cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of dietary patterns with the gut microbiota in older, community-dwelling men

Author(s): Shikany, James M; Demmer, Ryan T; Johnson, Abigail J; Fino, Nora F; Meyer, Katie; Ensrud, Kristine E; Lane, Nancy E; Orwoll, Eric S; Kado, Deborah M; Zmuda, Joseph M; Langsetmo, Lisa; Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Research Group | Abstract: BackgroundWhile the gut microbiota is relatively stable through adulthood, its composition is influenced by various host and environmental factors, including changes in health, gastrointestinal processes (e.g., transit time, gastric acidity), medication use, and diet. The association of habitual diet, in the form of a posteriori-derived dietary patterns, and microbiota composition has not been adequately studied, particularly in older men.ObjectiveThe objective was to investigate the association of dietary patterns with the composition and diversity of the gut bacterial microbiota in community-dwelling, older men.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 517 men who were participants in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study (≥65 y of age at baseline in 2000-2002) and who provided a stool sample and completed an FFQ at MrOS Visit 4 in 2014-2016. Dietary patterns were derived by factor analysis. 16S ribosomal RNA target gene sequencing was performed and taxonomy assignments were derived using the Greengenes database. Linear regression and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) considered variations in alpha and beta diversity by dietary pattern, and a model that implements a 0-inflated Gaussian distribution of mean group abundance for each taxa (metagenomeSeq) assessed taxonomic variations by dietary pattern.ResultsIn multivariable-adjusted models, greater adherence to the Western pattern was positively associated with families Mogibacteriaceae and Veillonellaceae and genera Alistipes, Anaerotruncus, CC-115, Collinsella, Coprobacillus, Desulfovibrio, Dorea, Eubacterium, and Ruminococcus, while greater adherence to the prudent pattern was positively associated with order Streptophyta, family Victivallaceae, and genera Cetobacterium, Clostridium, Faecalibacterium, Lachnospira, Paraprevotella, and Veillonella. The relative abundance of the dominant gut bacterial phyla, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, did not differ between participants with greater adherence to the Western pattern, compared with those with greater adherence to the prudent pattern. Dietary patterns were not associated with measures of alpha diversity, but beta diversity measures were significantly associated with both Western and prudent patterns.ConclusionsWe observed significant associations between dietary patterns and measures of gut microbial composition in this sample of community-dwelling, older men.
Chemically Induced Desorption of Nickel Oxide and Carbide by 5-200 eV C+ and O+ Ion Bombardment

Adsorbate desorption induced by reactive ion bombardment can occur via several mechanisms including collisional momentum transfer, electronic excitation originating from charge transfer, or chemical reactions. When the ion kinetic energy (Eκ) is in the hyperthermal range (1–100 eV), which is comparable to chemical bond energies, the ion-surface interaction is greatly influenced by the chemical nature of the reactive projectile [1–3]. Therefore, by employing a suitable projectile-adsorbate combination, selective induction of ion-surface reactions and subsequent, product desorption can be achieved. For this reason, we have undertaken experimental studies of reactive ion-induced desorption by employing mass and Eκ selected single reactant species. These experiments probe the reactions of 5–200 eV C+ and O+ ion beams with nickel oxide (NiO) and nickel carbide (NiC) surfaces. These reactions are modeled using a Monte Carlo computer simulation to compare with the experimental results.
Perioperative Opioid Use and Chronic Post-Surgical Pain after Liver Transplantation: A Single Center Observational Study.

Objectives To investigate the opioid requirements and prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) in liver transplant (LT) recipients and to evaluate the association of opioid use with postoperative survival. Design Retrospective analysis. Setting A large academic medical center. Patients Cadaveric liver transplants recipients from 2008 to 2016. Interventions Analysis of demographic, perioperative, and outcome data. Measurements and Main Results This study measured the incidence and quantity of preoperative opioid use, postoperative opioid requirements, the incidence of CPSP, and survival in patients with and without CPSP. Opioid requirements were calculated in morphine milligram equivalents. In total, 322 LT recipients satisfied the inclusion criteria. The cohort of interest included 61 patients (18.9%) who were prescribed opioids before LT, compared to the control group of 261. Postoperative opioid requirements were significantly higher in the cohort of interest in the first 24 hours (205.9 ± 318.5 v 60.4 ± 33.6 mg, p Conclusions Opioid use is relatively frequent in patients waiting for LT. It significantly affects the postoperative opioid requirements and the incidence of CSPS. CPSP may significantly affect survival after LT.
White Evangelical Activism and the Gender Divide in the 2016 Presidential Election

Social scientists have proposed various explanations of why Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election including racism, dissatisfaction among white collar workers—especially in rust belt states, Russian interference, Facebook ads, and Christian Nationalism. In the current work, we look to Donald Trump’s core base, white evangelicals, to better understand the 2016 election outcome. White evangelicals believe that men and women are different--and that men are natural leaders. Traditional white evangelicals, both women and men, accept the idea that women are responsible for home and family life and recognize male authority in both private and public spheres. Evangelical religious activism defines the Trump presidency and allows an understanding of why many women support this president and why the abortion issue is central to their cause. Evangelical religious activism brings two questions to the forefront: how do we understand the separation of church and state (as a religious precept—outlawing abortion aims to define a civic society) as well as how embedded sexism and misogyny are within our culture.
Abbreviated Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Supplemental Screening of Women With Dense Breasts and Average Risk.

PURPOSEAlthough mammography is the standard of care for breast cancer screening, dense breast tissue decreases mammographic sensitivity. We report the prevalent cancer detection rate (CDR) from the...
Medical Pulse-Echo Ultrasound Imaging Based on the Cross-Correlation of Transmitted and Backpropagated-Receive Wavefields

In seismic imaging, a shot gather collects time series data from all receivers (geophones) with a common transmitter (source or shot). Shot-gather migration is an imaging technique that performs time-domain cross-correlation of the transmitted wavefield with the back-propagated receive wavefield. Shot-gather migration can be used to achieve the focusing quality of synthetic aperture imaging without susceptibility to motion by accurately modeling each wave-front, regardless of the transmit sequence applied. Since wave propagation is parameterized by the speed of sound in the medium, shot gather migration can also be used to perform distributed phase aberration correction enabling additional focusing improvements. In this work, we illustrate the shot gather migration process for point targets in simulation.
Placental epigenetic clocks: relations with in-utero exposures, ancestry, and fetal growth

Placental aging is a normal physiologic phenomenon during pregnancy. However, premature aging of the placenta can lead to decreased functional capacity of the placenta and obstetric complications i...
PSMA as a Theranostic Target in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Immunohistochemistry and 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET Using Cyclotron-Produced 68 Ga.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a validated target for molecular diagnostics and targeted radionuclide therapy. Our purpose was to evaluate PSMA expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), and hepatic adenoma (HCA); investigate the genetic pathways in HCC associated with PSMA expression; and evaluate HCC detection rate with 68 Ga-PSMA-11 positron emission tomography (PET). In phase 1, PSMA immunohistochemistry (IHC) on HCC (n = 148), CCA (n = 111), and HCA (n = 78) was scored. In a subset (n = 30), messenger RNA (mRNA) data from the Cancer Genome Atlas HCC RNA sequencing were correlated with PSMA expression. In phase 2, 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET was prospectively performed in patients with treatment-naive HCC on a digital PET scanner using cyclotron-produced 68 Ga. Uptake was graded qualitatively and semi-quantitatively using standard metrics. On IHC, PSMA expression was significantly higher in HCC compared with CCA and HCA (P < 0.0001); 91% of HCCs (n = 134) expressed PSMA, which principally localized to tumor-associated neovasculature. Higher tumor grade was associated with PSMA expression (P = 0.012) but there was no association with tumor size (P = 0.14), fibrosis (P = 0.35), cirrhosis (P = 0.74), hepatitis B virus (P = 0.31), or hepatitis C virus (P = 0.15). Overall survival tended to be longer in patients without versus with PSMA expression (median overall survival: 4.2 vs. 1.9 years; P = 0.273). FGF14 (fibroblast growth factor 14) mRNA expression correlated positively (rho = 0.70; P = 1.70 × 10-5 ) and MAD1L1 (Mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint protein MAD1) correlated negatively with PSMA expression (rho = -0.753; P = 1.58 × 10-6 ). Of the 190 patients who met the eligibility criteria, 31 patients with 39 HCC lesions completed PET; 64% (n = 25) lesions had pronounced 68 Ga-PSMA-11 standardized uptake value: SUVmax (median [range] 9.2 [4.9-28.4]), SUVmean 4.7 (2.4-12.7), and tumor-to-liver background ratio 2 (1.1-11). Conclusion: Ex vivo expression of PSMA in neovasculature of HCC translates to marked tumor avidity on 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET, which suggests that PSMA has the potential as a theranostic target in patients with HCC.
The fluffy core of Enceladus

Abstract Enceladus is well known for its young south polar terrain, observed by Cassini to emit several GW of heat as well as plumes of vapor and ice. The source of this energy is believed to be tidal dissipation. However, the observed south polar heat flux cannot be sustained over the age of the Solar System. Furthermore, thermal evolution models suggest that any global subsurface ocean should freeze on a timescale of tens to hundreds of My, sharply reducing future tidal heating, unless large amounts of antifreeze are present in the ocean. Here I propose an alternative internal structure for Enceladus, in which the silicate core is fragmented, and that the tidal deformation of the core may be partially controlled by interstitial ice. I find that fragmentation of the core increases tidal dissipation by a factor of 20, consistent with the long-term dynamically sustainable level, even when the interior is completely frozen, but only if the interior starts out warm and tidal heating is strong from the beginning. If this is not the case, radioactive heating will be insufficient to prevent the interior from cooling. Although an ocean need not be present in order for the interior to experience significant tidal heating, all models that dissipate enough heat to prevent runaway cooling are also warm enough to have an ocean. Tidal dissipation in the weak core provides an additional source of heat that may prevent a global subsurface ocean from freezing.
A mouse model for medulloblastoma and basal cell nevus syndrome.

Medulloblastoma (MB), a tumor of the cerebellum, is the most frequent type of malignant childhood brain tumor. Multiple genes are causally involved in medulloblastoma including PATCHED1 (PTCH). The Patched1 (Ptc1) protein is a receptor for Sonic hedgehog (Shh), a secreted protein ligand. Shh is involved in many signaling processes that control cell fate and growth, among which is its emission from Purkinje cells in the developing cerebellum. Purkinje cell-derived Shh stimulates mitosis of the granule cell precursors that may be the cell type of origin in medulloblastoma. Ptc1 limits the effects of the Shh signal, so mutations in PTCH may lead to persistent granule cell precursors susceptible to further genetic or environmental events that cause medulloblastoma. Mice heterozygous for patched1 (ptc1) mutations, like heterozygous PTCH humans, have a high rate of medulloblastoma as well as other tumors. We discuss features of the mouse model and how it is contributing to understanding the process of brain tumorigenesis.
Leachant pH effects on the leachability of metals from fly ash

Abstract The leachability of metals from fly ash produced by a coal‐fired electric plant and a municipal waste incinerator under acidic conditions was experimentally investigated. The results of these column‐leaching experiments show that a decrease in the pH of the leachant favors the extraction of metal ions from solid particles of both coal combustion fly ash and municipal waste incinerator fly ash. The significant increase in the extraction of cadmium, chromium, zinc, lead, mercury, and silver ions from the ash is attributed to the instability of the mineral phases that contain these metals under acidic conditions.
Electro-mechanical Factors Regulating Bone Architecture

Bone has been defined as a hard substance, a mineralized connective tissue, the structural material upon which muscles and ligaments are hung. From early child hood, when man becomes conscious of the meaning of a skeleton, he is aware of the permanence of bone. The surgeon saws it, drills it, screws it, nails it and otherwise treats it very much as he would a piece of oak or pine in his workshop. In fact, its desirable physical properties, such as hardness, elasticity and durability, have prompted men to employ bone in the construction of many diverse items. It has been used in the hunt, as arrowheads and corset stays, and in the pleasures of the parlor, as dice and toothpicks. Truly, bone is a most remarkable substance! Its enduring behavior as an inanimate material, however, is not matched by its conduct in the animate state, for living bone is changing bone.
College Students’ Reactions to Participating in Relational Trauma Research A Mixed Methodological Study

Using a mixed methodology, the present study compared men’s and women’s perceived benefits and emotional reactions with participating in research that inquired about child maltreatment and intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and perpetration. Participants consisted of 703 college students (357 women, 346 men), ages 18 to 25 who reported on their childhood maltreatment, adolescent and adult IPV victimization and perpetration, and their reactions (perceived benefits and emotional effects) to participating. Participants’ reactions to participating were assessed using quantitative scales, as well as open-ended written responses that were content coded by researchers. Women reported more personal benefits from research, whereas men and women reported similar levels of emotional reactions to research participation. Furthermore, greater frequencies of child maltreatment and IPV victimization were related to higher levels of emotional reactions. Common self-identified reasons for emotional reactions (e....
Sinonasal rhabdomyosarcoma: prognostic factors and treatment outcomes

Background Despite the improvement in survival of pediatric patients with rhabdomyosarcoma, the outcome of patients with sinonasal rhabdomyosarcoma is poor and has not significantly changed. Since few institutions have extensive experience with sinonasal rhabdomyosarcoma in children and adults, our objective was to determine prognostic factors and treatment outcomes for this rare malignancy.
La historia de un encuentro.

Made in heavenI'm playing my role in historyLooking to find my goalTaking in all this miseryBut giving it all my soul
Induction of In Vitro Reprogramming by Toll-Like Receptor (TLR)2 and TLR4 Agonists in Murine Macrophages: Effects of TLR “Homotolerance” Versus “Heterotolerance” on NF-κB Signaling Pathway Components

In this study, tolerance induction by preexposure of murine macrophages to Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 and TLR4 agonists was revisited, focusing on the major signaling components associated with NF-kappaB activation. Pretreatment of macrophages with a pure TLR4 agonist (protein-free Escherichia coli (Ec) LPS) or with TLR2 agonists (Porphyromonas gingivalis LPS or synthetic lipoprotein Pam3Cys) led to suppression of TNF-alpha secretion, IL-1R-associated kinase-1, and IkappaB kinase (IKK) kinase activities, c-jun N-terminal kinase, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation, and to suppression of NF-kappaB DNA binding and transactivation upon challenge with the same agonist (TLR4 or TLR2 "homotolerance," respectively). Despite inhibited NF-kappaB DNA binding, increased levels of nuclear NF-kappaB were detected in agonist-pretreated macrophages. For all the intermediate signaling elements, heterotolerance was weaker than TLR4 or TLR2 homotolerance with the exception of IKK kinase activity. IKK kinase activity was unperturbed in heterotolerance. TNF-alpha secretion was also suppressed in P. gingivalis LPS-pretreated, Ec LPS-challenged cells, but not vice versa, while Pam3Cys and Ec LPS did not induce a state of cross-tolerance at the level of TNF-alpha. Experiments designed to elucidate novel mechanisms of NF-kappaB inhibition in tolerized cells revealed the potential contribution of IkappaBepsilon and IkappaBxi inhibitory proteins and the necessity of TLR4 engagement for induction of tolerance to Toll receptor-IL-1R domain-containing adapter protein/MyD88-adapter-like-dependent gene expression. Collectively, these data demonstrate that induction of homotolerance affects a broader spectrum of signaling components than in heterotolerance, with selective modulation of specific elements within the NF-kappaB signaling pathway.
Entrando na arena?: gênero e a decisão de concorrer a um cargo eletivo

Ha um vazio importante na pesquisa sobre a sub-representacao das mulheres em cargos eletivos, relacionado a decisao inicial de concorrer. Com base em dados de nosso Citizen Political Ambition Study, a primeira pesquisa nacional de grande escala sobre candidatos potenciais, examinamos o processo pelo qual mulheres e homens surgem como candidatos a cargos eletivos. Nossa conclusao e de que mulheres que tem as mesmas caracteristicas pessoais e credenciais profissionais dos homens expressam niveis significativamente inferiores de ambicao politica para ocupar esses cargos. Dois fatores explicam essa lacuna de genero: primeiro, as mulheres tem probabilidades bem menores do que os homens de ser incentivadas a concorrer; segundo, elas tem probabilidades bem menores do que os homens de se considerar qualificadas para concorrer. Nossas conclusoes colocam em questao as principais explicacoes teoricas para a sub-representacao numerica das mulheres e indicam que, em funcao de vestigios da socializacao baseada em papeis sexuais tradicionais, as perspectivas de paridade de genero nas instituicoes politicas dos Estados Unidos sao menos promissoras do que sugerem as explicacoes convencionais.
Two-dimensional transient analysis of a buried-channel charge-coupled device

Abstract An effective method of two-dimensional transient analysis of potential and charge carrier distribution in a buried-channel charge-coupled device (BCCD) operating in storage and transfer modes has been developed with the aid of the finite Fourier transform (FET) technique. The effect of different clocking schemes on charge carrier transfer inefficiency and charge handling capacity are examined and discussed using the method developed. It is also shown that, for a BCCD operating in the storage mode, two-dimensional analysis indicates that the charge handling capacity determined by one-dimensional analysis can result in overestimation, which is misleading.
An algorithm for scheduling parallel processors

SUMMARY This paper deals with optimal scheduling of jobs on identical parallel processors. The paper develops an algorithm for determining the optimal schedule and gives a proof of the algorithm. The criterion used is that of minimizing the total cost for processing all jobs when the jobs are assigned non-decreasing waiting costs which are non-linear. Extension of the algorithm for jobs with due dates is also given. Computational results are given which indicate the effectiveness of the algorithm as compared to complete enumeration.
Simulation applications in the automotive industry: establishment of product offering and production leveling principles via supply chain simulation under order-to-delivery environment

In support of the order-to-delivery (OTD) business initiative, a simulation framework has been developed at GM R&D. The OTD simulation program is aimed at simulating the behavior of the OTD supply chain using detailed inputs associated with demand, supply, and production processes. Customer demand variation is a key source of uncertainty in GM's supply chain. Early capture of customer demand fluctuation enables GM to effectively reduce aggregate mismatch between production and sales and appropriate time series models have been suggested to capture demand patterns based on actual data. The vehicle model and option mix with a given demand variation influences the performance of the OTD supply chain and provides a means to establish certain principles determining the extent of product offering and the scope of production leveling. Analyzing the impact of the model and option mix on primary supply chain performance measures, such as customer wait time, condition mismatch, and parts usage, capacitates reduction of the mismatch between demand and production and stabilizes supply chain operations.
Mechanical and fracture behaviour of glass bead filled epoxy composites

Abstract The strength and fracture properties of glass bead filled epoxy composites were examined using fracture mechanics approach. It was shown that the critical crack size which controls the strength of such composites is not influenced by the interparticle distance as suggested by Hasselman and Fulrath. Also, since the crack size cannot be controlled by crack-dispersed particle interaction, a strength value higher than the matrix strength is not expected.
Attitudes, practices, and beliefs of individuals consuming a raw foods diet.

Objective Describe dietary practices of U.S. raw foods leaders, examine diet rationale, attitudes and health practices of raw foodists. Design Nonexperimental, descriptive, using semistructured qualitative interview data. Participants Purposeful (nonrandom) sample of 17 U.S. raw foods leaders, including 11 males and 6 females. Leaders were targeted to provide insights into practices modeled for larger community. Phenomena of interest Attitudes, practices, and beliefs of individuals consuming a raw foods diet. Analysis Text analysis and simple descriptive statistics. Results Subjects averaged 13 years on the diet (range: 3–32 years). Twelve subjects reported a diet at least 85% raw. All diets were primarily vegan. Primary constituents included fruits and juices, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and vegetable fats. Subjects consumed no dairy, eggs, meat, fish, poultry, commercial sweets or alcohol in a typical week. Only one subject used a commercial, nonfood-based supplement weekly (vitamin B12). Six subjects consumed food-based supplements, and remainder used no supplements at all. On average, subjects met or exceeded recommended intakes of vegetables, fruits, and fats and did not meet recommendations for calcium-rich foods, protein-rich foods, and grains. Conclusions and Implications Those counseling raw foodists must understand the rationale and practices that characterize this eating style. Further research is needed on larger populations to validate findings and determine the extent to which reported health benefits may compare to those from other vegetarian diets. Further studies should examine food-handling and preparation practices in relation to food safety and raw produce.
Feeding patterns in grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae): Factors influencing diet specialization

Diets of grasshopper species from two arid grassland communities in Trans-Pecos, Texas, were determined by gut analysis. Species-specific food plant choice and niche breadths are presented for each of these species. As a group, grasshoppers range from monophagous to polyphagous feeders although most species fall in the oligophagous to polyphagous group. Phylogenetic constraints are evident such that gomphocerinae are primarily grass feeders while melanoplinae feed predominantly on forbs; the oedipodinae show less clearcut tendencies. Feeding patterns are remarkably constant from site to site and overall, community niche breadth distributions between sites do not differ greatly. Individual species tend to eat the same plant species at various sites and maintain similar niche breadths. Species with relatively specialized diets tend to feed on predictable plant species such as grasses and long-lived perrenial forbs. Grasshopper feeding patterns present some problems to the current theory of herbivore diet specialization since forb feeding melanoplines tend to be polyphagous (contrary to predictions). Life history patterns unrelated to tracking host plants may explain some aspects of diet breadth since diet selectivities are presumably adjusted according to the probability of finding suitable food plants.
Marx's Concept of Human Nature and the Labor Theory of Value

It is shown that Marx's concept of human nature underlies not only his analysis of alienation but also his broad outlines of the nature of social evolution; his basic concepts of capital, wage labo...
Effects of Beta-Adrenergic Blockade on Survival of Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

Abstract Observations from experimental studies and controlled clinical trials indicate that prolonged activation of the sympathetic nervous system can accelerate the progression of heart failure, and that the risks of such progression can be substantially decreased through the use of pharmacologic agents that interfere with the actions of the sympathetic nervous system on the heart and peripheral blood vessels. Early studies with β 1 -selective agents such as metoprolol and bisoprolol suggested that treatment with β blockers could decrease the risk of worsening heart failure, but showed little or equivocal effects on survival. Recent studies using a more complex nonselective β blocker (e.g., carvedilol) have reported a reduction in mortality as well as in the combined risk of death and hospitalization. This ability to decrease the risk of disease progression led to the recent approval of carvedilol for the treatment of chronic heart failure by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, it is not clear whether these survival effects represent a class effect of β blockers or a specific effect of carvedilol. Carvedilol antagonizes several biologic mechanisms not blocked by metoprolol or bisoprolol that are thought to mediate the progression of heart failure. In addition, in 3 meta-analyses, the survival effects of nonselective vasodilating β blockers appeared to be greater than those of β 1 -selective nonvasodilating β blockers. Moreover, it is unknown whether survival benefits can be expected only in the patients who were enrolled in the clinical trials (i.e., New York Heart Association class II or III patients) or whether they can also be achieved in patients with less severe or more severe symptoms (class I or IV heart failure). These questions are being addressed in several ongoing large-scale, long-term survival trials that are scheduled for completion within the next 5 years.
Radiative Capture of Deuterons by Protons

The differential cross section for radiative capture of deuterons by protons has been measured by a novel method at deuteron energies near 20 and 30 MeV. The angular distributions are sufficiently detailed to show effects of transitions higher than quadrupole. The total cross sections, which are accurate to \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}7%, are about 10% below recent theoretical calculations.
Peroxisomes of the firefly lantern

Photocyte granules, very abundant 1- to 2-μm particulates of photocytes of adult firefly light organs, were studied morphologically and in relation to their reaction to diaminobenzidine. The content of these granules is uniform except for a dense “nucleoid” or “core” and occasionally a vacuole or a sheaf of straight tubules. All these inclusions are near the periphery of the granule, which is bounded by a single membrane. Occasionally the membrane or the tubules appear to merge with the general cytoplasm or with the endoplasmic reticulum of the photocyte. The photocyte granule reacts positively to the diaminobenzidine tests for peroxidatic catalase activity. Significant catalase activity was demonstrated in the photogenic tissue by direct biochemical assay. The photocyte granule thus appears to be a peroxisome (microbody), present in remarkable concentration. Relations between peroxidatic activity and firefly luminescence are discussed.
Paired Plant Immune Receptors

Plants are constantly interpreting microbial signals from potential pathogens and potential commensals or mutualists. Because plants have no circulating cells dedicated to this task, every plant cell must, in principle, recognize any microbe as friend, foe, or irrelevant bystander. That tall order is mediated by an array of innate immune system receptors: pattern-recognition receptors outside the plant cell and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)–like receptors (NLRs) inside the cell. Despite their importance for plant health, how NLRs function mechanistically has remained obscure. On page 299 of this issue, Williams et al. ( 1 ) reveal a role for heterodimerization between NLRs and show how the rather limited NLR repertoire of any plant genome might be enhanced by combinatorial diversity.
Chemometric methods for process monitoring and high‐performance controller design

A huge amount of data is collected by computer monitoring systems in the chemical process industry. Such tools as principal component analysis and partial least squares have been shown to be very effective in compressing this large volume of noisy correlated data into a subspace of much lower dimension than the original data set. Because most of what is eliminated is the collinearity of the original variables and the noise, the bulk of the information contained in the original data set is retained. The resulting low dimensional representation of the data set has been shown to be of great utility for process analysis and monitoring, as well as in selecting variables for control. These types of models can also be used directly in control system design. One way of approaching this is to use the loading matrices as compensators on the plant. Some advantages of using this approach as part of the overall control system design include automatic decoupling and efficient loop pairing, as well as natural handling of nonsquare systems and poorly conditioned systems.
Effect of bone proteins on human prostate cancer cell lines in vitro

BACKGROUND. Despite the high incidence and serious consequences of skeletal metastasis in prostate cancer patients, the mechanisms involved in establishing secondary lesions in bone are not well-understood. In this study, the role of the mineralized bone matrix in the process of skeletal metastasis was evaluated. METHODS. Attachment, migration, and proliferation responses of human prostate cancer cells to a crude bone protein extract (CBE) were studied. LNCaP and DU145 cells were utilized in 24-hr attachment assays. Boyden chamber chemotactic assays and cell proliferation assays utilized DU145 cells. RESULTS. CBE and fibronectin (FN) promoted attachment of DU145 cells, whereas only FN facilitated attachment of LNCaP cells. CBE-mediated adhesion of DU145 cells was reduced by 94% with cycloheximide, by 98% with RGD peptides, and by 94% with an antibody to avb3. Although DU145 cells migrated toward FN, CBE did not promote migration of DU145 cells. DU145 cells grown in the presence of CBE-containing media demonstrated a significant reduction in cell number by day 4. The antiproliferative effect of CBE was not due to cell toxicity. CONCLUSIONS. In conclusion, results from this study indicate that mineralized bone proteins promote the attachment of DU145 cells in vitro and suggest that bone proteins may play a key role in vivo during the development of metastatic prostate lesions in bone. Prostate 36:14‐22, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Local Experience and National Policy in Federal Reclamation: The Shoshone Project, 1909-1953

When the Newlands Reclamation Act was passed in 1902, it inaugurated an ambitious program of federal dam-and canal-building aimed at opening public land in the West to homesteading through irrigation. Ordinary Americans from all walks of life were to be given the opportunity to take out homesteads on land where the Reclamation Service had made water available; the land was free, but the cost of building the dams and canals was to be repaid to the federal government over a ten-year period. The overriding goal of federal Reclamation in the early years was to reinvigorate the agrarian tradition of America by making usable otherwise useless public land.
Selection of optimum output correlation values in synthetic discriminant function design

In the use of synthetic discriminant functions for the classification of scenes, the specification of output correlation values by the user is of utmost importance, since the filter performance significantly depends on these values. A systematic procedure for determining these values is developed in this paper. The proposed technique provides an optimal selection of the output correlation values in the sense that they result in a minimization of the probability of error in detection. Specific algorithms are developed for various situations of practical importance, which include the general multiple-class, multiple-training image problems. Several numerical examples are included to illustrate the performance improvements that result from employment of the proposed scheme.
Haloduracin α Binds the Peptidoglycan Precursor Lipid II with 2:1 Stoichiometry

The two-peptide lantibiotic haloduracin is composed of two post-translationally modified polycyclic peptides that synergistically act on Gram-positive bacteria. We show here that Halα inhibits the transglycosylation reaction catalyzed by PBP1b by binding in a 2:1 stoichiometry to its substrate lipid II. Halβ and the mutant Halα-E22Q were not able to inhibit this step in peptidoglycan biosynthesis, but Halα with its leader peptide still attached was a potent inhibitor. Combined with previous findings, the data support a model in which a 1:2:2 lipid II:Halα:Halβ complex inhibits cell wall biosynthesis and mediates pore formation, resulting in loss of membrane potential and potassium efflux.
Assortative mating in phlox

Experimental populations of P. drummondii were established in which pink-flowered and red-flowered variants were distributed in a chequerboard design. The mating patterns therein were estimated from the percentage hybrid progeny. Moderate positive assortative mating occurred when the variants were established at the same height. When stature differentials were introduced, the level of assortative mating increased. Thus pollinators of P. drummondii forage in an assortative manner with regard to flower colour and plant stature. The distribution of pollinators on the two phloxes indicated that the pink was not preferred over the red.
Endoscopic Ultrasonic Dacryocystorhinostomy for Recurrent Dacryocystitis Following Rhinoplasty

The lacrimal sac is the structure most vulnerable to injury when performing rhinoplastic osteotomies. When performed in a low lateral position or along the frontal process of the frontal-maxillary suture, osteotomies can potentially tear the medial canthal tendon and injure the underlying lacrimal sac, possibly resulting in dacryocystitis. In this case report, the authors discuss a case of dacryocystitis following primary rhinoplasty; this injury was repaired with endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) using a Sonopet ultrasonic bone aspirator (Stryker, Kalamazoo, Michigan) at a single institution. This method achieved nasolacrimal duct patency, and the patient continued to be symptom-free at an 18-month follow-up. This is the first reported case of recurrent dacryocystitis following rhinoplasty as treated by endoscopic DCR. Level of Evidence: 5 ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
The energy expenditure of an activity-promoting video game compared to sedentary video games and TV watching

BACKGROUND In the present study we investigated the effect of television watching and the use of activity-promoting video games on energy expenditure in obese and lean children. METHODS Energy expenditure and physical activity were measured while participants were watching television, playing a video game on a traditional sedentary video game console, and while playing the same video game on an activity-promoting video game console. RESULTS Energy expenditure was significantly greater than television watching and playing video games on a sedentary video game console when children played the video game on the activity-promoting console. When examining movement with accelerometry, children moved significantly more when playing the video game on the Nintendo Wii console. CONCLUSION Activity-promoting video games have shown to increase movement, and be an important tool to raise energy expenditure by 50% when compared to sedentary activities of daily living.
Acquisition as a function of S-R frequency of occurrence under ORM, OSM, or S-R associative conditions

Paired-associate experiments which have involved deletion of the response (%ORM) or the stimulus (%OSM) on a proportion of the trials confound the effects of the respective response or stimulus occurrence with frequency of S-R occurrence. The present experiment was designed to separate the effects attributable to response (or stimulus) occurrence per se and S-R frequency of occurrence. The experimental conditions consisted of paired-associates presented for eight different frequencies of occurrence under ORM, OSM, and the usual S-R associative procedure. It was found that S-R frequency only is significant and that response or stimulus occurrence per se is not important.
Sodium ion transport in high purity borosilicate glasses

Abstract 22Na diffusion coefficients and dc electrical conductivity were measured in 0.7 B2O3·0.3 SiO2 (mole ratio) glasses containing small amounts of Na2O (111 ppm to 2.6 mol%). Correlation factors near unity were obtained from the Nernst-Einstein equation for these glasses. These values are in agreement with a previously proposed free “interstitial” alkali ion diffusion mechanism in low alkali content glasses. It is concluded from the low values of the sodium diffusion coefficients and dc conductivity in these glasses (relative to similar silicate and germanate glasses) that the Na+ are bound strongly to the borate-rich glass network and that the number of dissociated Na+ at any given time is small.
Adaptive-Bandwidth Mixing PLL/DLL Based Multi-Phase Clock Generator for Optimal Jitter Performance

This paper presents an adaptive-bandwidth mixing PLL/DLL (MX-PDLL) based multi-phase clock generator that can operate as a PLL, DLL, or a mixture of the two. Moreover, this clock generator can be used in a proposed dual-loop CDR to minimize output clock jitter under various noise environments. A test-chip prototype of the MX-PDLL and a 360deg phase rotator was fabricated in a 0.18mum CMOS process, operating off of a 1.8V supply. Experimentally measured results verify that while PLL-mode operation offers the ability to better filter quantization noise from the digital CDR control, shifting towards DLL-mode operation offers the ability to reduce jitter as the amount of on-chip noise increases
Permeability of deep‐sea clays: Northwestern Atlantic

Abstract Permeability characteristics of deep‐sea sediments from the East Bermuda Rise and Blake Bahama Outer Ridge areas of the northwestern Atlantic were investigated. The samples were predominantly clay sized, although there were significant percentages of coarser‐grained material. The coefficients of permeability were directly measured by imposing a hydraulic head across the sample and were calculated according to the theory of one‐dimensional consolidation. Darcy's measured coefficients of permeability ranged from 7.93 ts 10‐7 cm/sec at a void ratio of 3.66 to 1.10 ts 10‐8 cm/sec at a void ratio of 1.10. Of the two methods (log of time and square root of time) the square root of time method agreed more with the measured permeability values. This is related to the square root of time's reliance on the earlier stages of consolidation, when the excess pore pressures across the sample are greater and secondary effects are reduced. Existing theory based on the physiochemical nature of the clays was inadeq...
Price Changes, Supply Elasticities, Industry Organization, and Dairy Output Distribution

Long-run price elasticities of milk supply are decomposed into price elasticities of yield, herd size, and farm population. For northeastern U.S. dairy farms, these elasticities are shown to vary with farm size because of size-related differences in capital intensity, specialization, yield and herd size variability, and rates of entry/exit into dairy. In the short run, price responsiveness is shown to decrease with farm size. In the long run, large farms are shown to be most price responsive. Results suggest that lower milk prices could make revenue distribution less equal in both the short and long run by altering output and population distributions.
Injection obturation in surgical endodontics

Abstract A detailed description of an endodontic obturation technique is presented. With the use of a modified 18-gauge stainless steel needle and a 1 c.c. tuberculin syringe, a thick homogeneous mix of zinc oxide and eugenol is injected so as to obliterate the canal space. Although there is no histologic evidence at this time to confirm the value of this technique, it has been used for more than 20 years with apparent clinical success.
Visualization of neuropeptide expression, transport, and exocytosis in Drosophila melanogaster.

Neuropeptides affect an extremely diverse set of physiological processes. Neuropeptides are often coreleased with neurotransmitters but, unlike neurotransmitters, the neuropeptide target cells may be distant from the site(s) of secretion. Thus, it is often difficult to measure the amount of neuropeptide release in vivo by electrophysiological methods. Here we establish an in vivo system for studying the developmental expression, processing, transport, and release of neuropeptides. A GFP-tagged atrial natriuretic factor fusion (preproANF-EMD) was expressed in the Drosophila nervous system with the panneural promoter, elav. During embryonic development, proANF-EMD was first seen to accumulate in synaptic regions of the CNS in stage 17 embryos. By the third instar larval stage, highly fluorescent neurons were evident throughout the CNS. In the adult, fluorescence was pronounced in the mushroom bodies, antennal lobe, and the central complex. At the larval neuromuscular junction, proANF-EMD was concentrated in nerve terminals. We compared the release of proANF-EMD from synaptic boutons of NMJ 6/7, which contain almost exclusively glutamate-containing clear vesicles, to those of NMJ 12, which include the peptidergic type III boutons. Upon depolarization, approximately 60% of the tagged neuropeptide was released from NMJs of both muscles in 15 min, as assayed by decreased fluorescence. Although the elav promoter was equally active in the motor neurons that innervate both NMJs 6/7 and 12, NMJ 12 contained 46-fold more neuropeptide and released much more proANF-EMD during stimulation than did NMJ 6/7. Our results suggest that peptidergic neurons have an enhanced ability to accumulate and/or release neuropeptides as compared to neurons that primarily release classical neurotransmitters.
A phosphoglycolate phosphatase-deficient mutant of Arabidopsis

CURRENT concepts of photosynthetic and photorespiratory carbon metabolism have been derived almost entirely from the results of biochemical and physiological investigations. To examine these concepts by genetic analysis, we have isolated several mutants of a C3 species with defects in CO2 assimilation and photorespiration. We report here the isolation and preliminary characterisation of the first of these, a mutant deficient in phosphoglycolate phosphatase activity.
Study of crack closure in laminated composite shells

Abstract Fibrous composite shells containing through-wall-thickness cracks and subjected to bending loads have crack closure at the crack faces under compression. A study was undertaken to determine the effect of crack closure on the displacement and stress fields of a composite shell using the finite element method. Open cylindrical composite shells containing longitudinal center cracks were studied. The shells had unidirectional layers or cross-ply layers. Numerical analyses showed that crack closure could increase or decrease the crack opening displacement and bending stress around the crack tip at the tensile surface of a composite shell compared to those obtained without considering crack closure. Whether crack closure at the compression side increased or decreased the displacement and stress fields at the tension side depended on material properties of composite shells and crack orientation. A large transverse shear flexibility of the crack face caused an increase of crack opening displacement and bending stress at the tensile surface. The effect of crack closure was more significant for a unidirectional composite shell than for a cross-ply composite shell.
Fast frequency-domain electromagnetic modeling of a 3-D earth using finite differences

A numerical modeling code has been developed to simulate the electromagnetic response of a general three-dimensional (3-D) earth. The problem is solved using the numerical finite difference approximation of either the coupled, first-order Maxwell`s equations for both the electric and magnetic fields, or the second-order vector Helmholtz equation for the electric fields. The resulting matrix system of equations is sparse and is solved using either a bi-conjugate gradient (BiCG) or quasi-minimal residual (QMR) technique with Jacobi preconditioning. The scheme been tested against a host of other numerical models including 1-D routines and 3-D integral equation codes. Here numerical results calculated with the 3-D code are compared to a set of scale model data that were collected in a simulated crosswell EM experiment. The results show the accuracy of the 3-D code to be excellent. Because the ultimate goal in the development of this numerical model is to incorporate it into a 3-D imaging scheme, a large emphasis has been placed on solution speed. In certain situations time savings of an order of magnitude or greater can be achieved by using a half space background model rather than a whole space solution. Recent experience with the QMR solver indicates that itmore » tends to be faster than the BiCG routine. Finally the code is currently being implemented on a massively parallel (MP) machine with a matrix solution-software package that includes several previously untested methods of preconditioning the matrix as well as various different Krylov subspace methods for arriving at a solution.« less