cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extracting low-dimensional latent structure from time series in the presence of delays

Noisy, high-dimensional time series observations can often be described by a set of low-dimensional latent variables. Commonly used methods to extract these latent variables typically assume instantaneous relationships between the latent and observed variables. In many physical systems, changes in the latent variables manifest as changes in the observed variables after time delays. Techniques that do not account for these delays can recover a larger number of latent variables than are present in the system, thereby making the latent representation more difficult to interpret. In this work, we introduce a novel probabilistic technique, time-delay gaussian-process factor analysis TD-GPFA, that performs dimensionality reduction in the presence of a different time delay between each pair of latent and observed variables. We demonstrate how using a gaussian process to model the evolution of each latent variable allows us to tractably learn these delays over a continuous domain. Additionally, we show how TD-GPFA combines temporal smoothing and dimensionality reduction into a common probabilistic framework. We present an expectation/conditional maximization either ECME algorithm to learn the model parameters. Our simulations demonstrate that when time delays are present, TD-GPFA is able to correctly identify these delays and recover the latent space. We then applied TD-GPFA to the activity of tens of neurons recorded simultaneously in the macaque motor cortex during a reaching task. TD-GPFA is able to better describe the neural activity using a more parsimonious latent space than GPFA, a method that has been used to interpret motor cortex data but does not account for time delays. More broadly, TD-GPFA can help to unravel the mechanisms underlying high-dimensional time series data by taking into account physical delays in the system.
A chemist building paths to cell biology

Galileo is reported to have stated, "Measure what is measurable and make measurable what is not so." My group's trajectory in cell biology has closely followed this philosophy, although it took some searching to find this path.
COMPARISON OF BODY-FITTED, EMBEDDED AND IMMERSED 3-D EULER PREDICTIONS FOR BLAST LOADS ON COLUMNS

A reinforced concrete, as well as a steel column, were subjected to typical blast loads. The ensuing 3-D compressible flowfields were computed with the same 3-D edge-based FEM-FCT solver using the body-fitted, embedded-mesh and immersed body approach. The resulting pressures and impulses were recorded at stations close to the columns and compared for the different approaches. The results indicate that: a) The body-fitted and embedded-mesh methods converge to the same results as the grid is refined; b) The 2nd order embedded-mesh method is comparable in accuracy to the body-fitted results for grids of similar size; c) In order to obtain results of comparable quality, the 1st order embedded-mesh method requires grids with element sizes on the boundary that are approximately half of those used for the body fitted and 2nd order embedded-mesh approaches; d) The immersed body approach exhibits much more numerical dissipation that the bodyfitted and embedded-mesh methods. Therefore, if the manual labour required to set up a body-fitted domain is excessive, or computing resources are plentiful, the embedded-mesh approach is a very attractive option.
In Vivo and In Vitro Mixed-Function Oxygenase Activity and Vitellogenin Induction in Fish and in Fish and Rat Liver Cells by Stilbenes Isolated from Scotch Pine ( Pinus sylvestris )

Many types of pulp and paper mill effluents have the ability to induce mixed-function oxygenase (MFO) activity and vitellogenin (VTG) protein in exposed male fish. The search for the compounds responsible for MFO induction has led to several classes of compounds, among them retene and stilbenes. The objective of this study was to investigate the biological activities of candidate stilbene compounds. Three stilbenes, 3,5-dihydroxystilbene (pinosylvin; P1), 3-hydroxy-5-methoxystilbene (P2), and 3,5-dimethoxystilbene (P3), were extracted from Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) and purified to evaluate their ability to induce MFO activity in vitro using ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity in a rat hepatoma cell line (H4IIE). As these compounds may be chlorinated during pulp bleaching, chlorination of P2 was undertaken, producing di- and trichlorinated isomers (Cl-P2), which were also tested. Compounds were tested for EROD-inducing ability in vivo by exposing juvenile rainbow tout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to waterborne concentrations (0.010 to 1.0 mg/L) for 4 days. Compounds were also tested for their ability to induce VTG in trout primary liver cells in vitro. The stilbenes were weak inducers of EROD and VTG. H4IIE EROD was induced by all four compounds, with the most potent induction by P3, followed by P1, the Cl-P2 mixture, and then P2. Induction for all four stilbenes was from 3.13 × 10−3 to 3.57 × 10−4 as potent as retene and about 1.11 × 10−5 to 1.20 × 10−6 as potent as TCDD. Juvenile rainbow trout did not show EROD induction after exposures to P1, P2, or the Cl-P2 mixture, whereas P3 caused activity fourfold above that of controls. P1, P3, and Cl-P2 all weakly induced VTG in rainbow trout hepatocytes. The most potent inducer of VTG was Cl-P2, followed by P3 and P1. The results show the ability of wood-derived stilbenes to cause weak MFO induction in fish and in rat liver cells and to weakly induce vitellogenin in fish liver cells.
Consensus Network Based Hypotheses Combination for Arabic Offline Handwriting Recognition

Offline handwriting recognition (OHR) is an extremely challenging task because of many factors including variations in writing style, writing device and material, and noise in the scanning and collection process. Due to the diverse nature of the above challenges, it is highly unlikely that a single recognition technique can address all the characteristics of real-world handwritten documents. Therefore, one must consider designing different systems, each addressing specific challenges in the handwritten corpus, and then combining the hypotheses from these diverse systems. To that end, we present an innovative approach for combining hypotheses from multiple handwriting recognition systems. Our approach is based on generating a consensus network using hypotheses from a diverse set of handwriting recognition systems. Next, we decode the consensus network for producing the best possible hypothesis given an error criterion. Experimental results on an Arabic OHR task show that our combination algorithm outperforms the NIST ROVER technique and results in a 7% relative reduction in the word error rate over the single best OHR system.
Estimation of water turnover rates of captive West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) held in fresh and salt water

The ability of West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) to move between fresh and salt water raises the question of whether manatees drink salt water. Water turnover rates were estimated in captive West Indian manatees using the deuterium oxide dilution technique. Rates were quantified in animals using four experimental treatments: (1) held in fresh water and fed lettuce (N=4), (2) held in salt water and fed lettuce (N=2), (3) acutely exposed to salt water and fed lettuce (N=4), and (4) chronically exposed to salt water with limited access to fresh water and fed sea grass (N=5). Animals held in fresh water had the highest turnover rates (145+/-12 ml kg-1 day-1) (mean +/- s.e.m.). Animals acutely exposed to salt water decreased their turnover rate significantly when moved into salt water (from 124+/-15 to 65+/-15 ml kg-1 day-1) and subsequently increased their turnover rate upon re-entry to fresh water (146+/-19 ml kg-1 day-1). Manatees chronically exposed to salt water had significantly lower turnover rates (21+/-3 ml kg-1 day-1) compared with animals held in salt water and fed lettuce (45+/-3 ml kg-1 day-1). Manatees chronically exposed to salt water and fed sea grass had very low turnover rates compared with manatees held in salt water and fed lettuce, which is consistent with a lack of mariposia. Manatees in fresh water drank large volumes of water, which may make them susceptible to hyponatremia if access to a source of Na+ is not provided.
Problems Eliciting Elders' Reports of Functional Status

Intensive interviews were conducted with 36 older people, using think aloud and cognitive probes, to study response errors in measuring functional status in health surveys. Consistent with the original hypothesis, words or phrases, such as "aids," "help from another person," and "difficulty," were not interpreted by respondents to have the same meaning as intended. Similarly, evidence was obtained indicating that the subjects did not recall all the kinds of help they received, nor report their health as the basis for needing assistance. Moreover, replies to a variety of functional status items were often conditional upon the circumstances. Recommendations for questionnaire design and further research are discussed.
Frequency and Diagnoses Associated With 7- and 30-Day Readmission of Skilled Nursing Facility Patients to a Nonteaching Community Hospital

Objectives To determine the frequency and diagnoses associated with 7- and 30-day acute hospital readmissions of patients discharged to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) from an acute hospital. Design A quality improvement project focusing on 30-day hospital readmissions, using retrospective data derived from the hospital's electronic data repository. Setting A 350-bed nonteaching community hospital in southeast Florida. Measurements Data were collected on all discharges of Medicare fee-for-service patients age 75 and older for a 17-month period in 2007 and 2008. The primary source of data was the hospital's electronic data repository. Seven and 30-day hospital readmission rates were calculated for all discharges to SNFs. Index hospital and readmission diagnoses were determined by hospital coders and categorized by the physician coauthors. Results Among 10,777 discharges of patients age 75 and older, 3254 (30%) were discharged to an SNF, and of these, 584 (18%) were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days; 191 (33%) of these readmissions occurred within 7 days. The index diagnostic categories with the highest readmission rates were genitourinary disorders (30%) and cardiovascular disorders (25%). Specific diagnoses associated with the highest readmission rates included congestive heart failure (CHF) (31%), urinary tract infection (28%), renal failure (27%), and pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (23% each). Infections and cardiovascular disorders were the primary diagnoses for 63% of the hospital readmissions (36% and 27% respectively). The most frequent readmission primary diagnosis was the same as the index admission primary diagnosis in less than half the cases. Conclusion In this community hospital population, close to 1 in 5 discharges to an SNF resulted in a hospital readmission within 30 days. CHF, renal failure, UTI, pneumonia, and COPD were common index hospital and readmission diagnoses. Care paths and guidelines are available for these conditions that should be helpful to SNFs in initiatives designed to improve transitional care and reduce potentially avoidable hospital readmissions, as well as their associated morbidity and cost.
Affective states and traits in the workplace: Diary and survey data from young workers.

This study investigated proposed paths of the affective events theory (AET; H. M. Weiss & R. Cropanzano, 1996), with part-time employees completing surveys at 2 points in time and completing an event-contingent diary over 2 weeks. In support of AET, negative affectivity (Time 1) related to negative emotional reactions at work. Negative emotional reactions were associated with intention to leave the job (Time 2). This relationship was especially strong for the sadness emotions (disappointed, depressed, unhappy). Positive affectivity (Time 1) directly related to job satisfaction (Time 2), but only weakly predicted positive emotional reactions at work (aggregated over 2 weeks). Qualitative data provided information about work affective events and affect-driven behaviors. Interpersonal mistreatment from customers were the most frequent cause of anger and resulted in faking expressions about 50% of the time. Recognition from supervisors for work performance was the main cause of pride.
Steroids initiate a signaling cascade that triggers rapid sporulation in Dictyostelium

Encapsulation of prespore cells of Dictyostelium discoideum is controlled by several intercellular signals to ensure appropriate timing during fruiting body formation. Acyl-CoA-binding protein, AcbA, is secreted by prespore cells and processed by the prestalk protease TagC to form the 34 amino acid peptide SDF-2 that triggers rapid encapsulation. AcbA is secreted when γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is released from prespore cells and binds to GrlE, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). Analysis of SDF-2 production in mutant strains lacking Gα subunits and GPCRs, either as pure populations or when mixed with other mutant strains, uncovered the non-cell-autonomous roles of GrlA, Gα4 and Gα7. We found that Gα7 is essential for the response to GABA and is likely to be coupled to GrlE. GrlA-null and Gα4-null cells respond normally to GABA but fail to secrete it. We found that they are necessary for the response to a small hydrophobic molecule, SDF-3, which is released late in culmination. Pharmacological inhibition of steroidogenesis during development blocked the production of SDF-3. Moreover, the response to SDF-3 could be blocked by the steroid antagonist mifepristone, whereas hydrocortisone and other steroids mimicked the effects of SDF-3 when added in the nanomolar range. It appears that SDF-3 is a steroid that elicits rapid release of GABA by acting through the GPCR GrlA, coupled to G protein containing the Gα4 subunit. SDF-3 is at the head of the cascade that amplifies the signal for encapsulation to ensure the rapid, synchronous formation of spores.
Use of complementary and alternative therapies by overweight and obese adults.

Objective: Obesity is associated with higher health-care costs due, in part, to higher use of traditional health care. Few data are available on the relationship between obesity and the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
A campus-based motivational enhancement group intervention reduces problematic drinking in freshmen male college students

The current study employs an adaptation to Motivational Interviewing (AMI) group intervention with freshmen male undergraduates. The program follows suggestions of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for effective interventions with problematic college student drinking, and combines several empirically validated strategies to prevent drinking problems throughout college. All participants reduced drinking and alcohol-related problems; heavier drinkers and those experiencing the most alcohol-related problems reduced drinking most. Additionally, freshmen who completed the intervention were less likely than their non-intervention freshmen male peers to commit alcohol-related violations of campus policies. In addition to the reductions in problematic drinking, the group AMI has advantages over individual formats because larger numbers of students can benefit with comparable expenditures of time and effort.
Baseline susceptibilities of B- and Q-biotype Bemisia tabaci to anthranilic diamides in Arizona.

BACKGROUND: Development of pyriproxyfen and neonicotinoid resistance in the B-biotype whitefly and recent introduction of the Q biotype have the potential to threaten current whitefly management programs in Arizona. The possibility of integrating the novel anthranilic diamides chlorantraniliprole and cyantraniliprole into the current program to tackle these threats largely depends on whether these compounds have cross-resistance with pyriproxyfen and neonicotinoids in whiteflies. To address this question, the authors bioassayed a susceptible B-biotype strain, a pyriproxyfen-resistant B-biotype strain, four multiply resistant Q-biotype strains and 16 B-biotype field populations from Arizona with a systemic uptake bioassay developed in the present study. RESULTS: The magnitude of variations in LC50 and LC99 among the B-biotype populations or the Q-biotype strains was less than fivefold and tenfold, respectively, for both chlorantraniliprole and cyantraniliprole. The Q-biotype strains were relatively more tolerant than the B-biotype populations. No correlations were observed between the LC50 (or LC99) values of the two diamides against the B- and Q-biotype populations tested and their survival rates at a discriminating dose of pyriproxyfen or imidacloprid. CONCLUSION: These results indicate the absence of cross-resistance between the two anthranilic diamides and the currently used neonicotinoids and pyriproxyfen. Future variation in susceptibility of field populations to chlorantraniliprole and cyantraniliprole could be documented according to the baseline susceptibility range of the populations tested in this study. c � 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
RECONFIGURING THE COLOR LINE: RACIALIZING INNER-CITY YOUTH AND REARTICULATING CLASS HIERARCHY IN BLACK AMERICA

Listen carefully and you can hear a new ideological assault on inner-city African American youth. Remarkably, with a few exceptions, it is not (yet) the beginnings of another neo-conservative movement. Instead, the speakers are Black public intellectuals, mainly on the left-liberal side of politics. Erin Aubry Kaplan dubs them the "new breed of black social critics" (2006). The attack began on a Monday night in May 2004. The place was Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, and the occasion was the NAACP's 50th anniversary celebration of Brown v. Board of Education. The speaker was comedian and civil rights activist Bill Cosby. But this was not the funny, non-threatening, postracial Dr. Huxtable of The Bill Cosby Show. This was an angry, sarcastic Cosby. Imitating Ebonics, punctuated by incendiary polemics, he mocked the poor and the young in Black America. Resurrecting a recurring theme in African American political thought, Cosby insisted that the fight against racial inequality needed to include more than civil rights legislation. It also required that the Black community accept personal responsibility for some of its problems. Castigating "the lower-economic people" for "not holding up their end in this deal," he declared that "these people are not parenting.""They are buying things for their kids--$500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked on Phonics.'" Referring to Black children in the third person, he continued, "(I)t's standing on da corner. It can't speak English. It doesn't want to speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk. 'Why you ain't, where is you go … .' I don't know who these people are" (Cosby 2004).
Assessment of naltrexone antagonism of buprenorphine

Background Buprenorphine (BUP), a semi-synthetic opioid, has unique pharmacologic characteristics: high affinity, slow dissociation constant, and prolonged duration of effect. The possibility of reversing its effects was questioned. Naltrexone (NTX), a pure opioid antagonist, has a higher receptor affinity than naloxone and blocks agonist-related effects for at least 24 hours. We assessed the efficacy of NTX in reversing the analgesic effects of BUP. Methods Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study including 12 healthy male volunteers. On three separate days they received either 0.15 mg/70 kg BUP iv followed 45 minutes later by 50 mg NTX po, or BUP followed by placebo (PBO), or PBO followed by NTX. Data were collected up to 8 hours after drug administration. Quantitative sensory testing using thermal and electrical stimulations (Viking IV, Madison USA) was performed. Pain tolerance (cold pressor test) was assessed. Results BUP markedly increased the nociceptive threshold (BUP-PBO 54% vs 13% PBO-NTX; p 8 h). Conclusions Naltrexone reverses the antinociceptive effects of buprenorphine. The late reversal is probably due to delayed absorption. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P9–P9; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.11.036
Opposing gastric motor responses to TRH and substance P on their microinjection into nucleus raphe obscurus of rats

Little is known about the functional role of putative neurotransmitters in the nucleus raphe obscurus (NRO) in the control of gastric motor function, although thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and substance P (SP) have been detected in the cell bodies and/or fibers of this nucleus. Therefore, we investigated the effects of microinjection of these peptides (in a volume of 60 nl) into the caudal NRO of alpha-chloralose-anesthetized rats while recording intragastric pressure, pyloric and greater curvature motility, and blood pressure. L-Glutamate (30 nmol) was first microinjected into the NRO to identify the "gastric" region of the NRO and elicited significant increases in intragastric pressure as well as pyloric and greater curvature motility in all 16 animals. TRH (2-45 pmol, n = 16) microinjected into the same sites increased intragastric pressure as well as pyloric and greater curvature motility, and these effects were abolished by bilateral cervical vagotomy and atropine (0.5-1.0 mg/kg iv) but not by spinal cord transection. Microinjection of SP (45-405 pmol, n = 15) into the same sites decreased intragastric pressure; however, the inhibitory effect of SP on pyloric and greater curvature motility did not attain statistical significance. The effect of SP on intragastric pressure was completely abolished by bilateral vagotomy but not by systemic administration of atropine (1 mg/kg) or spinal cord transection. Microinjections of 45 pmol TRH and 405 pmol SP just outside of the NRO did not result in changes in gastric function. No overall significant changes in blood pressure were noted after microinjection of L-glutamate, TRH, or SP into the gastric region of the NRO. We conclude that both TRH and SP affect gastric motor function in the caudal NRO via a vagally mediated pathway; TRH apparently activates vagal cholinergic pathways, but the mechanism of SP-evoked gastric motor inhibition remains to be further investigated.
Closing the Barn Door After the Genie is Out of the Bag: Recognizing a "Futility Principle" in First Amendment Jurisprudence

This article argues for a simple proposition: the First Amendment imposes a presumption against the suppression of speech when suppression would be futile. Suppression is futile when the speech is available to the same audience through some other medium or at some other place. The government can overcome this presumption of futility only when it asserts an important interest that is unrelated to the content of the speech in question, and only when the suppression directly advances that interest.In Part I, the article explores the role that this unarticulated "futility principle" has played in Supreme Court and other decisions concerning the suppression of core political speech by prior restraint, denial of access, and subsequent punishment. In addition, Part I demonstrates how that principle has often, though not always, been disregarded by the Court in cases involving the regulatory suppression of commercial speech. In Part II, the article more fully articulates the rule developed by the case law and justifies its wider application by reference to the values it supports. Finally, in Part III, the article applies the rule to actual situations involving computer-assisted communications technology, an integral part of the convergent communications environment that will soon be upon us.
From Territorial to Temporal Ambitions: The Politics of Time and Imagination in Massive Multiplayer Online Forecasting Games:

In 2010, the online forecasting game Urgent Evoke, produced by Jane McGonigal, former Director of Gaming at the Institute for the Future and the World Bank Institute, elicited praise by gaming critics as a model for “serious gaming.” The game promised to show how players could think about long-term solutions to urgent social problems like hunger, poverty, conflict, and climate change using the African continent as its test bed. Players imagined future temporal outcomes through remixing media. In a qualitative analysis of actual game play during the real-time introduction of the game for teaching organizational communication, Evoke became a platform for student inquiry for questioning its underlying design as an expansion of territorial and temporal conquest. Evoke served as a springboard for building a literacy of critical time among students in accessing stakeholder power to determine the future. Students challenged, created, and followed the cultural capital of promissory visions in circulation. The cur...
Abstract 3028: Muscle Microdialysis to Confirm Subischemic Injury in a Clinical Trial of Remote Ischemic Preconditioning

Introduction: Transient exposure to sublethal ischemia-reperfusion injury of one tissue confers a protective effect to remote organs, referred to as remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC). Confirmation that the desired effect of sublethal ischemia is occurring in the tissues used to induce RIPC requires an objective measure before this technique can be used consistently in the clinical practice. Methods: Three to four RIPC sessions were conducted during non-consecutive days in patients with aneurysmal SAH aged 18-80, within days 4-12 of aneurysm rupture. Sessions consisted of 4 cycles of 5-minutes of lower extremity blood pressure cuff inflation to 30 mmHg above the systolic blood pressure, followed by 5 minutes of reperfusion. The absence of dorsalis pedis pulse was confirmed by Doppler evaluation and, if pulse signals were detected, the cuff was inflated until they disappeared. During periods of reperfusion, distal pulse recovery was confirmed. To evaluate limb sublethal ischemic injury, patients were monitored with a microdialysis probe inserted into the mass of the gastrocnemius muscle on the preconditioning limb. Glucose, lactate, pyruvate, lactate/pyruvate ratio, and glycerol levels were compared before and immediately after the RIPC sessions. Results: Twenty-one RIPC sessions were performed in 6 patients (50% male, mean age 48.5, Fisher 4, H&H 2-4). The procedure was well tolerated and there were no systemic changes in HR, BP or CVP. An average follow up of 25 days of daily examination after the last RIPC session demonstrated no complications associated with the RIPC procedure or the microdialysis probe implantation. Muscle microdialysis during the RIPC sessions showed a significant increase in L/P ratio (21.2 to 26.8, p=0.001) and lactate (3.0 to 3.9mmol/L, p=0.002), indicating muscle ischemia. There was no significant variation in glycerol (234 to 204μ g/L, p=0.43), indicating no permanent cell damage. Conclusion: The RIPC protocol used in this study is safe, well tolerated, and induces transient metabolic changes in skeletal muscles comparable with sublethal ischemia. Muscle microdialysis can be used safely as a confirmatory tool in the induction of RIPC.
Differential Evolutionary Selection and Natural Evolvability Observed in ALT Proteins of Human Filarial Parasites

The abundant larval transcript (ALT-2) protein is present in all members of the Filarioidea, and has been reported as a potential candidate antigen for a subunit vaccine against lymphatic filariasis. To assess the potential for vaccine escape or heterologous protection, we examined the evolutionary selection acting on ALT-2. The ratios of nonsynonymous (K(a)) to synonymous (K(s)) mutation frequencies (ω) were calculated for the alt-2 genes of the lymphatic filariasis agents Brugia malayi and Wuchereria bancrofti and the agents of river blindness and African eyeworm disease Onchocerca volvulus and Loa loa. Two distinct Bayesian models of sequence evolution showed that ALT-2 of W. bancrofti and L. loa were under significant (P<0.05; P < 0.001) diversifying selection, while ALT-2 of B. malayi and O. volvulus were under neutral to stabilizing selection. Diversifying selection as measured by ω values was notably strongest on the region of ALT-2 encoding the signal peptide of L. loa and was elevated in the variable acidic domain of L. loa and W. bancrofti. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the ALT-2 consensus sequences formed three clades: the first consisting of B. malayi, the second consisting of W. bancrofti, and the third containing both O. volvulus and L. loa. ALT-2 selection was therefore not predictable by phylogeny or pathology, as the two species parasitizing the eye were selected differently, as were the two species parasitizing the lymphatic system. The most immunogenic regions of L. loa and W. bancrofti ALT-2 sequence as modeled by antigenicity prediction analysis did not correspond with elevated levels of diversifying selection, and were not selected differently than predicted antigenic epitopes in B. malayi and O. volvulus. Measurements of ALT-2 evolvability made by χ2 analysis between alleles that were stable (O. volvulus and B. malayi) and those that were under diversifying selection (W. bancrofti and L. loa) indicated significant (P<0.01) deviations from a normal distribution for both W. bancrofti and L. loa. The relationship between evolvability and selection in L. loa followed a second order polynomial distribution (R2 = 0.89), indicating that the two factors relate to one another in accordance with an additional unknown factor. Taken together, these findings indicate discrete evolutionary drivers acting on ALT-2 of the four organisms examined, and the described variation has implications for design of novel vaccines and diagnostic reagents. Additionally, this represents the first mathematical description of evolvability in a naturally occurring setting.
Evaluation of Long-Term Migration Testing from Can Coatings into Food Simulants: Polyester Coatings

FDA guidance for food contact substances recommends that for food packaging intended for use at sterilized, high temperature processed, or retorted conditions, a migration test with a retort step at 121 °C for 2 h followed by a 10 day migration test at 40 °C should be performed. These conditions are in intended to simulate processing and long-term storage. However, can coatings may be in contact with food for years, and there are very few data evaluating if this short-term testing accurately simulates migration over extended time periods. A long-term migration test at 40 °C with retorted and non-retorted polyester cans using several food simulants (water, 3% acetic acid, 10% ethanol, 50% ethanol, and isooctane) was conducted to verify whether traditional migration testing protocols accurately predict migration from food contact materials used for extended time periods. Time points were from 1 day to 515 days. HPLC-MS/MS was used to analyze polyester monomers, and oligomer migration was monitored using HPL...
Induction of Female Behavior in Male Anolis carolinensis with Testosterone Propionate.

SummaryTestosterone propionate, introduced in pellet form into intact, castrated or partially hypophysectomized immature male Anolis carolinensis, elicits both male and female sexual behavior, the latter including submission to copulation and display of a distinctive neck reflex. Testosterone-treated males fight more actively than controls, and the assumption of male or female behavior is apparently related to position as dominant or subordinate in fights among the group. Testosterone affects the reflexes involved in the copulation posture so that they are maintained in exaggerated form after the escape of the partner.
Validity of Environmental Indicators in Design of Products

Environmental comparison of products and processes commonly use environmental indices such as Eco-Indicator 99 and/or other metrical indices. Extensive life cycle analyses of the product or process are the foundations for these indices. Then based on these indices, products are evaluated relative to other products for various decisions including design. Yet these metrics include little, if any, appreciation of the underlying distributions in making such estimates. This paper explores the cumulative effects of uncertainty by considering the values entering the computation of a metric such as Eco Indicator-99 as random variables. Since these indicators algebraically combine random variates, the resulting index is also a random variate. While the practitioners of life cycle analysis are well aware of the uncertainties of the analysis, there appears to be little appreciation for the value or uncertainties of algebraically combining random variates particularly when the fundamental distribution is lognormal as it is in most environmental instances.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
ID: 131: ACTIN RELATED PROTEIN 2/3 COMPLEX REGULATES ACTIN MEMBRANE STRUCTURES TO DETERMINE ENDOTHELIAL BARRIER FUNCTION

Rationale Disruption of the pulmonary endothelial barrier is a hallmark feature of sepsis and acute lung injury/ARDS. Cytoskeletal structures such as the peripheral protrusive structures lamellipodia and filopodia are hypothesized to be important determinants of endothelial barrier function. The actin related protein 2/3 complex (Arp 2/3) is a key regulator of branched actin polymerization and may play a role in the determination and recovery of endothelial cell (EC) barrier integrity. In the current study, we make detailed observations of actin structures and membrane formations in the presence of a specific Arp 2/3 inhibitor. In addition, we study the subcellular co-localization of Arp 2/3 and cortactin, another known protein regulator of peripheral actin dynamics. Methods Cultured human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HLMVEC) were subjected to pre-treatment with the specific Arp 2/3 inhibitor (CK-666 50 µM) or vehicle (DMSO) x 1 hour. Cells were then treated with barrier enhancing sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P 1 µM) or barrier disruptive thrombin (1 U/ml) and fixed at various time points (2–90 min) for subsequent imaging. Cells were permeabilized and treated with far-red phalloidin to stain actin, an anti-cortactin-GFP mAb as well as DAPI and imaged by confocal microscopy. Peripheral actin formations and associated membrane lamellipodia and filopodia were then measured and characterized. Additionally, the co-localization of Arp 2/3 and cortactin was determined. Results Arp 2/3 inhibition markedly reduced lamellipodia formation in response to S1P (1 µM) over a range of time points (2–30 min). Lamellipodia depth was decreased in Arp 2/3 inhibited cells compared to control both at baseline (1.825 +/− 0.407 µM) vs. (2.545 +/− 0.459 µM) and following 30 min treatment with 1 µM S1P (1.534 +/− 0.365 µM) vs. (2.090 +/− 0.356 µM). Similarly, filopodia were shorter following Arp 2/3 inhibition (2.392 +/− 0.393 µM) vs. control (2.753 +/− 0.274 µM). Robust colocalization of Arp 2/3 and cortactin was observed very early (2–5 min) following S1P (1 µM) treatment in vehicle treated cells but was attenuated in the presence of the Arp 2/3 inhibitor. Following thrombin treatment (1 U/ml), peripheral lamellipodia were observed during the barrier recovery phase (30–60 min) but were markedly reduced following Arp 2/3 inhibition along with the persistence of intercellular gaps. Conclusion These results further demonstrate the importance of the Arp 2/3 complex in pulmonary endothelial barrier integrity and recovery. These experiments also serve to relate the concept of altered peripheral actin and membrane dynamics leading to changes in EC barrier function.
Analysis of infection status of spouses with HIV infection in Taishan city

Objective To understand the status of HIV infection in spouses and to provide evidence for the development of effective interventions. Method Data on the infection status of 164 HIV-positive spouses or patients were collected and analyzed using the AIDS prevention and control information management system. Results The HIV positive rate of both spouse was 61.59% and the HIV positive rate of single positive spouse was 38.41%.The positive rate of HIV infection in the male subjects was higher(58.11%) than of the female subjects(41.89%)(χ2=13.95,P0.01). 49.06% of the subjects were in the range of 30 to 39 years old. 80.49% of the infection was acquired through the use of intravenous drugs.Husbands tested positive first accounted for 64.63%,52.83% of them were detected in places of detention,while 47.73% wives who tested positive first were checked out in maternal detection. 44.55% spouses tested positive within three months. The antiviral treatment rate of HIV-sero-discordant couples were higher than that of HIVsero-accordant couples(χ2=38.88,P 0.01). Conclusions The rate of HIV transmission between spouses was high. Earlier detection of HIV infection and strengthening on the monitoring of people aged between 30 and 39 years old may prevent the transmission of HIV / AIDS between the couples.
Investigation on the distribution of mosquito in Hexi corridor in Gansu Province

To investigate the mosquito distribution and provide scientific evidence for prevention and control of mosquito borne disease in Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province.Methods Using trapping lamp method and labor hour method.Results Totally 21 208 were collected.Through the preliminary identification,it was found that at least 4 genus and 18 species of mosquitoes existed in Hexi Corridor.In the capture of mosquito,the largest number was for barn,accounted for 80.95%,farmer was the second,accounted for 12.34%,residential areas was the least,accounted for 3.24%.Culex pipiens pallens and Aedes vexans were the dominant species,accounted for 51.66% and 25.62% of the total captured mosquitoes.Conclusion The climate changes multiterminal in Hexi Corridor,landforms is complex.Mosquitoes distribution is more extensive.The density is high in partial rich stream distribution area.It is necessary to strengthen cleaning the region of mosquito breeding sites and cut off the transmission of mosquito-borne disease from the source effectively,so that to provide strong theoretical basis for contorlling local mosquito-borne infectious disease.
Long-term effects of feeding a high copper diet to sows during gestation and lactation

An experiment was conducted to assess the long-term effects of feeding a high Cu diet to sows during gestation and lactation. Fifty-five gilts averaging 152 kg BW and 10.3 mo of age were allotted on d 47 after mating to diets consisting primarily of corn and soybean meal and containing 0 to 250 ppm of added Cu (as CuSO4.5H2O). Both diets contained 8.8 ppm of Cu from the trace mineral mix, and both contained antibiotics (55 mg/kg of chlortetracycline in the gestation diet, 110 mg/kg each of neomycin and oxytetracycline in the lactation diet). Sows continued on their respective diets throughout gestation and lactation, until culled from the herd or until they farrowed their sixth litter. Feed intake averaged 1.90 kg/d during gestation and 4.82 kg/d during lactation. A total of 86 and 81 litters were farrowed by control and Cu-treated sows, respectively. Seven control and eight treated sows completed six parities. Farrowing rate (no. farrowed/no. bred) was less (P < .05) in gilts fed high Cu, but culling rate was reduced (P < .01) in sows receiving the high Cu diet. Sows fed high Cu diets were heavier in BW on d 108 of gestation before their second (P < .05) and third to fifth litters (P < .01) than controls. Sows fed high Cu diets farrowed larger litters of pigs (P < .10) and the pigs were 9% heavier at birth (P < .001) and 6% heavier at weaning (P < .01) than pigs from control sows.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
ARGININE METABOLISM : NITRIC OXIDE AND BEYOND

Arginine is one of the most versatile amino acids in animal cells, serving as a precursor for the synthesis not only of proteins but also of nitric oxide, urea, polyamines, proline, glutamate, creatine and agmatine. Of the enzymes that catalyse rate-controlling steps in arginine synthesis and catabolism, argininosuccinate synthase, the two arginase isoenzymes, the three nitric oxide synthase isoenzymes and arginine decarboxylase have been recognized in recent years as key factors in regulating newly identified aspects of arginine metabolism. In particular, changes in the activities of argininosuccinate synthase, the arginases, the inducible isoenzyme of nitric oxide synthase and also cationic amino acid transporters play major roles in determining the metabolic fates of arginine in health and disease, and recent studies have identified complex patterns of interaction among these enzymes. There is growing interest in the potential roles of the arginase isoenzymes as regulators of the synthesis of nitric oxide, polyamines, proline and glutamate. Physiological roles and relationships between the pathways of arginine synthesis and catabolism in v i v o are complex and difficult to analyse, owing to compartmentalized expression of various enzymes at both organ (e.g. liver, small intestine and kidney) and subcellular (cytosol and mitochondria) levels, as well as to changes in expression during development and in response to diet, hormones and cytokines. The ongoing development of new cell lines and animal models using cDNA clones and genes for key arginine metabolic enzymes will provide new approaches more clearly elucidating the physiological roles of these enzymes. Correspondence may be addressed to either Dr. G. Wu (e-mail g-wu@tamu.edu) or Dr. S. M. Morris, Jr. (e-mail sid@hoffman.mgen.pitt.edu) at the addresses given.
An essential role for bacterial nitric oxide synthase in Staphylococcus aureus electron transfer and colonization

Nitric oxide (NO•) is a ubiquitous molecular mediator in biology. Many signalling actions of NO• generated by mammalian NO• synthase (NOS) result from targeting of the haem moiety of soluble guanylate cyclase. Some pathogenic and environmental bacteria also produce a NOS that is evolutionary related to the mammalian enzymes, but a bacterial haem-containing receptor for endogenous enzymatically generated NO• has not been identified previously. Here, we show that NOS of the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, in concert with an NO•-metabolizing flavohaemoprotein, regulates electron transfer by targeting haem-containing cytochrome oxidases under microaerobic conditions to maintain membrane bioenergetics. This process is essential for staphylococcal nasal colonization and resistance to the membrane-targeting antibiotic daptomycin and demonstrates the conservation of NOS-derived NO•-haem receptor signalling between bacteria and mammals.
“It Was Like We Were All Equal”: Maximizing Youth Development Using Youth-Adult Partnerships

Quality relationships between youth and adults are critical for effective youth development programming. However, not all youth-adult relationships equally contribute to positive development. Of the differing types of relationships, youth-adult partnerships, characterized by opportunities for youth voice and supportive relationships with adults, are associated with positive youth development outcomes. Available research supports this claim finding participation in a youth-adult partnership is associated with outcomes such as greater empowerment, psychological agency, and community connectedness. However, little empirical work has qualitatively explored youths’ experience in a youth-adult partnership and its contribution to youth development outcomes. The purpose of the current study was to understand the experience of youth participating in a youth-adult partnership and how this experience was associated with positive youth development outcomes. A qualitative case study approach was used to collect interview and activity observation data from 29 youth between the ages of 14 and 18 years old who participated in a youth-adult partnership while implementing a 4-H Youth Development program. Youth were asked generally about their experience in the partnership including what worked well, what challenges they experienced, and how they overcame these challenges. From these interviews and observations, six themes emerged that captured what worked well, including mutual respect, independence or autonomy in teaching, having an adult as a supportive mentor or coach, shared responsibilities or partnerships with adults and peers, friendship with adults and peers, and having fun. Three themes appeared related to challenges including communication, logistics, and preconceived notions of working with adults. Youth responses aligned with the Essential Elements, 4-H’s conceptualization of positive youth development, indicating positive outcomes had been experienced. Youth-adult partnerships represent one approach for promoting positive youth development while engaging young people. These partnerships have the advantage of being adaptable to a variety of content areas. Findings provide insight into how parks and recreation agencies might design and organize their programs to maximize the effectiveness of youth-adult partnerships. The paper concludes by reviewing the application of youth-adult partnerships to a parks and recreation context, examples of how parks and recreation are already using youth-adult partnerships, and providing suggestions for how to implement this approach in other communities. Subscribe to JPRA
Nanosurveyor 2: A Compact Instrument for Nano-Tomography at the Advanced Light Source

The Advanced Light Source has developed a compact tomographic microscope based on soft x-ray ptychography for the study of nanoscale materials [1,2]. The microscope utilizes the sample manipulator mechanism from a commercial TEM coupled with laser interferometric feedback for zone plate positioning and a fast frame rate charge-coupled device detector for soft x-ray diffraction measurements. The microscope has achieved point to point (25 nm steps) scan rates of greater than 120 Hz with a positioning accuracy of better than 1 nm RMS. The instrument will enable the use of commercially available sample holders compatible with FEI transmission electron microscopes thus also allowing in-situ measurement of samples using both soft x-rays and electrons. This instrument is a refinement of a currently commissioned instrument called The Nanosurveyor, which has demonstrated resolution of better than 10 nm in two dimensions using 750 eV x-rays. Once moved to the new Coherent Scattering and Microscopy beamline it will enable spectromicroscopy and tomography of nano-materials with wavelength limited spatial resolution.
Prostaglandins and Related Compounds Lipid Messengers with Many Actions

Prostaglandins are oxidized derivatives of arachidonic acid that are produced by many tissues in response to specific stimuli. These biologically active lipids are not stored within cells but rather synthesized and released on stimulation to function in an autocrine or paracrine fashion. Prostaglandins serve diverse physiological and pathophysiological functions, affecting all major systems of the body, and mediating such physiological processes as vascular homeostasis, renal water absorption, ovulation, and parturition. In addition, prostaglandins have been implicated as pathological mediators in thrombosis, asthma, and inflammatory disorders such as arthritis.