cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nutrition Society Symposium on ‘End points in clinical nutrition trials’ Death, morbidity and economics are the only end points for trials

In order to determine whether surrogate markers predict clinical outcome, randomized controlled trials (RCT) of nutrition support v. no nutrition support that have reported at least one clinical outcome (mortality, infections, total complications, or duration of hospitalization) and at least one nutritional outcome (energy or protein intake, weight gain, N balance, albumin, prealbumin, transferrin, three anthropometric measures, skin testing, lymphocyte count) were assessed for concordance. If changes in nutritional markers predict clinical outcome, changes in both outcomes should go in the same direction. Concordance is defined as both outcomes changing in the same direction or both outcomes showing no difference. Discordance is defined as one outcome changing and the other not (partial) or both outcomes changing in opposite directions (complete). Ninety-nine RCT were identified, of which most were underpowered to see statistically significant changes, especially in clinical outcomes. Thus, the results were analysed only in relation to the direction of the respective changes in outcomes. Forty-eight comparisons (4 x 12) were made. The rates of concordance were 75%. A complete discordance rate of > or =25% was present in forty-three (> or =50% in thirteen) of the forty-eight comparisons. The discordance was usually a result of the nutritional outcome being better than the clinical outcome. Changes in nutritional markers do not predict clinical outcomes. Before adopting any surrogate marker as an end point for a clinical trial, it has to be known that improving it will result in patient benefit.
Enterprise Dashboard Tools for Management of Share-Use University Laboratory

Use of automated dashboards for data display is shown to be a highly effective communication method for key status and trend information in laboratory operations. A system based on .NET scripts drawing on activity data stored in the laboratory's SQL repository is described. This system provides laboratory management and staff with web-viewable automated reports in support of operational goals.
Guanosine triphosphate: an endogenous compound in the rabbit cerebellar cortex which couples the beta-adrenergic receptor to adenylate cyclase.

Summary The guanyl nucleotides GTP and GDP are endogenous factors in the rabbit cerebellum which contribute to the in vitro coupling of the beta-adrenergic receptor to adenylate cyclase. Repeated washing of the particulate material removes these endogenous guanyl nucleotides and abolishes the sensitivity of the adenylate cyclase activity to beta-adrenergic agonists. The endogenous GTP and GDP, isolated by high pressure liquid chromatography, mimic the ability of the supernatant both to restore the coupling of receptor and enzyme and to increase basal enzyme activity. The effectiveness of GDP reflects its conversion to GTP during the assay. GTP does not affect either the number of [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding sites or the affinity of these sites for l -isoproterenol; furthermore, GTP does not cause a shift in activation affinity of enzyme activity for isoproterenol. Thus, the guanyl nucleotides are endogenous constituents of the mammalian brain which are essential for the functional ‘coupling’ of beta-adrenergic receptors to adenylate cyclase.
An Invitation to T and More: Notch Signaling in Lymphopoiesis

Cell fate decisions in metazoans are regulated by Notch signals. During lymphoid development, Notch influences a series of cell fate decisions involving multipotent progenitors. This review focuses on current views and lingering uncertainties about Notch function in lymphoid cells.
Discovery in multi-attribute data with user-defined constraints

There has been a growing interest in mining frequent itemsets in relational data with multiple attributes. A key step in this approach is to select a set of attributes that group data into transactions and a separate set of attributes that labels data into items. Unsupervised and unrestricted mining, however, is stymied by the combinatorial complexity and the quantity of patterns as the number of attributes grows. In this paper, we focus on leveraging the semantics of the underlying data for mining frequent itemsets. For instance, there are usually taxonomies in the data schema and functional dependencies among the attributes. Domain knowledge and user preferences often have the potential to significantly reduce the exponentially growing mining space. These observations motivate the design of a user-directed data mining framework that allows such domain knowledge to guide the mining process and control the mining strategy. We show examples of tremendous reduction in computation by using domain knowledge in mining relational data with multiple attributes.
The Evolution of Academic Libraries: The Networked Environment

This article argues that developing technologies have resulted in rapid and fundamental changes in the way libraries conduct business. It is argued that, in light of these changes, academic librarians need to reconfigure the way their time and resources are allocated in order to assist users in making the most effective use of networked environments.
Haptic exploration of fingertip-sized geometric features using a multimodal tactile sensor

Haptic perception remains a grand challenge for artificial hands. Dexterous manipulators could be enhanced by “haptic intelligence” that enables identification of objects and their features via touch alone. Haptic perception of local shape would be useful when vision is obstructed or when proprioceptive feedback is inadequate, as observed in this study. In this work, a robot hand outfitted with a deformable, bladder-type, multimodal tactile sensor was used to replay four human-inspired haptic “exploratory procedures” on fingertip-sized geometric features. The geometric features varied by type (bump, pit), curvature (planar, conical, spherical), and footprint dimension (1.25 - 20 mm). Tactile signals generated by active fingertip motions were used to extract key parameters for use as inputs to supervised learning models. A support vector classifier estimated order of curvature while support vector regression models estimated footprint dimension once curvature had been estimated. A distal-proximal stroke (along the long axis of the finger) enabled estimation of order of curvature with an accuracy of 97%. Best-performing, curvature-specific, support vector regression models yielded R 2 values of at least 0.95. While a radial-ulnar stroke (along the short axis of the finger) was most helpful for estimating feature type and size for planar features, a rolling motion was most helpful for conical and spherical features. The ability to haptically perceive local shape could be used to advance robot autonomy and provide haptic feedback to human teleoperators of devices ranging from bomb defusal robots to neuroprostheses.
A research facility for studying poultry responses to heat stress and its relief

A control and measurement system was developed for studying physiological responses of poultry to thermal challenges and means of heat stress relief. The system features automatic control of air temperature and relative humidity (RH); manual setting of air velocity [  0.1 m·s –1 (  20 ft·min –1 )]; and continuous recording of surface and core body temperatures of the animal. The target thermal conditions in the animal occupied zone were achieved inside a wind tunnel [0 to 1.5 m·s –1 (0 to 300 ft·min –1 )] that was situated inside an environment–controlled room and re–circulated the room air. Target air temperature [  0.2  C (  0.36  F)] and RH (  2%) were achieved by controlling the auxiliary heaters and humidifiers in two stages via a programmable measurement and control module and its peripherals. Animal surface temperatures were time–recorded with an infrared thermal imager [0.06  C (0.1  F) sensitivity]. Core body temperatures [  0.1  C (0.18  F)] were collected with a surgery–free telemetric sensing unit that output the data to a PC. Moreover, a surveillance video system was used to monitor and archive animal behavior. The system has been used to quantify the responses of laying hens to various thermally challenging conditions and the efficacy of intermittent partial surface wetting in alleviating bird heat stress under these conditions.
Distributed and intelligent information access in manufacturing enterprises through mobile devices

Due to the distributed nature of today’s enterprises and the growing number of employees who are mobile, newer models of communication are required to cater to the information needs of manufacturing personnel. Mobile applications such as information alerts, disconnected information processing and background processing are applications gaining significant attention in manufacturing companies. In this paper, we describe the framework and architecture of a mobile-agent-based system, which provides mobile information services to the workforce in motion in manufacturing enterprises. We emphasize on background and disconnected processing and demonstrate the use of a Mobile-agent-based system to achieve it. Recognizing the need to exchange information between various distributed information sources, we explore the use of XML-based agent communication and discuss how XML can be used for inter-agent communication. We describe the design and implementation of a prototype system and discuss application scenarios.
Classification of Malicious Web Sessions

The ever increasing number of vulnerabilities and reported attacks on Web systems clearly illustrate the need for better understanding of malicious cyber activities, which will allow better protection, detection, and service recovery in the cyberspace. In this paper we use three supervised machine learning methods, Support Vector Machines (SVM), and decision trees based J48 and PART, to classify attacker activities aimed at Web systems. The empirical analysis is based on four datasets, each in duration of four to five months, collected by high-interaction honeypots. Malicious Web sessions are characterized with forty three different features (i.e., session attributes) extracted from Web server logs. Our results show that the supervised learning methods can be used to efficiently distinguish attack sessions from vulnerability scan sessions, with very high probability of detection and very low probability of false alarms. Furthermore, we follow the principle of Occam's razor, that is, we seek for the simplest possible model that can successfully classify malicious Web sessions. Our results show that attacks differ from vulnerability scans only in a small number of features (i.e., session attributes). In particular, depending on the data set, classification of malicious activities can be performed using from four to six features without significantly affecting learners' performance compared to when all 43 features are used. Decision tree based methods J48 and PART perform better than SVM across all datasets.
What’s Educational Leadership Without an African-Centered Perspective? Explorations and Extrapolations

This article provides an overview of current issues confronting educational leaders dedicated to the fundamentals, curriculum, pedagogy, and practices of African-centered education (ACE) and its evolving nature in the 21st century. By considering and situating African-centered leadership in the discussion of educational leadership generally, and within the expanding and prescient notions of leadership for social justice specifically, the article offers useful connections to educational leadership scholars and practitioners who straddle these interdisciplinary domains of scholarship and action as an opportunity to build from the emerging literature within the extant fields of study and to push urban educational leaders and practitioners to think more critically about the direction of ACE theory, practice, and praxis.
In vivo fluorescence imaging of the transport of charged chlorin e6 conjugates in a rat orthotopic prostate tumour.

Polymeric drug conjugates are used in cancer therapy and, varying their molecular size and charge, will affect their in vivo transport and extravasation in tumours. Partitioning between tumour vasculature and tumour tissue will be of particular significance in the case of photosensitizer conjugates used in photodynamic therapy, where this partitioning can lead to different therapeutic effects. Poly-l-lysine chlorin e6 conjugates (derived from polymers of average M r 5000 and 25 000) were prepared both in a cationic state and by poly-succinylation in an anionic state. A fluorescence scanning laser microscope was used to follow the pharmacokinetics of these conjugates in vivo in an orthotopic rat prostate cancer model obtained with MatLyLu cells. Fluorescence was excited with the 454–528 nm group of lines of an argon laser and a 570 nm long pass filter used to isolate the emission. Results showed that the conjugates initially bound to the walls of the vasculature, before extravasating into the tissue, and eventually increasing in fluorescence. The anionic conjugates produced tissue fluorescence faster than the cationic ones, and surprisingly, the larger M r conjugates produced tissue fluorescence faster than the smaller ones with the same charge. These results are consistent with differences in aggregation state between conjugates.
Determination of total uranium and uranium isotope ratios in human urine by ICP-MS:results of an interlaboratory study

In biomonitoring studies, the very low levels of uranium [U] found in urine and the complexity of the urine matrix present challenges for accurate isotope ratio determination. The principal goals of this study were to evaluate current interlaboratory performance and measurement reproducibility for determining [U] and uranium isotope ratios in human urine, and to produce an archive of well-characterized urine reference materials for future method validation and quality control purposes. Six stabilized pools of urine were prepared following the same protocol that is used to prepare materials for the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Proficiency Testing (PT) Program. The candidate reference materials were characterized by their [U] content, isotopic ratios, as well as for homogeneity, and stability. The interlaboratory study design was modeled on the PT program for trace elements in human urine operated by the NYSDOH's Wadsworth Center. Among the nine laboratories that returned results, sample preparation methodologies included simple dilution, acid digestion, column extraction, or a combination of these techniques. For [U] determination, four laboratories used SF-ICP-MS and five used Q-ICP-MS, whereas, for isotope ratios, five used SF-ICP-MS and four Q-ICP-MS. Sample introduction was achieved using either desolvation-nebulization systems or a nebulizer and spray chamber (ambient temperature or Peltier-cooled). Certified reference materials were used by six laboratories to validate [U], isotope ratios, or both. In general for values of [U] > 5 ng L−1, the assigned target values are in good agreement with predicted values and the standard uncertainties are relatively small. For 235U/238U, there was generally good agreement between the target and predicted values, however the relative standard uncertainties for isotope measurements were higher than for [U]. For the minor isotope ratios 234U/238U and 236U/238U, there was generally poor agreement between target and predicted values and the standard uncertainties were also relatively high. These results suggest that accurate and precise measurements of [U] in urine can be achieved using a wide range of ICP-MS instrument types and methodologies. In contrast, measurement of uranium isotope ratios in urine is more strongly dependent on instrumentation and analytical methodology.
Three-Phase Boost-Type Grid-Connected Inverter

Alternative energy sources, such as solar energy and fuel cells, are desirable due to their pollution-free property. In order to utilize the present infrastructure of the utility grid for power transmission and distribution, grid-connected DC-to-AC inverters are required for alternative energy source power generation. For many of these applications, the input dc voltage is usually below peak voltage of the output and may vary in a wide range. Thus single-stage buck-type inverters may not be adequate, since they have very limited input voltage range and require the input DC voltage to be higher than the peak of the output voltage. For this reason, two-power-stage topologies, cascaded topologies and multilevel topologies are reported for applications where the input voltage is lower than the peak of the output voltage. Typically, one DC-DC power stage is required to boost the DC voltage in addition to an inverter for DC-AC conversion, which yields increased circuitry complexity. One-stage inverters for low DC voltage to high AC voltage conversion have been reported for non-grid-connected inverters based on the topology of a current source inverter. In this paper, the one-cycle control (OCC) method and the pulse width modulation (PWM) method have been proposed for a three-phase boost-type grid-connected inverter. The inverter features a single power stage that converts dc power to grid-connected ac power by injecting three in phase sinusoidal currents into grids, which may reduce power losses and circuit complexity. The input dc voltage is lower than the peak grid voltage and can vary in a wide range, which greatly suits the power conversion from photovoltaic or fuel cells to grid lines. The DC inductance may be kept low because the average DC current is maintained constant in a switching cycle. With the OCC method, the inverter preserves the advantages of simple circuitry, good stability and fast dynamic response and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) function can be conveniently integrated into the control core. Experiments have been performed with a 1.5-kW laboratory prototype that demonstrated the good performance of the inverter and MPPT function.
Predicting Robust Learning With the Visual Form of the Moment-by-Moment Learning Curve

We present a new method for analyzing a student's learning over time for a specific skill: analysis of the graph of the student's moment-by-moment learning over time. Moment-by-moment learning is calculated using a data-mined model that assesses the probability that a student learned a skill or concept at a specific time during learning (Baker, Goldstein, & Heffernan, 2010, 2011). Two coders labeled data from students who used an intelligent tutoring system for college genetics. They coded in terms of 7 forms that the moment-by-moment learning curve can take. These labels are correlated to test data on the robustness of students’ learning. We find that different visual forms are correlated with very different learning outcomes. This work suggests that analysis of moment-by-moment learning curves may be able to shed light on the implications of students’ different patterns of learning over time.
Theory of confusion

Given a classifier, presently we use a confusion matrix to quantify how much the classifier deviates from truth based upon training data. Shortcomings to this limited application of the confusion matrix are that (1) it does not communicate data trends in feature space, for example where errors congregate, and (2) the truth mapping is largely unknown except for a small, potentially biased sample set. In practice, one does not have truth but has to rely on an expert's opinion. We propose the mathematical theory of confusion comparing and contrasting the opinions of two experts (i.e., two classifiers). This theory has advantages over traditional confusion matrices in that it provides a capability for expressing classification confidence over ALL of feature space, not just at sampled truth. This theory quantifies different types of confusion between classifiers and yields a region of feature space where confusion occurs. An example using Artificial Neural Networks will be given.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Two new species of Omphalia which cause decline disease in date palms.

The species of Omphalia which constitute the subject of this paper are now considered (2) to be the cause of decline disease in the date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L. This malady was first detected in 1921 near Indio, California. Since that time the disease has become well distributed (4) throughout the date-growing region of the Indio district, but it is unknown beyond the boundaries of Riverside County. All underground parts of the palm (3) may be attacked by these fungi, but the principal injury results from the destruction of roots. Secondary symptoms (1) appear subsequently and include the premature death of leaves, retardation in the rate of terminal growth, and reduction in the size of leaves and fruitstalks. The fruit from severely affected palms is nearly worthless. Among the micro6rganisms associated with diseased palms were certain white, sterile fungi with clamp connections at the septa. The first of these cultures was isolated in 1931 by L. J. Klotz, who obtained slight evidences of infection from the inoculation of seedling date palms. Little significance was placed on these results at that time. Later work by the author (2) revealed the pathogenic nature of Klotz's culture, together with that of numerous isolates of similar character from other diseased palms. Since no fruiting bodies of these basidiomycetous fungi were found about date palms affected with decline disease, effort was directed toward inducing sporulation artificially. A group of imperfect toadstools developed in the greenhouse on a wooden pot label (FIG. 3, C). A moldy leaf base from a diseased palm had been buried in soil near the base of this marker. Mycelium which
The development of neuronal morphology in insects.

Neurons are highly polarized cells with some regions specified for information input — typically the dendrites— and others specialized for information output — the axons. By extending to a specific location and branching in a specific manner, the processes of neurons determine at a fundamental level how the nervous system is wired to produce behavior. Recent studies suggest that relatively small changes in neuronal morphology could conceivably contribute to striking behavioral distinctions between invertebrate species. We review recent data that begin to shed light on how neurons extend dendrites to their targets and acquire their particular branching morphologies, drawing primarily on data from genetic model organisms. We speculate about how and why the actions of these genes might facilitate the diversification of dendritic morphology.
Laboratory Predictors of Fluid Deficit in Acutely Dehydrated Children

To determine which laboratory studies are most predictive of the fluid deficit in acutely dehydrated children, we studied a convenience sample of 40 children requiring intravenous fluid resuscitation. Nine laboratory studies (serum BUN/cr, total serum CO2, serum uric acid, serum anion gap, urine anion gap, venous pH, venous base deficit, urine specific gravity, and fractional excretion of sodium) were individually assessed in simple linear regression models with fluid deficit as the dependent variable. Only the serum BUN/cr and serum uric acid were significantly associated with increasing fluid deficit (r = 0.52, P = 0.0005 and r = 0.35, P = 0.03, respectively). The sensitivities and specificities of these two laboratory studies for the detection of > 5% fluid deficit were poor. Conventional laboratory studies used to assess dehydration in children are poorly predictive of fluid deficits.
Desert Dust: Origin, Characteristics, and Effect on Man

This volume is the result of a 1977 symposium convened in Denver, Colo., by the editor under the sponsorship of the Committee on Arid Lands of the American Association of Science. Twenty-four authors were involved in the presentation of 15 papers, 11 of which appear in the volume. Ten other papers not presented at the meeting were subsequently added. The 303 pages are well illustrated with about 225 figures and tables. The papers cover an enormous range of phenomena, from transport of dust globally to transport of dust from abandoned farms to adjacent highways. It even contains one paper on Martian dust movement but it is not interplanetary, although the editor's preface implies as much.
Heterogeneous graphene nanostructures: ZnO nanostructures grown on large-area graphene layers.

In this work, the synthesis and characterization of three-dimensional hetergeneous graphene nanostructures (HGN) comprising continuous large-area graphene layers and ZnO nanostructures, fabricated via chemical vapor deposition, are reported. Characterization of large-area HGN demonstrates that it consists of 1-5 layers of graphene, and exhibits high optical transmittance and enhanced electrical conductivity. Electron microscopy investigation of the three-dimensional heterostructures shows that the morphology of ZnO nanostructures is highly dependent on the growth temperature. It is observed that ordered crystalline ZnO nanostructures are preferably grown along the direction. Ultraviolet spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy indicates that the CVD-grown HGN layers has excellent optical properties. A combination of electrical and optical properties of graphene and ZnO building blocks in ZnO-based HGN provides unique characteristics for opportunities in future optoelectronic devices.
Overview of 75 years of Smittium research, establishing a new genus for Smittium culisetae, and prospects for future revisions of the ‘Smittium’ clade

The Harpellales includes 38 genera of endosymbiotic microfungi associated with various Arthropoda. Smittium, the second genus to be described, is now also the most species rich of the order. Species of Smittium inhabit the digestive tracts of larval aquatic insects, especially lower Diptera, worldwide. During the 75 y since the type, Smittium arvernense, was described a number of advances in our understanding of the gut fungi have unfolded, in whole or in part, with Smittium as a model for the fungal trichomycetes. This in part relates to the high number of successful isolation attempts, with about 40% of known species having been cultured, a total number that far exceeds any other genus of gut fungus. Many isolates of Smittium have been used in laboratory studies for ultrastructural, physiological, host feeding, serological, as well as isozyme, and now ongoing molecular systematic studies. Molecular studies have shown that Smittium is polyphyletic but with consistent separation of Smittium culisetae, one of the most common and widespread species, from the remainder of Smittium. A brief overview of Smittium research is provided. Zygospore and trichos- pore morphology and molecular evidence (immuno- logical, isozyme, DNA sequences and phylogenetic analyses) are used to establish Zancudomyces and to accommodate Smittium culisetae. For the latter evidence, we include the first two-gene phylogenetic analysis, using combined 18S and 28S rRNA gene sequence data to show a cluster of Zancudomyces
Effects of behavioral and morphological plasticity on risk of predation in a Neotropical tadpole.

Predator-induced phenotypic plasticity is widespread among aquatic animals, however the relative contributions of behavioral and morphological shifts to reducing risk of predation remain uncertain. We tested the phenotypic plasticity of a Neotropical tadpole (Rana palmipes) in response to chemical cues from predatory Belostoma water bugs, and how phenotype affects risk of predation. Behavior, morphology, and pigmentation all were plastic, resulting in a predator-induced phenotype with lower activity, deeper tail fin and muscle, and darker pigmentation. Tadpoles in the predator cue treatment also grew more rapidly, possibly as a result of the nutrient subsidy from feeding the caged predator. For comparison to phenotypes induced in the experiment, we quantified the phenotype of tadpoles from a natural pool. Wild-caught tadpoles did not match either experimentally induced phenotype; their morphology was more similar to that produced in the control treatment, but their low swimming activity was similar to that induced by predator cues. Exposure of tadpoles from both experimental treatments and the natural pool to a free-ranging predator confirmed that predator-induced phenotypic plasticity reduces risk of predation. Risk of predation was comparable among wild-caught and predator-induced tadpoles, indicating that behavioral shifts can substantially alleviate risk in tadpoles that lack the typical suite of predator-induced morphological traits. The morphology observed in wild-caught tadpoles is associated with rapid growth and high competition in other tadpole species, suggesting that tadpoles may profitably combine a morphology suited to competition for food with behaviors that minimize risk of predation.
Increasing Affective Organizational Commitment in Public Organizations: The Key Role of Interpersonal Trust

Affective organizational commitment has been equated to the public service motivation of pubhc employees It is a valuable component of organizational effectiveness However, few management intervention strategies exist that specifically address increasing affective commitment Often successful interventions are designed around correlates of the intended attitudinal construct One hypothesized correlate of affective commitment m organization behavior hterature is trust Trust can be differentiated as interpersonal trust (between the employee and the manager) and systems trust (between the employee and the organization as a whole) This differentiation is significant for the public manager because the relationship between affective commitment and trust can prescnbe two different strategies for an intervention aimed at positively impacting affective commitment For example, if affective commitment is linked to systems trust, an intervention based on a top-down strategy would be the better choice This study tests t...
A Fault Resilient Routing Protocol for Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks

In a Mobile Ad hoc NETwork (MANET), mobile devices cooperate to forward packets for each other without the assistance of dedicated routing infrastructures. Due to its networking flexibility and node mobility, MANET routing presents a new set of nontrivial challenges such as broadcast overhead, frequent topology changes, and slow convergence. Additionally, many proposed MANET routing protocols assume a friendly and cooperative environment, and hence are vulnerable to various attacks by misbehaving nodes. Recently, significant attention has been devoted to developing the fault resilient routing protocol for MANET, which requires routing stability and scalability in hostile and demanding environments. In this paper, we propose a fault resilient ad hoc routing protocol called local self-recovery routing (LSR), that is geared to adapt to topology dynamics and selfish behaviors in the shortest possible time. During the route recovery, the shortest detour is found to repair the faulty links locally using a cone-shaped recovery zone, and the broadcast area is efficiently chosen to minimize overhead while achieving a good recovery rate. Our ns-2 based simulation shows significant performance enhancements of LSR in throughput and routing overhead. Also, based on the simulation, the optimal angle of a cone-shaped recovery zone is studied under various scenarios.
The gene for the intermediate chain subunit of cytoplasmic dynein is essential in drosophila

The microtubule motor cytoplasmic dynein powers a variety of intracellular transport events that are essential for cellular and developmental processes. A current hypothesis is that the accessory subunits of the dynein complex are important for the specialization of cytoplasmic dynein function. In a genetic approach to understanding the range of dynein functions and the contribution of the different subunits to dynein motor function and regulation, we have identified mutations in the gene for the cytoplasmic dynein intermediate chain, Dic19C . We used a functional Dic transgene in a genetic screen to recover X -linked lethal mutations that require this transgene for viability. Three Dic mutations were identified and characterized. All three Dic alleles result in larval lethality, demonstrating that the intermediate chain serves an essential function in Drosophila. Like a deficiency that removes Dic19C , the Dic mutations dominantly enhance the rough eye phenotype of Glued 1 , a dominant mutation in the gene for the p150 subunit of the dynactin complex, a dynein activator. Additionally, we used complementation analysis to identify an existing mutation, shortwing ( sw ), as an allele of the dynein intermediate chain gene. Unlike the Dic alleles isolated de novo, shortwing is homozygous viable and exhibits recessive and temperature-sensitive defects in eye and wing development. These phenotypes are rescued by the wild-type Dic transgene, indicating that shortwing is a viable allele of the dynein intermediate chain gene and revealing a novel role for dynein function during wing development.
Silica/PVA biocatalytic nanofibers

Abstract Bioencapsulation has been a promising technique for various biotechnological and medical applications. Nevertheless, when encapsulated, the activity of the encapsulated biologicals is usually reduced due to diffusional resistance and use of organic solvents in the process. Here, we developed a sol–gel electrospinning technique to encapsulate a bacterium, Escherichia coli expressing a biocatalyst, AtzA, into hybrid silica/polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers. We used a microfluidic timer to maintain a constant sol viscosity, thus enabling continuous formation of silica gel nanofibers weaving a bioreactive mat. Encapsulation of bacteria into thin-walled (a few tens of nanometers) fibers significantly reduced diffusional resistance. Furthermore, with this process, the need for organic solvents was eliminated. This enabled us to reach encapsulated bacteria activity at the levels seen in free cells. This novel process enables new large-scale applications in biotechnology, especially in bioremediation, biosensors, and manufacturing of recombinant proteins.
Public Policy Reforms and Indigenous Forest Governance: The Case of the Yuracaré People in Bolivia

The recent surge in the efforts to reform forest governance—both through decentralisation and tenure reforms—has been coupled by an increase in empirical studies that assess the virtues and limitations of the new regimes. Despite an increasing body of literature, however, there is still limited knowledge about the effects of these reforms on the indigenous groups and their forest governance institutions. This study seeks to contribute to the empirical literature by analysing how policy reforms in Bolivia have affected one indigenous territory, its inhabitants, their de facto property rights regime, and their consequent efforts to govern their forest resources. The case study, about forest use decisions and actions among the Yuracare people in the Bolivian lowlands, is an example of what the Amerindian indigenous societies face in terms of both opportunities and limitations associated with the implementation of formalised de jure rights over forests. We pay particular attention to the effects of the 1996 forestry reforms on the institutional conditions for governing common-pool forests resources. The study draws on primary fi eld data that were collected both before and after the implementation of the reforms. We fi nd that the introduction of formal rights has led to increased security in tenure rights and the emergence of more opportunities for diversifying the sources of income for the Yuracare people. But there are also signifi cant costs associated with the achievement of these benefi ts. The reforms induced the Yuracare people to integrate with the surrounding public and private economies, but we fi nd that these interactions have strained traditional governance arrangements.
Single-Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Initial Experience with Critical View of Safety Dissection and Routine Intraoperative Cholangiography

Background Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) is emerging as a potentially less invasive alternative to standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery cholecystectomy. As this technique is more widely used, it is important to maintain well-established practices of the critical view of safety (CVS) dissection and intraoperative cholangiography (IOC). We present our initial experience with SILC using CVS dissection and routine IOC. Study Design Fifty-four patients with biliary colic were offered SILC, which was performed through the umbilicus. CVS with photo documentation was attained before clipping and transecting the cystic structures. IOC was done using various needle puncture techniques. Assessment of CVS was carried out by independent surgeon review of operative still photos or videos using a 3-point grading scale: visualization of only 2 ductal structures entering the gallbladder; a clear triangle of Calot; and separation of the base of the gallbladder from the cystic plate. Results SILC was performed in 54 patients (15 male and 39 female). Six patients required 1 supplementary 3- or 5-mm port. Complete IOC was successful in 50 of 54 patients (92.6%). CVS was achieved at the time of operation in all 54 patients. Photo documentation review confirmed 3 of 3 CVS criteria in 32 (64%) patients, 2 of 3 in 12 patients (24%), 1 of 3 in 3 patients (6%), and 0 in 3 patients (6%). Conclusions As laparoscopic cholecystectomy becomes less invasive, proven safe dissection techniques should be maintained. Dissection to obtain the CVS should be the goal of every patient and IOC can be accomplished in a high percentage of patients. This approach places patient safety considerations foremost in the evolution of minimally invasive cholecystectomy.
Pelvic fractures: epidemiology and predictors of associated abdominal injuries and outcomes.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Pelvic fractures are often associated with major intraabdominal injuries or severe bleeding from the fracture site. OBJECTIVE: To study the epidemiology of pelvic fractures and identify important risk factors for associated abdominal injuries, bleeding, need for angiographic embolization, and death. METHODS: Trauma registry study on pelvic fractures from blunt trauma. Stepwise logistic regression was used to identify risk factors of severe pelvic fractures, associated abdominal injuries, need for major blood transfusion, therapeutic embolization, and death from pelvic fracture. Adjusted relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were derived. RESULTS: There were 16,630 trauma registry patients with blunt trauma, of whom 1,545 (9.3%) had a pelvic fracture. The incidence of abdominal injuries was 16.5%, and the most common injured organs were the liver (6.1%) and the bladder and urethra (5.8%). In severe pelvic fractures (Abbreviated Injury Scale [AIS] ≥ 4), the incidence of associated intraabdominal injuries was 30.7%, and the most commonly injured organs were the bladder and urethra (14.6%). Among the risk factors studied, motor vehicle crash is the only notable risk factor negatively associated with severe pelvic fracture. Major risk factors for associated liver injury were motor vehicle crash and pelvis AIS ≥ 4. Risk factors of major blood loss were age > 16 years, pelvic AIS ≥ 4, angiographic embolization, and Injury Severity Score (ISS) > 25. Age > 55 years was the only predictor for associated aortic injury. Factors associated with therapeutic angiographic embolization were pelvic AIS ≥ 4 and ISS > 25. The overall mortality was 13.5%, but only 0.8% died as a direct result of pelvic fracture. The only pronounced risk factor associated with mortality was ISS > 25. CONCLUSIONS: Some epidemiological variables are important risk factors of severity of pelvic fractures, presence of associated abdominal injuries, blood loss, and need of angiography. These risk factors can help in selecting the most appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
CONSUMER FOOD SAFETY KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES

Consumer knowledge of safe handling guidelines and their reported practices assessed by a mail survey indicated consumers considered themselves informed about food safety, and most reported taking action to minimize risk from potential hazards. However, most responses were related to nutritional changes, and 20% indicated they did not know how to reduce risksfiom microbiological hazards. Consumers were knowledgeable about appropriate safeguards in selection and cooking specific foods, however mistakes were reported in temperature control and handling leftovers. Consumer Reports, university scientists, health professionals and science magazines were considered the most reliable source of food safety information. Industry advertisement appears to raise consumer concern in some areas. Educational intervention should emphasize the importance of temperature control and sanitation rather than taste to determine safety. Consumers should receive information about protective technologies like heat and irradiation pasteurization.
luxS and arcB Control Aerobic Growth of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans under Iron Limitation

LuxS is responsible for the production of autoinducer 2 (AI-2), which functions in Vibrio harveyi as a quorum-sensing signal that controls the cell density-dependent expression of the lux operon. In nonluminescent organisms, the physiologic role of AI-2 is not clear. We report that inactivation of luxS in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans JP2 results in reduced growth of the mutant, but not the wild-type organism, under aerobic, iron-limited conditions. Stunted cultures of the luxS mutant A. actinomycetemcomitans JP2-12 grew to high cell density when subcultured under iron-replete conditions. In addition, the mutant strain grew to high cell density under iron limitation after transformation with a plasmid containing a functional copy of luxS. Results of real-time PCR showed that A. actinomycetemcomitans JP2-12 exhibited significantly reduced expression of afuA (eightfold), fecBCDE (10-fold), and ftnAB (>50-fold), which encode a periplasmic ferric transport protein, a putative ferric citrate transporter, and ferritin, respectively. The expressions of putative receptors for transferrin, hemoglobin, and hemophore binding protein were also reduced at more modest levels (two- to threefold). In contrast, expressions of sidD and frpB (encoding putative siderophore receptors) were increased 10- and 3-fold, respectively, in the luxS mutant. To better understand the mechanism of the AI-2 response, the A. actinomycetemcomitans genome was searched for homologs of the V. harveyi signal transduction proteins, LuxP, LuxQ, LuxU, and LuxO. Interestingly, ArcB was found to be most similar to LuxQ sensor/kinase. To determine whether arcB plays a role in the response of A. actinomycetemcomitans to AI-2, an arcB-deficient mutant was constructed. The isogenic arcB mutant grew poorly under anaerobic conditions but grew normally under aerobic iron-replete conditions. However, the arcB mutant failed to grow aerobically under iron limitation, and reverse transcriptase PCR showed that inactivation of arcB resulted in decreased expression of afuA and ftnAB. Thus, isogenic luxS and arcB mutants of A. actinomycetemcomitans exhibit similar phenotypes when cultured aerobically under iron limitation, and both mutants exhibit reduced expression of a common set of genes involved in the transport and storage of iron. These results suggest that LuxS and ArcB may act in concert to control the adaptation of A. actinomycetemcomitans to iron-limiting conditions and its growth under such conditions.
Surface-functionalization effects on uptake of fluorescent polystyrene nanoparticles by model biofilms

A study was conducted to investigate the role of nanoparticle (NP) surface functionalization/charge on their uptake by biofilms. Biofilms, bacterial colonies attached to surfaces via extracellular polymers, are effec- tive at removing suspended nanomaterials from the aque- ous phase. However, the mechanisms regulating particle uptake are unknown. Here, it was shown that the mecha- nism was strongly dependent on the nanoparticle surface ionization, and not the core composition of the NP. Uptake experiments were conducted using laboratory-cultured biofilms. The biofilms were incubated in the presence of fluorescent polystyrene NPs with either negatively-charged surfaces (i.e. functionalized with sulfated (SO4 - -NP) or carboxylated (COO - -NP) groups) or positively-charged surfaces (functionalized with primary amines, Amine-P). Particles with negatively-charged sulfated surfaces associ- ated most strongly to biofilms across all experimental conditions. Associations of positively-charged amine particles with biofilms were greatest at high ionic condi- tions resembling those of seawater, but were sensitive to changes in ionic strength. Sorption of COO - -NPs was lowest, relative to other particle types, and was not sensi- tive to ionic strength. The results of this study support an emerging precedent that biofilms may be an effective player in the binding and sequestration of nanoparticles in aqueous systems.
Texture gradient registration and the development of slant perception.

Abstract The processes underlying the development of slant perception were investigated by manipulating the degree of texture element variability. Subjects at four grade levels were required to make judgments of physical slant of surfaces with three levels of variability. Absolute error of judgment decreased with age, but texture variability had no effect at any grade level. The results suggest that there is no improvement in the ability to extract gradient information. Rather, improvement in the consistency of judgment reflects a developmental change in the relationship between stimulus information and judgment.
Anthropology as a Career Specialty

To the Editor: One option for physical therapists interested in postgraduate studies is anthropology. Anthropology in this country is divided into four fields: physical anthropology, sociocultural anthropology, linguistics, and archeology. An argument can be made that the first three fields have direct application to physical therapy. Physical anthropologists study humanity as a biological phenomenon. They ask questions about human growth and development, genetic determinants, environmental adaptations, and Homo sapiens evolution. Physical anthropologists investigating bipedalism study biomechanics and kinesiology. Paleopathologists investigate diseases of ancient humans. At a recent meeting, the paleopathologists had a large symposium on arthritis. For people interested in anatomy or neuroanatomy, physical anthropology focuses on the gross structures. Physical therapists may find this approach more to their needs than the microscopic studies currently being conducted in anatomy departments.…
Status of the Use of Universal Donor Blood Transfusion

(1973). Status of the Use of Universal Donor Blood Transfusion. CRC Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 147-160.