cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Condensins: Organizing and Segregating the Genome

Condensins are multi-subunit protein complexes that play a central role in mitotic chromosome assembly and segregation. The complexes contain 'structural maintenance of chromosomes' (SMC) ATPase subunits, and induce DNA supercoiling and looping in an ATP-hydrolysis-dependent manner in vitro. Vertebrate cells have two different condensin complexes, condensins I and II, each containing a unique set of regulatory subunits. Condensin II participates in an early stage of chromosome condensation within the prophase nucleus. Condensin I gains access to chromosomes only after the nuclear envelope breaks down, and collaborates with condensin II to assemble metaphase chromosomes with fully resolved sister chromatids. The complexes also play critical roles in meiotic chromosome segregation and in interphase processes such as gene repression and checkpoint responses. In bacterial cells, ancestral forms of condensins control chromosome dynamics. Dissecting the diverse functions of condensins is likely to be central to our understanding of genome organization, stability and evolution.
Karaoke as Modern Lhasa, Tibet: Western Encounters with Cultural Politics

karaoke bars he and his Western clients will be allowed because of the "OK" sign (taken from the name karaoke) above the doorways at those bars where the mostly Han Chinese proprietors allow foreigners in.2 He enjoys these bars more than anything else in Tibet; he frequents them with his Tibetan friends who run the trekking and tour agencies through which he is required to do business when in China. But most of his clients from France and the "States," he said, are less interested in these bars than in the local monasteries, the old palace (the Potala), the street market around the Jokhang, and the other religious centers of the "old culture" in this capital city.3 "Of course," he added, "they go to Tibet for the Himalayas. They don't know many of the Chinese songs in the bars and this [the bars] is not the Tibet they want to see." The irony of Tsewang's opinion that these bars were one of the best reasons to go to Tibet despite the fact that his company sold everything that was not karaoke bars was only slightly less, for me, than the irony that this was not the Tibet most of his clients wanted to see. Although many Westerners desire to erase karaoke bars from the landscape, they are an obvious presence in Lhasa, and they seem to me to provide an apt metaphor both for the experience of Lhasa many foreigners actually have and, more broadly, for some of the cultural politics of post-Mao modernity in that city in general, not just after hours in the bars on the Tibetan plateau. Karaoke is a spectacle of scripted simulation, and this phenomenon describes cultural performances of modernity emerging from particular constructions of cultural difference in Lhasa. Here modernity includes,
Infrared photochemistry of a volatile uranium compound with 10-.mu. absorption

For the first, uranium 235/uranium 238 have been separated using a 10-..mu.. irradiation of a uranium containing metal-organic molecule. U(OCH/sub 3/)/sub 6/ was irradiated with a TEA laser. The product was analyzed mass spectrometrically using an instrument interfaced to a data system for signal averaging and isotope analysis. Results show that irradiation with the P(38) laser line, which is slightly to the red of the 931 cm/sup -1/ transition, demonstrates an enrichment of the sample in /sup 235/U. Use of enriched /sup 235/U shows similar enrichment factors as an increased absolute enrichment, as is expected for isotopically specific chemistry. The average enrichment factor is 1.023. For comparison with these results, a single pass through a typical gaseous diffusion cell results in an enrichment factor of 1.002. This rather simple laser induced isotope separation experiment has resulted in an average enrichment factor which is 10 x greater than is that for gaseous diffusion. 1 table.
Serum Dilution Test for Bactericidal Activity. II. Standardization and Correlation with Antimicrobial Assays and Susceptibility Tests

The serum dilution test for bactericidal activity is widely used and recommended despite variations in method. A standardized serum dilution test is a necessary prerequisite to meaningful comparisons of results among laboratories and reproduci. bility within laboratories. Therefore, we evaluated both microand macrotechniques for a standardized serum dilution test in which Mueller-Hinton broth supplemented with physiologic concentrations of Mg"+ and Ca++ and combined with 50% pooled human serum (MHB-S/HS) was used as the diluent. Serum dilution tests were done with 13 antimicrobial agents against strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens isolated from the blood of patients with bacterial endocarditis or septicemia. The physiologic diluent MHB-S/HS performed like human serum in the serum dilution test and gave results comparable to those obtained by determination of minimal inhibitory and minimal lethal concentrations and assay of antimicrobial agents in test serum. Since the bactericidal end point was defined as '99.9% killing of the initial inoculum of 5 x 105 colony-forming units/ml, similar results were obtained with different subculture techniques. When dilution tests are required to guide therapy of systemic infections, we recommend a standardized method in which MHB-S/HS is used as the diluent.
Acute phorbol ester treatment improves spatial learning performance in rats

Recent findings have lead researchers to speculate that hippocampal protein kinase C (PKC) in rodents is involved in spatial learning and memory. The purpose of this study was to determine if treating rats with a compound known to increase PKC activity would improve performance in a task that requires spatial learning processes. Rats were treated with a single intracerebroventricular injection of a phorbol ester, phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) that is known to increase PKC activity and then tested on the hidden-platform version of the Morris water task. Results showed that PDBu-treated subjects' ability to learn to locate the escape platform was better than controls. In addition, PDBu-treated subjects showed signs of having remembered the location of the platform better than controls when tested 24 h later. These results support a role of brain PKC in processes required to learn the Morris water task.
Effects of ethanol on tissue folate incorporation and recovery from folate deficiency in rats.

Studies in folate-deficient alcoholics suggest that ethanol interferes with the recovery of folate status and the hematopoietic response to folate. Previous animal studies have suggested diverse effects of ethanol on intestinal absorption, hepatic metabolism, and urinary excretion of folate. In order to examine the effects of ethanol on folate distribution during folate deficiency, tissue incorporation of a tracer dose of folate was studied in rats chronically fed ethanol containing and/or folate-deficient diets. Rats fed these diets were also used to study the effect of chronic ethanol consumption on the dietary reversal of folate deficiency by changing the diets (adding folate or replacing ethanol) from 12 to 16 weeks. After 16 weeks, tissue folate depletion was severe in rats fed folate-deficient diets. Plasma and whole body retention of the tracer dose of folate was decreased in folate-deficient rats consuming ethanol. In folate-deficient rats, ethanol consumption increased the incorporation of folate by the kidney and brain, but had no effect in other tissues (liver, lung, spleen, intestine, testis). In ethanol-fed folate-deficient rats that continued to consume ethanol, but with added folate in their diets, urine, plasma, liver, and kidney folate levels returned to control levels in 4 weeks. In the rats that stopped ethanol, but continued low folate diet consumption, no recovery of tissue folate levels was seen in 4 weeks. These results suggest that chronic ethanol consumption can exacerbate folate requirements by inhibiting body retention of small doses of folate. However, these effects are minor because ethanol consumption does not block recovery from folate deficiency when rats are fed sufficient amounts of folate.
Deep scattering layers: vertical migration as a tactic for finding food

Abstract Their daily migrations lead the animals in the Deep Scattering Layer to food. The animals' response to light and their interaction with ocean currents maintain them within regions of high phytoplankton standing crop and transport them away from unproductive regions.
Assessing Advances in the Assimilation of Radar Data and Other Mesoscale Observations within a Collaborative Forecasting-Research Environment

The impacts of assimilating radar data and other mesoscale observations in real-time, convection-allowing model forecasts were evaluated during the spring seasons of 2008 and 2009 as part of the Hazardous Weather Test Bed Spring Experiment activities. In tests of a prototype continental U.S.-scale forecast system, focusing primarily on regions with active deep convection at the initial time, assimilation of these observations had a positive impact. Daily interrogation of output by teams of modelers, forecasters, and verification experts provided additional insights into the value-added characteristics of the unique assimilation forecasts. This evaluation revealed that the positive effects of the assimilation were greatest during the first 3‐6 h of each forecast, appeared to be most pronounced with larger convective systems, and may have been related to a phase lag that sometimes developed when the convective-scale information was not assimilated. These preliminary results are currently being evaluated further using advanced objective verification techniques.
A scheme for large scale desalination of sea water by solar energy

A scheme is proposed to desalinate sea water using solar energy for the Thar Desert of India. The scheme has been using solar energy for the Thar Desert of India. The scheme has been designed to produce about 5.25 x 10 m 3 /yr (13860 MG/yr) of fresh water with 11.52 km 2 (4.5 miles 2 ) of collector area. The solar collectors are rectangular concrete tubes, half buried in the ground, through which sea water flows and is heated by solar energy. The heated sea water is then flash evaporated in a multi-stage flash evaporator (MSF) unit to yield fresh water. Pumping of the sea water to the site and through the MSF unit is powered by 415 wind turbines each of 200 kW capacity. Economic analysis of the scheme shows that it compares favorably with the existing fossil fuel fired desalination plants of the equivalent capacity.
Orthogonal transmit diversity for self-interference suppression in multi-antenna telemetry links

One problem encountered in aeronautical telemetry is that during aircraft maneuvering, the transmission path is often obstructed by the air vehicle. Therefore, a second antenna is commonly placed on the aircraft to ensure a clear transmission path for all attitudes. However, when both antennas are in view of the receiver, this leads to an array interference pattern generally characterized by a large number of transmission nulls. Orthogonal transmit diversity schemes (space-time codes) can be used to overcome this interference without requiring additional bandwidth and with relatively straightforward implementation. In this paper, we illustrate how the Alamouti [see IEEE J. selected areas in communications, vol 16, p 1451-58, Oct 1998] and unitary differential space-time codes [see B. Hughes, IEEE Trans. information theory, vol 46, p 2567-78, Nov 2000] can be used for this application. Our transfer functions are equal to the SNR of a single antenna transmission system. Therefore this Alamouti scheme can completely remove the detrimental effects of the coherent interference created by the introduction of multiple antennas.
Risk factors for the prediction of treatment failure in gestational trophoblastic tumors treated with EMA/CO regimen.

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the independent risk factors for resistance to EMA/CO chemotherapy in gestational trophoblastic tumor (GTT), to develop a more accurate scoring system for the evaluation of high-risk GTT patients. Methods. We performed a retrospective study and reviewed 165 GTT patients who received the EMA/CO regimen. Among these patients, 27 showed resistance to EMA/CO. Results. According to the univariate analysis of risk factors, tumor age, initial human chorionic gonadotropin level, metastatic site, number of metastatic organs, unplanned operation, gravidity, and inadequate previous chemotherapy all showed statistical significance. However, the results of the stepwise–Cox proportional hazards regression of prognostic factors using multivariate analysis showed statistical significance for tumor age, number of metastatic organs, metastatic site, and previously inadequate chemotherapy. The results of the stepwise logistic regression of prognostic factors showed tumor age and number of metastatic organs as significant. According to the performance of the fitted logistic regression model, the accuracy of predicted death and survival was 80.5%. Conclusions. We determined that the following factors indicate a poor prognosis: (1) tumor age greater than 12 months, (2) number of metastatic organs greater 2, (3) incomplete previous treatment, including unplanned operation and inadequate chemotherapy. In patients with two and three of these factors, the death rates were 17.7 and 56.6%, respectively.
Management of Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease Requiring Cardiac and Noncardiac Surgery

Approximately 5% to 15% of patients undergoing coronary stent implantation are estimated to undergo a surgical procedure within 2 years.1–7 In the largest (N=126 773) cohort study to date describing the incidence and timing of noncardiac surgery after coronary stent placement, 12% of patients who received bare metal stents (BMSs) and 47% of patients who received drug-eluting stents (DESs) had early surgery, defined as surgical procedures occurring within 6 weeks in patients treated with BMSs or within 12 months in those treated with DESs.8 Although the majority were minor procedures, major surgical procedures were more likely to occur within 12 months of stent placement in comparison with 12 to 24 months. Interestingly, a decline in surgical procedures was noted after publication of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines on Perioperative Cardiovascular Evaluation and Care for Noncardiac Surgery in 2007 (preguidelines 25% versus postguidelines 13%, P =0.001).8 Stented patients undergoing surgery are likely to discontinue dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), composed of aspirin and a P2Y12 receptor antagonist (mostly clopidogrel, but may also include prasugrel or ticagrelor), thereby being exposed to a withdrawal of protection with subsequent risk for stent thrombosis or other ischemic events. In a survey of 1358 consecutive patients treated with DESs and discharged on aspirin and clopidogrel, surgery was identified as the second cause of early discontinuation within 1 year (21%) and the first cause of late discontinuation thereafter (49%).9 Defining the fine balance between ischemic and bleeding risk remains a challenge in stented patients undergoing surgery treated with antiplatelet therapy. Understanding whether an antithrombotic drug should or should not be discontinued and tailoring treatment strategies based on the type of intervention are key to balancing the safety and efficacy profiles of antithrombotic medications in this particular scenario. Importantly, such …
Evaluating Replication-Defective Vesicular Stomatitis Virus as a Vaccine Vehicle

We have generated replication-competent (VSV-C/E1/E2) and nonpropagating (VSVDeltaG-C/E1/E2) vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) contiguously expressing the structural proteins of hepatitis C virus (HCV; core [C] and glycoproteins E1 and E2) and report on their immunogenicity in murine models. VSV-C/E1/E2 and VSVDeltaG-C/E1/E2 expressed high levels of HCV C, E1, and E2, which were authentically posttranslationally processed. Both VSV-expressed HCV E1-E2 glycoproteins were found to form noncovalently linked heterodimers and appeared to be correctly folded, as confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation analysis using conformationally sensitive anti-HCV-E2 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Intravenous or intraperitoneal immunization of BALB/c mice with VSV-C/E1/E2 or VSVDeltaG-C/E1/E2 resulted in significant and surprisingly comparable HCV core or E2 antibody responses compared to those of control mice. In addition, both virus types generated HCV C-, E1-, or E2-specific gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-producing CD8(+) T cells, as determined by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) analysis. Mice immunized with VSVDeltaG-C/E1/E2 were also protected against the formation of tumors expressing HCV E2 (CT26-hghE2t) and exhibited CT26-hghE2t-specific IFN-gamma-producing and E2-specific CD8(+) T-cell activity. Finally, recombinant vaccinia virus (vvHCV.S) expressing the HCV structural proteins replicated at significantly lower levels when inoculated into mice immunized with VSV-C/E1/E2 or VSVDeltaG-C/E1/E2, but not with control viruses. Our data therefore illustrate that potentially safer replication-defective VSV can be successfully engineered to express high levels of antigenically authentic HCV glycoproteins. In addition, this strategy may therefore serve in effective vaccine and immunotherapy-based approaches to the treatment of HCV-related disease.
Automorphisms fixing elements of prime order in finite groups

Let σ be an automorphism of a finite group G and suppose that σ fixes every element of G that has prime order or order 4. The main result of this paper shows that the structure of the subgroup H=[G, σ] is severely limited in terms of the order n of σ. In particular, H has exponent dividing n and it is nilpotent of class bounded in terms of n.
Economic Benefits and Options for Financing Higher Education in Sri Lanka

Higher education can produce an array of economic benefits. This paper analyzes two dimensions of benefits. First, the relationship between education and earnings. Second, the relationship between education and household economic welfare. The results show that both individuals and households benefit considerably from investment in education, and especially higher education. The paper then examines public investment in education. Several different models of higher education financing in the world are presented. The paper concludes by discussing several options for expanding investment in higher education in Sri Lanka through the promotion of public-private partnerships, which is a topical concern in the country. Sri Lanka Journal of Advanced Social Studies Vol. 2 - No.1 Page 47-65 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljass.v2i1.5118
Kinetic Evaluation of Cooperative [Co(salen)] Catalysts in the Hydrolytic Kinetic Resolution of rac‐Epichlorohydrin

A wide variety of [Co(salen)] catalysts with different structures designed to enhance salen-salen cooperative interactions have been reported as catalysts for the hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) of epoxides. However, the myriad catalysts have been evaluated under inconsistent experimental conditions, at different catalyst loadings, at different temperatures, with various epoxides and in several different laboratories, making rigorous comparisons between the catalysts impossible. To this end, 12 representative catalysts from our studies, as well as catalysts originally described by others, are reported in the HKR of epichlorohydrin under rigorously identical conditions. The comparison of the reactivity and selectivity of the different catalysts indicates that the soluble, oligomeric [Co(salen)] catalysts with cyclic frameworks impart the highest activity and enantioselectivity (>99%ee, k rel >99) in this representative reaction, requiring very short reaction times ( 99%ee, k rel > 99) and medium reaction time (222 min), is the most active and selective of the class. The lessons demonstrated herein regarding design of active and selective catalysts offer useful insights into refining design strategies for other related cooperative catalytic reactions, suggesting emphases on catalyst flexibility and solubility under reaction conditions.
Clinical profile of prasugrel, a novel thienopyridine.

Prasugrel (CS-747; LY-640315) is a novel, third-generation oral thienopyridine that is a specific, irreversible antagonist of the platelet adenosine 5′-diphosphate P2Y 12 receptor. Laboratory results with prasugrel support more potent antiplatelet effects, a lower incidence of interpatient variability in antiplatelet response, and a reduced time to onset of antiplatelet activity compared with clopidogrel. Phase II results indicate that prasugrel produces a greater antiplatelet effect than clopidogrel administered even at doses higher than the currently approved 300-mg loading dose and 75-mg/d maintenance dose. Recent phase III data show that prasugrel is superior to clopidogrel in preventing ischemic events in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, although this was associated with a greater risk of bleeding.
Hume's Theory of Moral Responsibility: Some Unresolved Matters

One reaction to the theory of moral responsibility Hume presentsis that the theory cannot be reconciled with his remarks about the self in Treatise, Book One. Hume declared a self or person to be nothing but a bundle of transient perceptions, arguing further that there is no one perception that continues invariably the same at any two moments of time. It would follow from such a view that, since one and the same bundle cannot logically exist at two distinct moments, and hence a person at t1 is distinct and different from a person at t2, it is logically impossible, even unjust, to ascribe responsibility to a person at a later time for, say, a moral crime committed at a previous time. The reason is that the individual to whom responsibility will be ascribed is the successor of the criminal and not the criminal himself. But since this runs counter to our moral practices of making accountable the perpetrators of crimes, Hume would therefore have to give up or at least revise his theory of the self if he is to discuss intelligibly the issue of individual moral responsibility.
Classical and molecular genetics of Bremia lactucae, cause of lettuce downy mildew

Lettuce downy mildew caused by Bremia lactucae has long been a model for understanding biotrophic oomycete–plant interactions. Initial research involved physiological and cytological studies that have been reviewed earlier. This review provides an overview of the genetic and molecular analyses that have occurred in the past 25 years as well as perspectives on future directions. The interaction between B. lactucae and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is determined by an extensively characterized gene-for-gene relationship. Resistance genes have been cloned from L. sativa that encode proteins similar to resistance proteins isolated from other plant species. Avirulence genes have yet to be cloned from B. lactucae, although candidate sequences have been identified on the basis of motifs present in secreted avirulence proteins characterized from other oomycetes. Bremia lactucae has a minimum of 7 or 8 chromosome pairs ranging in size from 3 to at least 8 Mb and a set of linear polymorphic molecules that range in size between 0.3 and 1.6 Mb and are inherited in a non-Mendelian manner. Several methods indicated the genome size of B. lactucae to be ca. 50 Mb, although this is probably an underestimate, comprising approximately equal fractions of highly repeated sequences, intermediate repeats, and low-copy sequences. The genome of B. lactucae still awaits sequencing. To date, several EST libraries have been sequenced to provide an incomplete view of the gene space. Bremia lactucae has yet to be transformed, but regulatory sequences from it form components of transformation vectors used for other oomycetes. Molecular technology has now advanced to the point where rapid progress is likely in determining the molecular basis of specificity, mating type, and fungicide insensitivity.
ARE RECOVERY PLANS IMPROVING WITH PRACTICE

We asked two basic questions about endangered species recovery plans: (1) Have recovery plans improved over the last decade? (2) Are important features of recovery plans biased toward plants or animals? We answer these questions in the context of a large national study aimed at statistically summarizing key features of recovery plans and how those plans use science. In addition, we asked if the status of endangered species tends to be improving. Overall, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is improving in its use of science in recovery plans. For example, based on the increased number of monitoring tasks included in more recent plans, the USFWS is becoming more concerned with the need to monitor changes in endangered species populations and their habitats. Similarly, specific recovery criteria, such as the number of years that a species needs to maintain a target population size, are more often being included in recovery plans. However, several features of recovery plans have not shown improvement, such as the tasks recommended to address major threats and the limited influence of focal species' biology on the selection of recovery criteria and monitoring protocols. Recovery plan features tend to be biased toward animals in several ways. Among animals, more tasks are recommended to address limitations in current biological information, to address major threats to the species, and to enhance public relations than is the case for plants. Finally, ∼30% of species for which the current recovery plan is older than 1990 are increasing in abundance, a marked improvement over those species for which the recovery plan was only recently written. These data suggest that the process of listing species and writing recovery plans is working. In addition, animal populations are more often increasing in abundance than plant populations.
Cell mechanics and the cytoskeleton

The ability of a eukaryotic cell to resist deformation, to transport intracellular cargo and to change shape during movement depends on the cytoskeleton, an interconnected network of filamentous polymers and regulatory proteins. Recent work has demonstrated that both internal and external physical forces can act through the cytoskeleton to affect local mechanical properties and cellular behaviour. Attention is now focused on how cytoskeletal networks generate, transmit and respond to mechanical signals over both short and long timescales. An important insight emerging from this work is that long-lived cytoskeletal structures may act as epigenetic determinants of cell shape, function and fate.
Uncertainty reasoning in Prolog with layered meta-interpreters

Proposes an architecture for uncertainty reasoning for rule-based systems in Prolog. Previous work has assumed a predefined calculus for the propagation of uncertainty, restricted to a single line of reasoning or where no negation is allowed. The authors identify the issues that need to be considered for both handling negation and taking a more global view. The authors adopt a pragmatic approach and argue that reasoning with uncertainty can be achieved by a flexible meta-architecture that is suitable for describing and reasoning with different representations of uncertainties, combining multiple lines of reasoning, and reasoning with unknowns and negation. The authors show that a layered meta-interpreter is a good flexible architecture that can accommodate different sets of assumptions for incorporating uncertainty in rule-based systems in Prolog. >
Rare incidence of congestive heart failure (CHF) in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and other sarcoma patients (pts) receiving imatinib mesylate (IM) therapy

10026 Background: Potential IM cardiotoxicity has not been evaluated in patients with GIST or other sarcomas. CHF has been reported in leukemia pts on IM. Objectives: To determine the incidence of ...
What to do Before You Apply—the Preapplication Phase

This is the “learning” stage and if it is handled adequately, the transition through the remaining phases will be greatly facilitated.
Effects of a self-assessment device for pelvic position on chronic back pain and range of motion of the trunk

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a self-assessment device for pelvic position in a computer user with back pain. [Subjects] A 37-year-old man who complained of low back pain at L3–5 levels was the participant. [Methods] In this study, a self-assessment device for the pelvic position was developed. The patient was instructed in self-assessment of the pelvic position and an exercise program for two months. Prior to this instruction, the visual analog scale score and range of motion of the trunk were assessed. [Results] After the instruction in self-assessment of the pelvic position and exercise program, the visual analog scale score decreased from 7 to 3, and trunk flexion, extension, and bilateral lateral flexion range of motion were increased compared to the initial assessment. [Conclusion] Therefore, use of self-anthropometers and measuring methods in patients with chronic back pain is considered an important area of study.
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Linkage Disequilibrium with the Male-fertility Restoration (Ms) Locus in Open-pollinated and Inbred Populations of Onion

Maintainer lines are used to seed propagate male-sterile lines for the development of hybrid onion (Allium cepa L.) cultivars. The identification of maintainer lines would be more efficient with molecular markers distinguishing genotypes at the nuclear male-fertility restoration (Ms) locus. Ms has been mapped to chromosome 2 of onion and linked genetic markers identified. However, linkages between these markers and Ms were detected using F2 or BC1 families at maximum linkage disequilibrium and, for many markers, their efficacy to predict genotypes at Ms in onion populations at or near linkage equilibrium remains unknown. In this research, near isogenic lines homozygous-dominant and -recessive at Ms were developed and screened for 930 single nucleotide poly- morphisms (SNPs). Three SNPs tightly linked on chromosome2 remainedin linkage disequilibrium withgenotypes at Ms among randomly selected plants from three open-pollinated populations of onion as well as among a collection of inbred lines. These SNPs should be useful for selection of the recessive ms allele to aid in the development of maintainer lines for hybrid onion development.
Lithium- ( F 2 + ) A centers in additively colored Kl crystals

We report the first successful production of ( F 2 + ) A centers in additively colored K:Li crystals. This material now offers the possibility of obtaining a stable laser medium which can be tuned from 2.4 to 4.0 μm. Unlike the electron-beam colored material used in the previously reported KI:Li laser,1 this material will enhance the utility of the laser since it can be easily colored using an enclosed-bomb technique and can be stored indefinitely near room temperature.
Interventional Endoscopic Ultrasound

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) was developed as an adjunctive diagnostic modality to supplement cross-sectional imaging. EUS applications have expanded due to evolution in echoendoscope design, improved image resolution, and the development of fine needle aspiration (FNA) needles. This chapter will review current interventional EUS applications, including FNA, pseudocyst drainage, pancreatic necrosectomy, pancreaticobiliary access, celiac plexus interventions, cyst ablation, tumor injection, and vascular interventions.
The Life and Death of Sitting Bull

Tatanka-Iyotanka, or Sitting Bull, is best known to non-Indians as the Hunkpapa Sioux chief who masterminded Custer’s defeat at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. In fact, as befitted a man in his mid-forties, whose arms were still swollen from the sacrifices made in the sun dance, Sitting Bull directed most of his energies that day to protecting the women and children. His major influence on the battle was exerted before the conflict began, in his vision of the soldiers falling into camp.
Ärzte und Patienten: Rechte und Pflichten — ein sich stets änderndes Verhältnis

In den letzten Jahrzehnten hat sich in den meisten Teilen der westlichen Kultur die Beziehung zwischen Patienten und Arzten grundlegend geandert. Im Altertum und bis ins neunzehnte Jahrhundert war dieses Verhaltnis fast durchwegs „paternalistisch“, d.h., der Arzt hat befohlen, und der Patient hat (insofern man das beurteilen kann) gehorcht. Arzte fanden es selbstverstandlich, das sie nicht nur die medizintechnischen Masnahmen (also die Mittel zum Zweck) allein wahlten, sondern das sie auch einzig und allein den Zweck bestimmten. Weiters fanden sich Arzte keineswegs verpflichtet, ihren Patienten die Wahrheit zu sagen. Wenn die Diagnose oder Prognose ungunstig war, so war es nicht nur ratsam, sondern sogar ihre Pflicht, die Wahrheit zu umschreiben und notfalls sogar zu lugen. Es wurde fest angenommen, das Arzte ihren Patienten schaden, falls sie diesen schlechte Nachrichten uber deren Gesundheitszustand mitteilen; Patienten musten von der Wahrheit „verschont“ bleiben. Andererseits war es im Mittelalter Pflicht, darauf zu bestehen, das schwerkranke Patienten gebeichtet und die letzte Olung empfangen hatten: eine Tatsache, die sich (auser wenn man, was vielleicht stimmt, annimmt, das Menschen oft krank genug waren, um diese Sakramente zu empfangen) nicht gut mit dem Verheimlichen schlechter Nachrichten vertragt.
Operational impacts of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Laser Clearinghouse on an optical communications Earth relay

NASA is planning to launch the next generation of a space-based Earth relay satellite sometime in the middle of the next decade to join the current Space Network, consisting of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites in space and the corresponding infrastructure on Earth. While the requirements and architecture for that relay satellite are unknown at this time, NASA is investing in communications technologies that could be deployed to provide new communications services. One of those new technologies is optical communications. The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) project, scheduled for launch in 2019 as a hosted payload, is a critical pathfinder towards NASA providing optical communications services on the next generation space-based relay. This paper will describe the concept of operations and the impacts of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Laser Clearinghouse on the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration. It will provide a high level overview of the link budgets and discuss the analysis done on both space to ground links and geostationary (GEO) to low Earth orbit (LEO) links. The U.S. Laser Clearinghouse is a United States Air Force Strategic Command organization that provides predictive avoidance analysis and deconfliction with U.S. and allies satellites and operations. NASA's policy is to be in compliant with the U.S. Laser Clearinghouse. Having a valid concept of operations that is compliant with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Laser Clearinghouse is critical to making optical communications a reality on future NASA science and exploration missions.
Hyperosmolarity Complicating Management of Intracranial Hypertension

Reye Syndrome, an acute encephalopathy associated with hepatic microvesicular fat accumulation and mitochondrial disruption, has had a reported mortality rate between 30 and 70%. The 21 Reye Syndrome patients whose intracranial pressure was continuously monitored at our institution were divided into survivors, early deaths, and late deaths. Early deaths showed acute deterioration and evidence of cerebral herniation on admission so that all forms of treatment were ineffective. Of interest to us, however, was a comparison between the survivor group and the late deaths. The most immediately apparent differences were the significantly higher admission and peak serum osmolalities in the late death group. The complicating effects of hyperosmolarity on therapy for intracranial hypertension and its role in multiorgan failure are considered.
MIGRATION OF NORMAL HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES CULTURED IN THE PRESENCE OF CANDIDA ALBICANS EXTRACT

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the migration of normal human lymphocytes cultured in the presence of Candida albicans extract. In vivo, lymphocyte migration through a lymph node to efferent lymph is inhibited by antigen. Early inhibition (shutdown) is believed to be nonspecific, while later inhibition (selective recruitment) is specific. To facilitate the study of effects of soluble antigen on lymphocyte migration, a direct in vitro assay was devised using human peripheral blood lymphocytes. In a study described in the chapter, for the direct culture period, 8 × 106 Ficoll–hypaque purified mononuclear cells were cultured at 37°C for 1, 2, and 3 days with and without antigen. Six 32 × 0.8 mm capillary tubes were filled per culture per day, centrifuged, and intracapillary migrations at 37°C measured at daily intervals designated 1–1, 1–2; 2–1, 2–2; 3–1, 3–2 (days of culture-days of migration). The results showed that lymphocytes compose 90% of the forward half of an intracapillary migrating cell column. It was also found that incubation of mononuclear cells with antigen resulted in inhibition of lymphocyte migration.
DdaR (PA1196) Regulates Expression of Dimethylarginine Dimethylaminohydrolase for the Metabolism of Methylarginines in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.

Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolases (DDAHs) catalyze the hydrolysis of methylarginines to yield l-citrulline and methylamines as products. DDAHs and their central roles in methylarginine metabolism have been characterized for eukaryotic cells. While DDAHs are known to exist in some bacteria, including Streptomyces coelicolor and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the physiological importance and genetic regulation of bacterial DDAHs remain poorly understood. To provide some insight into bacterial methylarginine metabolism, this study focused on identifying the key elements or factors regulating DDAH expression in P. aeruginosa PAO1. First, results revealed that P. aeruginosa can utilize NG ,NG -dimethyl-l-arginine (ADMA) as a sole source of nitrogen but not carbon. Second, expression of the ddaH gene was observed to be induced in the presence of methylarginines, including NG -monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA) and ADMA. Third, induction of the ddaH gene was shown to be achieved through a mechanism consisting of the putative enhancer-binding protein PA1196 and the alternative sigma factor RpoN. Both PA1196 and RpoN were essential for the expression of the ddaH gene in response to methylarginines. On the basis of the results of this study, PA1196 was given the name DdaR, for dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase regulator. Interestingly, DdaR and its target ddaH gene are conserved only among P. aeruginosa strains, suggesting that this particular Pseudomonas species has evolved to utilize methylarginines from its environment.IMPORTANCE Methylated arginine residues are common constituents of eukaryotic proteins. During proteolysis, methylarginines are released in their free forms and become accessible nutrients for bacteria to utilize as growth substrates. In order to have a clearer and better understanding of this process, we explored methylarginine utilization in the metabolically versatile bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Our results show that the transcriptional regulator DdaR (PA1196) and the sigma factor RpoN positively regulate expression of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolases (DDAHs) in response to exogenous methylarginines. DDAH is the central enzyme of methylarginine degradation, and its transcriptional regulation by DdaR-RpoN is expected to be conserved among P. aeruginosa strains.
Executive control goes to school: Implications of preschool executive performance for observed elementary classroom learning engagement

The transition to elementary school is accompanied by increasing demands for children to regulate their attention and behavior within the classroom setting. Executive control (EC) may be critical for meeting these demands; however, few studies have rigorously examined the association between EC and observed classroom behavior. This study examined EC in preschool (age 5 years 3 months) as a predictor of classroom learning engagement behaviors in first grade, using a battery of performance-based EC tasks and live classroom observations in a longitudinal sample of 313 children. Multilevel modeling results indicated that stronger EC predicted more focused engagement and fewer task management and competing responses, controlling for socioeconomic status, child sex, and age at observations. Results suggest that early EC may support subsequent classroom engagement behaviors that are critical for successful transition to elementary school and long-term learning trajectories. (PsycINFO Database Record
High-density equilibrium phases of colloidal ellipsoids by application of optically enhanced, direct current electric fields

We use direct current (DC) electric fields in conjunction with ultraviolet light to self-assemble highly dense structures of colloidal ellipsoids with three-dimensional order and volume fraction as large as 67%. Ellipsoidal phases of colloids are of fundamental interest because novel packing structures are predicted to occur at high volume fractions; the symmetries of these crystal unit cells can also contribute to a variety of applications, including structural color materials. Previously, the very high volume fraction range of ellipsoidal phases has been inaccessible because of limitations such as vitrification and kinetic trapping. Here we report that the coupling of light to DC electric fields causes electrophoretic deposition that yields ellipsoid phases that are significantly denser than previous reports. The applied voltage across the capacitor-like device used for self-assembly was varied from 1.75–2.3 V and the power density of incident UV light was varied between 75–400 W m−2. As the coupled field strengths were increased, the assembled colloids underwent a phase transition from an isotropic fluid to a nematic liquid crystal phase consistent with previous reports. When the voltage and light intensity were between 1.9–2.1 V and 100–200 W m−2 respectively, the assembly had a high degree of orientational ordering and a degree of positional order along axes both parallel and perpendicular to the plane of the electrode surface. For the densest assembly achieved, the interlaying spacing is 0.9D, where D is the ellipsoid minor axis.
Electrospun nanofibers for regenerative dentistry

Periodontitis is one of the most aggressive diseases to impair the integrity of tooth-supporting structures. Guided regeneration has been increasingly used with the aid of a physical membrane that acts as a barrier to prevent epithelial and connective tissue downgrowth into the defect, enabling periodontal regeneration. In recent years, electrospinning has been used to develop bioactive membranes with significant clinical potential. Meanwhile, traumatic injuries or bacterial infection of the dental pulp leads to inflammation and, if left untreated, necrosis. No therapy exists today that promotes root canal disinfection and can predictably guide pulp and dentin regeneration. Moreover, antibiotic pastes currently used for root canal disinfection prior to a regenerative strategy have been shown to affect stem cells' survival. This chapter presents an update on the use of electrospinning to develop bioactive membranes for periodontal regeneration and antibiotic-containing nanofibers as a drug delivery strategy in endodontics.
Shale Dual-Porosity Dual-Permeability Poromechanical and Chemical Properties Extracted from Experimental Pressure Transmission Tests

AbstractSo far, no effective methods have been found to measure shale dual-porosity dual-permeability poromechanical and chemical parameters. This paper presents a practical method to determine suc...
High field magnetoabsorption of the indirect transition exciton in germanium at 1⋯7°K

Abstract The indirect transition exciton magnetoabsorption has been studied in the Faraday geometry with the magnetic field perpendicular to the (100), (111), and (110) crystal faces respectively. The measurements were made at 1⋯7°K and at fields of up to 74 kG. At low fields ( 40 kG) fields a linear behavior is observed. The experimental observations are discussed as well as the range of applicability of the present theory to them.
Autonomic dysreflexia: a cardiovascular disorder following spinal cord injury

Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a serious cardiovascular disorder in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The primary underlying cause of AD is loss of supraspinal control over sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPNs) caudal to the injury, which renders the SPNs hyper-responsive to stimulation. Central maladaptive plasticity, including C-fiber sprouting and propriospinal fiber proliferation exaggerates noxious afferent transmission to the SPNs, causing them to release massive sympathetic discharges that result in severe hypertensive episodes. In parallel, upregulated peripheral vascular sensitivity following SCI exacerbates the hypertensive response by augmenting gastric and pelvic vasoconstriction. Currently, the majority of clinically employed treatments for AD involve anti-hypertensive medications and Botox injections to the bladder. Although these approaches mitigate the severity of AD, they only yield transient effects and target the effector organs, rather than addressing the primary issue of central sympathetic dysregulation. As such, strategies that aim to restore supraspinal reinnervation of SPNs to improve cardiovascular sympathetic regulation are likely more effective for AD. Recent pre-clinical investigations show that cell transplantation therapy is efficacious in reestablishing spinal sympathetic connections and improving hemodynamic performance, which holds promise as a potential therapeutic approach.
Affect toward the self and self-injury stimuli as potential risk factors for nonsuicidal self-injury

Few risk factors for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) have been identified. This study investigated diminished aversion toward self-injury (i.e., NSSI, suicide/death stimuli) and self-criticism as unique NSSI risk factors. After terminating a treatment study, 154 adults with a recent and frequent NSSI history completed self-report and computer-based measures of psychopathology, implicit and explicit self-criticism, and implicit aversion to NSSI and suicide/death. Participants were then contacted 4 weeks later to test factors predicting NSSI frequency over this follow-up period. Diminished aversion toward NSSI stimuli and self-criticism significantly predicted NSSI 4 weeks later. These effects were unique from other theoretically important predictors, such as past week NSSI frequency and total number of NSSI methods used. Findings provide support that erosion of barriers to NSSI (e.g., aversion to self-injurious stimuli, decreased self-worth) may facilitate continued engagement in these dangerous behaviors. Results shed light on potential treatment targets for NSSI.
Case 5—Is There Life After Death? A Case of Post-mortem Sperm Retrieval

A young widow asked her late husband’s physicians to retrieve his sperm posthumously so she could conceive a child in his memory, then changed her mind when she fell in love with another man.
PULMONARY HYPERTENSION: FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

Management of pericardial effusions and arrythmias in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, managing pericardial effusions with pericardiocentesis is controversial and data is limited in patients with PH. A 71 year old