cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract P2-04-04: Association of mammographic density and molecular breast cancer subtype

Background: While mammographic density is linked to increased breast cancer risk, limited yet conflicting data exists on an association between density and developing specific molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Methods: Eligible patients were enrolled in a larger study on breast density, diagnosed with cancer between 2003-2013, and had pathology and films available for review. Density was classified qualitatively from existing radiology reports according to Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BIRADS) classification and quantitatively by volumetric breast density measurements using Volpara SolutionsTM software. Subtype was assigned by hormone receptor status, tumor grade and mitotic score (MS). Subtype categories included: Luminal A (ER/PR + & grade 1; ER/PR + & grade 2 & MS=1; ER+/PR- & grade 1); Luminal B (ER+ & grade 3 or MS=3; ER+/PR- & grade 2; ER/PR + & grade 2 & MS=2); Her-2 + (ER+ or ER - & Her-2 +); Triple Negative (ER/PR-, Her-2 -). Relevant pre-cancer factors including patient age, race, BMI, family history of breast cancer, and biopsy showing LCIS were included in analysis. Results: Of 604 patients with invasive cancer, 457 had sufficient information for analysis. Among these, 233 (51%) had Luminal A, 79 (17%) Luminal B, 59 (13%) Her-2 +, and 86 (19%) Triple Negative tumors. Younger women and those with denser breasts based on quantitative measurements were more likely to have Her-2+ tumors (Table 1); this association was not seen using the standard BIRADS classification. Triple Negative tumors were less common in patients with LCIS and more common in African Americans. A multinomial logistic regression model controlling for pre-cancer patient factors demonstrated that while quantitative breast density does not significantly differentiate between all molecular subtypes (p=0.140), the association between Her-2+ tumors and denser breasts using continuous quantitative measurements is significant (p=0.035). Conclusion: Women with denser breasts by continuous-scaled quantitative measurements are at higher risk for Her-2+ tumors; an association not delineated using standard BIRADS density classification. Delineating risk factors specific to molecular breast cancer subtype may promote individualized risk prediction models and prevention strategies. Citation Format: Brandy L Edwards, Kristen A Atkins, George J Stukenborg, Wendy M Novicoff, Krista N Larson, Wendy F Cohn, Jennifer A Harvey, Anneke T Schroen. Association of mammographic density and molecular breast cancer subtype [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-04-04.
Design of estimation/deflation approaches to independent component analysis

Adaptive algorithms for independent component analysis (ICA) attempt to extract multiple independent signals from sets of linear mixtures. In this paper, we consider the design of one class of ICA algorithms that combine prewhitening, estimation, and deflation. Both stability and performance analyses of unit-norm-constrained gradient-based extraction methods are derived and used to determine via the calculus of variations the optimum output nonlinearity for the source statistics. Our results show that (i) the local convergence behavior of these algorithms can be significantly enhanced by matching the output nonlinearity to the source statistics, and (ii) employing a linear term within the output nonlinearity can improve these algorithms' performances. Simulations verify the accuracy of the theoretical results and indicate the performance improvements obtainable by proper algorithm design.
Talking treasures: Stories to help build emotional intelligence and resilience in young children by Hankin, V., Omer, D., Elias, M. J., & Raviv, A.

This book begins with the statement that Stories make our lives meaningful. They put together individual actions that may not mean much at first but mean a great deal when viewed from the perspecti...
Colorectal cancer screening: now is the time.

12 and Denmark, 13 showed that testing of 2 samples from each of 3 consecutive stools, followed by colonoscopy if occult blood is present, reduced the risk of death from colorectal cancer. Annual testing with a sensitive slide was associated with the largest reduction in mortality (by 33%). 11 Reductions ob- served in the 3 trials resulted from a combination screening with fecal occult blood testing, followed by colonoscopy in subjects with a positive test result. The effectiveness of fecal occult blood testing depends on the performance of regular screening in an annual program. When this is done the sensitivity of the program in detecting colorectal cancer in screened participants is 90%. 11
Designing multidimensional environmental programs: Assessing tradeoffs and substitution in watershed management plans

[1] Efforts to value particular dimensions of environmental quality may misrepresent true social values if dimensions of environmental quality interact and researchers nonetheless seek to value single dimensions in isolation. While prior work illustrates that substitution among environmental improvements may occur, questions remain regarding the practical implications of such interactions for microlevel policy evaluation and whether similar effects occur when policies unavoidably include improvements in some resources and degradations in others. This paper identifies potential effects of preference interactions among watershed management components, with an emphasis on whether resource interactions can create substantial shifts in willingness to pay for policy changes.
The influence of watershed characteristics on nitrogen export to and marine fate in Hood Canal, Washington, USA

Hood Canal, Washington, USA, is a poorly ventilated fjord-like sub-basin of Puget Sound that commonly experiences hypoxia. This study examined the influence of watershed soils, vegetation, physical features, and population density on nitrogen (N) export to Hood Canal from 43 tributaries. We also linked our watershed study to the estuary using a salinity mass balance model that calculated the relative magnitude of N loading to Hood Canal from watershed, direct precipitation, and marine sources. The overall flow-weighted total dissolved N (TDN) and particulate N input concentrations to Hood Canal were 152 and 49 μg l−1, respectively. Nitrate and dissolved organic N comprised 64 and 29% of TDN, respectively. The optimal regression models for TDN concentration and areal yield included a land cover term suggesting an effect of N-fixing red alder (Alnus rubra) and a human population density term (suggesting onsite septic system (OSS) discharges). There was pronounced seasonality in stream water TDN concentrations, particularly for catchments with a high prevalence of red alder, with the lowest concentrations occurring in the summer and the highest occurring in November–December. Due to strong seasonality in TDN concentrations and in particular stream flow, over 60% of the TDN export from this watershed occurred during the 3 month period of November–January. Entrainment of marine water into the surface layer of Hood Canal accounted for ≈98% of N loading to the euphotic zone of this estuary, and in a worst case scenario OSS N inputs contribute ≈0.5% of total N loading. Domestic wastewater discharges and red alders appear to be a very important N source for many streams, but a minor nutrient source for the estuary as a whole.
Effects of misfit strain and reverse loading on the flow strength of particulate-reinforced A1 matrix composites

Abstract Experimental studies conducted on particulate-reinforced A1 alloys are used to critically assess flow models. For this purpose, the influence of thermal expansion misfit and of reverse loading provide a particularly critical assessment. Comparison with models indicates that continuum cell calculations provide good predictions of trends, subject to an in situ matrix strength that may differ from that for the unreinforced alloy.
Regulation of Adipogenesis by Natural and Synthetic REV-ERB Ligands

The nuclear hormone receptor, REV-ERB, plays an essential role in adipogenesis. Rev-erbalpha expression is induced in 3T3-L1 cells during adipogenesis, and overexpression of this receptor leads to expression of adipogenic genes. We recently demonstrated that the porphyrin heme functions as a ligand for REV-ERB, and binding of heme is required for the receptor's activity. We therefore hypothesized that REV-ERB ligands may play a role in regulation of adipogenesis. We detected an increase intracellular heme levels during 3T3-L1 adipogenesis that correlated with induction of aminolevulinic acid synthase 1 (Alas1) expression, the rate-limiting enzyme in heme biosynthesis. If the increase in Alas1 expression was blocked, adipogenesis was severely attenuated, indicating that induction of expression of Alas1 and the increase in heme synthesis is critical for differentiation. Inhibition of heme synthesis during adipogenesis leads to decreased recruitment of nuclear receptor corepressor to the promoter of a REV-ERB target gene, suggesting alteration of REV-ERB activity. Treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with a synthetic REV-ERB ligand, SR6452, resulted in induction of adipocyte differentiation to a similar extent as treatment with the peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonist, rosiglitazone. Combination of SR6452 and rosiglitazone had an additive effect on stimulation of adipocyte differentiation. These results suggest that heme, functioning as a REV-ERB ligand, is an important signaling molecule for induction of adipogenesis. Moreover, synthetic small molecule ligands for REV-ERB are effective modulators of adipogenesis and may be useful for treatment of metabolic diseases.
Circular Ribosomal RNA Genes Are a General Feature of Schizopyrenid Amoebae

We have recently shown that the ribosomal RNA genes of the amoebo-flagellate Naegleria gruberi Schardinger, 1899, strain NEG-M are carried exclusively on a 14 kilobasepair plasmid. To explore the distribution of this unique gene arrangement, we have examined another strain of N. gruberi and four other species from the order Schizopyrenida. All have this unusual gene arrangement although the size of the plasmid varies widely. Species groups based on morphological criteria do not agree with those resulting from comparison of plasmid restriction enzyme patterns.
A 71-year-old woman contemplating a screening colonoscopy.

DR BURNS: Ms G is a 71-year-old woman with a past medical history of osteoporosis, mitral valve prolapse, mild rheumatoid arthritis, and hypothyroidism. She has Medicare. Ms G is trying to decide whether to undergo a colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer. Ms G is currently feeling well and has no active medical issues. Ms G’s physician has encouraged her to have a colonoscopy, but she remains reluctant to proceed for 3 reasons. First, she has had adverse reactions to anesthetic agents in the past and is concerned about a potential reaction to the agents that would be used for a colonoscopy. Second, she is concerned about needing transportation home after receiving a sedative because her husband has driving restrictions. Third, she is unsure about the importance of colonoscopy given her negative family history of colon cancer. In addition, she expressed a concern about the size of colonoscopes designed for adults. Of note, she has completed home-based fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) on a yearly to every-other-year basis, and test results have always been negative. She has never undergone flexible sigmoidoscopy. She has been screened for breast and cervical cancer. She has had bone densitometry and was found to have osteoporosis for which she currently takes alendronate as well as calcium and vitamin D. Ms G also has had cholesterol screening performed on a yearly basis. She is currently taking alendronate (70 mg weekly), calcium, vitamin D, and levothyroxine (75 μg daily) and reports vomiting as an adverse reaction to diazepam. She has undergone allergy testing, which revealed an allergy to epinephrine and all members of the “caine” family except carbocaine. She is married. She does not smoke and drinks red wine with dinner. She remains physically active around the home and in her garden and practices piano on a daily basis. Travel is restricted by her husband’s limited driving ability. MS G: HER VIEW I’ve had a lot of pressure from my doctor to have a colonoscopy, but I’m reluctant to have one for several reasons. First of all, you have to have some sort of a relaxant and I’m afraid to take one of those tranquilizer type things because I just react badly to that stuff. I talked to my doctor and she thought it might be possible to do it without sedation especially if they used pediatric equipment. Second, I could never have it done here. My husband is truly handicapped and cannot drive other than right around the house, so he could not drive me here and I’d have to have somebody else bring me down. The third thing is that my father is 1 of 9 children, my mother 1 of 5 and nobody has ever had colon cancer on either side of the family that we know. So those are my reasons. However, this summer it really hit me because my doctor said she thinks I should go ahead and have one because my health is so good, that I should, barring trucks hitting me, etc, last a long time, and that I should have the colonoscopy just in case there’s something lurking there. And I had never thought about it that way and I thought that was valid.
Simulations to improve experimental designs for u-shaped dose-response modeling

This paper investigates the results of simulations from which clustered binary dose-response data are generated. This data mimics the type of discrete data collected from experiments conducted in developmental toxicity studies on animals. In particular one assumption used in the design of these simulations is that hormesis exists, as evidenced by the dose-response pattern of the generated data. This implies the existence of a threshold level, as hormesis, if it exists, would exist below this level. Below the threshold level, no adverse effects above the response at the control dose level should exist. While hormesis implies several dose-response patterns below threshold, in this paper, the hormetic pattern is assumed to be U-shaped. Improving upon the design of current and past developmental studies, these simulations also include designs in which dose levels and litters (clusters of animals) are allocated in a way that increases the power for detecting hormesis, assuming it exists. The beta-binomial dist...
Bi-national water issues in the Rio Grande/Rı́o Bravo basin

Abstract The Rio Grande (called the Rio Bravo in Mexico) is the fifth largest river on the North American continent. The river supports extensive irrigated agriculture as well as rapidly growing cities in three US and five Mexican states. From El Paso, Texas to the Gulf of Mexico, the river marks the international border between Mexico and the United States. Treaties for sharing the water of the Rio Grande between the two countries and arrangements for joint management were concluded in 1906 and 1944. Over time, a complex system of water management institutions has emerged. Water problems are pronounced, due to intensive development in an arid environment. Over the course of the last 40 years, the population in the border communities has doubled every 20 years. Demographic projections predict another doubling of the population by 2030. The entire Rio Grande basin is arid or semi-arid. Development has already led to a severe loss of biodiversity in parts of the basin. Development of new surface water resources is not a realistic option. The principal water management options are as follows: improved efficiency of water use, transfer of agricultural to urban uses of water, conservation and re-use of water, and treatment of brackish groundwater. Up to now, differences in law and levels of development between Mexico and the United States have made it difficult to develop basin-wide management strategies. In addition, regional differences in hydrological conditions argue in favor of developing separate but linked strategies for the sub-basins. This paper presents the key issues in two sub-basins with the largest population centers on the international border—the Paso del Norte (Las Cruces, New Mexico, El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua), and the Rio Grande Valley (Reynosa–Matamoros on the Mexican side, and MacAllen–Brownsville on the US side). Together, these cities will have 8 million inhabitants by 2030. The paper concludes with suggestions for improving management of river and groundwater in this bi-national growth region.
Information about support services for families of young children with hearing loss: A review of some useful outcomes and challenges

AbstractThis paper is concerned with reviewing some useful effects of information about support services provided to families of young children with hearing loss and the challenges of providing this information to families. Evidence indicates that 95 per cent of young children with hearing loss have hearing parents. With no previous experience of hearing loss, these families are faced with numerous challenges in raising these children. They require timely and unbiased information that could enable them to respond appropriately to their emotional reactions to the diagnosis of hearing loss, participate actively in early intervention and educational programmes for their children, and collaborate effectively with professionals. Evidence indicates that families of young children with hearing loss may not receive such information. The implication of this as well as some strategies that could be explored to ensure that these families receive timely information about the developmental needs of their children are ...
CaM-kinases: modulators of synaptic plasticity

Calcium signaling is crucial for several aspects of plasticity at glutamatergic synapses, and studies over the past two to three years have identified key functions for Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases II and IV (CaM-KII and CaM-KIV). Sustained activation of CaM-KII localized at the postsynaptic density results in phosphorylation of numerous synaptic substrates including ion channels, other signaling molecules and scaffolding proteins, to modulate synaptic transmission within minutes. More prolonged responses may be effected through enhanced dendritic protein synthesis of CaM-KII and regulation of nuclear gene transcription by CaM-KIV.
Aldosterone and specific aldosterone receptor antagonists in hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Recent preclinical and clinical studies indicate that aldosterone, independent of angiotensin II and elevated blood pressure, may play a role in health and disease. In addition to its role in fluid and electrolyte balance and circulatory homeostasis, more recent studies have identified aldosterone as a critical mediator of vascular damage. In animal studies, aldosterone is implicated in cardiac and vascular fibrosis, renal disease, and cerebrovascular damage. These lesions are prevented by specific aldosterone receptor blockade. In clinical studies, aldosterone receptor antagonism is associated with decreased hospitalization, symptomatology, and mortality, and improvement of endothelial dysfunction in patients with chronic heart failure. A better understanding of aldosterone’s actions in nonepithelial tissues should pave the way to better protection of organs at risk such as the kidneys, heart, and brain.
A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials in the Field of Dysphagia Rehabilitation

We carried out a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCT) of oropharyngeal swallowing interventions conducted between years 2010 and 2013. A systematic literature search of RCTs was conducted using databases MEDLINE (PubMed), PsychInfo, Google Scholar, EBSCO, PROQUEST, Web of Science, and grey literature. Data were abstracted from all eligible studies by the first author and independently assessed by two raters using the Van Tulder scale. A total of 15 RCTs of behavioral swallowing therapy were included for evaluation. Significant heterogeneity between experimental studies was noted. Only 33 % (5) of studies included met the quality criterion identified by the van Tulder scale for high study rigor. Data supporting swallowing rehabilitation methods with adult dysphagic patients is advancing. Although studies intervention approaches remain diverse, the use of RCT designs is increasing with noted improvements in control methods. More research is needed to ascertain the most optimal intervention methodology for dysphagia rehabilitation.
Haversian osteons: Longitudinal variation of internal structure

Previous studies have suggested that one general type of osteon exists, rather than the three types previously classified as light, intermediate, and dark. A method is presented that permits rapid, quantitative measurement of the percent transmission of osteons seen in thin section between crossed polarizers. In studies of osteon segments from human cortical bone, cut either 200 or 5 micrometers in length, a continuous variation of transmission is seen, both for the populations as a whole and for serial sections. These variations cannot be ascribed to angulation between the direction of observation and the axis of the osteonal segment. No correlation can be observed between the angle of the segment axis and the percent transmission. It is suggested that the collagen fiber orientation in osteonal segments must be considered to be continuous, as judged by scattering of polarized light.
Isotopic enrichment in a phloem-feeding insect: influences of nutrient and water availability

The isotopic enrichment between an animal and its diet can vary among and within living systems, but the sources of variation are not yet fully understood. Some studies have found that diet quality or an animal’s nutritional status can influence the degree of trophic enrichment, while others have dismissed nutrition as a contributing factor. We evaluated the effects of nutrient and water availability on carbon and nitrogen isotopic enrichment in a specialized plant–herbivore system. Aphids are largely sedentary and rely exclusively on nitrogen-poor phloem sap of their host for nutrition. We grew potato aphids [Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Aphididae)] on an accepted host, pumpkin [Cucurbita pepo L. (Cucurbitaceae)], in a glasshouse environment. Twelve pumpkin plants growing under high- and low-watering regimes were inoculated at 4 weeks of age with aphids. During the course of the experiment we collected leaves, phloem sap, aphids and honeydew (i.e., aphid exudates). We found no trophic enrichment between aphids and their phloem sap diet, but significant carbon enrichment of honeydew relative to aphids (2.5‰) and phloem sap (2.1‰). Honeydew was also enriched in nitrogen compared to the phloem sap (1.2‰). Watering treatment had a substantial impact on trophic enrichment. Correlations among tissues, an indication of uniform trophic enrichment among samples, were significant only for the carbon isotopic composition, and then only for plants and aphids grown in the low-water treatment. Diet quality also influenced the degree of isotopic enrichment; trophic enrichment for both carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition increased as diet quality (C/N) declined. We conclude that the degree of trophic enrichment is variable due, in part, to diet quality, but that the scale of variation is small.
Keith R. Porter Lecture, 1996. Of mice and men: genetic disorders of the cytoskeleton.

Abstract Since the time when I was a postdoctoral fellow under the supervision of Dr. Howard Green, then at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I have been interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying growth, differentiation, and development in the mammalian ectoderm. The ectoderm gives rise to epidermal keratinocytes and to neurons, which are the only two cell types of the body that devote most of their protein-synthesizing machinery to developing an elaborate cytoskeletal architecture composed of 10-nm intermediate filaments (IFs). Our interest is in understanding the architecture of the cytoskeleton in keratinocytes and in neurons, and in elucidating how perturbations in this architecture can lead to degenerative diseases of the skin and the nervous system. I will concentrate on the intermediate filament network of the skin and its associated genetic disorders, since this has been a long-standing interest of my laboratory at the University of Chicago.
Legislative Learning: The 104th Republican Freshmen in the House By Timothy J. Barnett. New York: Garland, 1998. 333p. $60.00

The 1994 elections were watershed elections in several respects. Perhaps most significantly, the Republicans gained control of both chambers of Congress for the first time since 1953. In the process, the 1994 elections also swept into office a large, relatively homogeneous group of 73 House Republican freshmen determined to change the political system. With size comes an opportunity for power in Congress, and the 73 Republican freshmen elected in 1994 were determined to exert considerable influence over the legislative process. Not since the 1974 elections produced the 76 freshmen Democrats (i.e., the Watergate Babies) have political scientists focused so much attention on a single class of legislators. Timothy Barnett's Legislative Learning is a nice complement to similar books already written about this interesting group of legislators, including Richard Fenno and Michael Armacost's Learning to Govern: An Institutional View of the 104th Congress (1997) and Nicol Rae's Conservative Reformers: The Republican Freshmen and the Lessons of the 104th Congress (1998).
Role of the PRMT–DDAH–ADMA axis in the regulation of endothelial nitric oxide production

There is abundant evidence that the endothelium plays a crucial role in the maintenance of vascular tone and structure. One of the major endothelium-derived vasoactive mediators is nitric oxide (NO), formed in healthy vascular endothelium from the amino acid precursor l-arginine. Endothelial dysfunction is increased by various cardiovascular risk factors, metabolic diseases, and systemic or local inflammation. One mechanism that has been implicated in the development of endothelial dysfunction is the presence of elevated levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). Free ADMA, which is formed during proteolysis, is actively degraded by the intracellular enzyme dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) which catalyzes the conversion of ADMA to citrulline and dimethylamine. It has been estimated that more than 70% of ADMA is metabolized by DDAH (Achan et al. [1]). Decreased DDAH expression/activity is evident in disease states associated with endothelial dysfunction and is believed to be the mechanism responsible for increased methylarginines and subsequent ADMA mediated eNOS impairment. However, recent studies suggest that DDAH may regulate eNOS activity and endothelial function through both ADMA-dependent and -independent mechanisms. In this regard, elevated plasma ADMA may serve as a marker of impaired methylarginine metabolism and the pathology previously attributed to elevated ADMA may be manifested, at least in part, through altered activity of the enzymes involved in ADMA regulation, specifically DDAH and PRMT.
Seismic stratigraphy of the Upper Pliocene and Quaternary deposits in the South Caspian Basin

Abstract More than 10,000 km of seismic data were used for seismic stratigraphic analysis and differentiation of major depositional environments of Upper Pliocene and Quaternary strata in the central deepwater and eastern parts of the South Caspian Basin (SCB). The study shows that the conventional sequence stratigraphy concept works well in the South Caspian Basin. Clinoform complexes within Paleo-Amudarya shelf margin are bounded by regionally, seismically expressed sequence boundaries and flooding surfaces that can be traced to the deep basin. Sequence analysis and seismic facies interpretation showed that deposition of prograding clinoforms and deep-water turbidite systems were controlled by the relative lake-level change. Depositional interpretation of sediment infill indicates that in the South Caspian Basin, as in other closed basins with high terrigineous input, basinal deposition is from turbidity currents and slumps generated from large shelf-edge deltas. There are two distinct stratigraphic complexes interpreted from seismic data: lower, interpreted as homogeneous infill of mud-rich turbidites and deepwater lacustrine deposits (Upper Pliocene, i.e. Akchagyl and Aspheron), and upper, consisting of prograding clinoform packages and coeval deepwater fan systems and slumps (Quaternary). The source of the central basin turbidite infill was primarily the eastern “Paleo-Amudarya” shelf. Growing diapir folds structurally controlled deposition of large-scale fan systems in the central basin. The distribution of these fan systems is tied to location of the coeval thick shelf-margin complexes.
Temperature and forager body size affect carbohydrate collection in German yellowjackets, Vespula germanica (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

The classic formulation of optimal foraging theory predicts that a central-place forager will gather more food if it is required to travel farther from the nest to find that food. We examined the foraging behavior of German yellowjackets (Vespula germanica) to determine whether carbohydrate foragers follow this pattern. We trained foragers to collect 2 M fructose solution at 5 or 50 m from the nest and measured the time spent feeding, load size, and the rate of delivery. We show that as a forager’s crop fills during a foraging bout, the amount of solution ingested per second decreased. However, load size did not change as wasps collected food up to 50 m from the nest. Instead, temperature and body size were better predictors of the volume of fructose a forager carried. Finally, the rate of fructose delivered to the nest was higher at warmer temperatures. Due to the fact that wasps gather more food but feed for shorter periods of time at warmer temperatures, we found an overall negative relationship between feeding time and load size. We conclude that the strong effects temperature had on the behavior of V. germanica foragers imply that feeding time may not always be an accurate predictor of the size of the load an individual carries back to the nest. Results from this study suggest that in yellowjacket colonies, foragers can collect and bring disproportionately more food back to the nest during the warmest days of the summer, a time of year when this pest species reaches peak population size during its annual colony cycle.
Asymmetry of influenza virus membrane bilayer demonstrated with phospholipase C

IN the red cell, the membrane carbohydrates1, proteins2–9 and lipids9–15 are all unequally distributed between the two sides of the plasma membrane. The membrane proteins and carbohydrates of influenza virions are also asymmetrically distributed16,17 (review in ref. 18). We have now found that the phospholipids of influenza viriong are asymmetrically distributed as well. Using phospholipase C (PLase C) to digest the phospholipids exposed on the outer surface We have found a predominance of phosphatidyl choline (PC) and sphingomyelin (Sph) on the outer surface and a predominance of phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) and phosphytidyl serine (PS) on the inner surface. Since influenza virions acquire theif lipid bilayer by budding out from the membrane of their host cells, it is reasonable to surmise that this asymmetry characterises the host cell plasma membrana as well. Thus, the consistency between our present findings and pevious findings with red cell membranes9–15 suggest an asymmetric phospholipid distribution of this type mayi be a general feature of plasma membrane Structure.
Solvent dependence of the spectra and kinetics of excited-state charge transfer in three (alkylamino)benzonitriles

Steady-state absorption and emission spectra and emission decay kinetics are reported for 4-aminobenzonitrile (ABN), 4-(1-azetidinyl)benzonitrile (P4C), 4-(1-pyrrolidinyl)benzonitrile (P5C), and 4-(1-piperidinyl)benzonitrile (P6C) in 24 room temperature solvents. In solvents of modest to high polarity, P4C, P5C, and P6C exhibit dual fluorescence and emission decays characteristic of the transformation from an initially prepared (LE) state to a more polar charge transfer (CT) state, whereas ABN does not undergo this reaction. The frequencies of the steady-state absorption and emission spectra of all of these solutes can be rationalized using a dielectric continuum description of the solvent and considering only the minima on the reactive surfaces, which are assumed to involve both an intramolecular (twisting) and a solvation coordinate. Characteristics of the gas-phase solutes deduced from this analysis are in good agreement with electronic structure calculations and indicate that differences in their spectra mainly reflect differences in the relative energies of the gas-phase LE and CT states. The relative yields of LE and CT emission are not described as satisfactorily by this model, and reasons for this failure are discussed. The kinetics of the LE --> CT reaction vary considerably with solute and solvent. In many solvents, the emission decays of P4C are reasonably described by a simple two-state kinetic scheme with time-independent rate constants. In P5C and P6C multiexponential decays are observed that reflect time-dependent shifts of the component spectra as well as time-dependent reaction rates. A simplified analysis of these complex dynamics provides estimates for both the free energy change Delta(r)G and (average) LE --> CT rate constant k(f) for a wide range of solute and solvent combinations. The driving force for reaction (-Delta(r)G) follows the order P6C > P5C > P4C and increases with increasing solvent polarity. The reaction rates are correlated to Delta(r)G and follow the opposite trend. The relationships observed between k(f) and Delta(r)G suggest that static solvent effects, i.e., barrier height changes, are the primary determinants of the solvent dependence in P4C. Correlations between barrier-corrected rates and solvation times suggest that dynamical solvent effects contribute substantially to the solvent dependence of the rates in P5C, and especially P6C.
Acoustic Techniques for Assessing the Density and Distribution of Suspended Particulate in the Marine Environment

Ecosystem studies often require measurement of particulate plumes generated by man-made changes in the natural environment. Deep ocean mining and coastal dredging are examples of these perturbations. The University of Washington Marine Acoustics Program has been studying the use of acoustic Techniques for detecting and quantifying plume density and distribution. Measurements have been made in mid-ocean and in sheltered coastal and river systems with good results. This paper discusses the techniques we have developed and presents data from ocean measurements.
Dichlorvos-impregnated resin strands for control of chicken lice on laying hens.

Resin forms impregnated with 3, 5, or 10% concentrations of dichlorvos controlled chicken body lice, Menacanthus stramineus (Nitzsch); Shaft lice, Menopon gallinae (L.), and wing lice, Lipeurus caponis (L.) , when impregnated leg bands were attached to infested hens or to the bottom of layer cages; with these devices, the 10% concentration gave control for 147 days. When similar forms containing 10% did11orvos were attached to the bottoms of alternate cages, only partial control was achieved on the hens in untreated cages. Also, leg bands impregnated with 5 and 10% concentrations of dichlorvos were more effective than those treated with 3% concentrations when half the laying hens in a floor-type operation were treated, but a single strand of resin impregnated with 20% dichlorvos and woven through the bottom of the layer cages controlled the lice.
A 3- to 5-μm camera for extrasolar planet searches

We have designed and built an infrared camera using a Rockwell HAWAII MBE array sensitive from 1-5 microns. This camera is optimized for sensitive imaging in the 3-5 micron wavelength range, i.e. the L’ and M photometric bands. When used with the deformable secondary adaptive optics (AO) system on the 6.5m MMT telescope, the camera will be ideal for direct imaging surveys for extrasolar planets around young, nearby stars. Based on the models of Burrows et al (2001), we calculate that in a 2-hour background-limited integration with MMT AO we will be able to detect, in both M and L’ bands, a planet of 1 billion year (Gyr) age and 5 Jupiter masses (MJ) at a distance of 10 parsecs (pc). Our simulations of atmospheric speckle noise suggest that background limited M and L’ observations are possible at about 1.5 and 2.5 arcseconds, respectively, from a solar-type star at 10pc distance. The speckle limits move inward dramatically for fainter stars, and brighter planets or brown dwarfs can be seen even where the speckles overwhelm the background noise. The camera opens up a region of parameter space that is inaccessible to the radial velocity technique, and thus the two methods are highly complementary.
Interactive Effects of Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen Nutrition on Cotton Growth, Development, Yield, and Fiber Quality

The consequences of elevated carbon dioxide concentrations ([CO 2 ]) and N nutrition on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growth, development, yield, and fiber quality were determined. Cotton cultivar NuCOTN 33B was grown in sunlit controlled environment chambers at three levels of [CO 2 ] (180, 360, and 720 μmol mol -1 ) and two levels of N [continuous N throughout the plant growth period (N+) and N withheld from flowering to harvest (N-)]. Leaf N concentration decreased with increasing [CO 2 ] under both N treatments. These low leaf N concentrations did not decrease the effect of elevated [CO 2 ] in producing higher lint yields at both N treatments, the response being highest for plants grown at elevated [CO 2 ] and N+ conditions. Fiber quality was not significantly affected by [CO 2 ], but the leaf N concentrations, which varied with [CO 2 ], had either a positive or a negative influence on most of the fiber quality parameters. Leaf N during boll maturation period had significant positive correlations with mean fiber length (r 2 = 0.63), fine fiber fraction (r 2 = 0.67), and immature fiber fraction (r 2 = 0.65) and negative correlations with mean fiber diameter (r 2 = 0.61), short fiber content (r 2 = 0.50), fiber cross-sectional area (r 2 = 0.76), average circularity (r 2 = 0.74), and micronafis (r 2 = 0.65). It is inferred that future elevated [CO 2 ] will not have any deleterious effects on fiber quality and yield if N is optimum. The developed algorithms, if incorporated into process-level crop model, will be useful to optimize cotton production and fiber quality.
Changes in Amounts of Organic Acids in Citrus Leaves during Periods of Cold Storage

STORAGE of certain plant products at temperatures below 15° C. but above freezing can cause severe injury to their tissues. As one mechanism to explain this, it has been suggested that cold temperatures could cause changes in the rates of metabolic reactions which would result in an increase or decrease in amounts of metabolic intermediates1. Such changes, when excessive, could directly or indirectly damage the plant cells.
ATF-2 and C/EBPα Can Form a Heterodimeric DNA Binding Complex in Vitro FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION

We screened an expression cDNA library with a radiolabeled C/EBPα fusion protein and isolated three independent cDNAs encoding ATF-2, a bZIP protein that binds cAMP response elements (CRE). This interaction requires the respective bZIP domains, which form a typical bZIP heterodimer with altered DNA binding selectivity. C/EBPα and ATF-2 homodimers bind CRE sites, but ATF-2:C/EBPα heterodimers do not. Heterodimers bind an asymmetric sequence composed of one consensus half-site for each monomer, and may thus have a unique regulatory function. As predicted, co-transfection of ATF-2 with C/EBPα results in decreased activation of transcription driven from consensus C/EBP-binding sites. In contrast, C/EBPα and ATF-2 function cooperatively to activate transcription driven by the asymmetric sequence. Both factors are expressed in liver, where immunoprecipitation experiments show that ATF-2 co-precipitates with C/EBPα. These results are consistent with the interpretation that C/EBPα and ATF-2 can associate in vivo. Moreover, the formation of ATF-2:C/EBPβ heterodimers suggests that cross-family dimerization with ATF-2 may be a general property for C/EBP family proteins.
Treatment of a patient with vertebral and subclavian aneurysms in the setting of a TGFBR2 mutation

We present the case of a patient diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome with aneurysms of the subclavian and vertebral arteries. Molecular testing demonstrated transforming growth factor-beta receptor type 2 mutation. She was not a candidate for an open repair; therefore, a hybrid approach involving right vertebral ligation and bypass from the right common carotid to the vertebral C1-2 interface, endovascular exclusion of the left vertebral artery, and stent grafting of the left subclavian/axillary artery was used. The left vertebral embolization proved ineffective, requiring a right-to-left vertebral catheterization with glue occlusion. Based on her proper molecular diagnosis, she underwent prophylactic root and ascending aortic repair.
Sensitivity and adaptation in the Drosophila phototransduction and photoreceptor degeneration mutants trp and rdgB

Abstract We studied rdgB , a r etinal deg eneration mutant, and trp , a phototransduction mutant, separately and in combination in Drosophila . First we showed that trp did not block degeneration in white-eyed rdgB mutants. Thus, rdgB was useful in determining the defects which trp caused in the compound eye receptors R7 and R8; this is because rdgB selectively eliminates R1-6 photoreceptors which would, if present, dominate the compound eye responses. R7 and R8 both express the trp t ransient r eceptor p otential phenotype in trp mutants. The trp mutation does not change receptor spectral sensitivities, nor does it alter the dark stability of R1-6's and R7's metarhodopsins as judged by dark adaptation studies. The dark adaptation is not significantly affected by trp . However, trp slows the dark adaptation of R8 considerably and seems to make the blue-induced inactivation of R1-6 less stable.
Cloning and sequencing of a Haemophilus ducreyi fur homolog

Abstract Iron regulation in a growing number of bacterial species is being attributed to the presence of a fur (ferric uptake regulation) regulatory system. In the presence of iron, Fur acts as a classical negative regulator, binding conserved sequences within the promoter of iron-repressible genes and blocking transcription. Western blot analysis utilizing Escherichia coli Fur antisera detected a band of approximately 17 kDa in soluble extracts of Haemophilus ducreyi . Additionally, Southern blot hybridization of the H. ducreyi chromosome with a meningococcal fur probe indicated that H. ducreyi might contain a fur homolog. This putative fur homolog was cloned into the E. coli vector pACYC184. This clone was capable of repressing expression of a normally Fur-regulated lacZ fusion in the fur -background of E. coli strain H1780. The deduced amino acid sequence shows H. ducreyi fur to be 54% identical and 73% similar to E. coli fur , containing putative DNA-binding and metal-binding domains. These data demonstrate that H. ducreyi has a functional fur system.
What ET will look like and why should we care

Abstract Our experiments to find extraterrestrial life are predicated on the assumption that it is most likely to be found on so-called “habitable worlds.” These are planets and moons where surface liquid water exists, and atmospheres of light gases are found. Our searches presume that life on other worlds has a biochemistry at least somewhat similar to our own. While these postulates might be our best guide for finding biology, they could be misleading us in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Timescale arguments suggest that shortly after a sentient species invents the technology for communication, it develops synthetic intelligence. Consequently, SETI’s targeted searches of star systems that might have habitable planets in the conventional sense may be chasing a very short-lived prey. In this paper, we discuss what the implications of post-biological intelligence might have in directing our SETI experiments.
Delocalization in the quantum Hall regime

Abstract A brief summary is given of recent results on the delocalization transition in the quantum Hall regime. Recent work on the effect of conductance fluctuations and frequency on the metal-insulator transition near two dimensions is also mentioned.
Epidemiology of pediatric cardiac injuries: a National Trauma Data Bank analysis

BACKGROUND: Few studies of pediatric cardiac injuries have been conducted in large cohorts. We, therefore, investigated the epidemiology of these injuries in the United States. METHODS: We identified patients with traumatic cardiac injury from the National Trauma Data Bank, using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes. Demographic data, clinical data, and in-hospital outcomes were compared among 5 age groups. A logistic regression model was used to determine adjusted mortality among these groups. RESULTS: Six hundred twenty-six patients met criteria. Fifty-nine percent sustained cardiac contusion; 36%, laceration. Penetrating injuries proved more severe than blunt, having lower average Glasgow Coma Scale (6.8 vs 8.7) and higher percentage of patients with Glasgow Coma Scale of 8 or lower (68% vs 53%). Associated injuries occurred in 484 (77%), most common being lung injuries (46%), hemopneumothorax (37%), and rib fractures (26%). Eleven percent underwent laparotomy; 9%, thoracotomy; 2%, craniotomy/craniectomy; and 0.2%, sternotomy. Complications occurred in 80 (13%), most common being cardiac arrest (4%). Firearm injuries result in the highest mortality rate (76%), compared with other mechanisms (26%-31%). Crude mortality in different age strata showed significant differences that were lost after adjustment for confounding variables. CONCLUSIONS: The predominant cardiac injury was blunt (65%; 35% sustained penetrating insults), frequently paired with contusion. Pediatric cardiac injury is associated with excessive in-hospital mortality (40%), with no age-related difference in adjusted mortality. Language: en