cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Zona Pellucida Gene Expression by Antisense Oligonucleotides Injected Into Mouse Oocytes

During murine oogenesis, the zona pellucida proteins (ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3) are synthesized and secreted to form an extracellular matrix that surrounds the oocyte and mediates specific biological functions essential to mammalian fertilization and early development. To investigate the relationship among the zona proteins during zona matrix assembly, we have undertaken to inhibit de novo biosynthesis of specific zona proteins with antisense oligonucleotides complementary to the 5′-ends of ZP2 (nucleotide position 19-42) and ZP3 (nucleotide 21-44) mRNAs. When injected into the cytoplasm of growing mouse oocytes, the antisense oligonucleotides targeted specific zona mRNAs for degradation, as confirmed by a RNase protection assay. Individual zona pellucida protein synthesis was followed by immunoprecipitation with ZP2- and ZP3-specific monoclonal antibodies. New zona protein synthesis from the targeted mRNA was abolished, but nontargeted zona protein continued to be synthesized. Interestingly, abolishment of either ZP2 or ZP3 protein synthesis prevented the incorporation of the other protein into the extracellular zona matrix. These results suggest that ZP2 and ZP3 proteins are independent of each other in their biosynthesis but are dependent upon each other for their incorporation into the zona pellucida matrix. This study provides an experimental system in which destruction of a targeted mRNA generates a transient loss-of-expression phenotype during mouse oocyte growth.
Androgenic stimulation of aggression eliciting cues in adult opponent mice castrated at birth, weaning, or maturity

Abstract The developmental and concurrent effects of androgens on aggression-eliciting qualities of male opponent mice were investigated during paired contests with trained fighters. Groups of male mice were castrated at either 1, 20, or 110 days of age. Half of each group were injected from 110 days of age with a maintenance dose of 100 αg testosterone propionate (TP), while the rest received injections of the arachis oil vehicle. The level of aggression received from fighter mice was monitored after 20 injection days, and compared to that received by intact male, and spayed TP-injected female opponents. The age at castration did not affect the responsiveness of opponents to androgens, and all TP-injected males suffered more severe defeat than oil-injected controls. TP-injected castrate males did not differ from intact males as opponents eliciting aggression, though TP-treated females received significantly more bites than any of the male opponent groups. A concurrent stimulation by androgens of the adult males' aggression-eliciting cues was, therefore, demonstrated. It is suggested that females derive different metabolic end-products from testosterone propionate, which can apparently provide more effective aggression-eliciting cues than are produced by the male mouse.
Linking Inflammasome Activation and Phagosome Maturation

One-third of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, one of the most effective human pathogens, whose success is attributed to the deployment of remarkably sophisticated immune evasion mechanisms. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, a new study unravels a novel strategy of immune evasion and enhanced bacterial intracellular survival, which is dependent on inhibition of inflammasome activation by an M. tuberculosis-encoded metalloprotease.
IMF intensity and galactic cosmic ray modulation

Abstract We have studied the data strings for the interplanetary magnetic field intensity (B), and the neutron monitor (NM) annual mean hourly rates for the period 1964 to 1999, at different global sites. The median rigidity of detector response (Rm) to galactic cosmic ray (GCR) spectrum lies in the range of 10 GV to 33 GV. We relate the observed features of 11 year modulation to the time variations of B and the long term trend in its baseline which are not related to SSN. For example, the minimum GCR intensity for cycle 21 (maximum modulation) occurs in 1982 when B has a high value, 3 years away from SSN maximum. We confirm that the long term trend in the IMF time variations plays a significant role in controlling the recovery from 11 year GCR modulation.
Insect nuclear receptors: A developmental and comparative perspective

The appearance of puffs on the polytene chromosomes of insect salivary glands incubated with 20-hydroxyecdysone provided the first demonstration that steroids act directly at the gene transcriptional level to bring about subsequent cellular changes (Becker, 1959; Clever and Karlson, 1960). Despite that auspicious beginning, learning about the molecular mechanisms that underlie the hormonal regulation of insect development was impeded for many years by the difficulty associated with isolating and identifying rare regulatory factors from limited tissue sources. The advent of recombinant DNA methodology and powerful techniques such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) along with the recognition that many important endocrine factors are structurally conserved across a wide range of species has, however, all but eliminated the technical obstacles once facing the insect endocrinologist trying to isolate and study these regulatory molecules. This review will discuss recent progress and recall some earlier experiments concerning the molecular basis of hormonal action in insects focusing primarily on the members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily in Drosophila melanogaster. Two members of this family comprise the functional ecdysteroid receptor and at least a dozen other "orphans" have been identified in Drosophila for which no cognate ligand has yet been found. Many of these orphans are regulated by ecdysteroids. A discussion of juvenile hormone binding proteins that are not family members has been included because of their potential impact on nuclear receptor function. As receptor homologues have been identified in other insects, several general ideas concerning insect hormonal regulation have begun to emerge and these will be examined from a comparative point of view.
METOCURINE REQUIREMENTS AND PALSMA CONCENTRATIONS IN BURNED PAEDIATRIC PATIENTS

A cumulative dose—response study for metocurine was performed on 11 burned and 11 non-burned children during thiopentone, nitrous oxide in oxygen and narcotic anaesthesia. Burned children required a significantly (P
On the theory and practice of critical pragmatism: Deliberative practice and creative negotiations:

Critical pragmatism provides a line of analysis and imagination that might contribute both to academic planning theory and to engaged planning practices as well. To do so, it must build upon, and develop more politically, Donald Schon’s seminal work on reflective practice. It must help students of planning think critically about outcomes as well as processes, about institutional and process designs, about power and performance. It must resonate experientially with perceptions of change-oriented practitioners facing complex multi-party “problems” characterized by distrust, anger, strategic behavior, poor information, and inequalities of power. Not least of all, a critical pragmatism must—and can—help students of planning reconstruct possibilities where others might initially perceive or presume impossibilities.
How Japan's Recently Amended Copyright Law Affects Software

Japan rejected a proposal to adopt a special software protection law and instead modified its copyright law to include software. This change may affect US firms doing business there.
UBV Lightcurves of Asteroid 433 Eros

Abstract UBV photometry and lightcurves of Eros were obtained on nine dates between October 1974 and March 1975. The absolute V magnitude at photometric maximum extrapolated to a solar phase angle of zero is 10.75 while the linear phase coefficient is 0.026mag deg −1 . The mean colors at solar phase angles greater than 30° are B−V = 0.92 and U−B = 0.52mag. No significant color variations over the surface were detected.
Dorsal radiocarpal dislocation in a patient with Goldenhar syndrome: case report.

Background Fracture–dislocations of the carpus are rare, generally occurring after high-energy trauma. Goldenhar syndrome is among a group of genetic abnormalities associated with radial limb defects. We present a case of a dorsal radiocarpal dislocation in a patient with Goldenhar syndrome after a low-energy fall. To our knowledge, there has been no previous report of radiocarpal dislocation in the setting of Goldenhar syndrome.
CLEAN COASTAL WATERS COST PARTICIPATION FORMULA

ABSTRACT Clean Coastal Waters, Inc.'s (CCW) cost participation formula (COSTPART™) is a computerized formula which calculates the cost allocation of CCW operations and equipment purchases to member companies. Costs are allocated on the basis of oil volumes handled during specific oil-handling activities such as terminal transfers, production operations, and pipeline operations. The formula accounts for the relative risks of spill occurrence for the various activities, using a relative risk analysis of historical spills resulting from activities similar to those performed by CCW members. COSTPART is statistically based and has been adapted for use on IBM-compatible personal computers.
Efficient Picosecond Pulse Shaping by Programmable Bragg Grating

We propose a method for picosecond pulse shaping in a programmable manner. A genetic algorithm is used for searching of control parameters, and more than 40% of theoretic maximum energy is achieved in shaped pulse.
Progress in carbon dioxide capture and separation research for gasification-based power generation point sources

The purpose of the present work is to investigate novel approaches, materials, and molecules for the abatement of carbon dioxide (CO2) at the pre-combustion stage of gasification-based power generation point sources. The capture/separation step for CO2 from large point sources is a critical one with respect to the technical feasibility and cost of the overall carbon sequestration scenario. For large point sources, such as those found in power generation, the carbon dioxide capture techniques being investigated by the Office of Research and Development of the National Energy Technology Laboratory possess the potential for improved efficiency and reduced costs as compared to more conventional technologies. The investigated techniques can have wide applications, but the present research is focused on the capture/separation of carbon dioxide from fuel gas (pre-combustion gas) from processes such as the Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) process. For such applications, novel concepts are being developed in wet scrubbing with physical sorption, chemical sorption with solid sorbents, and separation by membranes. In one concept, a wet scrubbing technique is being investigated that uses a physical solvent process to remove CO2 from fuel gas of an IGCC system at elevated temperature and pressure. The need to define an “ideal” solvent has led to the study of the solubility and mass transfer properties of various solvents. Pertaining to another separation technology, fabrication techniques and mechanistic studies for membranes separating CO2 from the fuel gas produced by coal gasification are also being performed. Membranes that consist of CO2-philic ionic liquids encapsulated into a polymeric substrate have been investigated for permeability and selectivity. Finally, processes based on dry, regenerable sorbents are additional techniques for CO2 capture from fuel gas. An overview of these novel techniques is presented along with a research progress status of technologies related to membranes and physical solvents.
Show Me Your Papers! Obama’s Birth and the Whiteness of Belonging

In the wake of Barack Obama's 2009 ascension to the White House, stories questioning his citizenship slowly trickled into the mainstream. By 2011, “Birtherism”—the belief that Obama is constitutionally disqualified from holding Presidential office—was a principle aspect of public discourse. Through an analysis of online comments in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, I analyze how dominant understandings of citizenship, race, class, and civil rights structure public navigation of “Birther” claims. I find the presence of several “narratives of belonging”—shared stories that people socially construct to account for who they are, how the world works, and where different people belong. These narratives reveal the sustained conflation of citizenship with an ideal or “hegemonic” form of white racial identity.
Probing the C−H Activation of Linear and Cyclic Ethers at (PNP)Ir

Interaction of the amido/bis(phosphine)-supported (PNP)Ir fragment with a series of linear and cyclic ethers is shown to afford, depending on substrate, products of α,α-dehydrogenation (carbenes), α,β-dehydrogenation (vinyl ethers), or decarbonylation. While carbenes are exclusively obtained from tert-amyl methyl ether, sec-butyl methyl ether (SBME), n-butyl methyl ether (NBME), and tetrahydrofuran (THF), vinyl ethers or their adducts are observed upon reaction with diethyl ether and 1,4-dioxane. Decarbonylation occurs upon interaction of (PNP)Ir with benzyl methyl ether, and a mechanism is proposed for this unusual transformation, which occurs via a series of C−H, C−O, and C−C bond cleavage events. The intermediates characterized for several of these reactions as well as the α,α-dehydrogenation of tert-butyl methyl ether (MTBE) are used to outline a reaction pathway for the generation of PNP-supported iridium(I) carbene complexes, and it is shown that the long-lived, observable intermediates are substrat...
Chinese Intellectuals on the World Frontier: Blazing the Black Path

Of Maps, Metaphors, Perils, and Precautions Journey to the East The Journey to the West Sage on Trial The Mountain of Flowers and Fruit Golden Coins, Red Phoenixes Transformations of the Disciple Epilogue Works Cited Index
Injustice and arousal

Central to equity and distributive justice theories is the assumption that reward inequities produce feelings of distress and that such feelings motivate efforts to reduce the perceived injustice. Physiological arousal under such conditions would provide direct evidence of injustice distress. To date, no such evidence exists. In the present study, a skin conductance measure was obtained for subjects receiving either just or unjust allocations in a pay-forwork setting. As expected, heightened arousal occurred (relative to baseline levels) in underpay and overpay conditions, with no such effect in a just-pay condition. It was also predicted and found that heart rate—more an index of somatic activity than distress—did not discriminate among experimental conditions. The implications of these results for theoretical development and applied research are discussed.
P04.87. Are people with known coronary risk factors more likely to use dietary supplements

Purpose Use of dietary supplements by individuals are thought to be associated with health-seeking behaviors. The aim of this study was to examine the patterns of dietary supplement (DS) use among individuals with coronary risk factors (CRF): prediabetes/diabetes (Type 2), hypertension, elevated cholesterol, smoking, overweight/obesity, and physical inactivity. We hypothesized that people with known risk factors would be more likely to use DS.
Averting Nuclear Catastrophe: Contemplating Extreme Responses to U.S. Vulnerability

Traditional deterrence is not an effective approach toward terrorist groups bent on causing a nuclear catastrophe. Preventive strategies, which call for the elimination of an enemy before it is able to attack, are highly risky and often difficult to implement. The United States should instead consider a policy of expanded deterrence, which focuses not on the would-be nuclear terrorists but on those states that may deliberately transfer or inadvertently leak nuclear weapons and materials to them. By threatening retaliation against those states, the United States may be able to deter that which it cannot physically prevent.
Influence of Credentials of Clinical Laboratory Professionals on Proficiency Testing Performance

The influence of the training, experience, and credentials of testing personnel in the increasingly complex laboratory is a significant concern. A retrospective study compared the relationship of proficiency testing (PT) performance with the credentials of the testing personnel using logistic regression analyses. Predictor variables included the practitioner's college major, degree, certification, and years of laboratory experience. There were 14,326 valid PT results and 359 practitioners of whom 245 (68.2%) had a clinical laboratory science major. Logistic regression analysis revealed that participants without a clinical laboratory science major were more likely (adjusted odds ratio, 1.849; P = .035) to produce unacceptable results compared with participants whose academic history included a clinical laboratory science program. These data suggest that clinical laboratories should be staffed by people who have completed a formal clinical laboratory education program to ensure quality of laboratory testing and to reduce the risk of medical errors.
Modified Distribution Parameter for Churn-Turbulent Flows in Large Diameter Channels

Abstract Two phase flows in large diameter channels are important in a wide range of industrial applications, but especially in analysis of nuclear reactor safety for the prediction of BWR behavior and safety analysis in PWRs. To remedy an inability of current drift-flux models to accurately predict the void fraction in churn-turbulent flows in large diameter pipes, extensive experiments have been performed in pipes with diameters of 0.152 m, 0.203 m and 0.304 m to collect area-averaged void fraction data using electrical impedance void meters. The standard deviation and skewness of the impedance meter signal have been used to characterize the flow regime and confirm previous flow regime transition results. By treating churn-turbulent flow as a transition between cap-bubbly dispersed flow and annular separated flow and using a linear ramp, the distribution parameter has been modified for churn-turbulent flow. The modified distribution parameter has been evaluated through comparison of the void fraction predicted by the drift-flux model and the measured void fraction.
Minimally Invasive Parathyroidectomy

Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) is an operative approach for the treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT). Currently, routine use of improved preoperative localization studies, cervical block anesthesia in the conscious patient, and intraoperative parathyroid hormone analyses aid in guiding surgical therapy. MIP requires less surgical dissection causing decreased trauma to tissues, can be performed safely in the ambulatory setting, and is at least as effective as standard cervical exploration. This paper reviews advances in preoperative localization, anesthetic techniques, and intraoperative management of patients undergoing MIP for the treatment of pHPT.
Optimizing Insulin Therapy in Pregnant Women with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Pregnancy complicated by type 1 diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of complications in the mother and infant. Normal or near normal glycemic control prior to and during pregnancy reduces many of these risks to levels observed in the general population. This degree of glycemic control is generally achievable only with intensive insulin therapy: multiple daily injections (MDI) or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) via an insulin pump. These therapeutic regimens have been found to result in comparable glycemic control, although CSII provides increased flexibility in terms of patient lifestyle, and may reduce the incidence of hypoglycemia. Frequent home blood glucose monitoring is imperative during pregnancy in order to optimize glycemic control and reduce the risk of hypoglycemia. Furthermore, insulin requirements change significantly over the course of pregnancy. The new short-acting insulin analogs, insulin lispro and insulin aspart, have pharmacodynamic properties which make them ideal for use during pregnancy. Although the number of published studies evaluating the use of insulin lispro during pregnancy is limited, the majority support its safety. No studies of insulin aspart in pregnancy have been published in full. In addition to optimization of glycemic control, frequent assessment for development and/or progression of microvascular complications is necessary during pregnancy.
Fluid transport across the canine tracheal epithelium

We measured the rate of fluid movement across the tracheal epithelium of the dog by an electrical method, modified from that originally described by Wiedner (Rev. Sci. Instrum. 47: 775-6, 1976). The base-line volume flow (Jv) from the submucosa to the mucosa was 44 +/- 23 nl.min-1.cm-2 (mean +/- SE; n = 6). In only three of the tissues was the resting Jv significantly greater than zero. Stimulation with 2 X 10(-3) M aminophylline (a drug that we have shown stimulates Cl secretion under short-circuit conditions) increased Jv in all tissues to a mean of 137 +/- 29 nl.min-1.cm-2 (P < 0.001). We also measured the unidirectional fluxes of Cl with the tissue at its spontaneous electrical potential. During the base-line period, the net flux of Cl was not significantly different from zero. During stimulation with aminophylline, Cl secretion increased to a mean of 1.44 +/- 0.50 microneq.cm-2.h-1. Comparison of the stimulated values of Jv and net Cl secretion suggests that fluid secretion by the trachea is isotonic during stimulation with aminophylline.
Guidelines For Efficient Use Of Optical Systolic Array Processors

The design, error analysis, component accuracy required, computational capacity, data flow and pipelining, plus the algorithm and application all seriously impact the use of optical systolic array processors. This paper provides initial remarks, results, examples and solutions for each of these issues.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Mining Surveillance Data: Does Radiation Treatment of Prostate Cancer Cause Rectal Cancer?

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common invasive cancer among males, with most cases organ-confined at diagnosis. External beam radiation (RAD) and prostatectomy (SURG) represent the most common treatments for organ-confined PC, with RAD exposing the rectum to high-dose ionizing radiation. Using the California population for 1988-2009, we identified men treated with RAD and SURG for organ-confined PC and assessed the hazards ratio for rectal cancer five or more years following PC treatment. The adjusted Cox proportional hazards ratio was 39% higher for rectal cancer in the RAD cohort. Further analyses seek to distinguish roles of RAD dose and delivery.
Should patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome be treated with metformin? An enthusiastic endorsement

Insulin resistance is a prominent feature of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and women with the disorder are at increased risk for the development of other diseases that have been linked to insulin resistance-namely, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This association between insulin resistance and PCOS must guide the chronic management of the disorder, and accumulating evidence suggests that administration of insulin-sensitizing drugs to individuals at high risk for type 2 diabetes decreases the rate of conversion to overt disease. In contrast, limited evidence exists to suggest that oral contraceptive pills-the currently standard therapy for PCOS-may actually decrease insulin sensitivity and induce impaired glucose tolerance in women with PCOS. Hence, PCOS should be regarded as a general health issue and the use of insulin-sensitizing drugs such as metformin should be considered for the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
The Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Older Adults: Guidelines

The rationale for thromboprophylaxis is based on the high prevalence of venous thromboembolism (VTE), a disorder involving deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), among hospitalized patients, the clinically silent nature of VTE in most patients, and the morbidity, cost, and potential mortality associated with unprevented thromboembolism. Both DVT and PE cause few specific symptoms, and the clinical diagnosis is unreliable. Since the first clinical manifestation of VTE may be fatal PE, it is inappropriate to wait for symptoms before treatment. Unrecognized and untreated DVT may also cause the postphlebitic syndrome and predispose patients to subsequent episodes of recurrent VTE. Routine screening for VTE has also not been shown to reduce the incidence of symptomatic VTE or fatal PE. Use of effective methods of prophylaxis is more cost effective and is safer than selective, intensive screening for VTE. This article reviews current recommendations for the prevention of VTE as they apply to older adults. The recommendations discussed are based on the Sixth American College of Chest Physicians Consensus Conference on Antithrombotic Therapy reported in Chest. 2001;119:132S-175S.
Does administrative location of an academic department affect educational emphasis? The case of economics

This study questions whether administrative location of an academic department influences the qualitative nature of its educational output, as measured by the distribution of field choices among graduating students. To address this question, the author recorded curriculum vitae data on 661 economics PhD candidates, all of whom were on the Spring 2008 job market. The five probit regression models considered reveal that a candidate's choice of primary field is significantly dependent upon gender, undergraduate major(s), rank of PhD programme and whether the candidate earned his or her undergraduate degree in a primarily English-speaking country. However, in no regression does administrative location of economics department (whether in a business school or a school that houses other social sciences) have a significant effect upon candidate choice of primary field. This statistical result provides strong case evidence that the qualitative nature of educational output within an academic department is independe...
Paradise Remade: The Politics of Culture and History in Hawai'i

1. Introduction Competing Myths of Hawai'I History and the Politics of Culture Hawaiian Historiography 2. Thinking about Hawaiian History Conceptualizing Structural Change: Marxist Perspectives Language and Power: Poststructuralist Perspectives 3. Hawai'i before Contact with the West The Hawaiian Social Structure Ideological Reproduction Chant and Hula: At the Ideological Center Structure and Change before Contact 4. Western Penetration and Structural Transformation The Penetration of Capitalism Transformation to Capitalism: The Mahele The New Political-Economy of Sugar Hawaiian Sovereignty at Risk 5. Transformations in Ideological Representations: Chant and Hula Cultural Interaction in Hawai'I The Intrusion of Western Culture Changes in Hawaiian Chant and Hula New Forms of Hawaiian Music Music and Resistance 6. Transformations in Language and Power The Movement from Orality to Literacy The Power of Writing The Displacement of Hawaiian by English Discourses about Chang and Hula 7. Contending Representations of Hawaiian Culture The Political-Economy of Hawai'i in the Twentieth Century Hawaiian Music and the Industries of Culture Tourism and Paradise: Appropriating Hawaiian Culture The Politics of Culture Hawai'i Style Hawaiians and the Politics of Culture Notes Glossary Index
Place of articulation and first formant transition pattern both affect perception of voicing in English

Abstract Voice onset time (VOT) and first-formant (F1) transition characteristics are both important phonetic cues for voicing categorization of pretonic stops in English. These cues also covary with place of articulation in production, such that bilabials are produced with shorter VOT values, and velars are produced with longer VOT values. This study investigated the effects of place of articulation and F1transition pattern on voicing categorization of VOT continua. Listeners categorized for voicing and place of articulation the stop consonant in VCV and CV stimuli for which the variables F1transition pattern, place of articulation (bilabial, alveolar, and velar), and VOT were fully crossed. A logistic regression analysis shows that bilabial and alveolar stimuli were more likely than velar stimuli to be classified as voiceless, largely independent of F1transition pattern. Increasing F1onset frequency and shortening transition duration also made voiceless judgments more likely. The magnitude of theF1 transition effects was considerably larger than the place of articulation effect. The results are inconsistent with models of consonant classification in which acoustic–phonetic cues for place of articulation are not involved in the perception of the voicing contrast. However, the observed perceptual interaction between place of articulation and voicing may be consistent with either a feature- or segment-based model of consonant classification.
Effects of minimum legal drinking age on alcohol and marijuana use: evidence from toxicological testing data for fatally injured drivers aged 16 to 25 years

Alcohol and marijuana are among the most commonly used drugs by adolescents and young adults. The question of whether these two drugs are substitutes or complements has important implications for public policy and prevention strategies, especially as laws regarding the use of marijuana are rapidly changing. Data were drawn from fatally injured drivers aged 16 to 25 who died within 1 h of the crash in nine states with high rates of toxicology testing based from 1999 to 2011 on the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (N = 7,191). Drug tests were performed using chromatography and radioimmunoassay techniques based on blood and/or urine specimens. Relative risk regression and Joinpoint permutation analysis were used. Overall, 50.5% of the drivers studied tested positive for alcohol or marijuana. Univariable relative risk modeling revealed that reaching the minimum legal drinking age was associated with a 14% increased risk of alcohol use (RR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.28), a 24% decreased risk of marijuana use (RR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.53 to 1.10), and a 22% increased risk of alcohol plus marijuana use (RR=1.22, 95% CI: 0.90 to 1.66). Joinpoint permutation analysis indicated that the prevalence of alcohol use by age is best described by two slopes, with a change at age 21. There was limited evidence for a change at age 21 for marijuana use. These results suggest that among adolescents and young adults, increases in alcohol availability after reaching the MLDA have marginal effect on marijuana use.
A new allele of Lyl1 confirms its important role in hematopoietic stem cell function.

Lyl1 codes for a bHLH protein that is an important regulator of hematopoietic stem cell function. An existing mutant allele of Lyl1 features a lacZ gene inserted in-frame into the fourth exon, leaving behind the N-terminus and the DNA-binding basic region, resulting in a translated chimeric protein. Here, we have generated a null allele, which allowed us to examine residual function of the N-terminus in the absence of a bHLH region. The new Lyl1−/− mouse model exhibited a reduced ability to generate lymphoid lineages and a somewhat more severe hematopoietic repopulation defect when transplanting purified hematopoietic stem cells. Our data show that in the absence of the HLH but presence of the N-terminus, residual function of the Lyl1 is detectable but relatively minor. The new model may be of use for studies of Lyl1 in which a null allele is required, or for which presence of the LacZ may complicate the combined use of additional mouse models bearing the lacZ marker.
Disulfide bonds in ER protein folding and homeostasis

Proteins that are expressed outside the cell must be synthesized, folded, and assembled in a way that ensures they can function in their designate location. Accordingly, these proteins are primarily synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which has developed a chemical environment more similar to that outside the cell. This organelle is equipped with a variety of molecular chaperones and folding enzymes that both assist the folding process, while at the same time exerting tight quality control measures that are largely absent outside the cell. A major post-translational modification of ER-synthesized proteins is disulfide bridge formation, which is catalyzed by the family of protein disulfide isomerases. As this covalent modification provides unique structural advantages to extracellular proteins, multiple pathways to disulfide bond formation have evolved. However, the advantages that disulfide bonds impart to these proteins come at a high cost to the cell. Very recent reports have shed light on how the cell can deal with or even exploit the side reactions of disulfide bond formation to maintain homeostasis of the ER and its folding machinery.
Reduced complexity receivers for layered space-time CPM

Layered space-time (LST) transmissions employing continuous phase modulations (CPM) are well motivated for both bandwidth- and power-limited multiantenna communications. However, one of the major challenges for LST-CPM is the high complexity it incurs with maximum likelihood (ML) detection. In this paper, we develop reduced complexity LST-CPM receivers. First, we consider single antenna systems. Specifically, we study a reduced complexity Viterbi receiver for binary CPM. Based on this design, we introduce differential encoding for a class of CPM signals and analyze its performance gain both theoretically and with simulations. Second, we focus on multiantenna LST systems with minimum shift-keying (MSK)-type modulations. With group nulling-canceling (NC) and low-complexity linear equalization, we convert a coded multiuser detection problem into an uncoded one with small equalization loss. We also find that the combination of sphere decoding with hard-decision iterative processing is effective in boosting performance with a controllable complexity increase. Both analytical and simulated performance confirm that the novel LST-MSK receiver exhibits markedly improved performance relative to conventional NC detectors with moderate complexity increase.
Bandwidth tracking in distributed heterogeneous networking environments

This work investigates bandwidth tracking algorithms in a version of a distributed heterogeneous data dissemination system called the Agile Information Control Environment (AICE). In this environment, the probability of setup or rejection of communication requests has to be derived without any updated knowledge of the actual topologies of the underlying networks. In this paper, a network learning algorithm is therefore introduced that is able to predict the setup/rejection of a communication request with a high accuracy of around 80% by tracking the average spare bandwidth of end-to-end communication channels. The learning algorithm uses elements of exponential growth coupled with a binary search. This enables the learner to quickly learn about changes in the network topology and traffic load. It is shown that the learner is able to predict request setup/rejection with a high accuracy without any information about underlying network topologies. To maximize the learner performance, an initial full mesh aggregation of the underlying network topology at system startup should be used.
Fetuin-A and Change in Body Composition in Older Persons

Context: Fetuin-A inhibits the insulin receptor in vitro. Higher serum fetuin-A concentrations are associated with type 2 diabetes longitudinally and greater adiposity in cross-sectional analyses. Whether higher fetuin-A concentrations are associated with accumulation of adiposity over time is unknown. Objective: To determine the association of fetuin-A levels with changes in body composition over 5 yr. Study Design: Observational cohort study nested in the Health Aging and Body Composition Study. Predictor: Serum fetuin-A levels. Outcomes: Visceral adipose tissue (VAT), abdominal sc adipose tissue, and thigh muscle area by computed tomography, and waist circumference and body mass index were measured at baseline and again after 5 yr. Percent change and extreme change (>1.5 sds) in each measure were calculated. Results: Over 5 yr, subjects lost body mass in each measure, including 6% decline in VAT. Yet each sd (0.42 g/liter) higher fetuin-A concentration was associated with a 5.5% increase in VAT over 5 ...
Can Erythropoietin Improve Developmental Outcomes for Preterm Infants

A safe pharmacotherapeutic intervention is needed to mitigate neonatal brain injury resulting from perinatal asphyxia, stroke, or intracerebral hemorrhage. The ideal treatment would be readily available, relatively inexpensive, safe to use in preterm and term infants, require no special equipment, be effective with an acute regimen, be trophic in both neuronal and glial cells, and reduce cell loss by arresting both inflammatory and apoptotic cellular processes. A treatment meeting these criteria might be used globally to help reduce the estimated 920000 annual mortalities associated with perinatal asphyxia. The leading candidate under investigation is erythropoietin. Experimental data have thoroughly documented the neuroprotective actions of erythropoietin, and this cytokine is now being considered as a treatment for spinal cord injury,1 traumatic brain injury,2, 3 ischemic stroke,4 multiple … Address correspondence to Ronald J. McPherson, PhD, University of Washington, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Box 356320, Seattle, WA 98195. E-mail: neuron{at}uw.edu
Synthesis, Characterization, and Photophysical Properties of Three Platinum(II) Complexes Bearing Fluorescent Analogues of the Di-2-pyridylmethane Ligand

Three new ligands of the general formula [RNHCH(py)2] (py = pyridine; R = tosyl, Ts-dpm; R = dansyl, Ds-dpm; R = 7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole, NBD-dpm) have been synthesized and characterized. Reactions of these ligands with cis-[Pt(DMSO)2Cl2] (DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide) in methanol affords [Pt(Ts-dpm)Cl2] (1), [Pt(Ds-dpm)Cl2] (2), and [Pt(NBD-dpm)Cl2] (3). The crystal structures of these complexes reveal bidentate coordination of the ligands to the Pt center with nonplanar chelate rings. Because of inequivalent substituents on the methine carbon atom of the ligands, distinct exo and endo isomers exist in the three complexes. X-ray analyses indicate that 1 crystallizes in the endo conformation, 2 in the exo conformation, and 3 as a mixture of the two conformers. The 1H NMR and 195Pt NMR spectra of the complexes display two sets of independent signals corresponding to the chemically inequivalent exo and endo conformers. The exo conformer was determined by 2D NMR spectroscopy to be thermodynamically favored...
Which couples at given parities expect to have additional births? An exercise in discriminant analysis.

Do couples at given parities who expect to have additional births differ on selected characteristics from their counterparts who do not expect to have any more children? This question is examined herein focusing attention on the wife’s age, age at marriage, religion, and education and the husband’s education and income. The method used is the discriminant-function analysis. The data are from the 1965 U. S. National Fertility Study. The combined discriminatory power of the social and economic background characteristics examined herein has been found to be greater at higher parities than at lower ones, while the opposite is true of demographic characteristics.
Long-term follow-up of patients with birdshot retinochoroidopathy treated with systemic immunosuppression.

Purpose: Birdshot retinochoroidopathy (BRC) is a rare uveitis syndrome of presumed autoimmune etiology. Therapy with systemic and periocular corticosteroids is of inconsistent efficacy, attendant with numerous potential long-term side effects. Corticosteroid-sparing strategies with agents such as cyclosporine A or azathioprine have been suggested for this disease. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of patients with BRC who were evaluated consecutively at a tertiary-care, referral-based North American uveitis clinic over a 15-year period. Results: Eleven Caucasian patients (22 eyes) were diagnosed with BRC, representing approximately 1% of all cases seen at the uveitis clinic. HLA-A29 was positive in all 11 patients. We elected to treat five patients with azathioprine, methotrexate, cyclosporine A, mycophenolate mofetil, and/or IvIg, as well as systemic or periocular corticosteroid injections. The median period of follow-up for the five treated patients was six years (range: 8 months–1...
Dietary omega-3 fatty acids and ionizing irradiation on human breast cancer xenograft growth and angiogenesis

Background The effects of an omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid enriched diet alone and in combination with gamma irradiation (IR) therapy in nude mice bearing a human MDA-MB231 breast cancer xenograft were tested. The cancer cells were injected into the mammary fat pad of young female mice. Six weeks later, mice were randomly divided into two diet groups: 1) mice with 10% corn oil (rich in omega 6 fatty acids) in their food, 2) mice consuming a 10% fat diet that was enriched in n-3 fatty acids. After two weeks on the diet, treatment with 200 cGy of IR every second day for four treatments (total 800 cGy) was initiated on half of the mice from each diet group. Some mice in each of the 4 groups were euthanized 24 hours after the end of IR while the remaining mice were followed for 3 additional weeks. Tumor sections were stained for endothelial cells with CD31 and PAS and for hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-α).
Reproduction and den site selection by wolves in a disturbed landscape.

Abstract We studied litter sizes, den characteristics, and den site selection by wolves (Canis lupus ligoni) on Prince of Wales and adjacent islands in Southeast Alaska, USA. The study area was extensively logged and roaded enabling us to examine effects of those factors on den site selection. We counted pups in dens during May using an infrared video camera with a flexible-shaft. We recorded habitat features at dens and used logistic regression to compare den site characteristics within 100-m and 1000-m circular buffers around dens with randomly matched unused locations. Litter size averaged 4.1 (SD = 1.7) pups, however, average litter sizes of six first-time breeding females were smaller ( = 3.0, SD = 2.5). Dens were located in root wads of large living or dead trees within old-growth forest stands <150m from freshwater. Within 100-m and 1000-m buffers, wolves selected coarse-canopy old-growth forest stands and muskegs adjacent to lakes, ponds or streams, on gentle slopes, that were farther from logged ...
Transient customization of mobile computing infrastructure

Kimberley is a system that simplifies transient use of fixed hardware infrastructure by a mobile device. It uses virtual machine (VM) technology to resolve the tension between standardizing infrastructure for ease of deployment and maintenance, and customizing that infrastructure to meet the specific needs of a user. Kimberley decomposes the state of a customized VM into a widely-available base VM and a much smaller private VM overlay. The base is downloaded by the infrastructure in advance. Only the small overlay needs to be delivered from the mobile device, or under its control from a public web site. This strategy keeps startup delay low. It may also conserve energy on the mobile device by reducing the volume of wireless transmission. We have built a prototype of Kimberley, and our experiments confirm the feasibility of this approach.
Photochemistry and Photobiology of Cryptochrome Blue-light Photopigments: The Search for a Photocycle

Cryptochromes are flavoproteins that exhibit high sequence and structural similarity to the light-dependent DNA-repair enzyme, photolyase. Cryptochromes have lost the ability to repair DNA; instead, they use the energy from near-UV/blue light to regulate a variety of growth and adaptive processes in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. The photocycle of cryptochrome is not yet known, although it is hypothesized that it may share some similarity to that of photolyase, which utilizes light-driven electron transfer from the catalytic flavin chromophore. In this review, we present genetic evidence for the photoreceptive role of cryptochromes and discuss recent biochemical studies that have furthered our understanding of the cryptochrome photocycle. In particular, the role of the unique C-terminal domain in cryptochrome phototransduction is discussed.
Purinergic Receptors: Key Mediators of HIV-1 Infection and Inflammation

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) causes a chronic infection that afflicts more than 30 million individuals worldwide. While the infection can be suppressed with potent antiretroviral therapies, individuals infected with HIV-1 have elevated levels of inflammation as indicated by increased T cell activation, soluble biomarkers, and associated morbidity and mortality. A single mechanism linking HIV-1 pathogenesis to this inflammation has yet to be identified. Purinergic receptors are known to mediate inflammation and have been shown to be required for HIV-1 infection at the level of HIV-1 membrane fusion. Here, we review the literature on the role of purinergic receptors in HIV-1 infection and associated inflammation and describe a role for these receptors as potential therapeutic targets.
The Consumption and Utilization of Food by Insects

Publisher Summary A great deal is known concerning the qualitative nutritional requirements of insects. The quantitative aspects of insect nutrition have, however, received less attention, and there have been few studies on the rates of intake and the efficiency of food utilization. In particular, relatively little is known concerning the intake, digestibility and efficiency of conversion of defined diets. Quantitative work with artificial diets has usually involved only measurements of the amount of a particular nutrient required per unit of diet. Insects as a group feed upon a remarkably diverse list of organic substances. At the same time most species show a high degree of specificity in their choice of food. It seems apparent that adaptive nutritional differences must be sought on a quantitative level and that a meaningful comparative nutrition of insects will not emerge until quantitative studies are emphasized. The determination of absolute requirements for dietary constituents depends upon the measurement of intake. Differences in food efficiency can be demonstrated only by measuring intake and growth. Digestibility should also be measured since it can be expected to vary widely with different foods. The efficiency with which digested food is used for growth will vary not only with the maintenance requirement for energy but also with the balance of nutrients.