cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cropping systems based on farm-derived, renewable resources

Abstract Traditionally we have designed agricultural production systems which depend on high levels of fossil fuel derived inputs which must be purchased or otherwise obtained off the farm. To make cropping systems more sustainable into the future, it is desirable to shift from a reliance on external resources to systems based on internal farm-derived, renewable resources. These alternatives rely heavily on new information about how biological systems operate and interact with the environment. Several examples are provided to show how information-intensive cropping systems can be structured to allow farmers to substitute use of internal resources for more expensive external production inputs. Carefully chosen maize or sorghum hybrids, rotation of maize with soybeans, weed control through rotations, conservation tillage, strip cropping, and pest control options illustrate some components of these systems. Cropping systems based on progressive biological sequencing and integrative farm structuring are described as broader examples of how components fit together. Building systems on renewable, farm-derived resources can lead to a more sustainable and ecologically sound agriculture.
Sources of stress and dissatisfaction in experienced high school teachers

AbstractHigh school teachers (A = 291) were surveyed to identify sources of stress and dissatisfaction that may induce teachers to leave teaching. Data on four sets of independent variables (perceived role, school climate, coping resources, and specific work problems) were entered into a canonical correlational analysis to predict a multidimensional construct of teacher stress encompassing job satisfaction, negative well-being, absences, and intention to leave teaching. Three significant canonical variates were extracted in the canonical correlation procedure, with the independent variables accounting for a total of 86% of the variance in the dependent sets. Certain commonly cited work problems, such as inadequate salary and low status, were found to be important in predicting job stress, but another often-cited problem, pupil misbehavior, was not found to be a factor. The results further suggested that the role teachers perceived for themselves and the school climate, particularly the relationship with a...
TAKING STOCK OF SOCIAL THEORY IN SOUTHEASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY

This paper introduces a collection of seven papers on archaeological theory in the southeastern United States, originally presented as a plenary session of the 2012 meeting of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I explain the original idea for the session and present the instructions given in advance to the participants.
Dihydroxyacid dehydratase: the site of hyperbaric oxygen poisoning in branch-chain amino acid biosynthesis.

Abstract Exposure of Escherichia coli to hyperbaric oxygen results in rapid inactivation of dihydroxyacid dehydratase but not of other enzymes required for branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis. Unless branched-chain amino acids are supplied, protein synthesis and growth stops abruptly. The sensitivity of dihydroxyacid dehydratase thus accounts for the observed protective role of branched-chain amino acids which cannot be adequately synthesized during exposure to hyperoxia.
ALCOHOL INCREASES THE SOLUBILITY OF ANAESTHETICS IN THE LIVER

Liver/gas partition coefficients for isoflurane, enflurane, halothane and methoxyflurane increased two-fold in rats killed 16 h after a single injection of 15% ethanol 7 g kg−1. In contrast blood/gas and brain/gas partition coefficients did not change. Chronic (21 days) ingestion of ethanol increased liver/gas partition coefficients four-fold, although this increase was largely attributable to nutritional changes rather than to a direct effect of ethanol. Only minimal changes (usually not more than 15%) occurred in blood/gas and brain/gas partition coefficients. On account of this effect of ethanol on anaesthetic solubility in the liver, the ingestion of ethanol may modestly increase uptake of anaesthetic during the induction osf anaesthesia.
Application of solid state lighting in aerial refueling operations

Operating at altitude and often in turbulent, low visibility conditions, in-flight refueling of aircraft is a challenging endeavor, even for seasoned aviators. The receiving aircraft must approach a large airborne tanker; take position within a "reception window" beneath and/or behind the tanker and, dependent upon the type of receiving aircraft, mate with an extended refueling boom or hose and drogue. Light is used to assist in the approach, alignment and refuel process of the aircraft. Robust solid state light emitting diodes (LEDs) are an appropriate choice for use in the challenging environments that these aircraft operate within. This paper examines how LEDs are incorporated into several unique lighting applications associated with such aerial refueling operations. We will discuss the design requirements, both environmental and photometric that defined the selection of different LED packages for use in state-of-the-art airborne refueling aircraft Formation Lights, Hose Drum/Drogue Unit lights and Pilot Director Lights.
Evidence of a role for matrix metalloproteinases in cold preservation injury of the liver in humans and in the rat

Abstract Previous studies have determined that proteases are important in cold preservation injury to the liver. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in cold preservation injury. Effluents were collected from rat livers after various periods of preservation either in Eurocollins solution or in University of Wisconsin (UW) solution. Effluents were also collected from 17 human donor livers stored in UW solution. To determine whether sinusoidal endothelial cells released MMPs when placed in the cold, these cells were isolated from rat livers and cultured at 4 degrees C. Gelatin zymography, quantitative assay of gelatinolytic activity, immunoprecipitation, and Western blotting were used to identify metalloproteinases and to measure their activity. Human and rat liver effluents contained gelatin-digesting bands on zymography. Their appearance was inhibited by specific metalloproteinase inhibitors and also by lactobionate, the major ingredient of UW solution. The most prominent bands in humans and the rat appeared at approximately 72 kd and 92 kd, suggesting that they were the MMPs 72-kd gelatinase and 92-kd gelatinase. Supernatants of isolated rat sinusoidal endothelial cells stored in the cold contained similar bands. In the rat, the proteinases were present in both latent and active forms, but, in humans, predominately the latent form was seen. In humans, there were four prominent bands in the gelatin zymography. By immunoprecipitation, two of the bands were identified as the 92-kd gelatinase and a dimer or polymer of 92-kd gelatinase. Using Western blotting with a monoclonal antibody, a third band was identified as 72-kd gelatinase. In quantitative terms, gelatinolytic activity increased with time of cold storage in humans and in the rat. In the rat, gelatinolytic activity was greater when Eurocollins was the preservative than when UW solution was used. Taken together, these results indicate an important role for MMPs in the injury produced by cold preservation of the liver. (Hepatology 1997 Oct;26(4):922-8)
The Anthropological Concept of Race.

The concept of race has been a continuingly confused and controversial term despite its importance as social science and biological subject matter. Although the idea of races may have existed in earliest writing, the word "race" first appeared in European languages during the sixteenth century. In the seventeenth century, the French phrase "especes-ou-races d'homme" was used to refer to "family" or "breed." Around 1700, the German word "Rasse," meaning something like "generation," was introduced into the language by Leibnitz.I The word was not employed in its contemporary meaning, however, until Kant (1775) used the phrase "races of mankind" to designate peoples who could be distinguished from others according to their physical attributes (Rose, 1968). The first anthropologists to actually classify mankind according to his physical attributes used words other than "race" to describe the same phenomena (e.g., "stocks," "varieties"). Using facial and body forms as criteria, Francois Bernier, a seventeenth-century naturalist, grouped man into four "stocks" (1684). Later, Carol Von Linneaus, in his classic work, Systematic Naturae (1735), grouped man into four "varieties": White, Red, Yellow, and Black. For purposes of classification, Linneaus used skin color and physiognomy as criteria and then correlated these traits with temperament or personality types.
Recent research on the psychological effects of unemployment.

Economic turbulence in the early 1980s stimulated not only popular and governmental concern about the effects of unemployment, but also extensive research on the topic. This journal issue presents 10 representative reports of such recent research from the United States and Europe. Of the two principal methodologies used in this field, aggregate time-series analysis and individual-level surveys, this issue is limited to the individual-level literature. Two papers provide a social psychological and human developmental orientation to the topic. Then, six papers address the psychological costs of unemployment, four based on population surveys and two dealing with plant closings. Finally, two papers describe policy responses being considered or implemented in North America and Europe.
Measurements of internal distance changes of the 30S ribosome using FRET with multiple donor-acceptor pairs: quantitative spectroscopic methods.

We present analytical and experimental procedures for determining distance changes within the 30 S subunit of the Escherichia coli ribosome using Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET). We discuss ways to contend with complexities when using FRET to measure distance changes within large multi-subunit macromolecular complexes, such as the ribosome. Complications can arise due to non-stoichiometric labeling of donor and acceptor probes, as well as environmental effects that are specific to each conjugation site. We show how to account for changes in extinction coefficients, quenching, labeling stoichiometry and other variations in the spectroscopic properties of the dye to enable more accurate calculation of distances from FRET data. We also discuss approximations that concern the orientation of the transition moments of the two dye molecules, as well as the impact of other errors in the measurement of absolute distances. Thirteen dye-pair locations with different distances using 18 independent FRET pairs conjugated to specific 30 S protein residues have been used to determine distance changes within the 30 S subunit upon association with the 50 S subunit, forming the 70 S ribosome. Here, we explain the spectroscopic methods we have used, which should be of general interest in studies that aim at obtaining quantitative distance information from FRET.
Mössbauer studies of high surface area pillared-clays containing mixed metal complexes

High surface area pillared-clays were prepared from naturally occurring montmorillonite by exchanging interlayer ions with polyoxocations containing: (i) iron, (ii) aluminum, (iii) discrete mixtures of (i) and (ii), or (iv) ironand aluminum located within the same complex. The valence state, solid-state properties and stability of these pillars were determined following reduction and oxidation using: Mossbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and BET surface area measurements. Mossbauer data suggested interlayer-formation of metallic iron domains following reduction of type (i) and (iii) pillared systems. The magnetic properties and the oxidation behavior deduced from Mossbauer, XRD and BET measurements indicated that these crystallites were in the form of thin-film/pancake-shape islands. Reduced domains remained accessible to the gas phase and resisted sintering during redox cycles. The expanded structure of the type (iii) pillared system was found to be stable following reduction up to 673K due to the irreducible nature of discrete aluminum pillars at these conditions. Based on these findings inteccalation of clays with mixtures of chemically distinct pillars appears to provide a unique method for preparing highly dispersed metallic or bimetallic systems possessing two-dimensional sieve-like behavior and high surface area.
Quantitative trait loci and the study of plant domestication

Plant domestication ranks as one of the most important developments in human history, giving human populations the potential to harness unprecedented quantities of the earth’s resources. But domestication has also played a more subtle historical role as the foundation of the modern study of evolution and adaptation. Until recently, however, researchers interested in domestication were limited to studying phenotypic changes or the genetics of simple Mendelian traits, when often the characters of most interest – fruit size, yield, height, flowering time, etc. – are quantitative in nature. The goals of this paper are to review some of the recent work on the quantitative genetics of plant domestication, identify some of the common trends found in this literature, and offer some novel interpretations of the data that is currently available.
Solution properties and unperturbed dimensions of poly‐p‐fluorostyrene and poly‐m‐fluorostyrene

Molecular weights and solution viscosities are reported for unfractionated free-radical polymers of m-fluorostyrene and p-fluorostyrene in several solvents. The estimated unperturbed dimensions lead to characteristic ratios C∞ at 25°C of 12.2 ± 0.5 and 11.6 ± 0.4 for the meta and para polymers, respectively. These are similar in magnitude to those of other polystyrenes.
Cloning and comparative sequence analysis of PUM1 and PUM2 genes, human members of the Pumilio family of RNA-binding proteins

Drosophila gene Pumilio (Pum) is a founder member of an evolutionarily conserved family of RNA-binding proteins that are present from yeast to mammals, and act as translational repressors during embryo development and cell differentiation. The human genome contains two Pumilio related genes, PUM1 and PUM2, that encode 127 and 114 kDa proteins with evolutionarily highly conserved Pum RNA-binding domain (86 and 88% homology with the fly Pum protein). PUM1 and PUM2 proteins share 83% overall similarity, with RNA-binding domain being 91% identical. Both PUM1 and PUM2 show relatively widespread and mostly overlapping expression in human tissues, and are very large genes with highly conserved gene structure. PUM1 consists of 22 exons, spanning about 150 kb on chromosome 1p35.2, whereas PUM2 consists of 20 exons and spans at least 80 kb on chromosome 2p23-24. Extremely high evolutionary conservation of the RNA-binding domain from yeast to humans, and conserved function of Pumilio proteins in invertebrates and lower vertebrates suggest that mammalian Pumilio proteins could also play an important role in translational regulation of embryogenesis and cell development and differentiation.
Testing a dual-fluorescence assay to monitor the viability of filamentous cyanobacteria

Filamentous cyanobacteria are currently being engineered to produce long-chain organic compounds, including 3rd generation biofuels. Because of their filamentous morphology, standard methods to quantify viability (e.g., plate counts) are not possible. This study investigated a dual-fluorescence assay based upon the LIVE/DEAD® BacLight™ Bacterial Viability Kit to quantify the percent viability of filamentous cyanobacteria using a microplate reader in a high throughput 96-well plate format. The manufacturer's protocol calls for an optical density normalization step to equalize the numbers of viable and non-viable cells used to generate calibration curves. Unfortunately, the isopropanol treatment used to generate non-viable cells released a blue pigment that altered absorbance readings of the non-viable cell solution, resulting in an inaccurate calibration curve. Thus we omitted this optical density normalization step, and carefully divided cell cultures into two equal fractions before the isopropanol treatment. While the resulting calibration curves had relatively high correlation coefficients, their use in various experiments resulted in viability estimates ranging from below 0% to far above 100%. We traced this to the apparent inaccuracy of the propidium iodide (PI) dye that was to stain only non-viable cells. Through further analysis via microplate reader, as well as confocal and wide-field epi-fluorescence microscopy, we observed non-specific binding of PI in viable filamentous cyanobacteria. While PI will not work for filamentous cyanobacteria, it is possible that other fluorochrome dyes could be used to selectively stain non-viable cells. This will be essential in future studies for screening mutants and optimizing photobioreactor system performance for filamentous cyanobacteria.
A new formula for prostate cancer lymph node risk.

Introduction The successful treatment of prostate cancer depends on the accurate estimation of the risk of regional lymph node (LN) involvement. The Roach formula (RF) has been criticized as overestimating LN risk. A modification of the RF has been attempted by other investigators using simplified adjustment ratios: the Nguyen formula (NF). Methods and Materials The National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was investigated for patients treated in 2004 through 2006 for whom at least 10 LN were examined at radical prostatectomy, cT1c or cT2 disease, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) N = 2,930). The Yale formula (YF) was derived from half of the sample ( n = 1,460), and validated in the other half ( n = 1,470). Results We identified 2,930 patients. Only 4.6% of patients had LN+, and 72.6% had cT1c disease. Gleason (GS) 8–10 histology was found in 14.4% of patients. The YF for prediction of %LN+ risk is [GS – 5] × [PSA/3 + 1.5 × T], where T = 0, 1, and 2 for cT1c, cT2a, and cT2b/cT2c. Within each strata of predicted %LN+ risk, the actual %LN+ was closest to the YF. Using a >15% risk as an indicator of high-risk disease, the YF had increased sensitivity (39.0% vs. 13.6%) compared with the NF, without a significant reduction in specificity (94.9% vs. 98.8%). The NF was overly restrictive of the high-risk group, with only 2% of patients having a >15% risk of LN+ by that formula. Conclusion The YF performed better than the RF and NF and was best at differentiating patients at high risk for LN+ disease.
Path analysis and the relative importance of male–female conflict, female choice and male–male competition in water striders

Abstract Three major behavioural mechanisms underlying sexual selection in many systems are male–male competition, female choice and male–female conflict. We used path analysis to evaluate the relative importance of these mechanisms in generating sexual selection on a suite of male traits in the stream-dwelling water strider, Aquarius remigis . To gather data for the analysis, we quantified the morphology (total length, limb length, forefemur width, genital length), behaviour (activity), mating frequency, mean mating duration and overall mating success of 96 adult males over a 10-day period. Males varied considerably in mating success. Over the 10 days, individual males mated 0–14 times, spending 0–67% of their time in copula. Path analysis showed that male–male competition was important in favouring larger males with longer limbs that tended to be more active. Active males should encounter females more frequently. In water striders, almost all male–female encounters result in intense premating struggles pitting female resistance to mating against male insistence. This male–female conflict favoured larger males with longer genitalia. These traits help males overcome female resistance. Female choice was expressed via female-controlled variation in mate-guarding durations. Female choice favoured smaller males perhaps because they are lighter, less expensive ‘shields’ against harassment by other males. Male size thus affected mating success via all three behavioural mechanisms. Weak, overall sexual selection favouring larger males was the product of conflicting effects: male–female conflict strongly favouring larger males and male–male competition weakly favouring larger males, offset by female choice favouring smaller males. Separate analyses for warmer versus colder days showed that on colder days (daily high below 20 °C), male–male competition was the main mechanism generating variation in mating frequency, while on warmer days, both male–male competition and male–female conflict were important. Copyright 2002 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .
A Report on Safe Use of the Internet: Some of the Most Common Risks

The Internet serves as the principal source for authentic materials for use in teaching. In addition to serving as an infinite realia bank for instructors, it also serves as a communication tool that has diminished the distances between classrooms and the target culture. Unfortunately, use of this medium is not failsafe. In terms of your computer's health, Cyberspace can be a dangerous realm.
Transcriptionally active gene fragments derived from potentially fast-evolving donor genes in the rice genome

The unprecedented complexity of the transcriptomic data obtained in recent years creates opportunities for new genomic studies aimed at interpolating regulatory code of gene expression and tracing genome evolution. We report here the identification and characterization of a set of 851 intergenic loci that represent transcribed gene fragments (TGFs) ectopically duplicated from 1030 non-transposable element (non-TE) donor genes in the rice genome. We analyzed the genomic context of the TGFs and donor genes. We show that the TGFs have adopted transcriptional orientation and pattern independent of the donor genes. We further show that TGFs have undergone relaxed purifying selection, consistent with their being pseudogenized. We found that the donor genes, which are biased toward certain molecular functions, exhibit an accelerated evolution rate comparing to the genome average. Our results demonstrated a large number of actively TGFs in the rice genome and shed light on the origin, mode of action and function of the TGFs. Contact: 114jn@virginia.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Work of breathing in anesthetized patients: laryngeal mask airway versus tracheal tube

Abstract Study Objective: To compare the work of breathing associated with the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and tracheal tube (TT) in spontaneously breathing anesthetized patients. Design: Randomized, prospective, controled trial. Setting: University teaching hospital. Subjects: 20 ASA physical status I and II patients scheduled for elective peripheral surgery with general anesthesia. Interventions and Measurements: A standardized anesthetic protocol was utilized, and patients were allowed to breathe spontaneously through a circle absorption system. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either LMA (n = 10) or TT (n = 10) for airway management. Work of breathing was determined after the patients' ventilatory status had been allowed to stabilize for 15 minutes and before the onset of the surgical stimulus. Airflow and esophageal pressures were measured using a pneumotachograph and an esophageal balloon, respectively, and the values were subsequently integrated to determine work of breathing. Main Results: The two groups were similar with respect to demographic characteristics and the end-tidal concentrations of carbon dioxide and isoflurane. Work of breathing per minute through the LMA (1.4 ± 0.3 J/min) was significantly lower than that through the TT (1.9 ± 0.4 J/min). Conclusion: In healthy, anesthetized, spontaneously breathing patients, work of breathing is significantly lower through the LMA than the TT.
The “Doublemint” Factor: Issues and Challenges in Marketing Nutrition and Physical Activity Behaviors in One Program

With the tremendous worldwide increase in obesity and other co-morbidities related in part to diet and physical inactivity, greater attention has been focused on strategies to effectively intervene. What is not clear is whether messages and campaigns to promote healthy eating and physical activity can effectively combine the two behaviors together, or whether they need to be separated in the minds of the public. This paper addresses this issue by examining the components of the social marketing approach, in particular by employing an interview process of public health professionals to analyze pertinent issues such as behavioral and target audience factors, the marketing mix (product, price, placement, promotion, and positioning/competition), and exchange theory as they relate to promoting two specific behaviors, healthy eating and physical activity. This initial investigation into the thorny issue of promoting multiple behaviors in one programmatic or message effort is indeed preliminary and should not be...
Dynamic stabilization: a nidus for infection?

Introduction: Dynamic stabilization offers an adjunct to fusion with motion preservation. In comparison, standard instrumented fusion (if) consists of titanium screws and rods/plates, which do not allow for motion at the level of the fusion. The reported infection rate following a standard if ranges from 0.2% to 7%. Methods: a retrospective chart review of 142 patients who underwent posterior lumbar stabilization procedures was conducted. Ten patients received dynamic stabilization and 132 patients had a standard if. Rates of infection, requiring hardware removal, were compared between the aforementioned groups. Results: Of the 132 patients undergoing posterior if, three developed a deep wound infection requiring removal of hardware (2.3%). Of the 10 patients undergoing dynamic stabilization, three developed a deep wound infection (30%) with 2 requiring removal of hardware (20%), secondary to persistent deep wound infection or osteomyelitis at the pedicle screw sites. There was a significantly increased r...
The astrocyte-expressed integrin αvβ8 governs blood vessel sprouting in the developing retina

The mouse retina is vascularized after birth when angiogenic blood vessels grow and sprout along a pre-formed latticework of astrocytes. How astrocyte-derived cues control patterns of blood vessel growth and sprouting, however, remains enigmatic. Here, we have used molecular genetic strategies in mice to demonstrate that αvβ8 integrin expressed in astrocytes is essential for neovascularization of the developing retina. Selective ablation of αv or β8 integrin gene expression in astrocytes leads to impaired blood vessel sprouting and intraretinal hemorrhage, particularly during formation of the secondary vascular plexus. These pathologies correlate, in part, with diminished αvβ8 integrin-mediated activation of extracellular matrix-bound latent transforming growth factor βs (TGFβs) and defective TGFβ signaling in vascular endothelial cells, but not astrocytes. Collectively, our data demonstrate that αvβ8 integrin is a component of a paracrine signaling axis that links astrocytes to blood vessels and is essential for proper regulation of retinal angiogenesis.
Dynamic model abstraction

While complex behavior can be generated through simple systems, as in chaotic and nonlinear systems, complex systems axe found where a systems study contains multiple physical objects and interactions. Through the use of hierarchy, we are able to simplify and organize the complex system. Every level within the hierarchy may be refined into another level. System abstraction involves simplification through structural system representation as well as through behavioral approximations of executed model structure. There has been little work on creating a unified taxonomy for model abstraction. We present such a taxonomy and define two major sub-fields of model abstraction, while illustrating both sub-fields through detailed examples. The introduction of this taxonomy provides system and simulation researchers with a way in which to view and manage complex systems.
The Politics of Choice and the Structuring of Citizenship post‐Brown v. Board of Education

The relationship between education, state-sanctioned structuring of a differentially valued life, and democracy was supposed to be rectified by Brown v. Board of Education (1954) when universal rights to education were won. Yet how universal rights were structured (as individual choices) has been critical to understanding the ways that a tiered citizenship continues to be guaranteed post-Brown, and embedded within the state. In this article, I examine the articulation of this continuity in the contemporary period. I trace how choice-based policies preclude the very equality of rights they promise as parents of diverse backgrounds make situated rights claims to the shared resource of public schools; and how the irony of the liberal freedom to choose, qualified by inequality, is redoubled as the structures of exclusion that result are obfuscated by narratives that invoke the legacy of the Civil Rights movement.
Ranking Constituents of Coupled Models for Improved Performance

In partitioned analysis, constituent models representing different scales or physics are routinely coupled to simulate complex physical systems. Such constituent models are invariably imperfect and thus, yield a degree of disagreement with reality, known as model form error. This error propagates through coupling interfaces and degrades the accuracy of the coupled system. To efficiently improve the coupled system, resources must be allocated to systematically improve the constituent models. This study proposes a tool and an associated metric that exploits the availability of experimental data to prioritize constituent models. This metric is useful in tracing the error of coupled systems to their origins and to quantify the contribution of constituent error to the overall error of coupled systems. The proposed metric is used to rank constituents based on (i) the relative model form error of the constituents, (ii) the sensitivity of the model form error of the coupled system to the model form error in the constituents, and (iii) the cost to improve their performance. The applicability of the proposed metric is demonstrated through a proof-of-concept structural example, by coupling individual frame elements to model a portal frame. Coupling and uncertainty inference of the inexact constituent models are achieved using optimization, where both separate-effect and integral-effect experiments are employed to train the model form error of the constituents and coupled system.
Molecular and genetic analyses of the Caenorhabditis elegans dpy-2 and dpy-10 collagen genes: a variety of molecular alterations affect organismal morphology.

Abstract We have identified and cloned the Caenorhabditis elegans dpy-2 and dpy-10 genes and determined that they encode collagens. Genetic data suggested that these genes are important in morphogenesis and possibly other developmental events. These data include the morphologic phenotypes exhibited by mutants, unusual genetic interactions with the sqt-1 collagen gene, and suppression of mutations in the glp-1 and mup-1 genes. The proximity of the dpy-2 and dpy-10 genes (3.5 kilobase) and the structural similarity of their encoded proteins (41% amino acid identity) indicate that dpy-2 and dpy-10 are the result of a gene duplication event. The genes do not, however, appear to be functionally redundant, because a dpy-10 null mutant is not rescued by the dpy-2 gene. In addition, full complementation between dpy-2 and dpy-10 can be demonstrated with all recessive alleles tested in trans. Sequence analysis of several mutant alleles of each gene was performed to determine the nature of the molecular defects that can cause the morphologic phenotypes. Glycine substitutions within the Gly-X-Y portion of the collagens can result in dumpy (Dpy), dumpy, left roller (DLRol), or temperature-sensitive DLRol phenotypes. dpy-10(cn64), a dominant temperature-sensitive DLRol allele, creates an Arg-to-Cys substitution in the amino non-Gly-X-Y portion of the protein. Three dpy-10 alleles contain Tc1 insertions in the coding region of the gene. dpy-10(cg36) (DRLol) creates a nonsense codon near the end of the Gly-X-Y region. The nature of this mutation, combined with genetic data, indicates that DLRol is the null phenotype of dpy-10. The Dpy phenotype results from reduced function of the dpy-10 collagen gene. Our results indicate that a variety of molecular defects in these collagens can result in severe morphologic changes in C. elegans.
Bacillus subtilis glutamine synthetase controls gene expression through a protein-protein interaction with transcription factor TnrA.

Abstract Bacillus subtilis TnrA, a global regulator of transcription, responds to nitrogen availability, but the specific signal to which it responds has been elusive. Genetic studies indicate that glutamine synthetase is required for the regulation of TnrA activity in vivo. We report here that the feedback-inhibited form of glutamine synthetase directly interacts with TnrA and blocks the DNA binding activity of TnrA. Mutations in the tnrA gene ( tnrA C ) that allow constitutive high level expression of tnrA -activated genes were isolated and characterized. Feedback-inhibited glutamine synthetase had a significantly reduced ability to block the in vitro DNA binding by three of the TnrA C proteins. Thus, glutamine synthetase, an enzyme of central metabolism, directly interacts with and regulates the DNA binding activity of TnrA.
Unsupervised learning of object features from video sequences

We develop an efficient algorithm for unsupervised learning of object models as constellations of features, from low resolution video sequences. The input images typically contain single or multiple objects that change in pose, scale and degree of occlusion. Also, the objects can move significantly between consecutive frames. The content of an input sequence is unlabeled so the learner has to cluster the data based on the data's implicit coherence over time and space. Our approach takes advantage of the dependent pairwise co-occurrences of objects' features within local neighborhoods vs. the independent behavior of unrelated features. We couple or decouple pairs of features based on a probabilistic interpretation of their pairwise statistics and then extract objects as connected components of features.
Ceramic‐reinforced polymers and polymer‐modified ceramics

The composites discussed in this review are prepared using techniques similar to those used in the new sol-gel approach to ceramics. Organometallics such as silicates, titanates, and aluminates are hydrolyzed in the presence of polymer chains (for example polysiloxanes and polyimides) that typically contain hydroxyl or amino groups. The functional groups are used to bond the polymer chains onto the silica, titania, or alumina being formed in the hydrolysis, thus forming organicinorganic composites. When the polymer chains are present in excess, they constitute the continuous phase, with the ceramic-type material appearing as reinforcing particles. When present in smaller amounts, the polymer is dispersed in the continuous ceramic phase, to give a polymer-modified ceramic. Under some conditions, bicontinuous systems are obtained. The composites thus prepared are characterized by electron microscopy, X ray, and neutron scattering intensities, density determinations, and stress-strain and impact-strength measurements.
Campaign Interest and Issue Knowledge: Did the Media—and Negative Political Advertising—Matter in “Battleground Ohio”?

A statewide survey (N = 564) before Ohio's 2006 gubernatorial election examined issue knowledge, campaign interest, campaign news attention, debate exposure, and attention to political advertising and negative political advertising. Attention to campaign news on television and in the newspaper predicted interest in the campaign as well as knowledge about the issues. However, attention to campaign news online predicted interest in the campaign above and beyond that of newspaper and television attention. In turn, campaign interest predicted knowledge. In addition, attention to political advertising predicted interest in the campaign but not knowledge of campaign issues. Attention to negative political advertising did not significantly predict campaign knowledge or interest.
Cosmetic procedures for the aging face

As the United States' population continues to age and as cosmetic procedures have become more accepted, adults from all age groups and socioeconomic brackets are seeking improvement in facial aging. Ideal correction includes improvement in the quality of skin, improvement in wrinkles, correction of soft tissue descent, removal of skin excess, and volume restoration. The physiologic rather than the chronologic age is the most important factor in determining the advisability of cosmetic surgery in elderly people. In addition to traditional cosmetic surgery procedures, the elderly population is amenable to several shortcuts, minimizing operative time and post-operative recovery. These can be performed alone or in combination with traditional procedures, improving the stigmata of facial aging and enhancing quality of life.
The “Content” of Welfare Policy: The States and Aid to Families With Dependent Children

Previous analyses of state welfare policies and their determinants have not paid sufficient attention to provisions for eligibility and benefits that are contained in the policies themselves. As a result they have not been able to explain satisfactorily "who get what" in state redistributive politics, nor have they succeeded in showing how political factors affect this determination. However, once attention focuses on the content, rather than the cost, of welfare policies like the Aid to Families With Dependent Children, both the redistributive impact and the political determinants of such policies can be identified
Outpatient Carboplatin Desensitization in a Pediatric Patient with Bilateral Optic Glioma

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of successful outpatient carboplatin desensitization in a pediatric patient with bilateral optic glioma.CASE SUMMARY:A 10-year-old white girl with bilateral optic glioma developed a hypersensitivity reaction to carboplatin after nine courses. She had received 18 courses six years earlier without incident. A desensitization regimen was administered, and she has tolerated all subsequent courses of carboplatin therapy.DISCUSSION:Carboplatin is an important chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of a variety of pediatric brain tumors. It is usually given in an outpatient setting. Hypersensitivity to this agent appears to develop after frequent exposure such as with the once-weekly regimens often used to treat brain tumors in pediatric patients.CONCLUSIONS:Carboplatin desensitization can be successfully performed on an outpatient basis with close observation and cardiorespiratory monitoring. This regimen could prove useful for other patients who develop hypersensitivity reactions to...
Land snail diversity can reflect degrees of anthropogenic disturbance

Faunal indicators of old-growth forests in heavily-disturbed regions are virtually non-existent. However, land snails, in particular micro-snails, could reflect the impact of land-use on ecosystem integrity. Because of their size, limited mobility, and propensity to spend their entire lives at one locality due to lack of migratory behavior, micro-snails are susceptible to changes in land-use within forested ecosystems. Therefore, we proposed the hypothesis that micro-snails would reflect land-use in forested ecosystems. We sampled snail communities in paired old-growth and second-growth forests in three distinct ecoregions. Species diversity, richness, and abundance were greater in two of the three old-growth sites compared to paired second-growth sites. Across all of the ecoregions, 21 out of 70 species had an affinity for old-growth. Eighteen of which were statistically significant. These results suggest that anthropogenic disturbance plays a key role in shaping species diversity and community structure of land snail fauna. However, site specific factors also appear to be important moderators of the response, and the mechanisms of the process remain to be studied. Snails appear to be a promising group of organisms to use as indicators of historic forest disturbance. In order to maintain ecological integrity, forest managers should consider management strategies that are low impact and protect existing patches of old-growth forests.
Carcinoma of the maxillary antrum: Surgery or radiation therapy?

Abstract Between the years 1968 and 1978, 57 patients with malignant tumors of the para-nasal sinuses were seen at the Medical College of Virginia. Thirty-nine patients presenting with squamous cell epitheliomas of the maxillary antrum, free of lymph node or distant metastases, and primarily treated at the Medical College of Virginia, form the basis of this study. Nineteen patients underwent radical', craniofacial surgery with orbital exenteration and reconstruction. Twenty patients underwent Caldwell-Luc procedure followed by radical radiation therapy. The crude 3 year disease-free survivals are 50% and 37% in the radiation therapy and the surgery group respectively. Local control, survival, and patterns of failure are discussed.
Azúcar y nervios: explanatory models and treatment experiences of Hispanics with diabetes and depression.

This study examined the explanatory models of depression, perceived relationships between diabetes and depression, and depression treatment experiences of low-income, Spanish-speaking, Hispanics with diabetes and depression. A purposive sample (n = 19) was selected from participants enrolled in a randomized controlled trial conducted in Los Angeles, California (United States) testing the effectiveness of a health services quality improvement intervention. Four focus groups followed by 10 in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed using the methodology of coding, consensus, co-occurrence, and comparison, an analytical strategy rooted in grounded theory. Depression was perceived as a serious condition linked to the accumulation of social stressors. Somatic and anxiety-like symptoms and the cultural idiom of nervios were central themes in low-income Hispanics' explanatory models of depression. The perceived reciprocal relationships between diabetes and depression highlighted the multiple pathways by which these two illnesses impact each other and support the integration of diabetes and depression treatments. Concerns about depression treatments included fears about the addictive and harmful properties of antidepressants, worries about taking too many pills, and the stigma attached to taking psychotropic medications. This study provides important insights about the cultural and social dynamics that shape low-income Hispanics' illness and treatment experiences and support the use of patient-centered approaches to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes and depression.
Defining Physiological Predictors of Peripartum Maternal Bacteremia.

Objective This study aims to examine physiological and laboratory parameters associated with peripartum maternal bacteremia. Study Design This case–control study matched 115 cases (women with fever and bacteremia during the peripartum period) to 285 controls (defined as the next two febrile women with negative blood cultures at the same institution) from two academic medical centers from 2009 to 2013. Conditional logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association of physiological and laboratory parameters with maternal bacteremia at the time of initial and maximum fever. Results At the time of initial fever, temperature > 103°F (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 5.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.05–15.19) and respiratory rate (RR) > 20 respirations per minute (aOR: 5.27, 95% CI: 2.32–11.96) were associated with bacteremia. At the time of maximum fever, temperature (> 102°F, aOR: 3.37, 95% CI: 1.61–7.06; > 103°F, aOR: 7.96, 95% CI: 3.56–17.82), heart rate > 110 beats per minute (aOR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.21–3.99), and RR > 20 (aOR: 3.65, 95% CI: 1.65–8.08) were associated with bacteremia. Bandemia > 10% (aOR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.07–5.54) was associated with bacteremia. Conclusion Physiological and laboratory parameters associated with maternal bacteremia differed from those reported with sepsis in the adult critical care population. Further studies of objective markers are needed to improve detection and treatment of peripartum bacteremia.
Conformational free energy of alkylsilanes by nonequilibrium-pulling Monte Carlo simulation

The stationary phase in supercritical fluid chromatography includes alkylsilanes, bearing typically 18-carbon alkane chains, bonded to silica. The silanes are in contact with supercritical carbon dioxide. Interaction of the stationary phase with analytes from the mobile phase depends on conformation of the silanes, whether they form a collapsed layer between the silica and the carbon dioxide or are extended into the carbon dioxide. Although equilibrium conformation of alkylsilanes can be determined by equilibrium Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, that is hampered by slow relaxation of the chains. An alternative is to pull alkylsilanes from collapsed to extended conformations, then calculate free energy change from the Jarzynski equality. This work compares conformational results from equilibrium MC simulation to free energies from nonequilibrium pulling simulations. Because both equilibrium and nonequilibrium simulations are faster for shorter silanes, this work also compares results from 8-carbon and 18-carbo...
Appropriate Antibiotic Use for Acute Respiratory Tract Infection in Adults: Advice for High-Value Care From the American College of Physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Antibiotics are often inappropriately prescribed for patients with acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI). In this article, the American College of Physicians and the Centers for Disease Control ...
Chain photoreduction of CCl3F in TiO2 suspensions: enhancement induced by O2.

Trichlorofluoromethane (CFC 11) was photoreduced in aqueous suspensions of TiO2 particles containing HCO2- ions and air. Dissolved O2 inhibited the reaction during an induction period that preceded the rapid formation of chloride ions. Reaction rates were higher in systems containing O2 as compared to analogous reactions that occurred in anaerobic suspensions. High photonic efficiencies of Cl- formation (≥15) were achieved using suspensions with pH ≥ 5. As was the case for studies with air-free suspensions, reactions are best described using a photoinitiated chain mechanism that produced CHCl2F and Cl- during the propagation steps. The enhanced yields obtained in the presence of air are attributed to the removal by O2 of electrons trapped in the oxide, which are converted first into H2O2 and then into reducing radicals that participate in the chain process. Enhanced yields of Freon photoreduction were also observed during illumination of air-free suspensions containing hydrogen peroxide, which were interp...