cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diverse CRISPRs evolving in human microbiomes

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) loci, together with cas (CRISPR–associated) genes, form the CRISPR/Cas adaptive immune system, a primary defense strategy that eubacteria and archaea mobilize against foreign nucleic acids, including phages and conjugative plasmids. Short spacer sequences separated by the repeats are derived from foreign DNA and direct interference to future infections. The availability of hundreds of shotgun metagenomic datasets from the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) enables us to explore the distribution and diversity of known CRISPRs in human-associated microbial communities and to discover new CRISPRs. We propose a targeted assembly strategy to reconstruct CRISPR arrays, which whole-metagenome assemblies fail to identify. For each known CRISPR type (identified from reference genomes), we use its direct repeat consensus sequence to recruit reads from each HMP dataset and then assemble the recruited reads into CRISPR loci; the unique spacer sequences can then be extracted for analysis. We also identified novel CRISPRs or new CRISPR variants in contigs from whole-metagenome assemblies and used targeted assembly to more comprehensively identify these CRISPRs across samples. We observed that the distributions of CRISPRs (including 64 known and 86 novel ones) are largely body-site specific. We provide detailed analysis of several CRISPR loci, including novel CRISPRs. For example, known streptococcal CRISPRs were identified in most oral microbiomes, totaling ∼8,000 unique spacers: samples resampled from the same individual and oral site shared the most spacers; different oral sites from the same individual shared significantly fewer, while different individuals had almost no common spacers, indicating the impact of subtle niche differences on the evolution of CRISPR defenses. We further demonstrate potential applications of CRISPRs to the tracing of rare species and the virus exposure of individuals. This work indicates the importance of effective identification and characterization of CRISPR loci to the study of the dynamic ecology of microbiomes.
Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization Evaluation of p53 Gene Deletions at a Tumor Interface of Lingual Carcinoma

Objective/Hypothesis To evaluate the ability of fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to detect malignant cells missed by standard histological assessment at an interface between malignant and normal tissue in lingual squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and to correlate findings of FISH assessment with patients' clinical stages. Study Design Retrospective assessment of archival tissue from 31 patients with lingual SCC treated at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison. Methods An assay combining standard histological and FISH techniques was used to assess a tumor interface tissue section and allow identification of each tumor's ploidy characteristics and p53 gene deletions and the presence or absence of malignant cells within tissue viewed as “normal” on histological review. Results Forty-five percent of tumors (14 of 31) demonstrated ploidy changes and 84% (26 of 31) showed p53 deletions. Of these 26 tumors with p53 deletions, 14 were found to have “microfoci” with p53 deletions within tissue that appeared normal on histological e-amination. These microfoci were found in 75% of late-stage tumors and in only 35% of early-stage tumors. Conclusions FISH allowed identification of malignant cells in tissue viewed as normal on standard histological assessment, and this finding occurred more frequently in late-stage tumors.
Foxa2-dependent hepatic gene regulatory networks depend on physiological state

Bile acids are powerful detergents produced by the liver to aid in the absorption of dietary lipids. We recently reported a novel role for Foxa2 in bile acid metabolism. The winged helix transcription factor Foxa2 is required to prevent intrahepatic cholestasis and liver injury in mice fed a cholic acid-enriched diet. Here, we use functional genomics to study how Foxa2 regulates its targets in a cholic acid-dependent manner. We found that multiple signaling pathways essential for the hepatic response to acute liver injury are impaired in livers of Foxa2-deficient mice, suggesting that the deletion of Foxa2 in the hepatocyte affects the liver on a large scale. We also discovered distinct feed-forward regulatory loops controlling Foxa2-dependent targets in a cholic acid-dependent or -independent manner. We show that Foxa2 interacts with different transcription factors to achieve gene expression responses appropriate for each physiologic state.
Urban 3D GIS Modeling of Terrorism Sniper Hazards

This study explores the prevention of terrorism using three-dimensional (3D) analysis for the protection of populations in urban environments. Terrorism and crime prevention has become a popular exercise using the spatial tools available with geographic information systems (GISs). Thus far, most approaches have considered two-dimensional (2D) applications focusing primarily on hot spot identification or mapping trends in a geographic region. Sniper rifle fire modeling is examined in 3D modeling within a GIS environment. The primary methodology is tested using the concept of a viewshed and line of sight (LoS). To test the model, the Gerald R. Ford Funeral in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is used to examine the protection of individuals from sniper fire. It is found that using viewsheds has good potential to aid protection agents responsible for protecting individuals and populations.
Research on outsourcing results: current literature and future opportunities

Purpose – Outsourcing emerged as a popular operational strategy in the 1990s and most of current literature was established in the same time. However, the result of outsourcing is still vague. The purpose of this article is to point out gaps in the current literature and examine the link between outsourcing implementation and firms' performance metrics by analysing hard data.Design/methodology/approach – In this research, current outsourcing research (from 1990 to 2003) methodologies are grouped by five categories: case study, survey, conceptual framework, mathematical modeling, and financial data analyses; research scope is identified by three areas: outsourcing determinant, outsourcing process, and outsourcing result.Findings – This article figures out three main gaps in the current literature: lack of objective metrics for outsourcing results evaluation, lack of research on the relationship between outsourcing implementation and firms' value, and lack of research on the outsourcing contract itself.Rese...
CYTOTOXICITY AND MUTAGENICITY OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON O-QUINONES PRODUCED BY DIHYDRODIOL DEHYDROGENASE

Eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) ortho-quinones that can be generated by dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (DD) were examined for their cytotoxicity in H-4-II-e (rat hepatoma) cells and for their mutagenicity in the Ames test. Seven of the PAH otrtho-quinones were potent cytotoxins yielding IC50 values for cell survival in the range 1-30 microns. PAH ortho-quinones were grouped into three classes based on their cytotoxicity profiles: group I contained ortho-quinones (e.g., naphthalene-1,2-dione and 7,12-dimethylbenz[alpha]anthracene-3,4-dione) which reduced cell viability and cell survival; group II contained ortho-quinones (e.g., benz[alpha]anthracene-3,4-dione and 5-methylchrysene-1,2-dione which reduced cell survival but had no effect on cell viability; and group III contained ortho-quinones (e.g., benzo[alpha]pyrene-7,8-dione) which had a pronounced effect on cell viability but minimal effects on cell survival. Using hepatoma cell suspensions and rat liver subcellular fractions, it was found that ortho-quinones underwent preferential enzymatic one-electron redox-cycling and produced superoxide anion radical (O2-.) and/or ortho-semiquinone anion or alternant radicals. ortho-Quinones that reduced cell viability produced O2-. and caused the most total free radical formation, while those that reduced cell survival produced ortho-semiquinone anion or alternant radicals only. PAH ortho-quinones were also tested as direct-acting mutagens in Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA97a, TA98, TA100, TA102 and TA104. They were found to be more mutagenic than the test mutagens used for each tester strain, and were predominantly frameshift mutagens. The presence of an activating system (Aroclor-induced rat liver S9 plus NADPH) did not increase the mutagenicity of ortho-quinones in tester strains that are sensitive to oxidative mutagens (TA102 and TA104). These data suggest that PAH ortho-quinones produced by DD are cytotoxic and mutagenic by different mechanisms. The mechanism of cytotoxicity involves the formation of reactive oxygen species and/or ortho-semiquinone anion or alternant radicals. The mechanism of mutagenicity is independent of free radical formation and is related to the ability of PAH orthooffinones to intercalate and covalently modify DNA.
15N Solid-State NMR Characterization of Ammonia Adsorption Environments in 3A Zeolite Molecular Sieves

The quantitative analysis of ammonia binding sites in 3A zeolite molecular sieves using solid-state 15N MAS NMR spectroscopy is reported. By utilizing 15N-enriched ammonia (15NH3) gas, the different adsorption/binding sites within the zeolite were characterized as a function of NH3 loading. Using 15N MAS NMR, multiple sites were resolved that have distinct cross-polarization dynamics, relaxation, and chemical shift behavior. A combination of 15N/23Na and 15N/27Al TRAPDOR NMR methods was used to demonstrate significant dipolar coupling between adsorbed ammonia molecules and both Na cations and Al framework species in the zeolite cage. An estimate of the 23Na−15N and 27Al−15N distance was obtained from simulation of the TRAPDOR results. Two-dimensional 1H → 15N CP-MAS NMR exchange spectroscopy was implemented to probe dynamics between the two primary adsorbed ammonia environments. In the 3A zeolite, the observed exchange process between the ammonia sites does not display a significant temperature dependence...
School Quality and Returns to Education of U.S. Immigrants.

Using the U.S. labor market as a common point of reference, this article investigates the influence of source country school quality on the returns to education of immigrants. Based on 1980 and 1990 census data, we first estimate country-of-origin specific returns to education. Results reveal that immigrants from Japan and northern Europe receive high returns and immigrants from Central America receive low returns. Next we examine the relationship between school quality measures and these returns. Holding per capita GDP and other factors constant, immigrants from countries with lower pupil-teacher ratios and greater expenditures per pupil earn higher returns to education.)
Estimation of the duration of the preclinical phase of cervical adenocarcinoma suggests that there is ample opportunity for screening.

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the mean time for progression from cervical adenocarcinoma in situ (ACIS) to invasive cervical adenocarcinoma in order to assess the feasibility of screening and secondary prevention. Methods. To approximate time to progression from in situ to invasive lesions, we calculated and compared mean ages at diagnosis of ACIS and invasive adenocarcinoma from patients registered in the SEER (NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) public-use database from 1973 to 1995 [1]. Findings are contrasted with means calculated from patients with squamous lesions registered during the same period. Statistical significance was tested with the t test for independent samples. Results. The database includes 5845 patients with glandular lesions; 1476 (25%) have ACIS and 4369 (75%) have invasive adenocarcinoma. There are 143,333 women with squamous lesions; 120,317 (84%) have squamous CIS and 23,016 (16%) have invasive squamous cancers. Mean age (std error) at diagnosis is 38.8 (0.3) years for ACIS and 51.7 (0.3) years for invasive adenocarcinoma; the mean difference is 13.0 (0.5) years. Mean age (std error) for squamous CIS is 33.6 (0.0) and for invasive squamous cancer is 51.4 (0.1); mean difference is 17.9 (0.1). Conclusions. While not quite as long as for squamous lesions, the average of 13 years that elapses during progression from cervical ACIS to invasive adenocarcinoma allows ample time for screening for the preinvasive lesion and for secondary prevention of invasive cervical adenocarcinoma. The similar mean ages at diagnosis suggest that women who will develop cervical adenocarcinoma should be as amenable and accessible to screening programs as are those with squamous lesions.
Stage IA1 cervical adenocarcinoma: definition and treatment

Abstract Objective: To propose a definition for stage IA1 cervical adenocarcinoma, based on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system, and to determine if patients meeting criteria might be candidates for conservative surgery. Methods: Two hundred women were diagnosed with early-stage cervical adenocarcinoma from 1982 to 1996. Histopathologic sections were reviewed by a gynecologic pathologist. Medical records were reviewed, and patients included in this study had microscopically identifiable lesions, up to 3 mm invasive depth, up to 7 mm tumor width, and negative margins if cone biopsy was performed. Results: Twenty-one patients with microinvasive adenocarcinoma met criteria for FIGO stage IA1 carcinoma of the cervix. The median (range) follow-up was 76 (30–172) months and median (range) patient age was 38 (24–75) years. Definitive treatment included type II or III radical hysterectomy in 16 cases, simple abdominal or vaginal hysterectomy in four cases, and loop electrosurgical excision procedure in one case; one patient received adjuvant pelvic radiation. The histologic subtypes were endocervical adenocarcinoma in 18 cases, adenosquamous carcinoma in two cases, and clear-cell adenocarcinoma in one case. There was no evidence of parametrial invasion or lymph node metastases in any patient who had radical surgery, and there were no disease recurrences. Conclusion: Patients with microinvasive adenocarcinoma who met criteria for FIGO stage IA1 cervical carcinoma had disease limited to the cervix, and conservative surgery, such as cone biopsy or simple hysterectomy, might offer them definitive treatment.
Structuring Option Grants to Pay for Performance

Options have become an ever-increasing part of executive compensation for start-ups, buyouts, and existing public companies. This article discusses the two major flaws with many current option plans, to wit: 1) that the exercise price does not change over time; and 2) that the time in which an executive can purchase the options is not limited. This article discusses how to address these problems and why options remain a vital compensation scheme.
High-use movement pathways and habitat selection by ungulates

Abstract The cumulative movements of large mammals are expressed in many areas as semi-permanent wildlife trails. The mapping of semi-permanent trail networks offers a direct approach to assess habitat selection of high-use movement routes at relatively fine spatial scales across a landscape. Here we examine an ungulate trail network in north-central Utah created and maintained by the repeated movements of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus elaphus). In a resource selection analysis using multivariable spatial regression analysis, we show that at a spatial scale of 70 m open and low cover and distance to water are important predictors of movement pathway density. We also demonstrate at a scale of 10 m that elk and deer movement pathways are less steep than adjacent terrain. The mapping of trail networks should be a particularly useful technique for examining functional connectivity among resource patches across a landscape and identifying important high-use movement routes.
Plasticity of glutamate synaptic mechanisms

Enhanced glutamate synaptic transmission may be expected to alter the balance of excitation and inhibition in brain, leading to seizures. Several differences between epileptic and nonepileptic brains in presynaptic and postsynaptic glutamate mechanisms have been reported. These findings suggest that altered glutamate mechanisms contribute to the hyperexcitability of epileptic brain. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper's Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado-Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at www. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Collectivism, creativity, competition, and control in open source software development: reflections on the emergent governance of the SPDX® working group

For over a decade, we assumed that software developers had a choice between the cathedral and the bazaar: developers could choose to develop propriety software in a structural hierarchy of planned development, testing, and documentation or in a tumultuous and exciting, quick release open source marketplace. We are finding that these assumptions are no longer valid. Corporate members' participation in open source software development and greater attention to compliance with open source licenses has signalled the need for new metaphors for open source software design and development. In this study, we use participant observation and functional discourse analysis to determine which metaphors are useful and seek evidence for these metaphors in the emergent governance structure of the Software Package Data Exchange SPDX
An XPS study of oxygen adsorption on Cu(110)

Abstract XPS was used to study oxygen adsorption on Cu(110) and to follow changes in oxygen coverage θ resulting from isochronal anneals at up to 880 K. Clean surfaces or surfaces preexposed to oxygen and then annealed to effect adsorbate ordering were exposed at a surface temperature of 83 ± 1 K (denoted as T l or between 300 and 320 K (denoted as T h ) to up to 10 5 L of room-temperature molecular oxygen. Spectra for clean surfaces exposed at T l or T h exhibited peaks near 530.15 ± 0.2 eV BE having FWHM's of about 1.9 or 1.6 eV, respectively. These peaks are attributed to photoemission from 1s levels of chemisorbed oxygen. Normalized areas under these peaks were used to obtain curves of θ versus exposure and sticking probability versus θ. Adsorption at both T l and T h is describable in terms of a mobile-precursor kinetics, with initial sticking probabilities of about 0.77 and 0.23, respectively. Chemisorption at T l was greatly inhibited by the presence of a preadsorbed layer of ordered atomic oxygen. The broadest O 1s XPS spectra remained broad even after anneals to 180 K but began to sharpen during anneals at 230 K. Anneals at up to 480 K produced no measurable change in θ. Higher-temperature anneals reduced θ to about 0.50 if θ ≳ 0.50 initially; no change in θ was observed if θ ≲ 0.50 initially.
Dynamic Bayes net approach to multimodal sensor fusion

Autonomous mobile robots rely on multiple sensors to perform a varied number of tasks in a given environment. Different tasks may need different sensors to estimate different subsets of world state. Also, different sensors can cooperate in discovering common subsets of world state. This paper presents a new approach to multimodal sensor fusion using dynamic Bayesian networks and an occupancy grid. The environment in which the robot operates is represented with an occupancy grid. This occupancy grid is asynchronously updated using probabilistic data obtained from multiple sensors and combined using Bayesian networks. Each cell in the occupancy grid stores multiple probability density functions representing combined evidence for the identity, location and properties of objects in the world. The occupancy grid also contains probabilistic representations for moving objects. Bayes nets allow information from one modality to provide cues for interpreting the output of sensors in other modalities. Establishing correlations or associations between sensor readings or interpretations leads to learning the conditional relationships between them. Thus bottoms-up, reflexive, or even accidentally-obtained information can provide tops-down cues for other sensing strategies. We present early results obtained for a mobile robot navigation task.
Changes in the Interurban Accessibility of Ohio Cities in the Era of Airline Deregulation

This article addresses the issue of whether airline deregulation has changed patterns of interurban accessibility. Changes in air passenger travel times between 1978 and 1990 were analyzed for flights between seven Ohio cities and the 100 largest United States air passenger destinations. The results indicate that although regional patterns in travel time changes were evident, in general deregulation has not reduced interurban accessibility.
Liquid-phase epitaxial growth process of InGaAs on InP with rare-earth treatment

We will present high quality In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As which has been grown on semi- insulating (100) InP:Fe substrates by rare earth doped (Yb, Gd, and Er) liquid phase epitaxy using a graphite boat. The new earth ions, which are highly reactive, are thought to better impurities like O, C, and Si by reacting with these impurities and precipitating out in the melt, but not incorporating into the epitaxial layer to any significant amount.
Universal scaling of length, time, and energy for cuprate superconductors based on photoemission measurements of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ

A microscopic scaling relation linking the normal and superconducting states of the cuprates in the presence of a pseudogap is presented using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. This scaling relation, complementary to the bulk universal scaling relation embodied by Homes' law, explicitly connects the momentum-dependent amplitude of the $d$-wave superconducting order parameter at $T\ensuremath{\sim}0$ to quasiparticle scattering mechanisms operative at $T\ensuremath{\gtrsim}{T}_{c}$. The form of the scaling is proposed to be a consequence of the marginal Fermi-liquid phenomenology and the inherently strong dissipation of the normal pseudogap state of the cuprates.
Increase of creatine kinase activity in the visual cortex of human brain during visual stimulation: A 31p NMR magnetization transfer study

31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to investigate changes in high energy phosphate levels and creatine kinase (CK) kinetics induced in the human visual cortex during photic stimulation. CK kinetics was evaluated by measuring the apparent unidirectional rate constant (kf) in the "forward" direction (i.e., in the direction of ATP synthesis from phosphocreatine). kf increased 34% in the visual cortex areas during stimulation without significant changes of steady-state concentration of high energy phosphate compounds, indicating that CK turnover is elevated during increased neuronal activity.
Isolation of an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) depolymerase produced by Bradyrhizobium japonicum

Bradyrhizobium japonicum is capable of producing an acidic, high molecular weight, extracellular polysaccharide (EPS). An enzyme exhibiting EPS depolymerase activity was detected in cell lysates ofB. japonicum strain 2143. The depolymerase was active against the EPS produced by strain 2143 and the closely related EPS produced by strain 311b 110. Depolymerase activity was characterized by its ability to decrease the viscosity of EPS solutions, to decrease the molecular weight of EPS, and to catalyze the release of reducing groups from EPS. The depolymerase exhibited a sharp activity optimum at pH 6 and had a molecular weight of approximately 45 kD as determined by gel permeation chromatography. Analysis of depolymerase-treated EPS indicates that the enzyme acts as an endo-depolymerase, producing a relatively narrow size range of high molecular weight products.
Infective endocarditis in a child caused by Cardiobacterium hominis after right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction using an expanded tetrafluoroethylene conduit

Cardiobacterium hominis, a member of the HACEK group of organisms, is a rare cause of endocarditis. We report a case of infective endocarditis caused by C. hominis in a male child who had undergone right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction using an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene conduit for tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia. Two days before admission, the patient suffered from exertional shortness of breath. Right ventricular hypertension was confirmed and RVOT stenosis was suspected based on the echocardiography findings. A CT scan revealed vegetation above the cusp of the conduit. An emergency operation was performed to avoid a pulmonary embolism due to large friable vegetation. C. hominis was cultured from the blood and the vegetation, prompting a diagnosis of prosthetic valve endocarditis. The patient was discharged after a 6-week course of intravenous ceftriaxone therapy.
European Identity Building from the Perspective of Efficiency

The paper seeks to analyse whether citizens' utilitarian expectations towards the European level can explain variations in European identity. Based on Lipset (1960) it is argued that a political system that is expected to be efficient can gain identity. Identity is believed to encompass different dimensions of which efficiency is one. As such it is possible to use utilitarian reasoning to observe affective (identity) variations. As utilitarian expectations we use citizens' policy preferences. We observe whether they favour a national handling of the policy or whether they prefer the EU to be the main policy actor. The results of factor and multinominal logit analyses confirm the existence of a ‘utilitarian identity’ at the European level indicating that the development of a European identity is closely connected to the EU's ability to deliver policy outputs according to citizens' expectations.
THE INCIDENCE OF SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST AND DEATH IN UNITED STATES HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES

Background Traditional estimates of SCD incidence in US high school athletes 1 athlete death per 200 000–400 000 athlete-years. Objective To investigate the rate of SCA/SCD in high school athletes through search of media reports. Design Retrospective review of the Parent Heart Watch database generated from systematic search of media reports. Each case was reviewed to confirm high school athletic team participation, sex, sport, and if the arrest occurred during exertion and at a school-sponsored activity. Sport participation numbers were available from the National Federation of State High School Associations. Setting United States. Participants 19 433 431 high school athletes (age 14-18) in 6 US states from 2007–2013. Interventions None. Main outcome measurements Incidence of SCA/SCD. Results The 6 states studied represented 36% of the high school athlete population in the US. During the study period, there were 109 overall SCAs, including 74 SCDs and 35 SCAs who survived. 91% of the SCAs occurred in male athletes. The overall SCA incidence in high school athletes was 1 in 63 988 athlete-years. The rate of SCA in males was 1 in 41 662 and in females 1 in 285 012 athlete-years. 83% of cases occurred during exertion and only 59% of events occurred while participating on a school sponsored team. 34 events occurred in male basketball players. The rate of SCA in male basketball players was 1 in 33 815 athlete-years. Conclusions SCA/SCD rates in US high school athletes are significantly greater than previously reported, and disproportionately high in male basketball players, similar to collegiate athletes. These numbers represent low estimates as media reports have been shown to miss nearly 50% of cases. Accurate reporting mechanisms are needed in the US to define incidence and etiology of SCA. Current screening strategies in US high school athletes do not prevent SCA in many athletes, and alternative screening strategies should be considered, especially in high risk groups.
Event-driven deltaic sedimentation on a low-gradient, low-energy shelf: The Brazos River subaqueous delta, northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract The Brazos River Delta is located in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Sedimentation on the Brazos River subaqueous delta has been largely understudied. Swath bathymetry data collected across the subaqueous delta reveals a noticeable asymmetry with much deeper water depths and greater cross-shelf slopes along the eastern, up drift side of the delta than along the western, down-drift side. End-member sampling reveals that Brazos River derived sediment is red, red-brown, or brown in color, exhibits increased bulk density, and is enriched in calcium a function of carbonate-rich areas of the watershed, whereas the Gulf of Mexico inner shelf muds are gray to black and have a relatively lower calcium content. Analyses of a series of 33 submersible vibra cores collected across the subaqueous delta reveal alternating beds of Brazos River derived sediment and Gulf of Mexico shelf dominated sediment. Excess 210Pb geochronologies of select cores reveal that sediment accumulation has been a combination of fluvial flood event deposition, and deposition of remobilized sediment from the proximal shelf and older portions of the delta rather than steady state accumulation. Because the Brazos River is susceptible to local climatic cycles, fluvial flood events that create the event layers are intermittent between prolonged periods where marine processes drive accumulation. Results also show that the primary depocenter of the subaqueous delta has migrated southwestward over time, and the erosion of earlier depocenters and proximal shelf sediment has contributed to accumulation on the delta. Over the past ~ 50 years the subaqueous delta has reached an equilibrium where flood event beds can be completely remobilized within a year, and net accumulation approximates relative sea level rise. This study highlights relatively rapid clinoform migration due to natural and anthropogenic changes to the system, and demonstrates subaqueous delta growth through a combination of direct fluvial and marine-derived sediment input.
Increased rate of isolation of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in a children's hospital and in vitro susceptibilities to antibiotics of potential therapeutic use.

Abstract The isolation of Streptococcus pneumoniae with both high and intermediate resistance to penicillin has increased in our institution since 1989 to an average of 12.1% of all isolates. We determined the susceptibilities of 95 isolates (34 susceptible to penicillin, 42 intermediate in resistance to penicillin, and 19 resistant to penicillin) to 16 antimicrobial agents of potential use in the treatment of disease caused by S. pneumoniae. Susceptibility to penicillin was determined by broth macrodilution with Mueller-Hinton broth supplemented with 5% lysed horse blood. Isolates were classified as highly resistant when the MIC was greater than or equal to 2.0 micrograms/ml, intermediate in resistance when the MIC was between 0.1 and 1.0 microgram/ml, and susceptible when the MIC was less than 0.1 microgram/ml. Fifteen of 19 isolates found to be highly resistant to penicillin were recovered from the middle ear of children. None of the isolates recovered from cerebrospinal fluid was highly resistant to penicillin. Fifteen of these isolates highly resistant to penicillin were found to be serogroup 6. Susceptibilities to other antibiotics were determined by the agar dilution method with Mueller-Hinton agar containing 5% lysed horse blood and an inoculum of 10(4) CFU per spot delivered by a replicator device. The MIC for 90% of isolates increased with increasing penicillin resistance for all antibiotics tested, except chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, rifampin, and vancomycin. Regardless of the classification of penicillin resistance, all isolates were classified as susceptible to cefotaxime, cefpirome, cefpodoxime, clarithromycin, imipenem, rifampin, and vancomycin on the basis of National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards interpretive guidelines. Interpretation of susceptibilities on the basis of currently available guidelines is difficult in that susceptibility guidelines applicable specifically to S. pneumoniae are not available.
Physical powder deposition of solid lubricant nanoparticles by electrostatic spray coating (ESC)

Abstract Nanoparticles are essential building blocks for the bottom-up manufacturing of nanostructured porous and dense coatings, which have unique properties such as ultrahigh hardness, strength, and wear resistance. However, they are prone to cluster and tend to stick to the surfaces in physical contact in the deposition with nanoparticles as raw material(s). These tendencies impose major challenges to the delivery and coating of nanoparticles via traditional techniques. In this paper, a successful physical powder deposition technique, namely electrostatic spray coating (ESC, corona charging), is demonstrated for coating sub-micron and nanosized solid lubricant particles of MoS 2 and ZnO on flat sample geometries. The paper further discusses the coating mechanism through the response of nanoparticles to the static electric field and carrier gas flow.
Assay for adenylate cyclase and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases and the preparation of high specific activity 3 2P-labeled substrates

Simple one step assay methods for adenylate cyclase (ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing) EC 4.6.1.1) and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (3',5'-cyclic nucleotide 5'-nucleotidohydrolase EC 3.1.4.17) have been developed. [alpha-32-P] ATP is used as the substrate for adenylate cyclase. Acid-heat destruction of [32-P] ATP remaining after the cyclase reaction followed by Zn-Ba treatment quantitatively leaves cyclic [32-P] AMP in the supernatant essentially free from other 32-P-containing compounds. This assay method requires no corrections for recovery and routinely yields blank values less than 0.03 per cent. If higher sensitivity is desired, a simple 5 min alumina column step can be introduced into the procedure which quantitatively elutes cyclic [32-P] AMP directly into a liquid scintillation vial and lowers the blank values to less than 0.002 per cent. This method is rapid and easily performed, without sacrificing high reliability, specificity, or sensitivity. One step phosphodiesterase assays are easily accomplished using 32-P-labeled cyclic nucleotides as substrates. Descending paper chromatography of the reaction mixture on individual 2 cm wide paper strips gives a complete and quantitative separation of all possible products including [5'-32-P] AMP and [5'-32-P] GMP from their respective 32-P-labeled 3',5'-cyclic nucleotides in 1-2 h. The paper strips are cut, inserted in scintillation vials without scintillant and the 32-P-products determined by Cerenkov counting. Low blank values of less than 0.5 per cent and the use of high specific activity 32-P-labeled cyclic nucleotide substrates make this method the most reliable and most sensitive phosphodiesterase assay described to date. Because of the simplicity, specificity, and high sensitivity obtainable with these assay methods using 32-P-labeled substrates, we have also devised simple conditions for the preparation and purification of [alpha-32-P] ATP, cyclic [32-P] AMP and cyclic [32-P] GMP with specific activities in excess of 100 Ci/mmol. These high specific activity 32-Plabeled cyclic nucleotides are important for these new assay methods and are also useful to follow purification recovery of endogenous cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP from biological materials before protein binding or radioimmunological isotope displacement assays when performed in the femtomole range.
Theoretical Studies of Proton Transfer in Water and Model Polymer Electrolyte Systems

The interactions of H3O+ with water and model Nafion structures are studied using ab initio, density functional theory, and molecular dynamics simulations. In the gas phase, H3O+ is solvated by a well-defined first solvation shell with three water molecules, while an additional water molecule locates in the second shell. This same structure is preferred in the liquid phase. In the absence of an electric field, proton transfer between H3O+ and a water molecule proceeds without barrier if the hydrogen bond length O−H···O is smaller than 2.7 A. When an electric field is applied in a direction opposite to that of the system dipole, the activation barrier for proton transport is significantly reduced. The Nafion side chain, ending in a sulfonic group, is folded in the gas phase, whereas in aqueous media, it becomes stretched, and proton transfer takes place from the acid group to the water molecules. Results from MD simulations indicate that the contact ion pair formed between the sulfonic acid anion −SO3- and...
Evaluation of gastrointestinal pathology and treatment in children with suspected biliary dyskinesia

Aim Decreased gallbladder ejection fraction (GBEF) was reported in patients who had abdominal pain and gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. The study aims were to review pathology of GI tract in children with acalculous biliary-type abdominal pain and to evaluate the pain improvement after a 2-week trial of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).
Palmitoylation-dependent neurodevelopmental deficits in a mouse model of 22q11 microdeletion

Individuals with 22q11.2 microdeletions have cognitive deficits and a high risk of developing schizophrenia. Here we provide evidence that primary hippocampal neurons from a mouse model of 22q11.2 deletion (Df(16)A(+/-) mice) have decreased density of dendritic spines and glutamatergic synapses, as well as impaired dendritic growth. These deficits were prevented by introduction of the enzymatically active ZDHHC8 palmitoyltransferase encoded by a gene in the 22q11.2 locus, and they were also observed in primary cultures from Zdhhc8-deficient mice. Many of these deficits were also present in the hippocampi of adult Df(16)A(+/-) and Zdhhc8-deficient mice. Finally, we provide evidence that PSD95 is one of the substrates of ZDHHC8. Our analysis reveals that 22q11.2 microdeletion results in deficits in neuronal development and suggests that impaired neuronal protein palmitoylation contributes to many of these deficits.
Discovery Through Total Synthesis-Epimerization at C7 in the CP Compounds: Is (7S)-CP-263,114 a Fermentation Product?

Sometimes a surprise can occur in a total synthesis. The preparative investigation of the title compound CP-263,114 and of CP-225,917 (1)—both natural products that were first isolated in 1997 by Pfizer—has shown that CP compounds of the 7R series can be converted into the 7S series (for example, 2); (7S)-CP-263,114 is itself apparently a fermentation product.
Cosmic X-Ray Observations

In the first few years following the discovery of discrete cosmic X-ray sources, about three dozen objects were detected (Friedman, Byram & Chubb 1967; Fisher, Johnson, Jordan, Meyerott & Acton 1966; Clark et al . 1965; Gursky, Gorenstein & Giacconi 1967; Bradt, Naranan, Rappaport & Spada 1968; Cooke, Pounds, Stewardson & Adams 1967; Giacconi, Gorenstein, Gursky & Waters 1967; Chodil et al . 1967 b ). They represent a brightness range of about a thousandfold from the most intense source, Sco XR–1, ca . 5 x 10-10 J m-2 s-1, to the weakest sources at a few times 10-13 J m-2 s-1. The lower limit of detectability is inherent in the short duration of rocket flights and the limiting size of instrumentation that can be carried in vehicles like Aerobee, Skylark and Nike Apache. As a result of this instrumentation barrier, the pace of discovery has now slowed down considerably, and the next great surge in detection of new sources will have to await the use of satellites. Spectral information is still based on the relatively crude resolution of proportional counters and scintillation counters, so that no conclusive determination of thermal or non-thermal mechanisms is yet possible. Because position data are obtained with the use of mechanical collimators, accuracies of a few minutes of arc are the best that have been achieved, and only for a few sources. As a consequence, only a few X-ray objects are reliably identified with optical and radio counterparts.
Actin Filaments and the Opposing Actions of CaM Kinase II and Calcineurin in Regulating α7-Containing Nicotinic Receptors on Chick Ciliary Ganglion Neurons

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors containing alpha7 subunits have a high relative permeability to calcium and influence numerous calcium-dependent cellular events. On chick ciliary ganglion neurons the receptors are concentrated on somatic spines containing actin filaments. Using conventional whole-cell patch-clamp recording from dissociated ciliary ganglion neurons, we show that responses from alpha7-containing receptors undergo substantial rundown when the receptors are repeatedly challenged with nicotine. Stabilization of actin filaments with phalloidin partially prevents the rundown, whereas collapse of actin filaments with latrunculin A exacerbates it. The rundown depends on calcium influx through the receptors because it requires receptor activation and can be prevented by replacing extracellular calcium with barium or by intracellular dialysis with BAPTA. Thapsigargin and ryanodine each inhibit the rundown, demonstrating further a requirement for calcium release from internal stores. Blockade of calmodulin by calmidazolium or blockade of CaM kinase II with either KN93 or autocamtide-2-related inhibitory peptide each prevents the rundown; blockade of the phosphatase calcineurin with either cyclosporin A or deltamethrin increases the rundown. The results indicate a balance of calcium-dependent kinase and phosphatase activities in regulating the function of alpha7-containing receptors. Manifestation of the rundown depends in part on the loss of intracellular components via dialysis because little rundown is seen if perforated patch-clamp recording is used to monitor receptor responses even in latrunculin A-treated cells. A membrane-permeable calcineurin inhibitor, however, still decreases the nicotinic response in a calcium-dependent manner, confirming that calcium-dependent phosphoregulation of alpha7-containing receptors occurs in the intact cell.
Inferring eye position from populations of lateral intraparietal neurons

Understanding how the brain computes eye position is essential to unraveling high-level visual functions such as eye movement planning, coordinate transformations and stability of spatial awareness. The lateral intraparietal area (LIP) is essential for this process. However, despite decades of research, its contribution to the eye position signal remains controversial. LIP neurons have recently been reported to inaccurately represent eye position during a saccadic eye movement, and to be too slow to support a role in high-level visual functions. We addressed this issue by predicting eye position and saccade direction from the responses of populations of LIP neurons. We found that both signals were accurately predicted before, during and after a saccade. Also, the dynamics of these signals support their contribution to visual functions. These findings provide a principled understanding of the coding of information in populations of neurons within an important node of the cortical network for visual-motor behaviors.
Sensorimotor Behavior of Baganda and Samia Infants A Controlled Comparison

Previous research has demonstrated that Baganda infants of Uganda are comparatively advanced in their rate of sensorimotor development. This finding of precocity has been replicated in a number of African societies, giving rise to the "African precocity" issue. The present study reports data on smiling, sitting, and crawling skills for the Samia of Kenya. These data are compared with Baganda and U.S. norms to show that an understanding of the African precocity issue is enhanced by taking into account the adult sociocultural order, societal values, and specific childcare practices conceptualized as an interrelated system. The present data are also considered in terms of a biocultural, ecological perspective which represents an alternate interpretation of precocious infant development.
Asian-American Consumers in Hawai’i: The Effects of Ethnic Identification On Attitudes Toward and Ownership of Ethnic Apparel, Importance of Product and Store-Display Attributes, and Purchase Intention:

This research investigates how strength of ethnic identification influences attitudes toward and ownership of ethnic apparel, importance of product and store-display attributes, and purchase intent...
The Forgotten Female Offender

Until recently the female offender was generally overlooked by an overwhelmingly male-dominated criminal justice system. Information derived from an extensive search of the literature illustrates the dramatic increase of female crime; it further suggests the potential for modifying the sexist nature of the criminal justice system. Questions are raised about some popular misconceptions pertaining to the data. A review of the history of women's involvement as subjects of the criminal justice system in general, and correction in particular, reveals disparate treatment for men and women throughout that process. Both positive and negative effects of this orientation are examined.The article then focuses on rehabilitation. Attention is directed to particular suggestions for reform, leading to a postulation of new directions in treatment of the female offender.
Prostate cancer vs. post-biopsy hemorrhage: diagnosis with T2- and diffusion-weighted imaging.

PURPOSE To assess the value of quantitative T2 signal intensity (SI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) to differentiate prostate cancer from post-biopsy hemorrhage, using prostatectomy as the reference. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-five men with prostate cancer underwent prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including axial T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), T2WI, and single-shot echo-planar image (SS EPI) diffusion-weighted imaging. Two observers measured, in consensus, normalized T2 signal intensity (SI) (nT2, relative to muscle T2 SI), ADC, and normalized ADC (nADC, relative to urine ADC) on peripheral zone (PZ) tumors, benign PZ hemorrhage, and non-hemorrhagic benign PZ. Tumor maps from prostatectomy were used as the reference. Mixed model analysis of variance was performed to compare parameters among the three tissue classes, and Pearson's correlation coefficient was utilized to assess correlation between parameters and tumor size and Gleason score. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC)-curve analysis was used to determine the performance of nT2, ADC, and nADC for diagnosis of prostate cancer. RESULTS nT2, ADC, and nADC were significantly lower in tumor compared with hemorrhagic and non-hemorrhagic benign PZ (P < 0.0001). There was a weak but significant correlation between ADC and Gleason score (r = -0.30, P = 0.0119), and between ADC and tumor size (r = -0.40, P = 0.0027), whereas there was no correlation between nT2 and Gleason score and tumor size. The areas under the curve to distinguish tumor from benign hemorrhagic and non-hemorrhagic PZ were 0.97, 0.96, and 0.933 for nT2, ADC, and nADC, respectively. CONCLUSION Quantitative T2 SI and ADC/nADC values may be used to reliably distinguish prostate cancer from post-biopsy hemorrhage.