cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure and Spectra of Ferrous Dioxygen and Reduced Ferrous Dioxygen Model Cytochrome P450

The optimized geometries of the stable ferrous dioxygen and transient reduced ferrous dioxygen forms of a methylmercaptate porphine model of the cytochrome P450 heme system were calculated using nonlocal density functional theoretical (DFT) methods. The optimized geometry of the ferrous dioxygen form is in good agreement with the structure of a model compound of this species and the calculated diamagnetic singlet ground state is consistent with the reported lack of ESR spectrum of this species. The calculated ground state of the reduced ferrous dioxygen species is a low-spin (doublet) state, in agreement with the reported ESR signature of this species in P450cam. The dioxygen ligand in the reduced form is shown to preferentially bind to the heme iron in an asymmetric “end-on” geometry. The most pronounced structural effects of the reduction of the ferrous dioxygen species are the elongation of the Fe−O and Fe−S bonds. This bond lengthening is due to the addition of an electron into a molecular orbital of ...
Trends in venous thromboembolism among pregnancy-related hospitalizations, United States, 1994-2009

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate national trends in the rate of pregnancy-related hospitalizations for venous thromboembolism (VTE) from 1994-2009 and to estimate the prevalence of comorbid conditions among these hospitalizations. Study Design An estimated 64,413,973 pregnancy-related hospitalizations among women 15-44 years old were identified in the 1994-2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Trends in VTE-associated pregnancy hospitalizations were evaluated with the use of variance-weighted least squares regression. Chi-square tests were used to assess changes in prevalence of demographics and comorbid conditions, and multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the likelihood of VTE during the study period after adjustment for comorbid conditions. Antepartum, delivery, and postpartum hospitalizations were evaluated separately and reported in 4-year increments. Results From 1994-2009, there was a 14% increase in the rate of overall VTE-associated pregnancy hospitalizations; antepartum and postpartum hospitalizations with VTE increased by 17% and 47%, respectively. Between 1994-1997 and 2006-2009, the prevalence of hypertension and obesity doubled among all VTE-associated pregnancy hospitalizations; significant increases in diabetes mellitus and heart disease were also noted. A temporal increase in the likelihood of a VTE diagnosis in pregnancy was observed for antepartum hospitalizations from 2006-2009 when compared with 1994-1997 (adjusted odds ratio, 1.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.48–1.78). Conclusion There has been an upward trend in VTE-associated pregnancy hospitalizations from 1994-2009 with concomitant increases in comorbid conditions. Clinicians should have a heightened awareness of the risk of VTE among pregnant women, particularly among those with comorbid conditions, and should have a low threshold for evaluation in women with symptoms or signs of VTE.
Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers on Lithographically Defined Nanopatterned Substrates

A review of the method, results, and possible benefits of the directed assembly of block copolymers on lithographically defined, chemically nanopatterned substrates. Insertion of block copolymers into the lithographic process showed the potential to reduce critical dimension variation in the lithographic process by correcting for process variations in the original lithographically defined pattern. The ability of directed assembly of block copolymers to yield a variety of device oriented patterns while maintaining registration to the substrate and a high degree of perfection was demonstrated. Directed assembly of block copolymers was also able to generate structures that do not naturally occur in the bulk, such as square arrays of cylindrical domains and quadratically perforated lamellae.
Roles of the interactions between Env and Gag proteins in the HIV-1 replication cycle

The Env and Gag proteins of HIV-1 are the two major structural proteins of this retrovirus. The interactions between Env and Gag proteins and their regulation in HIV-1 are required for several steps of the replication cycle, involving not only virus assembly, specifically Env incorporation, but also entry steps after virus maturation. A large number of host factors and certain membrane microdomains appear to engage both in transport/trafficking of Env and/or Gag proteins, and in the interactions of these two proteins. The present review briefly summarizes our current knowledge regarding the roles of the interactions between Env and Gag proteins in the virus replication cycle.
Shortest curves in planar regions with curved boundary

Abstract A general framework is presented for describing shortest curve algorithms and their time complexity in regions of the plane whose boundaries may be curved. An algorithm that accepts curved boundary Jordan regions along with given start and end points and produces the shortest curve between them is presented. Its time complexity is bounded by the product of the complexity of the region's boundary and that of the output shortest curve. (When the region is a simple polygon with N vertices, the time bound is O(Nk), where k is the number of vertices in the shortest curve.) A second algorithm produces shortest curves in multiply connected regions with possibly curved boundary.
On the Equals Sign Our "Twins"'. A Tour through Original Sources

in y o u r tracks. A transcription of this arcane English reads: Nowbeit, for each alteration of equations, I will propose a few examples, because the extraction of their roots, may the more aptly be wrought. And to avoid the tedious repetition of these words "is equal to" I will set as I do often in works use, a pair of parallels, or twin 1 lines of one length, thus: = ~ : , because no two things can be more equal. And now mark these numbers, By contrast we find that Descartes, though born some 77 years after Recorde, used c~, most likely because tile printer could conveniently turn the ubiquitous zodiac symbol for Taurus sideways. In Jakob (lames) Bernoulli 's Ars Conjectandi (1713), written 156 years after Recorde's publication, we find the cr still being used in expressing what Euler later named "Bernoullian numbers."
Poly(1,4:2,2-butanetetrayl). A Novel Polyspirane via Metallocenium-Catalyzed Ring-Opening−Zipping-Up Polymerization of Methylenecyclopropane

We wish to communicate here the delineation of a sequential metallocenium-catalyzed ring-opening - `zipping-up` Ziegler polymerization of methylenecyclopropane which yields, in high chemo- and stereoselectivity, a saturated polyspirane having structure B, poly(1,4:2,2-butanetetrayl), as well as some of the interesting structural and thermal properties of this new material. Polymerization of methylenecyclopropane catalyzed by (Me{sub 5}Cp){sub 2}ZrMe{sup +}MeB(C{sub 6}F{sub 5}){sub 3}{sup -} was carried out in dilute toluene solutions under rigorously anhydrous/anaerobic conditions. At temperatures from -10{degree}C to -30{degree}C, rapid and complete consumption of the monomer is observed by NMR using the monomer:catalyst ratios shown. Interestingly, at room temperature, the reaction pauses before monomer is completely consumed. That this loss of activity is not due to poisoning of the catalyst by adventitious impurities is confirmed by the observation that activity is completely restored on exposure to H{sub 2}. In summary, these results describe the synthesis of a new polyspirane via the chemo- and stereoselective ring-opening - zipping-up polymerization of methylenecyclopropane catalyzed by a cationic d{sup 0} zirconocenium catalyst. Efforts to obtain additional structural and mechanistic information are underway. 14 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.
Fidelity of implementation: important considerations for policing scholars

Many police departments claim to have implemented or institutionalised problem-oriented policing (POP), and scholars have found POP to be effective in reducing crime and disorder. However, studies routinely find that POP has not been implemented in a fashion consistent with Goldstein's original conceptualisation; this inconsistency has resulted in ambiguity regarding the elemental components of POP. The current study addresses a gap in knowledge by investigating the fidelity of the implementation of POP in a small police department. Implementation of POP in this agency is of particular interest; the chief is a nationally known proponent of POP, has published on POP, and announced that POP would be institutionalised in the department. Using a triangulated methodology, the study finds that this police department has not implemented POP. The study also highlights the implications of these findings on fidelity for both policing scholars and practitioners.
Increasing access to dental care for medicaid preschool children: the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Washington State's Access to Baby and Child Dent stry (ABCD) Program, first implemented in Spokane County in 1995, offers extended dental benefits to participating Medicaid-enrolled children and higher fees for certified providers. This study aimed to determine the program's effect on children's dental utilization and dental fear, and on parent satisfaction and knowledge. METHODS: The study used a posttest-only comparison group design. Trained interviewers conducted telephone interviews with 465 parents of chi dren ages 13 to 36 months (49% ABCD, 51% Medicaid-enrolled children not in ABCD). One year later, 282 of 465 parents completed a follow-up survey. Utilization and expenditures were calculated from Medicaid claims. RESULTS: Forty-three percent of children in the ABCD Program visited a dentist in the follow-up year, compared with 12% of Medicaid-enrolled children not in the ABCD Program. An ABCD child was 5.3 times as likely to have had at least one dental visit as a child not in the program. ABCD children were 4 to 13 times as likely to have used specific dental services. Parents of ABCD children were more likely to report having ever tried to make a dental appointment, less likely to report that their children were fearful of the dentist, and were more satisfied, compared to parents of non-ABCD children. CONCLUSION: The authors conclude that the ABCD Program was effective in increasing access for preschool children enrolled in Medicaid, reducing dental fear, and increasing parent satisfaction.
Obesity as a risk factor for cesarean in a low-risk population

Objective: To determine whether low-risk maternity patients in a nurse-midwifery service with prepregnant body mass index (BMI) above 29.0 are at increased risk for cesarean delivery. Methods: We studied 1881 women who delivered between 1994 and 1998 and were managed by an academic inner-city hospital-certified nurse-midwifery practice. We calculated prepregnancy BMI and weight gain during pregnancy by using clinical data from a comprehensive clinical database, and did descriptive analyses and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: The overall cesarean rate was 5.1%, but was 7.7% for obese women compared with 4.1% for women with normal BMI (19.8–25.9). The unadjusted odds ratio (OR) for cesarean for obese women was 2.02 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26, 3.25, P < .01). Other factors associated with increased risk of cesarean delivery included primigravidity, primiparity, maternal age 35 years or older, short stature (height under 155 cm), very low birth weight infant, failure to progress, breech presentation, abruption, fetal bradycardia, and severe preeclampsia. Maternal race and marital status were not associated with cesarean delivery. After adjustment for weight gain, short stature, advanced maternal age, primiparity, and intrapartum complications, the OR for obesity was 3.99 (95% CI 2.00, 7.95, P < .001). Conclusion: Even among low-risk women managed by nurse-midwives, the risk of cesarean delivery was higher for obese women. Short, obese women were at higher risk of cesarean delivery compared with women with normal BMIs, but were not high enough risk to preclude them from receiving nurse-midwifery care.
An exact convex solution to receding horizon control

In this paper we provide an exact solution to the linear receding-horizon control problem in discrete time, a problem of long-standing interest. Considered are nominal systems with state space models that vary in time, whose controllers have access to the precise statespace model of the plant for a fixed number of steps into the future, but only have foreknowledge of the set of model values beyond this horizon. In fact, considered is a more general scenario where evolution within the latter set may be governed by an automaton. We provide a necessary and sufficient convex condition for the existence of a linear output feedback controller that can uniformly exponentially stabilize such a system, and do the same for a related disturbance attenuation problem. Each condition is in terms of a nested sequence of semidefinite programs, where (a) feasibility to any element provides an explicit controller; and (b) infeasibility implies that a controller does not exist for a given exponential decay rate. A simple physically-motivated example is used to illustrate the results, and in particular provides an instance in which foreknowledge of a model is required to stabilize it.
Oral cancer cells may rewire alternative metabolic pathways to survive from siRNA silencing of metabolic enzymes

Cancer cells may undergo metabolic adaptations that support their growth as well as drug resistance properties. The purpose of this study is to test if oral cancer cells can overcome the metabolic defects introduced by using small interfering RNA (siRNA) to knock down their expression of important metabolic enzymes. UM1 and UM2 oral cancer cells were transfected with siRNA to transketolase (TKT) or siRNA to adenylate kinase (AK2), and Western blotting was used to confirm the knockdown. Cellular uptake of glucose and glutamine and production of lactate were compared between the cancer cells with either TKT or AK2 knockdown and those transfected with control siRNA. Statistical analysis was performed with student T-test. Despite the defect in the pentose phosphate pathway caused by siRNA knockdown of TKT, the survived UM1 or UM2 cells utilized more glucose and glutamine and secreted a significantly higher amount of lactate than the cells transferred with control siRNA. We also demonstrated that siRNA knockdown of AK2 constrained the proliferation of UM1 and UM2 cells but similarly led to an increased uptake of glucose/glutamine and production of lactate by the UM1 or UM2 cells survived from siRNA silencing of AK2. Our results indicate that the metabolic defects introduced by siRNA silencing of metabolic enzymes TKT or AK2 may be compensated by alternative feedback metabolic mechanisms, suggesting that cancer cells may overcome single defective pathways through secondary metabolic network adaptations. The highly robust nature of oral cancer cell metabolism implies that a systematic medical approach targeting multiple metabolic pathways may be needed to accomplish the continued improvement of cancer treatment.
What is the question

Over the past 2 years, increased focus on statistical analysis brought on by the era of big data has pushed the issue of reproducibility out of the pages of academic journals and into the popular consciousness ( 1 ). Just weeks ago, a paper about the relationship between tissue-specific cancer incidence and stem cell divisions ( 2 ) was widely misreported because of misunderstandings about the primary statistical argument in the paper ( 3 ). Public pressure has contributed to the massive recent adoption of reproducible research tools, with corresponding improvements in reproducibility. But an analysis can be fully reproducible and still be wrong. Even the most spectacularly irreproducible analyses—like those underlying the ongoing lawsuits ( 4 ) over failed genomic signatures for chemotherapy assignment ( 5 )—are ultimately reproducible ( 6 ). Once an analysis is reproducible, the key question we want to answer is, “Is this data analysis correct?” We have found that the most frequent failure in data analysis is mistaking the type of question being considered.
Paclitaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil for patients with advanced or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

BACKGROUND The combination of cisplatin and 5-flurouracil (5-FU) is considered standard therapy for patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Paclitaxel has exhibited single-agent activity in patients with this disease. The authors conducted this study to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of combining paclitaxel with cisplatin and 5-FU for patients with advanced or recurrent SCCHN. METHODS Patients with recurrent, metastatic, or locally advanced SCCHN who had measurable or evaluable disease and no prior chemotherapy were eligible. The starting dose level consisted of paclitaxel 135 mg/m2 on Day 1, cisplatin 75 mg/m2 on Day 2, and 5-FU 1gm/m2/day on Days 2–6. Due to Grade 4 mucositis, dose level 1 of 5-FU was reduced to 800 mg/m2/day on Days 2–6 (for 7 patients), and subsequently the 5-FU dose was adjusted to 1 gm/m2/day on Days 2–5 (for 17 patients). RESULTS Twenty-five patients were enrolled, with a median age of 60 years and a median Southwest Oncology Group performance status of 1. Of the 25 patients, 16 had recurrent disease, 3 had metastatic disease at diagnosis, and 6 had untreated locally advanced SCCHN. Ninety-nine courses of therapy were administered, with a median of 5 courses. Major toxicities were neutropenia and mucositis. Significant neurotoxicity or nephrotoxicity were not observed. There were two treatment-related deaths (one each due to mucositis and neutropenic pneumonia), and these precluded further dose escalation. Fifteen of the 25 patients (60%) achieved a major response. Of significance is the response rate of 58% (11 of 19 patients) in those with recurrent or metastatic disease who had a duration of response ranging from 3 to 19+ months. Two of these 19 patients continue to be in remission of 19+ and 15+ months' duration, respectively. The median survival for patients with recurrent or metastatic disease was 6 months (range, 1–26 months), with a 1-year survival rate of 37%. CONCLUSIONS The dose and schedule for the combination of paclitaxel, 5-FU, and cisplatin as determined in this study are feasible, with encouraging outcomes and activity in patients with recurrent or metastatic SCCHN. The results of this trial warrant larger-scale evaluation to determine the role of this combination in the management of patients with this disease. Cancer 1999;86:2364–9. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Informational RNA sequences in early sea urchin embryos.

Abstract 1. 1. RNA · DNA hybridization was used to investigate the RNA species stored in unfertilized sea urchin eggs as well as those sequences transcribed on the embryonic genomes soon after fertilization. 2. 2. RNA was extracted from eggs and made radioactive by methylation with [3H]dimethyl sulfate. It was found that this RNA contains sequences which will hybridize with at least 3% of the sea urchin genome. 3. 3. RNA was labeled with [32P]phosphate during the morula stage of cleavage. In competition-hybridization experiments it was found that 70 % of the 32P-labeled RNA which hybridized was not compted by “maternal” sequences present in the egg. The embryonic genomes of cleavage blastomeres are therefore transcribed to make RNA sequences distinct from those stored in the egg.
Targeting APOBEC3A to the viral nucleoprotein complex confers antiviral activity

APOBEC3 (A3) proteins constitute a family of cytidine deaminases that provide intracellular resistance to retrovirus replication and to transposition of endogenous retroelements. A3A has significant homology to the C-terminus of A3G but has only a single cytidine deaminase active site (CDA), unlike A3G, which has a second N-terminal CDA previously found to be important for Vif sensitivity and virus encapsidation. A3A is packaged into HIV-1 virions but, unlike A3G, does not have antiviral properties. Here, we investigated the reason for the lack of A3A antiviral activity. Sequence alignment of A3G and A3A revealed significant homology of A3A to the C-terminal region of A3G. However, while A3G co-purified with detergent-resistant viral nucleoprotein complexes (NPC), virus-associated A3A was highly detergent-sensitive leading us to speculate that the ability to assemble into NPC may be a property conveyed by the A3G N-terminus. To test this model, we constructed an A3G-3A chimeric protein, in which the N-terminal half of A3G was fused to A3A. Interestingly, the A3G-3A chimera was packaged into HIV-1 particles and, unlike A3A, associated with the viral NPC. Furthermore, the A3G-3A chimera displayed strong antiviral activity against HIV-1 and was sensitive to inhibition by HIV-1 Vif. Our results suggest that the A3G N-terminal domain carries determinants important for targeting the protein to viral NPCs. Transfer of this domain to A3A results in A3A targeting to viral NPCs and confers antiviral activity.
Political Engagement Through Debates: Young Citizens' Reactions to the 2004 Presidential Debates

This study examines how exposure to a televised debate affects young citizens' normative democratic tendencies, attitudes that have been linked to increased civic and political participation, including voting behavior. The authors also are interested in the confidence young citizens express in the political knowledge they possess—their political information efficacy—and specifically how confidence in one's knowledge may be affected by exposure to such a sustained and “information-rich” source of campaign information as a 90-minute candidate debate. Findings reveal that debates strengthen, at least in the short term, democratic attitudes and also strengthen young citizens' levels of political information efficacy.
Antitumor Effects of Polyribonucleotides for Mouse Transitional Cell Carcinoma Enhanced by Cyclophosphamide

Abstract Mouse bladder tumor (MBT-2), derived from a carcinogen-induced transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, has proven a useful model for study of pathogenesis and prediction of cytotoxic drug sensitivity of human bladder carcinoma. To define optimal conditions for activity of the potent interferon inducer polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid [poly(I)·poly(C)] in this model, studies of dose, timing, and combinations with a cytotoxic drug were initiated. Poly(I)·poly(C) inhibited MBT-2 growth when 10 5 or 10 6 tumor cells were implanted. Tumor growth reduction was relatively more pronounced in mice inoculated with higher numbers of MBT-2 cells (10 6 ) than in mice inoculated with an intermediate dose (10 5 ) or small dose (10 4 ). In mice inoculated with 10 5 MBT-2 tumor cells, poly(I)·poly(C) (2.5 or 10 mg/kg i.p.) on Days 5 to 19 every other day reduced tumor size markedly. It had no effect, however, on tumor incidence or the time of their first detection. Treatment for a shorter period (alternate days from Days 11 to 19) resulted in less inhibition of tumor growth. Once treatment was discontinued, tumors grew progressively. Polyriboadenylic:polyribouridylic acid [poly(A)·poly(U)] (10 mg/kg) which inhibited tumor growth but to a lesser degree than poly(I)·poly(C) induced lower, less sustained levels of serum interferon. Cyclophosphamide, injected i.p. on Day 1, resulted in inhibition of tumor incidence and growth in direct proportion to the dose administered (25 to 200 mg/kg), but it was curative only at ≥30% lethal doses. When combined with poly(I)·poly(C) (2.5 or 10 mg/kg), cyclophosphamide (50 mg/kg) had an additive antitumor effect. Optimal inhibition of MBT-2 tumor growth occurred by combining cyclophosphamide (100 mg/kg) with poly(I)·poly(C) (2.5 mg/kg); eight of 14 mice were tumor free on Day 60.
Compulsory impasse procedures: recent American experience

According to Ronald Miller, impasse procedures for public sector negotiations in the United States have produced mixed results. While most unions in the public sector do accept arbitration, this outcome may have been achieved by a pattern of arbitration awards which are largely favourable to the unions.
Hierarchical symbolic piecewise-linear circuit analysis

This paper presents a hierarchical transient analysis method for piecewise-linear (PWL) circuits suitable for early stage verification of analog and mixed-signal circuits. The new method is based on a novel parameterized modeling of PWL devices, which results in very compact circuit matrices compared to existing PWL simulation algorithms based on ideal diode models. The new PWL symbolic analysis features exact symbolic solution of linear systems via graph based hierarchical analysis technique and PWL modeling of nonlinear devices. The resulting parameterized PWL circuit equations are solved by a modified Katzenelson event-driven algorithm to obtain transient responses for all subcircuits based on the symbolic solutions. Since PWL components are modeled symbolically in the new method, symbolic solutions are built only once and used repeatedly throughout the entire simulation, which makes the new PWL simulation algorithm more efficient than the Newton-Raphson (NR) based numerical methods, which require solving of linear equations (LU decomposition) at every step in NR iterations. Experimental results on a number of analog circuits show that the proposed hierarchical method outperforms the commercial simulator, SIMetrix and the flat PWL simulator.
Physical limitations and self-rated overall health in family medicine patients

Objective: To assess how physical limitations relate to self-rated health among family medicine patients after adjustment for severity of illness.Design: A telephone survey of family medicine patients, linked with medical record information.Setting: A large family medicine department in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.Subjects: Self-ratings of health were linked to medical records for 804 adult patients.Results: Adjusting for severity and other confounders using multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that having physical limitations was inversely and independently related to good self-rated health (adjusted odds ratio = 0.20, P<0.001). Odds ratios also were lower for high severity of illness (adjusted odds = 0.43). Morbidly obese patients and patients older than 65 years of age also had reduced odds of good self-rated health.Conclusions: In our sample of family medicine patients, part of the disparity in health status experienced by people with physical limitations is attributable to greater severity of...
Intergroup conflict: Ecological predictors of winning and consequences of defeat in a wild primate population.

In many social species, competition between groups is a major factor proximately affecting group-level movement patterns and space use and ultimately shaping the evolution of group living and complex sociality. Here we evaluated the factors influencing group-level dominance among five social groups of wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus), in particular focusing on the spatial determinants of dominance and the consequences of defeat. When direct conflict occurred between conspecific baboon groups, the winning group was predicted by differences in the number of adult males in each group and/or groups that had used the areas surrounding the encounter location more intensively than their opponent in the preceding 9 or 12 months. Relative intensity of space use over shorter timescales (3 and 6 months) was a poor predictor of the interaction’s outcome. Losing groups, but not winning groups, experienced clear short-term costs. Losing groups used the area surrounding the interaction less following an agonistic encounter (relative to their intensity of use of the area prior to the interaction). These findings offer insight into the influences and consequences of intergroup competition on group-level patterns of space use.
Freeze/thaw Stability of Cooked Pork Sausages as Affected by Salt, Phosphate, pH, and Carrageenan

The effects of κ, ι, or λ carrageenan (CGN), sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), chloride salts, and meat pH on the freeze/thaw stability of cooked pork sausages were investigated. STPP decreased thaw drip (TD) and increased hardness for all treatments regardless of type of salt or CGN. KCI did not affect the texture of control samples in the presence of STPP, but decreased the functionality of κ- and ι-CGN. Increased meat pH increased the hardness and decreased thaw drip for all CGN treatments, except for λ-CGN, which remained unchanged. k- and ι- CGN increased moisture retention of sausages prepared from low-pH meat.
Selecting the proper pediatric dose: It is more than size that matters

Appropriate pediatric dose selection remains one of the most vexing clinical problems faced by healthcare professionals who are charged to provide medical care to infants and children. While body size does reflect the ontogeny of processes that govern drug disposition, there are extremes of disease that perturb the expected relationships.
Effects of foraging waterfowl in winter flooded rice fields on weed stress and residue decomposition

This study quantifies the agronomic benefits of foraging waterfowl in winter flooded rice fields in the Sacramento Valley of California (US). Fifteen winter flooded rice fields along a 105 km long transect, each with five pairs of waterfowl exclosures and control plots were used to measure residue decomposition in spring, and weed biomass and grain yield at harvest. Experimental exclusion of waterfowl resulted in a significant increase in remaining residue from 1014 to 1233 kg ha −1 across the transect. At seven sites with high waterfowl activity, remaining residue increased from 836 to 1549 kg ha −1 when waterfowl were excluded from the plot. Grassy weed biomass increased from 44 to 91 kg ha −1 over the whole transect in absence of waterfowl. At seven sites with high waterfowl activity the grassy weed biomass more than doubled in the absence of waterfowl from 89 to 204 kg ha −1 . No significant yield effect could be detected. Winter flooding rice fields resulted in mutual benefits for waterfowl and agriculture that could be of particular significance in organic farming systems. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Parathyroid hormone regulates the expression of the nuclear mitotic apparatus protein in the osteoblast-like cells, ROS 17/2.8

Abstract The parathyroid hormone (PTH) signaling pathways that effect changes in osteoblast gene expression also alter the organization of the cytoskeletal proteins. PTH regulates the expression of nucleoskeletal proteins, such as nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA) and topoisomerase II-α. NuMA is a structural component of the interphase nucleus and organizes the microtubules of the mitotic spindle during mitogenesis. We propose that PTH-induced alterations in osteoblast cytoarchitecture are accompanied by changes in osteoblast nuclear structure that contribute to changes in gene expression. We used immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy to determine the effect of PTH on the expression and nuclear distribution of NuMA in the rat osteosarcoma cell line, ROS 17/2.8. Cells were treated with PTH or vehicle, then fixed and stained with NuMA antibody. Optical sections of interphase naive cells revealed a diffuse distribution of NuMA, interspersed with speckles, in the central nuclear planes but not in nucleoli. During the metaphase and anaphase, NuMA localized at the mitotic spindle apparatus. The percentage of NuMA-immunopositive ROS 17/2.8 cells decreased with increasing confluence, but serum starvation did not attenuate NuMA expression. Cell density-dependent changes in cytoskeletal organization were observed in these cells. PTH treatment induced changes in cytoskeletal organization and increased the percentage of NuMA-immunopositive ROS 17/2.8 cells. These data suggest that PTH effects changes in osteoblast nuclear architecture by regulating NuMA, and that these alterations may be coupled to cytoskeletal organization.
Intermediate filament scaffolds fulfill mechanical, organizational, and signaling functions in the cytoplasm

Intermediate filaments (IFs) are cytoskeletal polymers whose protein constituents are encoded by a large family of differentially expressed genes. Owing in part to their properties and intracellular organization, IFs provide crucial structural support in the cytoplasm and nucleus, the perturbation of which causes cell and tissue fragility and accounts for a large number of genetic diseases in humans. A number of additional roles, nonmechanical in nature, have been recently uncovered for IF proteins. These include the regulation of key signaling pathways that control cell survival, cell growth, and vectorial processes including protein targeting in polarized cellular settings. As this discovery process continues to unfold, a rationale for the large size of this family and the context-dependent regulation of its members is finally emerging.
Sociopolitical Dynamics In Relations Between Top Managers and Security Analysts: Favor Rendering, Reciprocity, and Analyst Stock Recommendations

We examine how the disclosure of negative firm information may prompt top executives to render personal and professional favors for security analysts, who may reciprocate by rating firms relatively...
The Role of Candidate Choice in the California Recall Election

Many have argued that the reelection and later recall of Governor Gray Davis in California serves as a perfect example of how primaries draw politics to the extremes by nominating candidates too liberal or conservative for the general electorate. Davis defeated a conservative Republican opponent in his reelection campaign, only to lose in the recall just one year later when there were no primaries to prevent a moderate Republican from running. We test this notion with survey data from both elections. We find that the choice of candidates was important to votes in each election, but evaluations of Davis were far more significant and largely determined the outcome. We conclude with implications for the role of primaries in American politics generally.
A novel CD93 polymorphism in non-obese diabetic (NOD) and NZB/W F1 mice is linked to a CD4+ iNKT cell deficient state

In the present study, we characterize a polymorphism in the CD93 molecule, originally identified as the receptor for the C1q complement component (i.e., C1qRp, or AA4.1) in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. This allele carries a coding polymorphism in the first epidermal growth factor-like domain of CD93, which results in an amino acid substitution from Asn→His at position 264. This polymorphism does not appear to influence protein translation or ecto-domain cleavage, as CD93 is detectable in bone-marrow-derived macrophage and B-cell precursor lysates and in soluble form in the serum. The NOD CD93 isoform causes a phenotypic aberrancy in the early B-cell developmental stages (i.e., pro-, pre-, immature, and transitional), likely related to a conformational variation. Interestingly, the NZB/W F1 strain, which serves as a murine model of Lupus, also expresses an identical CD93 sequence polymorphism. Cd93 is located within the NOD Idd13 locus and is also tightly linked to the NZB/W F1 Wbw1 and Nkt2 disease susceptibility loci, which are thought to regulate natural killer T (NKT) cell homeostasis. Consistent with this genetic linkage, we found B6 CD93−/− and B6.NODIdd13 mice to be susceptible to a profound CD4+ NKT cell deficient state. These data suggest that Cd93 may be an autoimmune susceptibility gene residing within the Idd13 locus, which plays a role in regulating absolute numbers of CD4+ NKT cells.
Changing Perceptions of Unpopular Animals Through Facts, Poetry, Crafts, and Puppet Plays

Today’s children are often separated from the natural world, developing fear and aversion to wild creatures. This humane education program used curriculum-blended science lessons that focused on eight generally disliked animals: bat, skunk, snake, mouse, spider, centipede, cockroach, and mosquito. First and second grade students participated in 6 weekly hour-long lessons that introduced appealing images of the creatures, facts, and poems that presented their lifestyles. Students practiced fine motor skills by making a craft version of each animal. Literacy skills were addressed by analyzing the poems and writing a script for a puppet play that told why humans don’t like the animal and how these characteristics or behaviors help the animal survive in the environment. This pretest–intervention–posttest quasi-experimental study had 26 students (16 f, 10 m) in the experimental group and 16 (11 f, 5 m) in the control group. Students rated their liking for the eight targeted animals and four other animals not discussed in the intervention (dog, cat, goldfish, butterfly) on the pretest and posttest. Results showed significant differences for the experimental group for all animals considered together and for the targeted animals as a group. The control group did not exhibit these differences. The results indicate that lessons focusing on ecology and animal lifestyles help improve students’ caring for animals.
Inverse gas chromatography for the determination of the dispersive surface free energy and acid–base interactions of a sheet molding compound. I. Matrix material and glass

Sheet molding compound is a material com- posed of a polyester thermosetting matrix with a thermo- plastic, an inorganic filler, a metal oxide, reinforcement fibers, and material performance enhancers embedded in the crosslinked matrix. To achieve the optimum mechanical properties required for the composite material, the surface free energy of the polyester composite needs to be under- stood. In this study, the composite matrix and glass rein- forcement fibers are compared with respect to their surface free energy and acid-base characteristics on the basis of inverse gas chromatography measurements. The inverse gas chromatography results for the matrix and glass are compared to previous results found for sized and unsized cellulosic fibers. The inverse gas chromatography data are used to assess chemical modifications performed on the bio- based fibers to predict improvements in the fiber/matrix interaction, and this provides inferences on the overall com- posite cohesion. Our results show first that any fiber rein- forcement system for the polyester composite material has to be acidic to promote good adhesion as the matrix system is very basic and second that the individual dispersive sur- face energies of the components of the matrix interact in a weighted average to determine the overall surface energy of the composite. Also, a commercial glass reinforcement sized for polyester has been found to have a lower interac- tion parameter than literature values for cellulosic fibers. This finding suggests that cellulosic fibers might have an advantage in competing with a conventional glass-fiber reinforcement system in fiber/matrix bonding for sheet molding compound composites. 2008 Wiley Periodicals,
Retinal regeneration is facilitated by the presence of surviving neurons.

Teleost fish regenerate their retinas after damage, in contrast to mammals. In zebrafish subjected to an extensive ouabain-induced lesion that destroys all neurons and spares Muller glia, functional recovery and restoration of normal optic nerve head (ONH) diameter take place at 100 days postinjury. Subsequently, regenerated retinas overproduce cells in the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer, and the ONH becomes enlarged. Here, we test the hypothesis that a selective injury, which spares photoreceptors and Muller glia, results in faster functional recovery and fewer long-term histological abnormalities. Following this selective retinal damage, recovery of visual function required 60 days, consistent with this hypothesis. In contrast to extensively damaged retinas, selectively damaged retinas showed fewer histological errors and did not overproduce neurons. Extensively damaged retinas had RGC axons that were delayed in pathfinding to the ONH, and showed misrouted axons within the ONH, suggesting that delayed functional recovery following an extensive lesion is related to defects in RGC axons exiting the eye and/or reaching their central targets. The atoh7, fgf8a, Sonic hedgehog (shha), and netrin-1 genes were differentially expressed, and the distribution of hedgehog protein was disrupted after extensive damage as compared with selective damage. Confirming a role for Shh signaling in supporting rapid regeneration, shha(t4) +/- zebrafish showed delayed functional recovery after selective damage. We suggest that surviving retinal neurons provide structural/molecular information to regenerating neurons, and that this patterning mechanism regulates factors such as Shh. These factors in turn control neuronal number, retinal lamination, and RGC axon pathfinding during retinal regeneration.
A survey of the likelihood approach to bioequivalence trials.

Bioequivalence trials are abbreviated clinical trials whereby a generic drug or new formulation is evaluated to determine if it is “equivalent” to a corresponding previously approved brand-name drug or formulation. In this manuscript, we survey the process of testing bioequivalence and advocate the likelihood paradigm for representing the resulting data as evidence. We emphasize the unique conflicts between hypothesis testing and confidence intervals in this area - which we believe are indicative of the existence of the systemic defects in the frequentist approach - that the likelihood paradigm avoids. We suggest the direct use of profile likelihoods for evaluating bioequivalence. We discuss how the likelihood approach is useful to present the evidence for both average and population bioequivalence within a unified framework. We also examine the main properties of profile likelihoods and estimated likelihoods under simulation. This simulation study shows that profile likelihoods offer a viable alternative to the (unknown) true likelihood for a range of parameters commensurate with bioequivalence research.
Rollo May: A Man of Meaning and Myth

Rollo May, a prominent existential psychologist and therapist, discusses his personal and professional development, his perspective on the state of the counseling profession, and his concerns about current societal issues.
VR 2012 tutorial proposal title: An in-depth introduction to virtual reality programming

This tutorial introduces basic programming concepts particular to virtual reality. The presentation progresses step-by-step from a very simple world with no interactions (apart from physical immersion), and continues to add features related to 3D user interfaces, interactive rendering and interesting ways to travel through virtual worlds. The presentation includes the opportunity for audience members to follow along with software on their laptops, though the tutorial will also be valuable for those who wish to expressly follow the lectures.
Thin film barium strontium titanate ferroelectric varactors for microwave applications

Analog phase shifters are investigated with a periodic structure that includes Barium Strontium Titanate ferroelectric thin film varactors in shunt or serial connection to the coplanar waveguide transmission line. The phase shift is achieved by applying a DC bias to the varactors and changing the reactance in the circuit. The goal of this paper is to characterize the shunt capacitive varactors regarding the voltage dependence of the capacitance, loss tangent, and insertion losses at different bias voltages. Quality factor analysis is also conducted taking the parasitic effects into account. Repeated measurements show that the capacitance of a single cell is tuned from 0.8pF to 0.2pF under a DC bias of 0-10V while the loss tangent is kept under 0.01 in the frequency range of 0-40GHz. Insertion loss is tuned from -4dB to less than -0.6dB from 0 to 10V with a Figure of Merit of 14 degrees/dB at 10GHz and the total quality factor of the unit cell is around 6.7 to 10 at 10GHz with matched port impedance. By cascading 10-25 single unit cells, the phase shift is expected to reach 360 degrees with minimum insertion loss.
The Effects of ATP Depletion on the Response of Erythrocytes to Shear Stress

Erythrocyte deformability is strongly dependent on environmental variables which influence intracellular ATP concentration. The present study was undertaken to relate these environmental variables to the susceptibility of erythrocytes to hemolysis due to exposure to uniform shear fields in a special-purpose rotational viscometer.
Sulfur/Olefin Copolymers as Vulcanizing Agents for Rubber

Abstract Sulfur/olefin copolymers are known as vulcanizing agents for rubber, but synthetic procedures for these materials are poor and there is little in the literature to relate the structure of the copolymer with the vulcanizate properties of the rubber. This study discusses a new suspension process for the preparation of sulfur/dicyclopentadiene and sulfur/dicyclopentadiene/styrene copolymers. The relationship between the sulfur/olefin copolymer and vulcanizate properties is discussed in terms of the structure of the copolymer and other reaction products.
Biblical Gothic: Models, monarchs and Mexico

It has long been recognized that there must have been some prototype on paper that was used for the more than 250 mendicant conversion centers constructed in sixteenth-century Mexico. The author suggests that the model can be found in the Gothic biblical drawings of the medieval Franciscan Nicholas of Lyra.
Secretory immunity induced in catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, following bath immunization

Individual adult channel catfish were immunized by immersion in an antigen bath containing dinitrophenylated-horse serum albumin. Anti-DNP hemagglutination titers of serum and cutaneous mucus were determined following both primary and secondary bath immunization. The results showed that five of the six fish had a cutaneous mucosal anti-DNP titer following the bath immunizations. In contrast, only one of the six catfish was shown to have any demonstrable change in its serum anti-DNP titer following the bath immunizations. The mucous anti-DNP hemagglutinin was shown to be antibody (Ab). The affinity-purified mucous Ab was found to have the same complex tetrameric architecture as well as the same molecular weight heavy and light chains as serum anti-DNP Ab. Histological studies showed that the catfish epidermis was richly vascularized. Within the epidermis there were numerous lymphocytes which were predominantly associated with the basal layer. These studies indicate that the secretory immune system of catfish can be stimulated by external antigens. Secondly, these studies show that bath immunization can differentially effect the relative antibody response of the catfish secretory and systemic immune systems.
67Zn Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy of {[TpBut,Me]Zn(OH2)}[HOB(C6F5)3]. The Importance of the Anion [HOB(C6F5)3]−

One of the paradigms of Zn2+ metallobiochemistry is that coordination of water to Zn2+ provides a mechanism of activation that involves lowering the pKa by approximately 7 pH units. This idea has become central to the development of mechanisms of action for zinc metalloproteins. However, the direct measurement of the pKa of water bound to Zn2+ in a metalloprotein has yet to be accomplished. Developing models for Zn2+−OH2 species has been a significant challenge, but we have utilized solid-state 67Zn NMR spectroscopy as a means to characterize one of the few examples of water bound to mononuclear tetrahedral Zn2+: {[TpBut,Me]Zn(OH2)}[HOB(C6F5)3]. The measured quadrupole coupling (Cq) constant is 4.3 MHz with an asymmetry parameter of ηq of 0.6. Likewise, due to the small value of Cq, anisotropic shielding also contributed to the observed 67Zn NMR lineshape. As expected, the computed values of the magnetic resonance parameters depend critically on the nature of the anion. The predicted value of Cq for {[TpB...