherapy with 8-methoxypsoralen in conjunction with high-intensity long-wave ultraviolet light (PUVA) to stimulate melanogenesis is well known. This effect on the pigmentary system is evidenced by the diffuse tanning of clinically normal skin in PUVA-treated patients with psoriasis and other disorders, as well as by the repigmentation of lesions in vitiligo. It is now recognized that there may be additional pigmentary effects, resulting in clinical lesions such as PUVA mottling, PUVA lentigines, and localized hypopigmentation. We have documented the occurrence of yet another association with PUVA therapy—the paradoxical appearance of widespread hypopigmentation consistent with vitiligo in three PUVA-treated patients, one with psoriasis and two with mycosis fungoides. Histologic and ultrastructural findings are presented.
Why project courses sometimes widen the experience gap among students

Choices by students and faculty about their roles in group learning activities can result in students not learning new skills/knowledge. Faculty must be cautious about how students are grouped and should educate students about group roles to avoid problems.
Rod contribution to large‐field color matching

The linear algebraic features of foveal colorimetry do not apply to 10° degree colorimetric fields. A light presented as a foveal 2° field stimulates the three classes of cone photoreceptors, and a light presented as a 10° field stimulates the cone and rod photoreceptors. While no more than three primary lights are required to match either of these lights, large-field color matches with three primaries do not obey Grassmann's laws of linearity because the relative contribution of the rod signal to a color match changes with retinal illuminance. A three-primary set of color-matching functions (CMFs) affected by rodintrusion, therefore, cannot serve as the basis for colorimetry. Stiles and Burch removed the effects of rod activity from their 10° color-matching data to create a set of CMFs that have the same linear algebraic features as foveal, 2° colorimetry. They did this by selecting the primaries appropriately, making the matches at high retinal illuminance levels, and removing the small residual effects with numerical techniques. the resulting CMFs formed the major portion of the CIE 1964 10° Standard Observer. These CMFs describe color matches at the level of the cone-photoreceptor and, therefore, can be generalized to predict color matches with any set of primaries, but they cannot account for the effects of rod activity in the matching sample. If two colorimetric fields differ in the amount of rod activity they produce, calculations with the 1964 Standard Observer may predict their metamerism inaccurately. This article summarizes Stiles and Burch's methods for removing the effect of rods, gives examples of the implications for colorimetry, and suggests procedures for preventing the adverse effects of rod activity in applied situations. It also shows that three recently published sets of 10° CMFs may be influenced by the effects of rod activity. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons. Inc.
Measurements of the Band Offset of SiO2 on Clean GaN

The band alignment of SiO2 and GaN is important for passivation of high voltage devices and for gate insulator applications. In this study XPS and UPS techniques are employed to determine the electronic states as SiO2 is deposited onto a clean GaN surface. The substrate was epitaxially grown n-type GaN on 6H-SiC (0001) substrates with an AlN (0001) buffer layer. The GaN surface was atomically cleaned via a 860°C anneal in an NH3 atmosphere. For the clean GaN surface, upward band bending of ~0.3 ± 0.1 eV was measured, and the electron affinity was measured to be ~2.9 eV. Layers of Si were deposited on the GaN surface via Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), and the Si was oxidized by a remote O2 plasma. The oxidation of the Si occurred without oxidizing the GaN. Densification of the created SiO2 film was achieved by annealing the substrate at 650°C. Surface analysis techniques were performed after each process, and yielded a valence band offset of ~2.0 eV, and a conduction band offset of ~3.6 eV for the GaN-SiO2 interface.
Evaluating mexican american children's social language interactions during sociodramatic play

This article focuses on partial findings of a microethnographlc study that examined the language functions and cultural traits of Mexican American children during sociodramatic play In a two way bilingual preschool classroom. Analysis of the data exhibited varied recurring themes including the development and practice of social skills. Data were collected in a two way bilingual (Spanish and English) prekindergarten classroom four days a week for 8 weeks during the morning session of the preschool program. The principal sources of data included videotaped observations, written field notes, a field diary, and informal interviews with the children's parents. The findings showed that children learn how to use social language by having the opportunity to practice it freely but with guidance. Suggestions on how to evaluate children's social language are also provided.
3He spin exchange cells for magnetic resonance imaging

We present a protocol for the consistent fabrication of glass cells to provide hyperpolarized (HP) 3He for pulmonary magnetic resonance imaging. The method for producing HP 3He is spin-exchange optical pumping. The valved cells must hold of order 1 atm⋅L of gas at up to 15 atm pressure. Because characteristic spin-exchange times are several hours, the longitudinal nuclear relaxation time T1 for 3He must be several tens of hours and robust with respect to repeated refilling and repolarization. Collisions with the cell wall are a significant and often dominant cause of relaxation. Consistent control of wall relaxation through cell fabrication procedures has historically proven difficult. With the help of the discovery of an important mechanism for wall relaxation that involves magnetic surface sites in the glass, and with the further confirmation of the importance of Rb metal to long wall-relaxation times, we have developed a successful protocol for fabrication of 3He spin exchange cells from inexpensive and easily worked borosilicate (Pyrex) glass. The cells are prepared under vacuum using a high-vacuum oil-free turbomolecular pumping station, and they are sealed off under vacuum after ⩾100 mg of distilled Rb metal is driven in. Filling of cells with the requisite 3He–N2 mixture is done on an entirely separate gas-handling system. Our cells can be refilled and the gas repolarized indefinitely with no significant change in their wall properties. Relaxation data are presented for about 30 cells; the majority of these reach a “40/40” benchmark: T1>40 h, and 3He polarizations reach or exceed 40%. Typical polarization times range from 12 to 20 h; 20% polarization can be achieved in 3–5 h.
The questions of curriculum

What are the basic things that compose curriculum, and what are the questions that may be posed about these things? Joseph Schwab’s conception of curriculum is used to introduce a scheme of questions concerning the nature, elements, and practice of curriculum. Formulations of questions by other curriculum theorists are reviewed and analysed in light of this scheme, and the various uses of such questions are described. How far the questions prove to enhance thinking and acting in the domain of curriculum is the ultimate criterion of the usefulness of the questions. The answer to this final test question, as to the others, is to be found in the circumstances of practice.
GSMBE growth of GaAs at low AsH3 cracking temperatures

A series of nominally undoped GaAs layers were grown by gas source MBE (GSMBE) with an elemental Ga source and AsH3 cracked by a low pressure Ta gas cracker at cracking temperatures, Tgas, between 500 and 1100°C. For Tgas below 800°C the AsH3 flow rate was increased to maintain an As-stabilized surface. All samples were found to be p-type. The net carrier concentrations decreased linearly as Tgas was decreased from 800 to 500°C; for Tgas=800°C, μ77K=4300 cm2/V⋯s, whereas when Tgas=500°C, μ77K=6400 cm2/V⋯s. Low temperature photoluminescence (PL) on samples grown at Tgas=900°C and Tgas=500°C showed carbon to be the dominant acceptor and a much lower level of carbon incorporation at the lower gas cracking temperature. Quadrupole mass spectrometer measurements of the AsH3 pyrolysis by the gas cell indicate only partial cracking occurring for Tgas=500 to 800°C; thus, AsH3 fragments may be affecting carbon incorporation at the growth surface.
Galaxy assembly bias: a significant source of systematic error in the galaxy–halo relationship

It is common practice for methods that use galaxy clustering to constrain the galaxy-halo relationship, such as the halo occupation distribution (HOD) and/or conditional luminosity function (CLF), to assume that halo mass alone suffices to determine a halo's resident galaxy population. Yet, the clustering strength of cold dark matter halos depends upon halo properties in addition to mass, such as formation time, an effect referred to as assembly bias. If galaxy characteristics are correlated with any of these auxiliary halo properties, the basic assumption of HOD/CLF methods is violated. We estimate the potential for assembly bias to induce systematic errors in inferred halo occupation statistics. We use halo abundance matching and age matching to construct fiducial mock galaxy catalogs that exhibit assembly bias as well as additional mock catalogs with identical HODs, but with assembly bias removed. We fit a parameterized HOD to the projected two-point clustering of mock galaxies in each catalog to assess the systematic errors induced by reasonable levels of assembly bias. In the absence of assembly bias, the inferred HODs generally describe the true underlying HODs well, validating the basic methodology. However, in all of the cases with assembly bias, the inferred HODs have systematic errors that are statistically significant. In most cases, these systematic errors cannot be identified using void statistics as auxiliary observables. We conclude that the galaxy-halo relationship inferred from galaxy clustering should be subject to a non-negligible systematic error induced by assembly bias. Our work suggests that efforts to model and/or constrain assembly bias should be high priorities as it is a threatening source of systematic error in galaxy evolution studies as well as the precision cosmology program.
The use of a tumor promoter as a single parameter approach for the detection of individuals genetically predisposed to colorectal cancer

Abstract The effects of the tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), on the proliferation of cultured skin fibroblasts from individuals genetically prone to colorectal cancer have been investigated. Skin fibroblasts (SF) from both colorectal-prone and normal individuals displayed an unusual biphasic dose-response relationship, but the latter are considerably more sensitive to the toxic effects of TPA. The results indicate that measurement of cloning efficiency in the presence of a TPA probe, provides a reliable assay to further distinguish skin fibroblasts of colorectalprone individuals from those of normal subjects in vitro.
The Quantitative Evaluation of a Granulation Milling Process II. Effect of Ouput Screen Size, Mill Speed and Impeller Shape

AbstractThe processing variables associated with the comminution of pharmaceutical granulations were investigated. The three variables chosen were mill speed, output screen size and impeller shape. Experiments were performed on an aspirin granulation using proper techniques of experimental design. Analysis showed that the three mill variables cannot be considered independently but rather at the level of combinations. A complete characterization of the mill output according to particle size distribution is then possible based upon these combinations of mill variables.
A CRISPR with Roles in Myxococcus xanthus Development and Exopolysaccharide Production

The Gram-negative soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus utilizes its social (S) gliding motility to move on surfaces during its vegetative and developmental cycles. It is known that S motility requires the type IV pilus (T4P) and the exopolysaccharide (EPS) to function. The T4P is the S motility motor, and it powers cell movement by retraction. As the key regulator of the S motor, EPS is proposed to be the anchor and trigger for T4P retraction. The production of EPS is regulated in turn by the T4P in M. xanthus, and T4P− mutants are S− and EPS−. In this study, a ΔpilA strain (T4P− and EPS−) was mutagenized by a transposon and screened for EPS+ mutants. A pilA suppressor isolated as such harbored an insertion in the 3rd clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR3) in M. xanthus. Evidence indicates that this transposon insertion, designated CRISPR3*, is a gain-of-function (GOF) mutation. Moreover, CRISPR3* eliminated developmental aggregation in both the wild-type and the pilA mutant backgrounds. Upstream of CRISPR3 are genes encoding the repeat-associated mysterious proteins (RAMPs). These RAMP genes are indispensable for CRISPR3* to affect development and EPS in M. xanthus. Analysis by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR suggested that CRISPR3* led to an increase in the processing of the RNA transcribed from CRISPR3. We propose that certain CRISPR3 transcripts, once expressed and processed, target genes critical for M. xanthus fruiting body development and EPS production in a RAMP-dependent manner.
Civilisation and the colon: constipation as the "disease of diseases"

The publication in April 2000 of the results of a clinical trial that found high fibre cereals had no protective effect against colorectal adenomas stirred up considerable media attention and shook a cherished tenet of popular health culture.1 After all, boxes of All-Bran have been assuring us for nearly two decades that they contain “at last, some news about cancer you can live with,”2 and the manufacturers of high fibre cereals have enjoyed unprecedented profits thanks to the assumption that their products provide insurance against colon cancer. What will happen to “the high fibre feeding frenzy”3 that has possessed Americans for the past 20 years now that that assumption has been challenged? #### Summary points Throughout human history, bowel irregularity has been considered to be dangerous to health In the 19th century medical scientists formulated a theory of “intestinal autointoxication”—self poisoning from one's own retained wastes The public became prey to marketers of anticonstipation foods, drugs, and devices; All-Bran was introduced in the early 1900s to combat autointoxication Recent clinical evidence suggests that cereal rich in fibre does not have a protective effect against bowel cancer, but because constipation has a historic hold over the public mind, people may continue to believe that bran is protective Not much, most likely. It isn't just that the epidemiologists continue to remind us that there are many observational studies of population groups that show a correlation between consumption of a bulky diet and low incidence of colorectal cancer,4 or that the gastroenterology authorities continue to recommend daily ingestion of a minimum of 30 grams of fibre.5 More important than anything the experts have to say, I would wager, is human intuition, which has seen bowel irregularity to be dangerous from as far back as health literature can be traced. The oldest …
Genome-wide prediction of nucleosome occupancy in maize reveals plant chromatin structural features at genes and other elements at multiple scales.

The nucleosome is a fundamental structural and functional chromatin unit that affects nearly all DNA-templated events in eukaryotic genomes. It is also a biochemical substrate for higher order, cis-acting gene expression codes and the monomeric structural unit for chromatin packaging at multiple scales. To predict the nucleosome landscape of a model plant genome, we used a support vector machine computational algorithm trained on human chromatin to predict the nucleosome occupancy likelihood (NOL) across the maize (Zea mays) genome. Experimentally validated NOL plots provide a novel genomic annotation that highlights gene structures, repetitive elements, and chromosome-scale domains likely to reflect regional gene density. We established a new genome browser (http://www.genomaize.org) for viewing support vector machine-based NOL scores. This annotation provides sequence-based comprehensive coverage across the entire genome, including repetitive genomic regions typically excluded from experimental genomics data. We find that transposable elements often displayed family-specific NOL profiles that included distinct regions, especially near their termini, predicted to have strong affinities for nucleosomes. We examined transcription start site consensus NOL plots for maize gene sets and discovered that most maize genes display a typical +1 nucleosome positioning signal just downstream of the start site but not upstream. This overall lack of a –1 nucleosome positioning signal was also predicted by our method for Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genes and verified by additional analysis of previously published Arabidopsis MNase-Seq data, revealing a general feature of plant promoters. Our study advances plant chromatin research by defining the potential contribution of the DNA sequence to observed nucleosome positioning and provides an invariant baseline annotation against which other genomic data can be compared.
Search for a flux of cosmic-ray magnetic monopoles with an eight-channel superconducting detector.

A superconducting detector for cosmic-ray magnetic monopoles originally designed with a cross section of 1.5 m{sup 2} (averaged over 4{pi} solid angle) for double-coincident events was active from 5 May 1987 to 5 August 1988. The detector consists of eight independent inductive gradiometers located on the surface of an octagonal prism. The conductor is niobium-titanium foil and the current sensors are rf SQUID's. The signal-to-noise ratio for a single Dirac charge is greater than 50 in a 0.05-Hz bandwidth, and low-noise data was obtained over 547 days of continuous cryogenic operation. Of this time, we obtained {similar to}50% live time. Open circuits in portions of two gradiometers and occasional coupling of disturbances in adjacent gradiometers reduce the active sensing area to 1.1 m{sup 2}. A closed-cycle helium liquefier eliminates helium transfers and increases the stability of the data. Anticoincidence instrumentation includes strain gauges, a flux-gate magnetometer, an ultrasonic motion detector, and a wideband rms rf voltmeter. The exposure to date represents a limit on the flux of cosmic-ray magnetic monopoles of 7.2{times}10{sup {minus}13} cm{sup {minus}2} s{sup {minus}1} sr{sup {minus}1} at a 90% confidence level, eliminating most of the phase space for monopole plasma oscillation theories.
A global sensitivity analysis of performance of a medical diagnostic test when verification bias is present.

Current advances in technology provide less invasive or less expensive diagnostic tests for identifying disease status. When a diagnostic test is evaluated against an invasive or expensive gold standard test, one often finds that not all patients undergo the gold standard test. The sensitivity and specificity estimates based only on the patients with verified disease are often biased. This bias is called verification bias. Many authors have examined the consequences of verification bias and have proposed bias correction methods based on the assumption of independence between disease status and election for verification conditionally on the test result, or equivalently on the assumption that the disease status is missing at random using missing data terminology. This assumption may not be valid and one may need to consider adjustment for a possible non-ignorable verification bias resulting from the non-ignorable missing data mechanism. Such an adjustment involves ultimately uncheckable assumptions and requires sensitivity analysis. The sensitivity analysis is most often accomplished by perturbing parameters in the chosen model for the missing data mechanism, and it has a local flavour because perturbations are around the fitted model. In this paper we propose a global sensitivity analysis for assessing performance of a diagnostic test in the presence of verification bias. We derive a region of all sensitivity and specificity values consistent with the observed data and call this region a test ignorance region (TIR). The term 'ignorance' refers to the lack of knowledge due to the missing disease status for the not verified patients. The methodology is illustrated with two clinical examples.
Perception: an experiment to compare "here and now" and "there and then" perspectives.

A basic tenet of humanistic psychology is that “here and now” perception is different from and superior to “there and then” perception. This article describes an experimental test of this tenet. The test is based on the close relationship between categorizing and perceiving of stimuli. Data showed that people tend to use fewer categories to sort stimuli when in a “there and then” perspective than in a “here and now” perspective. This outcome is consistent with a theorem of information theory regarding signal to noise ratio and optimal number of categories.
Induction of ornithine decarboxylase in macrophages by bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and mycobacterial cell wall material.

Lipopolysaccharide from E. Coli (LPS) and BCG cell walls (BCGcw) are recognized immunoadjuvants that directly stimulate some macrophage functions. The macrophage cell line J774.1 and peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) from mice can be stimulated by LPS or other adjuvants in vitro to synthesize and release protein factor(s) that activate thymus-derived lymphocytes. We have utilized J774.1 cells and PEC to demonstrate that an increase in ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity is a marker of early biochemical changes in adjuvant-stimulated macrophages. BCGcw and LPS increased ODC within 2 hours in J774.1 cells as well as murine peritoneal exudate macrophages. Maximal increases in ODC were detected 4 hours after the addition of adjuvants to J774.1 cells. The marked increases (12–23 fold) in ODC observed with BCGcw (20 μg/ml) did not appear to involve an effect on cell proliferation which was suppressed by this adjuvant. Cycloheximide inhibited the induction of ODC by LPS and BCGcw in the macrophage cell line. Evidence that the induction of ODC may be promoted by an increase in cyclic AMP was provided by experiments demonstrating that prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and 8-bromo-adenosine-3′:5′-monophosphate (8Br-cyclic AMP) can mimic the effects of LPS and BCGcw in J774.1 cells. These observations indicate that one of the early biochemical changes in macrophages promoted by adjuvants is an induction of ODC.
A President Out of Work: A Note on the Political Economy of Presidential Approval in the Bush Years

On 3 November 1992 the American electorate dismissed President George Bush after a campaign in which his opponents repeatedly criticized his management – or mismanagement – of the nation's sluggish economy. Although the salience of economic issues in the 1992 election is consistent with the emphasis placed on economic conditions in most studies of presidents' job approval ratings, the results of these studies have recently been challenged. Based on analyses of quarterly data for the 1953–88 period, MacKuen, Erikson and Stimson conclude that voters' subjective evaluations of the long-term performance of the national economy are crucial. Controlling for such expectations, retrospective judgements about economic performance and objective economic conditions are not important determinants of approval of the president. These conclusions are at odds both with the traditional ‘reward-punishment’ theory that emphasizes the importance of retrospective economic evaluations for approval of the president and with the revisionist ‘issue-priority’ theory which contends that inflation and unemployment rates have differential effects on support for Republican and Democratic presidents.
Frequent Self-Weighing and Visual Feedback for Weight Loss in Overweight Adults

Evidence has suggested that self-weighing may be beneficial for weight control in adults, but few studies have independently assessed the contribution of this behavior to weight loss. This study experimentally tested daily self-weighing and visual feedback (the Caloric Titration Method (CTM)) as a weight loss and weight loss maintenance intervention over 2 years. 162 overweight individuals were randomized to the CTM intervention or delayed treatment control group. In year 1, weight change was compared between groups, and in year 2, the control group started using the CTM while the intervention group continued using the CTM for maintenance. A significant difference in weight loss over the first year (CTM n = 70; 2.6 ± 5.9 kg versus control n = 65; 0.5 ± 4.4 kg, p = 0.019) was qualified by a group × gender × time interaction (p = 0.002) such that men lost more weight using the CTM. In year 2, the CTM group maintained their weight and the control group lost an amount similar to the intervention group in year 1. Daily self-weighing and visual feedback facilitated a minimal amount of weight loss and maintenance of this loss. Future research investigating characteristics of those who benefit from this type of self-directed intervention is warranted.
Genital and subjective measurement of the time course effects of an acute dose of testosterone vs. placebo in postmenopausal women.

ABSTRACT Introduction Recent research on the impact of testosterone (T) on female sexual function has yielded inconsistent results, and few studies have used physiological measures of genital arousal. Aim This study examined the effects of an acute dose of methyltestosterone (MT) on physiological (genital) and subjective sexual response in postmenopausal women. Main Outcome Measures Vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA) and self-reported sexual response. Methods Randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial of 5 mg MT, consisting of two separate 8-hour visits. Participants were 10 postmenopausal women without sexual dysfunction. Participants viewed both neutral and erotic video segments during five post-dose trials while their genital and subjective responses were monitored. Results The Wilcoxon signed rank test indicated a significant difference in VPA between the T (M = 0.018, SD = 0.018) and placebo (M = 0.016, SD = 0.017) conditions at 4.5 hours post-dose ( P = 0.03). Higher difference scores were noted for 80% of subjects during the T condition at 4.5 hours, in contrast with only 50% of subjects responding to T at the other four time points. No differences were found on VPA relative change scores or subjective sexual arousal scores. When summed across all five time points, genital and subjective measures were correlated regardless of medication condition (0.62 and 0.60 for self-reported physical and mental sexual arousal scores, respectively). Conclusions These findings in postmenopausal women combined with those of two previous investigations in premenopausal women demonstrate a probable acute-dose time delay for genital sexual effects of exogenous T with no change in self-reported sexual arousal. Further investigation is needed to determine whether acute dosing of T has a consistent and predictable impact on genital arousal that has promise for the treatment of any subgroup of women with sexual disorders. Heard-Davison A, Heiman JR, and Kuffel S. Genital and subjective measurement of the time course effects of an acute dose of testosterone vs. placebo in postmenopausal women. J Sex Med 2007;4:209–217.
Customer anger at price increases, changes in the frequency of price adjustment and monetary policy $

Abstract While firms claim to be concerned with consumer reactions to price increases, these often do not cause large reductions in purchases. The model developed here fits this by letting consumers react negatively only when they become convinced that prices are unfair. This can explain price rigidity, though its implications are not identical to those of existing models of costly price adjustment. In particular, the frequency of price adjustment can depend on economy-wide variables observed by consumers. This has implications for the effects of monetary policy and can explain why inflation does not fall immediately after a monetary tightening.
Soy-dairy protein blend and whey protein ingestion after resistance exercise increases amino acid transport and transporter expression in human skeletal muscle

Increasing amino acid availability (via infusion or ingestion) at rest or postexercise enhances amino acid transport into human skeletal muscle. It is unknown whether alterations in amino acid avai...
Accumulation of Peribronchial Mast Cells in a Mouse Model of Ovalbumin Allergen Induced Chronic Airway Inflammation: Modulation by Immunostimulatory DNA Sequences

Few peribronchial mast cells are noted either in the lungs of naive mice or in the lungs of OVA-sensitized mice challenged acutely with OVA by inhalation. In this study, we demonstrate that OVA-sensitized mice exposed to repetitive OVA inhalation for 1-6 mo have a significant accumulation of peribronchial mast cells. This accumulation of peribronchial mast cells is associated with increased expression of the Th2 cell-derived mast cell growth factors, including IL-4 and IL-9, but not with the non-Th2 cell-derived mast cell growth factor, stem cell factor. Pretreating mice with immunostimulatory sequences (ISS) of DNA containing a CpG motif significantly inhibited the accumulation of peribronchial mast cells and the expression of IL-4 and IL-9. To determine whether mast cells express Toll-like receptor-9 (TLR-9; the receptor for ISS), TLR-9 expression by mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (MBMMCs) was assessed by RT-PCR. MBMMCs strongly expressed TLR-9 and bound rhodamine-labeled ISS. However, incubation of MBMMCs with ISS in vitro neither inhibited MBMMC proliferation nor inhibited Ag/IgE-mediated MBMMC degranulation, but they did induce IL-6. Overall these studies demonstrate that mice exposed to repetitive OVA challenge, but not acute OVA challenge, have an accumulation of peribronchial mast cells and express increased levels of mast cell growth factors in the lung. Although mast cells express TLR-9, ISS does not directly inhibit mast cell proliferation in vitro, suggesting that ISS inhibits accumulation of peribronchial mast cells in vivo by indirect mechanism(s), which include inhibiting the lung expression of Th2 cell-derived mast cell growth factors.
Genetic Variation in the Chemical Composition of the Egg

Abstract Although the diet is more influential than heredity in its effect on variability of egg composition, there is some evidence for a genetic influence on the following chemical components of eggs or of factors that might directly affect their chemical composition: 1) relative proportion of yolk and albumen and percentage solids, 2) albumen quality, 3) qualitative protein polymorphism, 4) total protein content, 5) cholesterol, 6) vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, 7) fatty acids, 8) enzymes, and 9) deposition of metabolic products in the eggs. The variability in the composition of the shell is not considered in this review.
Oxidative phosphorylation dysfunction modulates expression of extracellular matrix—remodeling genes and invasion

A number of recent studies suggest that mitochondrial function is a player in tumor development and progression. In this study, we have used gene expression arrays to examine transcriptional differences between oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-competent and OXPHOS-impaired human osteosarcoma cells. Genes associated with extracellular matrix remodeling, including members of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of the MMP (TIMP) family, urokinase plasminogen activator and its inhibitor plasminogen-activator inhibitor-1 (PAI1), and CTGF and CYR61 (members of the Cysteine-rich 61, Connective Tissue Growth Factor and Nephroblastoma-overexpressed (CCN) gene family of growth regulators), were among the ones significantly altered in the OXPHOS-deficient cells. These changes were confirmed by RT-PCR and promoter reporter assays. Alterations at the protein level for some of these factors were also observed, though at a lower magnitude, with the exception of TIMP1, where a marked change in steady-state levels of the protein was observed after induction of OXPHOS dysfunction. Repopulation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-less cells with wild-type mtDNA reduced matrigel invasion, whereas repopulation with a mutated mtDNA did not. Taken together our data suggests that OXPHOS dysfunction modulates the invasive phenotype by transcriptional regulation of genes coding for members of the MMP/TIMP system, urokinase plasminogen activator/plasminogen-activator inhibitor I and CCN proteins.
Commentary on Alsirafy et al . The use of opioids at the end-of-life and the survival of Egyptian palliative care patients with advanced cancer

Alsirafy and colleagues present an insightful article on the use of opioids at the end-of-life for Egyptian palliative care oncology patients and their length of survival. Myths of opioids are commonplace around the world, especially in areas where there are negative historical contexts related to opioids or where opioids are not available (and thus the benefits are not obvious). In Egypt, opioids are available, but myths persist. The authors address one of the main myths in their culture, that the use of opioids will hasten death.