cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beyond transcription factors: roles of mRNA decay in regulating gene expression in plants

Gene expression is typically quantified as RNA abundance, which is influenced by both synthesis (transcription) and decay. Cytoplasmic decay typically initiates by deadenylation, after which decay can occur through any of three cytoplasmic decay pathways. Recent advances reveal several mechanisms by which RNA decay is regulated to control RNA abundance. mRNA can be post-transcriptionally modified, either indirectly through secondary structure or through direct modifications to the transcript itself, sometimes resulting in subsequent changes in mRNA decay rates. mRNA abundances can also be modified by tapping into pathways normally used for RNA quality control. Regulated mRNA decay can also come about through post-translational modification of decapping complex subunits. Likewise, mRNAs can undergo changes in subcellular localization (for example, the deposition of specific mRNAs into processing bodies, or P-bodies, where stabilization and destabilization occur in a transcript- and context-dependent manner). Additionally, specialized functions of mRNA decay pathways were implicated in a genome-wide mRNA decay analysis in Arabidopsis. Advances made using plants are emphasized in this review, but relevant studies from other model systems that highlight RNA decay mechanisms that may also be conserved in plants are discussed.
The Finger on the Scale: International Interventions in the Middle East and North Africa Following the Arab Spring

Following the Arab Spring, each regime that confronted mass protests selected from a range of repressive and concessionary tactics in the effort to remain in power. In five cases—Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen—regimes eventually resorted to using violent repression with participation from national military forces. However, these regimes experienced a variety of outcomes related to their ability to preserve their authority. These outcomes were greatly impacted by the interventionist strategies they faced from foreign powers. We argue that the nature of the international interventions best explains the outcomes for the regimes in question. Foreign powers intervened both to support and to confront existing regimes, providing explanations of why certain regimes survived, collapsed, or came to share territorial sovereignty with oppositional groups during civil wars. Thus, regime survival in the Middle East and North Africa following popular uprisings may depend on the effective management of international support as much as on regime control over national military forces or the repression of social opposition.
The risk of node re-identification in labeled social graphs

Real network datasets provide significant benefits for understanding phenomena such as information diffusion or network evolution. Yet the privacy risks raised from sharing real graph datasets, even when stripped of user identity information, are significant. When nodes have associated attributes, the privacy risks increase. In this paper we quantitatively study the impact of binary node attributes on node privacy by employing machine-learning-based re-identification attacks and exploring the interplay between graph topology and attribute placement. We also analyze the risk of anonymity over epidemic networks subject to different node re-identification attacks. Our experiments show that the population’s diversity on the binary attribute consistently degrades anonymity. More interestingly, we show that similar diverse populations in the SI epidemic model maintain different levels of anonymity with different infection rates.
Dynamical Networks and Isospectral Graph Reductions

This is a fundamental chapter of the book. It deals with networks, which are here considered as graphs, and is built on the theory developed in the previous chapter, on matrices.
Lose the lipid: renoprotection conferred by Gb3 synthase knockout

The ability of proximal tubule cells to internalize filtered proteins over a broad concentration range is essential for maintaining a protein-free urine but also renders these cells uniquely susceptible to cytotoxic damage. Morace et al. find that knockout of globotriaosylceramide synthase, an enzyme required for production of Gb3 and other members of the globo series of glycosphingolipids, impairs endocytic uptake of filtered proteins and preserves kidney function in mouse models of acute kidney injury.
Consciousness and Awareness: East and West

Abstract Consciousness is a state of being aware. The experience of sensations, perceptions, feelings, and conceptions includes self-awareness mentally—in consciousness. The way humans receive and react to experience outside and inside themselves embeds self-awareness, a communicative ability. Self-awareness involves paying attention to oneself and consciously knowing one's attitudes and dispositions. In Western psychology, terms such as “ego,” “self,” “sense of identity,” and “I” describe the way individuals experience themselves in their social context. Meditation and mindfulness practices have complex historical origins in Eastern cultures. Buddhism, Hinduism, and Yoga discuss these approaches while centering on how the self manages its contents. Western attention to mindfulness derives from this but leaves out much cultural context. This chapter fills in those gaps.
Genetic heterogeneity within collective invasion packs drives leader and follower cell phenotypes

Collective invasion, the coordinated movement of cohesive packs of cells, has become recognized as a major mode of metastasis for solid tumors. These packs are phenotypically heterogeneous and include specialized cells that lead the invasive pack and others that follow behind. To better understand how these unique cell types cooperate to facilitate collective invasion, we analyzed transcriptomic sequence variation between leader and follower populations isolated from the H1299 non-small cell lung cancer cell line using an image-guided selection technique. We now identify 14 expressed mutations that are selectively enriched in leader or follower cells, suggesting a novel link between genomic and phenotypic heterogeneity within a collectively invading tumor cell population. Functional characterization of two phenotype-specific candidate mutations showed that ARP3 enhances collective invasion by promoting the leader cell phenotype and that wild-type KDM5B suppresses chain-like cooperative behavior. These results demonstrate an important role for distinct genetic variants in establishing leader and follower phenotypes and highlight the necessity of maintaining a capacity for phenotypic plasticity during collective cancer invasion.
Sodium/Iodide Symporter (NIS)

Abstract NIS is the key plasma membrane protein that mediates the active transport of iodide into the thyroid, the first step in the biosynthesis of the thyroid hormones. Thus, NIS is extremely significant in the field of endocrine disorders. The molecular identification of NIS has made it possible not only to extensively investigate the protein׳s expression, regulation, and mechanism, but also to study its role in thyroid pathophysiology and extend its use to various clinical applications, ranging from iodide deficiency disorders to thyroid cancer, gene transfer and intermediary metabolism. In short, NIS has become an area of inquiry in its own right. Here, we review some recent findings that have shed light on the molecular mechanism by which NIS accumulates iodide against a concentration gradient, and studies that have revealed unexpected and seemingly paradoxical metabolic differences between NIS knockout mice fed diets with different amounts of iodide—differences that have been brought to light by comprehensively characterizing these drug-free models of mild and severe hypothyroidism.
De novo variation in bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a common, highly heritable disorder that affects 1–2% of the world’s population. To date, most genetic studies of BD have focused on common gene variation, and while robustly associated loci have been identified, a substantial proportion of the heritability remains missing and could be partially attributable to rare variation. In this study, we apply a de novo paradigm in BD to identify newly arisen variants that have yet to undergo natural selection and may represent highly pathogenic variants. We performed whole genome sequencing of 97 trios of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, selecting “simplex” families with no family history of BD and an early age of onset. We found a total of 6882 de novo variants (an average of 70.9 ± 12.9 S.D. variants per trio), including 107 variants within protein-coding genes. We combined our exonic variations with the results of 79 previously published BD trios, identifying 20 loss-of-function (LoF) and 77 missense damaging de novo variants in BD. These variants showed significant enrichment for constrained genes and for genes located to the postsynaptic density (PSD) (all Bonferroni corrected p < 0.05). Pathway analyses showed enrichment in several pathways, including “Phosphoinositides (PI) and their downstream targets” (Bonferroni p = 4.2 × 10−6), a pathway prominently featured in lithium’s hypothesized mechanism of action. In addition, while we found overall evidence for transmission of common variant polygenic risk of BD in our full sample (pTDT p = 2.21 × 10−4), specific trios with LoF variants showed no evidence of polygenic transmission. In sum, our findings support the de novo paradigm as a contributor to the genetic architecture of BD and provide evidence that constrained genes, as well as genes within the PSD and PI pathway harbor rare variation associated with BD.
High-resolution interannual precipitation reconstruction of Southern California: Implications for Holocene ENSO evolution

Abstract The variability of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on centennial to millennial time-scales is poorly understood due to the insufficient length, continuity, or resolution of existing paleoclimate records. Here we present a new, continuous, sub-annually resolved scanning XRF Ti record from marine sediments collected from Santa Barbara Basin (SBB) to reveal interannual precipitation changes in Southern California for the past 9000 yrs. Interannual precipitation variability in Southern California is closely related to ENSO through an atmospheric teleconnection with the tropical Pacific. Thus, Southern California precipitation reconstructions provide an opportunity to explore ENSO variability through time. Wavelet analysis of the SBB Ti record demonstrates interannual (2–7 yrs) precipitation variance was relatively weak prior to 4.4 ka, and significantly increased after 4.4 ka. Our record demonstrates a relationship between Southern California precipitation and the tropical Pacific and extratropical climate. The inferred increase of ENSO variability during the late Holocene is generally consistent with the published tropical Pacific ENSO records, and could be associated with a southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Meanwhile, a deeper, westward-shifted Aleutian Low after 4.4 ka may have strengthened the ENSO teleconnection between the tropical Pacific and Southern California, contributing to the amplified interannual precipitation variance in the SBB record. Community Earth System Model (CESM) simulations through the Holocene (0, 3, 6, 9 ka) support the role of both the ITCZ and the AL in the enhancement of interannual precipitation variability in Southern California.
A systematic review on endovascular repair of isolated common iliac artery aneurysms and suggestions regarding diameter thresholds for intervention.

Abstract Objective Our aim was to systematically review results of endovascular aneurysm repair for isolated common iliac artery aneurysms (CIAA) regarding outcomes and to determine if changes should be made to current diameter threshold recommendations for intervention. Methods A comprehensive systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central databases were searched. Results Twenty-one studies were deemed eligible and provided data for 879 patients and 981 isolated CIAA treated with endovascular repair. The majority of the patients (90.8%) were males. The weighted mean age of the patients was 71.7 years (range, 37-91 years). The weighted mean diameter for the CIAA was 41. mm 1 (range, 15-110 mm) and for ruptured aneurysms 58.4 mm. The overall technical success rate was 97.6%. The perioperative mortality rate was 0.7%. Secondary patency rates were reported in only four studies and varied between 96.7% and 100%. The overall morbidity rate was 14%, ranging from 0% to 25%. Most of the studies did not report long-term or adequate follow-up data. Rupture of an isolated CIAA at Conclusions Endovascular treatment of isolated CIAA is feasible and safe with a low mortality and excellent technical success rates. Consideration of increasing the diameter threshold for intervention of CIAA to 4 cm should be considered. Studies with longer follow-up and reliable long-term results are needed.
A dialectic of control and acceptance: Mealtimes with children on the autism spectrum

Shared family meals have important implications for child health and wellbeing, however, mealtimes with children on the autism spectrum are often characterized by stress and problematic behavior. A better understanding of the underlying processes can elucidate the mealtimes challenges that families with children on the spectrum face as well as how families overcome those challenges in order to promote family health and wellbeing. Through a grounded theory analysis of mealtime observations, parent interviews, and child interviews with 16 families in the United States, we identified a theory of A Dialectic of Control and Acceptance. Integral to the role of mealtimes is for parents to express love through control and acceptance, however, these parallel processes are in tension with one another. How parents negotiate this tension dictates the degree to which their expectations are well aligned with their children's strengths and challenges and are able to provide effective support.
1-Alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cation binding preferences in hexafluorophosphate ionic liquid clusters determined using competitive TCID measurements and theoretical calculations

Ionic liquids (ILs) exhibit unique properties that have led to their development and widespread use for a variety of applications. Development efforts have generally focused on achieving desired macroscopic properties via tuning of the IL through variation of the cations and anions. Both the macroscopic and microscopic properties of an IL influence its tunability and thus feasibility of use for selected applications. Works geared toward a microscopic understanding of the nature and strength of the intrinsic cation–anion interactions of ILs have been limited to date. Specifically, the intrinsic strength of the cation–anion interactions in ILs is largely unknown. In previous work, we employed threshold collision-induced dissociation (TCID) approaches supported and enhanced by electronic structure calculations to determine the bond dissociation energies (BDEs) and characterize the nature of the cation–anion interactions in a series of four 2 : 1 clusters of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations with the hexafluorophosphate anion, [2Cnmim:PF6]+. To examine the effects of the 1-alkyl chain on the structure and energetics of binding, the cation was varied over the series: 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, [C2mim]+, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, [C4mim]+, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium, [C6mim]+, and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium, [C8mim]+. The variation in the strength of binding among these [2Cnmim:PF6]+ clusters was found to be similar in magnitude to the average experimental uncertainty in the measurements. To definitively establish an absolute order of binding among these [2Cnmim:PF6]+ clusters, we extend this work again using TCID and electronic structure theory approaches to include competitive binding studies of three mixed 2 : 1 clusters of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations and the hexafluorophosphate anion, [Cn−2mim:PF6:Cnmim]+ for n = 4, 6, and 8. The absolute BDEs of these mixed [Cn−2mim:PF6:Cnmim]+ clusters as well as the absolute difference in the strength of the intrinsic binding interactions as a function of the cation are determined with significantly improved precision. By combining the thermochemical results of the previous independent and present competitive measurements, the BDEs of the [2Cnmim:PF6]+ clusters are both more accurately and more precisely determined. Comparisons are made to results for the analogous [2Cnmim:BF4]+ and [Cn−2mim:BF4:Cnmim]+ clusters previously examined to elucidate the effects of the [PF6]− and [BF4]− anions on the binding.
The emerging role of immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of breast cancer.

Introduction Breast cancer has traditionally been viewed as immunogenically 'cold', but two immune checkpoint inhibitors are now approved in combination with chemotherapy for PD-L1 positive advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and pembrolizumab was also recently approved for early stage TNBC. As the landscape is rapidly evolving, a comprehensive review of checkpoint inhibitors in breast cancer is needed to aid clinicians in selecting appropriate candidates for therapy, and to highlight ongoing promising studies in this area and topics in need of further investigation. Area covered This review summarizes the latest evidence from completed and ongoing trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Ongoing studies were identified using a search of ClinicalTrials.gov with the term 'breast cancer' along with specific checkpoint inhibitor agents. Expert opinion A number of novel combination strategies are under investigation to enhance response and overcome resistance to immunotherapy, with promising preliminary data from checkpoint inhibitors targeting TIGIT, combinations with small molecule inhibitors such as lenvatinib, and injectable agents directly influencing the immune microenvironment. As immunotherapy enters into the curative setting, biomarkers predictive of immunotherapy benefit are needed, as PD-L1 status has not been a helpful discriminator in completed trials in early-stage breast cancer.
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is autosomal dominantly inherited and caused by CAG repeat expansion in the ATXN2 gene. Because the CAG repeat expansion is localized to an encoded region of ATXN2, the result is an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the ATXN2 protein. SCA2 is characterized by progressive ataxia, and slow saccades. No treatment for SCA2 exists. ATXN2 mutation causes gains of new or toxic functions for the ATXN2 protein, resulting in abnormally slow Purkinje cell (PC) firing frequency and ultimately PC loss. This chapter describes the characteristics of SCA2 patients briefly, and reviews ATXN2 molecular features and progress toward the identification of a treatment for SCA2.
Mental Health Recovery: A Strengths-Based Approach to Culturally Relevant Services for African Americans

Strengths-based approaches that emphasize culturally competent services and naturally occurring community support may be more appropriate than traditional mental health services for African American adults with psychiatric disabilities. An examination of the literature on service utilization and treatment needs for this population highlights the paucity of empirical studies in these areas, while an exploration of the literature related to psychiatric recovery, a prominent strengths-based framework, reveals insufficient application of the approach to the specific interests of African American service recipients. We suggest that recovery is in fact highly compatible with such culturally relevant approaches as the Afrocentric model, and argue that the concept of recovery may therefore provide a resonant and particularly useful framework for practice with this population. Implications for research, practice and policy are discussed.
The impact of transmit diversity on the Erlang capacity of reverse link DS/CDMA system

Using analytical approach, we investigate the impact of spatial diversity on the Erlang capacity of reverse link direct sequence code division multiple access (DS/CDMA) system. Several parameters which can affect the capacity are considered: transmit diversity order, spatial receive diversity order, the number of multipaths, fade distribution and arbitrary multipath intensity profile, maximum transmit power, soft-handoff, and traffic distribution with call admission control scheme
A library of static and dynamic communication algorithms for parallel computation

Communication efficiency is one of the keys to the broad success of parallel computation, as one can see by looking at the successes of parallel computation, which are currently limited to applications that have small communication requirements, or applications that use a small number of processors. In order to use fine grain parallel computation for a broader range of applications, efficient algorithms to execute the underlying interprocessor communications have to be developed. In this paper we survey several generic static and dynamic communication problems that are important for parallel computation, and present some general methodologies for addressing these problems. Our objective is to obtain a collection of communication algorithms to execute certain prototype communication tasks that arise often in applications. These algorithms can be called as communication primitives by the programmer or the compiler of a multiprocessor computer, in the same way that subroutines implementing standard functions are called from a library of functions in a conventional computer. We discuss both algorithms to execute static (deterministic) primitive communication tasks, as well as schemes that are appropriate for dynamic (stochastic) environments. Our emphasis is on algorithms that apply to many similar problems and can be used in various network topologies.
Experimental NMR techniques for studies of biopolymers

Abstract NMR technology has advanced significantly during the past year. Four-dimensional NMR spectroscopy is a feasible approach for unraveling the extremely crowded NOE spectra of medium-sized proteins. Alternatively, the use of selective deuteration also shows promise in this area. New three-dimensional NMR techniques can be used for accurate measurement of multiple-bond J couplings and improved methods are appearing for measurement of heteronuclear relaxation times, providing a more accurate characterization of internal protein dynamics.
Cooperative effects of bacterial mutations affecting λ N gene expression: II. Isolation and characterization of mutations in the rif region

Abstract We report the isolation and initial characterization of a class of mutations, Snu, that map near the rif locus on the Escherichia coli chromosome. Snu mutations inhibit the growth of phage λ, an effect primarily seen when Snu mutations are combined with another class of mutations, nus. Nus mutations have previously been shown to inhibit the expression of the N gene product of λ, and the experiments reported here suggest that Snu mutations add to this inhibitory effect. One Snu mutation, Snu-9, was shown to cause bacterial growth to be temperature-sensitive. This suggests that, at least, some Snu mutations may be in genes coding for a function essential for bacterial growth. Since genes coding for the β and β′ subunits of RNA polymerase map in this region, we recognize that Snu mutations might alter either of these subunits of RNA polymerase. Complementation studies demonstrate that Snu + is dominant to Snu − , indicating that the mutant phenotype is due to the partial loss of a function necessary for full N expression. Although the hosts carrying Snu and nus mutations (called Supernus) severely restrict the growth of phage which express the N function of λ, they do not show any increased inhibitory effect on the growth of λ imm P22 and λ imm 21, phages which express N functions different from that of λ. However, Supernus hosts do restrict the growth of a λ variant that can grow well in bacteria carrying either component mutation, Snu − or nus − . The restrictive effect of the Supernus strain is far greater than would be expected if the restriction was due to an additive effect of the two component mutations. This implies that there might be an interaction between Snu and nus products and that the Supernus phenotype results from an interference with this interaction.
Polonovski–Potier reaction

A modification of the Polonovski reaction where trifluoroacetic anhydride is used in place of acetic anhydride. Because the reaction conditions for the Polonovski– Potier reaction are mild, it has largely replaced the Polonovski reaction.
Multiscale Computation of Fluid Flow in Heterogeneous Media

There are many interesting physical problems that have multiscale solutions. These problems range from composite materials to wave propagation in random media, flow and transport through heterogeneous porous media, and turbulent flow. Computing these multiple scale solutions accurately presents a major challenge due to the wide range of scales in the solution. It is very expensive to resolve all the small scale features on a fine grid by direct num-erical simulations. A natural question is if it is possible to develop a multiscale computational method that captures the effect of small scales on the large scales using a coarse grid, but does not require resolving all the small scale features. Such multiscale method can offer significant computational savings.
Through Hell and High Water: A Librarian’s Autoethnography of Community Resilience after Hurricane Katrina

This autoethnographic essay presents a critical reflection on personal experiences of the process of rebuilding and working in a library in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina. I examine meaningful moments during this process in the context of information science and community resiliency. The framework of community resilience is used to help structure the reflection and analysis in a systematic way. I share examples of the adaptive capacities of the school library as evidence of how the community adjusted to demonstrate resiliency.
Combined influence of geometric defects and thermal gradients on tensile ductility

Finite element modeling of sheet tensile specimens has been performed in order to analyze the combined effect of initial geometric defects and thermal gradients on tensile stress-strain behavior. Isothermal tensile ductilities were predicted to decrease dramatically from 0.555 for a specimen with no taper to 0.116 for a specimen with 50 pct taper. The corresponding reductions in tensile ductility for assumed adiabatic conditions were found to be from 0.46 to 0.099. These results demonstrate that thermal gradients are most detrimental for initially uniform tensile specimens and have a smaller effect on tensile ductility for specimens with large initial geometric defects. As a proportion of total ductility, however, thermal gradients decrease ductility by a nearly constant value of 15.5 pct, independent of the size of the initial taper. Comparison of 2-D FEM results with a complete multi-element 1-D analysis indicates that the developed biaxial stress state in the neck accounts for increased total elongations. The increase in total ductility caused by the biaxial stress state in the neck increases with increasing size of initial geometric defect. These results question the value of 1-D analysis of sheet tensile test behavior.
Evidence against the temporal subsampling account of illusory motion reversal.

An illusion of reversed motion may occur sporadically while viewing continuous smooth motion. This has been suggested asevidence of discrete temporal sampling by the visual system in analogy to the sampling that generates the wagon–wheeleffect on ﬁlm (D. Purves, J. A. Paydarfar, & T. J. Andrews, 1996; R. VanRullen, L. Reddy, & C. Koch, 2005). In an alternativetheory, the illusion is not the result of discrete sampling but instead of perceptual rivalry between appropriately activated andspuriously activated motion detectors (K. A. Kline, A. O. Holcombe, & D. M. Eagleman, 2004, 2006). Results of the currentstudy demonstrate that illusory reversals of two spatially overlapping and orthogonal motions often occur separately,providing evidence against the possibility that illusory motion reversal (IMR) is caused by temporal sampling within a visualregion. Further, we ﬁnd that IMR occurs with non-uniform and non-periodic stimuliVan observation that is not accounted forby the temporal sampling hypothesis. We propose, that a motion aftereffect is superimposed on the moving stimulus,sporadically allowing motion detectors for the reverse direction to dominate perception.Keywords: visual perception, illusory motion, temporal sampling, motion aftereffectCitation: Kline, K. A., & Eagleman, D. M. (2008). Evidence against the temporal subsampling account of illusory motionreversal. Journal of Vision, 8(4):13, 1–5, http://journalofvision.org/8/4/13/, doi:10.1167/8.4.13.
Variation of Adult Walleye Abundance in Relation to Recruitment and Limnological Variables in Northern Wisconsin Lakes

Abstract We quantified the relationship between the abundance of adult walleyes Stizostedion vitreum and limnological descriptors of 166 lakes in northern Wisconsin to better predict population size than was possible with lake surface area alone. Four models described adult walleye abundance from lake surface area for drainage and landlocked lakes with self-sustaining and stocked populations. For self-sustaining walleye populations, lake surface area and watershed area explained 61% of the variation in the number of adult walleyes in drainage lakes, whereas lake surface area and the percentage of sand bottom explained 71% of the variation in the number of adult walleyes in landlocked lakes. For stocked walleye populations, lake surface area, conductivity, and the percentage of muck bottom explained 98% of the variation in the number of adult walleyes in landlocked lakes, whereas lake surface area and maximum depth explained 64% of the variation in the number of adult walleyes in drainage lakes. We conclud...
Copolymerization at high conversion when the concentration of one monomer does not change

Exact equations and several computer programs were developed for use in studies on copolymerizations carried to high conversion when the concentration of one of the monomers (A) remains constant. Simple ACSLt and DESIREt programs are described for simulating such copolymerizations, and their output was used to test programs and procedures that were developed to evaluate monomer reactivity ratios for such copolymerization systems. Based on an integrated form of the copolymer equation, Excelt and Fortran programs were developed for evaluating monomer reactivity ratios from information about initial monomer compositions, copolymer compositions, and the fractions of the second monomer (B) that reacted. A graphical procedure for evaluating monomer reactivity ratios from such data was also developed. A previous program developed for calculating information about monomer sequence distributions in co- polymers was modified so that it would apply to copolymerization at high conversion when the concentration of one monomer remains constant. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1118 -1128, 2000 ~A! ~B! z rA~A! 1 ~B! rB~B! 1 ~A! . (1)
Density gradient stabilization of electron temperature gradient driven turbulence in a spherical tokamak.

In this letter we report the first clear experimental observation of density gradient stabilization of electron temperature gradient driven turbulence in a fusion plasma. It is observed that longer wavelength modes, k⊥ρs ≤10, are most stabilized by density gradient, and the stabilization is accompanied by about a factor of two decrease in the plasma effective thermal diffusivity.
First direct comparison of the late sodium current blocker ranolazine to established antiarrhythmic agents in an ischemia/reperfusion model.

Introduction: There are few safe antiarrhythmics for ischemic heart disease. Whereas ranolazine is a promising late INa blocker with antiarrhythmic effects, and devoid of pro-arrhythmic properties, there are no direct comparisons between ranolazine and other antiarrhythmic agents in an ischemia/reperfusion setting. Hypothesis and methods: To determine whether ranolazine was as effective as sotalol and lidocaine to reduce ischemia/reperfusion-induced arrhythmias, anesthetized rats were subjected to 5 minutes of proximal left coronary artery occlusion plus 5 minutes of reperfusion, which causes severe ventricular arrhythmias. At 21 minutes prior to coronary occlusion, rats (n = 20 per group) were randomized to receive either sotalol (intravenous [IV] bolus 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg per hour infusion), lidocaine (IV bolus 2.5 mg/kg, 2.5 mg/kg/hr infusion), ranolazine (IV bolus 3.3 mg/kg, 3.2 mg/kg per hour infusion), or saline (control). Results: The incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in the sotalol (S), lidocaine...
Mothers' Experiences Related to the Disposal of Children's Clothing and Gear: Keeping Mister Clatters but Tossing Broken Barbie

Drawing upon depth interviews with mothers, this study explores meanings attached to children's items disposed of through various channels. Items with little value (rubbish) such as broken toys were typically thrown away. Items that had deep personal meaning for the mothers but that lacked clear value to others (mementos) are kept in storage without plans for the future transfer of ownership to anyone else. Some mementos are extensions of the children's identities; they are often contaminated from use by the children and/or indexed to specific memories held by the mothers. Items that have less personal meaning for the mothers but that might be useful to other families (wares) were redistributed through giving, selling or donating. Baby wares were typically given to other mothers, while wares for older children were donated to charity. Interviewees described keeping some items on display or in storage with the intention of passing them on to children or grandchildren at a later time (intended heirlooms). Intended heirlooms have mythologized stories of origin, they affirm family identity, and some demonstrate properties of sacredness. Suggested directions for future research include further exploration of mothers' giving to other mothers and identity issues related to disposal. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Source routing bridge implementation (LANs)

Source routing is a bridging technique where the bridge makes a routing decision based on the contents of the media access control (MAC) frame header of the frame. This header consists of a routing information field, which immediately follows the source address field in the frame. The routing information field describes the path across one or more bridges to the ring containing the destination station. With source routing bridges, the source and destination addresses of the frame on the media are the MAC addresses of the originating and target stations, respectively. The operation of a source routing bridge is examined. An implementation example using the TMS380 token-ring-adapter chipset is presented. >
Derivation of Subgroups from Dyadic Interactions

This article presents a simulation study that compares several methods for deriving empirical subgroups from sociometric data. The Monte Carlo study was used to investigate how well the methods recovered the subgroup structure that had been built into the actors' and partners' modes. Forty eight sociomatrices were generated using 2 to the power 4 X 3 factorial design. The factors included the number of individuals in the network, the true number of subgroups into which the individuals were classified, the proportion of individuals falling into each of the subgroups, the structure of the dyadic interactions, and the clarity of the subgroup structure. On the basis of the simulation study's results, subgroups were derived for two real data sets. The first data set described the relations in a monastery (Sampson, 1968). The second data set described the referral network of a service provider (Reingen & Kernan, 1986).
Ordering utility functions based on mean-seeking behavior∗

Abstract We consider utility function partial orderings to predict comparative portfolio features with two risky assets. No utility ordering can predict comparative holdings of the riskier asset for any reasonable definition of the latter. We thus reinterpret results of Arrow-Pratt and Ross as predicting comparative mean-seeking behavior. We also present a stronger utility ordering which predicts comparative portfolio means with no joint distribution restrictions. Thus we present a progression of contexts, with successively more relaxed distributional restrictions and hence successively stronger restrictions on utility function pairs, in which comparative mean-seeking behavior (not comparative risk avoidance) is predictable.
Anti-proliferative and proapoptotic effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate on human melanoma: possible implications for the chemoprevention of melanoma.

Melanoma accounts for only about 4% of all skin cancer cases but most of skin cancer-related deaths. Standard systemic therapies such as interferon (IFN) have not been adequately effective in the management of melanoma. Therefore, novel approaches are needed for prevention and treatment of this disease. Chemoprevention by naturally occurring agents present in food and beverages has shown benefits in certain cancers including nonmelanoma skin cancers. Here, employing 2 human melanoma cell lines (A-375 amelanotic malignant melanoma and Hs-294T metastatic melanoma) and normal human epidermal melanocytes (NHEM), we studied the antiproliferative effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major polyphenolic antioxidant present in green tea. EGCG treatment was found to result in a dose-dependent decrease in the viability and growth of both melanoma cell lines. Interestingly, at similar EGCG concentrations, the normal melanocytes were not affected. EGCG treatment of the melanoma cell lines resulted in decreased cell proliferation (as assessed by Ki-67 and PCNA protein levels) and induction of apoptosis (as assessed cleavage of PARP, TUNEL assay and JC-1 assay). EGCG also significantly inhibited the colony formation ability of the melanoma cells studied. EGCG treatment of melanoma cells resulted in a downmodulation of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2, upregulation of proapoptotic Bax and activation of caspases -3, -7 and -9. Furthermore, our data demonstrated that EGCG treatment resulted in a significant, dose-dependent decrease in cyclin D1 and cdk2 protein levels and induction of cyclin kinase inhibitors (ckis) p16INK4a, p21WAF1/CIP1 and p27KIP1. Our data suggest that EGCG causes significant induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of melanoma cells that is mediated via modulations in the cki-cyclin-cdk network and Bcl2 family proteins. Thus, EGCG, alone or in conjunction with current therapies, could be useful for the management of melanoma. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Characterization of a Three-Component Coupling Reaction on Proteins by Isotopic Labeling and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

A three-component Mannich-type electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction was previously developed to target the phenolic side chain of tyrosine residues on proteins. This reaction proceeds under mild conditions and provides a convenient alternative to lysine-targeting strategies. However, the use of reactive aldehydes, such as formaldehyde, warrants careful inspection of the reaction products to ensure that other modifications have not occurred. Through the use of isotopically enriched reagents, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based studies were used to obtain structural confirmation of the tyrosine-modification products. These experiments also revealed the formation of a reaction byproduct arising from the indole ring of tryptophan residues. Cysteine residues were shown to not participate in the reaction, except in the case of a reduced disulfide, which formed a dithioacetal. We anticipate that this analysis method will prove useful for the detailed study of a number of bioconjugation reactions.
The portable inference engine: fitting significant expertise into small systems

The Portable Inference Engine (PIE) is the nucleus of an expert system that allows the segmentation of rules in order to utilize large knowledge bases in limited memory. If the expert-systems rules can be divided into segments of highly related rules with little interaction among those segments, such knowledge-base segments can then be paged in and out of memory on demand. PIE gathers information by querying the user and executing external procedures in order to conclude goals.
Axillary artery cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass reduces cerebral microemboli.

Abstract Background Aortic cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is linked to cerebral microemboli emanating from the ascending aorta. Aortic calcification or disease requiring replacement precludes aortic cannulation. Clinical experience with axillary artery cannulation led to the hypothesis that axillary cannulation may be cerebroprotective. Methods Five mongrel dogs underwent a median sternotomy and isolation of the right axillary artery. The canine bicarotid brachiocephalic trunk was reconfigured by grafting the origin of the left carotid to the proximal left subclavian artery. Microspheres were injected into the ascending aorta during 4 conditions: before and after reconfiguration, CPB with aortic cannulation, and CPB with axillary cannulation. Brain, kidneys, and skeletal muscle were analyzed for microsphere distribution. Results Each animal served as its own control for comparison of aortic and axillary cannulation. No significant differences were documented in microsphere deposition for prereconfiguration and postreconfiguration. In the right middle cerebral artery distribution, 2300 ± 710 microspheres per gram were deposited during aortic cannulation, compared with 540 ± 110 during axillary cannulation ( P P P Conclusions Axillary artery cannulation for CPB is cerebroprotective. Altered blood-flow patterns during axillary cannulation may produce retrograde brachiocephalic artery blood flow and competing intracerebral right-to-left collateral blood flow, deflecting emboli from the ascending aorta and arch toward the descending aorta. Expanded use of axillary artery cannulation during cardiac operations could decrease the incidence of stroke.
Making Software Tutorial Video Responsive

Tutorial videos are widely available to help people use software. These videos, however, are viewed by users as captured and offer little direct interaction between users and software. This paper presents a video navigation method that allows users to interact with software tutorial video as if they were using the software. To make the tutorial video responsive, our method records the user interaction events like mouse click and drag during capturing the video. Our method then analyzes, selects, and visualizes these user interaction events at the event locations. When a user directly interacts with an event visualization, our method automatically navigates to the proper video frame to provide the visual feedback as if the software were responding to the user input. Thus, our method provides the experience of interacting with the software through directly manipulating the tutorial video. Our study shows our method can better help users follow tutorial videos to complete tasks than the baseline timeline interface.
A Meta-analytic Review of Voice Behavior and its Unique Importance to Job Performance

Scholars have concluded that there are positive organizational outcomes that result from individuals speaking up and challenging the status quo, yet research on the topic is dwarfed by the attentio...
Assessment of the relationship between the combined solar cycle/ENSO forcings and the tropopause temperature

Abstract The tropopause region of the atmosphere shows large variability over time and by region. The complex changes near the tropopause are not fully understood, especially in terms of interdecadal and interannual forcings. The purpose of this paper is to investigate forcings in the tropopause region by using microwave sounder observations and comparing the results to previous analyses. On the basis of the satellite retrieved temperatures from the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) Channel 3 (CH3) measurements which began in 1981 and continue to the current time, this analysis will assess the solar forcing and the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) forcing within the tropopause layer (300–100 hPa). The temperature variability from the combined “downward” solar forcing and the “upward” ENSO forcing have been investigated using wavelet, multiple linear regression and lag correlation analyses. The results show that the temperature variability within the tropopause layer was dominated by 3.5–7 and 14–28 year oscillations. The temperature responses to the two forcings apparently depend on the location, season and time scale of the measurements. The temperature response to solar forcing can be found over the Arctic and Antarctic zones in winter. On the interdecadal time scale, the temperature response to solar forcing was markedly amplified with a lag of 1–2 years or 5–7 years and was out of phase between the Arctic, and all other latitudes. Interestingly, the statistically significant response to solar forcing was only identified over the tropical central and western Pacific in summer. The temperature response to the ENSO forcing is much stronger than the solar forcing based on the magnitude of the regression coefficients. A significant positive response occurs over most of the tropical ocean areas in winter and a negative temperature response is confined to the tropical western Pacific in summer. On the interannual time scale, the temperature response is observed within the tropical areas and reaches a positive maximum 4–5 months later, and can be identified up to 10 months later with statistically significant values. After 10 months, the response is negative.
Designing an Affordable Usability Test for E-Learning Modules

ABSTRACT: This article provides background and an introduction to a user-centered design and usability test in an inexpensive format that allows content experts who are novices in e-learning development to perform testing on newly developed technical training modules prior to their release. The use of a small number of test participants, avoidance of elaborate testing laboratories, and the establishment of clear, concise objectives with a detailed test outline are supported by the discount usability testing approach. This approach reduces testing cost, provides faster results, and yields a more successful product and increased customer satisfaction. Discount usability testing should have broad appeal to new e-learning developers as a final step before releasing their newly developed training modules.
The nature of the optical variations of Seyfert galaxy 3C 120

Results are presented from 61 years of optical observations of the Seyfert galaxy 3C 120. A previously published model of the 3C 120 light curve, derived from power spectrum analysis, is found to be valid for historical as well as current data. It is concluded that the optical variations of 3C 120 can be separated into a linear component, a sinusoidal component, and rapid, high-amplitude flares. Possible sources of the regular variations observed in 3C 120 are also suggested in the context of accretion models and other theoretical models.