cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Astrocytes in primary cultures express serine racemase, synthesize D-serine and acquire A1 reactive astrocyte features

d-Serine is a co-agonist at forebrain N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) and is synthesized by serine racemase (SR). Although d-serine and SR were originally reported to be localized to glia, recent studies have provided compelling evidence that under healthy physiologic conditions both are localized primarily in neurons. However, in pathologic conditions, reactive astrocytes can also express SR and synthesize d-serine. Since cultured astrocytes exhibit features of reactive astrocytes, we have characterized d-serine synthesis and the expression of enzymes involved in its disposition in primary glial cultures. The levels of SR were quite low early in culture and increased markedly in all astrocytes with the duration in vitro. The concentration of d-serine in the culture medium increased in parallel with SR expression in the astrocytes. Microglia, identified by robust expression of Iba1, did not express SR. While the levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), glycine decarboxylase (GLDC) and phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), the initial enzyme in the pathway converting glycine to l-serine, remained constant in culture, the expression of lipocalin-2, a marker for pan-reactive astrocytes, increased several-fold. The cultured astrocytes also expressed Complement-3a, a marker for a subpopulation of reactive astrocytes (A1). Astrocytes grown from mice with a copy number variant associated with psychosis, which have four copies of the GLDC gene, showed a more rapid production of d-serine and a reduction in glycine in the culture medium. These results substantiate the conclusion that A1 reactive astrocytes express SR and release d-serine under pathologic conditions, which may contribute to their neurotoxic effects by activating extra-synaptic NMDARs.
Risk factors for vitamin D deficiency in sickle cell disease

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD), 25-OHD levels <20 ng/ml, is prevalent among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and is linked to acute and chronic pain and bone fracture in this population. There is limited literature regarding VDD-associated risk factors for SCD. We examined potential clinical and genomic parameters associated with VDD in 335 adults with SCD in a cross-sectional study. VDD was present in 65% of adult SCD patients, and 25-OHD levels independently and positively correlated with older age (P < 0·001) and vitamin D supplementation (P < 0·001). 25-OHD levels were higher in SCD patients over 40 years of age compared to the general African-American population. Both lower 25-OHD levels and increased pain frequency were associated with increased expression of SLC6A5 encoding glycine transporter-2 (GlyT2), a protein involved in neuronal pain pathways. Lower 25-OHD levels were also associated with increased expression of CYP3A4, and with decreased expression of GC (also termed DBP) and VDR, three genes involved in vitamin D metabolism. We conclude that vitamin D supplementation should be an almost universal feature of the care of young adults with SCD, and that further research is warranted into genomic factors that regulate vitamin D metabolism in SCD.
Optimality-Theoretic Lexical-Functional Grammar

Optimality-Theoretic Lexical-Functional Grammar (OT-LFG) is a grammatical framework that uses Optimality Theory to make typological and implicational predictions in the domain of morpho-syntax. This article surveys the main features and predictions of the framework, focussing on the Optimality Theory (OT) characterization of markedness to illustrate implicational predictions in morphosyntax in the expression of voice and of split ergativity, and in syntax in the hierchical structure of the clause and of linear order of the major clausal constituents. Brief accounts of extensions to bidirectional OT (production and comprehension) and stochastic OT (allowing an account of synchronic variation and gradual diachronic change) are given.
Congenital Pupillary-Iris-Lens Membrane with Goniodysgenesis: (A new entity)

Abstract We encountered two clinically similar but genetically unrelated cases of a disorder characterized by an unusual white pupil lary-iris-lens membrane with extension to a prominent Schwalbe's line. the membranes were vascularized and their appearance changed over time. In both cases the abnormality was unilateral. Anomalous chamber angles were seen on gonioscopy. The clinical appearance is similar to a combination of iridogoniodysgenesis and pupillary membrane. However, our two cases are unique and fit into neither category. We postulate that this is a new entity consisting of an anomalous chamber angle and iris-lens membrane resulting from a localized iris (pupillary membrane), infarct with secondary neovascularization, during formation of the chamber angle.
Tunable Three-Pole Diplexer with High Selectivity and Isolation

This paper presents a tunable three-pole diplexer, and is based on two different three-pole filters. The first filter has two transmission zeroes at the upper side and one transmission zero at the lower side. The second filter exhibits two transmission zeroes at the lower side and one transmission zero at upper side. Due to the asymmetric high rejection level of the two three-pole filters, the tunable diplexer exhibits high selectivity, high suppression and high isolation. The circuit is theoretically analyzed and experimentally demonstrated. Comparisons between measured and simulated results are used to verify the proposed ideas.
Alonzo Aristotle Crim (1928–2000)

This chapter highlights the accomplishments and historical significance of Alonzo Aristotle Crim who was the first African American superintendent of schools in Atlanta, Georgia. The chapter also offers a critical analysis of the role Dr. Crim had in contributing to the growth and development of education in the African American community, especially as it relates to education policies and practices in the latter part of the twentieth-century America.
Enzyme kinetics of tobacco Rubisco expressed in Escherichia coli varies depending on the small subunit composition

Abstract Rubisco catalyzes the first step in carbon fixation and has been a strategic target to improve photosynthetic efficiency. In plants, Rubisco is a complex made up of eight large subunits encoded by a chloroplast gene, rbcL, and eight small subunits expressed from a nuclear gene family and targeted to chloroplast stroma. Biogenesis of Rubisco in plants requires a chaperonin system composed of Cpn60α, Cpn60β and Cpn20, which helps fold the large subunit, and multiple chaperones including RbcX, Raf1, Raf2 and BSD2, which help the dimerization of the folded large subunits and subsequent assembly with the small subunits into L8S8 holoenzymes. A recent study successfully assembled functional Arabidopsis Rubisco in Escherichia coli by co-expressing the two subunits with Arabidopsis chaperonins and chaperones (Aigner et al., 2017). In this study, we modified the expression vectors used in that study and adapted them to express tobacco Rubisco by replacing the Arabidopsis genes with tobacco ones. Next, we surveyed the small subunits present in tobacco, co-expressed each with the large subunit and successfully produced active tobacco enzymes composed of different small subunits in E. coli. These enzymes produced in E. coli have carboxylation kinetics very similar to that of the native tobacco Rubisco. We also produced tobacco Rubisco with a recently discovered trichome small subunit in E. coli and found that it has a higher catalytic rate and a lower CO2 affinity compared to the enzymes with other small subunits. Our improvements in the E. coli Rubisco expression system will allow us to probe features of both the chloroplast and nuclear-encoded subunits of Rubisco that affect its catalytic rate and CO2 specificity.
Abstract 3309: Healthcare resource utilization in follicular lymphoma patients treated with maintenance rituximab in the Veterans Health Administration

OBJECTIVES: Examine healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) in follicular lymphoma (FL) patients treated with or without maintenance rituximab (MR). METHODS: FL patients treated in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) between 2006-2014 were identified by linking information from the VA Cancer Registry System (VACRS) and the Corporate Data Warehouse. HCRU was defined as the total number of outpatient visits (OPV), inpatient visits (IPV), and the number of emergency department visits (EDV) during follow-up time, which was approximately four years. To avoid immortal time bias, a prescription time distribution matching method was performed, followed by an inverse probability weighted regression analysis to account for variation in the follow-up period. The observational period was partitioned into four-yearly intervals. The observed HCRU value was weighted by the inverse of the probability of not being censored by the end of the yearly interval. A generalized linear model with Poisson distribution and log link was performed for each of the four intervals while adjusting for the covariates. Using a 95% bootstrap confidence interval, the change of HCRU was summed across the four-yearly intervals to obtain the cumulative change of HCRU between FL patients who received MR or did not receive MR. RESULTS: From 2006-2014, 2,290 FL patients were diagnosed at VHA. After excluding patients with a prior cancer, documented grade 3b or stage I disease, 905 MR-eligible patients remained, of which 319 (35%) received MR and 586 (65%) did not receive MR. When compared with non-MR patients, MR patients were slightly more likely to have a mean increase in OPV (0.69%; CI: 0.44%-0.94%) and a mean decrease in IPV (14.83%; CI: 16.09%-13.58%). There was no significant change in the number of EDV between the MR treated and non-MR treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide real-world study suggests that on average FL patients treated with MR have fewer IPV and more OPV than non-MR patients. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Ahmad S. Halwani, Catherine Li, Kelli M. Rasmussen, Vikas Patil, Christina Yong, Zachary Burningham, Brian C. Sauer. Healthcare resource utilization in follicular lymphoma patients treated with maintenance rituximab in the Veterans Health Administration [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3309.
Use of reflective writing within interprofessional education: a mixed-methods analysis.

Nurturing student’s development of interprofessional collaboration is fundamental. Assessment-For-Learning can use reflection as one technique to support students’ growth. Thus, we investigated usi...
Mechanism of Si doping in plasma assisted MBE growth of β-Ga2O3

We report on the origin of high Si flux observed during the use of Si as a doping source in plasma assisted MBE growth of β-Ga2O3. We show on the basis of secondary ion mass spectroscopy analysis that Si flux is not limited by the vapor pressure of Si but by the formation of volatile SiO. The low sublimation energy of SiO leads to a weak dependence of the SiO flux of Si cell temperature and a strong dependence on the background oxygen pressure. Extended exposure to activated oxygen results in reduction of SiO flux due to the formation of SiO2 on the Si surface. The work reported provides key understanding for incorporating Si into future oxide-based semiconductor heterostructure and device MBE growth.
New Frontiers in Measuring and Characterizing the HIV Reservoir

A cure for HIV infection remains elusive due to the persistence of replication-competent HIV proviral DNA during suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). With the exception of rare elite or post-treatment controllers of viremia, withdrawal of ART invariably results in the rebound of viremia and progression of HIV disease. A thorough understanding of the reservoir is necessary to develop new strategies in order to reduce or eliminate the reservoir. However, there is significant heterogeneity in the sequence composition, genomic location, stability, and expression of the HIV reservoir both within and across individuals, and a majority of proviral sequences are replication-defective. These factors, and the low frequency of persistently infected cells in individuals on suppressive ART, make understanding the reservoir and its response to experimental reservoir reduction interventions challenging. Here, we review the characteristics of the HIV reservoir, state-of-the-art assays to measure and characterize the reservoir, and how these assays can be applied to accurately detect reductions in reservoir during efforts to develop a cure for HIV infection. In particular, we highlight recent advances in the development of direct measures of provirus, including intact proviral DNA assays and full-length HIV DNA sequencing with integration site analysis. We also focus on novel techniques to quantitate persistent and inducible HIV, including RNA sequencing and RNA/gag protein staining techniques, as well as modified viral outgrowth methods that seek to improve upon throughput, sensitivity and dynamic range.
Characterizing material transitions in large-scale Additive Manufacturing

Abstract Integrating Multiple Materials (MM) into large-scale Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a key for various industrial applications wishing to incorporate site-specific properties into geometrically complex designs that are difficult to manufacture with traditional techniques. Printing with multiple materials is typically accomplished by using layers as natural material boundaries, but having the capability to switch between materials within a single layer without pausing would further expand MM possibilities. This study used Cincinnati Incorporated’s Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) system to explore material transitions with a novel dual-hopper that enables in-situ material blending of a pelletized feedstock. Constructing MM and functionally graded material (FGM) structures requires depositing a specific material composition at a specific geometric location to achieve a desired performance. Accurately implementing this with the BAAM’s blended extrusion system requires a thorough understanding of the transition between distinct material compositions. This study characterizes a step-change transition between neat acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and carbon fiber-reinforced ABS. Three distinct techniques were compared for analyzing the fiber content, and the transition zone between materials was characterized as a function of transition direction. The transition process was consistent to within 0.7 wt% carbon fiber variation between different layers and prints. The transition between materials was found to be directionally dependent, with ABS to CF/ABS having a transition length of 3.5 m compared to 3.2 m for CF/ABS to ABS. Furthermore, the transition from Material A to Material B was found to be repeatable with a possible variance in transition length of 0.3 m.
The mechanism—the secret—of the given

There is, of course, The Given: what is given in experience. The ‘Myth Of The Given’ (‘the Myth’) is just a wrong answer to the question ‘What is given?’ This paper offers a brief sketch of three possible right answers. (1) It examines an early account by Charles Augustus Strong of why The Myth is a myth. (2) It maintains that a natural and naturalistic version of empiricism is compatible with the fact that the Myth is a myth. (3) It gives proper place to enactivist (physiological, motor) considerations. (4) It is (in spite of (3)) broadly in line with the Sellarsian view as refined by John McDowell. (5) It meets an important constraint: acknowledging the reality of something that seems at first to lend support to The Myth—i.e. the fact that we can engage in ‘non-inferential self-attribution of … sensations’ (McDowell in ‘Having the World in View’, In Having the World in View Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1998/2009: p. 20)—without in any way succumbing to the Myth.
Machine learning-based fast frequency response control for a VSC-HVDC system

HVDC system can realize a very fast frequency response to the disturbed system under a contingency because its active power control is decoupled from the frequency deviation. However, most of existing HVDC frequency control strategies are coupled with system primary frequency control and secondary frequency control. Since the traditional system frequency control is dominated by the thermal generators, the advantage of the fast response of the HVDC system is not made fully used. The development of a frequency response estimation based on a machine learning algorithm provides another approach to improve the frequency response capability of the HVDC system. Different from other frequency deviation tracking strategies, a machine learning based HVDC frequency response control can directly increase the power flow of a HVDC system by estimation of the system generator or load lost. In this paper, a fast frequency response control using a HVDC system for a large power system disturbance based on the multivariate random forest regression (MRFR) algorithm is proposed. The simulation is carried out with an integrated power system model based on the North American interconnections. The simulation results indicate that the proposed MRFR based frequency response control can significantly improve the frequency low point during an event, while stabilizing the frequency in advance.
Interaction of Jahn—Teller Centers

In Chapter 1 we have briefly considered the fundamentals of the Jahn—Teller effect and have discussed some of its manifestations for isolated Jahn—Teller centers. One of the main conclusions of Chapter 1 is that the Jahn—Teller effect does not induce static distortions. A distorted nuclear configuration does actually correspond to a certain electronic state of the degenerate term, but such distorted equilibrium configurations (potential energy minima) are not always unique, and dynamic averaging over them restores the initial high symmetry. On the other hand, it has been noted that even slight low-symmetry perturbations (external fields, random strains, etc.) in Jahn—Teller situations can tend to localize the system at one of the minima and bring about significant distortions. In this situation it would be interesting to know whether interaction between Jahn—Teller centers, as in the case, e.g., of a crystal with an ionic sublattice whose ground state is degenerate, can lead to localization and a net distortion. In such a multicenter Jahn—Teller situation it is also reasonable to expect phase transitions similar to those accompanying spin ordering, the only difference is that pseudospins specified in a basis of orbital states should be addressed in this case. The investigation of such phase transitions due to ordering of the orbital components of degenerate electronic states of lattice ions is the main purpose of this book. For phase transitions to occur, there must be interaction between electronic states of different sites. In this chapter we shall discuss the mechanisms of such interaction.
The Birth of Certainty

The study of humanity and civilization is the study of evolving conceptual frames. During the centuries many conceptual frames have evolved that have revolutionized our view of ourselves and the universe as each age and each culture attempt to organize their own particular speculations concerning our place in nature.
Structure of incipiently sooting partially premixed ethylene counterflow flames

Abstract We perturbed an atmospheric-pressure ethylene diffusion flame by progressively adding oxygen in the fuel stream, while holding constant peak temperature and stoichiometric mixture fraction. The resulting partially premixed flames presented a well-defined double-flame structure, with a (lightly) sooting region sandwiched between a premixed flame component and a diffusion flame one. Temperature measurements were performed using fine thermocouples and thin filament pyrometry, whereas species concentrations profiles of CO2, CO, N2, O2, H2 and C1–C12 species, including aromatics, were determined by gas sampling through a quartz microprobe followed by GC–MS analysis. In addition to the diffusion flame, two of the flames, at equivalence ratio, Φ = 6.5 and Φ = 5.0, were probed in detail with these diagnostic techniques. A fourth flame at Φ = 3.0 was examined only qualitatively because of excessive soot presence. The premixed flame component of the dual flame structure and the diffusion flame one are coupled both thermally and chemically. Soot formation increases with lowering equivalence ratio and increasing temperature, a trend that is consistent with that of purely premixed strained flames stabilized against a hot nitrogen counterflow, as confirmed computationally by comparing profiles of a critical soot precursor such as benzene. However, partially premixed flames, probably as a result of the back diffusion of key radicals such as H and OH from the diffusion flame component, have a lower tendency to soot as compared to purely premixed ones. Comparison of measurements with computational results using two detailed chemical kinetic mechanisms show good agreement for major species once the velocity boundary conditions are properly determined via 2-D modeling of the flow within the burner. In one case, the agreement is also good for some soot precursors such as benzene, despite mismatches in some critical intermediates. Reaction path analysis suggests an increasingly larger contribution of the C3 path to benzene formation with the lowering of the equivalence ratio. The database with the measurements of primary reactants, products and intermediates, including critical soot precursors up to 3-ring aromatics is available to developers of chemical reaction mechanisms.
Collaborative Robots for Infrastructure Security Applications

1 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA, yguo1@stevens.edu, http://www.ece.stevens-tech.edu/ yguo 2 Department of Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA, parker@cs.utk.edu, http://www.cs.utk.edu/ parker 3 Computational Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA, and Guest Researcher at the Intelligent Systems Division, National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8230, USA, raj.madhavan@ieee.org
Congenital and Acquired Immunodeficiencies

The development of the immune system and its function are outlined in Chapter 1. Congenital immunodeficiencies are rare; more details can be found in pediatric textbooks. Here, only the most important entities are discussed. Acquired immunodeficiencies are observed in many lymphoproliferative disorders and during treatment with steroids or chemotherapy with cytostatic drugs. The deficiency of cellular immunity induced by HIV infection is a common problem in many countries. In this chapter, we describe only some hematological consequences of HIV infection.
Reply [to “An open letter to Ellen Druffel” and to “A second look at gender distribution among AGU Fellows”]

The purpose of my brief article [Druffel, 1994] was to inform AGU members of gender inequity within the AGU Fellows. I raised the question 2 years ago, then assembled the statistics and reported the results to the Fellows Committee. At their recommendation, I wrote the article for Eos to report the facts. The reasons for this inequity were intended to be discussed separately. Deming presents several hypotheses that he feels may explain the inequity. I address them below.
Optimization of Aircraft Lifting Surfaces Using a Cellular Division Method

The development of a biologically inspired methodology for topology, shape, sizing, and control surface optimization of aircraft lifting surfaces is presented. The methodology is based on the map L-systems modeling of cellular division to generate the substructure topology. This is combined with variables for aerodynamic shape, structural sizing, and control surfaces (number, size, location, and aeroelastic trimmed settings) and constraints on stiffness, strength, local skin panel buckling, static aeroelastic response (roll performance, pitch rate, trimmed angle of attack), and flutter requirements. A dual-objective function is formulated with weight and L/D and is solved with a bilevel optimization algorithm. The map L-system rules that develop the topology are evolved using a genetic algorithm in the outer optimization loop on L/D and weight, which obtains the optimal parameter settings for topology, shape, and control surfaces, whereas the inner loop performs weight minimization with the structural siz...
Adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. An epidemiological perspective

The objective of this manuscript is to provide a comprehensive review of the epidemiologic evidence linking the continuum of adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, and diabetes with Alzheimer's disease. The mechanisms for these associations remain to be elucidated, but may include direct actions from insulin, advanced products of glycosilation, cerebrovascular disease, and products of adipose tissue metabolism. Elevated adiposity in middle age is related to a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. The evidence relating adiposity in old age to Alzheimer's disease is conflicting. Several studies have shown that hyperinsulinemia, a consequence of higher adiposity and insulin resistance, is also related to a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. Hyperinsulinemia is a risk factor for diabetes, and numerous studies have shown a relation of diabetes with higher Alzheimer's disease risk. Most studies fail the take into account the continuum linking these risk factors which may result in underestimation of their importance in Alzheimer's disease. The implication of these associations is that a large proportion of the world population may be at increased risk of Alzheimer's disease given the trends for increasing prevalence of overweight, obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and diabetes. However, if proven causal, these associations also present a unique opportunity for prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Case 6: Check Your Facts

In the USA, the anesthesia practice is to discard the breathing circuits after their use in one patient. This is opposite to the practice in Europe. Here they do not discard the breathing circuits between patients, but only the anesthesia filter that is situated between the anesthesia machine and the patient breathing circuit.
Rye residues contribute weed suppression in no-tillage cropping systems.

The use of allelopathic cover crops in reduced tillage cropping systems may provide an ecologically sound and environmentally safe management strategy for weed control. Growers often plant winter rye (Secale cereale L.) for increased soil organic matter and soil protection. Spring-planted living rye reduced weed biomass by 93% over plots without rye. Residues of fall-planted/spring-killed rye reduced total weed biomass over bare-ground controls. Rye residues also reduced total weed biomass by 63% when poplar excelsior was used as a control for the mulch effect, suggesting that allelopathy, in addition to the physical effects of the mulch, did contribute to weed control in these systems. In greenhouse studies, rye root leachates reduced tomato dry weight by 25–30%, which is additional evidence that rye is allelopathic to other plant species.
Simplifying enzyme and fermentation kinetic models

Abstract An empirical correlation proposed by Churchill and Usagi has previously been used to correlate heat transfer and fluid mechanics data. Their algebraic correlation describes a unimodal curve by summing the two bounding asymptotes through an exponent. In this study the method is extended to correlate enzyme and fermentation batch kinetic rate data where the asymptotes are known. The enzyme and fermentation batch models without inhibition terms, described by non-linear differential equations, can now be modeled nearly as accurately by a single rate expression over the entire time domain. A particularly attractive feature of the single rate correlation is that it can correlate specific growth rate fermentation data over significant temperature and pH domains.
Anticancer activity of the Aurora A kinase inhibitor MK-5108 in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in vitro as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapies

Purpose Aurora kinases are key regulators of mitotic events. Dysfunction of these kinases can cause polyploidy and chromosomal instability, a contributor to tumorigenesis. MK-5108 is a potent inhibitor of Aurora A kinase that has shown preclinical potent activity in malignancies of breast, cervical, colon, ovarian, and pancreatic origin. We sought to assess the preclinical efficacy of MK-5108 in a panel of non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines as a single agent and in combination with cisplatin and docetaxel.
Fine-scale spatial variability of physical and biological soil properties in Kingston, Rhode Island

Abstract We evaluated the fine-scale (cm) variability of bulk density (ρB), organic matter content (%OM), volumetric water content (θV), and carbon mineralization rate (Cmin) at specific values of water potential in an old field soil. We measured these variables in soil samples obtained using paired abutting, 5-cm diameter, 10-cm deep cores. To compare abutting core properties, abutting cores were randomly assigned to one of two groups, A or B, using permutation procedures in order to account for the possibility of chance effects. Comparisons were made using either 10 (θV and Cmin) or 40 (% OM and ρB) pairs of samples in May, August, and November of 1997 and March of 1998. No differences were observed in the distribution of values among groups of cores for all the variables measured. Furthermore, there were no seasonal differences in coefficient of variation for any of the variables. Values of coefficient of variation followed the order: Cmin>θV>% OM>ρB. The difference between paired cores relative to population means (RD) was highest for Cmin (29.7%), followed by %OM (12.3%), θV (9.1%) and ρB (5.9%). Our results indicate that variability in soil properties (RD) at the centimeter scale is lowest for physical properties (θV and ρB) and highest for biological properties (%OM and Cmin). The assumption of identity among adjacent cores does not appear to be justified for the soil properties evaluated in our study.
Cloning, sequencing and expression of a 5-lipoxygenase from syrian hamster embryo fibroblasts

Abstract The hamster ortholog of human and rat 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) was cloned from a Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cell line. A combination of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 5′ and 3′ RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) was used to isolate the complete cDNA for this gene. The cDNA sequence demonstrates the extreme sequence conservation found in this gene family, with a deduced amino acid sequence 95% identical to the rat 5-LO, and 90% identical to the human enzyme. The hamster 5-LO was expressed in E. coli. The expressed protein was detected by an antibody to human 5-LO, and had an apparent molecular weight of 75–80 kD. The products of the action of this enzyme on arachidonic acid are 5-HETE and the diHETEs resulting from the breakdown of LTA 4 , in a pattern similar to that produced by the recombinant human 5-LO. No oxidation of linoleic acid by this enzyme was detected.
Intervention Research and Program Evaluation: The Need to Move beyond Monitoring.

Ineffective public health interventions can cost substantial amounts of money that could be directed to more effective programs. The suffering associated with HIV/AIDS necessitates that we proceed with the best possible evidence in hand.
Hope for Happy Endings: Stories of Clients and Clinicians

In this introduction to the issue, it is asserted that a positive therapeutic relationship may be equally important to good rehabilitation outcomes as the administration of an effective, evidence-based treatment. The author illustrates this assertion with two variations of a clinical story in which aspects of the therapeutic relationship are manipulated. The narrative methodologies used in the articles in this issue, including ethnography, autoethnography, and personal narrative, are defined. Because details of the therapeutic relationship can best be explored through narrative methodologies, there will always be a role for narratives in the understanding of best clinical practice.
Effectiveness of Gentamicin Sulfate Against Paracolobactrum Arizonae Infection of Turkey Poults

Abstract INTRODUCTION GENTAMICIN, a broad spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic chemically related to kanamycin and neomycin was reported in 1963 as being active against most pathogenic bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae and of the genus Pseudomonas (Black et at., 1963; Jao and Jackson, 1963; Weinstein et al., 1963; White, 1964). Though there are numerous publications documenting its efficacy against human clinical infections (Brayton and Louria, 1964; Klein et al., 1964; Rubenfire et al., 1969; Smith et al., 1969; Stone et al., 1965; Waisbren, 1969; Waitz and Weinstein, 1969), there are none in regards to its use against animal infections. Paracolobactrum arizonae infection of young turkeys is recognized (Edwards et al., 1959; Goetz, 1962; Kowalski and Stevens, 1968; Smith et al., 1969) as being one of the more serious problems confronting the turkey industry. In view of the lack of clinical information, the purpose of this communication is to present data indicating the clinical…
Development of a Cell Culture System To Study Antibody Convection in Tumors

The convective transport of fluid and of a binding antibody through a cultured tumor cell layer was investigated with a mouse melanoma cell line (B16F10) grown on a microporous polycarbonate filter (Snapwell inserts). The inserts were precoated with Matrigel or collagen, or were uncoated. The cell layers were exposed to nominal pressure gradients from 5 to 25 cm H2O, and the volume flux was measured by collecting the effluent volume over time. The rate of convective transport of a binding monoclonal antibody that recognizes the murina transferrin receptor (a-TfR) was investigated at a nominal pressure gradient of 15 cm H2O and compared with that of an isotype matched, nonbinding control. The resistance, R, of the cell layer to fluid flow was quantified as the hydraulic conductivity, Lp (= 1/R); the ability of the cell layer to retard antibody transport was quantified as the reflection coefficient, sigma. The resulting Lp values decreased with increasing cell density, in a manner consistent with Poiseuille flow. Collagen or Matrigel precoating also decreased Lp values, with cells grown on Matrigel providing the greatest resistance. The sigma values were 0.67 (+/-0.08) for the a-TfR antibody and 0.51 (+/-0.06) for the control, indicating that the cell layer acts as a semipermeable barrier to convective transport of antibody that is less permeable to the binding antibody.
Electric–Quadrupole Isomers in 90Nb and 92Tc*

Abstract The rates of electric-quadrupole transitions between low-lying states of 90Nb and 92Tc have been observed to be much slower than the single-particle estimate. This can be understood if there is near equality of the effective charge for a g 9 2 proton and a g 9 2 neutron hole.
Simpson receives 2000 William Bowie Medal

John A. Simpson was awarded the William Bowie Medal at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on June 2, 2000, in Washington, D.C. The medal recognizes outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics and unselfish cooperation in research.
A novel counter‐selection method for markerless genetic modification in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

The cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is a photosynthetic organism capable of efficient harnessing of solar energy while capturing CO(2) from the environment. Methods to genetically alter its genomic DNA are essential for elucidating gene functions and are useful tools for metabolic engineering. In this study, a novel counter-selection method for the genetic alteration of Synechocystis was developed. This method utilizes the nickel inducible expression of mazF, a general protein synthesis inhibitor, as a counter-selection marker. Counter-selection is particularly useful because the engineered strain is free of any markers which make further genetic modification independent of available antibiotic resistance genes. The usability of this method was further demonstrated by altering genes at several loci in two variants of Synechocystis.
Gender Differences in Explaining Grades Using Structural Equation Modeling

This study examined the differential impacts of SAT scores and high school rank, college academic level, motivational variables, and self-regulatory variables in explaining variance in the academic achievement of male and female collegians using structural equation modeling and multiple groups analyses. Significantly, in light of earlier research, we found no gender differences. Structural equation modeling accounted for 65% of the variance on cumulative GPA for females and 58% for males. Several effects in the model were of interest, such as the effects of the SAT-Verbal, high school rank, and motivation on other variables in the model.
Cost-related nonadherence by medication type among Medicare Part D beneficiaries with diabetes.

Only about 50% of patients with chronic conditions routinely take their medicine as directed [1]. Diabetic patients’ nonadherence to medication is associated with adverse health outcomes, including increased hospitalization rates and higher mortality [2-6]. Patients report many reasons for nonadherence such as forgetfulness, desire to avoid adverse medication side effects, and the relatively high costs of some medications [2]. Efforts to increase overall adherence often focus specifically on decreasing cost-related nonadherence because it is relatively common and can be addressed with policy-based approaches. Cost-related nonadherence (CRN) among older adults has been documented prior to the initiation of the Medicare Part D program and remains a significant problem, with recent published estimates of CRN ranging from 13% to 36% [7-10]. The existing research on CRN is somewhat limited, as the vast majority of papers examining CRN have used administrative data to calculate adherence, rather than direct patient report. Most of these papers have also used observed patient responses to cost sharing such as changes in copayment rates or prescription tiering strategies, to infer indirectly that nonadherence is associated with higher out of pocket costs [11-16]. Some authors have found that people are more likely to cut back on medications that they consider “less” necessary or medications for which an over-the-counter substitution is readily available [17-18]. However, while other studies have directly asked patients to report the types of medications they use less often due to cost (e.g., anti-hypertensives, cholesterol-lowering medications), research shows that many older patients do not in fact know the indication for all of their medications [19]. Few studies have reconciled administrative pharmacy data with actual medication bottles in the patient’s possession to determine rates of CRN among older adults. Using data collected as part of the Translating Research into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD) Part D Study, the main objective of this analysis is to examine the overall rate of self-reported CRN among a population of older persons with diabetes who entered the Part D coverage gap in 2006. Data on CRN were obtained during telephone interviews in which patients were asked to bring all of their medication bottles to the phone, and self-report CRN for any medication they were currently taking. In this group of elderly Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, we hypothesized that beneficiaries would be less likely to report CRN for their medications treating chronic conditions (diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol) than for their medications used primarily for symptom relief. We simultaneously investigated the possibility that CRN is associated with beneficiaries’ socio-demographic characteristics. In particular, we hypothesized that having higher income will make CRN less likely after controlling for other factors.
Exciting Your Neurons to Death: Can We Prevent Cell Loss after Brain Injury?

During the past 10-15 years, major advances have been made in understanding the pathophysiologic events that occur following central nervous system insults. It has become clear that a variety of insults have in common their ability to initiate a complex cascade of biochemical events at the cellular level which, over time, lead to neuronal death. Because these events take time to occur, interruption of these cascades offers the hope of specific neuron-salvaging therapy, even when given after the insult, and provides a major step forward from conventional supportive care. This paper reviews these principles as they relate to traumatic brain injury, with emphasis on excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter toxicity (excitotoxicity). Preliminary results in animal experiments and in severely head-injured children are discussed.
SUICIDE AND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN THE USA

Masterton and Platt (1989) recently reported that rates of parasuicide in Edinburgh increased in the four weeks after general elections won by the Conservative Party and decreased after elections won by the Labor Party. In the USA, presidential elections are held every four years on the first Tuesday in November (unless November the 1st is a Tuesday). The election is held, therefore, between November 2nd and November 8th. For the presidential elections from 1952 to 1984, the number of suicides in November was compared to the mean of the numbers in the November of the preceding year and of the following year. In seven of the nine elections, the observed number was less than the expected number. The two increases occurred after Kennedy (Democrat) won in 1960 and Reagan (Republican) in 1984. The mean number of suicides in Novembers with presidential elections was 1762 which was 54 less than expected (t, = 2.86, two-tailed, p < .05). A comparison for homicides showed a mean number in Novembers with presidential elections of 1215, 15 more than expected (t, = 0.75, not significantly different from zero), so no effect on homicide was observed. An examination of the number of suicides and homicides on the day of the election as compared to the preceding and the following Tuesdays for four years (in the years 1972, 1976, 1980, and 1984) yielded no consistent differences from expectations. The present data on completed suicide from the USA, therefore, differ from those in Edinburgh for parasuicide in finding that presidential elections in the USA appear to decrease the suicide rate in the month of the election regardless of the winning party.
The Effectiveness of Direct-Instruction and Student-Centered Teaching Methods on Students' Functional Understanding of Plagiarism

To improve students' functional understanding of plagiarism, a variety of approaches was tried within a comprehensive information literacy program. Sessions were taught as a “module” inside a required communications skills class at a private university. Approaches taken included control, direct-instruction, and student-centered sessions. Students were taught content and definitions regarding plagiarism, what circumstances or instances constitute plagiarism, where to go for help in avoiding plagiarism, and what constitutes appropriate paraphrasing. Pretest and posttest scores indicated that no approach performed significantly better than the others; however, even though students improved across all methods, they nonetheless showed the need for more hands-on practice.
Non-rapid eye movement sleep is suppressed in transgenic mice with a deficiency in the somatotropic system

Sleep-wake activity was studied in a transgenic mouse model (TH-hGH) with a deficiency in the somatotropic axis (growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone (GHRH)-GH-insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)). This dwarf transgenic mouse strain expresses a human GH (hGH) reporter gene linked to 4.8 kb of the rat tyrosine hydroxylase flanking sequence, targeting the production of hGH to sites of tyrosine hydroxylase synthesis in the brain. Endogenous GH and IGF-I are suppressed in these mice, as well as GHRH. Sleep-wake activity (EEG and EMG) was recorded for 2 to 3 days in nine transgenic mice and nine wild-type littermates. Non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) was significantly suppressed during both the light and the dark period in the transgenic mice; rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) was not altered. The results provide evidence that the somatotropic axis contributes to normal sleep regulation.
Keratin 17 in premalignant and malignant squamous lesions of the cervix: proteomic discovery and immunohistochemical validation as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker

Most previously described immunohistochemical markers of cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and squamous cell carcinoma may help to improve diagnostic accuracy but have a minimal prognostic value. The goals of the current study were to identify and validate novel candidate biomarkers that could potentially improve diagnostic and prognostic accuracy for cervical HSIL and squamous cell carcinoma. Microdissected tissue sections from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded normal ectocervical squamous mucosa, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), HSIL and squamous cell carcinoma sections were analyzed by mass spectrometry-based shotgun proteomics for biomarker discovery. The diagnostic specificity of candidate biomarkers was subsequently evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis of tissue microarrays. Among 1750 proteins identified by proteomic analyses, keratin 4 (KRT4) and keratin 17 (KRT17) showed reciprocal patterns of expression in the spectrum of cases ranging from normal ectocervical squamous mucosa to squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed that KRT4 expression was significantly decreased in squamous cell carcinoma compared with the other diagnostic categories. By contrast, KRT17 expression was significantly increased in HSIL and squamous cell carcinoma compared with normal ectocervical squamous mucosa and LSIL. KRT17 was also highly expressed in immature squamous metaplasia and in endocervical reserve cells but was generally not detected in mature squamous metaplasia. Furthermore, high levels of KRT17 expression were significantly associated with poor survival of squamous cell carcinoma patients (Hazard ratio=14.76, P=0.01). In summary, both KRT4 and KRT17 expressions are related to the histopathology of the cervical squamous mucosa; KRT17 is highly overexpressed in immature squamous metaplasia, in HSIL, and in squamous cell carcinoma and the level of KRT17 in squamous cell carcinoma may help to identify patients who are at greatest risk for cervical cancer mortality.
Isolation and characterization of the mouse (Mus musculus) somatostatin receptor type-4-encoding gene (mSSTR4)

We have isolated and sequenced the mouse somatostatin receptor subtype-4-encoding gene (mSSTR4). The mSSTR4 gene encodes 384 amino acids (aa). The deduced mouse SSTR4 has 95 and 89% aa identity with the deduced rat and human SSTR4, respectively, while it has lower aa identity with the other mouse subtypes (mSSTR1, 60%; mSSTR2, 47%; mSSTR3, 42%). Using an RT-PCR technique, we show that the mSSTR4 gene is expressed in brain, but not in liver, heart, spleen or kidney of the adult mouse.