cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Escherichia coli vectors having stringently repressible replication origins allow a streamlining of Crispr/Cas9 gene editing

Abstract Readily curable plasmids facilitate the construction of plasmid-free bacterial strains after the plasmid encoded genes are no longer needed. The most popular of these plasmids features a temperature-sensitive (Ts) pSC101 origin of replication which can readily revert during usage and cannot be used to construct Ts mutations in essential genes. Plasmid pAM34 which contains an IPTG-dependent origin of replication largely overcomes this issue but is limited by carrying the most commonly utilized antibiotic selection and replication origin. This study describes the construction of an expanded series of plasmid vectors having replication origins of p15a, RSF1030 or RSF1031 that like pAM34 have IPTG-dependent replication. Surprisingly, these plasmids can be cured in fewer generations than pAM34. Derivatives of pAM34 with alternative antibiotic selection markers were also constructed. The utility of these vectors is demonstrated in the construction of a CRISPR-Cas9 system consisting of an IPTG-dependent Cas9 plasmid and a curable guide RNA plasmid having a streptomycin counterselection marker. This system was successfully demonstrated by construction of point mutations, deletions and insertions in the E. coli genome with a very high efficiency and in a shorter timescale than extant methods. The plasmids themselves were readily cured either together or singly from the resultant strains with minimal effort.
Linking late life depression and Alzheimer's disease: mechanisms and resilience

This review summarizes recent literature linking Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and late life depression (LLD). It describes shared neurobiological features associated with both conditions, as well as factors that may increase resilience to onset and severity of cognitive decline and AD. Finally, we pose a number of future research directions toward improving detection, management, and treatment of both conditions. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown a significant relationship between LLD and AD, with support for depression as a prodromal feature of AD, a risk factor for AD, and observation of some shared risk factors underlying both disease processes. Three major neurobiological features shared by LLD and AD include neurodegeneration, disruption to cerebrovascular functioning, and increased levels of neuroinflammation. There are also potentially modifiable factors that can increase resilience to AD and LLD, including social support, physical and cognitive engagement, and cognitive reserve. We propose that, in the context of depression, neurobiological events, such as neurodegeneration, cerebrovascular disease, and neuroinflammation, result in a brain that is more vulnerable to the consequences of the pathophysiological features of AD, lowering the threshold for the onset of the behavioral presentation of AD (i.e., cognitive decline and dementia). We discuss factors that can increase resilience to AD and LLD, including social support, physical and cognitive engagement, and cognitive reserve. We conclude with a discussion of future research directions.
Concordance between estimates of acute malnutrition measured by weight-for-height and by mid-upper arm circumference after age adjustment: population-representative surveys from humanitarian settings.

Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and weight-for-height (WHZ) are commonly used indicators to identify acute malnutrition. However, MUAC and WHZ diagnose different children, and produce prevalence estimates that are meaningfully different. Previous research in Somalia has suggested improved concordance using MUAC-for-age (MUACZ) rather than MUAC. We further evaluate the relationship between MUACZ, MUAC, and WHZ using surveys conducted globally. We analyzed 882 population representative surveys from 41 countries. Children ages 6–59 months were classified as acutely malnourished using three independent criteria: WHZ < − 2 (WHZ2), MUAC< 125 mm (MUAC125), MUACZ < − 2 (MUACZ2). Population prevalence using each of the three criteria are presented by country and region. Correlations of survey prevalence for each indicator pair were assessed. Multivariable regression models of MUACZ and MUAC125 adjusted for WHZ2, stunting prevalence, age, and sex. To evaluate individual level diagnostic concordance, we compared the proportion of children identified by each of the three criteria. Median prevalence of acute malnutrition overall was highest for MUACZ2 (14.0%) followed by WHZ2 (10.6%), and lowest for MUAC125 (7.3%). The absolute difference in prevalence between MUACZ2 and WHZ2 was smaller than the difference between MUAC125 and WHZ2 for 51.3% of surveys. The correlations of WHZ2 with both MUACZ2 as well as with MUAC125 were weak, positive associations (Pearson’s r = 0.5757 and 0.4943, respectively), but MUAC125 and MUACZ2 had a strong, linear relationship (Pearson’s r = 0.9265). The adjusted regression model for MUACZ2 had greater fit (R2 = 0.50) relative to the adjusted model for MUAC125 (R2 = 0.43). The proportion of children identified by both MUAC125 and WHZ2 was 25.5%, smaller than the proportion identified by both MUACZ2 and WHZ2 (30.6%). MUACZ identified more children as malnourished than MUAC, resulting in a higher prevalence of acute malnutrition in nearly all settings. Prevalence by MUACZ was not consistently more similar to WHZ than that estimated by MUAC, and correlations with WHZ were only slightly improved relative to MUAC. Consequently, programmatic use of MUACZ cannot be justified based on improved concordance with WHZ. Further research on morbidity and mortality of children with low MUACZ only are needed before recommending MUACZ for wider use.
GInSAR: A cGPS Correction for Enhanced InSAR Time Series

Earth surface displacements from interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) have long been used to study deformation from a wide range of geophysical processes. Whereas deformation rates can be robustly estimated from InSAR by averaging many individual deformation observations, noise in these observations has limited their utility for generating deformation time series. In this article, we introduce a novel combination of InSAR and Global Positioning System (GPS) data that align InSAR displacements to an absolute reference and reduces long-wavelength spatial errors prior to InSAR time series construction. We test our GInSAR (GPS-enhanced InSAR) methodology on Sentinel-1 data over the southern Central Valley, CA, USA, comparing GInSAR displacement velocities and time series with those from three other referencing techniques. We find that the GInSAR approach outperforms alternative methods, yielding mm-level displacement differences with respect to collocated cGPS. By contrast, other referencing methods can overestimate peak subsidence velocities in the Central Valley by upwards of 10%, deviate by tens of millimeters relative to cGPS validation time series, and contain spatial biases absent in the GInSAR methodology. We also present a modification to the widely used small baseline subset (SBAS) technique for time series estimation, whereby we use a temporal connectedness constraint to regularize the mathematical inversion and increase the number of InSAR pixels with valid time series estimates.
Novel molecular components involved in callose-mediated Arabidopsis defense against Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157:H7

Food contamination with Salmonella enterica and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli is among the leading causes of foodborne illnesses worldwide and crop plants are associated with > 50% of the disease outbreaks. However, the mechanisms underlying the interaction of these human pathogens with plants remain elusive. In this study, we have explored plant resistance mechanisms against these enterobacteria and the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3118, as an opportunity to improve food safety. We found that S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (STm) transcriptionally modulates stress responses in Arabidopsis leaves, including induction of two hallmark processes of plant defense: ROS burst and cell wall modifications. Analyses of plants with a mutation in the potentially STm-induced gene EXO70H4 revealed that its encoded protein is required for stomatal defense against STm and E. coli O157:H7, but not against Pst DC3118. In the apoplast however, EXO70H4 is required for defense against STm and Pst DC3118, but not against E. coli O157:H7. Moreover, EXO70H4 is required for callose deposition, but had no function in ROS burst, triggered by all three bacteria. The salicylic acid (SA) signaling and biosynthesis proteins NPR1 and ICS1, respectively, were involved in stomatal and apoplastic defense, as well as callose deposition, against human and plant pathogens. The results show that EXO70H4 is involved in stomatal and apoplastic defenses in Arabidopsis and suggest that EXO70H4-mediated defense play a distinct role in guard cells and leaf mesophyll cells in a bacteria-dependent manner. Nonetheless, EXO70H4 contributes to callose deposition in response to both human and plant pathogens. NPR1 and ICS1, two proteins involved in the SA signaling pathway, are important to inhibit leaf internalization and apoplastic persistence of enterobacteria and proliferation of phytopathogens. These findings highlight the existence of unique and shared plant genetic components to fight off diverse bacterial pathogens providing specific targets for the prevention of foodborne diseases.
Unmet supportive care needs and health behaviors in Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors with cardiometabolic comorbidities.

e24038Background: Cardiometabolic illness is a leading cause of death among cancer survivors previously treated for early-stage breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer. Despite the fact that Hispan...
STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS AMONGST THE PRIMARY AROMATIC AMINES IN THE INDUCTION OF BLADDER CANCER

The mechanism by which certain primary aromatic amines induce bladder cancer is reviewed. The present status of our knowledge of the structure activity relationships among these compounds which determine whether or not they are bladder carcinogens is discussed.
Human Macrophage-Dependent Remodeling of the Basement Membrane-Interstitial Matrix Interface

Macrophages dominate inflammatory environments where they modify the extracellular matrix by mobilizing complex repertoires of proteolytic enzymes. Nevertheless, the dominant proteinases used by macrophage as they confront physiologic tissue barriers remain undefined. Herein, we have characterized the molecular mechanisms that define human macrophage-extracellular matrix interactions ex vivo. Resting and immune-polarized macrophages are shown to proteolytically remodel basement membranes while infiltrating the underlying interstitial matrix. In an unbiased screen to identify key proteases, we find that the macrophage metalloproteinase, MT1-MMP, is the dominant effector of basement membrane degradation and invasion. Unexpectedly, macrophages can alternatively use actomyosin-dependent forces to transmigrate native basement membrane pores that provide cells with proteinase-independent access to the interstitial matrix. These studies not only identify MT1-MMP as a key proteolytic effector of extracellular matrix remodeling by human macrophages, but also define the invasive strategies used by macrophages to traverse physiologic tissue barriers.
Perfusion bioreactor enabled fluid-derived shear stress conditions for novel bone metastatic prostate cancer testbed

Critical understanding of the complex metastatic cascade of prostate cancer is necessary for the development of a therapeutic interventions for treating metastatic prostate cancer. Increasing evidence supports the synergistic role of biochemical and biophysical cues in cancer progression at metastases. The biochemical factors such as cytokines have been extensively studied in relation to prostate cancer progression to the bone; however, the role of shear stress-induced by interstitial fluid around bone extracellular matrix has not been fully explored as a driving factor for prostate cancer metastasis. Shear stress governs various cellular processes, including cell proliferation and migration. Thus, it is essential to understand the impact of fluid-derived shear stress on the aggressiveness of prostate cancer at the metastatic stage. Here, we report development of a three-dimensional (3D) in-vitro dynamic cell culture system to recapitulate the microenvironment of prostate cancer bone metastasis, to understand the cause of modulation in cell response under fluid-derived shear stress. We observed an increased human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) proliferation and differentiation rate under dynamic culture. We observed that hMSCs under static culture form cell agglutinates, whereas under dynamic culture, hMSCs exhibited a directional alignment with broad and flattened morphology. Next, we observed increased expression of mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) biomarkers in bone metastasized prostate cancer models as well as large changes in cellular and tumoroid morphologies with shear stress. Evaluation of cell adhesion proteins indicated that the altered cancer cell morphologies resulted from the constant force pulling due to increased E-Cadherin and phosphorylated Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) proteins under shear stress. Collectively, we have successfully developed a 3D in-vitro dynamic model to recapitulate the behavior of bone metastatic prostate cancer under dynamic conditions.
Seeing is not believing.

Abstract An 84-year-old woman with a history of dry age-related macular degeneration presented with an acute inability to read, but intact writing ability (pure alexia or alexia without agraphia). She denied any difficulty speaking, paresthesias, or hemiparesis. Her visual acuity was 20/20 in each eye. Macular examination, optical coherence tomography, and fluorescein angiography demonstrated the previously diagnosed macular drusen and geographic atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium consistent with the dry form of age-related macular degeneration both eyes. Automated perimetry revealed a right homonymous hemianopsia. Neuroimaging confirmed a left occipital ischemic infarction with involvement of the splenium of the corpus callosum producing the classic disconnection syndrome of alexia without agraphia.
The regulation of ACC synthase protein turnover: a rapid route for modulating plant development and stress responses

Abstract The phytohormone ethylene regulates plant growth, development, and stress responses. The strict fine-tuning of the regulation of ethylene biosynthesis contributes to the diverse roles of ethylene in plants. Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate–dependent 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase, a rate-limiting enzyme in ethylene biosynthesis, is central and often rate-limiting to regulate ethylene concentration in plants. The post-translational regulation of ACS is a major pathway controlling ethylene biosynthesis in response to various stimuli. We conclude that the regulation of ACS turnover may serve as a central hub for the rapid integration of developmental, environmental, and hormonal signals, all of which influence plant growth and stress responses.
Local Duality and Dual Methods

We first derive a local duality theory for constrained nonconvex optimization, which is based on our earlier global duality theory and the Lagrangian relaxations. The variables of the local dual are again the Lagrange multipliers associated with the constraints in the primal problem—the original constrained optimization problem but restricted in the neighborhood of a primal solution under consideration.
Atomic Josephson vortices

We show that Josephson vortices in a quasi-one-dimensional atomic Bose Josephson junction can be controllably manipulated by imposing a difference of chemical potentials on the atomic Bose-Einstein condensate waveguides forming the junction. This effect, which has its origin in the Berry phase structure of a vortex, turns out to be very robust in the whole range of the parameters where such vortices can exist. We also propose that a Josephson vortex can be created by the phase imprinting technique and can be identified by a specific tangential feature in the interference picture produced by expanding clouds released from the waveguides.
Iterative color image restoration algorithms

Iterative techniques for restoring colour images are presented. These iterative algorithms have been developed for the restoration of monochromatic images. The colour images are modeled as three spatially related monochromatic images or channels. The interchannel correlation is incorporated into the iterative restoration algorithms in an indirect and in a direct way. Experimental results with simulated and real photographically blurred images are presented. Based on experiments the authors conclude that the incorporation of the interchannel correlation into the algorithms does not necessarily improve the quality of the restored images over the algorithms that ignore the interchannel correlation, but they result in considerable computation savings. >
Monitoring Ambient Air for Mutagenicity Using the Higher Plant Tradescantia

The theme of the conference on “Genotoxic Effects of Airborne Agents” concerned the state of the art of bioassay systems from cultured microbes to laboratory animals and their application to the assessment of human health effects of airborne environmental contaminents. The major emphasis for short-term bioassays has been placed on bacterial and mammalian cell lines. However, for increased perspective on the state-of-the-art of specific in vitro assays it is important to consider the environmental impact on whole organisms by reviewing the contributions made by in vivo assays. The more classical non-mammalian in vivo systems such as Drosophila, Zea mays and Tradescantia are characterized by well defined genetic bases, versatility in mode of treatment, relatively low cost and short term and/or high sensitivity to both physical (radiation) and chemical mutagens (1–5). This paper will deal exclusively with somatic mutation in the Tradescantiastamen hair: describing the system briefly, demonstrating its relevance to environmental mutagen assessment and discussing its adaptation for in situ ambient atmosphere monitoring.
2‐Alkenyl Carbinols from 2‐Halo Ketones: 2‐E‐Propenylcyclohexanol

2-Alkenyl carbinols from 2-halo ketones: 2-E-propenylcyclohexanol product: 2-E-propenylcyclohexanol Keywords: alkenylation, C-alkenylation; Grignard and related reactions; rearrangements; reduction, miscellaneous; stirrers, air-driven
jmle: a tool for executing JML specifications via constraint programming

Formal specifications are more useful and easier to develop if they are executable. In this work, we describe a system for executing specifications written in the Java Modeling Language (JML) by translating them to constraint programs, which are then executed via the Java Constraint Kit (JCK). Our system can execute specifications written at a high level of abstraction, and the generated constraint programs are Java implementations of the translated specifications. Hence, they can be called directly from ordinary Java code.
A Data Analysis Routine to Protect Confidential Information During GC-MS Analysis

The Chemical Weapons Convention allows for the collection and analysis of samples at inspection sites, including demilitarization facilities, to verify compliance with treaty obligations. The Preparatory Commission to the OPCW, through its Expert Group on Inspection Procedures, PC-VIII/B/WP.2, has determined that the Technical Secretariat must have analytical equipment that, among other things, allows “identification and recording of the detection of chemicals relevant to the purpose of the inspection, but the suppression of the indication and recording of the detection of chemicals and other information unrelated to the purpose of the inspection.”
New treatment options in antidepressant therapy

The goals of antidepressant treatment are to induce remission and prevent relapse or recurrence. While response is the standard criterion applied to comparisons of antidepressant drugs indicating an improvement from baseline, the more stringent criterion of remission is more relevant to clinical practice because it indicates that the patient is symptom-free. Studies with many antidepressants demonstrate response rates up to 60% but remission rates less than 30%.
A calibration system for the Green Bank Telescope 4mm receiver: On-telescope, RFI-free calibration for 68–92 GHz observations

Calibration for spectral line observations covering 68-92 GHz on the Green Bank Telescope uses a different calibration scheme than lower frequency receivers. In addition and extremely important is that any calibration scheme must not generate radio frequency interference (RFI) to other experiments ongoing at the Green Bank Observatory. An asynchronous logic network interfaces between the telescope control system, a brushless AC motor and three bit position encoding to place or remove reflectors, absorber or a quarter wave plate in the beam of the feeds to enable observers to calibrate their data during observations or configure the receiver for Very Long Baseline Interferometer network observations. This system is free of RFI that schemes utilizing more commonly available technology create.
Phonological Parsing in Speech Recognition

It is well-known that phonemes have different acoustic realizations depending on the context. Thus, for example, the phoneme /t! is typically realized with a heavily aspirated strong burst at the beginning of a syllable as in the word Tom, but without a burst at the end of a syllable in a word like cat. Variation such as this is often considered to be problematic for speech recogni tion: (1) "In most systems for sentence recognition, such modifications must be viewed as a kind of 'noise' that makes it more difficult to hypothesize lexical candidates given an in put phonetic transcription. To see that this must be the case, we note that each phonological rule [in a certain example] results in irreversible ambiguity-the phonological rule does not have a unique inverse that could be used to recover the underlying phonemic representation for a lexical item. For example, . . . schwa vowels could be the first vowel in a word like 'about' or the surface realization of almost any English vowel appearing in a sufficiently destressed word. The tongue flap [(] could have come from a /t! or a /d/. " [65, pp. 548-549] This view of allophonic variation is representative of much of the speech recognition literature, especially during the late 1970's. One can find similar statements by Cole and Jakimik [22] and by Jelinek [50]."
Calculus and Renormalization on Function Space

In this section we list the main formulas and identities, with references to sections where they are established. Let R(φ) denote a polynomial in φ, or a polynomial in φ, ..., :φ(x) j :, as discussed in Section 8.5. Let $$A(\phi)=R(\phi)e^{i\phi(f)}.$$ (9.1.1)
L 0 —the first five years of an automated language acquisition project

The L0 project at ICSI and UC Berkeley attempts to combine not only vision and natural language modelling, but also learning. The original task was put forward in (Feldman et al. 1990a) as a touchstone task for AI and cognitive science. The task is to build a system that can learn the appropriate fragment of any natural language from sentence-picture pairs. We have not succeeded in building such a system, but we have made considerable progress on component subtasks and this has led in a number of productive and surprising directions.
Qualitative audit materiality and earnings management

This study investigates auditors’ propensity to rely on quantitative materiality thresholds to the exclusion of qualitative materiality thresholds. Specifically, we examine whether auditors are more likely to allow earnings management that is less than typical quantitative materiality thresholds but that nonetheless is qualitatively material. We use changes in tax expense as a proxy for earnings management. Our results indicate that companies with pre-managed earnings that would have missed the consensus analyst forecast are more likely to decrease their tax expense when the magnitude of the decrease is less than quantitative audit materiality thresholds. The results also indicate that firms are more likely to meet or beat the forecast when the amount of earnings management necessary to meet the analyst forecast is less than quantitative materiality. These results are consistent with auditors relying on quantitative materiality thresholds to the exclusion of qualitative materiality thresholds, i.e., the importance of meeting or beating the analyst forecast. Finally, we find that the ability to use tax expense reduction within quantitative materiality to meet or beat analysts’ consensus forecasts was significantly reduced by the SEC’s guidance on materiality in SAB-99 and by the passage of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act.
Multipurpose care solution-induced corneal surface disruption and Pseudomonas aeruginosa internalization in the rabbit corneal epithelium.

Purpose To evaluate the effects of a chemically preserved multipurpose contact lens care solution (MPS) on the corneal epithelial surface and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) internalization in the rabbit corneal epithelium. Methods Rabbits were fit in one eye with a silicone hydrogel lens (balafilcon A) soaked overnight in a borate-buffered MPS (BioTrue). The contralateral eye was fit with a lens removed directly from the blister pack containing borate-buffered saline (control). Lenses were worn for 2 hours. Upon lens removal, corneas were challenged ex vivo with invasive PA strain 6487 and assessed for PA internalization. Ultrastructural changes were assessed using scanning electron (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results Scanning electron microscopy showed frank loss of surface epithelium in MPS-exposed eyes, while control eyes exhibited occasional loss of surface membranes but retention of intact junctional borders. Transmission electron microscopy data supported and extended SEM findings, demonstrating the presence of epithelial edema in MPS-treated eyes. There was a 12-fold increase in PA uptake into the corneal epithelium following wear of the MPS-treated lens compared to control (P = 0.008). Conclusions These data demonstrate that corneal exposure to MPS during lens wear damages the surface epithelium and are consistent with our previous clinical data showing an increase in bacterial binding to exfoliated epithelial cells following MPS use with resultant increased risk for lens-mediated infection. These findings also demonstrate that the PA invasion assay may provide a highly sensitive quantitative metric for assessing the physiological impact of lens-solution biocompatibility on the corneal epithelium.
Evolving spectrum and incidence of non-AIDS-defining malignancies

Purpose of review Non-AIDS Defining Cancer (NADC) has emerged as an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the HIV-infected population. Insight into the incidence, spectrum, risk factors, management, and outcome of these cancers has continued to emerge. The recent literature on this topic is reviewed.
Women and the Wild: Gender Socialization in Wilderness Recreation Advertising

Women are underrepresented in wilderness recreation despite the numerous benefits such activities provide to mental, physical, and emotional health. Several theories have been proposed linking women’s beliefs about their competence in outdoor spaces, fears of victimization, and concerns over retaining femininity to their lack of participation. We explore media representations of wilderness recreation as a possible agent in the gender socialization process that dissuades women from participation. Through analyzing advertisements from the 42 issues of Backpacker and Outside magazines published in 2008 and 2009 we find that, when women are shown, they are portrayed as having limited and passive roles in wilderness recreation. These advertisements also use the setting to reinforce traditional gender arrangements and paint women as consumers rather than conquerors of the wild. When women are shown as active participants in wilderness recreation, their physical accomplishments are often either downplayed or depicted as the endeavors of “unique” women who require feminization.
Does the name really matter? The importance of botanical nomenclature and plant taxonomy in biomedical research.

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Medical research on plant-derived compounds requires a breadth of expertise from field to laboratory and clinical skills. Too often basic botanical skills are evidently lacking, especially with respect to plant taxonomy and botanical nomenclature. Binomial and familial names, synonyms and author citations are often misconstrued. The correct botanical name, linked to a vouchered specimen, is the sine qua non of phytomedical research. Without the unique identifier of a proper binomial, research cannot accurately be linked to the existing literature. Perhaps more significant, is the ambiguity of species determinations that ensues of from poor taxonomic practices. This uncertainty, not surprisingly, obstructs reproducibility of results—the cornerstone of science. Materials and methods Based on our combined six decades of experience with medicinal plants, we discuss the problems of inaccurate taxonomy and botanical nomenclature in biomedical research. This problems appear all too frequently in manuscripts and grant applications that we review and they extend to the published literature. We also review the literature on the importance of taxonomy in other disciplines that relate to medicinal plant research. Results and discussion In most cases, questions regarding orthography, synonymy, author citations, and current family designations of most plant binomials can be resolved using widely-available online databases and other electronic resources. Some complex problems require consultation with a professional plant taxonomist, which also is important for accurate identification of voucher specimens. Researchers should provide the currently accepted binomial and complete author citation, provide relevant synonyms, and employ the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III family name. Taxonomy is a vital adjunct not only to plant-medicine research but to virtually every field of science. Conclusions Medicinal plant researchers can increase the precision and utility of their investigations by following sound practices with respect to botanical nomenclature. Correct spellings, accepted binomials, author citations, synonyms, and current family designations can readily be found on reliable online databases. When questions arise, researcher should consult plant taxonomists.
In vitro regeneration of Echinacea pallida from leaf explants

A method has been developed for the induction of adventitious shoots from leaf tissue of Echinacea pallida with subsequent whole-plant regeneration. Proliferating callus and shoot cultures were derived from leaf tissue explants placed on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine and naphthaleneacetic acid combinations. The optimum shoot regeneration frequency (63%) and number of shoots per explant (2.3 shoots per explant) was achieved using media supplemented with 26.6 μM 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.11 μM naphthaleneacetic acid. Rooting of regenerated shoot explants was successful on Murashige and Skoog medium, both with and without the addition of indole-3-butyric acid. All plantlets survived acclimatization, producing phenotypically normal plants in the greenhouse. This study demonstrates that leaf tissue of E. pallida is competent for adventitious shoot regeneration and establishes a useful method for the micropropagation of this important medicinal plant.
Synthesis of supervisors enforcing general linear constraints in Petri nets

Efficient techniques exist for the design of supervisors enforcing constraints consisting of linear marking inequalities. This note shows that without losing the benefits of the prior techniques, the class of constraints can be generalized to linear constraints containing marking terms, firing vector terms, and Parikh vector terms. We show that this extended class of constraints is more expressive. Furthermore, we show that the extended constraints can describe any supervisor consisting of control places arbitrarily connected to the transitions of a plant Petri net (PN). The supervisor design procedure we propose is as follows. For PNs without uncontrollable and unobservable transitions, a direct method for the design of a PN supervisor that is least restrictive is given. For PNs with uncontrollable and/or unobservable transitions, we reduce the problem to the design of supervisors enforcing linear marking inequalities.
Racial and insurance disparities in the receipt of transplant among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have a poor prognosis if their tumors are not diagnosed early. The authors investigated factors associated with the receipt of liver transplant among patients with HCC and evaluated the effects of these differences on survival. METHODS: The authors reviewed records from consecutive patients diagnosed with HCC at Columbia University Medical Center from January 1, 2002 to September 1, 2008. We compared patient clinical and demographic characteristics, developed a multivariable logistic regression model of predictors of transplant, and used a Cox model to analyze predictors of mortality. RESULTS: Of 462 HCC patients, 175 (38%) received a transplant. Black patients were much less likely than whites to receive a transplant (odds ratio [OR], 0.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0-0.37). Hispanics and Asians were also less likely to undergo transplantation, but the differences were not statistically significant. Patients with private insurance were more likely to receive a transplant than those with Medicaid (odds ratio [OR], 22.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.67-182.34). Black and Hispanic patients, and Medicaid recipients, presented with more advanced disease than whites and privately insured patients, and had poorer survival. In a Cox model, those who did not receive a transplant were 3 times as likely as transplant recipients to die, but race and insurance were not independently predictive of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Race and insurance status were strongly associated with receipt of transplantation and with more advanced disease at diagnosis, but transplantation was the most important determinant of survival. Improved access to care for nonwhite and Medicaid patients may allow more patients to benefit from transplant. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Temperature and pressure dependence of n-hexadecane cracking

Abstract The rates and product compositions of hexadecane cracking are reported for temperatures ranging from 300 to 370°C and pressures of 150 to 600 bar. The overall apparent activation energy at an intermediate pressure of 300–350 bar is about 74 kcal/mol. This is higher than the overall 60 kcal/mol energy consistent with higher temperature measurements, even though the rates from our highest temperatures overlap with those from earlier reports. The product composition is consistent with a free radical mechanism in which alkene intermediates react with primary and secondary radicals to form branched and normal liquid products both smaller and larger than the starting material. Pressure has a retarding effect on the rate of reaction, but the dependence is not measured precisely enough to say more than that the survival of oil is likely to vary by a factor of two or so under typical geologic conditions. A simple kinetic model having five first-order reactions is presented that predicts the lumped kinetic species of C1, C2–C4, C5–C9, C10–C15, C16, and C16+. The gas is depleted in methane compared to most natural gas.
Morphologic Changes in the Vestibular Nerves and Nuclei after Labyrinthectomy in the Cat: A Case for the Neurotrophin Hypothesis in Vestibular Compensation

Morphological changes in the vestibular nerves and superior vestibulocular neurons (SVON) after unilateral labyrinthectomy in cats revealed a progressive loss of axons in the ipsilateral vestibular nerve (35%) and synaptic profiles (SP) on ipsilateral SVON (60%) up to a 1-year survival period. Although the ipsilateral vestibular nerve showed further degeneration (45%) at 2 years post ablation, the number of SP on ipsilateral SVON increased to 60% of normal (40% loss). These SP likely represent sprouting from crossing commissural or cerebellar pathways. Contralateral vestibular nerves at 1 and 2 years post ablation revealed normal numbers and size spectrum, but the number of SP contacting the contralateral SVON at 8 weeks, 1 and 2 years paralleled the levels of SP found on ipsilateral SVON. The symmetry in adjustment of SP on the SVON of both sides of the brainstem after ablation may be explained by the neurotrophin hypothesis.
A tight-binding method for predicting magnetic ordering in Gd-containing solids: Application to GdB2C2.

Herein we present a method to compute d-f mediated exchange coupling in Gd-containing systems with a spin-dependent extended Huckel-tight binding (EHTB) method. EHTB parameters were chosen to exactly reproduce the spin density functional calculation (SDFT) energy gap of the S = 45/2 and 39/2 spin patterns for a model compound, Gd6CoI12(OPH3)6. Comparison between SDFT and EHTB results shows a good match between the spin-pattern energy distribution for the two methods. We applied our EHTB method to the solid-state compound GdB2C2 by considering 6 different variations in the ordering of the 4f7 moments. Calculations indicate that this metallic system should exhibit antiferromagnetic ordering of the 4f7 moments with a magnetic structure consistent with published neutron diffraction results.
NMR Determination of Protein Partitioning into Membrane Domains with Different Curvatures and Application to the Influenza M2 Peptide

The M2 protein of the influenza A virus acts both as a drug-sensitive proton channel and mediates virus budding through membrane scission. The segment responsible for causing membrane curvature is an amphipathic helix in the cytoplasmic domain of the protein. Here, we use 31P and 13C solid-state NMR to examine M2-induced membrane curvature. M2(22–46), which includes only the transmembrane (TM) helix, and M2(21–61), which contains an additional amphipathic helix, are studied. 31P chemical shift lineshapes indicate that M2(21–61) causes a high-curvature isotropic phase to both cholesterol-rich virus-mimetic membranes and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine bilayers, whereas M2(22–46) has minimal effect. The lamellar and isotropic domains have distinct 31P isotropic chemical shifts, indicating perturbation of the lipid headgroup conformation by the amphipathic helix. 31P- and 13C-detected 1H T2 relaxation and two-dimensional peptide-lipid correlation spectra show that M2(21–61) preferentially binds to the high-curvature domain. 31P linewidths indicate that the isotropic vesicles induced by M2(21–61) are 10–35 nm in diameter, and the virus-mimetic vesicles are smaller than the 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine vesicles. A strong correlation is found between high membrane curvature and weak drug-binding ability of the TM helix. Thus, the M2 amphipathic helix causes membrane curvature, which in turn perturbs the TM helix conformation, abolishing drug binding. These NMR experiments are applicable to other curvature-inducing membrane proteins such as fusion proteins and antimicrobial peptides.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of a Swirl Stabilized Premixed Combustor Under Cold-Flow Conditions

Planar velocity measurements under cold-flow conditions in a swirl-stabilized dump combustor typical of land-based gas turbine combustors were carried out using two-dimensional particle image velocimetry (PIV). Axial, radial, and tangential velocity components were measured sequentially using two experimental configurations. Mean and root-mean-squared velocity components are presented along with instantaneous realizations of the flowfield. A numerical study of the flowfield using large-eddy simulation (LES) and Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) techniques was conducted in an effort to help understand the complex hydrodynamics observed in the experiments. The agreement between the experimental data and LES simulation was good with both showing evidence of a precessing vortex core. The results of the RANS simulation were not as encouraging. The results provide a fundamental understanding of the complex flowfield associated with the relatively simple geometry and also serve as a baseline validation dataset for further numerical simulations of the current geometry. Validation of LES models in a highly swirled, nonreacting flowfield such as the work presented here is an essential step towards more accurate prediction in a reacting environment.
Reproductive Strategies of Marine Benthic Invertebrates Revisited: Facultative Feeding by Planktotrophic Larvae

Fecundity-time models of reproductive strategies in marine invertebrates all predict that reproductive success is maximized only at the extreme levels of investment. Selection should drive egg sizes toward small eggs and planktotrophy or large eggs and lecithotrophy. The existence of two distinct larval types, feeding and nonfeeding, has been taken as confirmation of this prediction and has established the current paradigm for larval ecology. However, comparative and experimental evidence does not support the prediction that egg size is minimized in species with planktotrophic larvae. Recent discoveries have documented the existence of planktotrophs that have intermediate egg sizes, differing degrees of dependence on exogenous food, and differing capacities for facultative feeding. A fecundity-time model is presented that includes facultative larval feeding by dissociating the onset of feeding capability from the need for exogenous food. The facultative feeding model shows that reproductive success can be maximized at intermediate levels of investment per offspring between the minimum for development and the threshold for lecithotrophy, depending on the amount of food available to larvae and the intensity of planktonic mortality. A continuum of larval strategies is predicted.
Management of Intrinsic Gliomas of the Tectal Plate in Children

The natural history, management, and long-term outcome for patients with benign, intrinsic tectal plate gliomas remain controversial in spite of their propensity to cause late-onset hydrocephalus. A 10-year retrospective review has identified 11 consecutive children with tectal plate lesions. Headache, vomiting, a decline in school performance, tremor, and complex partial seizures were common presenting symptoms. All patients presented with signs and symptoms of hydrocephalus. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging delineated an intra-axial mass lesion of the midbrain primarily localized to the tectal plate which uniformly was hyperintense on T2-weighted imaging and had a more variable appearance on T1-weighted imaging and rare enhancement with gadolinium. No patient underwent surgical resection, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. Three of 11 patients (27%) showed evidence of progression in size or a new focus of enhancement on MR imaging, which was clinically asymptomatic. In this series, no patient with a tectal plate lesion less than 1.5 cm in maximal diameter and without gadolinium enhancement showed any evidence of clinical or radiological progression. Although intrinsic tectal lesions in children are clinically indolent and the initial management consists of CSF diversion, these lesions may eventually progress and still warrant long-term follow-up with serial MR imaging.
Computational Study of a Nanobiosensor: A Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Functionalized with the Coxsackie-Adenovirus Receptor

Combining single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) with biological molecules provides a route to novel nanoscale materials with many promising applications in nanotechnology and nanomedicine. Recent experiments show that CNTs covalently functionalized with the coxsackie-adenovirus receptor (CAR) serve as biosensors capable of specifically recognizing Knob proteins from the adenovirus capsid. These experiments suggest that CAR retains its biologically active form when bound to CNT, but a detailed understanding of the structural changes that occur within CAR after CNT attachment is lacking. To address this, we have performed all-atom classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of CAR and the CAR-Knob complex in aqueous solution alone and also when covalently linked to CNT. The MD results show that the CNT damps structural fluctuations in CAR and reduces the internal mobility of the protein. However, CNT induces very little structural deformation and does not affect CAR's ability to specifically bind Knob. This MD study verifies that CAR retains its biological functionality when attached to CNT and provides a computational approach to rationalize nanobiosensing devices.
A new surface measuring technique using phase retrieval by amplitude interferometry

A new surface measuring instrument has been developed which is capable of measuring surface errors to the submicron level. RMS noise in measuring the surface error was found to decrease as [integration time]-1/2. The instrument can measure surface errors to within 10 microns in a small test region in only a few seconds of integration. The instrument could therefore be used to align radio telescope panels to high precision in real time.
Making More Extensive Use of the Coupled-cluster Wave Function: from the Standard Energy Expression to the Energy Expectation Value

The standard coupled-cluster (CC) scheme with single and double excitations in the cluster operator (CCSD) includes only up to quadruple excitations in the equations. The CCSD exponential expansion generates, however, all possible excitations out of the reference function through products of the cluster operators. Clearly, in all standard approximate CC approaches only a part of the CC wave function is used in the equations. If the standard CCSD wave function is inserted into the energy expectation value expression then the complete CCSD wave function contributes to the energy. Such an energy expectation value expression can be presented as a sum of the standard CCSD energy formula plus correction terms. The correction terms provide an information about the quality of the total CC function. Contributions associated with the presence of higher than double excitations in the bra CCSD wave function supplement the CCSD energy obtained within the standard scheme. These contributions can be generated in a sequential way by considering intermediate excitation levels for the bra CCSD wave function in the expectation value expression before reaching the highest excitation level. In this way the importance of particular components differing in the standard and expectation value CCSD energies can be investigated. Some of the contributions can be recognized as close to or identical with the so-called renormalized noniterative corrections to the CC methods. We try to see to what an extent the nonstandard energy expressions, like the energy expectation value or the asymmetric energy formula, can be used to extend the applicability of the CCSD method illustrating our considerations with some numerical examples.
Comment on the modified Buckingham, Carrá, Konowalow potential for nonpolar molecules☆

Abstract It is unnecessary to consider a potential so complex as the modified Buckingham, Carra and Konowalow (M-BCK) model, as recently proposed by Nain and Saksena, in order to accommodate acentricity effects. A simpler, and more realistic rigid-core potential. which retains the desirable features of the M-BCK model, is proposed as an alternative.