cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical and biochemical parameters as predictors of response to checkpoint inhibitors (CPI): A single institution experience.

e14590Background: The benefit of CPI is limited to a subgroup of patients. Significant toxicity and financial burden make it imperative to identify biomarkers predictive of clinical benefit. We aim...
Minimal Access Surgery for Spinal Metastases: Prospective Evaluation of a Treatment Algorithm Using Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background Minimal access surgery (MAS) allows for an early return to systemic and radiation therapy in patients with cancer, leading to its increasing usage in the treatment of spinal metastases. Systematic examination of surgical indications resulted in the development of an algorithm for implementation of MAS in the treatment of spinal metastases. The objective of the present study was to evaluate a spine tumor MAS treatment algorithm using patient-reported outcomes for patients with cancer undergoing treatment of spinal metastases. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study of patients who had undergone spinal percutaneous instrumented stabilization with the addition of MAS spinal cord or nerve root decompression and/or kyphoplasty when indicated at a tertiary cancer center from December 2013 to August 2016. Validated patient-reported outcome measures, including the Brief Pain Inventory and the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory–spine module, were used. The patient-reported outcome measures were collected and compared at baseline, 3 months, and long-term follow-up (range, 4.5–12 months). Results A total of 51 patients were included. MAS resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the severity of pain and improved activity, ability to work, and enjoyment of life (P Conclusions We present our treatment algorithm for MAS implementation in the treatment of thoracolumbar spinal metastases. Prospectively collected data have demonstrated that using this algorithm, MAS surgery for the treatment of spinal metastases results in significant decreases in pain severity and symptom interference with daily activities.
Yoga to prevent mobility limitations in older adults: feasibility of a randomized controlled trial.

The loss of mobility during aging impacts independence and leads to further disability, morbidity, and reduced life expectancy. Our objective was to examine the feasibility and safety of conducting a randomized controlled trial of yoga for older adults at risk for mobility limitations. Sedentary older adults (n = 46; age 60–89) were recruited and randomized to either yoga or a health education comparison group. Yoga sessions (60-min) occurred 2x weekly, and 90-min health education sessions occurred weekly, for 10 weeks. The primary outcomes were recruitment rate, intervention attendance, and retention at assessments. Adverse event rates and participant satisfaction were also measured. Physical performance measures of gait, balance, and strength and self-report outcome measures were administered at baseline and 10-weeks. Recruitment lasted 6 months. Retention of participants at the 10-week follow-up was high (89% - performance measures; 98% - self-report questionnaires). Attendance was good with 82% of yoga and 74% of health education participants attending at least 50% of the sessions. No serious adverse events were reported. Patient satisfaction with the interventions was high. The mean effect size for the physical performance measures was 0.35 with some over 0.50. The mean effect size for self-report outcome measures was 0.36. Results indicate that it is feasible to conduct a larger RCT of yoga for sedentary older adults at risk for mobility problems. The yoga and comparison interventions were safe, well accepted, and well attended. Effect sizes suggest yoga may have important benefits for this population and should be studied further. ClinicalTrials # NCT03544879 ; Retrospectively registered 4 June, 2018.
Phagocytosis of a Model Human Immunodeficiency Virus Target by Human Breast Milk Leukocytes Is Predominantly Granulocyte-Driven When Elicited by Specific Antibody

Abstract Background: Studies demonstrate a protective effect of antibodies (Abs) in breast milk (BM) against mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Contribution ...
What Sustains a Belief in Success Among the Unsuccessful

Actors, musicians, authors, craft workers, entrepreneurs and others spend years without achieving success in their craft, sustaining themselves by working in jobs that may have little connection to...
Chromosome engineering-mediated introgression and molecular mapping of novel Aegilops speltoides-derived resistance genes for tan spot and Septoria nodorum blotch diseases in wheat

We identified, mapped and introduced novel Aegilops speltoides-derived resistance genes for tan spot and SNB diseases into wheat, enhancing understanding and utilization of host resistance to both diseases in wheat. Tan spot and Septoria nodorum blotch (SNB) are two important fungal diseases of wheat. Resistance to these diseases is often observed as the lack of sensitivity to the necrotrophic effectors (NE) produced by the fungal pathogens and thus exhibits a recessive inheritance pattern. In this study, we identified novel genes for resistance to tan spot and SNB on Aegilops speltoides (2n = 2x = 14, genome SS) chromosome 2S. These genes confer dominant resistance in the wheat background, indicating a distinct NE-independent mechanism of resistance. Ae. speltoides chromosome 2S was engineered for resistance gene introgression and molecular mapping by inducing meiotic homoeologous recombination with wheat chromosome 2B. Twenty representative 2B–2S recombinants were evaluated for reaction to tan spot and SNB and were delineated by genomic in situ hybridization and high-throughput wheat 90 K SNP assay. The resistance genes physically mapped to the sub-telomeric region (~ 8 Mb) on the short arm of chromosome 2S and designated TsrAes1 for tan spot resistance and SnbAes1 for SNB resistance. In addition, we developed SNP-derived PCR markers closely linked to TsrAes1/SnbAes1 for marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding. TsrAes1 and SnbAes1 are the first set of NE-independent tan spot, and SNB resistance genes are identified from Ae. speltoides. The 2SS–2BS·2BL recombinants with minimal amounts of Ae. speltoides chromatin containing TsrAes1/SnbAes1 were produced for germplasm development, making the wild species-derived resistance genes usable in wheat breeding. This will strengthen and diversify resistance of wheat to tan spot and SNB and facilitate understanding of resistance to these two diseases.
Vitality as a Mediator Between Diet Quality and Subjective Wellbeing Among College Students

Subjective wellbeing (SWB) encompasses an individual’s cognitive and affective evaluations of his or her life and includes life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect (NA). SWB and diet quality are both associated with longevity and health outcomes, yet research uniting the topics has been disjointed. In this study, subjective vitality (SV) was explored as a mechanism through which diet quality and SWB may be related. Seventy-three undergraduate psychology students completed an online survey with the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Subjective Vitality Scale, the Estimated Daily Intake Scale—Sugar, and a Dietary Screener Questionnaire. Indirect effects of diet quality (plant-based/natural (PBN) diet intake, animal-based/processed (ABP) diet intake, daily sugar intake) on SWB through SV were tested using bootstrapping according to Hayes (in: Weber (ed) Methodology in the social sciences, Guilford Press, New York, 2013). Results showed significant indirect effects between each dietary predictor (PBN, ABP, daily sugar) and SWB components through SV. Subjective vitality was significantly positively associated with PBN and SWB, and significantly negatively associated with daily intake of added sugar. Additionally, PBN positively predicted SV, which in turn positively predicted SWB. Significant positive direct and indirect effects were also found between ABP and NA through SV. Implications for healthy diet interventions to improve well-being are discussed.
Does mutational burden add to other prognostic factors in MDS

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal bone marrow disorders characterized by complex genomic abnormalities that define disease phenotype, prognosis, and progression. The overall outcomes of MDS patients are very heterogeneous and can be measured in months in some patients and years in others. Several scoring systems have been developed in MDS, with the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) and its revised version (IPSS-R) the most widely accepted risk stratification tools in clinical practice and trial eligibility. Recently, somatic mutations have been shown to impact overall survival and the risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia. Attempts to add this information to current models or develop newer models are underway, but the optimal approach remains controversial. Newer methods to develop a personalized prediction model that provides outcomes specific for a patient were developed and could change the prognostic paradigm for MDS patients in the near future.
A rasterized building footprint dataset for the United States

Microsoft released a U.S.-wide vector building dataset in 2018. Although the vector building layers provide relatively accurate geometries, their use in large-extent geospatial analysis comes at a high computational cost. We used High-Performance Computing (HPC) to develop an algorithm that calculates six summary values for each cell in a raster representation of each U.S. state, excluding Alaska and Hawaii: (1) total footprint coverage, (2) number of unique buildings intersecting each cell, (3) number of building centroids falling inside each cell, and area of the (4) average, (5) smallest, and (6) largest area of buildings that intersect each cell. These values are represented as raster layers with 30 m cell size covering the 48 conterminous states. We also identify errors in the original building dataset. We evaluate precision and recall in the data for three large U.S. urban areas. Precision is high and comparable to results reported by Microsoft while recall is high for buildings with footprints larger than 200 m2 but lower for progressively smaller buildings. Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12444776
The changing landscape of stage III lung cancer: a literature review

The treatment of stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains challenging and associated with overall poor outcomes. Since seminal studies in the early 90s introduced concurrent chemo-radio...
Sphingolipid containing outer membrane vesicles serve as a delivery vehicle to limit host immune response to Porphyromonas gingivalis

Sphingolipids (SLs) are essential structural components of mammalian cell membranes. Our group recently determined that the oral anaerobe Porphyromonas gingivalis delivers its SLs to host cells, and that the ability of P. gingivalis to synthesize SLs limits the elicited host inflammatory response during cellular infection. As P. gingivalis robustly produces outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), we hypothesized that OMVs serve as a delivery vehicle for SLs, that the SL status of the OMVs may impact cargo loading to OMVs, and that SL-containing OMVs limit elicited host inflammation similar to that observed by direct bacterial challenge. Transwell cell culture experiments determined that in comparison to the parent strain W83, the SL-null mutant elicited a hyper-inflammatory immune response from THP-1 macrophage-like cells with elevated TNF- α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Targeted assessment of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) identified elevated expression of TLR2, unchanged TLR4, and elevated expression of the adaptor molecules MyD88 and TRIF by SL-null P. gingivalis. No significant differences in gingipain activity were observed in our infection models and both strains produced OMVs of similar size. Using comparative 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis we identified differences in the protein cargo of the OMVs between parent and SL-null strain. Importantly, use of purified OMVs recapitulated the cellular inflammatory response observed in the transwell system with whole bacteria. These findings provide new insights into the role of SLs in P. gingivalis OMV cargo assembly and expand our understanding of SL-OMVs as bacterial structures that modulate the host inflammatory response.
Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder Dual Diagnosis: Important Considerations for Speech-Language Pathologists

Purpose Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) often receive speech-language therapy services starting in infancy or toddlerhood. When providing speech-language therapy services for children with DS, ...
Longitudinal Classification of Mental Effort Using Electrodermal Activity, Heart Rate, and Skin Temperature Data from a Wearable Sensor

Recent studies show that physiological data can detect changes in mental effort, making way for the development of wearable sensors to monitor mental effort in school, work, and at home. We have yet to explore how such a device would work with a single participant over an extended time duration. We used a longitudinal case study design with ~38 h of data to explore the efficacy of electrodermal activity, skin temperature, and heart rate for classifying mental effort. We utilized a 2-state Markov switching regression model to understand the efficacy of these physiological measures for predicting self-reported mental effort during logged activities. On average, a model with state-dependent relationships predicted within one unit of reported mental effort (training RMSE = 0.4, testing RMSE = 0.7). This automated sensing of mental effort can have applications in various domains including student engagement detection and cognitive state assessment in drivers, pilots, and caregivers.
Far-Infrared Laser Spectroscopy of Water Vapor and Liquid Water

We have used a far infrared (FIR) optically pumped laser to measure both the reflection and transmission of liquid water and the absorption by water vapor of radiation in the spectral region betwen 8.22 and 175.7 cm−1. The pumped laser is a unique feature of our measurements. The high power of this device gives a signal-to-noise ratio which is superior to that available from broadband FIR sources. The optical data for liquid water were used to determine the complex refractive index n-ik [1]. Data for measured absorption by water vapor were compared with calculations of predicted absorption based on the line shape formula given by Gross. Our measured absorptions are in excess of the theoretical values at each of the laser frequencies and at all pressures.
Nutrition Intake and Emotions Logging System

Unbalanced diet is a major risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, metabolic, kidney, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Current methods to capture dietary intakes may include food-frequency questionnaires, 7-day food records and 24 h recall. These methods are expensive to conduct, cumbersome for participants, and prone to reporting errors. This chapter discusses the development of a Personal Nutrition Intake and Emotions logging system. The following will be discussed: establishing requirements and designing a simple interactive system, implementing a simple interactive system, performing data analysis, and evaluation of the simple interactive system.
REVENUE AND TAXATION Income Taxes: Provide for Business Tax Credits

The Act, called the Georgia Business Expansion Support Act of 1994, broadens the 1992 version of the same Act, by providing tax credits for businesses that create new jobs, make certain investments, and provide job retaining and child care for employees. The credits are available to qualified businesses in incremental amounts depending on the wealth of the area in which the business is conducted.
The dynamic relationship between core and headline inflation

Abstract This paper investigates the dynamic relationship between headline and core inflation across monetary policy regimes for both the Consumer Price Index and Personal Consumption Expenditure deflator. Our work differs from previous work in that we consider a broader set of core inflation measures. Core inflation measures considered include the respective less food and energy inflation rates and the respective weighted median or trimmed mean inflation rates. Our bivariate vector autoregressions reveal that shocks to headline inflation account for a larger fraction of the forecast error variance of most core measures in the pre-1980 samples. This result is broadly consistent with the findings of previous studies that shocks to headline inflation feed back into core inflation during periods when monetary policy is more accommodative. But our examination of this broader set of core measures also reveals important differences across those measures. In particular, shocks to headline inflation have no impact on the trimmed mean CPI inflation rate in both the pre-1980 and post-1984 samples.
Phase-contrast microscopy, an office technique for prescreening of cytologic vaginal smears.

Abstract A rapid and inexpensive technique with the phase-contrast microscope on unfixed and unstained cytologic smears of secretions of the female genital tract is discussed. This prescreening technique can be used by the clinician without extensive training as an office procedure for bacteriologic classification, hormonal reading, and cancer detection. The phase-microscopic technique enables the gynecologist to eliminate the completely normal cases which will be approximately 90 per cent of all he sees. The remaining 10 per cent must be evaluated by a cytologist. By bringing the cytologic technique into the office of the clinician it can be expected that a considerably greater number of women can be screened than is possible at present and that a relatively higher percentage of subclinical carcinomas will be detected.
Modeling Agent-Environment Interactions in Adaptive MAS

In this paper, we discuss a way to model Agent-Environment interactions in adaptive multi-agent systems. We describe the interactions at various levels of abstraction starting with the highest. For each level, we specify the interactions from four viewpoints functional, behavioral, dataand structural. This results into a set of models that capture the main properties of agent-environment interactions.
Chromogenic In Situ Hybridization for α6β4 Integrin in Breast Cancer: Correlation with Protein Expression

The α6β4 integrin is the receptor for the basement membrane protein laminin-5. Recent studies suggest that α6β4 integrin expression in invasive breast carcinomas may be a poor prognostic factor. Because we have not had reliable results with commercially available antibodies for the immunohistochemical detection of α6β4 integrin in archival paraffin-embedded tissues, we designed a probe to detect β4 integrin subunit mRNA in paraffin sections. In situ hybridization for β4 mRNA was performed on paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 25 invasive breast carcinomas using a hyperbiotinylated oligonucleotide DNA probe. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on corrresponding frozen tumor sections using two commercially available antibodies to the β4 integrin subunit. All cases positive for β4 protein by one or both antibodies were also positive for β4 mRNA by in situ hybridization, but three cases with β4 mRNA expression were negative by immunohistochemistry with both antibodies. These findings suggest that in situ hybridization appears to be a sensitive method for detecting β4 integrin mRNA, but it appears to identify some cases that either lack β4 protein or express variants not recognized with commercial antibodies directed to particular extracellular or cytoplasmic domains.
Folding-Based Suppression of Extracytoplasmic Toxicity Conferred by Processing-Defective LamB

We have utilized processing-defective derivatives of the outer membrane maltoporin, LamB, to study protein trafficking functions in the cell envelope of Escherichia coli. Our model proteins contain amino acid substitutions in the consensus site for cleavage by signal peptidase. As a result, the signal sequence is cleaved with reduced efficiency, effectively tethering the precursor protein to the inner membrane. These mutant porins are toxic when secreted to the cell envelope. Furthermore, strains producing these proteins exhibit altered outer membrane permeability, suggesting that the toxicity stems from some perturbation of the cell envelope (J. H. Carlson and T. J. Silhavy, J. Bacteriol. 175:3327–3334, 1993). We have characterized a multicopy suppressor of the processing-defective porins that appears to act by a novel mechanism. Using fractionation experiments and conformation-specific antibodies, we found that the presence of this multicopy suppressor allowed the processing-defective LamB precursors to be folded and localized to the outer membrane. Analysis of the suppressor plasmid revealed that these effects are mediated by the presence of a truncated derivative of the polytopic inner membrane protein, TetA. The suppression mediated by TetA′ is independent of the CpxA/CpxR regulon and the ςE regulon, both of which are involved in regulating protein trafficking functions in the cell envelope.
Practical techniques for optical characterization of III-V heterostructures

This paper discusses two optical measurements, photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectroscopies, and their use for analysis of the structure of III-V heterointerfaces grown by molecular beam epitaxy and organo-metallic vapor phase epitaxy. The emphasis here is on using these techniques in ways that require only simple, semi-quantitative analyses. The simple analyses enable rapid determinations of the structures of samples. The quick turn around time of the measurements and conclusions makes it possible to optimize the epitaxial growth by iterating the cycle of grow/characterize/regrow rapidly enough (a few cycles/day), so that the conditions in the epitaxial reactor do not drift appreciably.
Estimation of the dietary iron requirement for the weanling puppy and kitten

An estimate of the dietary requirement for iron (Fe) has never been made for the growing canine or feline. Therefore, two assays were conducted in which weanling puppies or kittens were fed a casein-based, fiber-free diet containing 5, 30, 55, 80, 105, or 130 mg/kg Fe (supplied as FeSO4 X 7H2O) for 30 d. Blood samples were obtained and body weight measured at 10-d intervals. Hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit were determined and a one-slope broken-line model analysis of these two parameters was used to estimate the dietary Fe requirement for each species. For the puppy, 84 +/- 6.1 mg dietary Fe/kg was necessary to maximize hemoglobin concentration, whereas 81 +/- 5.0 mg dietary Fe/kg was the requirement estimate using hematocrit as the response criterion. For the kitten, requirement estimates were 77 +/- 8.1 and 80 +/- 7.2 mg dietary Fe/kg for maximizing hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit, respectively. We conclude that at least 80 mg dietary Fe/kg is required by growing dogs and cats fed a purified casein-dextrose diet.
In Vitro Simulation of Flow Diverter Induced Clotting in Aneurysms Using Rennet Activated Milk Flow

Flow diverters are currently being evaluated in patients with cerebral aneurysms. Blood cells (such as platelets) contact the device mesh as they enter the aneurysm and pro-coagulant factors released by these activated cells accumulate within the aneurysm because of the intra-aneurismal flow stasis created by the device. The efficacy of any flow diverter is thus related to the rate at which blood coagulation factors accumulate within the aneurysm and get converted to thrombus.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
9-aminocamptothecin by 72-hour continuous intravenous infusion is Inactive in the treatment of patients with 5-fluorouracil-refractory colorectal carcinoma†

BACKGROUND. 9-Aminocamptothecin (9AC) and its parent compound, camptothecin, have shown outstanding preclinical activity against colorectal carcinoma. Irinotecan (CPT-11), another camptothecin derivative, has demonstrated clinical activity in patients with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-refractory colorectal carcinoma. METHODS. The authors performed a Phase II trial of 9AC involving patients with measurable metastatic colorectal carcinoma who had progressed through only one prior regimen of 5-FU-based chemotherapy. 9AC was given initially at a dose of 59 μg/m 2 /hour by continuous intravenous infusion for 72 hours, with treatments repeated every 14 days. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor was given on Days 5-12. RESULTS. Sixteen patients were treated on this trial. Fourteen were evaluable for response. Contrary to expectations, no major objective antitumor responses were observed. Eight patients experienced stable disease for a median of 4.1 months (range, 2.2-9.5 months). Toxicities, especially myelosuppression, were severe and necessitated a 15% reduction in the initial dose after the first 9 patients. Toxicities at this reduced dose remained unacceptable. CONCLUSIONS. 9AC did not demonstrate substantial activity against 5-FU-refractory colorectal carcinoma on the schedule studied. Toxicities at the doses and schedule studied were unacceptable in this patient population. Based on their results, the authors consider it unlikely that 9AC administered as a 72-hour continuous intravenous infusion will play a major role in the treatment of colorectal carcinoma.
Holographically patterned soft matter: light directed mesoscale phase separation

Holographic photopolymerization (HP) is a simple, fast and attractive means to fabricate one-dimensional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional (1D, 2D, 3D) complex structures with length scale periodicity commensurate with the optical regime. Herein we review recent progress on how HP can be used to direct mesoscale phase separation of soft matter such as liquid crystals, chromophores, nanoparticles, semicrystalline polymers, block copolymers (BCPs), and polymer electrolytes. The resultant hierarchical structures are ordered, functional and responsive. We show that the marriage between HP and soft matter has brought ample research opportunities in various research fields.
Time Integration and Discrete Hamiltonian Systems

This paper develops a formalism for the design of conserving time-integration schemes for Hamiltonian systems with symmetry. The main result is that, through the introduction of a discrete directional derivative, implicit second-order conserving schemes can be constructed for general systems which preserve the Hamiltonian along with a certain class of other first integrals arising from affine symmetries. Discrete Hamiltonian systems are introduced as formal abstractions of conserving schemes and are analyzed within the context of discrete dynamical systems; in particular, various symmetry and stability properties are investigated.
Calcium Regulation of Calmodulin Binding to and Dissociation from the Myo1c Regulatory Domain

Myo1c is an unconventional myosin involved in cell signaling and membrane dynamics. Calcium binding to the regulatory-domain-associated calmodulin affects myo1c motor properties, but the kinetic details of this regulation are not fully understood. We performed actin gliding assays, ATPase measurements, fluorescence spectroscopy, and stopped-flow kinetics to determine the biochemical parameters that define the calmodulin-regulatory-domain interaction. We found calcium moderately increases the actin-activated ATPase activity and completely inhibits actin gliding. Addition of exogenous calmodulin in the presence of calcium fully restores the actin gliding rate. A fluorescently labeled calmodulin mutant (N111C) binds to recombinant peptides containing the myo1c IQ motifs at a diffusion-limited rate in the presence and absence of calcium. Measurements of calmodulin dissociation from the IQ motifs in the absence of calcium show that the calmodulin bound to the IQ motif adjacent to the motor domain (IQ1) has the...
Increased colonic motility during exposure to a stressful situation.

Colonic smooth muscle spike potentials and contractility were recorded during the periods of stress by a bipolar electrode-perfused catheter apparatus placed in the rectosigmoid colon. Healthy subjects and patients with the irritable colon syndrome (ICS) were exposed to three standardized stressful conditions: (1) ice-water immersion, (2) Stroop stimulus differentiation test, and (3) ball sorting. In healthy controls, colonic motility. An increase in colonic motility occurred in patients with the irritable colon <0.5), or ball sorting. Respiratory frequency also increased after exposure to the stressful stimuli. However, repeat exposures to the stress tests did not stimulate colonic motility. An increase in colonic motility occurred in patients with the irritable colon syndrome pretreated with a placebo after exposure to ice water (P<0.05), Stroop Test, or ball sorting (P<0.05). However, after exposure to the stressful situations patients pretreated with chlordiazepoxide had a diminished increase in colonic motility or in respiratory frequency. These studies suggest: (1) in healthy controls habituation reduces the stress-related increase in colonic motility, and (2) in patients with the irritable colon syndrome, chlordiazepoxide decreases the stress-related increase in colonic motility.
Rfam: updates to the RNA families database

Rfam is a collection of RNA sequence families, represented by multiple sequence alignments and covariance models (CMs). The primary aim of Rfam is to annotate new members of known RNA families on nucleotide sequences, particularly complete genomes, using sensitive BLAST filters in combination with CMs. A minority of families with a very broad taxonomic range (e.g. tRNA and rRNA) provide the majority of the sequence annotations, whilst the majority of Rfam families (e.g. snoRNAs and miRNAs) have a limited taxonomic range and provide a limited number of annotations. Recent improvements to the website, methodologies and data used by Rfam are discussed. Rfam is freely available on the Web at http://rfam.sanger.ac.uk/and http://rfam.janelia.org/.
Poverty and the income package of working parents: The United States in comparative perspective

Abstract Poverty rates among families with children in the eight modern industrial countries examined here range from 20.3 percent in the United States to 3.5 percent in Sweden. When one or both parents have at least some earnings poverty rates are lower but there is still substantial variation among the eight. This study describes the role of earnings and transfers in the income packages of working parents. Attention is paid to the level and the distribution of both types of sources as these affect the poverty rate. The United States is compared to each of the other countries to highlight the role of sickness insurance, child allowances, child support, income-tested social assistance, unemployment insurance and pensions in producing a lower poverty rate in these countries than in the United States.
Calcite in the mandibles of a marine polychaete

Abstract Calcite forms a thick pad on the anterior-ventral surface of the mandibles of Eunice aphroditois (Pallas) (Annelida, Polychaeta, Eunicida, Eunicea). The calcite pads apparently serve as an abrasive in feeding; they are possibly renewed by continuous calcite deposition. Mandibular calcite pads are not usually recognized in the fossil record because they are destroyed during the leaching of limestones for the recovery of scolecodonts.
Publication Productivity of North American Institutions in Selected Adult Education Journals, 1983-1992:

Although publication productivity studies have been conducted in several other disciplines, no previous research has specifically examined institutional productivity in the field of adult education...
Interactions of naloxone with morphine, amphetamine and phencyclidine on fixed interval responding for intracranial self-stimulation in rats.

Rats were implanted with stimulating electrodes aimed at the medial forebrain bundle-lateral hypothalamus (MFB-LH) and were trained to lever-press for brain self-stimulation on a fixed interval: 60 s schedule of reinforcement. The effects of graded doses of naloxone (0.1–30 mg/kg), morphine (0.3–5.6 mg/kg), naloxone plus morphine,d-amphetamine (0.03–1.0 mg/kg), naloxone plusd-amphetamine, phencyclidine (0.3–5.6 mg/kg), and naloxone plus phencyclidine were tested. Naloxone produced a significant decrease in rates at 30 mg/kg. Naloxone (0.1–1.0 mg/kg) plus morphine blocked the dose-dependent decrease produced by morphine alone. In contrast, naloxone (1.0–10 mg/kg) plusd-amphetamine attenuated the graded increase in response rates produced byd-amphetamine. Naloxone (1.0–10 mg/kg) plus phencyclidine did not reliably change the increase in response rates produced by phencyclidine alone. The use of the fixed interval schedule of brain self-stimulation to study these drug interactions is novel, and further demonstrates that the highly reinforcing aspects of brain stimulation, known to be influenced by dopamine, may also be modulated by the endogenous opiate system.
Richard as Waking Nightmare: Barthesian Dream, Myth, and Memory in Shakespeare's Richard III

This article applies French semiologist Roland Barthes's conceptions of sign, symbol, metaphor, and myth to Shakespeare's Richard III. The focus centers on the playwright's use of dreams and dream worlds in an exploration of visuality and in the larger project to create a national memory. Of special interest is how in one of the principal forms of mass media of the late 16th century—live drama—Shakespeare used dreams as image, and image as a prism through which to ask questions about power, vision, artifice, and illusion, and therefore reality. The playwright was self-conscious of the theater as artifice, but in that artifice he was capable of telling truths untellable beyond the theater walls in the “real world,” so much so that Shakespeare, beginning with Richard III, seems to revel in visuality. This analysis is a reading of the images in Richard III, an approach that places the project into a mostly French tradition of reading and analyzing visuality in texts.
The identification of the SNARE complex required for the fusion of VLDL-transport vesicle with hepatic cis-Golgi

VLDLs (very-low-density lipoproteins) are synthesized in the liver and play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Following their biogenesis in hepatic ER (endoplasmic reticulum), nascent VLDLs are exported to the Golgi which is a physiologically regulatable event. We have previously shown that a unique ER-derived vesicle, the VTV (VLDL-transport vesicle), mediates the targeted delivery of VLDL to the Golgi lumen. Because VTVs are different from other ER-derived transport vesicles in their morphology and biochemical composition, we speculated that a distinct set of SNARE (soluble N -ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor-attachment protein receptor) proteins would form a SNARE complex which would eventually facilitate the docking/fusion of VTVs with Golgi. Our results show that Sec22b is concentrated in VTVs as compared with the ER. Electron microscopic results show that Sec22b co-localizes with p58 and Sar1 on the VTV surface. Pre-treatment of VTV with antibodies against Sec22b inhibited VTV–Golgi fusion, indicating its role as a v-SNARE (vesicle SNARE). To isolate the SNARE complex, we developed an in vitro docking assay in which VTVs were allowed to dock with the Golgi, but fusion was prevented to stabilize the SNARE complex. After the docking reaction, VTV–Golgi complexes were collected, solubilized in 2% Triton X-100 and the SNARE complex was co-immunoprecipitated using anti-Sec22b or GOS28 antibodies. A ~110 kDa complex was identified in non-boiled samples that was dissociated upon boiling. The components of the complex were identified as Sec22b, syntaxin 5, rBet1 and GOS28. Antibodies against each SNARE component significantly inhibited VTV–Golgi fusion. We conclude that the SNARE complex required for VTV–Golgi fusion is composed of Sec22b, syntaxin 5, rBet1 and GOS28.
Looking again at learning in the learning organization: a tool that can turn into a weapon!

The authors describe learning strategies that are being used successfully to benefit both individuals and organizations. They also speak about the shadow side: a culture of fear, the negative impact of constant change, and inappropriate exploitation of employee knowledge. They elaborate on what can happen when an idea as powerful as the learning organization ends up being used for purposes that were not originally intended.
Rocket Measurement of the Far Infrared Sky Background

DURING the past few years, there have been conflicting measurements of the night sky background in the region around 100 µm. Houck and Harwit1 reported a radiance > 10−9 W cm−2 sr−1 whereas McNutt and Feldman2 did not observe this radiance to a limit of 4 × 10−11 W cm−2 sr−1, both referred to 100 µm. Recent measurements by Pipher et al.3 and Blair4 support the lower limit, but in our most recent experiment we find the high value originally observed by Houck and Harwit. We have also observed a high background signal in a band around 280 µm but not at shorter wavelengths (10 to 30 µm). The two high measurements were made soon after astronomical twilight whereas all of the low results were obtained near local midnight. This suggests that the source of the radiation is local rather than galactic or extra-galactic.
Exploring the role of espoused values on e-service adoption: A comparative analysis of the US and Nigerian users

Technology adoption in developing and developed countries needs to be studied and contrasted in order to identify similar and unique factors which impact adoptions. Information technology acceptance and the influence of espoused values (EV) have been investigated in developed countries but such studies are rare for developing countries. The present study surveyed 201 Nigerians and 188 Americans using constructs based on accepted theories, with the aim of comparing the influence of national culture on the acceptance of e-services in each country. The combined data indicate that user satisfaction with e-services is affected by perceived usefulness and information/system quality (with R^2=0.64). User satisfaction, in turn, affects users' behavioral intention to continue to use e-services (R^2=0.50). EVs moderate the effect of perceived usefulness and information/system quality on satisfaction. In general, the moderating effects of EVs are more pronounced for Nigerian respondents than for US respondents, due to national cultural differences.
On quantifying surprise: the variation of event-related potentials with subjective probability.

Two factors are known to determine the waveform of event-related potentials (ERP) elicited by task-relevant stimuli: the a priori probability of the stimuli and the sequence of immediately preceding stimuli. The relative contribution of these factors to the ERP waveform was assessed at nine levels of a priori probability (from .10 to .90). Random sequences of high (1500 Hz) and low (1000 Hz) tones were presented to 10 male subjects at each level of probability, both when the events were task-relevant and when the subjects were performing an alternate task to which the tones were irrelevant. The EEG was recorded from five midline electrode sites referred to linked mastoids. The amplitude of the P300 and Slow Wave components was inversely proportional to the a priori probability of task-relevant events. At every level of a priori probability, the magnitude of the P300 complex (N200-P300-Slow Wave) was diminished when the eliciting tone repeated the preceding tone, and was enhanced when it was preceded by the other tone. Thus, a priori probability and sequential structure appear to be independent determinants of the P300 complex.
The Efficacy of an Integrated Group Treatment Program for Depressed Assisted Living Residents

In response to the rapid increase of the elderly population, assisted living facilities have quickly developed as a housing alternative for elders who are no longer able to live alone in the commun...
Minesoil and site properties associated with early height growth of eastern white pine

A study was established to investigate soil and site variables associated with early growth of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) on reclaimed strip mines in southern West Virginia and Virginia. A total of 78 plantations were studied on 14 different mines, 5 to 9 yr following planting. Two-year terminal height growth at ages 4 and 5 was selected as the growth variable in a multiple linear regression equation developed to show the relationship between tree growth and soil and site variables. Many soil/site variables were tested, but rooting depth, electrical conductivity, surface soil P and Mn, and slope were the dominant independent variables, accounting for 48% of the variability in growth. Soil depth had a standardized regression coefficient of 0.35, and was the most significant variable. Through proper reclamation, it is possible to establish a site that will not only provide for adequate early height growth to facilitate bond release, but also provide for future long-term productivity of surface-mined lands.
Measurements of the Meissner fraction as a function of oxygen ordering for oxygen deficient YBa2Cu3O7−δ single crystals

The influence of oxygen ordering on the Meissner fraction (the ratio of field cooled to zero field cooled magnetization) on a number of YBa2Cu3O7−δ single crystals over a wide range of oxygen deficient states (15 K≤Tc≤60 K) has been investigated. The Meissner fraction increases in almost all cases with an increase in oxygen ordering. In only a few cases where the change in transition temperature is very small (ΔTc<2 K) following ordering is no discernible increase measured. We attribute these results to both intrinsic parameters that change with the ordering phenomenon, for example the lower critical field, and extrinsic effects such as the redistribution of oxygen vacancies.
Perestroika in Political Science: Past, Present, and Future

Anniversaries, for good or ill, are often hard to ignore. The finiteness and roundness of a century proves almost too irresistible for us to not stop and try to derive some sense of accomplishment and meaning from our individual and collective efforts. The recent 100th anniversary of the American Political Science Review in 2006, for example, proved too much to ignore and, as a result, provided us with just such a reckoning (see, e.g., Sigelman 2006). As alluring as the end of a century is for such reminiscing, this impulse is even more forceful at the end of a millennium. Such a closing represents a chance for letting go of the past, gaining some sense of forgiveness, and with the hope of constructing a new future, taking a chance to begin again. This notion of renewal and change was very much on the mind of the individual behind the original “Perestroika” e-mail, circulated in the fall of 2000. In the e-mail, Mr. Perestroika called into question the rele-
Hypnosis and distortions in eyewitness memory

Abstract An experiment was conducted to determine whether eyewitnesses questioned under hypnosis are more likely to answer leading questions incorrectly than eyewitnesses questioned in a normal waking state. Ss viewed a videotape-recording depicting a car-bicycle accident and were questioned about the details of the accident. Half of Ss were questioned under hypnosis and half of Ss were questioned in a normal waking state and in each of these conditions, half of Ss were questioned 15 minutes after seeing the videotape-recording and half were questioned after a 24-hour delay. The results revealed that Ss in the hypnosis condition made significantly more errors on leading questions (questions that suggested an incorrect answer) than Ss in the normal waking condition. There were no significant differences between the groups of Ss on objective, non-leading questions. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the use of hypnosis in police investigations.
Masking epilepsy by combining two epilepsy genes

Inherited errors in ion channel genes comprise the largest subset of monogenic causes of idiopathic epilepsy, and pathogenic variants contribute to genetic risk in the complex inheritance of this common disorder. We generated a digenic mouse model of human idiopathic epilepsy by combining two epilepsy-associated ion channel mutations with mutually opposing excitability defects and overlapping subcellular localization. We found that increasing membrane excitability by removing Shaker-like K(+) channels, which are encoded by the Kcna1 gene, masked the absence epilepsy caused by a P/Q-type Ca(2+) channelopathy due to a missense mutation in the Cacna1a gene. Conversely, decreasing network excitability by impairing Cacna1a Ca(2+)-channel function attenuated limbic seizures and sudden death in Kcna1-null mice. We also identified intermediate excitability phenotypes at the network and axonal levels. Protective interactions between pathogenic ion channel variants may markedly alter the clinical expression of epilepsy, highlighting the need for comprehensive profiling of this candidate gene set to improve the accuracy of genetic risk assessment of this complex disease.
Dynamical Theory Formalism for Robust Modeling of Damped, Undamped, and Nonlinear Oscillatory Signals

The paper explores a novel framework for signal representation based on dynamic information in a signal that is well suited for robust analysis of low SNR signals and extraction of time-varying features. The method is derived from dynamical theory but formulated in a basic parameter estimation paradigm. Modeling the changes in data provides a compact depiction of time-variant and invariant information plus features related to data dynamics. The method also provides strong noise mitigation properties even when noise statistics is poorly understood. The signal processing formulation supplies a connection between the time-delay and the Fourier domains. This connection helps us bridge non-linear dynamical and signal processing theories and brings a powerful novel tool to signal analysis at large. The experiment is presented using a speech sample from the TIMIT database.
Directing cell function and fate via micropatterning: Role of cell patterning size, shape, and interconnectivity

Micropatterning-based geometric cell confinement provides novel templates for investigating cellular function and fate. Cell size, shape, and degree of connectivity among cells can be systematically manipulated using micropatterning, allowing for the studies of the effects of patterned cell geometries on cell behavior. Cells conformed to micropatterns develop unique intracellular architectures and signaling activities, regulating cell proliferation, migration, survival/apoptosis, commitment, and differentiation. Cell patterning size controls cell survival and apoptosis and stem cell fate via cytoskeletal tension signaling such as RhoA-ROCK. Cell patterning shape affects cell growth and migration via altered cellular polarity and Rac1 signaling. Modulation of cell-cell interconnectivity via micropatterning affects proliferation and differentiation via regulating the expression of cell-cell interaction molecules such as cadherin. Systematic assessment of cell function and fate using micropatterned cells will shed new insights for understanding the mechanisms in cell and molecular biology studies and for the control of cell behavior in biomedical applications.