cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An immunochemical characterization of glucosylation in bacteriophage T4

Abstract A filter retention assay was used to examine the immunochemical reactivity of denatured T4 phage DNA fragments. In wild-type DNA, all fragments are completely reactive with antibody directed to α-glucosylhydroxymethylcytosinyl residues and 70% are reactive with anti-β-glucosylhydroxymethylcytosinyl. Separated r-strands react in a manner identical to that observed with unfractionated DNA. DNA from phage stocks of glucosyl transferase mutants or T4∗ phage react to different extents with the various antibodies, and the level of immunochemical reactivity correlates with the efficiency of plating on a restrictive host. When phage with non-glucosylated DNA infect a host under glucosylating conditions, the parental phage molecules become glucosylated. The parental DNA acquires complete α-glucosyl reactivity within ten minutes of infection, while β-glucosylation is slower and only approaches wild-type levels towards the end of the infectious cycle. We describe immunochemical methods for fractionating mixtures of antigenically distinct T4 DNA molecules and apply them to the isolation of recombinant parental DNA. The kinetics of recombination under different physiological conditions are examined by this technique.
Inhibition of intestinal protein synthesis and lipid transport by ethionine

Summary Ethionine inhibits protein synthesis in the intestinal mucosa of female rats and interferes with the intestinal transport of triglycerides containing long-chain fatty acids presumably by reducing chylomicron formation. The absorption of triglycerides containing medium-chain fatty acids is unaffected. In contrast to its effects on the liver, ethionine does not lead to decreases in intestinal ATP levels and administration of ATP to the animals does not protect against the inhibitory effects of ethionine. The intestinal activity of methionine-activating enzyme is about one-sixth that of liver. This may account for the failure of ethionine to reduce intestinal ATP concentrations since with low activating enzyme levels in the intestine relatively little adenine would be trapped in the form of S -adenosythionine. It is suggested that the inhibitory effect of ethionine on intestinal protein synthesis must involve a mechanism unrelated to reductions in cellular ATP levels.
Corneal-scleral melt in association with cataract surgery and intraocular lenses: A report of four cases

Four patients with rheumatoid arthritis had cataract extraction with implantation of an intraocular lens (IOL). Postoperatively three patients developed progressive scleromalacia perforans. All three cases required patch grafting of the sclera and two of them developed progressive melting of the sclera and graft. The fourth case involved progressive corneal melting with extrusion of the IOL despite treatment with penetrating keratoplasties. All four cases developed retinal detachments with loss of vision and three of the eyes were subsequently enucleated. We describe each case and discuss the clinicopathologic correlations of this condition. The need for careful evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis patients with cataract surgery and IOL implantation is emphasized.
A concurrency control framework for collaborative systems

We have developed a new framework for supporting concurrency control in collaborative applications. It supports multiple degrees of consistency and allows users to choose concurrency control policies based on the objects they are manipulating, the tasks they are performing, and the coupling and merge policies they are using. Concurrency control policies are embodied in hierarchical, constructor-based lock compatibility tables. Entries in these tables may be specified explicitly or derived automatically from coupling and merge policies. In this paper, we motivate and describe the framework, identify several useful concurrency control policies it can support, evaluate its flexibility, and give conclusions and directions for future work.
Semiclassical calculation of compound state resonances

Abstract The compound state resonances in a model collinear collision are shown to arise from semiclassically quasiperiodic quasibound states. These quasibound state energies are compared with previous exact quantum-mechanical and stabilization method calculations of the resonance energies and excellent agreement is found.
Histoplasma capsulatum α-(1,3)-glucan blocks innate immune recognition by the β-glucan receptor

Successful infection by fungal pathogens depends on subversion of host immune mechanisms that detect conserved cell wall components such as β-glucans. A less common polysaccharide, α-(1,3)-glucan, is a cell wall constituent of most fungal respiratory pathogens and has been correlated with pathogenicity or linked directly to virulence. However, the precise mechanism by which α-(1,3)-glucan promotes fungal virulence is unknown. Here, we show that α-(1,3)-glucan is present in the outermost layer of the Histoplasma capsulatum yeast cell wall and contributes to pathogenesis by concealing immunostimulatory β-glucans from detection by host phagocytic cells. Production of proinflammatory TNFα by phagocytes was suppressed either by the presence of the α-(1,3)-glucan layer on yeast cells or by RNA interference based depletion of the host β-glucan receptor dectin-1. Thus, we have functionally defined key molecular components influencing the initial host–pathogen interaction in histoplasmosis and have revealed an important mechanism by which H. capsulatum thwarts the host immune system. Furthermore, we propose that the degree of this evasion contributes to the difference in pathogenic potential between dimorphic fungal pathogens and opportunistic fungi.
Differentiation of Rhizobium japonicum strain derivatives by antibiotic sensitivity patterns, lectin binding, and utilization of biochemicals.

Several strains of Rhizobium japonicum have been reported to consist of mixtures of stable derivatives having distinct colony morphologies and physiological characteristics. We isolated derivatives from strains of R. japonicum and systematically compared them with previously isolated derivatives with respect to the utilization of biochemicals, antibiotic sensitivity, and soybean lectin binding. With the exception of a pair of derivatives from 3I1b 110, one of which utilized pyruvate and one of which did not, sibling derivatives had essentially identical biochemical utilization patterns. The sibling derivatives of parental strains 3I1b 110 and 3I1b 140 exhibited marked variation in their sensitivities to several antibiotics, including gentamicin, sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline. Compared with the derivatives with small colony morphology, derivatives with large colony morphology were in general more sensitive to these antibiotics. With one exception, the binding of soybean lectin to the derivatives was q...
Medium-Term Financing Needs of the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union

Abstract This paper provides quantitative estimates of relationships between national savings, foreign savings, capital formation and economic growth for the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union. We assume that initial growth performance is dominated by a sharp transition downturn but that growth potential is the same as other countries with similar initial conditions. National savings are modeled as a forward looking decision of households. Foreign savings “needed” to maintain arbitrary levels of investment are assumed to be feasible if the external debt/gdp ratio remains within historical norms.
Isolation and the complete amino acid sequence of lumenal endoplasmic reticulum glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase

Abstract I have isolated glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from rabbit liver microsomes and determined its complete amino acid sequence. Sequence determination was achieved by automated Edman degradation of peptides generated by chemical and enzymatic cleavages. The microsomal enzyme consists of 763 residues and is quite dissimilar from the previously characterized cytosolic enzymes. The N terminus of the microsomal enzyme is blocked by a pyroglutamyl residue. Carbohydrate is attached at Asn-138 and Asn-263, implying that the bulk of the protein is oriented on the lumenal side of the endoplasmic membrane. The amino acid sequence of the microsomal protein shows limited homology to the extensively sequenced cytosolic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases. Clusters of up to six identical residues can be identified in four regions: peptide segments at residues 10-21, 154-163, and 173-261. In addition, another array of identical residues, requiring a 100-residue deletion in the sequence of the microsomal enzyme, spans residues 436-462 and corresponds to residues 348-373 of the cytosolic protein. Two segments with a Gly-Xaa-Gly-Xaa-Xaa-Gly motif, related to a coenzyme binding fold, were identified at Gly-399 and Gly-491. In the cytosolic enzymes, a variation of this sequence motif occurs at Gly-37 and Gly-241. The 300-residue C-terminal segment of the microsomal enzyme is unique and has no counterpart in the cytosolic or the bacterial enzymes. An unexpected finding with regard to the microsomal enzyme is that it lacks an identifiable membrane-spanning region or the lumenal-protein C-terminal consensus sequences Lys-Asp-Glu or His-Ile/Thr-Glu-Leu. Thus, the mode of transport and retention of this protein in the lumen of endoplasmic reticulum remains to be determined.
Are Investment and Financing Anomalies Two Sides of the Same Coin

It is commonly believed that the negative financing-return anomaly is associated with the negative investment-return anomaly. The purpose of this research is to thoroughly investigate this issue to answer the question of whether the return predictabilities based on investment and financing activity are interrelated and share the same underlying cause. We find that investment and financing activities are only weakly correlated and that the profitability profiles surrounding these two activities differ. After controlling for the book-to-market ratio, high investment firms are more profitable than low investment firms, while high financing firms are less profitable than low financing firms. In addition, the investment-return relation weakens after controlling for financing, while the financing-return relation remains significant after controlling for investment. Our evidence suggests that the investment-return relation does not explain the external financing anomaly.
Large-scale current systems in the dayside Venus ionosphere

The occasional observation of large-scale horizontal magnetic fields within the dayside ionosphere of Venus by the flux gate magnetometer on the Pioneer Venus orbiter suggests the presence of large-scale current systems. Using the measured altitude profiles of the magnetic field and the electron density and temperature, together with the previously reported neutral atmosphere density and composition, it is found that the local ionosphere can be described at these times by a simple steady state model which treats the unobserved quantities, such as the electric field, as parameters. When the model is appropriate, the altitude profiles of the ion and electron velocities and the currents along the satellite trajectory can be inferred. These results elucidate the configurations and sources of the ionospheric current systems which produce the observed large-scale magnetic fields, and in particular illustrate the effect of ion-neutral coupling in the determination of the current system at low altitudes.
Histochemical studies on proteins of the milkweed bug after juvenile hormone treatment

Abstract 1. 1. Hemolymph from the fifth instar milkweed bugs was separated by disc gel electrophoresis into eleven bands. 2. 2. A number of histochemical stains were applied to these gels in an attempt to identify band 8 which showed an increase in synthetic rate after juvenile hormone treatment. This band was found to be acid phosphatase. 3. 3. Histochemical procedures for acid phosphatase were applied to tissue sections and whole mounts of various organs of the milkweed bug in an attempt to localize the site of increased synthesis. 4. 4. The testes, fat body, midgut and brain were positive for acid phosphatase; however, no quantitative difference could be seen between the bugs treated with juvenile hormone and those not treated.
Generalized upper bounding techniques

A variant of the revised simplex method is given for solving linear programs with M+L equations, L of which have the property that each variable has at most one nonzero coefficient in them. Special cases include transportation problems, programs with upper bounded variables, assignment and weighted distribution problems. The algorithm described uses a working basis of M rows for pivoting, pricing, and inversion which for large L can result in a substantial reduction of computation. This working basis is only MxM and is a further reduction of the size found in an earlier version.
Effects of biotic and abiotic stress on induced accumulation of terpenes and phenolics in red pines inoculated with bark beetle-vectored fungus

This study characterized the chemical response of healthy red pine to artificial inoculation with the bark beetle-vectored fungusLeptographium terebrantis. In addition, we sought to determine whether stress altered this induced response and to understand the implications of these interactions to the study of decline diseases. Twenty-five-year-old trees responded to mechanical wounding or inoculation withL. terebrantis by producing resinous reaction lesions in the phloem. Aseptically wounded and wound-inoculated phloem contained higher concentrations of phenolics than did constitutive tissue. Trees inoculated withL. terebrantis also contained higher concentrations of six monoterpenes,α-pinene,β-pinene, 3-carene, limonene, camphene, and myrcene, and higher total monoterpenes than did trees that were mechanically wounded or left unwounded. Concentrations of these monoterpenes increased with time after inoculation. Total phenolic concentrations in unwounded stem tissue did not differ between healthy and root-diseased trees. Likewise, constitutive monoterpene concentrations in stem phloem were similar between healthy and root-diseased trees. However, when stem phloem tissue was challenged with fungal inoculations, reaction tissue from root-diseased trees contained lower concentrations ofα-pinene, the predominant monoterpene in red pine, than did reaction tissue from healthy trees. Seedlings stressed by exposure to low light levels exhibited less extensive induced chemical changes when challenge inoculated withL. terebrantis than did seedlings growing under higher light. Stem phloem tissue in these seedlings contained lower concentrations ofα-pinene than did nonstressed seedlings also challenge inoculated withL. terebrantis. It is hypothesized that monoterpenes and phenolics play a role in the defensive response of red pine against insect-fungal attack, that stress may predispose red pine to attack by insect-fungal complexes, and that such interactions are involved in red pine decline disease. Implications to plant defense theory and interactions among multiple stress agents in forest decline are discussed.
Advances in Accounting Information Systems and International Journal of Accounting Information Systems: first ten volumes (1992–2003)

Abstract This study of the first 10 volumes of Advances in Accounting Information Systems ( AiAIS ) and the International Journal of Accounting Information Systems ( IJAIS ) uses content, participation, citation, and article download analyses to assess the journal's success of meeting its purpose, intended audience, scope, and reach. Results suggest that its redirected focus in 2000 to expand its international audience, removal of section designations for articles, implementation of a quarterly publication approach, and inclusion in an electronic, searchable database (ScienceDirect) have well positioned the journal for the future and to assist in disseminating quality AIS research. This study's analyses of articles published in the journal specifically indicate an increase in publications in recent years, numerous identified AIS topic/research method opportunities for future research, a variety of AIS topics examined, various research methods employed, and participation by all faculty ranks. Further, the author's school of publication and university of degree show a variety of large, public institutions participating in the journal. Outside citations by articles in other journals to AiAIS/IJAIS articles indicate an increase in dissemination of knowledge in recent years, while article downloads show an exponential growth pattern. The study concludes that IJAIS has come into its own and is recognized by academics and professionals as a quality accounting publication that contributes to the literature.
Stimulated Raman scattering microscopy for biomedical imaging

Label-free chemical contrast is highly desirable in biomedical imaging. Spontaneous Raman microscopy provides specific vibrational signatures of chemical bonds, but is often hindered by low sensitivity. Here we report a 3D multi-photon vibrational imaging technique based on stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). The sensitivity of SRS is significantly greater than that of spontaneous Raman scattering, and is further enhanced by high-frequency (MHz) phase-sensitive detection. SRS microscopy has a major advantage over previous coherent Raman techniques in that it offers background-free and easily interpretable chemical contrast. We show a variety of biomedical applications, such as differentiating distributions of omega-3 fatty acids and saturated lipids in living cells, imaging of brain and skin tissues based on intrinsic lipid contrast.
Measurement of nuclear potentials from fusion excitation functions

Difficulties associated with the determination of the nuclear potential at distances inside the fusion barrier radius are discussed. The critical distance model analysis of fusion excitation functions at high bombarding energies does not give a model independent measurement of the internuclear potential at small separations of interacting heavy nuclei.
Rapid formation of a sea ice barrier east of Svalbard

[1] Daily SeaWinds scatterometer images acquired by the QuikSCAT satellite show an elongated sea ice feature that formed very rapidly (∼1–2 days) in November 2001 east of Svalbard over the Barents Sea. This sea ice structure, called “the Svalbard sea ice barrier,” spanning approximately 10° in longitude and 2° in latitude, restricts the sea route and poses a significant navigation hazard. The secret of its formation appears to lie in the bottom of the sea: A comparison between bathymetry from the International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean data and the pattern of sea ice formation from scatterometer data reveals that the sea ice barrier conforms well with and stretches above a deep elongated channel connecting the Franz Josef–Victoria Trough to the Hinlopen Basin between Svalbard and Franz Josef Land. Historic hydrographic data from this area indicate that this sea channel contains cold Arctic water less than 50 m below the surface. Strong and persistent cold northerly winds force strong heat loss from this shallow surface layer, leading to the rapid formation of the sea ice barrier. Heat transfer rates estimated from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts temperature and wind data over this region suggest that the surface water along the deep channel can be rapidly cooled to the freezing point. Scatterometer results in 1999–2003 show that sea ice forms in this area between October and December. Understanding the ice formation mechanisms helps to select appropriate locations for deployment of buoys measuring wind and air-sea temperature profile and to facilitate ice monitoring, modeling, and forecasting.
The freezing lesion. II. Potassium transport within nerve terminals isolated from epileptogenic foci.

Abstract The generation of electrocorticographic seizures in freezing lesions was correlated with the ability of isolated synaptic terminals to actively transport potassiumin vitro. Potassium content of synaptosomes from epileptogenic lesions was not significantly different from controls. However, when synaptosomes were incubated in Tris media, total K uptake decreased 59% while ouabain inhibition dropped 48% in the primary foci. In the mirror foci total K accumulation and ouabain inhibition both decreased 39%. Synaptosome K transport decreased more in the primary foci and in 6 of 13 experiments K appeared to be leaking out rather than going into synaptosomes. In order to rule out the effects of neuronal injury, studies were performed of non-epileptogenic lesions. Ouabain inhibition was not significantly changed while total K accumulation decreased 28%. These results show that an impairment in the synaptosome (Na+K) pump is intimately associated with the generation of seizures in primary and mirror foci. In addition, they suggest that synaptosome K leakage may be enhanced in lesion sites because: (1) in synaptosomes from inactive lesions total K uptake dropped without changes in ouabain inhibition and (2) in epileptogenic primary sites total K uptake decreased more than ouabain inhibition.
SU-E-J-25: Analysis of Commercial 4DCT Flaws and the Potential Benefits of a New Technique for Irregular Breathing Patients

Purpose: To determine the distribution of inhalation to exhalation breathing amplitudes as measured using a commercial 4DCT and a proposed 4DCT protocol for irregular breathing patients. Methods: External breathing surrogate signals correlating with lung tidal volume were collected using an abdominal bellows for a set of 50 patients. Breathing traces over 5-minute durations were evaluated and the peak inhalation and exhalation peaks identified. An arbitrary time point was identified and the nearest exhalation peak located within a ±180° gantry rotation period. The times at which the follow-up inhalation scans occurred were correlated with the couch velocity to determine whether the tumor would be within 180° of that specific peak inhalation given the CT scanner coverage, pitch, rotation period, tumor size, and tumor motion amplitude (defined in units of centimeters per bellows signal). The imaged tumor motion amplitude was based on which inhalation peak would be imaged and the couch location at that time relative to the exhalation peak. This analysis provided a series of measured breathing motion amplitudes, which were compared against the 85th percentile motion, consistent with the proposed 4DCT protocol. Because the 4DCT scans would yield a single amplitude determination for each patient, errors in the amplitude measurement were considered systematic. Therefore, the largest 5% and smallest 5% of the measured amplitudes were selected to identify over-and under-determined motion amplitudes. Results: 30% of the patients exhibited breathing amplitude overestimations of at least 27%, while 30% showed underestimations of at least 34%. Conclusion: For the majority of patients, the current system provided a high probability of correct breathing motion amplitude measurements. 30% had a significant chance of a systematic over- or under-estimation of tumor motion. The proposed protocol will be immune to such irregularities because the entire breathing trace is used for breathing motion amplitude assessments.
Formulating an Answerable Question, Displaying Data, Illustrating, Writing, Reviewing, and Editing Manuscripts for Publication in Medical Journals

“In our instruction, we have tried to emphasize that a manuscript can be grammatically and semantically perfect and still be worthless if it is not scientifically valid. So we stress, first, clinical reasoning and analysis of experimental design and data, scientific validity, logical organization, and coherent development, and only then attention to the prose – grammar, semantics, conciseness, lucidity, readability, style.” —Selma and Lois DeBakey
One-Electron Activation of CO by a Rhodium(II) Porphyrin Bimetalloradical Complex and Concerted Reactions of Two (RhCO)• Units

A rhodium(II) porphyrin bimetalloradical complex, •Rh(CH2)6Rh• (1) reacts with CO and ethene to form an ethanedionyl reductive coupling product, Rh(CH2)6Rh(μ-C(O)C(O)) (2), and an ethylene-bridged complex, Rh(CH2)6Rh(μ-CH2CH2) (4), respectively. Reaction of 1 with 1,3-butadiene proceeds by a 1,4-addition to yield a four-carbon-bridged complex, Rh(CH2)6Rh(μ-CH2CHCHCH2) (5). 1H NMR spectra of 2 and 4 manifest the inherent chirality of two-carbon-bridged tethered diporphyrin complexes. Solutions of 1 and CO react with H2O, CH3CH2OH, and H2 to produce multifunctionalized formyl complexes HRh(CH2)6RhCHO (6), H(O)CRh(CH2)6RhC(O)OCH2CH3 (7), and H(O)CRh(CH2)6RhCHO (8), respectively, but fail to react to an observable extent with methane. Reactivity studies indicate that solutions of 1 and CO function as a source of a species that contains two carbonyl groups (•[OCRh(CH2)6RhCO]•) (3) that are activated toward one-electron reactions at the carbonyl carbon. Reactions of 3 with substrates (H2O, C2H5OH, H2) are discu...
Coronary vasodilation by adenosine : Receptor subtypes and mechanism(s) of action

This article briefly reviews our recent findings regarding the status and functions of the adenosine receptors in porcine coronary artery smooth muscle and endothelium. The adenosine receptors mediating vasorelaxations were characterized pharmacologically using isolated tissue bath experiments. The rank order of potency of a series of adenosine analogs for the vasorelaxations suggested the presence of multiple A 2 -type adenosine receptors both on the smooth muscle and endothelium of the coronary artery. The smooth muscle A 2 -type receptors were of two types: one being xanthine-sensitive and activated by N - and C2-substituted adenosine analogs, and the other xanthine-insensitive stimulated by 5'-uronamide derivatives. The endothelial A 2 adenosine receptors were xanthine-sensitive and were responsive to the 5'-uronamides. These receptors were associated with the release of nitric oxide. Radioligand binding studies using [ 125 I]-APE and photoaffinity labeling with azide derivative of [ 125 I]-APE revealed a binding site corresponding to A 2A receptor in membranes of porcine coronary artery smooth muscle. In addition, ligand binding with [ 3 H]-DPCPX demonstrated the existence of A 1 adenosine receptors in the porcine coronary artery smooth muscle. These receptors were found to be linked to adenylate cyclase in an inhibitory manner via pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein(s), and could induce attenuation of vasorelaxation. In conclusion, the information presented in this article generally suggests that the coronary artery contains various types of adenosine receptors that may play a role in the regulation of its function. However, additional studies are required to further characterize and delineate the roles of the various adenosine receptors, and the information given herewith can provide an impetus for this.
Alcohol dehydrogenase II and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase appear to be co-regulated in wild-type yeast.

Abstract An activity gel assay for fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBP), the enzyme catalyzing the final step in gluconeogenesis in yeast, has been developed which can be used in conjunction with spectrophotometric assays to show that it is tightly co-regulated with the inducible alcohol dehydrogenase, ADHII. Both enzymes are repressed coordinately in aerobically grown yeast by the addition of high levels of glucose or ethanol, and induced on minimal medium by the addition of yeast extract. A mutant deficient in FBP segregates independently of the ADHII structural gene locus. This phenomenon is of interest because of the discovery of Ciriacy [(1979) Mol. Gen. Genet. 176, 427-431] of mutants (ccr, or carbon catabolite repression) which repress both FBP and ADHII simultaneously, along with several other enzymes. Activity gel electrophoresisGluconeogenesisRegulation
THE AEROBACTIN IRON TRANSPORT SYSTEM GENES IN SHIGELLA FLEXNERI ARE PRESENT WITHIN A PATHOGENICITY ISLAND

Genes encoding the synthesis and transport of aerobactin, a hydroxamate siderophore associated with increased virulence of enteric bacteria, were mapped within a pathogenicity island in Shigella flexneri. The island, designated SHI-2 for Shigella pathogenicity island 2, was located downstream of selC, the site of insertion of pathogenicity islands in several other enteric pathogens. DNA sequence analysis revealed the presence of multiple insertion sequences upstream and downstream of the aerobactin genes and an integrase gene that was nearly identical to an int gene found in Escherichia coli O157:H7. SHI-2 sequences adjacent to selC were similar to sequences at the junction between selC and pathogenicity islands found in E. coli O157:H7 and in enteropathogenic E. coli, but the junctions between the island and downstream yic genes were variable. SHI-2 also encoded immunity to the normally plasmid-encoded colicins I and V, suggesting a common origin for the aerobactin genes in both S. flexneri and E. coli pColV. Polymerase chain reaction and Southern hybridization data indicate that SHI-2 is present in the same location in Shigella sonnei, but the aerobactin genes are not located within SHI-2 in Shigella boydii or enteroinvasive E. coli. Shigella dysenteriae type 1 strains do not produce aerobactin but do contain sequences downstream of selC that are homologous to SHI-2. The presence of the aerobactin genes on plasmids in E. coli pColV and Salmonella, on a pathogenicity island in S. flexneri and S. sonnei and in a different chromosomal location in S. boydii and some E. coli suggests that these virulence-enhancing genes are mobile, and they may constitute an island within an island in S. flexneri.
Economics and energetics of organic and conventional farming

The use of organic farming technologies has certain advantages in some situations and for certain crops such as maize; however, with other crops such as vegetables and fruits, yields under organic production may be substantially reduced compared with conventional production. In most cases, the use of organic technologies requires higher labor inputs than conventional technologies. Some major advantages of organic production are the conservation of soil and water resources and the effective recycling of livestock wastes when they are available.
Determination of cag repeat length in the androgen-receptor gene using frozen serum

Abstract Objectives To determine CAG repeat length in exon one of the androgen-receptor gene, using frozen serum as a source of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Methods Samples from previously frozen serum samples were prepared for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by heating thawed serum to 100 °C and subsequent centrifugation at 16,000g. Three microliters of supernatant were added to the PCR in combination with primers flanking the CAG repeat in exon one of the human androgen-receptor gene. After 35 cycles, the PCR amplicons were electrophoresed on an agarose gel, excised, purified, and sequenced. CAG repeat length was directly determined from DNA sequencing gels. Results Amplified DNA fragments were obtained after PCR from 140 of the 200 specimens examined to date. The DNA amplicon was successfully sequenced in 111 samples derived from 104 individuals. Within this group, the androgen receptor CAG repeat length varied from 11 to 27. The median CAG repeat length was 21 ; the lower and upper quartiles were 18 or less and 23 or more, respectively. Results were consistent in each case that CAG repeat length was repetitively determined. Conclusions The establishment of a methodology to determine androgen-receptor gene CAG repeat length from frozen serum samples opens multiple new opportunities to explore the potential clinical significance of this genetic polymorphism.
Fine-structure of the rat's intercolumnar tubercle and its adjacent ependyma and choroid plexus, with especial reference to the appearance of its sinusoidal vessels in experimental argyria

Abstract The intercolumnar tubercle, a midline structure derived from the ependyma of the third ventricle, belongs to the group of structures in the central nervous system which stain intravitally with colloidal dyes and with silver nitrate. Silver is deposited in the basement membranes surrounding the vascular endothelium and especially in the reflection of the pia which partially surrounds the sinusoidal capillary vessels of the structure. Between these basement membranes a perivascular space exists, in which there are collagen fibers, fibroblasts and nerve terminations. Nerve cells, interspersed in the neuropil and often indenting the ependyma, have dendritic processes which penetrate into and between the ependymal cells to end near the cerebrospinal fluid space (third ventricle). Axons from these cells penetrate into the neuropil and end near the sinusoidal vessels and in their perivascular sheaths. These endings contain clear vesicles and dense granules of varying sizes. The morphological similarities between the intercolumnar tubercle, the pineal body and the neurohypophysis suggest that all are structures of neuroendocrine function. The relation of the cell bodies to the ependyma and ventricular space suggests further that the structure may have a function related to the composition of the cerebrospinal fluid.
Analyzing hydrologic uncertainty and its impact upon decision making in water resources

Abstract Bayesian Inference and Decision Theory tools are applied to the problem of synthetic hydrology when model and parameter uncertainty exist. Issues such as optimal parameter estimation, use of synthetic generation in design problems, and the effects of parameter uncertainty on statistical estimation are discussed and applied to the problem of reservoir slorage-yield analysis.
Photoionization spectroscopy of even-parity levels of Fe i

Multistep laser photoionization spectroscopy has been used to study high-lying even-parity levels in the Fe i spectrum. The first laser excites atoms in an iron atomic beam from a ground-state level to an intermediate odd-parity level, y5DJ. A second laser resonantly two-photon ionizes these excited atoms through even-parity levels in the energy range 54 500–58 000 cm−1. Thirty-four new even-parity energy levels are reported in this range, and they are assigned to Fe i configurations 3d64s(6D)6s, 3d64s(6D)5d, 3d64s(4D)4d, and 3d7(4F)6s.
C-type lectin OCILRP2/Clr-g and its ligand NKRP1f costimulate T cell proliferation and IL-2 production.

Abstract We are reporting the identification of a novel C-type lectin receptor–ligand pair that is involved in T cell costimulation. The receptor, OCILRP2/Clr-g, is rapidly induced following T cell activation and maintained at a substantial level of up to 72 h. The ligand, NKRP1f, is predominantly expressed on dendritic cells (DC). The soluble OCILRP2-Ig blocking protein significantly suppresses specific antigen-stimulated T cell proliferation as well as IL-2 secretion both in vitro and in vivo; conversely, NKRP1f-expressing antigen presenting cells (APC) enhance B7.1/CD28-mediated costimulation for T cell proliferation through interaction with OCILRP2/Clr-g. Our studies reveal a unique functional interaction between two C-type lectins, OCILRP2/Clr-g and NKRP1f, during APC-mediated T cell costimulation and suggest a role for C-type lectins in maintaining T cell response or memory in vivo.
Cryopreservation Reduces the Ability of Equine Spermatozoa to Attach to Oviductal Epithelial Cells and Zonae Pellucidae In Vitro

: Two bioassays were used to evaluate the interaction of fresh and cryopreserved equine semen with oviductal epithelial cells (OEC) and with the zona pelludda (ZP). Split ejaculates were either stored at room temperature or frozen and thawed. In experiment 1, progressive motility and membrane integrity were evaluated for each treatment. Fluorescent labeled spermatozoa were cocultured with monolayers of OEC for 30 minutes, and the number of sperm attached to OEC was counted by fluorescence microscopy and analysis of digitized images. Motility of spermatozoa attached to OEC was observed at 0.5, 3, 6, 18, 24, and 48 hours after insemination. In experiment 2, progressive motility, membrane integrity, and acrosomal integrity were determined. Differential labeling with the fluorochromes fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) or tetra-methylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC) was used to distinguish fresh and frozen-thawed spermatozoa. Equal numbers of motile spermatozoa from each treatment were incubated with salt-stored equine oocytes for 4 hours, and the number of spermatozoa firmly bound to the ZP was counted using dual-wavelength epifluorescence microscopy. Fewer (P < 0.001) cryopreserved spermatozoa attached to OEC compared to spermatozoa stored at room temperature. The motility of spermatozoa attached to OEC decreased over time within each treatment group (P < 0.001), but this decrease was not different between treatments. The mean number of spermatozoa bound per ZP and percentage of acrosome-intact spermatozoa were lower (P < 0.05) for frozen-thawed than for fresh spermatozoa. There was no effect of stallion on acrosomal status of frozen-thawed spermatozoa; however, the number of spermatozoa bound per ZP was different between stallions within treatments (P < 0.05). These results indicate that the ability of cryopreserved equine spermatozoa to attach to equine OEC or ZP in vitro is reduced compared to fresh extended spermatozoa due to changes other than a reduction in post-thaw motility or membrane integrity. The decreased ability of frozen-thawed spermatozoa to attach to OEC or to ZP could explain, in part, the reduced fertility of cryopreserved compared to fresh spermatozoa in the horse.
Development and Evaluation of a Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay Using the 16S rRNA Gene for Detection of Eperythrozoon Suis Infection

The 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of Eperythrozoon suis was amplified using gene-specific primers developed from GenBank sequence accession U88565. The gene was subsequently cloned and sequenced. Based on these sequence data, 3 sets of E. suis-specific primers were designed. These primers selectively amplified 1394, 690, and 839 base-pair (bp) fragments of the 16S rRNA gene from DNA of E. suis extracted from the blood of an experimentally infected pig during a parasitemic episode. No polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were amplified from purified DNA of Haemobartonella felis, Mycoplasma genitalium, or Bartonella bacilliformis using 2 of these primer sets. When the primer set amplifying the 690-bp fragment was used, faint bands were observed with H. felis as the target DNA. No PCR products were amplified from DNA that had been extracted from the blood of a noninfected pig or using PCR reagents without target DNA. The detection limits for E. suis by competitive quantitative PCR were estimated to range from 57 and 800 organisms/assay. This is the first report of the utility of PCR-facilitated diagnosis and quantitation of E. suis based on the 16S rRNA gene. The PCR method developed will be useful in monitoring the progression and significance of E. suis in the disease process in the pig.
Opinions Toward Using Volunteers in Ecological Restoration: A Survey of Federal Land Managers

Land managers use a variety of labor sources to implement ecological restoration projects. Reasons why these land managers decide to use or not use volunteer labor are not well known; yet, this decision can significantly shape ensuing social, psychological, and ecological benefits. To better understand how land managers' opinions influence their intentions toward using volunteers, we surveyed ecological restoration project decision makers (n = 176) from three U.S. land management agencies (the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service) in Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming using stratified random cluster sampling. Employing the Theory of Planned Behavior, we measured factors that likely influence intention to use volunteers, including land managers' attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC). We used multiple regression analysis to understand the relationships among constructs, which indicated PBC was the strongest predictor of intention. Based upon intention to use volunteers, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed differences among land managers in terms of (1) their opinions about building community support and accomplishing more work, (2) the influence of supervisors, coworkers, and environmental groups, and (3) their perceived barriers due to a lack of trained volunteers and a lack of tasks safe for volunteers. Our results suggest environmental stewardship organizations and others that want to increase the use of ecological restoration volunteers should find ways to alleviate employees' perceived barriers, encourage supervisors to advocate for using volunteers, and when possible provide tangible information demonstrating how using volunteers can generate community support for a restoration project.
Planning for Avian Influenza

Avian influenza, or influenza A (H5N1), has 3 of the 4 properties necessary to cause a serious pandemic: It can infect people, nearly all people are immunologically naive, and it is highly lethal. The Achilles heel of the virus is the lack of sustained human-human transmission. Fortunately, among the 124 cases reported through 30 May 2006, nearly all were acquired by direct contact with poultry. Unfortunately, the capability for efficient human-human transmission requires only a single mutation by a virus that is notoriously genetically unstable, hence the need for a new vaccine each year for seasonal influenza. Influenza A (H5N1) is being compared to another avian strain, the agent of the "Spanish flu" of 1918-1919, which traversed the world in 3 months and caused an estimated 50 million deaths. The question is, are we ready for this type of pandemic? The answer is probably no. The main problems are the lack of an effective vaccine, very poor surge capacity, a health care system that could not accommodate even a modest pandemic, and erratic regional planning. It's time to get ready, and in the process be ready for bioterrorism, natural disasters, and epidemics of other infectious diseases.
Data-Driven Geospatial-Enabled Transportation Platform for Freeway Performance Analysis

The burgeoning field of big data nowadays has motivated the development of innovative architecture for better exploiting and exploring huge amount of multidisciplinary data. Inspired by the concept of eScience, the on-line transportation platform Digital Roadway Interactive Visualization and Evaluation Network (DRIVE Net) is developed in this study for the purpose of transportation data sharing, integration, visualization, and analysis. The major research goal of the DRIVE Net system can be summarized in threefold. First, it provides the repository service to facilitate data sharing and integration. Second, the system is capable of visualizing large sets of transportation data, helping users to perceive and understand the data. Third, the interactive and computational functionalities built into the DRIVE Net allow users to perform a variety of statistical modeling and analysis on multiple data sources, assisting with users to draw meaningful inferences and to make informed decisions. This research thus developed such an eScience platform addressing the aforementioned challenges for transportation applications. To particularly demonstrate the analytical capability of DRIVE Net, a new approach that automates real-time freeway performance measurement is developed and implemented onto the system. The proposed method provides quantitative evaluation of network-wide freeway performance to facilitate decision making in transportation operations and management.
Critical role of TNF-α in cerebral aneurysm formation and progression to rupture

Alterations in TNF-α expression have been associated with cerebral aneurysms, but a direct role in formation, progression, and rupture has not been established. Cerebral aneurysms were induced through hypertension and a single stereotactic injection of elastase into the basal cistern in mice. To test the role of TNF-α in aneurysm formation, aneurysms were induced in TNF-α knockout mice and mice pretreated with the synthesized TNF-α inhibitor 3,6′dithiothalidomide (DTH). To assess the role of TNF-α in aneurysm progression and rupture, DTH was started 6 days after aneurysm induction. TNF-α expression was assessed through real-time PCR and immunofluorescence staining. TNF-α knockout mice and those pre-treated with DTH had significantly decreased incidence of aneurysm formation and rupture as compared to sham mice. As compared with sham mice, TNF-α protein and mRNA expression was not significantly different in TNF-α knockout mice or those pre-treated with DTH, but was elevated in unruptured and furthermore in ruptured aneurysms. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) occurred between 7 and 21 days following aneurysm induction. To ensure aneurysm formation preceded rupture, additional mice underwent induction and sacrifice after 7 days. Seventy-five percent had aneurysm formation without evidence of SAH. Initiation of DTH treatment 6 days after aneurysm induction did not alter the incidence of aneurysm formation, but resulted in aneurysmal stabilization and a significant decrease in rupture. These data suggest a critical role of TNF-α in the formation and rupture of aneurysms in a model of cerebral aneurysm formation. Inhibitors of TNF-α could be beneficial in preventing aneurysmal progression and rupture.
The Nature and Importance of Treatment Planning

The initial or intake interview (discussed in Chapter 5) and the multiaxial assessment according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (discussed in Chapter 4) are the first two steps in effective counseling. These steps provide counselors with the information they need for step three, the development of a treatment plan.
Quantization Methods for Equal Gain Transmission With Finite Rate Feedback

We consider the design and analysis of quantizers for equal gain transmission (EGT) systems with finite rate feedback-based communication in flat-fading multiple input single output (MISO) systems. EGT is a beamforming technique that maximizes the MISO channel capacity when there is an equal power-per-antenna constraint at the transmitter, and requires the feedback of t-1 phase angles, when there are t antennas at the transmitter. In this paper, we contrast two popular approaches for quantizing the phase angles: vector quantization (VQ) and scalar quantization (SQ). On the VQ side, using the capacity loss with respect to EGT with perfect channel information at transmitter as performance metric, we develop a criterion for designing the beamforming codebook for quantized EGT (Q-EGT). We also propose an iterative algorithm based on the well-known generalized Lloyd algorithm, for computing the beamforming vector codebook. On the analytical side, we study the performance of Q-EGT and derive closed-form expressions for the performance in terms of capacity loss and outage probability in the case of i.i.d. Rayleigh flat-fading channels. On the SQ side, assuming uniform scalar quantization and i.i.d. Rayleigh flat-fading channels, we derive the high-resolution performance of quantized EGT and contrast the performance with that of VQ. We find that although both VQ and SQ achieve the same rate of convergence (to the capacity with perfect feedback) as the number of feedback bits B increases, there exists a fixed gap between the two