cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of hyperbaric oxygenation on metabolism. IV. Time sequence of biochemical changes at 5 atmospheres 100% oxygen.

SummaryFasted male Sprague-Dawley rats (150-200 g) were exposed to 100% oxygen at 5 ATA pressure for 30, 60, and 90 minutes, and ATP concentration, succinic dehydrogenase activity, % free cathepsin activity, % free ribonuclease activity, acid soluble and total nitrogen, and tissue buffer capacity were determined on brain, liver and kidney. ATP concentrations decreased at 30 minutes, returned toward normal at 60 minutes, and showed marked decrease at 90 minutes. Free ribonuclease activity showed an inverse relationship to ATP concentration. This would implicate ATP in the maintenance of lysosome membrane integrity with respect to ribonuclease permeability. Succinic dehydrogenase activity decreased continuously with time of HPO exposure. Free cathepsin activity increased continuously through the 90 minute exposure in brain and liver. Free cathepsin activity increased in kidney through 60 minutes, but at 90 minutes showed a decrease which is attributed to a marked decrease in both free and total cathepsin ac...
Incision choice for cesarean delivery in obese patients: experience in a university hospital

Objective: Cesarean deliveries in obese patients are surgically difficult and associated with a higher incidence of complications. The choices of skin or uterine incision are subjective. Our aim was to determine the impact of different incisions on the speed of the operation and the intraoperative and postoperative morbidity in obese patients. Methods: We conducted a 14-month retrospective review of all primary singleton cesarean deliveries performed at our institution. The abdominal (vertical: V, or Pfannenstiel: P) and uterine incision (low transverse: L, or classical: C) were evaluated by one-way and two-way ANOVA for their impact on the time of delivery (skin–baby) based on maternal weight in obese (>200 lb) versus nonobese women. Measures of intraoperative and postoperative morbidity included EBL, wound infections, and metritis. Results: Seventy-one patients were subjects of this study. Forty-five patients (63%) met criteria for obesity (265.1 ± 8.4 lbs), significantly different from nonobese patients (156.5 ± 4.1 lbs). PL was the most frequent association both in the obese (64%, n = 29) and nonobese (88%, n = 23), with an average skin–baby time of 9.4 ± 0.8 minutes and 9.9 ± 1.1minutes, respectively (P < 0.05). In both obese and nonobese patients, a C was associated with a higher rate of prematurity and NICU admission. When a C was performed, the time was longer if the patient was obese (16.4 ± 2.8 min) versus nonobese (9.07 + 1.2 min), P = 0.03). Skin incisions did not affect the speed of delivery. In obese patients, VL had the highest EBL (1,167 ± 3.57 cc) and PL the lowest (1,075 ± 5.1cc, P = 0.02), both increased compared with nonobese patients with similar incisions. Metritis, but not wound infection, was more frequent in obese patients (20%) versus nonobese patients (3%), irrespective of the incision type. Length of stay was not affected either by obesity or by incision type. Conclusions: The combination of P and L is preferred for cesarean delivery in both obese and nonobese patients. For obese patients, PL is further advantageous because it improves speed of operation, blood loss, and rate of complications.
Increased reticulated platelets in dialysis patients

Increased reticulated platelets in dialysis patients. The purpose of this study was to measure the percent reticulated platelets and platelet counts in patients on chronic hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and normal volunteers. The relationship between the percent reticulated platelets and the platelet count can then be used to determine the rate of platelet turnover. Platelet rich plasma was obtained, platelets were fixed and incubated with thiazole orange and analyzed for the percent reticulated platelets by flow cytometry. Normal controls had a mean of 2.77 ± 0.17% reticulated platelets while peritoneal dialysis patients had a mean percent reticulated platelets of 6.92 ± 0.68 ( P P P = 0.05 vs. peritoneal dialysis patients). Platelet counts did not differ significantly among the three groups. The identity of reticulated platelets was confirmed in experiments measuring platelet specific glycoproteins, experiments using RNase, and in mixing experiments with normal and uremic platelets and plasma. We conclude that dialysis patients have a marked increase in circulating reticulated platelets compared to normal controls, indicating accelerated platelet turnover. Increased platelet activation and turnover may contribute to the qualitative platelet dysfunction observed in dialysis patients.
Influencing children’s self-efficacy and self-regulation of reading and writing through modeling

According to Bandura's social cognitive theory, self-efficacy and self-regulation are key processes that affect students' learning and achievement. This article discusses students' reading and writing performances using Zimmerman's four-phase social cognitive model of the development of self-regulatory competence. Modeling is an effective means of building self-regulatory and academic skills and of raising self-efficacy. Reading and writing research is discussed in which modeling was employed to enhance self-efficacy, skills, and self-regulation across multiple phases of Zimmerman's model. The article concludes by suggesting instructional applications based on social cognitive theory and research findings.
Simulation of solid deformation during solidification: Shearing and compression of polycrystalline structures

Deformation of the semi-solid mush during solidification is a common phenomenon in metal casting. At relatively high fractions of solid, grain boundaries play a key role in determining the mechanical behavior of solidifying structures, but little is known about the interplay between solidification and deformation. In the present study, a polycrystalline phase-field model is combined with a material point method stress analysis to numerically simulate the coupled solidification and elasto-viscoplastic deformation behavior of a pure substance in two dimensions. It is shown that shearing of a semi-solid structure occurs primarily in relatively narrow bands near or inside the grain boundaries or in the thin junctions between different dendrite arms. The deformations can cause the formation of low-angle tilt grain boundaries inside individual dendrite arms. In addition, grain boundaries form when different arms of a deformed single dendrite impinge. During compression of a high-solid fraction dendritic structure, the deformations are limited to a relatively thin layer along the compressing boundary. The compression causes consolidation of this layer into a fully solid structure that consists of numerous sub-grains. It is recommended that an improved model be developed for the variation of the mechanical properties inside grain boundaries.
The Rossi X-ray timing explorer: Capabilities, achievements and aims

The prime scientific objectives of the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) were the study of astrophysical compact objects: black holes (galactic and extragalactic), many types of neutron stars, and accreting white dwarfs. RXTE was successful in achieving its original observing objectives of large area and high time resolution observations with broadband (2-200 keV) spectra, scheduled flexibly enough to enable observations of targets of opportunity on any timescale greater than a few hours. These capabilities enabled qualitatively new discoveries about dynamical timescale phenomena related to neutron stars and black holes, phenomena which probe basic physics in the most extreme environments of gravity, density, and magnetic fields. RXTE has extended its lifetime by applying the proportional counter area selectively and maintains schedule flexibility by making use of the distribution of targets around the sky. Proposed future observations emphasize opportunity to discover and study additional millisecond pulsars, pursue the high frequency quasi-periodic oscillations in black hole transients, and connect high frequency phenomena with longer term characteristics. RXTE will continue to strongly support, for both galactic and extragalactic targets, combining RXTE observations with other wavelengths (from IR to TeV) or with other capabilities, such as high spectral resolution.
Acidic solvent extraction of gossypol from cottonseed meal

To expand the use of cottonseed protein in animal feeding, cottonseed meal was extracted with acetone- and ethanol-based solutions to remove gossypol. Phosphoric acid and water were included in the solutions to catalyze the hydrolysis of protein-bound gossypol. Both solvents were effective at reducing the total gossypol level in meal to between 5% and 10% of its initial value. Gossypol extraction occurred much faster in the ethanol-based extractions than it did in the acetone-based extractions. Treated meals tended to retain phosphorus but most of this could be removed by conducting a final water wash. Water washing also removed hydrophilic components resulting in reduced product yields but increased protein levels. Other acids, e.g., oxalic, citric, or sulfuric acid, were also effective at reducing meal gossypol. In contrast, extractions conducted without acid were not effective. The process can be used to produce low-gossypol cottonseed meals that should be useful in a broader range of feed applications.
Chemical equilibration of plasma-deposited amorphous silicon with thermally generated atomic hydrogen.

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) from ${\mathrm{SiH}}_{4}$ have been further hydrogenated in situ by exposure to atomic H generated by a filament heated in ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ gas. Upon equilibration of the network with gas-phase H, as many as \ensuremath{\sim}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{21}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$ additional Si-H bonds form within the top 200 \AA{} of the film without significant etching, surface roughening, or coordination defect generation. Real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry is applied to study the kinetics of near-surface Si-H bond formation at 250 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C in order to improve our understanding of the effects of excess atomic H in the a-Si:H growth environment. Atomic H entering the film surface exhibits an effective diffusion coefficient g3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}15}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/s and is trapped within the top 200 \AA{} of the film at a rate of \ensuremath{\sim}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$ ${\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. Most of this H is trapped irreversibly on the time scale of deposition with emission rates 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}7}$ ${\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. We also find that monolayer levels of surface oxide are an effective diffusion barrier to H, preventing chemical equilibration between the gas and solid phases.
Influence of Dimethyl Sulfoxide on the Hemolytic Activity of Antimicrobial Preservatives I

The influence of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on the hemolytic activity of various chemical types of antimicrobial preservatives has been investigated in vitro, using rabbit erythrocytes. Irrespective of the chemical type of preservative, DMSO causes a depression in the hemolytic response of the erythrocytes to the preservative agents. This depression, which is greatest when the DMSO concentration is between 10 and 20%, is dependent upon preservative concentration and time. The degree of the hemolytic depression caused by the presence of DMSO is decreased with an increase in the concentration of the preservative agent or with an increase in the time of exposure. It was concluded that DMSO affects the rate of preservative-induced hemolysis, probably due to a cellular mechanism rather than to an extracellular preservative-DMSO chemical interaction.
Procrustes matching by congruence coefficients

Matching by Procrustes methods involves the transformation of one matrix to match with another. A special least squares criterion, the congruence coefficient, has advantages as a criterion for some factor analytic interpretations. A Procrustes method maximizing the congruence coefficient is given. This solution is identical to Mosier's [1939] approximate solution, but is an exact solution for maximum congruence.
Control of cell adhesion and growth with micropatterned supported lipid membranes

In this work, phospholipid bilayers are employed as biomimetic coating materials to modulate the adhesion and growth of cells on solid substrates. A variety of lipid compositions and charge densities are examined. Culturing cells on these supported membranes reveals that fluid lipid bilayers generally block cell adhesion with a notable exception provided by membranes containing phosphatidylserine, which strongly promote adhesion and growth. This dichotomy is utilized with micropatterned membrane technology to selectively direct cell growth to specified regions on a substrate. Lipid composition in micropatterned membrane arrays is demonstrated to be a simple and effective means of patterning cell growth on surfaces.
Structural and functional insights into PINCH LIM4 domain-mediated integrin signaling.

PINCH is an adaptor protein found in focal adhesions, large cellular complexes that link extracellular matrix to the actin cytoskeleton. PINCH, which contains an array of five LIM domains, has been implicated as a platform for multiple protein–protein interactions that mediate integrin signaling within focal adhesions. We had previously characterized the LIM1 domain of PINCH, which functions in focal adhesions by binding specifically to integrin-linked kinase. Using NMR spectroscopy, we show here that the PINCH LIM4 domain, while maintaining the conserved LIM scaffold, recognizes the third SH3 domain of another adaptor protein, Nck2 (also called Nckβ or Grb4), in a manner distinct from that of the LIM1 domain. Point mutation of LIM residues in the SH3-binding interface disrupted LIM–SH3 interaction and substantially impaired localization of PINCH to focal adhesions. These data provide novel structural insight into LIM domain–mediated protein–protein recognition and demonstrate that the PINCH-Nck2 interaction is an important component of the focal adhesion assembly during integrin signaling.
In vitro intermittent hypoxia: challenges for creating hypoxia in cell culture.

Abstract Intermittent hypoxia has been implicated in morbidities associated with sleep apnea, and may be a novel cellular signal for inflammation [J. Appl. Physiol. 90 (2001) 1986]. Standard cell culture has two major limitations for studying the effects of steady-state P O 2 and intermittent hypoxia. First, convective mixing in the culture media can be variable, making precise control of cellular P O 2 difficult. Second, diffusion of oxygen through the culture media slows changes in cellular P O 2 after rapid changes in the gas phase P O 2 . Our estimates of diffusional transients for standard cell culture suggest significant restrictions in the ability to cycle P O 2 at frequencies relevant to intermittent hypoxia. We present a novel system for forced convection cell culture with adherent cells inside capillary tubing. Steady state cellular P O 2 is regulated to an accuracy of approximately 1 Torr. The response time for cycling of P O 2 is less than 1.6 sec. This system is ideally suited for studies of intermittent hypoxia in adherent cells.
Orbits homoclinic to centre manifolds of conservative PDEs

In this paper, perturbations to orbits homoclinic to saddle-centres for conservative systems are considered. We prove that if the Hessian of the conserved energy at the saddle-centre is positive definite in the centre directions, then either single bump orbits homoclinic to the saddle-centre persist or its centre-unstable and centre-stable manifolds intersect transversally, where the centre manifold is stable. The return map induced by the homoclinic orbits to the centre manifold and applications to sine-Gordon breathers, homoclinic orbits for nonlinear Schrodinger equations, and periodic travelling waves for Klein–Gordon equations are discussed.
A Disconnect between High-Affinity Binding and Efficient Regulation by Antifolates and Purines in the Tetrahydrofolate Riboswitch.

The tetrahydrofolate (THF) riboswitch regulates folate transport and metabolism in a number of Firmicutes by cooperatively binding two molecules of THF. To further understand this riboswitch's specificity for THF, binding and regulatory activity of a series of THF analogs and antifolates were examined. Our data reveal that although binding is dominated by the RNA's interactions with the pterin moiety, the para-aminobenzoic acid (pABA) moiety plays a significant role in transcriptional regulation. Further, we find that adenine and several other analogs bind with high affinity by an alternative binding mechanism. Despite a similar affinity to THF, adenine is a poor regulator of transcriptional attenuation. These results demonstrate that binding alone does not determine a compound's effectiveness in regulating the activity of the riboswitch-a complication in current efforts to develop antimicrobials that target these RNAs.
Controlled overflowing of data-intensive jobs from oversubscribed sites

The CMS analysis computing model was always relying on jobs running near the data, with data allocation between CMS compute centers organized at management level, based on expected needs of the CMS community. While this model provided high CPU utilization during job run times, there were times when a large fraction of CPUs at certain sites were sitting idle due to lack of demand, all while Terabytes of data were never accessed. To improve the utilization of both CPU and disks, CMS is moving toward controlled overflowing of jobs from sites that have data but are oversubscribed to others with spare CPU and network capacity, with those jobs accessing the data through real time Xrootd streaming over WAN. The major limiting factor for remote data access is the ability of the source storage system to serve such data, so the number of jobs accessing it must be carefully controlled. The CMS approach to this is to implement the overflowing by means of glideinWMS, a Condor based pilot system, and by providing the WMS with the known storage limits and let it schedule jobs within those limits. This paper presents the detailed architecture of the overflow-enabled glideinWMS system, together with operational experience of the past 6 months.
Spectrophotometric determination of total gossypol in cottonseed meal and cottonseed meats.

An improved method has been developed for the determination of total gossypol in cottonseed and cottonseed meal. The sample is heated with aniline to convert the gossypol to dianilinogossypol, which is extracted with chloroform and measured spectrophotometrically. The values for total gossypol are slightly higher and more accurate and precise as determined by the proposed method because of more complete extraction than by a recent p-anisidine method or the revised A.O.C.S. Tentative Method Ba 8-55. The advantages of the proposed method are its simplicity, accuracy, reproducibility, and expeditiousness.
4-carboxy-1,2-cyclohexanedionedioxime complexes of nickel(ii) in alkaline media

Abstract The reactions of 4-carboxy-1,2-cyclohexanedionedioxime and nickel(II) were studied in alkaline media. Spectrophotometric studies indicate the presence of a 1:1 complex ion, NiD - . Magnetic susceptibility measurements on a series of solutions of varying ratios of vic -dioxime and nickel(II) showed that the 1:1 complex ion was diamagnetic and that two paramagnetic complexes, probably NiD 2 4- and NiD 3 7- , are present in solution. The stability constants for the three complexes were calculated from spectrophotometric and magnetic susceptibility data. The log K values were found to be log K 1 = 28.74 ± 0.60, log K 2 = 0.76 ± 0.15, and log K 3 = 3.67 ± 0.73, respectively.
Channel Length Dependence of the Body-Factor Effect in NMOS Devices

The dependence of threshold voltage on substrate bias in NMOS devices is reevaluated in the light of a large sample of data for short-channel length devices (0.8 ?m < L < 8 ?m). Existing models [1], [2] do not fit the data with the necessary accuracy for circuit simulation of short channel devices. A new model involving only process parameters is presented which may also be used to evaluate xj and Nsub from a limited amount of observations if long channel devices are not available. Agreement with SUPREM is excellent.
Infusion of intravenous fluids distal to pneumatic antishock trousers

The pneumatic antishock trouser garment is a widely used adjunct in the stabilization of the hypotensive patient. Successful resuscitation may require infusion of intravenous (IV) solutions below the diaphragm. However, once all three sections of the pneumatic antishock trousers are inflated, the only IV access available below the diaphragm with the garment inflated is in the foot or ankle. To determine the feasibility of infusing IV solutions distal to the garment, an IV catheter was inserted percutaneously in an ankle or foot vein (saphenous if possible) of ten volunteers. With a Jobst three-section antishock air pants garment in place but deflated, each volunteer was injected via a 3-mL syringe with a measured amount of xenon 133 dissolved in 2 mL of normal saline. The 133Xe was then rapidly flushed with 250 mL of normal saline using a blood infusion hand pump. Time required for 133Xe to reach the central circulation was measured using a gamma emissions camera. The above procedure was then repeated with the garment inflated to 40 and then to 100 mm of mercury. There was no statistically significant difference in the amount of time to reach peak concentration of 133Xe in the thorax or in the time required to infuse 250 mL of normal saline via hand pump with the garment inflated to 0, 40, or 100 mm Hg. These results indicate that IV solutions may be rapidly infused under pressure distal to the pneumatic antishock trousers and reach the central circulation without significant delay.
Reduced importation of tuberculosis after the implementation of an enhanced pre-immigration screening protocol.

SETTING: Importation of infectious tuberculosis (TB) threatens TB control in California and the United States. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of an enhanced pre-immigration screening and treatment protocol to prevent the importation of infectious TB. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of immigrants ≥15 years of age with TB suspect classifications who were screened for TB in their countries of origin before (pre-intervention cohort) and after (post-intervention cohort) implementation of enhanced pre-immigration screening. Enhanced pre-immigration screening added sputum cultures to the existing screening system based on sputum smears for persons with abnormal chest radiographs. RESULTS: The pre- and post-intervention cohorts included respectively 2049 and 1430 immigrants. The occurrence of tuberculosis ≤6 months after US arrival in this population decreased following the intervention, from 4.2% (86 cases) to 1.5% (22 cases, P < 0.001). Among pre-intervention cohort cases, 14% were sputum acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear-positive and 81% were sputum culture-positive for TB, compared with 5 % sputum AFB smear-positive (P = 0.46) and 68% sputum culture-positive (P = 0.18) among the post-intervention cohort cases. CONCLUSION: The enhanced pre-immigration screening was associated with a decline in the proportion of immigrants with TB suspect classifications identified with TB within 6 months of arrival in the United States. Continued state and national surveillance is critical to monitor the effectiveness of the revised pre-immigration screening as it is implemented in additional countries.
Efficient storage and analysis of immunogenetic phenotypes: the phenotype-element technique

Abstract An efficient means of representing genetic phenotype data is presented. This method employs ‘phenotype elements’, which are trinary indicators of observed traits. Each phenotype element describes phenotypic information such as an individual's reaction to an antiserum, and assumes a value of positive, negative or unknown. A genotype-phenotype table allows calculation of possible genotypes which correspond to a given phenotype. Applications of the technique are discussed.
The Effects of Winds on Water Levels on the New England Coast1

Tidal records from Nantucket Sound, Cape Cod; Montauk, Long Island; and Portland, Maine, have been studied along with wind and barometric observations from each location. Results of this study show that departures from mean sea level due to wind may be resolved into two components. The first is a component which refers to symmetrical sinusoidal variation of sea level departure as a function of wind direction and applies to the outer coast and to the general level of Nantucket Sound in particular. The second is an asymmetrical component which refers the responses of sea level at each observing station to local wind force, direction, fetch length, and local topography. Under different circumstances these components vary in relative importance in determining the local departure from mean sea level. In addition to wind direction and velocity, duration and size of wind field may determine whether one component is more important than the other. The varying importance of each component probably governs the time-lag between peak winds and maximum sea level departures which will vary from several hours to as much as twenty hours.
Ligand-independent activation of pituitary ER: dependence on PKA-stimulated pathways.

In pituitary and other target tissues, estrogen acts through ERs, which are ligand-activated nuclear transcription factors. ERs can also be activated by intracellular signaling pathways in a ligand-independent manner in some cells. Because the pituitary is the target of several cAMP-activating factors, we examined the ability of cAMP to activate ERs in the αT3 gonadotrope cell line. Forskolin, 8-bromo-cAMP, and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide all enhanced ER-dependent promoter activity, which was inhibited by antiestrogen or a pituitary-specific inhibitory ER variant. Activation was PKA dependent and was blocked by the PKA inhibitor H89 or cotransfection of the inhibitor PKI. Although cAMP activated MAPK inα T3 cells, inhibition of MAPK with the MEK inhibitor PD98059 did not prevent forskolin-induced ER activation. Similarly, epidermal growth factor did not stimulate ER activity, although it increased MAPK activation. Forskolin-induced activation of ER was enhanced by cotransfection of ...
Clinical aspects of sentinel lymph node biopsy in melanoma

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has evolved over the years to become one of the most useful tools in the treatment of melanoma. Large, multi-institutional studies have confirmed that in experienced hands it is an accurate, reliable technique to identify tumor in the draining lymph nodes. The complications of the procedure are low, and it is generally well tolerated. The presence of melanoma in the sentinel lymph node is the most important predictive factor in patients with intermediate thickness melanomas. In patients with thin melanomas ( 4 mm), most studies have supported the prognostic value of SLN status. Patients with desmoplastic melanomas have a high risk of local recurrence, but low risk of SLN metastasis if the pathology demonstrates a pure desmoplastic form. Younger patients have a higher incidence of positive lymph nodes, yet an overall more favorable prognosis compared to older patients. Patients should understand that this procedure remains primarily a staging tool, as large prospective randomized trials have not demonstrated an overall survival benefit.
Development of habituation in the crayfish due to selective weakening of electrical synapses

During posthatching development, transmission becomes substantially reduced at monosynaptic electrical synapses between tactile afferents and the command neuron for caudal tailflip escape responses of the crayfish. The effectiveness of a parallel disynaptic pathway to the same command neuron is unaltered during posthatching growth. In small crayfish both the monosynaptic and disynaptic sensory pathways can elicit command cell action potentials. At this stage, the characteristics of the tailflip neural circuit are evidently controlled by the shorter latency, non-labile monosynaptic pathway. Consequently, tailflips can be reliably elicited in young crayfish, even at brief (2 s) interstimulus intervals. Tailflip responses of large, older crayfish are known to habituate when tactile stimuli are repeated at intervals up to 5 min. This decline in behavioral responsiveness is presumed to be mediated by low frequency synaptic depression (LFD) at first-order synapses of the disynaptic pathway. The lability of these synapses does not change during post-hatching development. Weakening of the monosynaptic pathway may be caused by command cell growth during posthatching development.
Unpredicted Trajectories: The Relationship Between Race/Ethnicity, Pregnancy During Adolescence, and Young Women's Outcomes

Abstract Purpose Adolescents who become pregnant in the United States are at higher risk for a myriad of health concerns. One would predict even more adverse health outcomes among pregnant adolescents who are from disadvantaged racial/ethnic groups; however, previous studies indirectly suggest the opposite. This study examines whether adolescents from racial/ethnic minority groups are less affected by adolescent pregnancy compared to white adolescents. Methods We used data from 1,867 adolescents participating in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (1995--2001). Our predictor variable was self-reported race/ethnicity. Self-perception of health, educational attainment, and public assistance use in young adulthood were outcome measures. We conducted weighted multivariate logistic regressions and analyzed how adolescent pregnancy modified the relationship between our predictor and outcome variables. Results Black and American Indian young women had significantly higher odds than white young women of receiving public assistance (OR, 2.6 and 2.7, respectively; p p = .03). White young women had significantly lower odds of high educational attainment if they had a live birth in adolescence as compared to those who had not (OR, 0.1; CI=0.1--0.4). Conclusions These findings support studies that found adolescent pregnancy increases the risk of public assistance use and low educational attainment. The study shows that, for educational attainment, black young women who become pregnant may not be as disadvantaged as their peers, whereas white young women who become pregnant are more disadvantaged.
Patterns of compensation of public and private school teachers

Abstract General impressions suggest that public school teachers are paid higher salaries than private school teachers. Indeed, the evidence is consistent with this general impression. But why the difference? Do public school teachers have better qualifications? Are private schools better places in which to work, and are they able to pay lower wages for comparable teachers? Do public and private schools even operate in the same market for teaching personnel? Are those individuals who seek employment in the private school sector from the same population as those seeking public school employment? What part does the ownership structure of the school play in the determination of teacher compensation? It is the purpose of this paper to provide some insights into these and related questions about the patterns of variation in compensation of public and private school teachers. Our findings reveal that public school teachers earn more than teachers in non-public schools. Teachers in parochial schools are the lowest paid, while teachers in non-sectarian private schools are the highest paid among non-public school teachers. There appear to be structural differences in the patterns of wage variation between the different sectors. Public school teachers possess greater quantities of those characteristics that are valued in the market than non-public school teachers. Non-public school teachers sacrifice between 10 and 40% of the public school teacher salary to work in the non-public sector (depending on the type of school within the non-public sector) and they are aware of their sacrifice. Organizational and ownership structure of the school also appears to make a difference in salaries, with profit-making schools being among the lowest paying, second only to parochial schools.
Effects of Gymnema sylvestre on complex tastes elicited by amino acids and sucrose

Abstract The effects of an aqueous decoction of the taste modifier, Gymnema sylvestre , were studied on two amino acids, glycine and dl-alanine, and on sucrose. Each subject (human) estimated the magnitude of each taste quality response category (sour, salty, bitter and sweet) on each presentation of a solution. G extracts produced the expected depression of sweetness for all three chemicals, and also produced depressions and enhancements of some of the other taste quality categories for these stimuli. These results are discussed in terms of: (1) possible reciprocal characteristics of taste quality categories; (2) taste mixtures; and (3) simple and complex taste sources.
Measuring currents between North Atlantic and Nordic seas

The fluxes of water from the North Atlantic to the Nordic seas provide a measure of the water that flows into and out of the global ocean as part of the meridional overturning circulation. The meridional overturning circulation, which carries warm water in the Atlantic from the tropics northward and brings cold dense water back southward, is a key part of global ocean circulation and a strong influence on climate; some research has suggested that the meridional overturning circulation could slow down as the global climate warms. Using an acoustic Doppler current profiler mounted in the high seas ferryNorrona to repeatedly measure the currents in the Faroe-Shetland Channel and over the Iceland-Faroe Ridge, Rossby and Flagg report on 3 years of weekly measurements that provide a new, accurate measure of the exchange of water between the North Atlantic and Nordic seas. The observations will be useful in understanding the meridional overturning circulation. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2012GL051269, 2012)
The Influence of Mood and Symbolic Value on the Evaluation of Destination Logos

This study examined the effects of mood and symbolic value on the evaluation of destination logos. It hypothesized that mood differences activate either holistic or analytic cognitive processing styles that, in turn, influence country logo evaluations. An experiment using a 2 × 3 between-subjects factorial design was conducted with undergraduate students as participants. The results showed that people in a positive mood engaged in holistic elaboration and consequently evaluated country logos more favorably than those in a negative mood. Mood had a great effect on the evaluation of logos with a low symbol-meaning congruence. The findings also suggested that processing style mediated the influence of mood on logo evaluations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Assimilation of Chinese-Americans in Washington, D. C.*

Chinese-Americans in Washington, D. C. were studied to show their present assimilation into American society. Two contradictory hypotheses on the pace of assimilation of Chinese-Americans were test...
Aragonite-associated biomineralization proteins are disordered and contain interactive motifs

Motivation: The formation of aragonite mineral in the mollusk shell or pearl nacre requires the participation of a diverse set of proteins that form the mineralized extracellular matrix. Although self-assembly processes have been identified for several nacre proteins, these proteins do not contain known globular protein–protein binding domains. Thus, we hypothesize that other sequence features are responsible for nacre matrix protein–protein assembly processes and ultimately aragonite biosynthesis. Results: Of 39 mollusk aragonite-associated protein sequences, 100% contain at least one region of intrinsic disorder or unfolding, with the highest percentages found in framework and pearl-associated proteins relative to the intracrystalline proteins. In some instances, these intrinsically disordered regions were identified as bind/fold sequences, and a limited number correlate with known biomineral-relevant sequences. Interestingly, 95% of the aragonite-associated protein sequences were found to contain at least one occurrence of amyloid-like or cross-β strand aggregation-prone supersecondary motifs, and this correlates with known aggregation and aragonite formation functions in three experimentally tested protein sequences. Collectively, our findings indicate that aragonite-associated proteins have evolved signature sequence traits of intrinsic disorder and aggregation-prone regions that are important for their role(s) in matrix assembly and mineralization. Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Studying Distance Students: Methods, Findings, Actions

University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries began studying the library needs of distance learners in 2009 using a variety of approaches to explore and confirm these needs as well as obtain input into how to meet them. Approaches used to date include analysis of both quantitative and qualitative responses by online students to the LibQUAL+® surveys over time, focus groups, observations and interviews. The Libraries administered the LibQUAL+® survey and conducted focus groups. The Libraries then worked with two graduate level qualitative analysis classes, one on campus and one online, to do further study that included additional focus groups, observations, and interviews. The effectiveness, strengths and problems encountered with each method, as well as with the technology used in executing them, are covered. Triangulation of the results of the various methods to confirm findings is discussed as are the actions that are being taken to address the findings.
Decomposition technique for acquiring combined pseudorandom-noise signals

A new technique for fast acquisition of pseudorandom-noise (p.r.n.) signals is derived. By considering that the period of a long combined p.r.n. sequence is equal to the product of the periods of its component sequences, we found that phase synchronisation can be achieved much easier after directly decomposing the received p.r.n. sequence into its component sequences, thus eliminating the sequential search required by the existing methods. Advantages of the proposed technique are: (a) it is easy to implement, (b) there are low probabilities of false alarm and false dismissal, and (c) in the minimising of the correlation time. It could not only significantly improve the existing p.r.n. ranging and tracking systems, but also could strengthen and simplify spread-spectrum communication systems, especially in the secure-code generators and logical-minimisation areas. Examples are presented and discussed.
Sequence-Specific Antibiotics

Deemed a national security priority by President Obama on 18 September 2014, antibiotic resistance threatens domestic and international health. Contributing to the problem is an inadequate pipeline of new antibiotic development to keep pace with rising rates of drug resistance. Now, Bikard et al . present a customizable molecular tool to combat infections with surgical precision. The strategy uses Cas9, a double-stranded DNA nuclease present in bacteria as part of an acquired immune defense mechanism. Cas9 activity is directed by 20-nucleotide sequences derived from crRNA (CRISPR RNA; clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats). Cas9-induced cleavage is thought to result in irreparable DNA lesions that ultimately result in cell death. The final ingredient in this system is the use of phagemids to deliver the system to desired cells. The authors test this system in several experiments, highlighting its effectiveness and specificity. First, they showed that targeting a kanamycin- or methicillin-resistance gene in Staphylococcus aureus by CRISPR-Cas9 selectively killed only those cells harboring that gene. This selective killing means that any normal members of the microbiota would be unaffected. The authors also showed that CRISPR-Cas9 can target plasmids within cells, which frequently harbor and spread antibiotic resistance genes. In contrast to chromosomal targets, these cells did not die. Instead, the cells were cured of the plasmids, providing a mechanism to target resistance so that existing, conventional antibiotics would regain their effectiveness. Last, the authors used a mouse skin infection model to show that topical application of this CRISPR-Cas9 system resulted in targeted decolonization of the desired bacterial population. However, there are important limitations; delivery of the CRISPR-Cas9 system is not absolute. Some targeted cells were not infected, whereas others received a defective CRISPR system. In addition, the necessary dose must be significantly larger than the target population, presenting challenges for large-scale production. Moreover, targeting infection sites that are more complex than mouse skin will need to be demonstrated. Despite these limitations, the CRISPR-Cas9 system is a new approach to antibiotic development, one that offers high selectivity and the potential to resensitize organisms to existing but currently ineffective antimicrobials. D. Bikard et al. , Exploiting CRISPR-Cas nucleases to produce sequence-specific antimicrobials. Nat. Biotechnol. 1038/nbt.3043 (2014). [[Full Text]][1] [1]: http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nbt.3043.html
Metabolic Flux Increases Glycoprotein Sialylation: Implications for Cell Adhesion and Cancer Metastasis

This study reports a global glycoproteomic analysis of pancreatic cancer cells that describes how flux through the sialic acid biosynthetic pathway selectively modulates a subset of N-glycosylation sites found within cellular proteins. These results provide evidence that sialoglycoprotein patterns are not determined exclusively by the transcription of biosynthetic enzymes or the availability of N-glycan sequons; instead, bulk metabolic flux through the sialic acid pathway has a remarkable ability to increase the abundance of certain sialoglycoproteins while having a minimal impact on others. Specifically, of 82 glycoproteins identified through a mass spectrometry and bioinformatics approach, ≈ 31% showed no change in sialylation, ≈ 29% exhibited a modest increase, whereas ≈ 40% experienced an increase of greater than twofold. Increased sialylation of specific glycoproteins resulted in changes to the adhesive properties of SW1990 pancreatic cancer cells (e.g. increased CD44-mediated adhesion to selectins under physiological flow and enhanced integrin-mediated cell mobility on collagen and fibronectin). These results indicate that cancer cells can become more aggressively malignant by controlling the sialylation of proteins implicated in metastatic transformation via metabolic flux.
Inflammatory Monocyte Recruitment Is Regulated by Interleukin-23 during Systemic Bacterial Infection

Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive intracellular pathogen that causes meningitis and septicemia in immunocompromised individuals and spontaneous abortion in pregnant women. The innate immune response against L. monocytogenes is primarily mediated by neutrophils and monocytes. Interleukin-23 (IL-23) is an important proinflammatory cytokine well known for its role in neutrophil recruitment in various infectious and autoimmune diseases. We have previously shown that IL-23 is required for host resistance against L. monocytogenes and for neutrophil recruitment to the liver, but not the spleen, during infection. Despite efficient neutrophil recruitment to the spleen, IL-23p19 knockout (KO) mice have an increased bacterial burden in this organ, suggesting that IL-23 may regulate the recruitment/function of another cell type to the spleen. In this study, we show that specific depletion of neutrophils abrogated the differences in bacterial burdens in the livers but not the spleens of C57BL/6 (B6) and IL-23p19 KO mice. Interestingly, L. monocytogenes-infected IL-23p19 KO mice had fewer monocytes in the spleen than B6 mice, as well as a reduction in the monocyte-recruiting chemokines CCL2 and CCL7. Additionally, the overall concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and nitric oxide (NO(•)), as well as the percentages and total numbers of monocytes producing TNF-α and NO(•), were reduced in IL-23p19 KO mice compared to levels in B6 mice, leading to increased bacterial burdens in the spleens of L. monocytogenes-infected IL-23p19 KO mice. Collectively, our data establish that IL-23 is required for the optimal recruitment of TNF-α- and NO(•)-producing inflammatory monocytes, thus revealing a novel mechanism by which this proinflammatory cytokine provides protection against bacterial infection.
A Qualitative Study of Job Placement Provider Decisions in Vocational Rehabilitation

A modified consensual qualitative research approach was taken to determine factors that influence job placement services in selected state Vocational Rehabilitation agencies. Thirty-five counselors, supervisors, and administrators participated in semistructured interviews on job placement and how they determine whether the counselor or another professional (e.g., in-house placement specialist, community rehabilitation provider) provides the direct service. Results indicated that several factors were noted by at least half of the participants, including anticipated intensity of services needed by the client, counselor caseload size/available time, existing employer relationships, availability of a placement service provider, and placement skills. Results highlight the impact of consistently high client volume on placement services, particularly for individuals with the most significant disabilities. Implications related to the current state of policy and practice for placement services, as well as potentia...
Mammalian PAR-1 determines epithelial lumen polarity by organizing the microtubule cytoskeleton

Epithelial differentiation involves the generation of luminal surfaces and of a noncentrosomal microtubule (MT) network aligned along the polarity axis. Columnar epithelia (e.g., kidney, intestine, and Madin-Darby canine kidney [MDCK] cells) generate apical lumina and orient MT vertically, whereas liver epithelial cells (hepatocytes and WIFB9 cells) generate lumina at cell–cell contact sites (bile canaliculi) and orient MTs horizontally. We report that knockdown or inhibition of the mammalian orthologue of Caenorhabditis elegans Par-1 (EMK1 and MARK2) during polarization of cultured MDCK and WIFB9 cells prevented development of their characteristic lumen and nonradial MT networks. Conversely, EMK1 overexpression induced the appearance of intercellular lumina and horizontal MT arrays in MDCK cells, making EMK1 the first known candidate to regulate the developmental branching decision between hepatic and columnar epithelial cells. Our experiments suggest that EMK1 primarily promotes reorganization of the MT network, consistent with the MT-regulating role of this gene product in other systems, which in turn controls lumen formation and position.