cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caffeine modulates CREB-dependent gene expression in developing cortical neurons

The Ca(2+)/cAMP response element binding protein CREB mediates transcription of genes essential for the development and function of the central nervous system. Here we investigated the ability of caffeine to stimulate CREB-dependent gene transcription in primary cultures of developing mouse cortical neurons. Using the CREB-dependent reporter gene CRE-luciferase we show that stimulation of CREB activity by caffeine exhibits a bell-shaped dose-response curve. Maximal stimulation occurred at 10mM caffeine, which is known to release Ca(2+) from ryanodine sensitive internal stores. In our immature neuronal cultures, 10mM caffeine was more effective at stimulating CREB activity than depolarization with high extracellular KCl (50mM). Quantitative real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that transcripts derived from endogenous CREB target genes, such as the gene encoding brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF, are increased following caffeine treatment. The dose-response curves of CREB target genes to caffeine exhibited gene-specificity, highlighting the importance of promoter structure in shaping genomic responses to Ca(2+) signaling. In the presence of a weak depolarizing stimulus (10mM KCl), concentrations of caffeine relevant for premature infants undergoing caffeine treatment increased CRE-luciferase activity and Bdnf transcript levels. The ability of caffeine to enhance activity-dependent Bdnf expression may contribute to the neurological benefit observed in infants receiving caffeine treatment.
Estimation of octanol/water partition coefficients for organic pollutants using reverse-phase HPLC

Abstract Octanol/water partition coefficients (Kow's) of organic solutes are estimated with reasonable accuracy (standard deviation ± 0.25 log Kow units) by elution from a C-18 column with 75:25 (v/v) MeOH-H2O, based on results with 37 test compounds. Changes in solute activity coefficients from water to 75% MeOH account for the slope of the log Kow-log k' plot, where k' is the HPLC capacity factor. The method is used to estimate Kow's for 25 additional organic compounds, and some disparities between the results and those calculated using group additivity-constitutive factors are noted.
5D attractors with higher derivatives

We analyze higher derivative corrections to attractor geometries in five di- mensions. We find corrected AdS3 × S 2 geometries by solving the equations of motion coming from a recently constructed four-derivative supergravity action in five dimensions. The result allows us to explicitly verify a previous anomaly based derivation of the AdS3 central charges of this theory. Also, by dimensional reduction we compare our results with those of the 4D higher derivative attractor, and find complete agreement.
Exchange rates and trade balances under the dollar standard

Abstract This paper considers the impacts of discrete exchange rate changes in open economies with net foreign exchange liabilities and assets under the dollar standard. The author finds that the combination of wealth, price, investment, and indirect investment effects (when present) increases the complexity of predicting current account movements following exchange rate changes, which in many cases lead to ambiguous results. Because exchange rate changes can no longer be separated from domestic price-level and absorption effects, except in special cases, they cannot be used predictably, to adjust the trade balance.
Effect of cosolvents on solute separability between liquid phases in liquid–liquid–vapor ternary mixtures

Abstract The liquid–liquid–vapor (llg) partial miscibility behavior of the ternary mixtures carbon dioxide+1-methylnaphthalene+methanol was experimentally studied by use of a visual cell (stoichiometric) technique. Phase compositions and molar volumes of the two liquid phases in equilibrium are reported as functions of temperature and pressure within the llg region. In contrast to an earlier study using acetone as a cosolvent, the cosolvent methanol does not enhance the amount of the solute 1-methylnaphthalene taken up by the second (carbon dioxide-rich) liquid phase. Additional llg isotherms of the mixtures carbon dioxide+1-methylnaphthalene+n-hexane, and carbon dioxide+n-tetradecane+n-hexane were studied in order to elucidate the role that molecular similarity vis-a-vis dipole moment has on solute solubility enhancement in the second liquid phase l2.
Background metric in supergravity theories

In supergravity theories, we investigate the conformal anomaly of the path-integral determinant and the problem-of fermion zero modes in the presence of a nontrivial background metric. Except in SO(3)-invariant supergravity, there are nonvanishing conformal anomalies. As a consequence, amplitudes around the nontrivial background metric contain unpredictable arbitrariness. The fermion zero modes which are explicitly constructed for the Euclidean Schwarzschild metric are interpreted as an indication of the supersymmetric multiplet structure of a black hole. The degree of degeneracy of a black hole is ${2}^{4n}$ in $\mathrm{SO}(n)$ supergravity.
The Perils of Profiling: Civil War Spoilers and the Collapse of Intrastate Peace Accords

In a highly influential article in International Security, Stephen Stedman introduced a model of “civil war spoilers,” which focused valuable attention on the generally underappreciated role of elites in determining the course of negotiations and in implementing intrastate peace accords. For all its virtues, however, the spoiler model did not suggest the best set of strategies for deterring or defeating those who might seek to undermine peace processes. This is because context-specific and actor-specific measures tend to affect diplomatic instruments only at the margin and because, while spoiler type does not change over time, actors' commitment to fulfilling the provisions of peace accords often does; thus these static characteristics cannot be the critical variables the spoiler model suggests they are. Instead, as a detailed reexamination of three of Stedman's case studies (i.e., Angola, Mozambique, and Cambodia) demonstrates, a capabilities-based model offers a more parsimonious and generalizable expla...
Migration, mobility and globaloney: metaphors and rhetoric in the sociology of globalization

Books reviewed in this article: John Urry, Sociology beyond societies: mobilities for the twenty-first century, New York and London: Routledge Nikos Papastergiadis, The turbulence of migration: globalization, deterritorialization and hybridity Stephen Castles and Alastair Davidson, Citizenship and migration: globalization and the politics of belonging
Is hydrops fetalis a manifestation of fetal pulmonary edema caused by impaired lymphatic drainage

Hydrops fetalis is the final common hemodynamic pathway for a variety of fetal cardiovascular pathologies, including high-output states associated with fetal anemia or arteriovenous fistulas, and abnormalities of both cardiac structure and rhythm. Hydrops fetalis secondary to cardiovascular decompensation is usually accompanied by increases in fetal systemic venous pressure as evidenced by alterations in venous Doppler blood flow velocities. We present two cases of severe fetal aortic stenosis with left ventricular fibroelastosis and mitral regurgitation, and in-utero closure or stenosis of the foramen ovale, with severe hydrops fetalis, despite normal systemic venous Doppler flow profiles. These cases have led us to reconsider the presumed etiology of cardiovascular-based hydrops fetalis in fetuses with severely impaired left ventricular pump function and secondary mitral regurgitation. We hypothesize that raised pulmonary venous pressure, with only mildly increased central venous pressure, may impact negatively on pulmonary lymphatic flow, decrease serum oncotic pressure, increase venous hydrostatic pressure, and lead to hydrops fetalis.
Derived length and conjugacy class sizes

Abstract Let G be a finite solvable group, and let F ( G ) be its Fitting subgroup. We prove that there is a universal bound for the derived length of G / F ( G ) in terms of the number of distinct conjugacy class sizes of G. This result is asymptotically best possible. It is based on the following result on orbit sizes in finite linear group actions: If G is a finite solvable group and V a finite faithful irreducible G-module of characteristic r, then there is a universal logarithmic bound for the derived length of G in terms of the number of distinct r ′ -parts of the orbit sizes of G on V. This is a refinement of the author's previous work on orbit sizes.
DNA Mismatch Repair: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

In this issue, Pena-Diaz et al. (2012) describe a pathway for somatic mutation in nonlymphoid cells termed noncanonical DNA mismatch repair, whereby the error-prone translesion polymerase Pol-η substitutes for high-fidelity replicative polymerases to resynthesize excised regions opposite DNA damage.
1.3 V supply voltage 38 GHz static frequency divider

An ultra-low supply voltage and low power dissipation fully static frequency InP SHBT divider operating at up to 38 GHz is reported. The fully differential parallel current switched configuration of D-latch maintains the speed advantages of CML circuits while allowing full functionality at a very low supply voltage. The frequency divider operates at up to 38 GHz at a single-ended input power of 0 dBm. The power dissipation of the toggled D-flip–flop is 8 mW at a power supply voltage of 1.3 V. The authors believe this is the lowest supply voltage for static frequency dividers around this frequency in any technology. This low power configuration is suitable for any digital integrated circuit.
Text to multi-level MindMaps

MindMapping (Tony Buzan and Harrison, 2010) is a well-known technique for note-taking, which encourages learning and studying. MindMapping has been manually adopted to help present knowledge and concepts in a visual form. Unfortunately, there is no reliable automated approach to generate MindMaps from Natural Language text. This work firstly introduces the MindMap Multi-level Visualization concept that jointly visualize and summarize textual information. The visualization is achieved pictorially across multiple levels using semantic information (i.e. ontology), while the summarization is achieved by the information in the highest levels as they represent abstract information in the text. This work also presents the first automated approach that takes a text input and generates a MindMap visualization out of it. The approach could visualize text documents in multi-level MindMaps, in which a high-level MindMap node could be expanded into child MindMaps. The proposed method involves understanding of the input text and converting it into intermediate Detailed Meaning Representation (DMR). The DMR is then visualized with two modes; Single level or Multiple levels, which is convenient for larger text. The generated MindMaps from both approaches were evaluated based on human subject experiments performed on Amazon Mechanical Turk with various parameter settings.
Continuous Supersonic Beams for an Electron Electric Dipole Moment Search

A continuous tungsten carbide (WC) molecular beam is being developed to probe for the existence of a possible permanent electric dipole moment (EDM) of the electron. The flux and divergence of the beam are characterized.
Formation and Entrapment of Noble Metal Clusters in Silica Aerogel Monoliths by γ-Radiolysis

Noble metal clusters (Ag, Au) were formed in a silica aerogel matrix by γ-irradiation of hydrogel precursors loaded with aqueous solutions containing Ag+ or [AuCl4]- ions. Hydrogels exposed to γ-rays assumed the color expected for colloidal suspensions of Ag (respectively Au) clusters. The hydrogels were subsequently washed and supercritically dried, without any evident change in color, indicating that the metal clusters were not removed during drying. Typical γ-ray doses were between 2 and 3.5 kGy, and achieved complete reduction of hydrogels containing ion concentrations in the 10-4−10-3 M range. Reduction of solutions with higher metal ion concentrations was achieved by multiple irradiations. In the case of Ag+ reduction, we noticed that the radiolytic yield G was higher than that of the reducing radicals equal to G = 6 × 10-7 mol/L of reducing species per joule of absorbed energy. For example, a total dose of 3.5 kGy has led to a reduction of 5.7 × 10-2 M in a hydrogel with [Ag+] = 0.1 M. The high rad...
Mental Health and Number of Illnesses Are Predictors of Nutritional Risk in Elderly Persons

Data from a sample of elders (N = 240) in their 60s, 80s, and 100s indicated that nutritional risk was positively correlated with age (p < .05), ethnicity (p < .05), number of illnesses (p < .001), and poor mental health (p < .001). Regression analysis suggested that number of illnesses (p = .0001) and mental health (p = .0005) were the most significant predictors of nutritional risk and that these two variables explained 28.8% of the variance for the total sample. Somatic factors of mental health were significantly related to nutritional risk (p = .0001). Regression analyses for these age cohorts indicated that mental health was a highly significant predictor of nutritional risk for 80- to 89-year-olds (p = .004), particularly somatic aspects of mental health (p = .03). Although somatic factors were highly significant among centenarians (p = .005), overall mental health was not a predictor of nutritional risk in centenarians (p = .08). Number of illnesses was the primary predictor of nutritional risk among sexagenarians and octogenarians.
Sleeve lobectomy or pneumonectomy: optimal management strategy using decision analysis techniques.

Abstract Background The choice between sleeve lobectomy and pneumonectomy is controversial for patients with early-stage lung cancer and who have acceptable lung function. Methods We performed a meta-analysis of results of sleeve lobectomy and pneumonectomy published in English from 1990 to 2003. A decision model was developed with 5-year survival, quality-adjusted life years (QALY), and cost effectiveness as the outcomes, and sensitivity analyses were performed. Results The model favored sleeve lobectomy (3.5 percentage point survival advantage) when the reward was 5-year survival; the results were influenced primarily by the 5-year survival rates for patients who did not develop recurrent cancer. Sleeve lobectomy was strongly favored when the reward was QALY (1.53 QALY advantage). Sleeve lobectomy was more cost effective than pneumonectomy, and had an incremental cost effectiveness ratio of $1,300/QALY. Conclusions In patients with anatomically appropriate early-stage lung cancer, sleeve lobectomy offers better long-term survival and quality of life than does pneumonectomy and is more cost effective.
On the origins of sexual dimorphism in butterflies

The processes governing the evolution of sexual dimorphism provided a foundation for sexual selection theory. Two alternative processes, originally proposed by Darwin and Wallace, differ primarily in the timing of events creating the dimorphism. In the process advocated by Darwin, a novel ornament arises in a single sex, with no temporal separation in the origin and sex-limitation of the novel trait. By contrast, Wallace proposed a process where novel ornaments appear simultaneously in both sexes, but are then converted into sex-limited expression by natural selection acting against showy coloration in one sex. Here, we investigate these alternative modes of sexual dimorphism evolution in a phylogenetic framework and demonstrate that both processes contribute to dimorphic wing patterns in the butterfly genera Bicyclus and Junonia. In some lineages, eyespots and bands arise in a single sex, whereas in other lineages they appear in both sexes but are then lost in one of the sexes. In addition, lineages displaying sexual dimorphism were more likely to become sexually monomorphic than they were to remain dimorphic. This derived monomorphism was either owing to a loss of the ornament (‘drab monomorphism’) or owing to a gain of the same ornament by the opposite sex (‘mutual ornamentation’). Our results demonstrate the necessity of a plurality in theories explaining the evolution of sexual dimorphism within and across taxa. The origins and evolutionary fate of sexual dimorphism are probably influenced by underlying genetic architecture responsible for sex-limited expression and the degree of intralocus sexual conflict. Future comparative and developmental work on sexual dimorphism within and among taxa will provide a better understanding of the biases and constraints governing the evolution of animal sexual dimorphism.
Many ways to be small: different environmental regulators of size generate distinct scaling relationships in Drosophila melanogaster

Static allometries, the scaling relationship between body and trait size, describe the shape of animals in a population or species, and are generated in response to variation in genetic or environmental regulators of size. In principle, allometries may vary with the different size regulators that generate them, which can be problematic since allometric differences are also used to infer patterns of selection on morphology. We test this hypothesis by examining the patterns of scaling in Drosophila melanogaster subjected to variation in three environmental regulators of size: nutrition, temperature and rearing density. Our data indicate that different environmental regulators of size do indeed generate different patterns of scaling. Consequently, flies that are ostensibly the same size may have very different body proportions. These data indicate that trait size is not simply a read-out of body size, but that different environmental factors may regulate body and trait size, and the relationship between the two, through different developmental mechanisms. It may therefore be difficult to infer selective pressures that shape scaling relationships in a wild population without first elucidating the environmental and genetic factors that generate size variation among members of the population.
Studies of Quench Propagation in a Superconducting Window Frame Magnet

During the testing of a meter long, superconducting window frame magnet, information from many spontaneously generated quenches have been recorded by an on-line computer system. Nearly every layer in an eleven layer dipole had a voltage tap and for some layers this subdivided into two halves. This allowed us to study development of the quenches in some detail. Knowledge of the resistances throughout the magnet also allowed the temperature distributions in the superconducting windings to be determined. A qualitative picture of the quench was developed and quantitative values of quench propagaton velocities were compared to heat transfer calculations.
Falls in an Inpatient Geriatric Psychiatric Population

BACKGROUND:Falls are a major health care concern for older adults in hospital settings. The incidence of falls on psychiatric units tends to be higher than that on general acute care hospital units, with estimated rates of 13.1 to 25 per 1,000 inpatient days compared to 3 to 5 per 1,000 inpatient days, respectively.OBJECTIVE:The purposes of this study were to quantify the number and types of falls and identify the associated risk factors relevant to a psychiatric inpatient setting.DESIGN:This was a descriptive study. Data were collected over a 6-month time period. Patients on a 28-bed acute care geriatric psychiatric unit provided the sampling frame.RESULTS:Twenty-eight patients fell during the study period for a total 45 falls. Six patients experienced multiple falls during their stay. Most of the falls that occurred did not result in serious injury. Individuals who experienced a fall were about 3 years older than nonfallers (73.6 years versus 76.36 years). There was no difference by gender as to rate of...
Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Synthesis During the Exponential, Transitional, and Stationary Growth Phases

Small inocula (1 to 10 colony-forming units per ml of broth) of Staphylococcus aureus strains S-6, S-6R, and FRI-100 were employed to study growth and enterotoxin synthesis in 4% protein hydrolysate powder broths. For each strain, the exponential growth phase ended once the population approached 10(9) to 2 x 10(9) colony-forming units per ml. By that time, the concentrations of enterotoxins A and B reached the minimal level (1 to 2 mug/ml) at which the single gel diffusion tube method becomes applicable. By microslides and reverse passive hemagglutination, enterotoxins A and B were found to be synthesized during the exponential growth phase, but at different exponential rates.
Political Persecution or Economic Deprivation? A Time-Series Analysis of Haitian Exodus, 1990—2004:

This study addresses the factors that lead individuals to flee their homes in search of refuge. Many argue that individuals abandon their homes in favor of an uncertain life elsewhere because of economic hardship, while others argue that threats to their lives, physical person, and liberty cause them to flee. This study engages the debate by analyzing flight patterns over time from Haiti to the United States as a function of economic and security factors. Which factors have the largest influence on Haitian-U.S. migratory patterns? Our results show that both economics and security play a role. However, our analyses are able to distinguish between the effects of different individual economic and security indicators on Haitian-U.S. migration.
Does the continuum of care reduce inpatient length of stay

Abstract Recent years have seen radical changes in the provision of mental health services to children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances. Driving these changes has been the ‘Continuum of Care’ philosophy, a key goal of which is to reduce the use of inpatient care. Using data from the Fort Bragg demonstration, this paper examines the impact of the continuum of care on a key feature of inpatient service use, length of stay. These analyses are based on hazard modeling of differences in length of stay between demonstration and comparison sites. Our results suggest that the relationship between site and length of stay is complex. We find that the tendency of children at the demonstration to be readmitted repeatedly artificially lowers average length of stay. We also find that the impact of the demonstration on the hazard of discharge varies as inpatient stay lengthens. For the first 30 days of an admission, individuals at the demonstration are substantially more likely to be discharged. After 30 days, however, individuals still in patient facilities at the demonstration were less likely to be discharged than were comparable children at the comparison. We also identify significant between-site differences in the determinants of length of stay. On the whole, however, individual characteristics do not appear to predict length of stay better at the demonstration.
Live-cell imaging of actin dynamics reveals mechanisms of stereocilia length regulation in the inner ear

Precise control of stereocilia length by auditory hair cells is vital for normal hearing. Drummond et al. follow in real-time the incorporation of actin into these structures and show that while the actin core is remarkably stable, and actin polymerization is limited to their distal tips.
Inter-Leaflet Coupling and Domain Formation in Asymmetric Giant Unilamellar Vesicles

Cellular membranes exhibit an asymmetric distribution of lipids across the two leaflets of the bilayer. While the sphingolipid-rich outer (exoplasmic) leaflet has a lipid composition prone to lateral segregation and domain formation, the situation in the sphingolipid-poor inner (cytosolic) leaflet is unclear. The interaction between the two leaflets (i.e. the inter-leaflet coupling), although involved in several biological processes, is not well understood. We recently developed a highly reproducible solvent-free method for preparing asymmetric giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV). The method is fast, has a high yield, can be used with a wide variety of lipids and is compatible with the reconstitution of transmembrane proteins.The asymmetry of the GUVs was investigated using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) in order to probe dynamics of lipids in the two leaflets. We have shown that introduction of sphingomyelin exclusively into the outer leaflet of GUVs composed of an unsaturated phosphatidylcholine (PC) results in a much larger decrease in outer leaflet lateral diffusion compared to the effect on the inner leaflet. Furthermore, by systematically comparing different PCs, we found that the degree to which the inner leaflet dynamics is coupled to that in the outer leaflet depends on the length and saturation of the acyl chains and, possibly, the interaction between the lipids’ terminal methyl groups at the bilayer mid-plane. In more detail, preliminary studies indicate that the degree of coupling increases both when: i) the PC has one saturated acyl chain (independently from its Tm) or ii) the SM is asymmetric and interdigitates into the opposing leaflet. These findings suggest how cells might modulate the inter-leaflet coupling - and thus the flow of information through the membrane - by simply varying its lipid composition.
Simulation Modeling and Theoretical Analysis in Sociology

The use of computer simulation experiments as a tool for working with theories is not as widespread in sociology as it is in most scientific disciplines. This brief article explains how modeling is...
Concentration-Dependent Selection of Small Phenotypic Differences in TEM β-Lactamase-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance

In this paper, the first robust experimental evidence of in vitro and in vivo concentration-dependent selection of low-level antibiotic-resistant genetic variants is described. The work is based on the study of an asymmetric competition assay with pairs of isogenic Escherichia coli strains, differing only (apart from a neutral chromosomal marker) in a single amino acid replacement in a plasmid-mediated TEM-1 beta-lactamase enzyme, which results in the new TEM-12 beta-lactamase. The mixture was challenged by different antibiotic concentrations, both in vitro and in the animal model, and the selective process of the variant population was carefully monitored. A mathematical model was constructed to test the hypothesis that measured growth and killing rates of the individual TEM variants at different antibiotic concentrations could be used to predict quantitatively the strength of selection for TEM-12 observed in competition experiments at these different concentrations.
Resonance in nonlinear bubble oscillations

In two recent papers (Longuet-Higgins 1989a,b) the author showed that the shape oscillations of bubbles can emit sound like a monopole source, at second order in the distortion parameter e. In the second paper (LH2) it was predicted that the emission would be amplified when the second harmonic frequency 2σn of the shape oscillation approaches the frequency ω of the breathing mode. This ‘resonance’ would however be drastically limited by damping due to acoustic radiation and thermal diffusion. The predictions were confirmed by further numerical calculations in Longuet-Higgins (1990a).Ffowcs Williams & Guo (1991) have questioned the conclusions of LH2 on the grounds that near resonance there is a slow (secular) transfer of energy between the shape oscillation and the volumetric mode which tends to diminish the amplitude of the shape oscillation and hence falsify the perturbation analysis. They have also argued that the volumetric mode never grows sufficiently to produce sound of the stated order of magnitude. In the present paper we show that these assertions are unfounded. Ffowcs Williams & Guo considered only undamped oscillations. Here we show that when the appropriate damping is included in their analysis the secular transfer of energy becomes completely insignificant. The resulting pressure pulse (figure 5 below) is found to be essentially identical to that calculated in LH2, figure 3. Moreover, in the initial-value problem considered in LH2, the excitation of the volumetric mode takes place not by a secular energy transfer but by a resonance during the first few cycles of the shape oscillation. This accounts for the amplification near resonance found in Longuet-Higgins (1990a). Finally, it is pointed out that the initial energy of the shape oscillations is far greater than is required to produce the O(e2) volume pulsations that were studied in LH2, and which were used for a comparison with field data. This acoustic radiation was not calculated by Ffowcs Williams & Guo.
Development and Effects of a Writing and Thinking Course in Psychology

The authors developed and assessed a new undergraduate psychology course: Thinking and Writing in Psychology. A description of how the course was developed using the APA learning goals as well as r...
Among-site rate variation and its impact on phylogenetic analyses

Although several decades of study have revealed the ubiquity of variation of evolutionary rates among sites, reliable methods for studying rate variation were not developed until very recently. Early methods fit theoretical distributions to the numbers of changes at sites inferred by parsimony and substantially underestimate the rate variation. Recent analyses show that failure to account for rate variation can have drastic effects, leading to biased dating of speciation events, biased estimation of the transition:transversion rate ratio, and incorrect reconstruction of phylogenies.
Immunodominant major outer membrane proteins of Ehrlichia chaffeensis are encoded by a polymorphic multigene family

Several immunodominant major proteins ranging from 23 to 30 kDa were identified in the outer membrane fractions of Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia canis. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of a 28-kDa protein of E. chaffeensis (one of the major proteins) was determined. The gene (p28), almost full length, encoding the 28-kDa protein was cloned by PCR with primers designed based on the N-terminal sequence of the E. chaffeensis 28-kDa protein and the consensus sequence between the C termini of the Cowdria ruminantium MAP-1 and Anaplasma marginale MSP-4 proteins. The p28 gene was overexpressed, and antibody to the recombinant protein was raised in a rabbit. The antibody and serum from a patient infected with E. chaffeensis reacted with the recombinant protein, three proteins (29, 28, and 25 kDa) of E. chaffeensis, and a 30-kDa protein of E. canis. Immunoelectron microscopy with the rabbit antibody revealed that the antigenic epitope of the 28-kDa protein was exposed on the surface of E. chaffeensis. Southern blot analysis with a 32P-labeled p28 gene probe revealed multiple copies of genes homologous to p28 in the E. chaffeensis genome. Six copies of the p28 gene were cloned and sequenced from the genomic DNA by using the same probe. The open reading frames of these gene copies were tandemly arranged with intergenic spaces. They were nonidentical genes and contained a semivariable region and three hypervariable regions in the predicted protein molecules. One of the gene copies encoded a protein with an internal amino acid sequence identical to the chemically determined N-terminal amino acid sequence of a 23-kDa protein of E. chaffeensis. Immunization with the recombinant P28 protein protected mice from infection with E. chaffeensis. These findings suggest that the 30-kDa-range proteins of E. chaffeensis represent a family of antigenically related homologous proteins encoded by a single gene family.
A method for collecting right coronary venous blood samples from conscious dogs

This report describes for the first time a technique to collect right coronary venous blood samples from conscious dogs. Catheters, prepared from Micro-Renathane tubing, were surgically implanted i...
Confirmation of Differential Expression of Cloned cDNA Fragments

Northern blotting analysis is the standard procedure used to confirm that a cDNA band isolated from a differential display gel is a true positive and represents a gene differentially expressed in the system under study. Slot blot analysis may also be used for preliminary screening of a large number of putative positive cDNAs, but results need to be reconfirmed on Northern blot.
Design and laser damage properties of a dichroic beam combiner coating for 22.5° incidence and S polarization with high-transmission at 527nm and high-reflection at 1054nm

We have designed a dichroic beam combiner coating consisting of 11 HfO2/SiO2 layer pairs deposited on a large fused silica substrate. The coating provides high transmission (HT) at 527 nm and high reflection (HR) at 1054 nm for light at 22.5° angle of incidence (AOI) in air in S polarization (Spol). The coating's design is based on layers of near half-wave optical thickness in the design space for stable HT at 527 nm, with layer modifications that provide HR at 1054 nm while preserving HT at 527 nm. Its implementation in the 527 nm/1054 nm dual wavelength beam combiner arrangement has two options, with each option requiring one or the other of the high intensity beams to be incident on the dichroic coating from within the substrate (from glass). We show that there are differences between the two options with respect to the laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) properties of the coating, and analyze the differences in terms of the 527 nm and 1054 nm E-field intensity behaviors for air → coating and glass → coating incidence. Our E-field analysis indicates that LIDTs for air → coating incidence should be higher than for glass → coating incidence. LIDT measurements for Spol at the use AOI with ns pulses at 532 nm and 1064 nm confirm this analysis with the LIDTs for glass → coating incidence being about half those for air → coating incidence at both wavelengths. These LIDT results and the E-field analysis clearly indicate that the best beam combiner option is the one for which the high intensity 527 nm beam is incident on the coating from air and the 1054 nm high intensity beam is incident on the coating from glass.
BMP4 promotes chondrocyte proliferation and hypertrophy in the endochondral cranial base

Defects in the growth and development of the endochondral bones that comprise the cranial base contribute to several craniofacial dysmorphic syndromes. Since Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling regulates chondrocyte differentiation and endochondral ossification in developing long bones, we have tested the hypothesis that BMP signaling also participates in regulating development of the cranial base. During in vivo developmental progression of the cranial base in mice, a burst of skeletal growth and chondrocyte maturation was identified in the perinatal period. Using a novel serum-free organ culture system, cranial base structures were cultured as explants in the presence of BMP4 or noggin, and analyzed for morphological and molecular changes. Growth of perinatal cranial base explants was inhibited by treatment with noggin, a BMP inhibitor. Exogenous BMP4 promoted cartilage growth, matrix deposition and chondrocyte proliferation in a dose dependent manner. Correspondingly, expression level of the cartilage markers Sox9 and collagen type II were also increased. Alkaline phosphatase and collagen type X expression were up-regulated and expressed in ectopic hypertrophic chondrocytes after treatment of the cultures with 100 ng/ml BMP4 for seven days. This increase in chondrocyte hypertrophy was accompanied by increased indian hedgehog (Ihh) and parathyroid hormone/parathyroid hormone related peptide (PTH/PTHrP) receptor (PPR) expression, but not increased PTHrP expression. We conclude that endogenous BMPs are required to maintain cartilage growth, and exogenous BMP4 can enhance cartilage maturation and induce ectopic chondrocyte hypertrophy in the cranial base. Therefore, appropriate levels of BMP signaling are important for normal cranial base development.
Let's Get Free: Social Work and the Movement for Black Lives

Throughout its history, social work has shaped and been shaped by social movements. What might #BlackLivesMatter mean for 21st century social work and what might social work mean for the Movement? This paper describes the Movement and applies insights from Young's 1965 essay “Civil Rights and a Militant Profession” to identify a set of questions for social workers to explore. These include questions about making alliances and contributing competencies, overcoming apathy, misconceptions and exploitation, and fulfilling the obligations of clinical practice for social justice.
Predicting delinquent behaviors for Korean youth using the parent–child relationship and career goal tension

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to establish underlying dimensions for variables related to the parent–child relationship and career goal tension in order to create predictor variables. Another goal was to use these subscales to predict delinquent behaviors. Thus, the study assessed the potential differential impact these variables had on delinquent behavior after controlling for gender. The analyses were based on data from the 1st wave of the Korea Youth Panel Survey, and a final sample of 3,241 youth was utilized. The analysis revealed that there were 5 factor predictors according to the items in each factor: parental attachment, parental stress, parental monitoring, career recommendation, and career discrepancy. Parent–child relationship and career goal tension factors were partially associated with delinquent behaviors for Korean youth. Moreover, those relationships were partially moderated by gender.
The Failure of Cooperative Farming Development Policies in Tōhoku, Japan

Abstract: In the context of agricultural globalization, many national governments have instituted policies, such as cooperative farming, to help farmers improve their profitability, competitiveness, and the sustainability of their agricultural practices. This study focused on the Multi-Product Management Stabilization Plan developed in Japan in 2006, which aimed to adapt the agricultural practices in the country to globalization by focusing on cooperative farming, and assessed its effectiveness for developing and incorporating cooperative farming in the Tōhoku region in the 2000s. The results suggest that regional and prefectural agents experienced significant difficulties when attempting to develop cooperative farming. Although New Institutional Economics' theories suggest that these policies reflect the norms for developing agriculture more profitably and competitively, Japanese farmers did not regard the policies as relevant, practical, or sustainable, and they obstructed them.
Seasonal Migration and Overwintering of the Chinch Bug (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) in Louisiana

The seasonal migration of the chinch bug, Blissus leucopterus leucopterus (Say), was studied in Louisiana from 1985 to 1987. Temporal migration studies indicate that chinch bugs emerge from overwintering sites in April and that large emergences are apparently influenced by ambient temperatures. Corn and wheat can be infested simultaneously by the overwintered chinch bugs. Sampling for overwintering chinch bugs in the grass Andropogon virginicus L. indicated large populations in November and December. Population levels in A. virginicus decreased from January through spring emergence in March and April.
The impact of ventricular morphology on wall stress and ventricular strain in Fontan patients

Background Adverse outcomes are increasingly common in patients after the Fontan operation as they approach adulthood. Right ventricular (RV) morphology, ventricular dilation, and diminished ventricular strain have all been independently associated with death or heart transplant. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of ventricular morphology on ventricular stress/strain relationship in patients late after the Fontan operation using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR).
USING SELF-SIMILARITY TO FIND LENGTH, AREA, AND DIMENSION

Solving gives that x = 4 1. To motivate my students when teaching geometric series, I try to study models of situations in which a geometric series arises naturally. One example that I started using was to generate spirals and then find their lengths and areas. One advantage to these problems is that the algebraic observation described above becomes graphically obvious. Another advantage is the derivation of series involving roots and trigonometric functions. Another example in which series arise is the computation of the area of fractals. This article will study the interplay between these examples of series and the little algebraic trick seen above, as well as show how this algebraic use of self-similarity can motivate the concept of fractal
Preorganized Hydrogen Bond Donor Catalysts: Acidities and Reactivities.

Measured DMSO pKa values for a series of rigid tricyclic adamantane-like triols containing 0–3 trifluoromethyl groups (i.e., 3(0)–3(3)) are reported. The three compounds with CF3 substituents are similar or more acidic than acetic acid (pKa = 13.5 (3(1)), 9.5 (3(2)), 7.3 (3(3)) vs 12.6 (HOAc)), and the resulting hydrogen bond network enables a remote γ-trifluoromethyl group to enhance the acidity as well as one located at the α-position. Catalytic abilities of 3(0)–3(3) were also examined. In a nonpolar environment a rate enhancement of up to 100-fold over flexible acyclic analogs was observed presumably due to an entropic advantage of the locked-in structure. Gas-phase acidities are found to correlate with the catalytic activity better than DMSO pKa values and appear to be a better measure of acidities in low dielectric constant media. These trends are reduced or reversed in polar solvents highlighting the importance of the reaction environment.
Practitioner's guide to industrial back problems.

The back is an expensive health care problem because it is the most expensive industrial injury and the most common cause of disability of people younger than 45 years of age. New information and perspectives offer the practitioner better means of limiting disability from back pain through effective treatment and management of the contributing physical and nonphysical factors. The practitioner’s guide is aimed at symptom control, patient understanding, and muscular compensation. It also intends to provide some simple, time-effective guidelines to help the patient with the associated return-to-work predicament.
Overview and Practical Aspects of Therapeutic Apheresis

Publisher Summary Therapeutic apheresis is the separation and selective removal of a component (plasma, platelets, red blood cells [RBCs], or white blood cells [WBCs]) of a patient's blood that contains a specific or suspected pathogenic agent—that is, antibodies, immune complexes, abnormal RBCs, malignant WBCs, platelets, and protein-bound drug or toxin. When cells are selectively removed, the procedure is termed “therapeutic cytapheresis” or more specifically “leukocytapheresis,” “thrombocytapheresis,” or “erythrocytapheresis.” When plasma is removed and then replaced by either albumin or fresh frozen plasma (FFP), the procedure is called plasmapheresis or therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). In most cases, therapeutic apheresis is primarily utilized as an adjunctive or secondary therapy. Only for a few conditions, such as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), TPE is considered the first-line treatment. Apheresis services should adhere to regulations outlined in the AABB Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services and the Code of Federal Regulations. Apheresis should only be performed in facilities that provide trained personnels, equipments, and medications that are necessary to manage serious reactions or problems. Therapeutic apheresis requires experienced medical knowledge and judgment. Both the primary physician and the apheresis physician should evaluate the patient for treatment. The apheresis physician should make the final determination regarding appropriateness of apheresis and suitability of the patient.
The Influence of the Conduct System and Campus Environments on Student Learning

Researchers have demonstrated the influence of the perceived efficacy of a conduct system on student learning (King, 2012; Stimpson & Janosik, 2015). Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to test the relationship between perceived level of conduct system efficacy, institutional culture, and self-reported student learning. More than 59% of the variance in student learning was accounted for by these environmental composites.
Abstract 3667: Synthesis and biological evaluation of vitamin D3 analogues as selective Hedgehog pathway inhibitors

Constitutive signaling of the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway has been linked to the development of a variety of cancers, specifically basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and medulloblastoma (MB). In recent years, vitamin D3 (VD3) was identified as an inhibitor of the Hh pathway. However, studies indicated that it is non-selective and activates canonical vitamin D signaling through the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR). One of the focuses of our lab is the development of VD3 analogues that will result in increased potency and selectivity for the Hh pathway. Previous studies indicated that the northern region of VD3 maintained approximately 95% of the inhibitory activity associated with intact VD3 with minimal activation of canonical vitamin D signaling. In initial SAR studies of the A-ring motif, the incorporation of a phenolic A-ring motif with an ester linkage to Grundmann9s alcohol proved to be a potent, selective inhibitor. Utilizing a phenolic A-ring motif, SAR studies have continued with the development of the next generation of VD3-based analogues. Progress towards the next generation of analogues as well as results of biological studies will be described herein. Citation Format: Chad A. Maschinot, Kyle Hadden. Synthesis and biological evaluation of vitamin D3 analogues as selective Hedgehog pathway inhibitors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3667. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3667
Intercohort and Intracohort Redistribution under Old Age Insurance: The 1962–1972 Retirement Cohorts:

Although Social Security Old Age Insurance (OAI) is similar in some respects to a private annuity, benefits typically contain large intercohort and intra-cohort redistribution components. The forme...
Physiological Mechanisms Underlying the Seasonality of Leaf Senescence and Renewal in Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest Trees

Seasonality in the presence and production of leaves is the defining characteristic of seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) ecosystems and has important implications for their functioning. Temporal patterns of shoot activity influence photosynthetic carbon gain and thus affect competition between tree phenological types (Givnish 2002), the seasonal rhythms of tree-herbivore interactions (Leigh 1999; Dirzo and Boege 2009), and the annual ecosystem carbon uptake and energy fluxes (Kucharik et al. 2006). The impact of leaf phenology on tree carbon return is associated with its effect on the length of leaf exposure to herbivore and pathogen damage, the timing of leaf loss for water balance, and the energy investment in leaf construction (Franco et al. 2005). The timing and the length of leaf presence in tropical forests has also been suggested to play a key role in maintaining tree diversity by regulating the abundance of pest pressures (Leigh et al. 2004).