cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dietary Lactose and its Effect on the Disease Condition of Necrotic Enteritis

Clostridium perfringens is the etiologic agent of necrotic enteritis (NE) and is ubiquitous in nature. The incidence of NE has increased in countries and commercial companies that have stopped using antibiotic growth promoters. The mechanisms of colonization of C. perfringens and the factors involved in onset of NE are not fully understood. Previously, our laboratory has demonstrated that lactose could potentially reduce Salmonella and C. perfringens in ceca of poultry. In the present investigation, we hypothesized that dietary lactose would reduce the clinical signs of NE and could be used as an alternative to antibiotics. In experiment 1, day-of-hatch broilers were fed either a nonlactose control diet, a diet with 2.5% lactose, or a diet with 4.5% lactose throughout the experiment. Birds were administered C. perfringens (10(7) cfu/mL) daily via oral gavage for 3 consecutive days starting on d 17. When evaluating the intestinal lesions associated with NE, birds fed 2.5% lactose had significantly lower (P < 0.05) lesion scores (0.70 +/- 0.52) compared with the control (1.55 +/- 0.52) or the 4.5% lactose (1.60 +/- 0.52). The data from the microbial analysis showed that the addition of lactose did not affect any bacterial populations when compared with the control birds that did not receive dietary lactose over the 21-d evaluation. The overall lesion scores in experiment 2 were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in birds fed 2.5% lactose compared with the birds fed the control diet with mean lesion scores of 1.10 +/- 0.73 and 1.80 +/- 0.73, respectively. These experiments suggest that lactose could be used as a potential alternative to growth-promoting antibiotics to help control this costly disease.
Time course of protection from audiogenic seizures by glucose and insulin in audiogenically primed C57BL/6J mice.

Abstract Glucose and insulin injections both decrease seizure susceptibility in C57BL/6J mice subjected to audiogenic priming at 16 days of age and tested at 21 days of age. These data support an hypothesis of a defect in immediately available energy reserves in brains of audiogenic seizure prone mice.
Reducing redundant computation in HMM evaluation

Redundant computations occur when a set of hidden Markov models (HMMs) is evaluated with respect to an observation string. A formal restructuring of the HMM allows the redundancy to be identified and removed. An O((1- kappa )NT) complexity HMM results, with the compression index kappa in
Uncertainty in Estimating Boundary-Layer Transport during Highly Convective Conditions

Abstract Routine and supplemental rawinsonde observations collected during the Preliminary Regional Experiment for Storm-Central (PRE-STORM) were analyzed to assess the uncertainty in boundary-layer trajectory calculations due to imprecise interpolation of the horizontal wind field. This study was designed to complement our earlier analysis of rawinsonde data collected during the Cross Appalachian Tracer Experiment (CAPTEX; Kahl and Samson 1986). The present study is representative of widespread convective conditions, while our previous study was representative of fairly persistent, undisturbed flow. Spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed significant wind field variability on scales less than 100 km. Evaluation of several spatial and temporal interpolation techniques yielded mean absolute errors in estimation of u and v wind components ranging from 3.3–6.5 m −1. Spatial interpolation accuracy improved only slightly when supplemental measurements were included in the interpolation procedure. Estimates o...
U.S.A. national overview on waste management

A brief national overview of waste management in the United States is provided. More emphasis is given to trends and management of municipal solid waste (MSW) although some is also provided on hazardous wastes (HW). Specific information is provided on MSW characteristics and management, MSW waste minimization, thermal treatment of MSW, incineration residue management, and contaminated site remediation.
Chaotic attractor with hysteresis in laser-driven molecules

Period-doubling bifurcations into a chaotic state are found in a quantum statistical model of multiphoton excitation of a molecule when the laser field is modulated sinusoidally. This chaotic state characterizes a strange attractor coexisting with a periodic one. Interesting dynamical behavior associated with these attractors is described and practical implications of this molecular property discussed.
Memory integration in amnesia: prior knowledge supports verbal short-term memory.

Short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) have traditionally been considered cognitively distinct. However, it is known that STM can improve when to-be-remembered information appears in contexts that make contact with prior knowledge, suggesting a more interactive relationship between STM and LTM. The current study investigated whether the ability to leverage LTM in support of STM critically depends on the integrity of the hippocampus. Specifically, we investigated whether the hippocampus differentially supports between-domain versus within-domain STM–LTM integration given prior evidence that the representational domain of the elements being integrated in memory is a critical determinant of whether memory performance depends on the hippocampus. In Experiment 1, we investigated hippocampal contributions to within-domain STM–LTM integration by testing whether immediate verbal recall of words improves in MTL amnesic patients when words are presented in familiar verbal contexts (meaningful sentences) compared to unfamiliar verbal contexts (random word lists). Patients demonstrated a robust sentence superiority effect, whereby verbal STM performance improved in familiar compared to unfamiliar verbal contexts, and the magnitude of this effect did not differ from that in controls. In Experiment 2, we investigated hippocampal contributions to between-domain STM–LTM integration by testing whether immediate verbal recall of digits improves in MTL amnesic patients when digits are presented in a familiar visuospatial context (a typical keypad layout) compared to an unfamiliar visuospatial context (a random keypad layout). Immediate verbal recall improved in both patients and controls when digits were presented in the familiar compared to the unfamiliar keypad array, indicating a preserved ability to integrate activated verbal information with stored visuospatial knowledge. Together, these results demonstrate that immediate verbal recall in amnesia can benefit from two distinct types of semantic support, verbal and visuospatial, and that the hippocampus is not critical for leveraging stored semantic knowledge to improve memory performance.
The structure of α1-CB3, a cyanogen bromide fragment from the central portion of the α1 chain of rat collagen. The tryptic peptides from skin and dentin collagens

Abstract The mixture of peptides released by tryptic hydrolysis of the collagen CNBr peptide, αl-CB3, has been resolved by ion-exchange chromatography. The resultant eleven tryptic peptides ranged in size from 3 to 46 amino acids and accounted for all the amino acids of the parent CNBr peptide. Two of the lysines in αl-CB3 from rat dentin collagen were shown to be hydroxylated to a substantial degree by isolation of the appropriate hydroxylysine-containing tryptic peptides. An analysis of the tryptic peptides indicated that αl-CB3 from dentin collagen is identical in structure to that from skin collagen, if hydroxylysine and hydroxyproline are considered equivalent to lysine and proline, respectively.
New MADS box domains in Asparagus officinalis L.

New MADS box domains have been cloned from Asparagus officinalis L. using PCR technology. Several clones share high homology with the Arabidopsis agamous gene while other clones appear to represent novel MADS box domains. These results show that extended PCR primers are useful for selectively amplifying conserved DNA binding domains across widely divergent plant taxa.
Characterization of ATP Transport into Chromaffin Granule Ghosts SYNERGY OF ATP AND SEROTONIN ACCUMULATION IN CHROMAFFIN GRANULE GHOSTS

ATP is an excitatory neurotransmitter that is stored and cosecreted with catecholamines from cells of the adrenal medulla. While the transport of catecholamines into chromaffin granule ghosts has been extensively characterized, there is little information on the mechanism of ATP transport into these structures. Here we show that ATP transport is driven by the electrical component of the electrochemical proton gradient created by the chromaffin granule membrane H+-ATPase, and that the accumulated nucleotide is released from the vesicles by inhibition of the H+-ATPase. GTP and UTP are also substrates for this transporter, distinguishing it from the mitochondrial ADP/ATP exchanger. Accumulation of ADP and ATP (rather than exchange with intravesicular ATP) is demonstrated by high pressure liquid chromatography measurements. The anion transport inhibitor 4,4-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2-disulfonic acid (Ki = 27 microM) inhibits ATP transport, while atractyloside, the inhibitor of the mitochondrial ATP/ADP exchanger, is a very poor inhibitor. Finally, we have demonstrated a synergy between the accumulation of ATP and that of serotonin (i.e. more of each solute accumulates when the two are accumulated together), supporting the view that there is an interaction between serotonin and ATP that reduces their effective concentration within the ghosts.
Effect of acute ethanol on serine biosynthesis in liver.

Abstract The effect of an acute intraperitoneal dose of ethanol (1 g/kg), glucose (7.2 g/kg), or the combination of the two on the metabolite pattern of the biosynthetic pathway of l -serine has been determined in rabbit liver in vivo as has the effect of 10 m m ethanol on the glucose-, fructose-, or pyruvate-stimulated accumulation of l -serine in rabbit hepatocytes in vitro. In vivo, the 50% increase in l -serine and 80% increase in l -phosphoserine content of liver following glucose injection was completely prevented by ethanol. In fact, the l -phosphoserine content fell to only 6% of the control value. In spite of these and other significant changes in the metabolite pattern of the pathway of l -serine biosynthesis ( d -3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, l -phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT), and l -phosphoserine phosphatase), the mass action ratio of the combined reactions of the first two steps remained close to their equilibrium position. As a consequence it is estimated that the tissue content of phosphohydroxypyruvate fell to less than 2% of the control value, to approximately 0.3% of its Km for the PSAT reaction. The conclusion that acute ethanol blocks l -serine biosynthesis (presumably by redox effects) was supported by the prevention or inhibition of l -serine accumulation in hepatocytes metabolizing glucose, fructose, or pyruvate. Because l -serine is an important source of one-carbon fragments, the inhibition of its biosynthesis may be another mechanism by which ethanol interferes with folate and one-carbon metabolism.
Two Similarities Between Atmospheric Eddies and Linear Baroclinic Waves

Abstract Very good agreement is shown to exist between the meridional distributions of the zonal wavenumber n of rapidly amplifying baroclinic waves on a sphere and of an average wavenumber n of “grid-scale” atmospheric eddies. As a consequence, the zonal wavelength of both baroclinic and atmospheric eddies remains virtually constant, i.e., within a factor of 2, over the extratropics. The values of n at different latitudes have been obtained by using linearized baroclinic theory on different meridional profiles of the unperturbed zonal wind (MPUZW). Since they agree with n, atmospheric eddies are, in relation to linear baroclinic waves, independent of MPUZW. In this senses n is controlled locally rather than globally. The mutual dependence of the upward and poleward transports of (sensible) heat in baroclinic wave theory is correctly formulated-as compared to a direct analysis of the first law of thermodynamics.
Building Co-ops, Constructing Cooperation: Spatial Strategies and Development Politics in a Mexican Village

Cooperative rural development has been the subject of much scholarship, yet little attention has been paid to the importance of cooperative spatial strategies. In this study, the efforts of an Oaxacan (Mexican) rural producer cooperative to construct a co-op building appear to far exceed the structure's potential contribution to commodity production. This research argues that the outsized investment into co-op infrastructure is explicable when the cultural and political economy of cooperation is analyzed. It is found that (1) well-defined co-op spaces are necessary if co-op members are to meet market-driven quality standards, yet these autonomous production spaces exclude nonmember villagers upon whom the co-op depends. Given this sentiment, (2) the co-op building plays an important political role in persuading villagers to provide social support and access to communal resources by (3) demonstrating that production cooperation presents a reasonable development alternative and that co-op members have the managerial capacity to achieve it. The article finishes by calling for a greater attention to co-op member development visions and spatial strategies, and to the contributions that geographic and ethnographic research may make to the analysis of co-op formation and survival.
An investigation of fMRI time series stationarity during motor sequence learning foot tapping tasks.

Abstract Background Understanding complex brain networks using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is of great interest to clinical and scientific communities. To utilize advanced analysis methods such as graph theory for these investigations, the stationarity of fMRI time series needs to be understood as it has important implications on the choice of appropriate approaches for the analysis of complex brain networks. New method In this paper, we investigated the stationarity of fMRI time series acquired from twelve healthy participants while they performed a motor (foot tapping sequence) learning task. Since prior studies have documented that learning is associated with systematic changes in brain activation, a sequence learning task is an optimal paradigm to assess the degree of non-stationarity in fMRI time-series in clinically relevant brain areas. We predicted that brain regions involved in a “learning network” would demonstrate non-stationarity and may violate assumptions associated with some advanced analysis approaches. Six blocks of learning, and six control blocks of a foot tapping sequence were performed in a fixed order. The reverse arrangement test was utilized to investigate the time series stationarity. Results Our analysis showed some non-stationary signals with a time varying first moment as a major source of non-stationarity. We also demonstrated a decreased number of non-stationarities in the third block as a result of priming and repetition. Comparison with existing methods Most of the current literature does not examine stationarity prior to processing. Conclusions The implication of our findings is that future investigations analyzing complex brain networks should utilize approaches robust to non-stationarities, as graph-theoretical approaches can be sensitive to non-stationarities present in data.
A New Synthetic Approach to the C Ring of Known as Well as Novel Bryostatin Analogues

A new approach to the synthesis of the C ring subunit of known and potential bryostatin analogues is described. The convergent approach, illustrated above, requires fewer steps and offers greater flexibility in rapidly accessing diverse C ring analogues.
SIGACT news complexity theory column 63

Additive combinatorics is the branch of combinatorics where the objects of study are subsets of the integers or of other abelian groups, and one is interested in properties and patterns that can be expressed in terms of linear equations. More generally, arithmetic combinatorics deals with properties and patterns that can be expressed via additions and multiplications. In the past ten years, it has been an extremely successful area of mathematics, featuring a convergence of techniques from graph theory, analysis and ergodic theory. It has helped prove long-standing open questions in additive number theory, and it offers much promise of future progress. Arithmetic combinatorics has found several applications in computer science, to property testing, PCP constructions, lower bounds, and extractor constructions. Typically, whenever a technique from arithmetic combinatorics becomes understood by computer scientists, it finds some application. Considering that there is still a lot of additive and arithmetic combinatorics that computer scientists do not understand (and, the field being very active, even more will be developed in the near future), there seems to be much potential for future connections and applications.
Future Applications and Innovations of Clinical Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast has become a valuable diagnostic tool for detecting and evaluating breast abnormalities. Breast MRI is rapidly advancing, and several innovations have strong implications for improved detection, diagnostic accuracy, and treatment monitoring. This article describes select areas of recent technical development that are likely to have an increasing clinical impact on MRI of the breast, including high-field imaging, parallel imaging, high-sensitivity breast coils, diffusion-weighted imaging, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
To the storm: The odyssey of a revolutionary Chinese woman

To the Storm by Yue Daiyun and Carolyn Wakeman is the fascinating story of Yue Daiyun, a faculty member at Beijing University. Yue Daiyun was a revolutionary from her early school days. She had been a child during the anti-Japanese war and hated the Guomundang. Accepted as a student at Beida in 1948, she joined the Communist Party's underground Democratic youth League and became a Party member the following year and helped with the Liberation of Beijing. While a student at Beida, she served as a delegate at the Prague 2nd World Student Congress in 1950 and worked in the countryside on land reform in 1951-52. Then she graduated from Beida and became a faculty member in the literature department. She married her husband, Lao Tang, the day after their graduation. He obtained a faculty position in the philosophy department. Both were loyal to Chairman Mao and the goals of the Revolution. Their lives went smoothly for several years until 1958. Yue Daiyun taught Chinese literature and took part in many activities on campus. She read many Western books and supported the formation of a new literary magazine on campus. This eventually brought her into conflict with the authorities and the beginning of two decades of problems and persecution for her and her family. The Party had encouraged openness and criticism of its mistakes and deficiencies in the system. Yue Daiyun had taken part in the discussions, believing that she was helping to build a better China. Summoned to a meeting at her department one day, she was denounced as a rightist. She did not understand what she did wrong, but she was quickly relieved of her teaching duties and sent to the countryside to work and live with the peasants for two years. This was the first of her suspensions from teaching. Both Yue Daiyun and her husband, Lao Tang, were caught up in the persecution and violence of the Cultural Revolution. They had spent two years at a cadre school in Liyouhoz and when they returned to Beijing, Lao Tang was selected to work on a special task force called Liang Xaio. This brought Lao Tang and the group into close association with Jiang Qing and the Gang of Four. When the Gang of Four was arrested, Lao Tang suffered through a year long investigation before being cleared. Throughout this time their family suffered from the persecution of others. In the end, the authorities admitted that they were wrong in their case against her and reinstated her Party membership. In this interesting autobiography, Yue Daiyun tells her story of the life she and her family lived during these somewhat violent and terror-filled years in China.
Optical characterization of melanin

The optical properties of melanin have been characterized for a number of laser wavelengths in the visible region. The index of refraction of melanin is measured by the conventional method of minimum deviation using a hollow quartz prism at these wavelengths. The inverse adding doubling method based on the diffusion approximation and radiative transport theory have been employed to determine the absorption, scattering, and scattering anisotropy coefficients of melanin from the measurements of diffuse transmission, diffuse reflection and collimated transmission using double integrating spheres. The results obtained by the use of inverse adding doubling method have been compared to the Monte Carlo simulation technique.
The chronic myeloproliferative disorders and mutation of JAK2: Dameshek’s 54 year old speculation comes of age

In 1951, William Dameshek speculated on the common origin of the chronic myeloproliferative disorders—polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF), and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Subsequent work suggested that all arose from the hematopoietic stem cell. About 20 years ago the oncogene responsible for CML, bcr-abl, was identified, and more recently the mutant genes that cause hypereosinophilic syndrome and systemic mast cell disorder have been discovered. However, until very recently, the origin of PV, ET, and IMF have defied molecular explanation. In 2005, four separate groups working on tyrosine kinase signal transduction reported a gain-of-function, valine-to-phenyalanine, mutation at position 617 in the JH2 domain of the Janus kinase (JAK) 2 cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase. This mutation requires the presence of the erythropoietin, thrombopoietin, or granulocyte-colony stimulating factor receptor/s for function, the mutation leads to functional hyperactivity and appears responsible for hematopoietic growth factor hypersensitivity, the most characteristic finding in these disorders. Virtually all patients with PV and substantial proportions of those with ET and IMF have now been shown to harbor this mutation. The mutant kinase appears to be a useful diagnostic test for myeloproliferative disorders and may have prognostic value. Future research will undoubtedly focus on the development of specific inhibitors as therapeutic agents as well as answering a number of questions that remain regarding the role of signal intensity, genotypic and phenotypic expression and the possible involvement of additional as yet unidentified mutations in these disorders.
A case of post-traumatic LASH syndrome responsive to indomethacin and melatonin (a man with a unique triad of indomethacin-responsive trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias).

ObjectiveThe objective of this article is to present the first post-traumatic/secondary case of LASH syndrome and the first melatonin-responsive case of LASH.MethodsWe present a case report.ResultsA 44-year-old man developed three distinct headache syndromes in progression over a 2.5-year time period after a motor vehicle accident. He initially had paroxysmal hemicrania, which he experienced for 15 months, then transitioned to hemicrania continua for 3.5 months, then LASH syndrome, which he endured until he was treated with indomethacin and became pain free. Then after an inability to taper off indomethacin he was placed on melatonin and achieved a pain-free state.ConclusionThis is the first post-traumatic/secondary case of LASH syndrome, the first male patient to be documented with LASH, and the first LASH case to show complete alleviation with melatonin. This patient’s unique case history provides another example of how multiple trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias can occur in a single individual. This ma...
Power spectrum analysis of heart rate fluctuation: a quantitative probe of beat-to-beat cardiovascular control

Power spectrum analysis of heart rate fluctuations provides a quantitative noninvasive means of assessing the functioning of the short-term cardiovascular control systems. We show that sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous activity make frequency-specific contributions to the heart rate power spectrum, and that renin-angiotensin system activity strongly modulates the amplitude of the spectral peak located at 0.04 hertz. Our data therefore provide evidence that the renin-angiotensin system plays a significant role in short-term cardiovascular control in the time scale of seconds to minutes.
Relations among sensation seeking and simulated and behavioral personal space.

Summary Simulated and behavioral personal space measures and the Sensation Seeking Scale were administered to 20 males and 20 females. In the simulated measures Ss positioned male and female top profiles relative to a top profile representing themselves at each of nine equally spaced angles. For the behavioral measure Ss were approached by a male or female at each of the nine angles. The female “swinger” had greater simulated personal space. Males who liked new and interesting experiences had greater side and diagonal simulated personal space, and females high on the same scale had a closer behavioral personal space toward males except at the sides. Males and females responded similarly to males and females approaching from various directions. However, there was no relation between front and side simulated personal space for males. Size of personal space relative to females tended to be highly correlated with size of personal space toward males. However, for male Ss there was little relation between front...
Authentication scheme for routine verification of genetically similar laboratory colonies: a trial with Anopheles gambiae

Background When rearing morphologically indistinguishable laboratory strains concurrently, the threat of unintentional genetic contamination is constant. Avoidance of accidental mixing of strains is difficult due to the use of common equipment, technician error, or the possibility of self relocation by adult mosquitoes ("free fliers"). In many cases, laboratory strains are difficult to distinguish because of morphological and genetic similarity, especially when laboratory colonies are isolates of certain traits from the same parental strain, such as eye color mutants, individuals with certain chromosomal arrangements or high levels of insecticide resistance. Thus, proving genetic integrity could seem incredibly time-consuming or impossible. On the other hand, lacking proof of genetically isolated laboratory strains could question the validity of research results.
The Integration of Positron Emission Tomography With Magnetic Resonance Imaging

A number of laboratories and companies are currently exploring the development of integrated imaging systems for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). Scanners for both preclinical and human research applications are being pursued. In contrast to the widely distributed and now quite mature PET/computed tomography technology, most PET/MRI designs allow for simultaneous rather than sequential acquisition of PET and MRI data. While this offers the possibility of novel imaging strategies, it also creates considerable challenges for acquiring artifact-free images from both modalities. This paper discusses the motivation for developing combined PET/MRI technology, outlines the obstacles in realizing such an integrated instrument, and presents recent progress in the development of both the instrumentation and of novel imaging agents for combined PET/MRI studies. The performance of the first-generation PET/MRI systems is described. Finally, a range of possible biomedical applications for PET/MRI are outlined.
Quasiconformal planes with bi-Lipschitz pieces and extensions of almost affine maps

Abstract A quasiplane f ( V ) is the image of an n-dimensional Euclidean subspace V of R N ( 1 ≤ n ≤ N − 1 ) under a quasiconformal map f : R N → R N . We give sufficient conditions in terms of the weak quasisymmetry constant of the underlying map for a quasiplane to be a bi-Lipschitz n-manifold and for a quasiplane to have big pieces of bi-Lipschitz images of R n . One main novelty of these results is that we analyze quasiplanes in arbitrary codimension N − n . To establish the big pieces criterion, we prove new extension theorems for “almost affine” maps, which are of independent interest. This work is related to investigations by Tukia and Vaisala on extensions of quasisymmetric maps with small distortion.
Populations of the Northern Grasshopper, Melanoplus borealis (Orthoptera: Acrididae), in Alaska are Rarely Food Limited

ABSTRACT In some systems, grasshoppers appear to be food limited in most years, whereas in other systems top down forces, for example, predators, are more often implicated in population regulation. Sustainable strategies to manage grasshopper populations through habitat management require knowledge of the forces that regulate grasshopper populations. This experiment was undertaken to determine whether populations of Melanoplus borealis (Fieber), a common pest species in Alaska, are food-limited in Alaska. Cages were set up in a fallow field near Delta Junction, AK, in 3 yr (2007–2009). In 2007 and 2008, fertilizer was added to half the plots to increase primary production, and, in all years, cages within each plot were stocked with 0, 5, 9, or 13 fourth-instar M. borealis (equivalent to 0, 20, 36, or 52 grasshoppers/m2). Grasshoppers in each cage were counted weekly. Near the end of the growing season, surviving female grasshoppers (≈40% of the original number) were collected. Femur length was taken as a ...
Defect in ERK2 and p54JNK Activation in Aging Mouse Splenocytes

We have previously reported on a defect in both extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in splenocytes obtained from old rats. In order to investigate whether these effects are conserved across species, we have now used mouse splenocytes to measure the effect of aging on the activation of the same two MAPK families: ERK and JNK. Our results demonstrate that, as in rats, both MAPK signal transduction pathways are affected by aging in mice, indicating the existence of a further defect located downstream of the receptor-proximal events. Whereas ERK1 and p46 J N K activation were not significantly modified, the kinetics of both ERK2 and p54 J N K activation and inactivation were affected in splenocytes from old animals. Specifically, by analyzing the kinetics of activation and inactivation of these enzymes, we found a nearly 50% decrease in the fold of activation of both ERK2 and p54 J N K . These defects result in an overall diminution of enzyme activities without changes in the steady-state levels of relevant proteins. The impaired activity of these two MAPK pathways is likely to play a role in the reduced expression of interleukin-2 and diminished lymphoproliferation observed in old animals.
State Welfare Rules, TANF Exits, and Geographic Context : Does Place Matter?

This research compares the likelihood of exiting TANF with and without employment and the effects of important state TANF rules on welfare exits in more disadvantaged (large Rustbelt cities and poor southern nonmetro) and less disadvantaged (other metro and other nonmetro) areas during the 1996-2003 post-welfare reform period. Hierarchical competing risk models using individual-level data from the 1996-99 and 2001-03 Panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation merged with state-level data from various sources show that female TANF participants in poor southern nonmetro areas are the least likely to exit TANF with work, and participants in large Rustbelt cities are less likely to exit TANF with work than those in other metro areas. Non-work TANF exits are more likely to occur in other nonmetro areas than in other metro areas. Importantly, the effects of state welfare rules on TANF exits differ across places of residence. For example, stringent time limit policies promote work exits in large Rustbelt cities but promote non-work exits in poor southern nonmetro areas. More lenient earned income disregards are significantly related to remaining on TANF in poor southern nonmetro areas but promote work exits in all other places. Findings from this paper imply that states should not take a "one-size-fits-all approach" to reduce welfare caseloads.
Latino Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren with Special Needs

Summary This paper examines correlates of self-reported depressive symptoms among a sample of 74 urban Latino grandparent caregivers. Nearly half of grandparents in the study scored above the clinical threshold score on the Geriatric Depression Scale, and those rearing grandchildren with special needs reported significantly more depressive symptoms than those who were not. This differential level of depressive symptoms held even with the effects of other known risk and protective factors held constant.
Scientific considerations in the review and approval of generic enoxaparin in the United States

In 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a generic low-molecular-weight heparin without clinical safety or efficacy data under the Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) pathway. To enable a determination of active ingredient sameness of generic and innovator enoxaparin products, the FDA developed a scientifically rigorous approach based on five criteria: first, equivalence of physicochemical properties; second, equivalence of heparin source material and mode of depolymerization; third, equivalence in disaccharide building blocks, fragment mapping and sequence of oligosaccharide species; fourth, equivalence in biological and biochemical assays; and finally, equivalence of in vivo pharmacodynamic profile. In addition to fulfillment of these criteria, FDA also used in vitro, ex vivo and model animal data to ensure there was no increased immunogenicity risk of the generic enoxaparin product relative to the brand name product. The approval of the highly complex enoxaparin product using this framework under the ANDA pathway represents a major development. It also suggests that analytical and scientific advancements may in certain cases allow the elimination of unnecessary in vivo testing in animals and humans.
Synergy between gemifloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole against community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Objectives: The rapid emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from the community (CA-MRSA) presents difficulties in making treatment choices. We evaluated whether combining another orally available agent commonly used to treat CA-MRSA with gemifloxacin would enhance gemifloxacin activity against CA-MRSA. Methods: Fifty strains of SCCmec IV, agr group 1, Panton-Valentine leucocidin-positive CA-MRSA were evaluated for susceptibilities to gemifloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, doxycycline, levofloxacin, rifampicin, clindamycin and erythromycin. Twenty of these strains were evaluated for the potential for synergy between gemifloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin and rifampicin by time-kill analysis. Two strains were further evaluated in an in vitro pharmacokinetic/ pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model. Results: In time-kill analyses, gemifloxacin combined with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole produced additivity (6/20) or synergy (11/20) in 85% of the isolates tested. The addition of clindamycin to gemifloxacin showed additivity (3/20) or synergy (2/20) in 25% of the isolates. All isolates displayed indifference to the combination of gemifloxacin and rifampicin. In the PK/PD model, combining gemifloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole provided potent and sustained bactericidal activity to detection limits of 2 log 10 cfu/mL by 48 h; gemifloxacin combined with clindamycin or with rifampicin killed to detection limits by 56 h or later. One isolate developed efflux-mediated resistance to gemifloxacin at 96 h with gemifloxacin monotherapy. All combinations prevented the emergence of this resistance. Conclusions: Synergy or additivity was demonstrated by time-kill analysis between gemifloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole in most isolates tested. In the PK/PD model, the addition of trimetho-prim/sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin and rifampicin enhanced the activity of gemifloxacin against CA-MRSA and suppressed the emergence of resistance to gemifloxacin.
Chronic blockade of 20-HETE synthesis reduces polycystic kidney disease in an orthologous rat model of ARPKD.

20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) has been implicated as a potential mediator in epithelial cell proliferation and cyst formation in polycystic kidney disease (PKD). In the present study, w...
Fast EM/Circuit Transient Simulation Using Laguerre Equivalent Circuit (SLeEC)

Transient electromagnetic (EM)/circuit simulation using Laguerre polynomials is an unconditionally stable scheme. Prior work done on this topic, called Laguerre finite-difference time domain (FDTD), has the limitation of being able to simulate only for a certain time duration. An equivalent circuit model of the FDTD grid allows easier implementation of the algorithm, avoiding long cumbersome equations, and enabling the use of modified nodal analysis for transient EM simulation using Laguerre polynomials. The enhanced method has been called SLeEC, and stands for simulation using Laguerre equivalent circuit. In this paper, a memory and time-efficient solution has been proposed to overcome this limitation, so that transient simulation can be done for all time duration. SLeEC has been applied to solve linear transient circuit simulation problems. Equivalent companion models for inductors, mutual inductance, and capacitors have been derived.
Isosilybin B and isosilybin A inhibit growth, induce G1 arrest and cause apoptosis in human prostate cancer LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells

Silymarin and, one of its constituents, silibinin exert strong efficacy against prostate cancer (PCA); however, anticancer efficacy and associated mechanisms of other components of silymarin, which is a mixture of flavonolignans, are largely unknown. Here we have assessed the anticancer efficacy of two pure compounds isosilybin B and isosilybin A, isolated from silymarin, in human prostate carcinoma LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells. Isosilybin B and isosilybin A treatment resulted in growth inhibition and cell death together with a strong G1 arrest and apoptosis in both the cell lines. In the studies examining changes in cell cycle and apoptosis regulators, isosilybin B and isosilybin A resulted in a decrease in the levels of both cyclins (D1, D3, E and A) and cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdk2, Cdk4 and cell division cycle 25A), but caused an increase in p21, p27 and p53 levels, except in 22Rv1 cells where isosilybin B caused a decrease in p21 protein level. Isosilybin B- and isosilybin A-induced apoptosis was accompanied with an increase in the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, caspase-9 and caspase-3 and a decrease in survivin levels. Compared with LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells, the antiproliferative and cytotoxic potentials of isosilybin B and isosilybin A were of much lesser magnitude in non-neoplastic human prostate epithelial PWR-1E cells suggesting the transformation-selective effect of these compounds. Together, this study for the first time identified that isosilybin B and isosilybin A, two diastereoisomers isolated from silymarin, have anti-PCA activity that is mediated via cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction. Abbreviations: PCA, prostate cancer; PI, propidium iodide; CDK, cyclin-dependent kinase; CDKI, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor; Cdc25A, cell division cycle 25A; PARP, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase
Sialylation of N-linked glycans mediates apical delivery of endolyn in MDCK cells via a galectin-9-dependent mechanism.

The sialomucin endolyn is implicated in adhesion, migration, and differentiation of various cell types. Along rat kidney tubules, endolyn is variously localized to the apical surface and endosomal/lysosomal compartments. Apical delivery of newly synthesized rat endolyn predominates over direct lysosomal delivery in polarized Madin–Darby canine kidney cells. Apical sorting depends on terminal processing of a subset of lumenal N-glycans. Here we dissect the requirements of N-glycan processing for apical targeting and investigate the underlying mechanism. Modulation of glycan branching and subsequent polylactosamine elongation by knockdown of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III or V had no effect on apical delivery of endolyn. In contrast, combined but not individual knockdown of sialyltransferases ST3Gal-III, ST3Gal-IV, and ST6Gal-I, which together are responsible for addition of α2,3- and α2,6-linked sialic acids on N-glycans, dramatically decreased endolyn surface polarity. Endolyn synthesized in the presence of kifunensine, which blocks terminal N-glycan processing, reduced its interaction with several recombinant canine galectins, and knockdown of galectin-9 (but not galectin-3, -4, or -8) selectively disrupted endolyn polarity. Our data suggest that sialylation enables recognition of endolyn by galectin-9 to mediate efficient apical sorting. They raise the intriguing possibility that changes in glycosyltransferase expression patterns and/or galectin-9 distribution may acutely modulate endolyn trafficking in the kidney.
MOLECULAR CONTRIBUTIONS TO CONSERVATION

Recent advances in molecular technology have opened a new chapter in species conservation efforts, as well as population biology. DNA sequencing, MHC (major histocompatibility complex), minisatellite, microsatellite, and RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) procedures allow for identification of parentage, more distant relatives, founders to new populations, unidentified individuals, population structure, effective pop- ulation size, population-specific markers, etc. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplifi- cation of mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA, ribosomal DNA, chloroplast DNA, and other systems provide for more sophisticated analyses of metapopulation structure, hybridization events, and delineation of species, subspecies, and races, all of which aid in setting species recovery priorities. Each technique can be powerful in its own right but is most credible when used in conjunction with other molecular techniques and, most importantly, with ecological and demographic data collected from the field. Surprisingly few taxa of concern have been assayed with any molecular technique. Thus, rather than showcasing exhaustive details from a few well-known examples, this paper attempts to present a broad range of cases in which molecular techniques have been used to provide insight into conservation efforts.
Writing the History of English Worship: The Achievement of Horton Davies

These are days of small books and single volumes. Multi-volume sets are a rare and endangered species. The completion of Horton Davies's five-volume set on Worship and Theology In England is a major achievement in our age, and an uprecedented one in any age. Never before has the worship life of an entire people for four and one-third centuries received such a balanced and careful scrutiny. Over fifteen years of research have borne plentiful and rich fruit. This work of the Henry W. Putnam Professor of Religion at Princeton University marks an achievement in liturgical studies unequalled by living scholars in the English-speaking world.
Where class size really matters: Class size and student ratings of instructor effectiveness

We examine the impact of class size on student evaluations of instructor performance using data on all economics classes offered at the University of California, Santa Barbara from Fall 1997 to Spring 2004. A particular strength of this data is the opportunity to control for both instructor and course fixed effects. In contrast to the literature examining class size effects on test-based outcomes – where results can vary considerably across specifications – we find a large, highly significant, and nonlinear negative impact of class size on student evaluations of instructor effectiveness that is highly robust to the inclusion of course and instructor fixed effects.
A Raman Microspectroscopy Study of Water and Trehalose in Spin-Dried Cells

Long-term storage of desiccated nucleated mammalian cells at ambient temperature may be accomplished in a stable glassy state, which can be achieved by removal of water from the biological sample in the presence of glass-forming agents including trehalose. The stability of the glass may be compromised due to a nonuniform distribution of residual water and trehalose within and around the desiccated cells. Thus, quantification of water and trehalose contents at the single-cell level is critical for predicting the glass formation and stability for dry storage. Using Raman microspectroscopy, we estimated the trehalose and residual water contents in the microenvironment of spin-dried cells. Individual cells with or without intracellular trehalose were embedded in a solid thin layer of extracellular trehalose after spin-drying. We found strong evidence suggesting that the residual water was bound at a 2:1 water/trehalose molar ratio in both the extracellular and intracellular milieus. Other than the water associated with trehalose, we did not find any more residual water in the spin-dried sample, intra- or extracellularly. The extracellular trehalose film exhibited characteristics of an amorphous state with a glass transition temperature of ∼22°C. The intracellular milieu also dried to levels suitable for glass formation at room temperature. These findings demonstrate a method for quantification of water and trehalose in desiccated specimens using confocal Raman microspectroscopy. This approach has broad use in desiccation studies to carefully investigate the relationship of water and trehalose content and distribution with the tolerance to drying in mammalian cells.
High-pressure Synthesis of PbCrO3

A new compound with the composition PbCrO3, with Cr in the valence state of 4, was synthesized at high pressures above a pressure-temperature line extending from about 50 kbars at 750°C to 60 kbars at 1450°C. PbCrO3 can be quenched and retained at 1 atm but decomposes on heating above 275° C at the same pressure. PbCrO3 is considered to be an equilibrium phase at high pressures because it was synthesized from mixtures of PbO: CrO2 as well as from several other mixtures of compounds in the Pb-Cr-0 system. The new phase has the cubic perovskite structure and is the only known compound with Cr4+ in an octahedral site. PbCrO3 crystallizes primarily as black cubes which are often twinned on (111).
Application of clinical text data for phenome-wide association studies (PheWASs)

Motivation: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are effective for describing genetic complexities of common diseases. Phenome-wide association studies (PheWASs) offer an alternative and complementary approach to GWAS using data embedded in the electronic health record (EHR) to define the phenome. International Classification of Disease version 9 (ICD9) codes are used frequently to define the phenome, but using ICD9 codes alone misses other clinically relevant information from the EHR that can be used for PheWAS analyses and discovery. Results: As an alternative to ICD9 coding, a text-based phenome was defined by 23 384 clinically relevant terms extracted from Marshfield Clinic’s EHR. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with known phenotypic associations were genotyped in 4235 individuals and associated across the text-based phenome. All five SNPs genotyped were associated with expected terms (P < 0.02), most at or near the top of their respective PheWAS ranking. Raw association results indicate that text data performed equivalently to ICD9 coding and demonstrate the utility of information beyond ICD9 coding for application in PheWAS. Contact: ude.nilcdlfm.frcm@ttocs.gnirbbeh Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.