cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transcription Factor Effector Domains

The last decade has seen an incredible breakthrough in technologies that allow histones, transcription factors (TFs), and RNA polymerases to be precisely mapped throughout the genome. From this research, it is clear that there is a complex interaction between the chromatin landscape and the general transcriptional machinery and that the dynamic control of this interface is central to gene regulation. However, the chromatin remodeling enzymes and general TFs cannot, on their own, recognize and stably bind to promoter or enhancer regions. Rather, they are recruited to cis regulatory regions through interaction with site-specific DNA binding TFs and/or proteins that recognize epigenetic marks such as methylated cytosines or specifically modified amino acids in histones. These “recruitment” factors are modular in structure, reflecting their ability to interact with the genome via one region of the protein and to simultaneously bind to other regulatory proteins via “effector” domains. In this chapter, we provide examples of common effector domains that can function in transcriptional regulation via their ability to (a) interact with the basal transcriptional machinery and general co-activators, (b) interact with other TFs to allow cooperative binding, and (c) directly or indirectly recruit histone and chromatin modifying enzymes.
Elementary General Music Teachers and Professional Development: Kindling the Spark, Fanning the Flame, and Keeping an Eye on the Fire

What does it feel like to be a music teacher? In this chapter, I credit a Chinese music education professor’s story with sparking my research into how elementary music teachers in the United States describe feeling like a music teacher, and meaningful professional development. I share two of seven music teachers’ stories, adding the voice of the second teacher’s principal. I also share how my Chinese colleague’s declaration of change inspired change within me, thinking about my feeling like a music teacher, considering new questions about professional development for experienced music teachers, and continuing to seek a work-life balance.
A Low Vision Reading Comprehension Test.

The Low Vision Reading Comprehension Assessment (LVRCA) uses an 18-sentence cloze format in two equivalent forms to measure understanding of print reading by persons with macular degeneration. It r...
The Dynamics of Families in Business: How Therapists can Help in Ways Consultants Don't

Family-owned businesses comprise 80–90% of companies in the United States of America and employ almost one-half of the US work force. Only 70% of these companies will make the transition into the family's second generation of leadership, however, sometimes partly because families work differently and toward different goals than do businesses. Interpersonal family dynamics—spousal, parental, father-son, father-daughter, sibling and in-law—can be a major factor in the failure to thrive. Exploring family systems theory, this article explains why these troubled families in business together need therapeutic practitioners' unique experience—experience consultants usually do not possess.
Nanocomposite Fabrication for Transparent Windows

In order to prepare lightweight, transparent windows, silica gels and organic polymers have been combined. A handful of precursors and processing methods have been investigated. Some optical properties and physical properties have been measured. The attributes of these nanocomposites which are useful in optical applications are their rigidity, hardness and homogeneous distribution of phases.
Blast Vulnerability Assessment of Road Tunnels with Reinforced Concrete Liners

Tunnels are a critical component of our transportation infrastructure, and unexpected damage to a tunnel can significantly and adversely impact the functionality of a transportation network. Tunnel...
Analyzing the role of media orchestration in conducting disinformation campaigns on blogs

Social media is undoubtedly a widely used communication platform that affords easier sharing and access to information. Even though social media is used for benevolent purposes, a few use this platform for deviant activities such as cyberbullying, cyber warfare or propaganda, disinformation and fake news dissemination to influence the masses. With the availability of inexpensive and ubiquitous mass communication tools like social media, disseminating false information and propaganda is both convenient and effective. Social media in general and blogs in particular act as virtual spaces where narratives are framed. In order to generate discourse, web traffic needs to be driven to these virtual spaces. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and other websites are therefore used as vehicles to disseminate the content. This link between blogs and social media platforms is vital to examine disinformation campaigns. In this research, we examine the role of media orchestration strategies, more specifically, cross-media and mix-media strategies in conducting disinformation campaigns. The paper presents an in-depth examination of the information networks using social network analysis and cyber forensic-based methodology, to identify prominent information actors and leading coordinators of the disinformation campaigns. Using the developed research methodology, the study reveals a massive disinformation coordination campaign pertaining to the Baltic region conducted primarily on blogs but strategically linking to a variety of other social media platforms, e.g., Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, VKontakte, among others.
Genome-Wide Analysis and Prediction of Resistance to Goss’s Wilt in Maize

Goss's bacterial wilt and leaf blight is one of the most important foliar diseases of maize ( L.). To date, neither large-effect resistance genes, nor practical chemical controls exist to manage the disease. Thus, the importance of discovering durable host resistance necessitates additional genetic mapping for this disease. Unfortunately, because of the biology of the pathogen and the highly significant genotype-by-environment interaction effect observed with Goss's wilt, consistent phenotyping across multiple years poses a hurdle for genetic studies and conventional breeding methods. The objective of this study was to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify regions of the genome associated with Goss's wilt resistance as well as to use genomic prediction models to evaluate the utility of genomic selection (GS) in predicting Goss's wilt phenotypes in a panel of diverse maize lines. Using genome-wide association mapping, we were unable to identify any variants significantly associated with Goss's wilt. However, using genomic prediction we were able to train a model with an accuracy of 0.69. Taken together, this suggests that resistance to Goss's wilt is highly polygenic. In addition, when evaluating the accuracy of our prediction model under reduced marker density, it was shown that only 10,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), or ∼20% of our total marker set, was necessary to achieve prediction accuracies similar to the full marker set. This is the first report of genomic prediction for a bacterial disease of maize, and these results highlight the potential of GS for disease resistance in maize.
A Socratic Inquiry Into the Nature of Frailty

In Plato's dialogues, Socrates, the protagonist, attempts to bring out the essential nature of an idea or a concept by engaging in a dialogue with the other characters. He asks probing questions of them to challenge their unquestioned assumptions and to eliminate flaws in their thinking. A hallmark of the dialogues is that Socrates himself never provides a final answer regarding the nature of the idea under discussion. Inspired by the power of the Socratic model to illumine one's thinking on difficult concepts, we have developed a short dialogue examining the nature of geriatric frailty. Our goal is to communicate, in a lively and nontechnical style, some of the fundamental challenges in studying frailty in older adults. Those acquainted with Plato's dialogues will recognize the resemblance to the initial segment of The Republic,1 which takes place in the house of a wealthy merchant named Cephalus. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2455-2457, 2019.
Review of New Implantable Tibial Nerve Stimulators in Comparison to Established Third Line Treatment Modalities for Nonneurogenic Overactive Bladder

AbstractIntroduction:New technologies are currently evolving in the treatment of overactive bladder syndrome, giving physicians and patients additional options when conservative care fails to resol...
Change in U.S. Small Town Community Capitals, 1980–2010

The county scale has thus far dominated rural demographic research—this descriptive profile of small town America is unique with its place-based lens. Another important extension is the nationwide application of the Community Capitals Framework which builds on the body of research examining capitals within case studies focused on one or more communities. Here, we examine place-based “community capitals” at the national scale through novel integration of data from a wide variety of sources. The goal is to identify tiny town socioeconomic and demographic patterns of change—or trajectories—over the past several decades—and contrast remote small towns with those proximate to metropolitan areas. Results reveal both commonalities and distinctions. Instead of differences in trends across time, the analyses suggest that what differs are the more general profiles of small places as contrasted with national data. For example, regardless of metro proximity, small town America has lower levels of human and financial capital. Still, distinction also appears in that rural population growth has focused on high-amenity regions, bringing some increases in community capitals but potentially also exacerbating inequalities. In all, the analyses presented here offer an important foundation for necessary work at the place scale to improve understanding of the nuances inherent in population shifts, and their implications, within rural communities.
Periodontal disease measures and risk of incident peripheral artery disease: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

BACKGROUND The association of periodontal disease with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases is well known, but not specifically with incident peripheral artery disease (PAD). Therefore, we studied the associations of periodontal disease with incident PAD in a population-based setting. METHODS Among 9,793 participants (aged 53-75 years) without prevalent PAD, self-reported history of periodontal disease was ascertained. Of these, 5,872 participants underwent full-mouth examinations from which periodontal status was defined using the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-American Academy of Periodontology (CDC-AAP) definition. We quantified the association of periodontal disease with incident PAD (defined by hospital admission diagnosis or procedures) using multivariable Cox regression models. RESULTS During a median follow-up of 20.1 years, 360 participants (3.6%) developed PAD. In models accounting for potential confounders including diabetes and smoking pack-years, there was higher hazard of PAD in participants with self-reported tooth loss because of periodontal disease (hazard ratio:1.54 [95% CI:1.20-1.98]), history of periodontal disease treatment (1.37 [1.05-1.80]), and periodontal disease diagnosis (1.38 [1.09-1.74]), compared to their respective counterparts. The clinical measure of periodontal disease (n = 5,872) was not significantly associated with incident PAD in the fully adjusted model (e.g., 1.53 [0.94-2.50] in CDC-AAP-defined severe periodontal disease versus no disease). CONCLUSION We observed a modest association of self-reported periodontal disease, especially when resulting in tooth loss, with incident PAD in the general population. Nonetheless, a larger study with the clinical measure of periodontal disease is warranted.
Spatial Localization: Creating an Image

Let us be clear about our discussions to this point: we have not generated anything that even remotely resembles an image! The preceding chapters discuss in detail how we can generate, measure, and manipulate an NMR signal. Yet, if asked where in the patient the signal measured in the previous chapters comes from, we can only answer that it comes from each and every bit of tissue that is within range of the RF receiver coil. We cannot be more specific than that because the RF receiver coil cannot be focused on a specific physical location in order to only receive signal from that one location; any and all signal from all locations will be detected. What will be detected if we place the patient in the scanner so that his or her abdomen fills the RF receiver coil? Certainly, the feet and ankles are too far outside the coil to generate any signal. However, the measured signal does come from the entire abdomen, and there is absolutely no way to differentiate signals arising from the kidney, adrenal, bowel, liver, and so forth, or, for that matter, signals arising from cancer and signals arising from healthy tissue. Again, unlike CT where the x-ray beam is shone only on the body region of interest (a slice), the coil cannot be focused on, say, the left kidney to the exclusion of all other signal. The NMR technique, as described to this point, is well-suited to measuring the properties of a homogeneous sample such as a test tube containing a protein in solution, but it is virtually useless for detecting localized abnormalities in a sample as heterogeneous as the human body.
Solutions to the Miniature Zoo Problem

§1 Шд^Я The images of these small animal figurines are from the 1929-1930 excavations of the Harappan civilization of the Indus Valley, 2800-1800 ВСЕ. When examining artifacts such as these that are about 4000 years old, it is certainly interesting to contemplate the methods that people used to record concepts of number, identity, and place in the ancient world. Much speculation (and mystery) exists about what the various seals and bullae may have meant to the culture. The editor wishes to thank Kate Fitz Gibbon and Andrew Hale, owners of the Anahita Gallery, Inc., for permission to use the photograph. For more information, visit www .anahitagallery.com.Ed.
Simulation of modern and middle Cretaceous marine δ18O with an ocean‐atmosphere general circulation model

[1] We have developed a coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model, the GENESIS-MOM model, with the ability to transport and fractionate water isotopes in the ocean and atmosphere. The model is used to predict modern and Cretaceous precipitation and seawater δ18O. The model reproduces the large-scale modern-day isotopic distribution. In the zonal mean, the difference between simulated and observed seawater δ18O is within 0.2‰ in the low and middle latitudes and within 1‰ at high latitudes. In comparison to modern, simulated Cretaceous surface seawater δ18O is systematically depleted by 0.3‰ at low and middle latitudes. These differences are attributed to equilibrium fractionation during surface evaporation at low latitudes and an increased partitioning of 18O from the surface into the deep ocean due to intermediate and deep water formation in subtropical basins in the Cretaceous. We also find that regional seawater δ18O is significantly influenced by the paleobathymetry and the resolution of oceanic gateways, boundary conditions that are not well known for the past. Our simulation of Cretaceous seawater δ18O has major implications for oxygen isotope paleothermometry. We conclude that conventional assumptions of past seawater δ18O may lead to an overestimate of Cretaceous sea-surface temperatures, especially at middle and high latitudes.
Racial/ethnic disparities in HIV infection among people who inject drugs: an international systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims The Ethnic Minority Meta-Analysis (EMMA) aims to assess racial/ethnic disparities in HIV infection among people who inject drugs (PWID) across various countries. This is the first report of the data. Methods Standard systematic review/meta-analysis methods were utilized, including searching for, screening and coding published and unpublished reports and meta-analytical statistics. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines for reporting methods. Disparities were measured with the odds ratio (OR) for HIV prevalence among ethnic minority PWID compared to ethnic majority PWID; an OR >1.0 indicated higher prevalence among ethnic minorities. Results Racial/ethnic disparities in HIV prevalence among PWID were examined in 131 prevalence reports, with 214 racial/ethnic minority to majority comparisons, comprising 106 715 PWID. Overall, the pooled OR indicates an increased likelihood of higher HIV prevalence among racial/ethnic minority compared to racial/ethnic majority PWID [OR = 2.09, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.92–2.28]. Among 214 comparisons, 106 produced a statistically significant higher OR for minorities; in 102 comparisons the OR was not significantly different from 1.0; six comparisons produced a statistically significant higher OR for majority group members. Disparities were particularly large in the United States, pooled OR = 2.22 (95% CI: 2.03–2.44). There was substantial variation in ORs—I2 = 75.3%: interquartile range = 1.38–3.56—and an approximate Gaussian distribution of the log ORs. Conclusions Among people who inject drugs, ethnic minorities are approximately twice as likely to be HIV seropositive than ethnic majorities. The great heterogeneity and Gaussian distribution suggest multiple causal factors and a need to tailor interventions to local conditions.
Upregulation of GPR50 in a white adipose depot of diet-induced obese mice requires intact leptin signaling (711.11)

Whole transcriptome analysis of white adipose from C57BL6 mice fed control (10% kcal) or high-fat diet (HFD; 60% kcal) for 12 and 24 wks identified GPR50 as the most upregulated gene in response to...
Bourgeois Right and the Limits of First Phase Communism in the Rhetoric of 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

Second Thessalonians 3:10b offers the teaching that “anyone unwilling to work should not eat.” Both conservative and socialist readers have cited this teaching as an encapsulation of their mutually incommensurable worldviews. I conduct a historical-critical investigation of the situation in which this passage was written; I argue against recent historical reconstructions that posit that 2 Thessalonians is authentically Pauline, and articulate a Sitz im Leben for the text in line with the principles of historical materialism. Specifically, I contend that the Thessalonian community was a tenement church composed entirely of marginalized people who were particularly vulnerable to economic crises in the late first century Roman Empire; this community fit the criteria for what Marx and Lenin would later call first-phase communism. A lack of sufficient employment opportunities led many members to rely too heavily on the community’s agape feast, thus threatening the community’s viability. The situation at Thessalonica can thus be characterized as what Habermas calls a rationality crisis, whereby the community was forced to abandon the core principles of its agapaic communalism and revert to a regressive policy that Marx calls “bourgeois right.” I conclude that modern conservative uses of the text serve different class interests from its author’s and that, while socialist uses of the text share its author’s class interests, those uses starkly illustrate the precariousness of first-phase communism. This precariousness, then, demonstrates that Permanent Revolution is necessary to secure the viability of communist societies against the structural vulnerabilities to which they are especially susceptible in the context of hegemonic capitalism, and thus that Socialism in One Country is a fatally flawed doctrine.
SU-E-J-205: Dose Distribution Differences Caused by System Related Geometric Distortion in MRI-Guided Radiation Treatment System

Purpose: MRI has superb soft tissue contrast but is also known for geometric distortions. The concerns and uncertainty about MRI’s geometric distortion have contributed to the hesitation of using only MRI for simulation in radiation therapy. There are two major categories of geometric distortion in MRI; system related and patient related. In this presentation, we studied the impact of system-related geometric distortion on dose distribution in a digital body phantom under an MR-Linac environment. Methods: Residual geometric distortion (after built-in geometric correction) was modeled based on phantom measurements of the system-related geometric distortions of a MRI scanner of a combined MR guided Radiation Therapy (MRgRT) system. A digital oval shaped phantom (40×25 cm) as well as one ellipsoid shaped tumor volume was created to simulate a simplified human body. The simulated tumor volume was positioned at several locations between the isocenter and the body surface. CT numbers in HUs that approximate soft tissue and tumor were assigned to the respective regions in the digital phantom. To study the effect of geometric distortion caused by system imperfections, an IMRT plan was optimized with the distorted image set with the B field. Dose distributions were re-calculated on the undistorted image set with the B field (as in MR-Linac). Results: The maximum discrepancies in both body contour and tumor boundary was less than 2 mm, which leads to small dose distribution change. For the target in the center, coverage was reduced from 98.8% (with distortion) to 98.2%; for the other peripheral target coverage was reduced from 98.4% to 95.9%. Conclusion: System related geometric distortions over the 40×25 area were within 2mm and the resulted dosimetric effects were minor for the two tumor locations in the phantom. Patient study will be needed for further investigation. The authors received a corporate research grant from Elekta
Father Darwin: Effects of Children on Men, Viewed from an Evolutionary Perspective

Inspired by Charles Darwin, we explore the evolutionary trajectory of human fatherhood. Paternal behavior is a prominent feature of our species’ behavioral biology, with most models suggesting core features having been derived within the past few million years of evolution. Specific components—holding, provisioning, protecting, providing moral guidance—have evolved in mosaic fashion rather than as a complete package. The impacts of fatherhood on men’s lives take a variety of forms. Becoming a father has impacts on men’s relationship quality, sexual function, neuroendocrine system, and other health-related outcomes. These effects suggest an overall model in which involved fathering of a young child can yield negative health impacts that may subsequently rebound as a child grows older.
The isolation and partial characterization of two novel sphingolipids from Neurospora crassa: di(inositolphosphoryl)ceramide and ((gal)3glu)ceramide.

Neurospora crassa strains labeled uniformly with ^(32)P_i and [^3H]inositol exhibit at least six phospholipid components containing ^3H when separated by paper chromatography. One of the major components is phosphatidylinositol. Other components, which account for 40 to 60% of the lipid-extractable ^3H in various strains, are stable to mild alkaline methanolysis and appear to be sphingolipids with equivalent amounts of inositol and phosphorus. The major phosphosphingolipid was purified by means of differential solubility and by column chromatography on porous silica beads. This substance contains equivalent amounts of hydroxysphinganine and hydroxytetracosanoic acid and 2 eq each of myoinositol, phosphorus, and sodium. Alkaline degradation yielded 2 eq of inositol monophosphate and periodate degradation gave a C-15 fragment. The elemental composition of this compound also fits the formulation, (inositol-P)_2-ceramide. A [^3H]inositol pulse-chase experiment carried out with an inositol-requiring mutant in exponential growth shows labeled inositol accumulating in the sphingolipid accompanied by decreased labeling in phosphatidylinositol and the acid-soluble fraction. These changes also occur when the chase is carried out during inositol starvation suggesting that degradation of phosphatidylinositol and formation of sphingolipid occurs in the absence of growth. A neutral glycosphingolipid was also obtained as a by-product of the phospholipid purification. This substance is provisionally formulated as the ceramide tetrahexoside: [(gal)_3glu]-N-hydroxytetracosonyl-hydroxysphinganine.
The Antioxidant Vitamins: Impact on Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis, the great killer of Western society, probably is initiated when the balance of subendothelial lipoproteins and oxidation potential is upset. Oxidation products, especially oxidized low-density lipoprotein, set into motion the cascading of numerous pathways, culminating in the fibrous atherosclerotic plaque. The natural antioxidant system includes enzymes and vitamins A, E, and C. The lipophilic vitamins A and E protect the fatty acid components of lipoproteins and membranes, and vitamin C functions in the aqueous phase both directly and by regenerating oxidized vitamin E. In animal models, the antioxidant vitamins protect lipids and prevent atherosclerosis. Population studies suggest an inverse relationship between atherosclerosis and vitamin levels. Several observational studies and some clinical trials have demonstrated that antioxidant vitamin supplements may prevent atherosclerosis. Although approximately 20% of the United States population regularly consumes vitamin supplements, often in high doses, the antiatherogenic benefits of antioxidant vitamins remain unproved by clinical trials, and the long-term effects of mega-dose vitamins are yet undefined.
The Humanism Effect: Fanon, Foucault, and Ethics without Subjects

This article addresses a tendency within postcolonial studies to place the work of Michel Foucault and Frantz Fanon in opposition. This has obscured the real, and potentially very productive, similarities between them. The most important of these links has to do with their shared critique of the sovereign subject of humanism: for Fanon and Foucault, this critique of the traditional humanist subject provides a way of opposing what they both see as the dangerous nostalgia for a lost moment of origin. Furthermore, Fanon and Foucault both end in a moment of ethics, but it is an ethics without the sort of stable subjects assumed by humanism. I offer a consideration of some of the links that can be found in several texts by Fanon and Foucault. I then attempt to define the term I will be using to describe their shared strategy of an ethics without subjects: the “humanism effect.” I conclude by trying to suggest some of the strategic possibilities of an ethics without subjects in the postcolonial context.
Copper(II) acetate complexes of bicyclic tertiary amines

Abstract Triethylamine and N,N,′N,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEN) are contrasted sterically with their bicyclic analogues, quinuclidine(QUIN) and triethylenediamine (TEDA) as ligands for copper(II) acetate in dimethylformamide (DMF). The complexes [Cu(C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 2 · TMEN], [Cu(C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 2 · DMF] 2 , [Cu(C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 2 · QUIN] 2 , and [Cu(C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 2 · 1 2 TEDA 2 have been prepared. Spectroscopic and magnetic data indicate that the TMEN complex does not have, and the other complexes do have, the type of dimeric structure known for copper(II) acetate hydrate.
Problematic Internet use and psychosocial well-being: development of a theory-based cognitive–behavioral measurement instrument

Abstract The paper presents results from an exploratory study that: (1) developed a theory-based measure of PIU and (2) administered the instrument to a sample of undergraduate students to assess the associations among PIU and several psychosocial variables including, depression, self-esteem, loneliness, and shyness. A new instrument, the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale (GPIUS) was designed to operationalize Davis's [Computers in Human Behavior, 17 (2001), 187] theoretical construct of generalized PIU. The GPIUS and several measures of psychosocial well-being were administered to 386 undergraduate students. Results from this preliminary study indicate that the GPIUS is both reliable and valid. A factor analysis identified seven unique sub-dimensions of the GPIUS, including: mood alteration, perceived social benefits available online, negative outcomes associated with Internet use, compulsive Internet use, excessive amounts of time spent online, withdrawal symptoms when away from the Internet, and perceived social control available online. All GPIUS subscales were correlated with psychosocial health variables including: depression, loneliness, shyness, and self-esteem. A regression analysis identified several important psychosocial and cognitive–behavioral predictors of negative outcomes associated with generalized PIU. Results also suggest that one's preference for computer-mediated social interaction, as opposed to face-to-face interaction, plays a role in the etiology, development, and outcomes of generalized PIU.
Eyewitness identification: Accuracy of individual vs. composite recollections of a crime

Individual eyewitness recall reports were gathered from witnesses who were later put into groups to discuss and reach a consensus on a description of a simulated crime they had witnessed. Groups gave more complete reports but at the price of a significant increase in errors of commission (the fabrication of details under group pressure).
Inaccuracy of age assessment from images of postpubescent subjects in cases of alleged child pornography

Despite frequent medical expert testimony authoritatively stating that images of individuals who are postpubescent indicate age less than 18 and therefore, child pornography, developmental experts have noted that a scientific basis for such estimation is lacking. In fact, recent studies have demonstrated a high degree of inaccuracy in such estimates, and that the stage of breast development often used as indicative of age under 18 years is present in a substantial percentage of adult women. Ten images of adult women from legitimate pornographic sites promoting youthful images were shown to 16 pediatric endocrinologists expert in evaluating maturation, who determined whether or not the individuals represented were under 18 years of age. They also provided information about what features were most important in their evaluations. Sixty-nine percent of the 160 estimates were that the images represented females under 18 years of age. There was wide variability in the designation of importance of the various features of maturation in reaching conclusions, with breast development and facial appearance considered most important. This study confirms that medical testimony, even by experts in adolescent development, can deem images of adult women selected for their youthful appearance to be under age 18 two thirds of the time. Thus, important as prosecuting users of child pornographic material may be, justice requires the avoidance of testimony that is not scientifically based,
Variability of Prefrontal Neuronal Discharges before and after Training in a Working Memory Task

Variability of neural discharges can be revealing about the computations and network properties of neuronal populations during the performance of cognitive tasks. We sought to quantify neuronal variability in the prefrontal cortex of naive monkeys that were only required to fixate, and to examine how this measure was altered by learning and execution of a working memory task. We therefore performed analysis of a large database of recordings in the same animals, using the same stimuli, before and after training. Our results indicate that the Fano Factor, a measure of variability, differs across neurons depending on their functional properties both before and after learning. Fano Factor generally decreased after learning the task. Variability was modulated by task events and displayed lowest values during the stimulus presentation. Nonetheless, the decrease in variability after training was present even prior to the presentation of any stimuli, in the fixation period. The greatest decreases were observed comparing populations of neurons that exhibited elevated firing rate during the trial events. Our results offer insights on how properties of the prefrontal network are affected by performance of a cognitive task.
Kinematics of quadrupedal locomotion in sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps): effects of age and substrate size

Arboreal mammals face unique challenges to locomotor stability. This is particularly true with respect to juveniles, who must navigate substrates similar to those traversed by adults, despite a reduced body size and neuromuscular immaturity. Kinematic differences exhibited by juveniles and adults on a given arboreal substrate could therefore be due to differences in body size relative to substrate size, to differences in neuromuscular development, or to both. We tested the effects of relative body size and age on quadrupedal kinematics in a small arboreal marsupial (the sugar glider, Petaurus breviceps ; body mass range of our sample 33-97 g). Juvenile and adult P. breviceps were filmed moving across a flat board and three poles 2.5, 1.0 and 0.5 cm in diameter. Sugar gliders (regardless of age or relative speed) responded to relative decreases in substrate diameter with kinematic adjustments that promote stability; they increased duty factor, increased the average number of supporting limbs during a stride, increased relative stride length and decreased relative stride frequency. Limb phase increased when moving from the flat board to the poles, but not among poles. Compared with adults, juveniles (regardless of relative body size or speed) used lower limb phases, more pronounced limb flexion, and enhanced stability with higher duty factors and a higher average number of supporting limbs during a stride. We conclude that although substrate variation in an arboreal environment presents similar challenges to all individuals, regardless of age or absolute body size, neuromuscular immaturity confers unique problems to growing animals, requiring kinematic compensation.
Two Disintegrating Agents versus Cornstarch for Compressed Tablets

Cornstarch, Dry-Flo, and Solka-Floc BW 40, were tested for suitability as disintegrating agents. The Dry-Flo and the cornstarch proved favorable for the sodium bicarbonate and the acetylsalicylic acid tablets. It was noted that Solka-Floc BW 40 (due to its fibrous nature) helped to prevent capping of the tablets. Analysis of the disintegration tests of tablets containing Solka-Floc BW 40 and Dry-Flo were statistically different than cornstarch at the 1 per cent probability level.
Extramammary Paget Disease Is Characterized by the Consistent Lack of Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors But Frequently Expresses Androgen Receptor

Extramammary Paget disease (EPD) is an uncommon cutaneous malignant neoplasm that arises in areas rich in apocrine glands (perineum, vulva, and axilla). Apocrine gland origin or apocrine differentiation of cells of EPD has been suggested. Estrogen, progesterone, and androgen hormone receptors have been reported to exhibit a characteristic pattern of expression in mammary apocrine type carcinomas; however, their expression in EPD has not been elucidated fully. By using immunohistochemical methods, we studied the expression of steroid receptors in EPD on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 28 patients with EPD without associated visceral malignant neoplasms or adnexal carcinoma. Androgen receptor (AR) was identified in 15 of 28 cases. The proportion of AR-positive cells varied from 1% to more than 75%; 8 cases expressed AR in more than 10% of cells. Strong AR expression also was seen in the invasive carcinoma arising from 1 case of EPD. All cases lacked immunohistochemically detectable estrogen and progesterone receptors. The immunophenotype characteristic of apocrine carcinomas (AR-positive, estrogen receptor–negative, progesterone receptor–negative) was seen in a substantial proportion of EPD cases. Results suggest that AR expression is a factor in pathogenesis of EPD. This may be important for the therapy of recurrent or invasive disease. Extramammary Paget disease (EPD) is an intraepidermal
Predictors of embryo fragmentation and outcome after fragment removal in in vitro fertilization.

Objective To assess predictors of embryo fragmentation in IVF as well as to compare cycle outcomes between low-grade embryos subjected to defragmentation and high-grade embryos not undergoing defragmentation. Design A retrospective, case-control trial. Setting A university hospital IVF program. Patient(s) Three hundred twenty-seven nondonor, fresh IVF cycles. Main Outcome Measure(s) Predictors of fragmentation. We evaluated age, basal FSH and E 2 levels, the number of retrieved oocytes, and fertilization rates. Outcome assessments following defragmentation included rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, and live birth. Result(s) Increased age and lower number of oocytes and embryos were associated with embryo fragmentation. Lower-grade embryos after defragmentation yielded rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, live birth, spontaneous abortion, and fetal defects equivalent to high-grade embryos. Conclusion(s) Fragmented embryos correlate with poorer prognosis cycles; however, fragmented embryos that undergo defragmentation result in equivalent clinical outcomes to high-grade, nondefragmented embryos.
Selection of the infrared detectors for Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope

Wide Field Camera 3 is a fourth generation instrument for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), to be installed during the next HST Servicing Mission 4. For its infrared channel Rockwell Scientific Company has developed a new type of HgCdTe 1Kx1K detector, called WFC3-1R, with cutoff wavelength at 1.7μm and 150K operating temperature. The WFC3-IR detectors are based on HgCdTe MBE grown on a CdZnTe substrate and use a new type of multiplexer, the Hawaii-1R MUX. Two flight detectors, a prime and a spare, have been recently selected on the basis of the measures performed at NASA Goddard Research Center - Detector Characterization Laboratory. These parts show quantum efficiency higher than 80% at λ=1.6μm and greater than 40% at λ>1.1μm, readout noise of ~25 e- rms with double correlated sampling, and mean dark current of ~0.04 e/s/pix at 150K. We show that the IR channel of WFC3, equipped with one of these flight detectors, beats the instrument requirements in all configurations and promises to have a discovery efficiency significantly higher than NICMOS. In particular, a two-band wide-area, deep survey made with WFC3 exceeds the discovery efficiency of NICMOS before and after the installation of NCS by a factor of 15 and 10, respectively.
The organization of words and environmental sounds in memory

Abstract In the present study we used event-related potentials to compare the organization of linguistic and meaningful nonlinguistic sounds in memory. We examined N400 amplitudes as adults viewed pictures presented with words or environmental sounds that matched the picture (Match), that shared semantic features with the expected match (Near Violation), and that shared relatively few semantic features with the expected match (Far Violation). Words demonstrated incremental N400 amplitudes based on featural similarity from 300–700 ms, such that both Near and Far Violations exhibited significant N400 effects, however Far Violations exhibited greater N400 effects than Near Violations. For environmental sounds, Far Violations but not Near Violations elicited significant N400 effects, in both early (300–400 ms) and late (500–700 ms) time windows, though a graded pattern similar to that of words was seen in the mid-latency time window (400–500 ms). These results indicate that the organization of words and environmental sounds in memory is differentially influenced by featural similarity, with a consistently fine-grained graded structure for words but not sounds.
Sequence‐dependent recognition of DNA duplexes: Netropsin complexation to the TATA site of the d(G‐G‐T‐A‐T‐A‐C‐C) duplex in aqueous solution

We have recorded one-dimensional exchangeable proton and two-dimensional nonexchangeable proton nmr spectra on the complex of netropsin with the self-complementary d(G-G-T-A-T-A-C-C) duplex in aqueous solution between 25° and 35°C. The antibiotic amide, pyrrole, and methylene protons, and the nucleic acid base and sugar H1′, H2′, H2″, and H3′ protons, have been assigned from an analysis of the two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect (NOESY) spectra of the complex. We observe intermolecular NOEs between the antibiotic concave face amide, pyrrole, and CH2 resonances, and the adenosine H2 and sugar H1′ protons of base-pairs T3·A6 and A4·T5 in the central TATA core of the d(G1-G2-T3-A4-T5-A6-C7-C8) duplex. We present a molecular model outlining these seven antibiotic-DNA contacts for the complex in solution. The observed line-broadening of several base and sugar protons at the TATA minor groove netropsin binding site in the complex at 35°C are interpreted in terms of intermediate exchange between two orientations of bound netropsin on the duplex.
A technique for improved blood sampling during sleep studies

Research protocols often require that blood samples be drawn during sleep. This study compares the efficacy of obtaining nocturnal blood samples using a standard heparinized intravenous setup versus the same intravenous setup used in conjunction with a small chemical heating pad. The chemical heating pad significantly improved the number of blood samples obtained and the maintenance of intravenous patency. The use of a chemical heating pad is an economical way to resolve the frustration of lost blood samples while maintaining a reasonable environment to monitor sleep.
Dynamic Characterization of a DNA Repair Enzyme: NMR Studies of [methyl-13C]Methionine-Labeled DNA Polymerase β

Crystallographic characterization of DNA polymerase beta (pol beta) has suggested that multiple-domain and subdomain motions occur during substrate binding and catalysis. NMR studies of [methyl-(13)C]methionine-labeled pol beta were conducted to characterize the structural and dynamic response to ligand binding. The enzyme contains seven methionine residues, one of which is at the amino terminus and is partially removed by the expression system. Three of the methyl resonances were readily assigned using site-directed mutants. Assignment of the resonances of Met155, Met158, and Met191 was more difficult due to the spatial proximity of these residues, so that assignments were based on NOESY-HSQC data and on the response to paramagnetic Co(2+) addition, as well as shift perturbations observed for the site-directed mutants. The response of the methyl resonances to substrate binding was evaluated by the serial addition of a template oligonucleotide, a downstream 5'-phosphorylated oligonucleotide, and a primer oligonucleotide to create a two-nucleotide-gapped DNA substrate. Addition of the single-stranded template DNA resulted in selective broadening of the methyl resonance of Met18 in the 8 kDa lyase domain, and this resonance then shifted and sharpened upon addition of a 5'-phosphate-terminated downstream complementary oligonucleotide. Conversion of the two-nucleotide-gapped DNA substrate to a single-nucleotide-gapped substrate by incorporation of ddCMP produced a small perturbation of the Met236 resonance, which makes contact with the primer strand in the crystal structure. The addition of a second equivalent of ddCTP to form the pol beta-DNA-ddCTP ternary complex resulted in significant shifts for the resonances corresponding to Met155, Met191, Met236, and Met282. The Met155 methyl resonance is severely broadened, while the Met191 and Met282 resonances exhibit significant but less extreme broadening. Since only Met236 makes contact with the substrate, the effects on Met155, Met236, and Met282 result from indirect conformational and dynamic perturbations. Previous crystallographic characterization of this abortive complex indicated that a polymerase subdomain or segment (alpha-helix N) repositions itself to form one face of the binding pocket for the nascent base pair. Met282 serves as a probe for motion in this segment. Addition of Mg(2+)-dATP to pol beta in the absence of DNA produced qualitatively similar but much smaller effects on Met191 and Met155, but did not strongly perturb Met282, leading to the conclusion that Mg(2+)-dATP alone is insufficient to produce the large conformational changes that are observed in the abortive complex involving the gapped DNA with a blocked primer and ddNTP. Thus, the NMR data indicate that the nucleotide-DNA interaction appears to be essential for conformational activation.
Sexual dimorphism in size and shell shape, and dichromatism of spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata) in Southwestern Michigan

Differences in pigmentation, morphometry, and body size between sexes within populations can imply inter-sexual differences in reproductive biology. We assessed variation in body size, morphometrics, and pigmentation in Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata) in a southwestern Michigan population. Clemmys guttata was not sexually dimorphic in body size but when compared to males, positive allometric increases in shell height resulted in relatively domed shells in females. Integumental reflectance was mostly limited to the visual spectrum 400-700 nm with little to no reflectance in the UV spectrum (340-700 nm). We found no intersexual differences in the intensity (brightness) of yellow spots or black ground color of the head and carapace, perhaps suggesting that such markings are involved in cryptic coloration. The orange-red stripes of the head and forelimbs, that were similar in intensity between the sexes, would look conspicuous in the full spectrum light of the shallow aquatic habitats of C. guttata and thus could be involved in mate recognition. Chins of males were darker than those of females suggesting that chin color is a sexually selected trait.
Genome sequences published outside of Standards in Genomic Sciences, October - November 2012

The purpose of this table is to provide the community with a citable record of publications of ongoing genome sequencing projects that have led to a publication in the scientific literature. While our goal is to make the list complete, there is no guarantee that we may have omitted one or more publications appearing in this time frame. Readers and authors who wish to have publications added to subsequent versions of this list are invited to provide the bibliographic data for such references to the SIGS editorial office.
Effects of insulin deprivation and treatment on homocysteine metabolism in people with type 1 diabetes.

Context: Abnormal homocysteine metabolism may contribute to increased cardiovascular death in type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Amino acid metabolism is altered in T1DM. In vitro, insulin reduces hepatic catabolism of homocysteine by inhibiting liver transsulfuration. It remains to be determined whether methionine-homocysteine metabolism is altered in T1DM. Objective: We sought to determine whether insulin deficiency during insulin deprivation or high plasma insulin concentration after insulin treatment alters homocysteine metabolism in T1DM. Design: This was an acute interventional study with paired and comparative controls. Setting: The study was conducted at a general clinical research center. Patients and Intervention: We used stable isotope tracers to measure methionine-homocysteine kinetics in six patients with T1DM during insulin deprivation (I−) and also during insulin treatment (I+) and compared them with nondiabetic controls (n = 6). Main Outcome Measures: Homocysteine kinetics (transmethylation, transsul...