cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Erosion and transformation in the ecology of gender: women's political representation and gender relations in the Ugandan parliament

Previous literature on women's representation in the Ugandan Parliament painted a grim picture of women exploited by political leaders, and brought into Parliament and other political spaces by a benevolent dictator who allowed their entry to extend and deepen his political networks. These women were expected to accept a subordinate and inferior place, and to defer to male authority. Female members cooperated dutifully by ‘knowing their place’ and by actively supporting the ‘hand that fed them’. Studies noted that women lacked gender consciousness and even the analytical power to understand the implications of the policies they helped pass. There was a general consensus that patriarchal attitudes in Parliament diminished women's influence and undermined their political efficacy. This paper analyses gender relations, and examines the status of female members through their words, actions and behaviours in the Ugandan Parliament. The three primary sources of data for this study were surveys, semi-structured interviews of male and female members of Parliament, and the proceedings of parliamentary debates in 2014. Analysis of parliamentary debates and personal accounts of gender relations in the 9th Parliament reveal a changing landscape. Women are moving from marginal roles to more central roles in Parliament, and are becoming active participants in shaping parliamentary discourse and policy outcomes. There is a newfound sense of empowerment among respondents. Women articulated a new sense of being respected in Parliament, a sense of self- and collective efficacy that they can advance policy priorities. There is a change in women's performance on the Chamber's floor. Parliamentary proceedings offer evidence of an ability to successfully engage in vigorous debates, effectively advance their policy agendas, and utilise sophisticated political strategising and manoeuvring. While there are still elements of continuity, a new gender schema is emerging – a schema that challenges traditional values and attempts to reconcile these values with requirements for running a modern government.
Supporting Social Engagement for Young Audiences with Serious Games and Virtual Environments in Museums

Considering the shift of museums toward digital experiences that can satiate the interests of their young audiences, we suggest an integrated schema for socially engaging large visitor groups. As a means to present our position, we propose a framework for audience involvement with complex educational material, combining serious games and virtual environments along with a theory of contextual learning in museums. We suggest that effective learning with school groups visiting museums can occur through the facilitation of coordinated activities of young participants with appropriately designed technological mediation. We use the term orchestrated learning to present our rationale on how such activities can lead to enhanced learning through increased motivation and social interactions. In order to validate our framework, we built a testbed application that supports collaborative gameplay of small and large student groups. The application, named C-OLiVE: Collaborative Orchestrated Learning in Virtual Environments, is a 3D simulation game that allows participants to learn the process of olive oil production. The game has been used so far in three studies with 710 students in schools, summer camps, and a museum. We describe the modes of visitor involvement that were designed and tested with middle school students in the different learning settings. Finally, we present our most important findings and discuss their implications for the design of interactive digital experiences for young audiences visiting museums. These findings serve both as evidence for the applicability of our framework and as a guidepost for the direction we should move to foster richer technology-mediated social engagement of young crowds in museums.
Duplication of host genes by transposable elements

The availability of large amounts of genomic and transcriptome sequences have allowed systematic surveys about the host gene sequences that have been duplicated by transposable elements. It is now clear that all super-families of transposons are capable of duplicating genes or gene fragments, and such incidents have been detected in a wide spectrum of organisms. Emerging evidence suggests that a considerable portion of them function as coding or non-coding sequences, driving innovations at molecular and phenotypic levels. Interestingly, the duplication events not only have to occur in the reproductive tissues to become heritable, but the duplicated copies are also preferentially expressed in those tissues. As a result, reproductive tissues may serve as the 'incubator' for genes generated by transposable elements.
Respiratory Motion Estimation with Hybrid Implementation

The extended Kalman filter (EKF) can be used for the purpose of training nonlinear neural networks to perform desired input–output mappings. To improve the computational requirements of the EKF, Puskorius et al. proposed the decoupled extended Kalman filter (DEKF) as a practical remedy for the proper management of computational resources. This approach, however, sacrifices computational accuracy of estimates because it ignores the interactions between the estimates of mutually exclusive weights. To overcome such a limitation, therefore, we proposed hybrid implementation based on EKF (HEKF) for respiratory motion estimate, which uses the channel number for the mutually exclusive groups and the coupling technique to compensate the computational accuracy. Moreover, the authors restricted to a DEKF algorithm for which the weights connecting inputs to a node are grouped together. If there are multiple input training sequences with respect to time stamp, the complexity can increase by the power of input channel number. To improve the computational complexity, we split the complicated neural network into a couple of the simple neural networks to adjust separate input channels. The experiment results validated that the prediction overshoot of the proposed HEKF was improved by 62.95 % in the average prediction overshoot values. The proposed HEKF showed the better performance by 52.40 % improvement in the average of the prediction time horizon. We have evaluated that a proposed HEKF can outperform DEKF by comparing the prediction overshoot values, the performance of tracking estimation value and the normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE).
IMMUNO-GENE THERAPY FOR METASTATIC PROSTATE CANCER

It has long been appreciated that a significant number of prostate cancers will not progress to clinical significance, yet some prostate cancers disseminate rapidly leading to lethal metastatic disease. Therefore, a reasonable goal of prostate cancer research is to develop novel alternative interventions and adjuvant therapeutic approaches that would suppress local tumor growth and/or impact pre-existing metastatic disease. This chapter will describe the potential for gene therapy to achieve this goal. We will review both pre-clinical and clinical studies using in situ gene therapy to generate a systemic immune response. These therapeutic strategies include a cytotoxic approach using the HSV-tk gene combined with the prodrug ganciclovir, the immune modulator gene for interleukin-12, and a novel gene that is both cytotoxic and immunomodulatory, Related to Testes-specific, Vespid and Pathogenesis proteins-1 (RTVP-1).
Chromium Depletion and Void Formation in Fe—Ni—Cr Alloys During Molten Salt Corrosion and Related Processes

This chapter will discuss the processes that can cause chromium depletion in Fe—Ni—Cr alloys and the effect of the chromium-depleted layer on the subsequent corrosion resistance of the alloy. In general, the alloys discussed will be iron or nickel based. For completeness we will include alloys that contain constituents other than iron, nickel, or chromium, but only in cases where chromium depletion plays a major part in the process of interest.
Integrating Multi-Agent Technology with Cognitive Modeling to Develop an Insurgency Information Framework (IIF)

This research focuses on the application of multi-agent technology and cognitive modeling to develop a decision model for use in analyzing and evaluating behavior strategies of insurgents in Iraq. Insurgency is a complex behavioral process that has many facets. It is a social as well as military problem and a major cause of injury and death for the citizens and military personnel in Iraq. Social computing is concerned with the study of social behavior abstracted by computational models. Computational modeling provides for social system analysis and evaluation. Social computing can be represented as 3-D simulations of real-world events to train, educate or aid in decision making. Users can maneuver through the life-like 3-D Virtual World to observe, record, and measure various behaviors of agents in relation to their environment. The methodology used in modeling these social phenomena is Agent-Oriented Programming (AOP) which is characterized by the use of real-world objects for design and an agent oriented language for implementation. This research integrates the development of multi-agent societies, Electronic Institutions, and Virtual World technology to conduct social computational modeling.
Corporate social responsibility: An umbrella or a puddle on a rainy day? Evidence surrounding corporate financial misconduct

We examine the way a fraudulent firm's pre‐ and post‐misconduct corporate social responsibility engagement is associated with its stock performance to investigate the reputational role of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In the short term, firms with good CSR performance suffer smaller market penalties upon the revelation of financial wrongdoing, supporting the buffer effect, as opposed to the backfire effect, of a good social image. We also find that the misbehaving firms’ post‐misconduct CSR efforts are negatively associated with delisting probabilities, and positively with stock returns. These findings support the argument that increasing post‐crisis CSR engagement can be an effective remedy for a damaged reputation.
Electronic speckle pattern interferometry: applications to the structural acoustics of percussion instruments

Electronic speckle pattern interferometry provides real-time images of operating deflection shapes of acoustically driven structures. This technique is particularly useful in the study of musical percussion instruments containing bars, plates, and membranes. Musically relevant examples involving drumheads, crotales, and the musical saw are presented. Imaging through water is described as well as methods for studying coupled vibrations between the two heads of a drum.
Enantioselective Tail-to-Head Cyclizations Catalyzed by Dual-Hydrogen-Bond Donors

Chiral urea derivatives are shown to catalyze enantioselective tail-to-head cyclization reactions of neryl chloride analogues. Experimental data are consistent with a mechanism in which π-participation by the nucleophilic olefin facilitates chloride ionization and thereby circumvents simple elimination pathways. Kinetic and computational studies support a cooperative mode of catalysis wherein two molecules of the urea catalyst engage the substrate and induce enantioselectivity through selective transition state stabilization.
Introduction: Designing the Problematical and Theoretical Contours of Political Demography as Urban Governance Challenges

This book problematizes and contextualizes decades of urbanization, immigration and population growth in the overseas department of French Guyana (located in South America between Brazil and Suriname) as a power conflict between the core France and local political actors over managing the population, its composition, its size and its spatial distribution. The introduction delineates the core elements and delimits the contours of the theoretical concept of “political demography”, largely based on the Myron Weiner and Michael Teitelbaum’s (2001) book of Political Demography and Demographic Engineering. The political demography theory crosses and federates the following four chapters that constitute the content of the book.
Contouring Method Considerations for Power Systems Applications

Contouring can be used to enhance engineers’ situational awareness during power system studies and events. This paper compares two contouring methods (Shepard and Delaunay-based) for power system applications. Power system case studies are presented to demonstrate and discuss contour choices in various steady-state and transient applications. Discussion is centralized around the following features: relative computation speed, realism, contour boundary, and smoothness.
The area method for measuring acetabular cup anteversion: An accurate and autonomous solution.

Abstract Several radiological methods of measuring anteversion of the acetabular component after total hip arthroplasty have been described, all time-consuming and with varying reproducibility. This study aimed to compare the recently proposed Area method to true cup anteversion as determined by an accelerometer. This study further applied this method programmatically to autonomously determine radiographic cup orientation using two computer programs, then compared these results to hand and accelerometer measurements. 160 anteroposterior pelvis radiographs were taken of a standard Sawbones® pelvis fitted with a total hip arthroplasty system. The acetabular cup was re-oriented between each radiograph, with anteversion ranging from 0° to 90°. An accelerometer was mounted to the cup to measure true cup anteversion. Radiographic anteversion was independently measured via three methods: by hand, linear image processing, and machine learning. Measurements were compared to triaxial accelerometer recordings. Coefficient of determination (R2) was found to be 0.997, 0.991, and 0.989 for hand measurements, the machine learning, and linear image processing, respectively. The machine learning program and hand measurements overestimated anteversion by 0.70° and 0.02° respectively. The program using linear techniques underestimated anteversion by 5.02°. Average runtime was 0.03 and 0.59 s for the machine learning and linear image processing program, respectively. The machine learning program averaged within 1° of cup orientation given a true cup anteversion less than 51°, and within 2° given an anteversion less than 85°. The Area method showed great accuracy and reliability with hand measurements compared to true anteversion. The results of this study support the use of machine learning for accurate, timely, autonomous assessment of cup orientation.
Sensitive and specific qPCR and nested RT-PCR assays for the detection of Tobacco streak virus in soybean

Tobacco streak virus (TSV) is a reemerging and understudied pathogen of soybean (Glycine max). Management of TSV is challenging due to the multiple modes of transmission, widespread susceptibility ...
Recent Advances Towards Point-Of-Care Applications of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensing

The ability to accurately diagnose at the point of care is crucial in many pathologies. However, current standard diagnostic practices can only be performed in specialized health or laboratory settings. To move diagnostic methods from a specialized lab to the point of care many alternate methods have been developed and proposed. Among them surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing offers advantageous features, such as simultaneous detection of multiple biotargets and increased accuracy. Many groups have been working towards the translation of SERS sensing methods from the lab to the point of need. In this mini review, we discuss interesting and recent developments in this effort, focusing on how different sensing mechanism can be used in point-of-care testing applications of SERS.
Effect of conditioned media on differentiation in mass cultures of chick limb bud cells: I. Morphological effects☆

Abstract This paper describes an attempt to study interactions within the developing limb mesoderm tissue by means of tissue culture and conditioned media. Medium was conditioned by very high density cultures (10 000 cells/mm2) of chondrifying limb bud cells at various stages of this process; confluent cultures of contracting muscle cells; and neural retina cell cultures started at very high density. These conditioned media were fed to very high density cultures of limb bud cells which had not yet begun to chondrify. Chondrogenesis was affected by each conditioned medium in a different and specific manner. Some of these effects were due to factors added during conditioning, others were the result of depletion of unspecified components of the medium. Observations are discussed in terms of product inhibition.
The underlying interactome of childhood obesity: the potential role of sleep.

Abstract Fine-tuning and integration between social rhythms and biological rhythms should be a priority for all, especially for children. As such, the opportunity to sleep should fit the evolving needs for sleep in a child. Unfortunately, children today are highly unlikely to obtain sufficient sleep or live under stable and regular schedules. Poor or dysregulated sleep affects the regulation of homeostatic and hormonal systems underlying somatic and intellectual growth, maturation, and bioenergetics. Therefore, in the prevention and management of childhood obesity, assessments of the “obesogenic” lifestyle, such as dietary and physical activity patterns, need to be coupled with accurate evaluation of the quality and quantity of sleep and with the potential co-existence of sleep-disordered breathing or other sleep disorders. Incorporation of sleep as an integral component of many childhood research studies on obesity should be done a priori rather than as an afterthought. Although parents and health profes...
Verification of general relativity: strong fields and gravitational waves

At the time of the birth of general relativity (GR), experimental confirmation was almost a side issue. Einstein did calculate observable effects of general relativity, such as the deflection of light, which were tested, but compared to the inner consistency and elegance of the theory, he regarded such empirical questions as almost peripheral. But today, experimental gravitation is a major component of the field, characterized by continuing efforts to test the theory’s predictions, to search for gravitational imprints of high-energy particle interactions, and to detect gravitational waves from astronomical sources.
Molecular analysis of SSN6, a gene functionally related to the SNF1 protein kinase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract Mutations in the SSN6 gene suppress the invertase derepression defect caused by a lesion in the SNF1 protein kinase gene. We cloned the SSN6 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and identified its 3.3-kilobase poly(A)-containing RNA. Disruption of the gene caused phenotypes similar to, but more severe than, those caused by missense mutations: high-level constitutivity for invertase, clumpiness, temperature-sensitive growth, alpha-specific mating defects, and failure to homozygous diploids to sporulate. In contrast, the presence of multiple copies of SSN6 interfered with derepression of invertase. An ssn6 mutation was also shown to cause glucose-insensitive expression of a GAL10-lacZ fusion and maltase. The mating defects of MAT alpha ssn6 strains were associated with production of two a-specific products, a-factor and barrier, and reduced levels of alpha-factor; no deficiency of MAT alpha 2 RNA was detected. We showed that ssn6 partially restored invertase expression in a cyr1-2 mutant, although ssn6 was clearly not epistatic to cyr1-2. We also determined the nucleotide sequence of SSN6, which is predicted to encode a 107-kilodalton protein with stretches of polyglutamine and poly(glutamine-alanine). Possible functions of the SSN6 product are discussed.
Hospital Employee Willingness to Work during Earthquakes Versus Pandemics

Abstract Background Research indicates that licensed health care workers are less willing to work during a pandemic and that the willingness of nonlicensed staff to work has had limited assessment. Objective We sought to assess and compare the willingness to work in all hospital workers during pandemics and earthquakes. Methods An online survey was distributed to Missouri hospital employees. Participants were presented with 2 disaster scenarios (pandemic influenza and earthquake); willingness, ability, and barriers to work were measured. T tests compared willingness to work during a pandemic vs. an earthquake. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to describe factors associated with a higher willingness to work. Results One thousand eight hundred twenty-two employees participated (15% response rate). More willingness to work was reported for an earthquake than a pandemic (93.3% vs. 84.8%; t = 17.1; p t = 17.1; p t = 13.3; p Conclusion Improving care for dependent family members, worker protection, cross training, and job importance education may increase willingness to work during disasters.
‘Walking on Two Legs in Chinese Law Schools’: A Chinese/U.S. Program in Experiential Legal Education

This article describes how the Pacific-McGeorge “rule of law” program in China has been structured and will be structured going forward and the methods used in the program. It then turns to the challenges we have faced and will face going forward and the lessons we have learned. It concludes with a discussion of the program’s impact.
Direct and proxy recall of childhood socio-economic position and health.

Background: The utility of proxy reporting within the life course framework has not been adequately assessed; therefore we sought to assess the magnitude and type of agreement that exists between index and proxy reports for bodyweight, health, and socio-economic position (SEP) in childhood. Methods: Participants were enrolled as part of an ongoing study of preterm birth in African American women in Metro Detroit. Post-partum women and their mothers (n = 333 pairs) provided retrospective reports about the woman’s childhood bodyweight, health, and SEP. Agreement was assessed using kappa, weighted kappa (k), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Log-linear models were used to describe the pattern of agreement for ordinal data. Results: Birthweight and weight at age 18 was reported with a high level of agreement (ICC = 0.86 and 0.71, respectively). Kappa indicated moderate agreement for early and late childhood/adolescent weight. Log-linear models suggested that there was diagonal agreement plus linear by linear association for early childhood weight and linear by linear association in late childhood/adolescence. Reports of childhood medical problems and hospitalisations had only moderate agreement. Agreement for SEP in both early ( k= 0.14) and late childhood/ adolescence ( k= 0.20) was poor. Log-linear models suggest a linear by linear association, indicating a positive association between the responses. Conclusions: Results suggest that proxy reports may be utilised in conjunction with an index report to provide an estimate of the accuracy of report or to more fully capture experiences over the life course. This may be particularly useful when multiple developmental periods are examined.
Rebalancing brain drain: Exploring resource reallocation to address health worker migration and promote global health

Global public health is threatened by an imbalance in health worker migration from resource-poor countries to developed countries. This "brain drain" results in health workforce shortages, health system weakening, and economic loss and waste, threatening the well-being of vulnerable populations and effectiveness of global health interventions. Current structural imbalances in resource allocation and global incentive structures have resulted in 57 countries identified by WHO as having a "critical shortage" of health workers. Yet current efforts to strengthen domestic health systems have fallen short in addressing this issue. Instead, global solutions should focus on sustainable forms of equitable resource sharing. This can be accomplished by adoption of mandatory global resource and staff-sharing programs in conjunction with implementation of state-based health services corps.
Ab initio equilibrium structures of unionized amino acids: alanine

Abstract The structures of two unionized conformations of alanine were optimized by relaxing all of their geometrical parameters using standard single determinant MO theory with Pulay's FORCE method a 4–21G basis. The results represent the best now available estimate for the unobserved geometry of this system.
High sensitivity gas sensing by Raman spectroscopy in photonic crystal fiber

Abstract We report the highly sensitive Raman detection of various gases (ambient nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide) and vapors (toluene, acetone, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane) using a hollow core photonic crystal fiber probe. With a sensitivity enhancement of around 3 orders of magnitude over direct detection, the minimum instrumentation-limited detectable concentrations for toluene, acetone, 1,1,1-trichloroethane vapors are 0.04%, 0.01%, 1.2%, respectively, with a 30 cm-long fiber probe. Moreover, we demonstrate its multiplexed sensing capability quantitatively using a vapor mixture. This combination of Raman spectroscopy and photonic crystal fiber provides a promising platform for gas sensing in environmental control applications.
Plasma pregnenolone levels in cynomolgus monkeys following pharmacological challenges of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis

Pregnenolone (PREG) is an endogenous neuroactive steroid that is increased in rodent brain and plasma after hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activation by acute stress or ethanol administration. Plasma levels of PREG metabolites are altered by pharmacological challenges of the HPA axis, however little is known about HPA regulation of PREG levels in monkeys. PREG concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay in plasma samples from cynomolgus monkeys, following challenge with naloxone (125 and 375 microg/kg), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF; 1 microg/kg), dexamethasone (130 microg/kg), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH; 10 ng/kg; 4-6 h after 0.5 mg/kg dexamethasone) and ethanol (1.0 and 1.5 g/kg). Naloxone increased PREG levels, while CRF appeared to increase metabolism of PREG to deoxycorticosterone (DOC). ACTH, administered after dexamethasone, reduced PREG levels, despite an increase in plasma cortisol. Ethanol did not alter PREG levels. Changes in PREG levels were correlated with changes in DOC levels after naloxone 125 microg/kg, CRF, ethanol 1.5 g/kg, and dexamethasone challenges. Furthermore, dexamethasone-induced changes in PREG levels were correlated with subsequent alcohol intake. These data suggest that PREG responses to dexamethasone challenge may represent a trait marker of alcohol drinking. The lack of effect of ethanol on PREG levels suggests differential regulation in non-human primates vs. rodents.
Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Changes Management in Patients Seen at a Tertiary Care Breast Center

Objectives. To study factors that predict changes in management with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). Methods. The Institutional Review Board approved this HIPAA compliant study. 996 patients had DBT with full field digital mammography (FFDM). Univariate analysis evaluated predictors of management change and cancer detection. Results. DBT changed management in 109 of 996 (11%); 77 (71%) required less imaging. Recalled patients after abnormal FFDM screen were most likely to have management change—25% (24 of 97 patients) compared to 8% (13/163) of symptomatic patients and 10% (72/736) of screening patients (P < 0.001). Dense breasted patients had a higher likelihood of having DBT change management: 13% (68/526) compared to 9% (41/470) (P = 0.03). Of the 996 patients, 19 (2%) were diagnosed with breast cancer. 15 cancers (83%) were seen on FFDM and DBT; 3 (17%) were diagnosed after DBT (0.3%, 95%CI: 0.1–0.9%). One recurrence was in the skin and was not seen on DBT nor was it seen on FFDM. The increase in cancer detection rate was 17% for asymptomatic patients, 0% for symptomatic patients, and 100% for recalled patients. Conclusions. DBT increased cancer detection rate by 20% and decreased the recall rate in 8–25%. Advances in Knowledge. DBT led to a doubling of the cancer detection rate in recalled patients.
When should rescue breathing be removed from the ABCs of CPR

Cardiac arrest is a major public health problem and a leading cause of death in the United States. Nearly 300,000 Americans sustain out-of-hospital cardiac arrests OHCAs) each year, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is provided by emerency medical professionals for approximately 175,000 of these OHCA victims each ear. Although prompt initiation of bystander CPR substantially improves the hances of survival from OHCA, most cardiac arrest victims do not receive bystander PR. In-hospital cardiac arrests (IHCAs) and CPR are also relatively common. A ecent study has established that CPR is provided for approximately 200,000 ospitalized patients each year. Fifty years ago, Kouwenhoven and colleagues demonstrated that “closed hest cardiac massage” resulted in successful return of spontaneous circulation or 20 consecutive patients with IHCAs. Their animal studies showed that closed hest cardiac massage (without rescue breathing) was an effective technique to aintain circulation of dogs in ventricular fibrillation (VF) for up to 30 minutes, hereby allowing successful defibrillation and return of spontaneous circulation. herefore, the initial patients in this clinical series received chest compressions ithout artificial respiration. Artificial respiration was soon added to closed chest ardiac massage because of the presumed need for adequate oxygenation and entilation. The new bundle was taught as the ABCs of CPR.
Documenting the settlement history of individual fish larvae using stable isotope ratios: model development and validation

Abstract The δ13C and/or δ15N of newly settled fish larvae should change from a planktonic signature to one reflecting estuarine food sources following settlement from pelagic to demersal nursery habitat. An empirical model based on measurements of δ13C and δ15N was used to estimate size at settlement (Lsett) and time since settlement (Tsett) for red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus; Sciaenidae), an estuarine-dependent species whose larvae migrate from coastal areas to shallow seagrass habitat in estuaries. The model relies on (1) the isotopic composition of the larvae prior to a dietary switch and following equilibration to a new food source, (2) growth rate measurements and (3) estimates of the contribution of metabolic turnover to isotopic change. To test the model, a settlement event was simulated by transferring settlement-size larvae (6 mm standard length; SL) reared in the laboratory to cages deployed in nursery habitat in the Aransas Estuary, TX, USA. Most of the changes in δ13C and δ15N (ca. 10‰ for both) occurring over the 15-day study period were attributed to growth, although metabolic turnover significantly accelerated the rate of isotopic change. When growth and metabolic turnover were incorporated into the model, accurate estimates of Lsett (within 1 mm SL) and Tsett (within 1–2 days) were generated. The isotopic composition of wild-caught pre- and post-settlement larvae collected during a 2-week period was also characterized. Variability in the δ13C and δ15N of potential settlers as a function of size and sampling location was small (
Predicting Allosteric Pathways for Activation of K+ Channels by Perturbation Based Markovian Transmission Model

Kv1.2 voltage-gated and MlotiK1 cyclic nucleotide-gated K+ channels belong to the family of tetrameric cation channels and share a similar protein fold in the transmembrane region. Activation of both channels results in a passive flow of K+ ions, although Kv1.2 channel is activated by changes in transmembrane potential, while MlotiK1 channel is activated by the binding of cyclic nucleotides to the intracellular domain. Here we use a perturbation-based markovian transmission (PMT) model to study and compare allosteric activation pathways in Kv1.2 and MlotiK1 channels. With this model, the initial perturbation is converted to flow of probability, which allows studying of the time-course of signal transmission and propagation of probability flow through the protein molecule. We found that for the allosteric signal transmission to take place in Kv1.2, all ionizable residues in the TM region must be perturbed, while the perturbation of the ionizable residues on the S4 helix of Kv1.2 alone did not result in signal propagation. Furthermore, perturbation of ionizable residues in the TM region of cyclic nucleotide-gated MlotiK1 did not result in detectable signal transmission, while perturbation of the resolved part of the C-linker and the S2-S3 loop together initiate a signal transmission process, which went from the intracellular side of the channel to the extracellular side and to the filter and P-loop region. Our result showed that PMT model can distinguish different activation mechanisms in channels sharing similar fold. We have also predicted residues important for the allosteric signal transmission in Kv1.2 and MlotiK1 channels. Based on our calculations, we identified important structural elements in activation of MlotiK1 channel. In addition, we show that most of the on-pathway residues are aromatic residues in both channels.
Discover and Connect Cellular Signaling

The unique nature of the plant system as a self-sufficient, robust, and resilient organism requires the dynamic coordination of numerous signal transduction pathways in multiple organs and cell types with complementary functions to capture energy and nutrients, to orchestrate growth and development
Comparison of valproate and phenobarbital treatment after status epilepticus in rats.

Objective: To investigate the long-term effects of two widely used antiepileptic medications, valproate and phenobarbital, on learning and behavior in the kainic acid (KA) model of epilepsy. Background: Prior clinical and animal studies have demonstrated that phenobarbital administered during development may result in subsequent cognitive impairment. It is unclear whether these adverse effects of phenobarbital extend to other antiepileptic drugs. Methods: A convulsant dose of KA was administered to rats on postnatal day (P) 35. From P36-75 rats received daily injections of phenobarbital (PH), valproate(VPA), or saline and spontaneous seizure frequency was monitored with video recordings. After tapering of the drugs, the rats were tested in the water maze (a measure of visuospatial memory) and handling test (a measure of emotionality). Brains were then analyzed for histologic lesions. Results: KA caused status epilepticus in all the rats. In the PH- and saline-treated groups, there was impaired learning in the water maze, increased emotionality, recurrent seizures, and histologic lesions in the hippocampal areas CA3, CA1, and dentate hilus. However, VPA-treated rats had no spontaneous seizures, abnormalities in handling, or deficits in visuospatial learning, and had fewer histologic lesions than animals receiving KA alone. Conclusions: The long-term consequences of AED treatment during development are related to the drug used. VPA treatment after KA-induced status epilepticus prevents many of the neurologic sequelae typically seen after KA.
Thick Anvils as Viewed by the TRMM Precipitation Radar

Abstract This study investigates anvils from thick, nonprecipitating clouds associated with deep convection as observed in the tropics by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) during the 10-yr period, 1998–2007. Anvils observable by the PR occur, on average, 5 out of every 100 days within grid boxes with 2.5° resolution and with a conditional areal coverage of 1.5%. Unconditional areal coverage is only a few tenths of a percent. Anvils also had an average 17-dBZ echo top of ∼8.5 km and an average thickness of ∼2.7 km. Anvils were usually higher and thicker over land compared to ocean, and occurred most frequently over Africa, the Maritime Continent, and Panama. Anvil properties were intimately tied to the properties of the parent convection. In particular, anvil area and echo-top heights were highly correlated to convective rain area. The next best predictor for anvil areal coverage and echo tops was convective echo tops, while convective reflectivities had the weakest co...
Ventromedial Hypothalamic Mediation of Photoperiodic Gonadal Responses in Male Syrian Hamsters

Short day lengths induce testicular regression in seasonally breeding Syrian hamsters. To test whether the ventromedial hypothalamus is necessary to maintain reproductive quiescence once testicular regression has been achieved, photoregressed male hamsters were subjected to lesions of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHx), pinealectomy (Pinx), or sham operation (Sham). VMHx hamsters underwent accelerated gonadal recrudescence compared to Pinx and Sham hamsters. Recovery of prolactin concentrations (PRL) to values characteristic of long-day hamsters was hastened in the VMHx animals compared to Sham hamsters. Concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) increased prematurely in both the VMHx and Pinx animals, beginning a few weeks after surgery.By the time the gonads had undergone recrudescence and the hamsters were refractory to melatonin, PRL and FSH concentrations had returned to baseline long-day values in all groups; there was no evidence of hypersecretion of either hormone in any of the animals...
Effect of treatment of Strongyloides infection on HTLV-1 expression in a patient with adult T-cell leukemia

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is associated with adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATLL) in about 5% of infected individuals. Coinfection by Strongyloides stercoralis has been suggested to be a cofactor for development of ATLL. We describe a patient who presented with HTLV-1-associated chronic ATLL and Strongyloides infection. Studies of this patient's viral RNA levels demonstrated stimulation of HTLV-1 replication by Strongyloides, which resolved with anti-helminthic therapy. This case provides support for the hypothesis that Strongyloides is a cofactor for ATLL via T-cell stimulation.
Corn silage compared to alfalfa hay for milking cows when fed various levels of grain.

Abstract Cows were fed either corn silage or alfalfa hay as the only roughage for three lactations. For one lactation two other groups of cows received different proportions of each forage. Grain was fed at two levels within each forage group. Cows fed grain at the usual rate of 1 lb per 3.5 lb milk produced as much milk, fat-corrected milk, fat, or solids-not-fat as cows fed the higher rate of grain, which was ad libitum until 84 days of lactation then reduced to 1:2.5. This was true for each of the four roughage groups for one lactation and for those fed either corn silage or hay for two or three consecutive lactations. Increasing the amount of grain fed from 2,074 to 3,111 kg per lactation did not result in greater milk production. The production of milk, fat-corrected milk, fat, and solids-not-fat was similar (22, 21, 0.8, 2.0 kg/day respectively), for cows fed corn silage, hay, or combinations thereof for one lactation. When continued on only corn silage or only hay for two or three consecutive lactations, those fed sillage consumed less roughage dry matter (3.0 kg/day), produced similar amounts of milk and fat-corrected milk (21 kg/day) with similar persistencies (90%), consumed slightly more grain (0.5 kg/day), and had less weight loss (0.06 kg/day). There were no interactions between forage group and lactation number. Cows fed only corn silage had more treatments for ketosis than cows fed only hay or for those fed a mixture of the two forages. Incidences of metritis, mastitis, and retained placentas were about equal for all treatments. Conception rate and vitamin A status were similar for cows fed corn silage or hay for one or three lactations. Cows can be fed corn silage as the only roughage for at least three lactations and maintain normal levels of milk production, reproduction, and health.
Angle-resolved-photoemission extended-fine-structure spectroscopy investigation of c(2 x 2) S/Ni(011).

Measurements of the extended fine structure in the photoemission intensity from the S(1s) core level were performed for a c(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2) overlayer of S on Ni(011). Four experimental geometries were employed, making this the most complete angle-resolved-photoemission extended-fine-structure (ARPEFS) study to date. Surface structural information was extracted from the ARPEFS using a combination of Fourier-transform techniques and comparisons to multiple-scattering calculations. The results of this analysis are in excellent agreement with previous studies of this system indicating that S adsorbs in a rectangular hollow site 2.20\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02 A\r{} above a second-layer Ni atom. We further present evidence for a buckling of the second Ni layer, giving an expansion in the separation between the first Ni layer and the second-layer Ni atoms covered by S atoms of 11% from the bulk value, while second-layer Ni atoms not covered in the c(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2) structure assume essentially bulk positions. We also examine in detail the effects of multiple scattering on the extraction of this structural information from ARPEFS and present results for surfaces with S coverages greater than 1/2 monolayer.
The management of urological malignancies during pregnancy

Urological malignancies occur only rarely during pregnancy. However, when they do occur, the urologist must use judgement to deliver optimal care to the mother without unnecessary jeopardy to the fetus. Radiation exposure should be avoided if possible and therapy should be determined by the nature of the tumour and the stage of pregnancy.
Development of Biodegradable Mg-Zn-Ca Alloys for Biomedical Applications

In the present study, Mg-8at.%Zn-1at.%Ca alloys were fabricated via T4 and T6 solid solution treatment technique for biomedical applications. The alloys were prepared at three different temperatures: 400 °C, 465 °C and 530°C followed by water or liquid nitrogen quenching. The microstructure of Mg-Zn-Ca alloys was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, optical and electron microscopes, and energy dispersive spectroscopy, respectively. The examination of mechanical properties was conducted on micro hardness tester. The following differences can be concluded from the results: In water quenched samples, the following three phases were identified from XRD pattern: α -Mg matrix, binary Mg2 Zn3 and ternary Ca2 Mg6 Zn3 , the secondary phases are more agglomerated. At higher solution treatment temperature, the secondary phases became more dissolved to the Mg-matrix which creates better homogenized material. Higher treatment temperatures cause grains to grow and to a limited extent, samples quenched in liquid nitrogen have smaller grains than those quenched in water. The sample heat treated at the temperature of 465°C reaches a minimum hardness. While in liquid nitrogen quenched samples, the alloys consisted of four phases: α -Mg matrix, binary Mg2 Zn3 and MgZn2 and ternary Ca2 Mg6 Zn3 , the secondary phases are more distributed in a network form, at higher magnification, there are some secondary phases precipitated in rod/needle shape in the samples, the hardness of the samples decreases with the temperature increases.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase-mediated permethrin resistance confers limited and larval specific cross-resistance in the southern house mosquito, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus

Abstract The cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases (P450s) are an important enzymatic system that metabolizes xenobiotics (e.g., pesticides), as well as endogenous compounds (e.g., hormones). P450-mediated metabolism can result in detoxification of insecticides such as pyrethroids, or can be involved in the bioactivation and detoxification of insecticides such as organophosphates. We isolated (from the JPAL strain) a permethrin resistant strain (ISOP450) of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus , having 1300-fold permethrin resistance using standard backcrossing procedures. ISOP450 is highly related to the susceptible lab strain (SLAB) and the high resistance to permethrin is due solely to P450-mediated detoxification. This is the first time in mosquitoes that P450 monooxygenase involvement in pyrethroid resistance has been isolated and studied without the confounding effects of kdr . Resistance in ISOP450 is incompletely dominant ( D = +0.3), autosomally linked, and monofactorally inherited. It is expressed in the larvae, but not in adults. Cross-resistance to pyrethroids lacking a 3-phenoxybenzyl moiety (tetramethrin, fenfluthrin, bioallethrin, and bifenthrin) ranged from 1.5- to 12-fold. ISOP450 had only limited (6.6- and 11-fold) cross-resistance to 3-phenoxybenzyl pyrethroids with an α-cyano group (cypermethrin and deltamethrin, respectively). Examination of cross-resistance patterns to organophosphate insecticides in ISOP450 showed an 8-fold resistance to fenitrothion, while low, but significant, levels of negative cross-resistance were found for malathion ( RR = 0.84), temephos ( RR = 0.73), and methyl-parathion ( RR = 0.55). The importance and uniqueness of this P450 mechanism in insecticide resistance is discussed.
DNA, drugs and chariots: on a decade of pharmacogenomics at the US FDA

Over the past 10 years, the US FDA has become a strong pharmacogenomics advocate as part of its mission to both protect and advance public health by enabling innovations that make medicines safer to use and more effective. The agency has evolved its advocacy cautiously on a foundation of science-based information from novel programs, such as the Voluntary Genomics Data Submission initiative, and on careful regulatory assessment of the extraordinary advances in clinical pharmacogenomics that have supported the update of drug labels with genetic information. This commentary goes into detail on the evolution of these achievements. However, many challenges remain for pharmacogenomics, and they will continue to evolve, and all stakeholders must work together. As the decade draws to a close, we have presented four major areas that need to be addressed collectively to assure that pharmacogenomics continues to mature over the next 10 years into a science that is essential to the practice of medicine.
Solvent-Assisted Thermal Reduction of Graphite Oxide

The thermal behavior of graphite oxide (GO) is essential to study and design GO reduction and functionalizion reaction. We provide a detailed description of the thermal reduction of GO dispersed in solvent (H2O and dimethylformamide (DMF)) at temperatures of 100 and 150 °C, respectively. The thermal stability and structure change of GO during the thermal treatment were characterized using UV−vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It was found that at temperatures of 100 and 150 °C the carboxylic and carbonyl groups decomposed. GO dispersed in H2O and DMF at temperatures of 100 and 150 °C exhibited increased rates of reduction than in dry condition. Moreover, the reduction rate was found to be highly dependent on the solvent used. At 150 °C, DMF accelerates the GO reduction rate significantly, while dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has less acceleration effect. Howe...