cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
N-carbobenzyloxy-D-aspartic acid as a competitive inhibitor of indole-3-acetyl-L-aspartic acid hydrolase of Enterobacter agglomerans

The gene for a specific IAA-asp hydrolase from Enterobacteragglomerans, iaaspH, is a potentially useful tool for modificationofIAA homeostasis in higher plants that use the IAA-asp oxidation pathway forauxin catabolism. In order to optimize the utility of this gene for plantmodification and to increase the success of obtainingiaaspH transformed plants from culture, we haveinvestigated aspects of IAA-asp hydrolase catalysis. The catalyticcharacteristics of the IAA-asp hydrolase from Enterobacteragglomerans was studied using ten compounds that are structuralanalogues of IAA-asp. These compounds were tested as potential IAA-asphydrolasesubstrates as well as for inhibition of IAA-asp hydrolysis. Among them,N-carbobenzyloxy-D-aspartic acid (N-CBZ-D-asp) and N-CBZ-L-asp were found to bethe strongest inhibitors with more than 80% inhibition of IAA-asp hydrolysis.Aspartyl-L-aspartic acid and a asp-ser-asp-pro-arg peptide also showed stronginhibitory activities, reducing rates of IAA-L-asp hydrolysis, when added atequal molar amounts relative to the substrate, by 60% and 65%, respectively.N-CBZ-D-asp was chosen for further kinetic studies and for studies of itstoxicity in relation to seed germination because it was a strong inhibitor,exhibited a very low rate of hydrolysis by the IAA-asp hydrolase and wascommercially available. N-CBZ-D-asp was shown to be a competitive inhibitor forthe Enterobacter agglomerans IAA-asp hydrolase with aK i value of 1.22 mM. Studies oftomato seed germination showed that N-CBZ-D-asp did not affect the rate of seedgermination at up to 1 mM, but the growth rate of seedlings wassignificantly reduced when the concentration in the medium was 0.5mM and higher. These results indicate that, at suitableconcentrations, N-CBZ-D-asp should be a useful tool for control of low levelexpression of the iaaspH in transgenic plants duringcritical stages of plant regeneration from culture.
The Condom Fairy program: A novel mail-order service for condoms and sexual health supplies

Objective: In recent years college health professionals have used a variety of innovative strategies to increase availability and accessibility of condoms and safer sex products. The purpose of thi...
Boltzman Equation Solver Coupled to a Kinetic Global Model Framework

Using computer simulation to describe systems that include spatial variations, many species, and chemical reactions requires a tremendous amount of time and computer resources. Using global models to reduce geometrical complexity enables users to explore the influence of chemical reactions in such systems. The Kinetic Global Model framework (KGMf), a Python-based framework developed at Michigan State University, offers users great flexibility in defining various system parameters, such as power input, included/excluded species, included reactions between species, and an arbitrary defined electron energy distribution function (EEDF). The KGMf was used to simulate the multiphase chemistry of microwave assisted jet flame 1and rare gas metastable laser reaction kinetics 2.
Population-level mortality benefits of improved blood pressure control in Indonesia: a modelling study.

BACKGROUND There are few estimates of the potential gains in adult mortality from population-level improvements in systolic blood pressure (SBP) in a major low-and-middle income country (LMIC). Using nationally representative cohort data from Indonesia-the third most populous LMIC- I estimated the gains in adult life expectancy from improving SBP control among adults ages 40 and above and assessed the benefits among richer and poorer subpopulations. METHODS I used longitudinal data from 10 085 adults ages 40 and above (75 288 person-age observations) enrolled in the 2007 and 2014/15 waves of the Indonesian Family Life Survey. Next, I used Poisson-regression parametric g-formulas to directly estimate age-specific mortality rates under different blood pressure control strategies and constructed period life expectancies using the observed and counterfactual mortality rates. RESULTS Fully controlling SBP to a population mean of under 125 mmHg was associated with a life expectancy gain at age 40 of 5.3 years [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.2, 7.4] for men and 6.0 years (95% CI: 3.6, 8.4) for women. The gains associated with blood pressure control were similar for both rich and poor subpopulations. The life expectancy gains under scenarios with imperfect blood pressure control and coverage were more modest in size and ranged between 1 and 2.5 years for a large fraction of the scenarios. CONCLUSIONS In Indonesia, elevated SBP carries a large mortality burden, though the results suggest that realistic efforts to address hypertension will likely produce more modest gains in life expectancy. Comparing improvements from different strategies and identifying the most cost-effective ways to introduce and scale up hypertension interventions is a critical focus for both research and policy.
"No One Wants to Die Alone": Incarcerated Patients' Knowledge and Attitudes About Early Medical Release.

Abstract Context Deaths among incarcerated individuals have steadily increased in the U.S., exceeding 5000 in 2014. Nearly every state has a policy to allow patients with serious life-limiting illness to apply for release from prison or jail to die in the community (“early medical release”). Although studies show these policies are rarely used, patient-level barriers to their use are unknown. Objectives To assess incarcerated patients' knowledge of early medical release policies and to identify patient-level barriers to accessing these policies. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 46 male patients in two state prisons and one large urban jail who had visited a primary care provider at least three times within three months was conducted. Results Participants' average age was 64 years, and 89% had more than one chronic illness. Fewer than half (43%) demonstrated the knowledge needed to apply for early medical release and 22% demonstrated no relevant knowledge. Participants with sufficient knowledge were significantly more likely to endorse anxiety (35% vs. 0%, P = .003) and loneliness (65% vs. 30%, P = .017). Conclusion Many medically complex incarcerated patients in this study did not demonstrate sufficient knowledge to apply for early medical release suggesting that patient education may help expand access to these policies. Moreover, seriously ill patients with knowledge of early medical release may benefit from enhanced psychosocial support given their disproportionate burdens of anxiety and loneliness. Our findings highlight the pressing need for larger studies to assess whether improved patient education and support can expand access to early medical release.
How to Avoid “Twisting” an Ileocolic or Ileorectal Anastomosis

Ileocolic and ileorectal anastomoses may be completed intracorporeally or extracorporeally. One of the potential complications that can occur is a twisting of the mesentery leading to vascular compromise or obstruction.
Positive emotions during infant feeding and breastfeeding outcomes

Background:Few studies have examined the role of maternal emotions in breastfeeding outcomes.Research aim:We aimed to determine the extent to which positive maternal emotions during human milk feed...
Use of open space box: supporting tele-medicine in space through efficient data transmission

This paper presents a framework for a denormalized data ingestion and egress method which can be used among several types of in-space devices. Open Space Box is a novel model of communication that supports the data processing required to transform this data into products for utilization by the requesting stakeholders. One such set of data is the data that could be generated from a space-based 3D scanner. We provide an overview of 3D scanning technologies and discuss the storage/transmission needs and types of data generated by an optical 3D scanner developed and deployed at the University of North Dakota. Prospective usage patterns are discussed, as might be applicable to its use for regularly assessing astronauts' health and performing scientific experiments. Communication of this sort of data may be critical to the health of astronauts and to scientific mission goals and ongoing operations. Some of this data may be processed even before it is transmitted to the attending healthcare provider or requesting scientist. Given that the data communications to and from a spacecraft or space station happens at a limited rate and the massive amounts of data that could be generated from 3D scanning, the receiver or egress application to prepare data needs to be designed to transmit and receive data via an application with a flexible protocol base.
Skin microbiota: Friend or foe in pediatric skin health and skin disease.

The human integument and gastrointestinal tract host unique microbial ecosystems. Within the last decade, research has focused on understanding the contributions of the microbiota to human health and disease. The majority of skin microbiome studies involve adults. This review focuses on key studies conducted within the pediatric population and provides a framework for future skin microbiome work in this ever-expanding field. This article begins by exploring the skin microbiome at birth and reviews the impact of delivery mode on infant skin colonization. How skin microbial colonization evolves from infancy to adulthood and normal development impacts the abundance of skin commensals such as Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Cutibacterium is also highlighted. Finally, several skin microbiome research studies in common pediatric skin conditions are reviewed, including body odor, atopic dermatitis (AD), and acne. The bacteria involved in metabolizing sweat, the impact on body odor, and how this process evolves from childhood to adulthood is outlined. In AD, different bacteria genera that predominate in children and adults and the impact of current AD therapies on skin microbiota are explored. Finally, in acne, the understanding of how Cutibacterium acnes contributes to acne pathogenesis and how acne therapies impact the skin microbial communities is reviewed.
Evidence that the fossil insect trackway Bifurculapes laqueatus Hitchcock, 1858 was made underwater

Three trackways attributable to the ichnospecies Bifurculapes laqueatus Hitchcock, 1858 found in Lower Jurassic rocks of the Newark Supergroup in northeastern North America are preserved in association with current lineations. Each trackway takes turns so that parts of the trackway parallel the current lineations. This parallelism is interpreted as evidence that the trackmakers were entrained in flowing water and had to change course due to the current. If this interpretation is correct, then morphological differences between B. laqueatus and terrestrial insect trackways could be explained by the trackmaker moving subaqueously. Further, B. laqueatus would constitute only the second insect trackway from this region to be recognized as being made subaqueously. From an ecological standpoint, the aquatic insects that made B. laqueatus were probably near the base of the local food chain, the apex predators of which were piscivorous theropod dinosaurs.
Bayesian-based predictions of COVID-19 evolution in Texas using multispecies mixture-theoretic continuum models.

We consider a mixture-theoretic continuum model of the spread of COVID-19 in Texas. The model consists of multiple coupled partial differential reaction–diffusion equations governing the evolution of susceptible, exposed, infectious, recovered, and deceased fractions of the total population in a given region. We consider the problem of model calibration, validation, and prediction following a Bayesian learning approach implemented in OPAL (the Occam Plausibility Algorithm). Our goal is to incorporate COVID-19 data to calibrate the model in real-time and make meaningful predictions and specify the confidence level in the prediction by quantifying the uncertainty in key quantities of interests. Our results show smaller mortality rates in Texas than what is reported in the literature. We predict 7003 deceased cases by September 1, 2020 in Texas with $$95\%$$ CI 6802–7204. The model is validated for the total deceased cases, however, is found to be invalid for the total infected cases. We discuss possible improvements of the model.
Old and new questions for the public sphere: historicizing its theoretical relevance in post–Cold War South Korea:

In this article, I reflect on the theoretical rise of the public sphere in the 1990s from the vantage point of South Korea, connecting this approach to the broader context of the global post–Cold W...
Abstract WP60: Absence of Hyperdense Middle Cerebral Artery Sign, as Measured on the Hounsfield Scale, Predicts Poor Functional Outcome and May Indicate Atherosclerotic Disease in Patients Undergoing Mechanical Thrombectomy for M1 Occlusion

Introduction: The hyper-dense middle cerebral artery sign (HMCAS) on computed tomography (CT) is associated with ischemic stroke involving the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory. While its pres...
University research funding: Why does industry funding continue to be a small portion of university research, and how can we change the paradigm?:

In the USA, the federal government is still the chief source of external funding for R&D across all industries and academia. Industry funding for universities continues to remain low. There have be...
Lack of Correlation Between Natural Pelvic Tilt Angle with Hip Range of Motion, and Hip Muscle Torque Ratio

Excessive anterior and posterior pelvic tilts (PT) angles are associated with overuse injuries of the lower limbs and of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex. There is a lack of evidence that correlates anterior and posterior PT angles with limited hip internal rotation (IR) and external rotation (ER), and hip muscles torque ratios. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between averaged anterior/posterior PT angle in standing position and hip IR and ER range of motion (ROM), hip adductors and abductors (Add/Abd) torque ratio, and hip flexors and extensors (Flexor/Extensor) torque ratio. Twenty-six healthy participants participated in this study, fifteen females (22.0 ± 2.8 yrs, 163.5 ± 7.5 cm, 65.9 ± 10.4 kg) and eleven males (22.0 ± 2.2 yrs, 178.5 ± 4.5 cm, 78.4 ± 8.7 kg). Hip muscle torques were collected with an isokinetic dynamometer, five trials at 30 degrees per second (deg· s-1) and at 60 deg· s-1. The measurement of PT in standing natural position and hip IR and ER ROM in functional weight-bearing lunge position were recorded, using a 3D Motion Analysis System. There were no significant correlations between PT angle and hip IR and ER (p ≥ 0.05), no significant correlations between PT angle and hip Add/Abd torque ratio (p > 0.05), and no significant correlations between PT angle and hip Flexor/Extensor torque ratio (p > 0.05). The measurement of PT angle in standing natural position was not associated with hip IR and ER ROM and hip Add/Abd and Flexor/Extensor torque ratios, in healthy population.
Burnout Among Healthcare Workers in the COVID 19 Era: A Review of the Existing Literature

In the current period of global public health crisis due to the COVID-19, healthcare workers are more exposed to physical and mental exhaustion - burnout - for the torment of difficult decisions, the pain of losing patients and colleagues, and the risk of infection, for themselves and their families. The very high number of cases and deaths, and the probable future "waves" raise awareness of these challenging working conditions and the need to address burnout by identifying possible solutions. Measures have been suggested to prevent or reduce burnout at individual level (physical activity, balanced diet, good sleep hygiene, family support, meaningful relationships, reflective practices and small group discussions), organizational level (blame-free environments for sharing experiences and advices, broad involvement in management decisions, multi-disciplinary psychosocial support teams, safe areas to withdraw quickly from stressful situations, adequate time planning, social support), and cultural level (involvement of healthcare workers in the development, implementation, testing, and evaluation of measures against burnout). Although some progress has been made in removing the barrier to psychological support to cope with work-related stress, a cultural change is still needed for the stigma associated with mental illness. The key recommendation is to address the challenges that the emergency poses and to aggregate health, well-being and behavioral science expertise through long term researches with rigorous planning and reporting to drive the necessary cultural change and the improvement of public health systems.
Side effects of antilipid medications

Abstract Use of lipid-lowering medications to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular risk and disease is now every common. National advisories provide a general guide to choosing the best lipid-lowering therapy although clinicians need to be aware of the potential adverse effects of these medications in order to personalize care for each patient. This review highlights adverse effects of lipid-lowering medications recently published in clinical literature. These include, case reports, case studies, clinical trials, meta-analyses and case series. This chapter in SEDA43 includes published articles from PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
SpWee1: Wee1 protein kinase (S. pombe)

Wee1 functions to delay the onset of mitosis until cells have grown to a sufficient size. On the basis of sequence comparisons, Wee1 was predicted to be a protein-serine/threonine kinase, but it inhibits mitosis by phosphorylating the SpCdc2 protein kinase on Tyr15. A human homologue (Wee1) and Saccharomycer cerevisiae (Swe1) homologues have been described. The enzyme is most conveniently assayed by transfer of radioactivity from [γ32P]ATP to angiotensin II or Cdc2. Wee1 can be inactivated by phosphorylation carried out by Nim1.
Biosecurity reference : CFR-listed agent and toxin summaries.

This reference document provides summary information on the animal, plant, zoonotic, and human pathogens and toxins regulated and categorized by 9 CFR 331 and 7 CFR 121, 'Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002; Possession, Use and Transfer of Biological Agents and Toxins,' and 42 CFR 73, 'Possession, Use, and Transfer of Select Agents and Toxins.' Summary information includes, at a minimum, a description of the agent and its associated symptoms; often additional information is provided on the diagnosis, treatment, geographic distribution, transmission, control and eradication, and impacts on public health.
Surgery for tethered cord syndrome and other cauda equina lesions

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the anatomy, pathology, and clinical features of tethered cord syndrome (TCS). The techniques used for neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring (NIOM) for surgeries for TCS and caudaequina lesions and their utilities are also discussed. It describes TCS as a disorder that results from the anchoring of the caudal end of the spinal cord to fixed inelastic tissues. This anchoring produces a stretch-induced injury that results in impaired oxidative metabolism in the lower spinal cord. The chapter reviews that whereas TCS is usually present in children, it can occur in adults and usually present with motor, sensory, and sphincter dysfunction involving the lower limbs. Surgery to release the “tethering” of the spinal cord is recommended to prevent further deterioration and possibly reversal of the deficits. It explores that surgery for TCS and other caudaequina lesions involves very careful dissection as often lower lumbar and sacral nerve roots are embedded in the lesion, and can be damaged during the surgery. NIOM is helpful in identifying these neural elements during surgery so that they can be spared.
TheExtraordinary Writs and the Review of Inferior Court Judgments

HE REVIEW of judgments in small cases presents obvious special difficulties. The delay and expense incident to appellate review as of right may be such as to make a small judgment little more than a license to litigate further, and the ridiculous prospect of multiple appeals needs no further description here. In California the "solution" to the problem has always been to cut off the absolute right of review at the level of the superior court.? This solution, while undoubtedly satisfactory in the majority of small cases, has the disadvantage of apparently putting egregious errors and important questions of law beyond the reach of the appellate courts of the state.2 The purpose
Shiga Toxins (Stxs): Multifaceted Pathogenicity Determinants

The Shiga toxins (Stxs) (also known as Vero toxins and formerly called Shiga-like toxins) constitute a family of toxins that features Stx from Shigella dysenteriae type 1 as the prototype. Among bacterial toxins, the Stxs are particularly potent poisons that are estimated to be as toxic per unit of weight as tetanus toxin and second only to botulinum toxin in potency. The major difference among the Stxs is reflected in the division of the Stx family into two groups, Stx/Stx1 and Stx2, based on the capacity of antitoxin to neutralize the cytotoxic activity of each member of the homologous but not the heterologous group. The Stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) bacteria grow within the colon and elaborate Stx1 and/or Stx2. The toxin crosses the intestinal barrier and enters the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, the toxin may bind to polymorphonuclear cells and circulate. The major target organ of the Stxs is the kidney, although sites within the central nervous system may also be affected. The interaction of Stx and bacterial lipopolysaccharide with cells of the immune system and locally within the kidney may lead to increased cytokine and chemokine expression. Some epidemiological evidence suggests that STEC strains that produce Stx2 cause more severe disease than STEC strains that make Stx1 or both Stx1 and Stx2.
Genetic Algorithm for Clustering in Wireless Adhoc Sensor Networks

Sensor networks pose a number of challenging conceptual and optimization problems. A fundamental problem in sensor networks is the clustering of the nodes into groups served by a high powered relay head, then forming a backbone among the relay heads for data transfer to the base station. We address this problem with a genetic algorithm (GA) as a search technique.
Specifications and Proofs for Abstract Data Types in Concurrent Programs

Shared abstract data types, such as queues and buffers, are useful tools for building well-structured concurrent programs. This paper presents a method for specifying shared types in a way that simplifies concurrent program verification. The specifications describe the operations of the shared type in terms of their effect on variables of the process invoking the operation. This makes it possible to verify the processes independently, reducing the complexity of the proof. The key to defining such specifications is the concept of a private variable: a variable which is part of a shared object but belongs to just one process. Shared types can be implemented using an extended form of monitors; proof rules are given for verifying that a monitor correctly implements its specifications. Finally, it is shown how concurrent programs can be verified using the specifications of their shared types. The specification and proof techniques are illustrated with a number of examples involving a shared bounded buffer.
Nanoscale α -structural domains in the phonon-glass thermoelectric material β − Zn 4 Sb 3

A study of the local atomic structure of the promising thermoelectric material beta-Zn4Sb3, using atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of x-ray- and neutron-diffraction data, suggests that the material is nanostructured. The local structure of the beta phase closely resembles that of the low-temperature alpha phase. The alpha structure contains ordered zinc interstitial atoms which are not long range ordered in the beta phase. A rough estimate of the domain size from a visual inspection of the PDF is <~10 nm. It is probable that the nanoscale domains found in this study play an important role in the exceptionally low thermal conductivity of beta-Zn4Sb3.
Attachment and Autonomy During Adolescence

Theoretical Perspectives on Attachment and Autonomy Approaches to Measuring Attachment and Autonomy During Adolescence Normative Development of Attachment and Autonomy Individual Differences in Attachment and Autonomy Processes Directions for Future Research Keywords: adolescence; attachment ; autonomy; parent-adolescent relationships; social development
PKCε phosphorylates α4β2 nicotinic ACh receptors and promotes recovery from desensitization

Background and Purpose Nicotinic (ACh) receptor recovery from desensitization is modulated by PKC, but the PKC isozymes and the phosphorylation sites involved have not been identified. We investigated whether PKCe phosphorylation of α4β2 nAChRs regulates receptor recovery from desensitization.
Electrical estimation of conditional probability for maximum-likelihood based PMD mitigation

Accurate probability density functions in the presence of both all-order PMD and ASE noise are estimated electronically, and used for maximum likelihood sequence estimation and a maximum a posteriori detection to mitigate PMD in the presence of ASE noise.
Creating a school gardens program in the challenging environment of Las Vegas, Nevada.

An important element of the social horticulture program at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension has been the creation of school gardens to enhance educational efforts for children in Las Vegas. Since 2002, a variety of methods has been employed to train teachers and administrators in using gardens, and this has resulted in establishment of successful gardening programs. Southern Nevada has experienced a 400% population increase in 25 years. Results of surveys of area stakeholders between 2000 and 2002, Clark County elementary school staff in 2001, and Clark County school principals in 2004, indicate a desire to incorporate gardens in schools, but concerns about establishing and maintaining them persist. Furthermore, apprehension about trying to garden under challenging climatic conditions characteristic of the Mojave Desert is expressed frequently, as is hesitation about using gardens to enhance the school curriculum in at-risk schools. When offered training in use of gardens, however, a majority of principals surveyed responded positively. They also expressed interest in tracking the educational and social impacts of gardens on students and faculty. This article reports on results of community stakeholder meetings and surveys of Clark County schools, as well as the methods that are being used to create a school gardens program in the most rapidly growing metropolis in the United States.
FEVER IN INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE (SCD)

Forty-four patients with SCD (39 SS and 5 SC disease), aged ≤ 5 yrs (mean 28 ± 17 mths) were hospitalized for 140 febrile episodes (temperature ≥ 38.4°C.) from Jan. 1978 to July 1983. All received continuous oral penicillin prophylaxis (OPP) from time of diagnosis and polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine (PPV) at 2 yrs of age. At least 2 blood cultures were obtained from all patients during hospitalization. All patients (except those with temperature < 38.9°C and vaso-occlusive syndrome-VOS) were treated with IV ampicillin for a minimum of 48-72 hrs. VOS accounted for 52 episodes (37%) (37 abdominal crises; 12 hand-foot syndrome and 3 aseptic necrosis of bones); fever of unknown cause in 18 episodes (13%) and fever with an infectious source in 70 episodes (50%). There were 28 episodes of pneumonia, 16 otitis media, 13 URI, 5 pharyngitis, 4 UTI, 1 osteomyelitis. The 6 episodes of bacteremia were associated with temperature ≥ 39.8°C. The blood-stream isolates were Streptococcus pneumoniea (2), Haemophilus influenzae, type b (1), Group B salmonella sp (1), Klebsiella sp (1), and Staphlococcus aureus (1). The 2 patients with pneumococcal bacteremia (age 16 and 22 mths) were non-compliant with OPP and had not received PPV because of their age. All patients responded to treatment and recovered from the febrile episode. The low incidence of pneumococcal bacteremia (2 cases per 147 patient-years) may be attributable to OPP and/or PPV.
The stereospecificity of the hydrogen transfer from (R)-carnitine to NAD, catalyzed by (R)-carnitine dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract The transfer of hydrogen from the C 3 position of ( R )-carnitine to NAD, catalyzed by ( R )-carnitine dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated. This transfer was shown to be a direct one involving the B-position at C 4 of the pyridine ring of the nucleotide. In confirmation of this finding, the transfer of hydrogen from ( R )-carnitine to [4- 3 H]NAD resulted in NADH with the label confined to the A-position. These experiments show that ( R )-carnitine dehydrogenase should be classified as a B-enzyme.
5-Azacytidine-induced reactivation of a herpes simplex thymidine kinase gene

Mouse cells transformed with herpes simplex virus and containing the viral thymidine kinase (TK) gene in an inactive state were treated with 5-azacytidine. The result was the reexpression of the viral TK gene. Two days of exposure to 5-azacytidine followed by 2 days of expression time was sufficient for maximal induction of the TK+ phenotype. The induction of TK expression by 5-azacytidine was concentration-dependent, with maximal induction at 10 micromoles per liter. 5-Azacytidine also inhibited the decay of TK expression in TK+ transformants removed from selective conditions. Analysis of the methylation patterns of the viral TK gene with restriction endonucleases Hpa II and Msp I showed the active gene to be unmethylated, the inactive gene methylated, and the 5-azacytidine-induced gene unmethylated.
Toward a global orchid taxonomic network

The genesis and early establishment of the Epidendra project are reviewed, retracing the scientific, ethical and political reasons that defined its actual shape and contents. The taxonomic structure of the global orchid network, its systematic framework and nomenclatural implications are discussed. The actual figures of the database are presented, and the lines of its future development are pointed out.
Strategies for the Prevention, Detection, and Correction of Measurement Error in Data Collected from Textual Sources

This article considers the problem of measurement error in data collected from textual sources (for example, newspapers, police records, medical records). The article discusses several levels in th...
Sound and Noise Level Measurements

Due to the demands of the public, recent legislation has been enacted to curb noise emanations from a multitude of sources. This has caused concern in industry in two ways. "First, the various noise levels under which a product is manufactured must be maintained within the law to prevent hearing damage risk to production workers. Second, the noise level generated by the operation of a particular product must be within designated standards. In the latter case, the annoyance of the sound level output is generally more important than the hearing damage risk for consumer products because of their reduced emissions.
Difference-frequency-based tunable absorption spectrometer for detection of atmospheric formaldehyde

High-sensitivity detection of formaldehyde (CH2O) at 3.5315 micrometers (2831.64 cm-1) is reported with a diode-laser-pumped, fiber-coupled, periodically poled LiNbO3 spectroscopic source. This source replaced the Pb-salt diode laser Dewar assembly of an existing tunable diode-laser absorption spectrometer designed for ultrasensitive detection of CH2O. Spectra are recorded with 2f-modulation spectroscopy and zero-air rapid background subtraction. Initial measurements reported here, determined from multiple measurements of a flowing 7.7 parts per billion by volume (ppbv, parts in 10(9)) CH2O in air mixture, indicate replicate precisions as low as 0.24 ppbv.
Amplitude analyses of the reactions π+p → (ϱ0, ω) Δ++ at 7.1 GeV/c

New data are presented, in the form of statistical tensors, for the reactions π+p → (ϱ0, ω)Δ++ at 7.1 GeV/c. Using these data, two types of model-dependent amplitude analyses have been performed. Both analyses, though based on different sets of assumptions, yield results which are in agreement with each other. The structure observed in the magnitudes and phases of the extracted amplitudes is consistent with that expected on the basis of currently accepted phenomenological ideas.
The Influence of Silent Learning Disorders on the Lives of Women

Abstract Longstanding neurocognitive deficits such as learning disorders greatly influence development of a woman's personality, relationships, and educational and vocational attainment. In our clinical practice, we increasingly see women with previously undiagnosed “silent learning disorders.” Educational and career milestones, problems in the workplace, parenting a child with a learning disorder, and normal aging along with common medical conditions can exacerbate these “silent learning disorders.” As a result, neurocognitive deficits might appear more pronounced as former ways of compensating for learning problems no longer are adequate. When such learning disorders are not detected, women and their therapists might not avail themselves of interventions that can help to treat the reading, visual-spatial, organizational, or other neurocognitive deficits, and indirectly help with patterns of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. In the present paper, we characterize women with silent learning disorde...
The sensory-limbic model suggests testable hypotheses about the learned component of the affective dimension of pain

C asey is correct in stating that the thalamic data cannot support or challenge the hypotheses that "limbic structures are conditioned by previous experience of pain with a strong affective dimension" or that "thalamic corticolimbic" activation of these conditioned limbic circuits will reproduce this pain. The hypotheses are supported by connections between the area of the thalamus in which stimulation reproduced pain with a strong affective dimension and the parasylvian area of the cortex and amygdala in which stimulation can evoke sensory experiences along with emotions accompanying the original experience [5,24]. These cortically evoked sensory experiences did not include pain, although the exact structures implicated in nociceptive processing may not have been stimulated. This cortical connectivity is congruent with Mishkin's model of somatosensory memory mediated through connections from the parasylvian cortex to the amygdala and parahippocampal gyrus (reference 20 and Figure 1 of the Focus article). Gloor has reported that stimulation of the amygdala evoked reproduction of sensory experiences, including their emotional tone [5]. The thalamic data are consistent with evidence that the posteroinferior region projects to the parasylvian cortex (see the discussion of anatomic connections in the
Circulation time and body distribution of protein A-coated amino modified polystyrene nanoparticles in mice

Abstract Amino modified polystyrenc nanoparticles of size 240 nm were covalently coated with protein A (cell wall protein of Staphylococcus aureus, Cowan strain) using glutaraldehyde as a spacer. The protein A was then radiolabeled using [14C]formaldehyde and sodium cyanoborohydride by the reductive alkylation method. Blood circulation time and body distribution of 14C-labeled protein A-coated particles were studied in mice. After rapid intravenous injection through the tail vein, the coated particles showed higher blood concentrations for the first 3 min compared with that of the uncoated particles. The increased circulation time of protein A-coated particles appears to be the result of reduced uptake by the liver.
Medium- and long-term reproducibility of self-reported exposure to physical ergonomics factors at work.

Abstract Introduction The literature is sparse on reproducibility of self-reported exposure to physical ergonomics risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Aims of this study were to evaluate, in a cohort of workers interviewed up to three times: 1-year test–retest reliability; and 5- and 6-year recall of physical exposures. We also examined whether reproducibility was influenced by the presence of UE MSD or by technological changes introduced between the last two surveys. Methods A cohort of automobile manufacturing employees was interviewed at baseline, one and six years later about work history, physical and psychosocial exposures at work, upper limb symptoms, injury and medical history, and demographics. Agreement between interviews was evaluated by intraclass correlation and Spearman coefficients. Differences in exposure between 1- and 6-year follow-up were analyzed by Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test. Results Large and significant decreases in work pace and physical effort were observed from baseline, although an upper extremity composite index was quite stable in the total population. One-year test–retest reliability was fair to good for the composite exposure index (ICC=0.58), whole-body vibration, handling parts, and tool use, but poor for the other variables considered. Long-term reproducibility, from baseline or 1-year follow-up to 6-year follow-up, was poor for the composite index and almost all single items. UE MSD case status influenced 1-year test–retest reliability, with subjects who changed case status from baseline displaying higher reliability, but not reproducibility of recalled exposures. A strong regression to the mean effect was observed on exposures reported at follow-up surveys. Conclusions Recalled ergonomics exposures could be employed in retrospective cohort studies as a somewhat reliable and unbiased estimate of the self-reported exposures that would have been obtained up to one year earlier, but not over a longer period (5–6 years). These longer-term results may have been limited by difficulty in matching jobs between interviews; also the regression to the mean effect likely contributed to reduce agreement. Changes in production technology and work organization produced a decrease in physical workload intensity and job pace, but did not have a substantial impact on an exposure index for the upper limb.
The mode of attack of oxygen atoms on the basal plane of graphite

Gold decoration of the basal lattice plane of graphite etched by atomic oxygen has been made possible by first desorbing the surface oxide layer on the basal plane. The formation of monolayer pits, as revealed by gold decoration, shows that anisotropy does exist, i.e., carbon atoms are preferentially attacked by atomic oxygen in the direction of a axes, rather than the direction of c axis. The monolayer pits are initiated from lattice vacancies which are continually formed by atomic oxygen. The monolayer pits created by atomic oxygen are, unlike the pits by O2 which are circular, hexagonal in shape, the sides of which are composed of 〈101l〉 lattice planes.
Enhanced self-determination of adults with intellectual disability as an outcome of moving to community-based work or living environments

In recent years, the self-determination construct has received increased international visibility and utilization in the field of intellectual disability (ID). This has resulted in efforts to promote skills enhancing self-determination, and in efforts to change how adult services are funded to allocate resources to increase consumer control and direction. An important component to consider in both of these efforts is the role of the environment on self-determination. The present study examined the self-determination, autonomy and life choices of individuals with ID before and after they moved from a more restrictive work or living environment. The self-determination of adults with ID was measured for an average 6-months before and after a move from a more restrictive living or working environment to a community-based setting. Paired-sample t-tests indicated that there were significant changes, in each case in a more adaptive direction, in self-determination, autonomous functioning and life choices following a move to a less restrictive environment. The present findings contribute to emerging evidence that the self-determination of individuals with ID is limited by congregate living or work settings which limit opportunities for choice and decision-making. Alternatively, more normalized, community-based environments support and enhance self-determination. Because self-determination has been linked to positive adult outcomes and enhanced quality of life, it is important to consider ways to enable people with ID to live and work in their communities.
Strategies for improving early detection of glaucoma: the combined structure–function index

The early detection of glaucoma is important in order to enable appropriate monitoring and treatment, and to minimize the risk of irreversible visual field loss. Although advances in ocular imaging offer the potential for earlier diagnosis, the best method is likely to involve a combination of information from structural and functional tests. Recent studies have shown it is possible to estimate the number of retinal ganglion cells from optical coherence tomography and standard automated perimetry, and to then pool the results to produce a combined structure-function index (CSFI). The CSFI represents the estimated percentage of retinal ganglion cells lost compared to an age-matched healthy eye. Previous studies have suggested that the CSFI is better able to detect glaucoma than isolated measures of structure and function, and that it performs well even in preperimetric glaucoma. The purpose of this review is to describe new strategies, such as the CSFI, that have the potential to improve the early detection of glaucoma. We also describe how our ability to detect early glaucoma may be further enhanced by incorporating demographic risk factors, clinical examination findings, and imaging and functional test results into intuitive models that provide estimates of disease probability.
THE EXPERIMENTAL INDUCTION OF GLOMERULONEPHRITIS LIKE THAT IN MAN BY INFECTION WITH GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI

106 rabbits received one or more courses of inoculations, spaced 1–4 months apart, with Group A streptococci, usually of strains isolated from patients with acute glomerulonephritis. 8 days to a few weeks after onset of a given infection with streptococci known to have been nephritogenic for man, marked proteinuria, often with hematuria and occasionally with azotemia, was detected in 22 of the animals. 15 of these were sacrificed a few days to a few weeks thereafter, and 10 showed renal changes like those of acute or recurrent acute glomerulonephritis in man. Such changes occurred in three other rabbits whose urine was not examined that died or were sacrificed 1–3 wk after onset of infection with streptococci of a serotype known to include a strain nephritogenic for man. The remaining seven animals in which marked proteinuria had occurred died or were sacrificed many months later, in some cases after additional infections. Two of these had become azotemic and two convulsed and died after giving birth; in these animals, there were renal changes like those that occur in man in chronic latent glomerulonephritis, toxemia of pregnancy super-imposed on chronic latent glomerulonephritis, or chronic active glomerulonephritis. Anatomical changes in the kidneys in the experimentally induced and in naturally occurring glomerulonephritis, from acute to chronic stages, are compared and illustrated. The pathogenesis of poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis is discussed.
A Stochastic Model for the Spatial Structure of Annular Patterns of Variability and the North Atlantic Oscillation

Abstract Meridional dipoles of zonal wind and geopotential height are found extensively in empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis and single-point correlation maps of observations and models. Notable examples are the North Atlantic Oscillation and the so-called annular modes (or the Arctic Oscillation). Minimal stochastic models are developed to explain the origin of such structure. In particular, highly idealized, analytic, purely stochastic models of the barotropic, zonally averaged zonal wind and of the zonally averaged surface pressure are constructed, and it is found that the meridional dipole pattern is a natural consequence of the conservation of zonal momentum and mass by fluid motions. Extension of the one-dimensional zonal wind model to two-dimensional flow illustrates the manner in which a local meridional dipole structure may become zonally elongated in EOF analysis, producing a zonally uniform EOF even when the dynamics is not particularly zonally coherent on hemispheric length scales. ...
Formation and reactivity of yttrium—carbon cluster ions in the gas phase: Y4C +7–9 and Y3C+7,8

The formation of yttrium-carbon cluster ions and their reactivities toward CH 3 Br, H 2 O and NH 3 were examined by using a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer equipped with a Smalley supersonic expansion ion source. A broad range of yttrium-carbon cluster ions can be generated. Unlike other metal-carbon systems, such as titanium-carbon and vanadium-carbon where M 8 C 12 + (termed metallo-carbohedrene) species show 'magic' character in the mass spectra in that their intensities dominate neighboring peaks, Y 8 C 12 + is not observed to be the most abundant Y 8 C x + ion. One peak that stands out as being relatively intense under various conditions is Y 4 C 7 + . The collision-induced dissociation and reactivity of this ion were therefore chosen for study and compared with those of Y 4 C 8,9 + and Y 3 C 7,8 + to see the effect of added yttrium and carbon. The major fragmentation pattern of Y 3 C x + and Y 4 C x + species is via loss of metal. YC 2 + and Y 2 C x + (x = 4, 5) are also produced. Unlike the metal-carbon cluster ions, Nb 4 C 4 + , M 8 C 12 + (M = V, Ti and Nb) and V 14 C 12,13 + studied previously, simple attachment reactions with small neutral molecules such as H 2 O and NH 3 were not observed. Instead, Y 4 C 7 + dehydrogenates H 2 O and NH 3 , while Y 3 C 7,8 + react with H 2 O in a sequential fashion to yield yttrium-oxide cluster ions and neutral acetylene. Y 4 C 7-9 + ions abstract bromine from CH 3 Br. This reaction is believed to result from the odd number of electrons in these cluster ions, in which a single electron can pair with that of Br to form a σ bond. Supporting this are the reactions of the even-electron species Y 3 C 7,8 + with CH 3 Br, where bromine abstraction does not occur
A Study of the Development of Young Artists: The Emergence of on Artistic and Creative Identity

This study explored what children have to say about making art and the sense of self as they begin to make art. Thirty-nine children, ranging in age from 8 to 11 and enrolled in a private after-school art enrichment class, participated in this study of young artists. The study involved individual interviews with all participants, inviting them to describe the focus of their painting projects, experiences in the process of making art, what it means to them to be an artist, and what it means to be creative. Two independent raters summarized the transcribed interviews, revealing age-related qualitative changes in skill development as well as in ‘participants’ conceptions of what it means to be an artist and what it means to be creative. The investigation further revealed that conceptions of what it means to be an artist and to be creative reflected the artistic focus, just as the artistic focus reflected conceptions about being an artist and being creative. The motivation to work hard at developing skills was clearly evident in the young artists' descriptions of their artistic focus, and in their conceptions of just what it means to be an artist.