cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linkage mapping and QTL analysis of pecan (Carya illinoinensis) full-siblings using genotyping-by-sequencing

Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) is a nut-producing tree native to North America grown for its culinary, ornamental, and lumber characteristics. A newly developed chromosome-scale reference genome for pecan was used to create genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS)-based high-density genetic linkage maps of 151 full-sibling progeny of ‘Elliott’ and ‘VC1-68’. These maps incorporate 6142 SNPs segregating in a testcross pattern into 32 linkage groups representing the 16 chromosomes of pecan across the two parents. The average distance between markers was 0.46 cM and the two maps totaled 1376.4 cM and 1463.1 cM for ‘Elliott’ and ‘VC1-68’, respectively. These markers, plus an additional 1096 intercross markers, were used to create a 1557.8-cM pecan consensus genetic linkage map. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses revealed 1 major and 2 minor effect QTL for budbreak and 1 minor effect QTL for pecan scab susceptibility. The major effect locus inherited from ‘VC1-68’ explained up to 30% of the variation in budbreak and appeared across 3 years of observations. This QTL is syntenic to recently identified major effect QTL for budbreak in English walnut. The techniques reported herein, and the resulting genetic maps will facilitate future discoveries of valuable fruiting trait loci as this pecan population completes the transition to sexual maturity. In addition, the major budbreak QTL coincident in pecan and English walnut may represent a conserved mechanism effecting budbreak across the Juglandaceae providing critical knowledge for future investigations of variability in phenology.
Relationship between pain-related comorbidities and quality of life in patients with symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis.

Abstract Introduction Facial pain is a common manifestation of sinonasal disease but may be due to a variety of other conditions. Misattribution of pain to chronic rhinosinusitis may result in worse quality of life in populations both with and without objective evidence of sinonasal disease. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is an association between pain-related comorbidities and worse chronic rhinosinusitis specific quality of life in patients with and without objective evidence of sinonasal inflammation. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 299 patients meeting diagnostic criteria for sinusitis evaluated at a tertiary academic medical center from 2017 to 2018. Objective evidence was measured using the Lund-Kennedy and Lund-MacKay scoring systems; for the purposes of this study a score >3 on either scale was considered indicative of disease. Quality of life was determined by the rhinosinusitis disability index. Results A total of 191 patients were included in the study, with an average age of 52.7. (SD=15.3). The average Lund-Kennedy and Lund-MacKay scores were 4.7 and 8.3, respectively. The average rhinosinusitis disability index was 32.1. When stratified by the presence of pain-related comorbidities, there was no significant difference in Lund-Kennedy (p = 0.203), Lund-MacKay (p = 0.101), or rhinosinusitis disability index (p = 0.421). Conclusion Although prior studies have suggested a correlation between the presence of pain-related comorbidities and worse chronic rhinosinusitis specific quality of life, this relationship was not evident within the current cohort of patients. The relationship between pain and sinusitis specific quality of life is likely complex and requires further research to fully elucidate.
Macropinocytosis in Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Is Dependent on CaMKK2/ARHGEF2 Signaling and Functions to Support Tumor and Stromal Cell Fitness

Although pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells are exposed to a nutrient-depleted tumor microenvironment, they can acquire nutrients via macropinocytosis, an endocytic form of protein scavenging that functions to support cancer metabolism. Here, we provide evidence that macropinocytosis is operational in the pancreatic tumor stroma. We find that glutamine deficiency triggers macropinocytic uptake in pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Mechanistically, we decipher that stromal macropinocytosis is potentiated via the enhancement of cytosolic Ca2+ and dependent on ARHGEF2 and CaMKK2-AMPK signaling. We elucidate that macropinocytosis has dual function in CAFs - it serves as a source of intracellular amino acids that sustain CAF cell fitness and function, and it provides secreted amino acids that promote tumor cell survival. Importantly, we demonstrate that stromal macropinocytosis supports PDAC tumor growth. These results highlight the functional role of macropinocytosis in the tumor stroma and provide a mechanistic understanding of how nutrient deficiency can control stromal protein scavenging.
A Malady with No Name: Understanding Experiences of Depression Among Older Hmong Refugees

We interviewed older Hmong refugees in the U.S. to understand how they experience and define depression. Methods. Data were collected in California (N = 20). The study sample included Hmong immigrants aged 55 and over. The qualitative method allowed for an in-depth understanding of events that occurred throughout the participants' life course and how these events impacted depression in later life. Results. The participants' conceptualization of depression was defined with reference to their lived experiences. Three main conceptualizations emerged: behavioral descriptions of depression, mental or emotional descriptions, and physical descriptions of depression. The use of personal examples to describe depression was common. Our findings suggest that this sample's understanding of depression may not be fully captured by conventional measurement and thus more work is needed to develop a measure of depression that aligns with these respondents' descriptions.
The design of H/sub /spl infin// controllers for an experimental non-collocated flexible structure problem

This paper describes results in applying robust control techniques to achieve vibration suppression of an active precision truss structure. The active structure incorporates piezoelectric members which serve as both structural and actuation elements. The problem considered is multiple-input, multiple-output with non-collocated actuators and sensors. Several characterizations of uncertainty are studied and the resulting controllers are compared experimentally. One characterization uses a novel approach involving eigenvalue perturbation descriptions. >
TGF-β converts Th1 cells into Th17 cells through stimulation of Runx1 expression

Differentiated CD4(+) T cells preserve plasticity under various conditions. However, the stability of Th1 cells is unclear, as is whether Th1 cells can convert into Th17 cells and thereby contribute to the generation of IFN-γ(+) IL-17(+) CD4(+) T cells, the number of which correlates with severity of colitis. We investigated whether IFN-γ(+) Th1 cells can convert into Th17 cells under intestinal inflammation and the mechanisms involved. IFN-γ(Thy1.1+) Th1 cells were generated by culturing naive CD4(+) T cells from IFN-γ(Thy1.1) CBir1 TCR-Tg reporter mice, whose TCR is specific for an immunodominant microbiota antigen, CBir1 flagellin, under Th1 polarizing conditions. IFN-γ(Thy1.1+) Th1 cells induced colitis in Rag(-/-) mice after adoptive transfer and converted into IL-17(+) Th17, but not Foxp3(+) Treg cells in the inflamed intestines. TGF-β and IL-6, but not IL-1β and IL-23, regulated Th1 conversion into Th17 cells. TGF-β induction of transcriptional factor Runx1 is crucial for the conversion, since silencing Runx1 by siRNA inhibited Th1 conversion into Th17 cells. Furthermore, TGF-β enhanced histone H3K9 acetylation but inhibited H3K9 trimethylation of Runx1- and ROR-γt-binding sites on il-17 or rorc gene in Th1 cells. We conclude that Th1 cells convert into Th17 cells under inflammatory conditions in intestines, which is possibly mediated by TGF-β induction of Runx1.
Stealing Cars: Technology & Society from the Model T to the Gran Torino [Book Reviews]

If you ever come across someone trying to sell a foolproof antitheft system or an unstealable car, you ought to call him a liar or at least direct him to read John Heitmann and Rebecca Morales's recent book on auto theft. The authors have assembled an effective and concise historical survey of automobile theft in the America. The book proceeds chronologically, from the beginnings of automobility to the significance of the Grand Theft Auto videogame franchise. It also contains more topically-based chapters on novel areas such as countermeasures in the built environment and a study of international auto theft across the southern United States border. Furthermore, the authors demonstrate how this form of mobile criminality is both perennial and resistant to social, political, and technological efforts to stop it. From the perspective of a historian of technology, the book's strongest contribution is its ability to demonstrate the fallibility of socio-technical solutions to large societal problems. More generally, auto theft is such a multifaceted topic that most readers will find something that sparks their interest. Stealing Cars does not remain fixed on one element of the story, but instead covers the criminals, victims, business, and government institutions, as well as the technologies marshaled both by those who tried to prevent theft, and those who attempted to steal.
Can Private Insurers Fail to Cream-Skim the Public Option? Evidence from the Individual Mandate in Germany

Conventional wisdom suggests that if private health insurance plans compete alongside a public option, they may endanger the latter's financial stability by cream-skimming good risks. Documenting cream-skimming in dual insurance systems empirically is challenging, since selection into private insurance is non-random and being privately insured may change individual's healthcare consumption. In this paper, I use a regression discontinuity design based on exogenous variation in the propensity of choosing private health insurance to address this challenge. The empirical setting is the health insurance system in Germany, where there exists an unsubsidized non-group for-profit private health insurance market in parallel to a statutory alternative. Federal regulation mandates individuals with income below an annually set threshold to enroll into the statutory system, which is a policy that I exploit for my empirical strategy. Surprisingly, the data does not corroborate the conventional wisdom about selection on the extensive margin, as I do not find compelling support for cream-skimming by private insurers. Using a discrete choice model of demand for private insurance, I explore heterogeneous tastes for convenience in healthcare consumption and long-term contract design of private insurers as potential explanations for this result.
A multiple layer modelling approach to investigate the effects of tidal turbine deployment

This paper describes research undertaken by the authors to investigate the effects of tidal turbine installations using an amended numerical model. The study considers an idealised turbine installation in Orkney in the North of Scotland. The potential of the Orkney for marine renewable energy has led to the formation of the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and provides a test site for wave and tidal renewable energy devices. An amended three-dimensional hydrodynamic model was used to incorporate the effects of tidal turbine farms using a multiple layer approach. This technique allowed tidal turbines to occupy multiple vertical water layers enabling a better representation of tidal turbine devices. The model incorporates a technique that allows the conservation of energy due to power generation and the dissipation of kinetic energy through the conversion of electric power generated to heat. A tidal turbine farm was simulated and velocities in the region of the tidal turbine farms were shown to have been affected by the inclusion of tidal turbine farms. The resolution of the model in the vertical was also shown to have a significant affect on the simulation of the changes to the hydrodynamics with the inclusion of tidal turbine farms.
Intra-ventral tegmental area HIV-1 Tat1–86 attenuates nicotine-mediated locomotor sensitization and alters mesocorticolimbic ERK and CREB signaling in rats

Cigarette smoking prevalence in the HIV-positive individuals is profoundly higher than that in the HIV-negative individuals. We have demonstrated that HIV-1 transgenic rats exhibit attenuated nicotine-mediated locomotor activity, altered cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) and extracellular regulated kinase (ERK1/2) signaling in the mesocorticolimbic regions. This study investigated the role of HIV-1 Tat protein in the alterations of nicotine-mediated behavior and the signaling pathway observed in the HIV-1 transgenic rats. Rats received bilateral microinjection of recombinant Tat1-86 (25 μg/side) or vehicle directed at ventral tegmental area (VTA) followed by locomotor testing in response to 13 daily intravenous injections of nicotine (0.05 mg/kg, freebase, once/day) or saline. Further, we examined the phosphorylated levels of CREB (pCREB) and ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) in the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens (NAc) and VTA. Tat diminished baseline activity in saline control rats, and attenuated nicotine-induced behavioral sensitization. Following repeated saline injection, the basal levels of pERK1 in the NAc and VTA and pERK2 in VTA were lower in the vehicle control group, relative to the Tat group. After repeated nicotine injection, pERK1 in NAc and VTA and pERK2 in VTA were increased in the vehicle group, but not in the Tat group. Moreover, repeated nicotine injections decreased pCREB in the prefrontal cortex and VTA in the Tat group but not in the vehicle group. Thus, these findings indicate that the direct injection of Tat at the VTA may mediate CREB and ERK activity in response to nicotine-induced locomotor activity.
The influence of information and role-playing experiences on children's attitudes toward peers who use AAC.

A school-based intervention designed to increase the positive nature of children's attitudes toward peers who use AAC is described. Small groups of children were given only information about AAC or...
Mechanisms of myocardial protection by adenosine-supplemented cardioplegic solution: myofilament and metabolic responses.

Abstract Objective: Adenosine supplementation of cardioplegic solutions in cardiac operations improves postarrest myocardial recovery after cardioplegic arrest and reperfusion; however, the mechanism of the action of adenosine remains unknown. We tested the hypotheses that adenosine-supplemented cardioplegic solution improves myofibrillar protein cooperative interaction and increases myocardial anaerobic glycolysis. Methods: The hearts of male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to undergo 120 minutes of cardioplegic arrest with 1 of 3 cardioplegic solutions: (1) St Thomas' Hospital No. 2 cardioplegic solution (St Thomas group), (2) St Thomas' Hospital No. 2 cardioplegic solution plus adenosine (100 μmol/L) (adenosine group), and (3) St Thomas' Hospital No. 2 cardioplegic solution plus adenosine (100 μmol/L) plus the nonspecific adenosine receptor antagonist 8- p -sulfophenyltheophylline (50 μmol/L) (sulfophenyltheophylline group). A fourth group of hearts underwent no cardioplegic arrest. Results: Systolic and diastolic functional recovery was improved in the adenosine group compared with that in the other two groups, independent of coronary flow. Adenosine supplementation of cardioplegic solution prevented the decrease in myofibrillar protein cooperative interaction seen after cardioplegic arrest and reperfusion (St Thomas and sulfophenyltheophylline groups). Adenosine-supplemented cardioplegic solution also caused significantly increased anaerobic glycolysis during cardioplegic arrest. These responses were blocked in the sulfophenyltheophylline group. Conclusions: The changes in myocardial glycolytic activity and myofilament cooperativity coincided with functional recovery in the three cardioplegia groups and may represent mechanisms underlying protection with adenosine-supplemented cardioplegic solution. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;119:601-9)
The reductase domain in a Type I fatty acid synthase from the apicomplexan Cryptosporidium parvum: restricted substrate preference towards very long chain fatty acyl thioesters.

Background The apicomplexan Cryptosporidium parvum genome possesses a 25-kb intronless open reading frame (ORF) that predicts a multifunctional Type I fatty acid synthase (CpFAS1) with at least 21 enzymatic domains. Although the architecture of CpFAS1 resembles those of bacterial polyketide synthases (PKSs), this megasynthase is predicted to function as a fatty acyl elongase as our earlier studies have indicated that the N-terminal loading unit (acyl-[ACP] ligase) prefers using intermediate to long chain fatty acids as substrates, and each of the three internal elongation modules contains a complete set of enzymes to produce a saturated fatty acyl chain. Although the activities of almost all domains were confirmed using recombinant proteins, that of the C-terminal reductase domain (CpFAS1-R) was yet undetermined. In fact, there were no published studies to report the kinetic features of any reductase domains in bacterial PKSs using purified recombinant or native proteins.
Suicide and Heart Disease

In the 48 contiguous states of America in 1990, suicide rates and mortality from ischemic heart disease were negatively associated, which does not replicate results of a recent cross-national study by Ginter.
An Experimental and Analytical Study of Single-Phase Liquid Flow in a Horizontal Well

A new test facility was designed and constructed to simulate flow in a horizontal well with a single perforation. A total of 635 tests were conducted with Reynolds numbers ranging from 5000 to 60,000 with influx to main flow rate ratios ranging from 1/5 to 1/100, and also for the no-influx case. The flow behavior in a single-perforation horizontal well was investigated both theoretically and experimentally. A general new friction factor expression for a single-perforation horizontal well was developed. A new simple correlation for the horizontal well friction factor was developed by applying experimental data to the general friction factor expression. The new friction factor correlation and experimental data were compared with the Asheim et al. (1992) data and model, and showed that the new correlation performed better than the Asheim et al. (1992) model.
Experimental Studies of Vibration of Axially Excited Circular Cylindrical Shells Containing Fluid

Vibration characteristics of circular cylindrical shells containing water under axial excitation, investigating bubble formation and shell-fluid interaction
A new electron-trapping model for the gate insulator of insulated gate field-effect transistors

In the present paper, a new model for electron trapping kinetics in the gate insulator of an insulated gate field-effect transistor (IGFET) is proposed. This model includes a continuous variation of the trapping cross section, σo, as a function of the number of filled traps,N D . The dependency of σo is believed to be related physically to the annihilation, or buildup of coulombic charge, which effect has heretofore been neglected in first-order trapping kinetics that describe the entire defect concentration range. The result is that in order to model the experimental data fewer classes of trap cross sections are needed. AsN D traps fill, the trapping cross section, σo, is assumed to be reduced by a factor (1 -N D /N T ) whereN T is the total number of available traps per unit area. This decrease in δo is consistent, physically, with a concept of increasing repulsion of carriers as traps fill. This new model also indicates that the number of injected electrons needed to populate 99% of the total traps is about 20 times greater than that predicted by the existing first-order trapping kinetics model. Comparisons between the results of the new model and the first-order trapping kinetics model applied to experimental defect data are also given.
Local Well-Posedness of the Anisotropic Lagrangian Averaged Navier–Stokes Equations with Stokes Projector Viscosity

The anisotropic Lagrangian averaged Navier–Stokes (LANS-α) equations are a coupled system of nonlinear partial differential equations designed to capture both the large scale motion of an incompressible fluid and the covariance tensor. There are two choices for the divergence-free projection of the viscosity term. One choice is the classical L 2-orthogonal Leray projector. In this case, Marsden and Shkoller (2003) show that strong solutions exist and are unique in the three-dimensional periodic box for a finite time interval. We extend this result by considering the second choice of projector, the generalized Stokes projector.
A Crack Detection Technique for Use With Brittle Materials

Crack gages are sensors designed to monitor crack initiation and growth in engineering structures by alteration of electrical conductance. Present gages involve a thick (5 μm) metal foil on an even thicker polymer substrate and are not suitable for use on brittle materials where the crack opening is small. The new technique employs a very thin (300 A) gold film sputtered on a nonconducting brittle specimen. The method also enables crack propagation velocity to be estimated.
On the pairing theorem and its extension

The mirror theorem in matrix theory is briefly reviewed. It says that if R and S are matrices of the order m × n and nxm, then the two products RS and SR have the same nonvanishing eigenvalues with the same multiplicities and canonical structures. The mirror theorem is used to show that if a = {ak} and b = {bl} are two sets of orbitals of order m and n, respectively, then there exist two unitary transformations U and V such that the orbitals a′ = aU and b′ = bV have the special property = λkδkl, i.e., they are all orthogonal to each other unless they belong to the same pair having k = l. This pairing theorem is of fundamental importance in treating the Coulomb correlation in molecular calculations by means of the so-called Alternant Molecular Orbital (AMO) method, which uses for the occupied orbitals different orbitals for different spins. A simple extension of this approach to the virtual orbitals is also shown.
Understanding self-assessment as an informed process: residents’ use of external information for self-assessment of performance in simulated resuscitations

Self-directed learning requires self-assessment of learning needs and performance, a complex process that requires collecting and interpreting data from various sources. Learners’ approaches to self-assessment likely vary depending on the learner and the context. The aim of this study was to gain insight into how learners process external information and apply their interpretation of this information to their self-assessment and learning during a structured educational activity. The study combined quantitative performance data with qualitative interview data. Pediatric residents led video-recorded simulated resuscitations and rated their crisis resource management skills on a validated 6-item instrument. Three independent observers rated the videos using the same instrument. During semi-structured interviews, each resident reviewed the video, rerated performance, discussed the self-assessment process, and interpreted feedback and observer scores. Transcripts were analyzed for themes. Sixteen residents participated. Residents’ self-assessed scores ranged widely but usually fell within two points of the observers. They almost universally lowered their scores when self-assessing after the video review. Five major themes emerged from qualitative analysis of their interviews: (1) residents found self-assessment important and useful in certain contexts and conditions; (2) residents varied in their self-directed learning behaviors after the simulated resuscitation; (3) quantitative observer assessment had limited usefulness; (4) video review was difficult but useful; and (5) residents focused on their weaknesses and felt a need for constructive feedback to enhance learning. The residents in our study almost uniformly embraced the importance of self-assessment for all medical professionals. Even though video review had a negative impact on their self-assessment scores and was perceived as painful, residents saw this as the most useful aspect of the study exercises residents. They were less accepting of the quantitative assessment by observers. Residents explained their tendency to focus on weaknesses as a way to create an incentive for learning, demonstrating that self-assessment is closely linked to self-directed learning. How learners can use video review and external assessment most effectively to guide their self-directed learning deserves further study.
Removal of natural and xeno-estrogens during conventional wastewater treatment

The ecological impacts of natural estrogens and xenoestrogens in treated wastewater include altered sexual development and sex ratios among continuously exposed organisms. The primary sources of estrogenic activity in wastewater are natural estrogens such as estrone, 17β-estradiol and estriol and synthetic compounds like 17α-ethinylestradiol, alkylphenols and alklphenol ethoxylates. Precursors in raw wastewater can yield estrogenic intermediates during wastewater treatment. All these compounds can be destroyed by biochemical processes, albeit at significantly different rates or under different conditions. That is, estrogenic compounds can be, but are not always, destroyed by conventional wastewater treatment processes, suggesting that conventional processes can be optimized for removal of estrogenic activity from wastewater. Sorption to sludges derived from wastewater treatment affects the fates of hydrophobic xenoestrogens such as nonylphenol, in part because the biodegradability of sorbed contaminants is limited. It may also be possible to tailor sludge stabilization processes to remove trace contaminants, including estrogens. For example, there are significant differences in the efficiencies of aerobic and anaerobic digestion for destruction of alkylphenols and probably other estrogenic compounds with aromatic moieties. Because advanced wastewater treatment is not economically feasible for most communities, there is ample incentive to develop accurate relationships between operational parameters and removal of estrogenic compounds during secondary wastewater treatment.
Chance constrained finite horizon optimal control with nonconvex constraints

This paper considers finite-horizon optimal control for dynamic systems subject to additive Gaussiandistributed stochastic disturbance and a chance constraint on the system state defined on a non-convex feasible space. The chance constraint requires that the probability of constraint violation is below a user-specified risk bound. A great deal of recent work has studied joint chance constraints, which are defined on the a conjunction of linear state constraints. These constraints can handle convex feasible regions, but do not extend readily to problems with non-convex state spaces, such as path planning with obstacles.
Transcription factor Lim1 specifies horizontal cell laminar position in the retina.

The vertebrate retina is a highly laminated structure, with seven classes of cells organized in a number of discrete layers. Although much progress has been made in understanding early developmental events that specify differentiation of retinal cell subtypes (for review, see [Hatakeyama and
Retail Logistics in US and China

Retail supply chain and logistics is reasonably mature in US. The consolidation, storage and transportation are highly efficient. As a result, the consumers enjoy lower prices compared to many other developed countries. Retail logistics in China is emerging, and is more efficient than most other developing countries. To achieve higher efficiency, many companies are trying to borrow ideas from the US. The question is what would apply and what would not? This talk will point out a few market differences, such as population density, consumer behavior, labor cost, and infrastructure. These differences would be useful in designing efficient retail supply chain and logistics in China.
A neural model of synaptic plasticity underlying short-term and long-term habituation

It has been demonstrated that short-term habituation may be caused by a decrease in release of presynaptic neurotransmitters and long-term habituation seems to be caused by morphological changes of presynaptic terminals. A parsimonious model of short-term and long-term synaptic plasticity at the electrophysiological level is presented. This model consists of two interacting differential equations, one describing alterations of the synaptic weight and the other describing changes to the speed of recovery (forgetting). The latter exhibits an inverse S-shaped curve whose high value corresponds to fast recovery (short-term habituation) and low value corresponds to slow recovery (long-term habituation). The model has been tested on short-term and a set of long-term habituation data of prey-catching behavior in toads, spanning minutes to hours to several weeks.
Rice harvest cutting height and ratoon crop effects on late season and overwintering stem borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) infestations

Abstract A 2-year field study in Texas compared infestations of the stem borers Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) and Diatraea saccharalis (F.) in rice, Oryza sativa L., as affected by main crop harvest cutting height and the production of a ratoon crop. Substantial infestations (>5.6 stem borers/m2) remained in rice culms regardless of cutting height (20 vs. 40 cm). However, the 20-cm cutting height reduced E. loftini infestations by 70–81% whereas D. saccharalis infestations were not affected. Plant dissections showed that compared to D. saccharalis larvae and pupae, relatively more E. loftini immatures are located high in rice plants (>20 cm from the base of the culm). In October, the ratoon crop was more infested with stem borers than the unmanaged main crop stubble during the first year of the study. The opposite was observed during the second year. Differences in unmanaged main crop stubble phenology between the two years likely caused these differences in infestation levels. During the post-growing season, infestations in main and ratoon crop stubble decreased over the winter. After favorable winter conditions, infestations in main and ratoon crop stubble did not differ, attaining 3.3 E. loftini/m2 and 0.4 D. saccharalis/m2 by March 2008. In March 2009, rice stubble harbored 0.3 E. loftini/m2 and 0.2 D. saccharalis/m2 regardless of whether only a main crop or a main and ratoon crop had been produced. This study showed that a lower rice harvest cutting height can suppress late season E. loftini populations. Furthermore, rice stubble under favorable conditions represents a substantial overwintering habitat, thus warranting evaluation of pest management tactics targeting overwintering populations.
Parties, media and public opinion: A study of media's legitimation of party politics in Hong Kong

Political groups have long existed in Hong Kong since 1949. The ‘consultative government’ was hostile towards groups which were critical of government policies. Before the 1980s, in a minimally‐integrated media‐political system, mass media, in compliance with the government served to undermine their legitimacy. Party politics and political parties were framed as ‘dirty polities’. However, the move towards a representative government since the 1980s in face of the power transfer to China, together with the 4 June incident, have transformed the public's stance towards the newly established democratic groups. In response to the changing public opinion, the media started in the late 1980s to give consent to the emergence of party politics in the democratic system. In the first direct Legislative Council in 1991, mass media ‘incorporated’ party politics as part the local political system.
Variables associated with peripartum traits in dairy cows. II. Interrelationships among disorders and their effects on intake of feed and on reproductive efficiency

Daily individual voluntary intakes of dry matter (DM % of body weight) and estimated net energy (ENE, Mcal/100 kg) by 89 Holstein cows were compared between day 220 of gestation and day 30 postpartum over a 21-month period. The purpose was to compare effects of diet and health status (control vs. abnormal) on intakes of DM and ENE. The cows were fed either chopped hay, hay crop silage (HCS) or corn silage (CS). Compared to controls, voluntary intakes of DM and ENE were decreased (most to least) in cows with fat cow syndrome (FCS), parturient paresis (PP), mastitis (MST), retained fetal membranes-metritis (RFM-M), and displaced abomasum (DA) prepartum and FCS, DA, PP, RFM-M and MST peripartum. Cows fed hay had a lower incidence of RFM-M (28%) than cows fed HCS (57%) and CS (47%) as well as superior reproductive efficiency subsequently (89% conceived vs. 72% and 78%, respectively).
Highly conformal atomic layer deposition of tantalum oxide using alkylamide precursors

Abstract Atomic layer deposition of highly conformal films of tantalum oxide were studied using tantalum alkylamide precursors and water as the oxygen source. These films also exhibited a very high degree of conformality: 100% step coverage on vias with aspect ratios greater than 35. As deposited, the films were free of detectable impurities with the expected (2.5–1) oxygen to metal ratio and were smooth and amorphous. The films were completely uniform in thickness and composition over the length of the reactor used for depositions. Films were deposited at substrate temperatures from 50 to 350 °C from precursors that were vaporized at temperatures from 50 to 120 °C. As deposited, the films showed a dielectric constant of 28 and breakdown field consistently greater than 4.5 MV/cm.
Polycations. 6. polycationic heterocyclic salts: Their synthesis and effect on double‐stranded DNA

A new series of compounds, intermediate-sized ring systems in which cationic sites have been incorporated into the primary ring system at heteroatoms, were synthesized by the reaction of α,ω-dihalides with either α,ω-ditertiary amines or an α,ω-ditertiary phosphine. Judicious choice of the reaction conditions allowed these polycationic heterocycles to be generated in excellent yields, whereas prior reported efforts with similar reagents under other reaction conditions have led to only polymeric materials. These heterocyclic polycations exhibit an interaction with double-stranded DNA resulting in a change in the conformation of the DNA as evidenced through the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 10:559–565, 1999
Heart failure severity scoring system and medical- and health-related quality-of-life outcomes: the HEMO study.

Background Cardiac disease is the leading cause of death in US prevalent hemodialysis (HD) patients. There is a lack of data about the impact of the severity of heart failure (HF) on outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in HD patients. We aimed to determine the prognostic importance of the Index of Disease Severity (IDS) of the Index of Coexistent Disease (ICED) scoring system as an HF severity measure. Study Design Subanalysis of the Hemodialysis (HEMO) Study, a randomized controlled trial. Relationships between HF severity and mortality and cardiac hospitalizations were determined using Cox proportional hazards models. The relationship between HF severity and HRQoL scores was modeled using linear regression and generalized estimating equations. Setting & Participants 1,846 long-term HD patients at 15 clinical centers including 72 dialysis units. Predictor or Factor HF severity classified using the IDS of the ICED scoring system. Outcomes Mortality (all cause and cause specific), cardiac hospitalizations, and HRQoL. Measurements All-cause, cardiac, and infectious deaths; cardiac hospitalizations; and HRQoL scores from the Kidney Disease Quality of Life–Long Form. Results HF was present in 40% of HD patients. Increasing severity of HF was associated with older age, greater likelihood of diabetes, and lower serum albumin level (all P P Limitations This study is limited by the small sample size in the most severe HF group. Conclusions Increasing severity of HF is associated with increased mortality and cardiac hospitalizations and worse HRQoL, especially in perceived physical limitations. These findings emphasize the utility of the IDS of the ICED score as a valid prognostic tool for medical and HRQoL outcomes in the HD population with HF.
Some Effects of Laser Impacts on Extracted Teeth

SYNOPSIS IN INTERLINGUACERTE EFFECTOS DEL IMPINGIMENTO DE FASCES DE LASER SUPER EXTRAHITE DENTES.-Le impingimento de fasces de laser super extrahite dentes causava le ejection a alte velocitate de un intensemente luminose pluma de vaporisate materiales dental. Etiam le email deveniva altemente luminose. Un simile luminositate ha essite observate in tissus molle. A iste tempore le natura del mechanismo de iste stimulation non es definitemente cognoscite.
‘Fixed charge’ chemical derivatization and data dependant multistage tandem mass spectrometry for mapping protein surface residue accessibility

Protein surface accessible residues play an important role in protein folding, protein-protein interactions and protein-ligand binding. However, a common problem associated with the use of selective chemical labeling methods for mapping protein solvent accessible residues is that when a complicated peptide mixture resulting from a large protein or protein complex is analyzed, the modified peptides may be difficult to identify and characterize amongst the largely unmodified peptide population (i.e., the 'needle in a haystack' problem). To address this challenge, we describe here the development of a strategy involving the synthesis and application of a novel 'fixed charge' sulfonium ion containing lysine-specific protein modification reagent, S,S'-dimethylthiobutanoylhydroxysuccinimide ester (DMBNHS), coupled with capillary HPLC-ESI-MS, automated CID-MS/MS, and data-dependant neutral loss mode MS(3) in an ion trap mass spectrometer, to map the surface accessible lysine residues in a small model protein, cellular retinoic acid binding protein II (CRABP II). After reaction with different reagent:protein ratios and digestion with Glu-C, modified peptides are selectively identified and the number of modifications within each peptide are determined by CID-MS/MS, via the exclusive neutral loss(es) of dimethylsulfide, independently of the amino acid composition and precursor ion charge state (i.e., proton mobility) of the peptide. The observation of these characteristic neutral losses are then used to automatically 'trigger' the acquisition of an MS(3) spectrum to allow the peptide sequence and the site(s) of modification to be characterized. Using this approach, the experimentally determined relative solvent accessibilities of the lysine residues were found to show good agreement with the known solution structure of CRABP II.
Molecular evidence for degradation and preservation of organic matter in the anoxic Black Sea Basin

Lipids were measured in a short core covering the past 150 years in the Black Sea, in order to examine the biogeochemical factors involved in the degradation and preservation of organic matter in anoxie sediments. Most of degradation of labile compounds occurs in the upper 20 mm of the sediment, although for some compounds there appeared to be insignificant loss with increasing depth. A diagenetic model consisting of two pools of organic matter, labile and refractory, was used to calculate first-order degradation rate constants. From the rate constants, an order of relative reactivity was constructed for selected lipids in Black Sea sediment: fatty acids > neutral lipids; unsaturated and branched fatty acids > saturated fatty acids; isoprenoid alkenes > sterols and n-alkanols >n-alkanes, long-chain alkenones, long-chain alkyldiols, and long-chain alkylketo-ols. Degradation rate constants were also used to estimate rain rates describing delivery of lipids to the sediment and accumulation rates and burial efficiencies within the surface sediment. Degradation and preservation of the model lipids are discussed in terms of their molecular structures, autochthonous vs. allochthonous sources, and rates of delivery to the sediment.
Development of ferroelectric Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3 thin films by metallo-organic decomposition process and rapid thermal annealing

Abstract Polycrystalline Pb(Zr0.5Ti0.5)O3 thin films with good ferroelectric properties have been prepared by metallo-organic decomposition (MOD) process, using acetate-based precursors, and followed by two different kinds of annealing process, independently, including oven annealing and rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The experimental procedures were described for the films deposited on Pt-coated silicon substrates. There were distinct differences between oven annealing and RTA process, in terms of structures, morphologies, and electrical properties of the films. The films with RTA process showed denser and smoother surface, finer grain sizes, and much higher dielectric constant (1200–1400), remnant polarization of 30–35 μC/cm2 and lower coercive field of 65–85 kv/cm in the entire annealing temperature range of this study. At an annealing temperature of 550°C, RTA processed films showed identical XRD patterns of perovskite phase and clear ferroelectricity; however, it was not possible to realize the perov...
Characteristics of Activities That Affect the Development of Women’s Same-Sex Relationships

The author utilized semistructured interviews with 56 women to explore how a wide range of activities affected the development of the participants’ same-sex attractions and relationships. The researcher was able to identify and describe some aspects of the process by which eight characteristics of activities that are more or less present in various social contexts have the potential to impact whether these contexts are more or less conducive or hindering to the development of women’s same-sex attractions and relationships. Activities were more apt to nurture the development of the participants’ same-sex attractions and relationships when the activity (a) included lesbians, (b) was composed primarily of women, (c) affirmed women, (d) facilitated bonding, (e) featured a climate of acceptance of lesbians/gays/bisexuals, (f) did not feature a climate that emphasized heteronormativity, (g) was perceived as gender neutral, and (h) generated or drew participants who were similar to each other.
Bistable characteristics of thick-walled axisymmetric domes

Abstract We apply a finite element analysis to examine the stability of spherical, thick-walled domes undergoing large deformation. We identify three energetic states, mono-stable, bi-stable, and pseudo-bi-stable that uniquely characterize the behavior of the dome during deformation. An empirical relation is developed using finite element simulations relating the stability of the dome to pertinent geometric parameters like height, length and thickness, which is verified experimentally. Using this relation, similar domes can be designed to have desired stability characteristics.
A clinical approach to dysphagia.

The act of swallowing or deglutition is comprised of three stages as follows: the first is oral and voluntary, the second is pharyngeal and involuntary, and the third is esophageal and involuntary. The three stages of swallowing are interdependent in that they are highly synergistic and require rapid movement and coordination of the involved muscles; as such, normal swallowing is variable. When normal swallowing becomes disrupted, bolus transport is disrupted, resulting in one or more of the following: (1) drooling, (2) nasal regurgitation, (3) aspiration, (4) reflux, and (5) obstruction. There also can be stasis and timing problems with transport of the food and/or drink. The result is dysphagia or what the patient generalizes as a difficulty in swallowing. Dysphagia can be associated with a number of diseases or disorders that may be either congenital or acquired. For example, there are central nervous system diseases [the most common of which is a cerebrovascular accident), peripheral neuromuscular disorders (such as myasthenia gravis), muscle disorders (such as muscular dystrophies), local structural lesions (such as neoplasms and congenital webs], and motility disorders. Contributing to the overall problem may be spasms, strictures, and atonic or scar tissue resulting from trauma or treatment of carcinoma of the head and neck area. The prevalence of dysphagia is indirectly related to severity: mild cases are often overlooked. In our experience, two thirds of the patients in extended care facilities have some kind of dysphagia, aspiration, and/or malnutrition. According to Roubenoff et al,’ malnu-
Calculated physical properties of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans

The modified neglect of diatomic overlap (MNDO) method, a semi-empirical molecular orbital calculation, has been used to calculate the heats of formation, ionization potentials, dipole moments, and LUMOs (lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals) for all of the tetra, penta, hexa, hepta, and octa-chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans. These data have been used to predict gas chromatographic retention indexes.
Levels Versions of the Rotterdam Demand Model and Incorporation of Demographic, Stock and Other Nonprice, Nonincome variables

Nonprice, nonincome variables are incorporated into a levels version of the Rotterdam model through scaling, translation, combined scaling-translation and an approach suggested by Theil. In a study of advertising effects on grapefruit and other juice demands, the combined scaling-translation specification is accepted against an unrestricted specification, while the other specifications are rejected. Des variables autres que les prix et les revenus sont incorporees dans une version par niveaux du modele Rotterdam, par mise a l'echelle, par conversion et par combinaison des deux specifications, ainsi que par une approche suggeree par Tbeil. Appliquee a une etude des eflets de la publicite sur la demande de jus de pamplemousse et d'autres fruits, e specification combinee mise a l'echelle-conversion a eteretenue de preference au modele sans restriction. Les autres specications etaient rejetees.