cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circadian Misalignment, Reward‐Related Brain Function, and Adolescent Alcohol Involvement

In this review, we hypothesize that developmental changes in sleep and circadian rhythms that occur during adolescence may contribute to impaired reward-related brain function, and consequently increase the risk of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Sleep-wake timing tends to shift later during adolescence, driven in part by changes in the endogenous circadian clock. This biologically-driven tendency for later sleep-wake timing conflicts with the earlier sleep-wake schedules demanded by school start times, thus resulting in circadian misalignment. Emerging evidence indicates that circadian misalignment disrupts reward mechanisms. We propose that this disruption of reward mechanisms accelerates the transition from alcohol use to AUDs in vulnerable adolescents. We recognize that adolescent alcohol use is highly contextualized, and thus psychosocial factors that may influence both sleep patterns and alcohol use need to be considered as additional influences or alternative explanations. Furthermore, alcohol use has marked effects on sleep and circadian rhythms (Hasler et al., 2012b, Brower, 2001), adding to the challenge of determining directionality between sleep/circadian disturbance and adolescent alcohol use. We assert here that taking on this challenge is warranted. While psychosocial influences and the effects of alcohol use on sleep and circadian function are also pertinent, we contend that circadian misalignment may be an underappreciated risk factor for adolescent AUDs.
Study of the properties of MgATP2−‐induced stationary bends in demembranated sea urchin sperm

Methods of demembranation and reactivation of Lytechinus pictus sperm were developed that result in non-motile sperm which take on a stable bend of about 3.5 radians at the proximal end of the cell. The middle and distal portion of the flagellum is relatively straight or slightly bent in the same direction forming a somewhat "C" shaped sperm cell. In these studies, we refer to this characteristic shape as the quiescent form, and as opposed to "rigor wave" sperm, the quiescent form is induced and maintained by a relatively high concentration of MgATP2- (greater than 0.2 mM). Other conditions important to the production and maintenance of the quiescent form in demembranated sperm include: starting with concentrated, undiluted sperm, maintaining low Ca++ in the demembranation buffer, using a minimum of 0.2 mM MgATP2- and pH of 7.9-8.1 in the reactivation buffer. Deviation from some of these conditions results in a dramatic increase in motile, asymmetrically beating sperm. Addition of 0.4 mM CaCl2 to the reactivation buffer increased the proximal bend angle to 5 radians. The induction and maintenance of the stationary bend is mediated by dynein activity: "rigor wave" sperm were transformed to the quiescent form upon 0.2 mM ATP addition; micromolar vanadate abolished the quiescent form by "relaxation" of the proximal bend; and the vanadate relaxed sperm were restored to quiescent form by catechol. Importantly, 20 microM cAMP activated motility of the otherwise quiescent-form sperm. Quiescent-form, demembranated sperm were also activated by mild trypsin digestion. These and other data suggest that the quiescent-form sperm are trapped at the end of the principal bend, and these data are consistent with the proposal that the single stationary bend results from asymmetry of active microtubule sliding [Gibbons and Gibbons, (1980): J. Cell Biol. 84:13-27].
Sudden attacks of head pain in a young child

In the evaluation of headaches at any age, the clinical features of the episodes are the most important diagnostic information available. In the patient presented, the nature of the headaches suggests the need for futher study as well as the most fruitful location in which to look.
METABOLIC EFFECTS OF LEAD IN NEWBORN RATS

Lead ingestion produces profound alterations in liver morphology and enzyme levels, as well as plasma protein composition in newborn rats. Seven day old rats were given 0.5ml 1% lead acetate by gastric tube daily × 7 and sacrificed. When compared to littermate controls, lead resulted in significant weight loss (19.6 ± 3.5 vs 24.3 ± 2.0gm) (m ± SD); anemia (Kct 24.2 ± 1.9 vs 31.3 ± 4.4%); kidney enlargement (0.37 ± 0.08 vs 0.28 ± 0.07gm); and encephalopathy (cerebellar hemorrhage). Examination of liver showed no change in liver weight, protein content or DNA and RNA synthesis (3H-thymidine and uridine incorporation). Hepatic UDP-glucuronyl transferase(GT) activity increased 69% in the lead treated newborn rats (1662 ± 301 vs 982 ± 207μM bilirubin/gm/40min). Lead treated adult rats showed a similar significant increase in GT activity (1864 ± 122 vs 1181 ± 172μM/gm/40min). Likewise γ-glutamyl trans-peptidase activity was significantly increased in both newborn and adult rats. Analysis of plasma proteins showed a lead induced increase of 84% in albumin (2.3 ± 0.7 vs 1.3 ± 0.5gm/dl);116% increase in transferrin (12.1 ± 1.9 vs 5.6 ± 2.2mg/ml); and 74% decrease in hemopexin (0.51 ± 0.38 vs 1.96 ± 0.88mg/ml). Morphologically, lead produced ultrastructural alterations in endoplasmic reticulum and the appearance of lamellar membranous bodies. GT is a membrane-bound enzyme which is activated by sulfhydryl-blocking agents and phospholipases. Lead, by binding to sulfhydryl groups and disrupting microsomal membranes may exert similar metabolic effects by “unmasking” active enzyme sites.
Dissipation Loss in Multiple-Coupled-Resonator Filters

This paper examines the effect of dissipation on the response of multiple-coupled-resonator filters designed from lossless prototype low-pass filters. A simple approximate formula makes possible the computation of center-frequency loss in terms of bandwidth, unloaded Q of the resonators, and the parameters of the prototype filter. It is shown how the insertion loss elsewhere in the pass band and stop band may be computed from the prototype filter after modifying its circuit to take account of dissipation in the resonators. The computational techniques are used to compare several symmetrical designs with each other and with unsymmetrical designs having exact maximally-flat and equal-ripple response in the presence of dissipation. It is found that the symmetrical designs offer lower pass-band loss than the unsymmetrical designs. It is proven that a symmetrical filter based on an equal-element prototype has minimum-possible center-frequency loss for given unloaded Q and stop-band bandwidth, subject to assumptions that the loss per resonator is small and that the stop-band insertion loss may be determined accurately from the highest-power term of the insertion-loss polynomial.
Surface formation of cuprous benzotriazole

Abstract Intense, visible luminescence, attributed to charge transfer excited states, was observed in Cu(I) complexes of benzotriazole but not in the Cu(II) analogues. Microspectrofluorimetry was used to characterize cuprous benzotriazole, a surface phase formed from bulk copper and benzotriazole in dichloromethane.
From ‘evil eye’ anxiety to the desirability of envy: Status, consumption and the politics of visibility in urban south India:

Competing motivations characterise consumption practices in contemporary south India. While status-conscious Tamils are desirous of displaying wealth so as to signal kauravam ('prestige'), such public displays risk eliciting tiruṣṭi ('evil eye'). Based on field research in urban Tamil Nadu, the article argues that this tension--between the desire to display wealth and signal social status, and the fear that such displays will invite supernatural attack--is being resolved through newfound practices of tiruṣṭi prophylaxis. Prophylactic amulets are used to manage and divert the tiruṣṭi-bearing gazes of onlookers from things of value. The newest amulets of the Tamil Nadu public sphere capitalise upon the eye-catching ability of the normative tiruṣṭi prophylactic to directly index, rather than mask, the social status that protective amulets are deployed to protect. Today, a range of expensive consumer goods are utilised as prophylactics. Because the need to protect oneself from tiruṣṭi can itself be a sign of status, such expensive amulets serve to simultaneously protect and project the prestige of their deployers. Lower-status individuals, however, are policed in their acts of tiruṣṭi prophylaxis. Here, a politics of visibility--with respect to caste, class, gender and skin colour--conditions the 'appropriateness' of acts of tiruṣṭi prophylaxis. Language: en
Do We Teach Reading

Author's summary.— With the adoption of the reading aim, foreign language teachers automatically became teachers of reading. Therefore it is necessary for them, if they really wish to realize the reading aim, to acquaint themselves with some of the problems and techniques of the teacher of reading.
Visual Persuasion in George W. Bush's Presidency: Cowboy Imagery in Public Discourse

Discussion of George W. Bush's rhetoric typically focuses on his spoken address, yet his use of cowboy visuals also qualifies as public communication. By visually identifying himself as a cowboy Bush associated his presidency with the story of the mythic cowboy, a powerful concept in American culture. While visual images are typically not considered a substantive and rational form of political communication, Bush's cowboy persona, emphasized visually, prompted widespread debate about his leadership style and approach to national problems, particularly terrorism. While many did not agree with his policies, the simplicity of the visual message and the foundational nature of the cowboy story provided a narrative that prompted a national debate on substantive issues of the day. Language is still considered the critical element of political debate, but as Bush's experience demonstrates, rhetoric includes visual communication as well.
Enhanced nonlinear optics in photonic-crystal microcavities.

Nonlinear photonic-crystal microresonators offer unique fundamental ways of enhancing a variety of nonlinear optical processes. This enhancement improves the performance of nonlinear optical devices to such an extent that their corresponding operation powers and switching times are suitable for their implementation in realistic ultrafast integrated optical devices. Here, we review three different nonlinear optical phenomena that can be strongly enhanced in photonic crystal microcavities. First, we discuss a system in which this enhancement has been successfully demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally, namely, a photonic crystal cavity showing optical bistability properties. In this part, we also present the physical basis for this dramatic improvement with respect to the case of traditional nonlinear devices based on nonlinear Fabry-Perot etalons. Secondly, we show how nonlinear photonic crystal cavities can be also used to obtain complete second-harmonic frequency conversion at very low input powers. Finally, we demonstrate that the nonlinear susceptibility of materials can be strongly modified via the so-called Purcell effect, present in the resonant cavities under study.
Generalized Fibonacci cubes are mostly Hamiltonian

The Hamiltonian problem is to determine whether a graph contains a spanning (Hamiltonian) path or cycle. Here we study the Hamiltonian problem for the generalized Fibonacci cubes, which are a new family of graphs that have applications in interconnection topologies [J. Liuand W.-J. Hsu, „Distributed Algorithms for Shortest-Path, Deadlock-Free Routing and Broadcasting in a Class of Interconnection Topologies,” International Parallel Processing Symposium (1992)]. We show that each member of this family contains a Hamiltonian path. Furthermore, we also characterize the members of this family that contain a Hamiltonian cycle.
Ontogeny of Rhyncoptes grabberi, n. sp. (Acari: Astigmata: Rhyncoptidae) Associated with Macaca mulatta

All ontogenetic stages of a new species of follicle mite, Rhyncoptes grabberi , n. sp., associated with rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta , are described and illustrated. The ontogeny of the new species is characterized by numerous retardations and losses of ancestral transformations, especially in the female developmental line. In the male developmental line, many transformations are delayed to the male itself.
A statistical model for the ultrasonic backscattered echo from tissue containing microcalcifications

Microcalcifications, generally seen in B-mode breast images as bright spots, often point to the presence of malignancies. Currently, statistical models to describe the signal strengths from tissue containing microcalcifications rely on the Rician or Nakagami densities. Because the Nakagami density requires the existence of randomly located scatterers with random cross sections, microcalcifications manifesting as isolated strong scatterers in the scattering volume makes it less suitable. Additionally, the absence of any regularly spaced scatterers also makes the Rician density less suitable. In this work, it is proposed that a 3-parameter McKay density with heavier tails than the Nakagami density, and hence more severe intensity fluctuations (speckle), might be a better fit to describe echo from tissue containing microcalcifications. This density is developed using a physical description of scattering and its characteristics are explored through random number simulation. Results demonstrate that the McKay densities have higher levels of speckle quantified through the speckle factor than the corresponding gamma densities (Nakagami for the envelope). Some preliminary analysis of tissue-mimicking phantoms modified to include microcalcification-like regions shows that higher speckle factors (seen with the McKay density) can be used to isolate and display microcalcifications. It is expected that this novel approach based on the McKay density will lead to newer and simpler means to detect and identify microcalcifications in ultrasonic B-scans.
Generalization of the Choi-Williams Distribution and the Butterworth Distribution for Time-Frequency Analysis

We provide a generalization to the Choi-Williams expo- nential distribution and introduce the new Butterworth distribution. We compute design equations and curves for the optimal choices of their parameters and for the optimal value of c of the exponential dis- tribution. We also provide examples that demonstrate the superior performance of our method over the Choi-Williams. Our new distri- butions can achieve cross-term reduction and autoterm preservation simultaneously, whereas the Choi-Williams distribution suffers from an inherent tradeoff between the two.
Performance Consulting With Rummler's Anatomy of Performance: A Case Study

Rummler's Anatomy of Performance framework provides performance improvement practitioners with a tool and method to understand and analyze organizations in a systemic way, and also to align solutions at multiple levels (i.e., organization, process, and job) by focusing on results. The Anatomy of Performance was used on a project with a large automotive manufacturer (Big Auto 2) to prepare the organization for the placement of 20 new field managers dispersed throughout the United States.
Jutta M. Joachim: Agenda setting, the UN, and NGOs: Gender violence and reproductive rights

Jutta Joachim provides a well-written and methodologically-informed account of NGO influence on the international agenda for several issues related to the rights and treatment of women. She clearly and succinctly summarizes two major research agendas that serve as her primary sources of inspiration, drawing from social movement theory in sociology and the agenda-setting literature in American politics. Joachim identifies several weaknesses in the emerging field of transnational social movement research. She suggests that much scholarship in this arena is unsystematic. Even those studies that purport to do good social science often fail to address how multiple processes and influences occur together, the conditions under which different factors matter, and which factors matter more. She also notes that there has been a significant lack of comparative research, given the field’s emphasis on single case studies. Joachim seeks to remedy these defects by integrating the study of structure and agency across a range of thematically-related cases. She suggests several elements of the political opportunity structure (changing political constellations, influential allies, and access to institutions) can provide windows for effective advocacy. However, only groups that have adequate mobilizational structures and capacity may effectively utilize these windows. Here capacity is defined as entrepreneurship, a heterogeneous international constituency, and credibility (curiously, the definition does not include resources). Finally, groups have to find the right framing strategy to tap into arguments their target audiences find resonant and credible. She applies these insights to diverse cases, including women-led peace movements during World War I; subsequent campaigns for equal nationality rights in the 1920s and 1930s; later UN conferences on the rights of women in the 1970s and 1980s; efforts to address violence against women in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s; and, finally, campaigns for reproductive rights in the 1980s and 1990s. Her more contemporary cases draw on primary sources as well as interviews conducted during
Complementary, holistic, and integrative medicine: recurrent abdominal pain.

1. David Gottsegen, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Mass. Recurrent or chronic abdominal pain is a common and often perplexing condition, affecting between 15% and 35% of the pediatric population worldwide. Apley (1) first defined recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) in 1958 as at least three episodes of abdominal pain sufficient to disrupt a child's daily activities over the previous 3 months. At the time of Apley's study, only 5% of cases were found to have an organic cause. With newer diagnostic methods, up to one third of cases of RAP may be found to have organic causes. “Red flags” that might indicate specific organic diseases are: a family history of inflammatory bowel disease, fever, weight loss, night awakening, anemia, bloody stools, and localized tenderness. Most children who do not have specific organic disorders have functional RAP. The causes of functional abdominal pain still are poorly understood but are believed to be due to autonomic dysfunction or visceral hypersensitivity to stimuli such as intestinal bowel gas, an acute trigger such as a viral gastroenteritis, an increased central perception of pain, and altered bowel habits such as constipation. Perception of pain is mediated by temperamental, cultural, and psychological factors, such as anxiety or depression, and social stressors, such as learning difficulties and family stress. Functional abdominal pain may be categorized into four specific disorders, as described by the Rome III criteria for functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders: functional dyspepsia, functional abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and abdominal migraine. Postprandial abdominal pain, with feelings of bloating, gas, or heartburn, is classified as dyspepsia and may be associated with gastroesophageal reflux. IBS is characterized by cramping pain with alteration in bowel movements. Episodic abdominal pain …
A study of the effect of feature reduction via statistically significant pixel selection on fruit object representation, classification, and machine learning prediction

Object recognition or classification has been one of the fundamental foundational building blocks of machine intelligence. Over the years several methodologies have been proposed in the literature. In the past couple of decades, two or three methods have been the predominant means of object recognition; namely Principal Component Analysis, Fisher Linear Discriminant Analysis, and correlation. Considering that a human can easily differentiate between different objects even when the objects are partially obscured, a machine, on the other hand, has greater difficulty in differentiating between objects, even when they are un-obscured. There is important information within a given image that determines the type of object the image contains. This paper presents the usage of a 2-sample statistical t-test as a feature-reduction method to choose those feature pixels of a given image that may be more important and significant than others, and their ordering by order of significance based on a proposed performance criterion metric. The aim is to study the effect of selecting significant feature pixels on the recognition accuracy of the above-mentioned three most popular and widely used object recognition methods. We also introduce a performance criterion that we denote by saturation to evaluate the robustness of the classification/prediction accuracy of these classification methods. We show here that the use of the 2-sample t-test to choose feature pixels and reorganizing these chosen features based upon proposed performance criterion metrics results in many instances in enhancing and stabilizing the recognition results. This paper also introduces for the first time the terms EigenFruit and FisherFruit for eigenvalue based fruit classification and prediction analysis.
Equine Sperm Membrane Phase Behavior: The Effects of Lipid-Based Cryoprotectants

The plasma membrane of sperm can undergo lipid phase separation during freezing, resulting in irreversible damage to the cell. The objective of our study was to examine the membrane phase behavior of equine spermatozoa in the absence and presence of lipid-based cryoprotectants. Biophysical properties of sperm membranes were investigated with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Compared to fresh untreated sperm, postthaw untreated sperm showed extensive lipid phase separation and rearrangement. In contrast, postthaw sperm that were cryopreserved in egg phosphatidylcholine (egg PC)- or soy phosphatidylcholine (soy PC)-based diluents showed similar lipid phase behavior to that of fresh, untreated sperm. Studies with a deuterium-labeled PC lipid (POPCd-31) suggest that exogenous lipid from the diluents are strongly associated with the sperm membrane, and scanning electron microscopy images of treated sperm show the presence of lipid aggregates on the membrane surface. Thus, the exogenous lipid does not appear to be integrated into the sperm membrane after cryopreservation. When compared to a standard egg-yolk-based diluent (INRA 82), the soy and egg PC media preserved viability and motility equally well in postthaw sperm. A preliminary fertility study determined that sperm cryopreserved in the soy PC-based medium were capable of fertilization at the same rate as sperm frozen in the conventional INRA 82 medium. Our results show that pure lipid-based diluents can prevent membrane damage during cryopreservation and perform as well as a standard egg-yolk-based diluent in preserving sperm viability, motility, and fertility.
Precision crystal oscillator for interplanetary radio science

This paper describes a 4.788194-MHz crystal oscillator developed for the radio science experiments aboard the Cassini spacecraft. The oscillator contains a bus voltage converter, stress-compensated resonator oscillator assembly, temperature controller, a single-stage oven, titanium vacuum flask, /spl times/24 frequency multiplier, magnetic shielding, three-axis vibration isolators, and two well-isolated buffer amplifiers. Power consumption is less than 2.8 W at +20/spl deg/C. The oscillator is housed in a 81-in/sup 3/ package and has a mass of 1.78 kg. The design of this oscillator originated with Peter G. Sulzer in the late 1960s and was later translated for space flight by Jerry R. Norton and James M. Cloeren at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). This work at JHU/APL has produced oscillators with outstanding performance for many spacecraft with widely diverse missions. Details of the Cassini radio science mission are presented to delineate the scientific needs that drove the design of the oscillator.
Quantification of the Variability of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Data

Several measurements are used to describe the behavior of a diabetic patient’s blood glucose. We describe a new, wavelet-based algorithm that indicates a new measurement called a PLA index could be used to quantify the variability or predictability of blood glucose. This wavelet-based approach emphasizes the shape of a blood glucose graph. Using continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), this measurement could become a new tool to classify patients based on their blood glucose behavior and may become a new method in the management of diabetes.
In vitro toxicological evaluation of ISIS 1082, a phosphorothioate oligonucleotide inhibitor of herpes simplex virus.

ISIS 1082, a phosphorothioate oligonucleotide targeted to a translation initiation codon of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) virion capsid protein UL13 inhibits in vitro viral replication. To better understand the pharmacological properties of ISIS 1082, we examined its effects in nonvirally infected HeLa cells by using a number of cytotoxicity assays. Our data indicate that ISIS 1082 had no effect on HeLa cell viability as measured by cellular proliferation and clonogenic assays at concentrations as high as 100 microM. Additionally, DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis were only inhibited by 25% in cells treated with 100 microM ISIS 1082. The effects of ISIS 1082 on DNA synthesis were compared with those of acyclovir and trifluorothymidine, two clinically used antiherpetic agents. Acyclovir displayed effects similar to that of ISIS 1082. However, trifluorothymidine, which has been reported to be a potential mutagen and teratogen, significantly altered DNA replication at concentrations from 1 to 100 microM. Isolated HeLa DNA polymerases were inhibited by the compound, with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 2 microM. The in vitro antiviral (K. Draper and V. Brown-Driver, submitted for publication; K.G. Draper and V. Brown-Driver, Antiviral Res. Suppl. 1:106, 1991) and cytotoxicity studies suggest that ISIS 1082 is a selective, nontoxic, antiherpetic therapeutic agent.
In situ data collection and structure refinement from microcapillary protein crystallization.

In situ X-ray data collection has the potential to eliminate the challenging task of mounting and cryocooling often fragile protein crystals, reducing a major bottleneck in the structure determination process. An apparatus used to grow protein crystals in capillaries and to compare the background X-ray scattering of the components, including thin-walled glass capillaries against Teflon, and various fluorocarbon oils against each other, is described. Using thaumatin as a test case at 1.8 A resolution, this study demonstrates that high-resolution electron density maps and refined models can be obtained from in situ diffraction of crystals grown in microcapillaries.
Single chip solution to capacitive liquid crystal chemical and biological sensor

In this paper a CMOS single chip capacitive liquid crystal chemical and biological sensor is presented. Two on-chip interdigitated capacitors provide differential sensor measurement. The system consists of a low noise preamplifier, synchronous demodulator and low pass filter. For high sensitivity detection proper excitation signal voltage and frequency have been investigated and the preamplifier noise has been minimized using a nonlinear optimization algorithm. To the knowledge of the authors this is the first integrated capacitive liquid crystal chemical and biological sensor chip. The amplifier has 15aF resolution with 1kHz bandwidth and consumes 1mW of power and 0.4mm2 of chip area using AMI 0.5µm technology.
Diurnal Variation of Plasma Catecholamines and Systolic Time Intervals

Plasma catecholamines were obtained and systolic time intervals recorded in five normal subjects and five patients with coronary disease in the supine position at 8 AM, 12 PM, 4 PM, 8 PM, 10 PM, 12 AM, 2 AM, 4 AM, and 8 AM. Systolic time intervals were later obtained in ten additional patients with coronary disease every 30 minutes from 12 AM through 4 AM and from 8 AM through 12 PM. A significant diurnal variation in plasma norepinephrine was found in two of ten subjects and a significant diurnal variation in plasma epinephrine in a third subject No correlation was found between plasma catecholamine levels and systolic time intervals. The external isovolumic contraction time (EICT) was significantly prolonged in 9 of IS patients (60 percent) with coronary disease during 12 AM through 4 AM. These findings suggest a decrease in left ventricular contractility occurring in many patients with coronary disease during 12 AM through 4 AM.
Tomato fruit weight 11.3 maps close to fasciated on the bottom of chromosome 11

Fruit weight is an important character in many crops. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), fruit weight is controlled by many loci, some of which have a major effect on the trait. Fruit weight 11.3 (fw11.3) and fasciated (fas) have been mapped to the same region on chromosome 11. We sought to determine whether these loci represent alleles of the same or separate genes. We show that fas and fw11.3 are not allelic and instead represent separate genes. The fw11.3 locus was fine-mapped to a 149-kb region comprised of 22 predicted genes. Unlike most fruit weight loci, gene action at fw11.3 indicates that the mutant allele is partially dominant over the wild allele. We also investigate the nature of the genome rearrangement at the fas locus and demonstrate that the mutation is due to a 294-kb inversion disrupting the YABBY gene known to underlie the fas locus.
The structure, organization and differential expression of the rat gene encoding biliverdin reductase.

Abstract Screening of phage λ libraries and genomic polymerase chain reactions were employed to generate clones of the rat gene encoding biliverdin reductase (BVR), the penultimate enzyme in the heme metabolic pathway. This enzyme, which converts biliverdin to bilirubin, is unique among enzymes characterized to date in that it exhibits two pH optima, 6.75 and 8.7, and utilizes a different cofactor, NADH and NADPH, respectively, at each optimum. The gene, which is 12 270 bp in length, consists of five exons and four introns; two introns are ≥ 4 kb. Only two of the four splice sites conform to consensus donor/acceptor sequences. Primer extension indicates the presence of two distinct transcription start points (tsp) in kidney and brain, as well as an additional tsp present in kidney, but not in brain RNA. The gene lacks a conventional TATA-box; however, an overlapping pair of TATA-like sequences is found 80 nt upstream from the kidney-specific tsp. The promoter region contains binding sites for several known regulatory factors, including AP-1, HNF-5 and INF-1, as well as two partial (7/8) matches to the heat-shock (HS) transcription factor-binding site. However, the time-course of the increase in message level, as determined by Northern blot analysis, indicates that BVR is not an early HS protein in that the relative abundance of mRNA is increased 6 h after hyperthermia and not at 1 h after HS. The approx. 1.6-kb BVR message is abundantly expressed in kidney, spleen, liver and brain, and at lower levels in the thymus, with minimal levels being detected in testis. Northern hybridization further suggests the presence of two other messages in kidney that share significant homology with the BVR-coding region.
The Politics and Economics of Official Ethnic Discrimination: A Global Statistical Analysis, 1950–2003

It is argued that ethnic competition, triggers for ethnic mobilization, and political institutions together affect changes in government-imposed political and economic restrictions on ethnic groups worldwide. Due to the fact that the only existing comparative data set on ethnic discrimination, produced by the Minorities at Risk project, uses discrimination as a criterion for including ethnic groups, a new data set of 620 additional groups has been created to predict the selection process through a full-information, maximum-likelihood Heckman probit model, but selection bias is found not to affect the results. Discrimination is modeled as a dynamic Markov process, and central and regional government institutions, economic conditions, and minority group characteristics are found to influence the initiation and continuation of discriminatory policies.
Texas nutrition environment assessment of retail food stores (TxNEA-S): development and evaluation

Objective Current nutrition environment instruments are typically designed to measure a small number of healthy foods based on national trends. They lack the depth to accurately measure the unique dietary choices of subpopulations, such as Texas consumers whose food preferences are influenced by Hispanic/Latino culture. Thus the purposes of the present study were to: (i) develop a comprehensive observational tool to measure the availability of healthy foods from retail stores in Texas; and (ii) conduct a pilot test to examine the tool's reliability, as well as differences in the availability of healthy foods in stores between high- and low-income neighbourhoods. Design Grocery and convenience stores were assessed for availability of healthy foods. Reliability was calculated using percentage agreement, and differences in availability were examined using 2 (store type) × 2 (neighbourhood income) ANOVA. Setting One high-income and one low-income neighbourhood in Austin, Texas. Subjects A sample of thirty-eight stores comprising twenty-five convenience stores and thirteen grocery stores. Results The low-income neighbourhood had 324 % more convenience stores and 56 % fewer grocery stores than the high-income neighbourhood. High inter-rater (mean = 0·95) and test-retest reliability (mean = 0·92) and a significant interaction (P = 0·028) between store type and neighbourhood income were found. Conclusions The TxNEA-S tool includes 106 healthy food items, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, proteins and grains. The tool is reliable and face validity is affirmed by the Texas Department of Health. Grocery stores have more healthy foods than convenience stores, and high-income grocery stores offer more healthy foods than low-income grocery stores.
Class, Culture, and Consumption: Representations of Stratification in Post-communist Latvia

Using the country of Latvia as a case study, I argue that socioeconomic classes and class stratification constituted in the context of post-communist capitalism are simultaneously denied and distinguished. Class was a central component of discourse in Soviet communism even though classes in their capitalist incarnation did not exist. With the advent of post-communism’s neoliberal capitalist order and the concurrent rise in stratification, the critical discourse of class has virtually disappeared from the mainstream. This silence is linked to a widespread rejection of the legacies of Soviet communism and associated institutions, symbols, and vocabularies. At the same time, stratified class positions are rendered apparent through the means of consumption. They are presented not in terms of class, but in terms of distinction, style, and lifestyle. The post-communist socioeconomic hierarchy is represented through a discourse derived from an uncritical (or anti-critical) consumer culture, which has produced a ...
Interplay between Cellular Methyl Metabolism and Adaptive Efflux during Oncogenic Transformation from Chronic Arsenic Exposure in Human Cells

After protracted low level arsenic exposure, the normal human prostate epithelial cell line RWPE-1 acquires a malignant phenotype with DNA hypomethylation, indicative of disrupted methyl metabolism, and shows arsenic adaptation involving glutathione overproduction and enhanced arsenic efflux. Thus, the interplay between methyl and glutathione metabolism during this progressive arsenic adaptation was studied. Arsenic-treated cells showed a time-dependent increase in LC50 and a marked increase in homocysteine (Hcy) levels. A marked suppression of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) levels occurred with decreased methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (converts methionine to SAM) expression and increased negative regulator methionine adenosyltransferase B, suggesting reduced conversion of Hcy to SAM. Consistent with Hcy overproduction, activity and expression of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (converts S-adenosylhomocysteine to Hcy) were both increased. Expression of cystathionine β-synthase, a key gene in the transsulfuration pathway, and various glutathione production genes were increased, resulting in a 5-fold increase in glutathione. Arsenic efflux increased along with expression of ATP-binding cassette protein C1, which effluxes arsenic as a glutathione conjugate. Evidence of genomic DNA hypomethylation was observed during early arsenic exposure, indicating that the disruption in methyl metabolism had a potential impact related to oncogenesis. Thus, cellular arsenic adaptation is a dynamic, progressive process that involves decreased SAM recycling and concurrent accumulation of Hcy, which is channeled via transsulfuration to increase glutathione and enhance arsenic efflux but may also impact the carcinogenic process.
Impact of fentanyl in lieu of meperidine on endoscopy unit efficiency: a prospective comparative study in patients undergoing EGD

Background Turnaround time is an important component of endoscopy unit efficiency. Any reduction in the total time from patient arrival in the endoscopy room to departure from the recovery area may translate into better endoscopy unit efficiency. Objective To evaluate the effects on endoscopy unit efficiency of a change in narcotic choice for moderate sedation in patients undergoing EGD at an ambulatory surgery center. Design Prospective, comparative, quality-improvement project. Setting Endoscopy unit of a tertiary-care academic medical center. Patients We enrolled consecutive patients (n = 1963) who underwent outpatient EGD by 1 of 5 endoscopists between November 2008 and November 2010. Intervention Moderate sedation with midazolam plus fentanyl versus meperidine. Main Outcome Measurements Sedation-dependent endoscopy unit efficiency and total procedure time (induction-to-intubation, intubation-to-extubation, and extubation-to-discharge). Results Fentanyl was associated with reduced total procedure time by 10.1 minutes resulting from both shorter induction-to-intubation time and extubation-to-discharge time ( P P = .012); this would translate into possibly increasing the endoscopy suite efficiency by 22%. Based on dosage equivalency conversion, equal doses of fentanyl and meperidine were used. No sedation-related complications or need for reversal agents were recorded. Limitations No randomization was performed. Conclusion Compared with meperidine, fentanyl in combination with midazolam was associated with significantly shorter total procedure time. By improving the turnaround time, sedation-dependent endoscopy unit efficiency may be improved by 22%.
Health effects of Aspergillus in food and air

This review summarizes the health aspects of the medically important fungal genus Aspergillus. The morphology and systematics of the genus are explained as well as its biogeography. Major mycotoxins, the aspergilli that produce them, affected crops, and symptoms of the toxicoses are summarized, as are the major mycoses caused by aspergilli. The current status of the relationship between Aspergillus in the indoor environment and health issues are discussed.
THz Low Resolution Spectroscopy for Astronomy

The THz spectral regime provides a wide range of spectral lines that are invaluable probes of star formation and AGN activity in galaxies both in the local Universe and at the earliest times. We review the utility of these lines, give examples of the science they deliver, and detail the properties of successful low resolution direct detection spectrometers for work in the THz regime. We finish with a discussion of the exciting new science we expect with the next direct detection generation spectrometers on new facilities such as SOFIA, CCAT, SPICA, and ALMA.
H ANNA B ATATU , Syria's Peasantry, the Descendants of Its Lesser Rural Notables, and Their Politics (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1999). Pp. 431. $39.95 cloth.

Hanna Batatu's long-awaited study of Syria's peasantry is an extraordinary accomplishment. An exhaustive historical survey of Syria's rural society and the social formation of its current leadership, the book is encyclopedic in its scope and mastery of detail. It is also strikingly ambitious in its effort to link contemporary Syrian politics and the leadership of President Hafiz al-Asad to the transformations that reshaped rural Syria in the 19th and 20th centuries. Syria's Peasantry brings to an English-speaking audience a depth of knowledge that was previously available mostly through the Arabic-language publications of Syrian scholars such as ⊂ Abdallah Hana. However, although Batatu's achievement is considerable, Syria's Peasantry is nevertheless flawed, and its ambition is not always realized. It is driven by a vision of peasant society, of Asad, and of Syrian politics that many readers will find unsatisfying, if not problematic.
In vivo activity of glutaminase in the brain of hyperammonaemic rats measured by 15N nuclear magnetic resonance.

The in vivo activity of phosphate-activated glutaminase (PAG) was measured in the brain of hyperammonaemic rat by 15N n.m.r. Brain glutamine was 15N-enriched by intravenous infusion of 15NH4+ until the concentration of [5-15N]glutamine reached 6.1 mumol/g. Further glutamine synthesis was inhibited by intraperitoneal injection of methionine-DL-sulphoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, and the infusate was changed to 14NH4+ during observation of decrease in brain [5-15N]glutamine due to PAG and other glutamine utilization pathways. Progressive decrease in brain [5-15N]glutamine, PAG-catalysed production of 15NH4+ and its subsequent assimilation into glutamate by glutamate dehydrogenase were monitored in vivo by 15N n.m.r. Brain [5-15N]glutamine (15N enrichment of 0.35-0.50) decreased at a rate of 1.2 mumol/h per g of brain. The in vivo PAG activity, determined from the observed rate and the quantity of 15NH4+ produced and subsequently assimilated into glutamate and aspartate, was 0.9-1.3 mumol/h per g. This activity is less than 1.1% of the reported activity in vitro measured in rat brain homogenate at a 10 mM concentration of the activator Pi. Inhibition by ammonia (brain level 1.4 mumol/g) alone does not account for the observed low activity in vivo. The result strongly suggests that, in intact brain, PAG activity is maintained at a low level by a suboptimal in situ concentration of Pi and the strong inhibitory effect of glutamate. The observed PAG activity in vivo is lower than the reported in vivo activity of glutamate decarboxylase which converts glutamate into gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA). The result suggests that PAG-catalysed hydrolysis of glutamine is not the sole provider of glutamate used for GABA synthesis.
Vietnamese Textile and Garment Industry in the Global Supply Chain: State Strategies and Workers’ Responses

This paper examines the development of textile and garment manufacturing in the context of the prevailing arguments on pursuing marketoriented liberalisation and state directed domestic linkages, and the impacts of these developments on unions and workers in Vietnam. Despite rapid growth in exports and employment, the empirical evidence shows that market-oriented integration in the global economy has limited frms’ operations to low valueadded activities and workers to toil for non-livable wages. The global supply chain has also exposed frms and consigned workers to the vicissitudes of volatile ﬂuctuations in demand causing retrenchments, substandard working conditions and a vicious circle of underdevelopment and poverty. Albeit limited the state-controlled Vinatex has managed to promote domestic linkages in Vietnam, suggesting that the industry can actually be restructured to absorb higher value-added activities. A shift to upgrading activities, including learning and skills training, is essential to support improvements in wages and working conditions.
Is obesity becoming the new normal? Age, gender and racial/ethnic differences in parental misperception of obesity as being 'About the Right Weight'

Is obesity becoming the new normal? Age, gender and racial/ethnic differences in parental misperception of obesity as being ‘About the Right Weight’
Active Learning in the Era of Big Data

Active learning methods automatically adapt data collection by selecting the most informative samples in order to accelerate machine learning. Because of this, real-world testing and comparing active learning algorithms requires collecting new datasets (adaptively), rather than simply applying algorithms to benchmark datasets, as is the norm in (passive) machine learning research. To facilitate the development, testing and deployment of active learning for real applications, we have built an open-source software system for large-scale active learning research and experimentation. The system, called NEXT, provides a unique platform for realworld, reproducible active learning research. This paper details the challenges of building the system and demonstrates its capabilities with several experiments. The results show how experimentation can help expose strengths and weaknesses of active learning algorithms, in sometimes unexpected and enlightening ways.
The University of Michigan Mineral Collection, Ann Arbor

Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Christopher J. Stefano The mineral collection at the University of Michigan is among the oldest and finest in the Great Lakes region. The collection was initia...
Pre-emptive Competition

Pre-emptive competition occurs in any market where the timing of actions is important. Schmalensee (1978) considers the pre-emptive introduction of brands to deter competitors. Eaton and Lipsey (1979) examine pre-emptive location models, while Gilbert and Newbery (1982) analyse the returns from accelerated investments in research and development. Pre-emptive investment is the theme in Dixit (1979, 1980), Eaton and Lipsey (1980, 1981), Fudenberg and Tirole (1979), Fudenberg, et al. (forthcoming), Gilbert and Harris (1981a, b), Rao and Rutenberg (1979) and Spence (1977, 1979). Ware (1981) considers the potential for pre-emptive product differentiation. This is only a partial listing of work where pre-emptive activity plays a central role, and at current rates of output no doubt many more papers will be added to the pre-emption pool.
PGQL: a property graph query language

Graph-based approaches to data analysis have become more widespread, which has given need for a query language for graphs. Such a graph query language needs not only SQL-like functionality for querying structured data, but also intrinsic support for typical graph-style applications: reachability analysis, path finding and graph construction.We propose a new query language for the popular Property Graph (PG) data model: the Property Graph Query Language (PGQL). PGQL is based on the paradigm of graph pattern matching, closely follows syntactic structures of SQL, and provides regular path queries with conditions on labels and properties to allow for reachability and path finding queries. Besides intrinsic vertex, edge and path types, PGQL also has the graph as intrinsic type and allows for graph construction and query composition.
Evaluation of a School-Based Asthma Education Protocol: "Iggy and the Inhalers".

School-based asthma education offers an opportunity to reach low-income children at risk for poor asthma control. Iggy and the Inhalers (Iggy) is an asthma education program that was implemented in...