cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Driver's licensing delay: A retrospective case study of the impact of attitudes, parental and social influences, and intergenerational differences

Abstract Young adults currently obtain driver’s licenses at a substantially lower rate than previous generations. In a handful of recent studies, scholars have evaluated this trend by investigating the association of various factors, primarily personal characteristics and the built environment, with driver’s licensing. However, these studies have examined a limited set of possible explanatory factors and in some cases used only descriptive statistical analyses. To explore the causes of the licensing trend in more depth, this study uses retrospective questions asked of respondents to the 2014–15 UC Davis Campus Travel Survey, an annual online survey of students and employees at the University of California, Davis. We test the influence of an array of explanatory factors on driver’s license possession, using a binomial logistic model, and on license timing, using multilevel survival analysis and censored regression models. The results show that delay in licensing is associated with travel attributes and attitudes, parental influences, and graduated driver’s licensing policies. After controlling for these factors, the variables accounting for unexplained cohort influences had a small and uncertain effect on delay. Since we observe generational differences in eagerness to get a driver’s license and find that driver’s licensing attitudes substantially increase delay, this result suggests that cultural changes may be driving the decreased licensing trend. This generational shift in attitudes may have synergistic effects with policies designed to encourage smart growth and with the proliferation of innovative travel options that provide alternatives to car ownership and use.
Abstract 2443: Utility of Isoproterenol During Catheter Ablation of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Assessment of inducibility of AF by isoproterenol (ISO) infusion may be helpful during catheter ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). However, there are limited data on the clinical utility and diagnostic accuracy of isoproterenol in patients with PAF. Methods and Results: ISO was infused at 5, 10, 15, and 20 μg/min at 2-min intervals until max dose was reached or AF was induced in 20 control subjects with no history of atrial fibrillation and in 80 patients with PAF. In patients with PAF, antral ablation was performed to isolate all pulmonary veins (PVs) after induction of AF by ISO (or rapid pacing if ISO did not induce AF). After restoration of sinus rhythm by ablation or cardioversion, ISO was readministered using the same protocol. Among the 20 control subjects AF (1) or premature atrial depolarizations (PADs, 1) was induced in 2 patients (10%) only after 20 μg/min of ISO. Among 80 patients with PAF, AF (67) or PADs (2) was induced in 69 patients (86%, P Conclusions: ISO at doses up to 20 μg/min has a high sensitivity (87%) and specificity (90%) for induction of AF in patients with PAF. Inducibility of AF by ISO may suggest that the mechanism of AF depends on the PVs and/or their antrums.
Novel selection marker for mammalian cell transfection

The availability of selectable markers suitable for use in mammalian cells has permitted the analysis of the influence of the stable overexpression of single or multiple genes on specific cell properties. This powerful technique has led directly to many fundamental advances in molecular biology and increased our overall understanding of cell growth and regulatory events. Although a variety of selectable markers are currently available, some cell lines continue to be naturally resistant to certain markers, making direct selection difficult or not feasible. Thus, the characterization of additional cell selectable markers continues to be of interest. We have developed a novel selectable marker based on mitomycin C resistance that is suitable for stable transfection of mammalian cells. This system is based on the ability of the mcrA gene, isolatedfrom Streptomyces lavendulae, to confer mitomycin C resistance to both bacterial and mammalian cells by expression of the MCRA protein. Here we demonstrate that mcrA can be used as a selectable gene marker in Chinese hamster ovary cells when cells transfected with the mcrA gene are either pulsed or cultured continuously with mitomycin C This unique selection system may be of use for transfection of cells that are resistant to currently available selectable markers.
Temporal abstraction-based clinical phenotyping with Eureka!

Temporal abstraction, a method for specifying and detecting temporal patterns in clinical databases, is very expressive and performs well, but it is difficult for clinical investigators and data analysts to understand. Such patterns are critical in phenotyping patients using their medical records in research and quality improvement. We have previously developed the Analytic Information Warehouse (AIW), which computes such phenotypes using temporal abstraction but requires software engineers to use. We have extended the AIW’s web user interface, Eureka! Clinical Analytics, to support specifying phenotypes using an alternative model that we developed with clinical stakeholders. The software converts phenotypes from this model to that of temporal abstraction prior to data processing. The model can represent all phenotypes in a quality improvement project and a growing set of phenotypes in a multi-site research study. Phenotyping that is accessible to investigators and IT personnel may enable its broader adoption.
Effect of a Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Management Intervention on Salivary IgA, Self-Reported Levels of Stress, and Physical Health Complaints in an Undergraduate Population

Research has indicated that the experience of stress reliably correlates with changes in immunological functioning. Further, interventions designed to reduce the experience of stress correlate with modest enhancement of immune function. The effects of such interventions vary widely, depending on the specific immune system variables measured and characteristics of the participants, including age and health status. To determine the effects of a cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention on salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA), we randomly assigned 57 university undergraduates to a treatment or control condition. Treatment group participants met in groups of nine or ten students and received information about the stress response and immunity, training in diaphragmatic breathing and autogenic relaxation, and exposure to cognitive restructuring and assertiveness training. We assessed saliva samples, ratings of physical symptoms commonly associated with stress, and self-report of health complaints before and after the 5-week intervention period. Fifty-three participants completed the study. Reductions in stress levels from pre- to postintervention for both treatment and control participants were evident by increases in sIgA secretion rates and salivary flow and decreases in scores on the Undergraduate Stress Questionnaire, the Cohen–Hoberman Inventory of Physical Symptoms, and the Daily Stress Inventory. Treatment participants exhibited further reductions in stress, compared to control participants, as evidenced by lower scores on a subset of the self-report inventories. No treatment effects on sIgA were present. These results suggest that a stress management intervention such as the one used in this study can be beneficial in reducing levels of stress but may not be immunoenhancing.
Prolactin signaling drives tumorigenesis in human high grade serous ovarian cancer cells and in a spontaneous fallopian tube derived model

The pathways responsible for tumorigenesis of high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) from the fallopian tube epithelium (FTE) are still poorly understood. A human prolactin (PRL) like gene, Prl2c2 was amplified >100 fold in a spontaneous model of FTE-derived ovarian cancer (MOEhigh - murine oviductal epithelium high passage). Prl2c2 stable knockdown in MOEhigh cells demonstrated a significant reduction in cell proliferation, 2-dimensional foci, anchorage independent growth, and blocked tumor formation. The overall survival of ovarian cancer patients from transcriptome analysis of 1868 samples was lower when abundant PRL and prolactin receptors (PRL-R) were expressed. A HGSOC cell line (OVCAR3) and a tumorigenic human FTE cell line (FT33-Tag-Myc) were treated with recombinant PRL and a significant increase in cellular proliferation was detected. A CRISPR/Cas9 mediated PRL-R deletion in OVCAR3 and FT33-Tag-Myc cells demonstrated significant reduction in cell proliferation and eliminated tumor growth using the OVCAR3 model. PRL was found to phosphorylate STAT5, m-TOR and ERK in ovarian cancer cells. This study identified Prl2c2 as a driver of tumorigenesis in a spontaneous model and confirmed that prolactin signaling supports tumorigenesis in high grade serous ovarian cancer.
Response ofColletotrichum coccodes to fungicidesin vitro

Black dot is an important disease of potato that affects all plant parts. The causal agent,Colletotrichum coccodes, is commonly found on potato tubers used for seed. Our objective was to determine thein vitro sensitivity ofC. coccodes to the fungicides maneb, thiabendazole, imazalil and CGA 173506, a phenylpyrrole. These fungicides are currently used, or are being tested for use, as potato seed treatments in the United States. All four fungicides reduced radial growth, sclerotial germination and spore germination ofC. coccodes at 10 μg/ml and higher. The fungicide concentrations that inhibited radial growth by 50% were 2 μg/ml, 5 μg/ml, 35 μg/ml, and 40 μg/ml for imazalil, CGA 173506, maneb and thiabendazole, respectively. TBZ was less inhibitory than the other three fungicides and stimulated sclerotial productionin vitro. Isolates ofC. coccodes differed in their sensitivity to maneb, thiabendazole and imazalil in radial growth, but not spore and sclerotial germination, assays. On CGA 173506, radial growth of fourC. coccodes isolates was inhibited, but these isolates produced sectors which grew normally. Germination of most sclerotia from these isolates was inhibited, but some germinated and produced normal colonies in the presence of CGA 173506. OneC. coccodes isolate was resistant to this fungicide in all assays.
Current behavioral, socioeconomic and demographic determinants of lifetime HIV testing among African Americans in the deep south

Objective: The Southern region of the United States (US) experiences higher HIV related disparities, majority of new HIV infections are transmitted by individuals who are unaware of their status. African Americans constitute 44% of HIV diagnosis in the US, and African American gay and bisexual men accounted for the largest number of new HIV diagnosis in 2016. Methods: Data from nine southern states in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2016 was analyzed using logistic regression. Results: We found Individuals less likely to test for HIV included: heterosexuals, married individuals, living in a nonMetropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), others (retirees, students and homemakers), older than 65 years and/or with less than high school education. Conclusion: Amid finite resources, interventions for HIV testing among African Americans should focus more on these individuals who are less likely to be aware of their HIV status, further contributing to new HIV infections.
Optimal Timing of Glucose Measurements After Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Postoperative glucose levels after total joint arthroplasty are important to monitor as hyperglycemia has been linked to complications such as periprosthetic joint infection. The purposes of this study were to identify how postoperative glucose values vary during the perioperative period and determine the optimal time to check glucose levels to best evaluate for hyperglycemia. Methods A retrospective study was conducted from September 2017 to September 2018 on 314 patients who underwent knee and hip arthroplasties. Blood glucose levels were collected immediately preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, at 5 PM on the day of surgery (DOS), at 9 PM on the DOS, and in the morning of postoperative day (POD) 1. The total number of hyperglycemic patients was assessed at 3 glucose thresholds: strict ≥ 126 mg/dL, intermediate ≥ 137 mg/dL, and lenient ≥ 180 mg/dL. Descriptive statistics were performed for each glucose time period, and adjusted comparisons were made between the mean glucose values and number of hyperglycemic patients at all time points. Results Mean (±95% confidence interval) glucose values were 105.7 ± 2.1 mg/dL preoperatively, 117.3 ± 2.5 mg/dL immediately postoperatively, 138.6 ± 4.3 mg/dL at 5 PM on the DOS, 142.9 ± 4.3 mg/dL at 9 PM on the DOS, and 116.7 ± 3.1 mg/dL in the morning of POD 1. Values measured at 5 PM and 9 PM were significantly higher than those measured at all other time points in both diabetics and nondiabetics (P Conclusion Most patients who underwent total joint arthroplasty are hyperglycemic postoperatively, and 9 PM on the night of surgery may be the most sensitive time for detecting hyperglycemia in both diabetic and nondiabetic patients, in contrast to traditional POD 1 levels.
From Ferguson to Flint: In Search of an Antisubordination Principle for Local Government Law

Ferguson, Missouri and Flint, Michigan have both captured national headlines in recent years while dealing with seemingly separate yet intricately connected instances of police brutality and infrastructure collapse. These places — an inner-ring suburb in a large metropolitan region and a mid-size former industrial Midwestern city — provide more than just the backdrop for some of the most sensational episodes of racial conflict and disparities in recent memory. They also model the racial dimensions of local government failure. Specifically, they reveal how the de jure and de facto subordination of black communities constitutes the guiding logic undergirding the social, economic and spatial organization of cities. Federal interventions have produced invaluable data — most notably, the Department of Justice's Ferguson Report and the recent U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report on how municipal fines and fees exploit communities of color. Over several decades, federal, state and local law — intentionally, unintentionally, directly and indirectly — has attempted to address persistent black subordination in cities through interventions such as inclusionary zoning, regionalization, and various federal civil rights laws. While many of these efforts have done some reparative work, they collectively represent the inadequacies of efforts to dismantle, interrupt or mitigate place-based structural racism and inequality. This Article tracks how the chief problems of the modern metropolis are either rooted in or largely shaped by the impacts of black subordination on the design and operation of cities. Through the lens of Ferguson and Flint, this Article presents a comprehensive review of how local government law and policy has traditionally responded to black subordination, the limits of those tools, and the need for an accountability-driven cooperative federalism.
A hardware-independent virtual architecture for PASCAL*

Since its introduction in 1971, PASCAL language has received rapid acceptance as a structured programming tool in a wide variety of applications ranging from computer science education to systems programming in production environments. It is, therefore, not surprising that numerous reports relating to implementation of PASCAL compilers on various computers continue to appear in the current literature ( References 1 , 4 , 6 , 12 for example). Many of these implementation reports relate to adapting an existing compiler to another computer. In many instances, these compilers are themselves written in PASCAL which makes it easy to adapt them using one of these procedures:
PTSD Susceptibility and Challenges: Pathophysiological Consequences of Behavioral Symptoms.

INTRODUCTION Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop during the aftermath of traumatic events. Although many are impacted by several stressors, nearly 3.6% suffer from PTSD in the United States with higher incidence reported in military service personnel. Any injury to the blood-brain barrier can ignite an array of biological signaling molecules in the immune-privileged brain parenchyma, which can disrupt the synaptic neural network, resulting in altered behavior. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this preliminary study, we compared 20 PTSD veterans with age-matched healthy veterans to identify plasma levels of brain-specific protein markers using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay/immunofluorometric sandwich assay for neurotrophic factors and neuropoietic cytokines, and catalytic activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) by zymography. RESULTS We observed an increased level of glial fibrillary acidic protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin 6, and MMP2 and MMP9 but decreased level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor-beta, and negligible difference in astroglial marker S100 calcium-binding protein B compared to controls. CONCLUSION Identification of neural biomarkers is essential to understand the subclinical symptoms for the diagnosis PTSD, which may not be visible by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI/fMRI) and may take years to clinically manifest.
Patient Satisfaction Following Intrathecal Targeted Drug Delivery for Benign Chronic Pain: Results of a Single-Center Survey Study

OBJECTIVES Targeted Drug Delivery (TDD) is commonly used for the management of patients with intractable pain. Past studies have proven efficacy in pain relief and reduction in opioid use and cost-effectiveness in long-term pain management. There are few studies investigating satisfaction among patients with implanted pain pumps that are managed with targeted intrathecal medications. MATERIAL AND METHODS Patients in a single medical practice implanted with pain pumps for relief of intractable pain were identified and extracted from the electronic health record (EHR). Six hundred and ten active TDD patients were identified and an anonymous 18-question survey was administered to determine satisfaction with TDD therapy. During an 18-month period from May 2018 to August 2019, patients were invited to take a satisfaction survey. Both primary and secondary outcomes were reported as proportions; P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Four hundred and forty-three patients (74% of the active pump population) completed the survey. The majority of patients reported improvement in pain, improvement of physical function, improvement in quality of life and reduction in opioid use. Complete discontinuation of oral opioid intake was reported in 38.9% of patients. The majority of patients had a 40 cc reservoir implanted in an upper buttock pocket site and overall, 91% of patients were happy with pump pocket location. CONCLUSION Intrathecal TDD therapy can relieve pain and improve quality of life in patients with intractable pain and offers a reasonable alternative to long-term oral or skin patch opioid management. Patients utilizing TDD therapy reported high degrees of satisfaction.
Biomechanical risk factors associated with distal upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders in endoscopists performing colonoscopy.

Background and Aims Endoscopists experience upper extremity musculoskeletal injuries. The primary aim of this study was to compare distal upper extremity biomechanical risk factors during colonoscopy with established risk thresholds. Secondary aims were to determine which subtasks during colonoscopy are associated with the greatest risk and to evaluate an intervention to reduce risks. Methods Twelve endoscopists performed 2 to 4 colonoscopies while thumb pinch force and forearm muscle loads of extensor carpi radialis (ECR) and flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscles were collected. Peak exertion values were analyzed using amplitude probability distribution functions. An endoscope support device was evaluated during simulated colonoscopy (n = 8). Results Mean endoscopist age was 42.3 years; 67% were men. Peak thumb pinch force exceeded risk thresholds for pinch force (10 N) and percent of time spent in forceful pinch for all colonoscopy subtasks. Peak ECR and FDS muscle activity exceeded the action limit (10% maximum voluntary contraction [MVC]) in both forearms. Peak left FDS, left ECR, and right ECR activity exceeded the threshold limit value (>30% MVC). Peak left FDS and ECR activity were significantly greater during insertion than during withdrawal (P Conclusions Thumb pinch forces and time spent in forceful pinch indicate high-risk exposures during colonoscopy. Left wrist extensor muscle activity exceeded established thresholds with the greatest risk occurring during insertion. An endoscope support device reduced loads to the left wrist extensors.
Optimization of Antibiotic Selection in the Emergency Department for Adult Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

Objectives: Emergency department (ED) order sets that include skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) stratification and antimicrobial selection criteria may improve clinical outcomes and appropriat...
Stem cell secretome, regeneration, and clinical translation: a narrative review

Regenerative medicine is a field growing in popularity due to high hopes for stimulating in situ tissue restoration. Stem cell therapy remain at the center of regenerative medicine, due to early reports on its pluripotent differentiating capability. However, more recent reports suggest the paracrine activity of stem cells, and not direct differentiation, as the cause of its therapeutic effects. This paracrine activity can be harnessed in the form of conditioned media. Despite these capabilities, the clinical translation of stem cell conditioned media (i.e., secretome) is precluded by a variety of factors. These limitations include standardization of stem cell-conditioned media formulation, characterization of bioactive factors in conditioned media and dosing, optimizing modes of delivery, and uncovering of mechanisms of action of stem cell conditioned media. The purpose of this review is to provide a focused narration on the aforementioned preclusions pertaining to the clinical translation of stem cell conditioned media. Specifically, we will report on commonly use methodologies for the development of stem cell conditioned media, modalities for conditioned media characterization, modes of delivery, and postulated mechanisms of action for stem cell conditioned media in regenerative medicine.
Bacterial associations in the healthy human gut microbiome across populations

In a microbial community, associations between constituent members play an important role in determining the overall structure and function of the community. The human gut microbiome is believed to play an integral role in host health and disease. To understand the nature of bacterial associations at the species level in healthy human gut microbiomes, we analyzed previously published collections of whole-genome shotgun sequence data, totaling over 1.6 Tbp, generated from 606 fecal samples obtained from four different healthy human populations. Using a Random Forest Classifier, we identified 202 signature bacterial species that were prevalent in these populations and whose relative abundances could be used to accurately distinguish between the populations. Bacterial association networks were constructed with these signature species using an approach based on the graphical lasso. Network analysis revealed conserved bacterial associations across populations and a dominance of positive associations over negative associations, with this dominance being driven by associations between species that are closely related either taxonomically or functionally. Bacterial species that form network modules, and species that constitute hubs and bottlenecks, were also identified. Functional analysis using protein families suggests that much of the taxonomic variation across human populations does not foment substantial functional or structural differences.
Reproductive biology of hardhead catfish Ariopsis felis: evidence for overwintering oocytes.

Hardhead catfish Ariopsis felis are a common marine catfish in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). The low economic value of this species has depressed interest and research, and although the species is known for its extremely low fecundity and large oocytes, little else is known about this catfish species. A total of 1230 samples across all months of the year from 2016 to 2018 resulted in 681 females, and analysis of gonado-somatic index (IG ) revealed 1% to be a clear cut-off indicating maturity. Females are considered capable of spawning from April to June when IG averaged 4-8%. Both atresia and post-ovulatory follicles were present in July, suggesting that spawning ends in July in the northern GOM. The 1% IG cut-off was used to designate maturity, and from that an L50 of 253 mm was estimated. Batch fecundity from 41 females estimated a mean batch size of 36 oocytes. Perhaps the most interesting finding was the presence of secondary growth stage oocytes (e.g., cortical alveoli) from July through November, well outside the spawning capable period. Furthermore, 78% of females had some early vitellogenic oocytes present during the non-spawning season, and the distribution of these relatively large (2-5 mm) oocytes did not change over time. The results here are not only important as reproductive biology information for a common and abundant species, but also present interesting and unusual patterns of non-spawning season oocyte development that is not commonly seen in Western Hemisphere subtropical fish species.
Abdominal aortic aneurysms

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the operation of abdominal aortic aneurysms. The indication for the repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is the presence of an aneurysm of significant size in a patient of any age who does not have another noncorrectable, life-threatening condition. This incision is carried superiorly to the level of the left renal vein and interiorly 2.5–5 cm beyond the aortic bifurcation. The aorta just above the aneurysm and below the left renal vein is freed from its surrounding tissues by sharp dissection anteriorly and laterally. Neither an attempt is made to dissect behind the aorta at this level nor is the neck of the aneurysm encircled with tape. The dissection along each lateral wall of the aorta is continued far enough posteriorly so that the neck of the aneurysm can be compressed easily by an occluding clamp, which will be applied at this level. Interiorly, the anterior and lateral walls of both common iliac arteries are freed by sharp dissection in a similar fashion without separating these vessels from their attachments to the common iliac veins posteriorly.
Predictors of 30-day readmission rate after liver transplant in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

e16193Background: Liver transplantation (LT) is curative for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients within the Milan criteria. Readmissions are common postoperatively, and can be associated wit...
Fusarium Species Associated with Root Rot of Lentil (Lens culinaris) in North Dakota

Root rot of lentils is caused by a pathogen complex that includes several Fusarium species as well as Aphanomyces euteiches, Rhizoctonia solani, and Pythium species. Surveys of lentil fields were c...
Microtine Social Systems, Adaptation, and the Comparative Method

Comparative methods have been the primary means of testing hypotheses regarding the adaptive function of social systems in voles. Most authors have assumed that species can be assigned accurately to a single social system. We assert that, due to phenotypic plasticity of individuals and interpopulational variation, such typological thinking often is not justified. The main implication of phenotypic plasticity is that it undermines current applications of the comparative method to the study of behavioral adaptation in microtine rodents. We suggest that the adaptive nature of the plasticity itself be analyzed using a comparative method.
Anesthesia for cardiac surgery in neonates

Cardiac surgery in the neonate usually is indicated for treatment of congenital malformations of the heart or cardiovascular system. Extremely rare is the need for surgical intervention for pathologies such as endocarditis, cardiac tumors, rhythm disturbances, or pericardial disease. Thus, the focus of this chapter is on anesthesia for cardiac surgery in the neonate with congenital heart disease (CHD). This chapter begins with a brief overview of the cardiovascular physiology of the fetus and neonate, followed by a discussion of CHD that includes the epidemiology, clinical features, and diagnosis in the neonate. Selected anomalies of particular relevance in this age group are reviewed, with emphasis on anatomic features, pathophysiology of the defect, perioperative management, and specific considerations during anesthetic care. This is followed with an in-depth discussion on the important aspects of anesthetic practice in the neonate with CHD undergoing cardiac surgery. Finally, several specific perioperative problems and concerns in the neonate are highlighted.
Services and Resources to Engineers: A Case Study of Outreach and Marketing, Assessment, and Future Directions in a Research Library

The literature, activities, and resource needs of engineering students and faculty provide insight into a demographic that is often among the early­adopters of new technologies, tools, and methods of sharing information. Despite the often non­bibliographic nature of their research efforts, there are numerous elements of the traditional service model that remain relevant and integral to the engineering research patron base. New methods of in­ person and virtual instruction, the improved promotion of research consultation, and data management are prime targets for efficient and effective service updates. This article outlines the current engineering research environment, using a large research institution as a model and case study for evaluation and future planning for outreach and service marketing.
The actions of insulin, trypsin, and electrical stimulation on amino acid transport in muscle.

Abstract The manner in which intact skeletal muscle cells regulate amino acid transport across the cell membrane was examined with the use of α-aminoisobutyrate in isolated frog sartorius muscles, and the results were compared with the behavior of sugar transport in this tissue. α-Aminoisobutyrate entered the muscle cells through two mechanisms, one involving active transport by a readily saturable system, the other resembling passive diffusion. Glucose did not compete with α-aminoisobutyrate for entry. Insulin enhanced the rate of penetration of α-aminoisobutyrate by increasing the Vmax of the saturable system without significantly changing its apparent Km for the amino acid; the rate of the diffusion-like process was not affected. A steady state of active accumulation of α-aminoisobutyrate was attained in muscles incubated for several days. The intracellular steady state concentration was increased by insulin. In contrast, 3-O-methylglucose equilibrated passively across the cell membrane, both in the presence and absence of insulin. Electrical stimulation of muscles and treatment with a low concentration, 2 µg per ml, of trypsin augmented the initial rate of entry of α-aminoisobutyrate into muscle cells; trypsin also raised the steady state level of accumulation. The response of this amino acid transport system to the stimulatory agents resembled that of the sugar transport system in the following particular ways. Insulin acted on both systems at 19° but not at 0° in a 3½-hour exposure. Electrical stimulation affected both systems at 0 and 19°. The effects of electrical stimulation on the transport of the amino acid or sugar persisted essentially undiminished for 5 to 6 hours after cessation of the treatment. Insulin increased the Vmax of entry without altering the apparent Km for either type of substrate. The amino acid transport system differed from the sugar transport system in its ability to accomplish an active accumulation of substrate, in its dependence on Na+ for optimal rates of transport, and in its notably smaller responses to insulin, electrical stimulation, and trypsin. Observations are cited which support the hypothesis that insulin, trypsin, and electrical stimulation enhance the penetration of sugar into the cells of frog sartorius muscles by altering the organization of the cell membrane so that a sugar carrier can move more rapidly within the lipid barrier. Our results suggest that a similar hypothesis is applicable to the transport of amino acids, provided that the additional assumption is made that energy coupling, accomplished through an interaction of the amino acid carrier with Na+, introduces steps that can become rate-limiting when transport is stimulated by the various agents.
Ferric Iron Reduction by Bacteria Associated with the Roots of Freshwater and Marine Macrophytes

In vitro assays of washed, excised roots revealed maximum potential ferric iron reduction rates of >100 μmol g (dry weight)−1 day−1 for three freshwater macrophytes and rates between 15 and 83 μmol (dry weight)−1 day−1 for two marine species. The rates varied with root morphology but not consistently (fine root activity exceeded smooth root activity in some but not all cases). Sodium molybdate added at final concentrations of 0.2 to 20 mM did not inhibit iron reduction by roots of marine macrophytes (Spartina alterniflora and Zostera marina). Roots of a freshwater macrophyte, Sparganium eurycarpum, that were incubated with an analog of humic acid precursors, anthroquinone disulfate (AQDS), reduced freshly precipitated iron oxyhydroxide contained in dialysis bags that excluded solutes with molecular weights of >1,000; no reduction occurred in the absence of AQDS. Bacterial enrichment cultures and isolates from freshwater and marine roots used a variety of carbon and energy sources (e.g., acetate, ethanol, succinate, toluene, and yeast extract) and ferric oxyhydroxide, ferric citrate, uranate, and AQDS as terminal electron acceptors. The temperature optima for a freshwater isolate and a marine isolate were equivalent (approximately 32°C). However, iron reduction by the freshwater isolate decreased with increasing salinity, while reduction by the marine isolate displayed a relatively broad optimum salinity between 20 and 35 ppt. Our results suggest that by participating in an active iron cycle and perhaps by reducing humic acids, iron reducers in the rhizoplane of aquatic macrophytes limit organic availability to other heterotrophs (including methanogens) in the rhizosphere and bulk sediments.
The Tiley Trilogy and U.S. Anti-avoidance Law

This article examines an influential set of articles, written by Professor John Tiley in the late 1980s, about anti-avoidance doctrines developed by US courts. The trilogy of articles was written for a British audience, as part of Tiley’s efforts to resist importation of US doctrines (“bleeding chunks of alien doctrine,” as he put it) into the UK, but his ideas remain relevant to tax theorists in all countries, including the US. The article also examines the work of the Aaronson Committee, of which Tiley was a member, which successfully recommended in 2011 that the UK adopt a general anti-avoidance rule (GAAR). Did Tiley’s resistance to anti-avoidance doctrines lessen over the decades, or did the recommendations of the Aaronson Committee avoid the problems that Tiley had seen in the US doctrines of the 1980s? The article concludes, not surprisingly, that the latter was largely the case.
Clathrin- and dynamin-dependent coated vesicle formation from isolated plasma membranes.

We have developed a new rapid cell-free assay for endocytic clathrin-coated vesicle formation using highly purified rat liver plasma membrane sheets. After incubation in the presence of cytosol and nucleotides, released vesicles were collected by high-speed centrifugation and incorporated cargo receptors were detected by Western blotting. Three different cargo receptors were internalized into vesicles while a receptor, known to be excluded from coated pits, was not. The recruitment of cargo receptors into the vesicle fraction was cytosol, ATP and temperature-dependent and was enhanced by addition of GTP. Vesicle formation in this assay was confirmed by subcellular fractionation and EM analysis. Plasma membranes stripped of their endogenous coat proteins with 0.5 m Tris retained vesicle formation activity, which was highly dependent on clathrin and dynamin. Coat proteins and dynamin were not sufficient for clathrin-coated vesicle formation, and other peripheral membrane proteins recruited from the cytosol are required. The nonhydrolyzable ATP analogue, AMPPNP did not support clathrin-coated vesicle formation; however, surprisingly, GTPγS was as effective as GTP. This assay will provide a powerful tool to dissect the minimum machinery and to probe the hierarchy of events involved in cargo selection and endocytic clathrin-coated vesicle formation.
Distribution of Soil Microorganisms

Distributions at Different Scales Sampling for Spatial Distributions Analysis and Interpretation of Spatial Data Keywords: geostatistics for determining the distribution of soil microorganisms; distribution of microorganisms in soils; soils; spatial distribution of microorganisms in soils
Parameter regionalization of a monthly water balance model for the conterminous United States

Abstract. A parameter regionalization scheme to transfer parameter values from gaged to ungaged areas for a monthly water balance model (MWBM) was developed and tested for the conterminous United States (CONUS). The Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test, a global-sensitivity algorithm, was implemented on a MWBM to generate parameter sensitivities on a set of 109 951 hydrologic response units (HRUs) across the CONUS. The HRUs were grouped into 110 calibration regions based on similar parameter sensitivities. Subsequently, measured runoff from 1575 streamgages within the calibration regions were used to calibrate the MWBM parameters to produce parameter sets for each calibration region. Measured and simulated runoff at the 1575 streamgages showed good correspondence for the majority of the CONUS, with a median computed Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient of 0.76 over all streamgages. These methods maximize the use of available runoff information, resulting in a calibrated CONUS-wide application of the MWBM suitable for providing estimates of water availability at the HRU resolution for both gaged and ungaged areas of the CONUS.
Ectoderm induces muscle-specific gene expression in Drosophila embryos

We have inhibited normal cell-cell interactions between mesoderm and ectoderm in wild-type Drosophila embryos, and have assayed the consequences on muscle development. Although most cells in gastrulation-arrested embryos do not differentiate, they express latent germ layer-specific genes appropriate for their position. Mesoderm cells require proximity to ectoderm to express several muscle-specific genes. We show that ventral ectoderm induces mesoderm cells to express nautilus (a MyoD homologue) and to differentiate somatic myofibers, whereas dorsal ectoderm induces mesoderm cells to express visceral and cardiac muscle-specific genes. Our findings suggest that muscle determination in Drosophila is regulated by induction between germ layers during gastrulation.
DNA sequence for a low-level promoter of the lac repressor gene and an ‘up’ promoter mutation

The promoter for a weakly expressed constitutive gene, the lactose repressor gene (lacI), has been sequenced, along with an ‘up’ promoter mutation Iq. The 10-fold enhancement in I expression found in Iq is the result of a single base change at position −35. To facilitate the sequencing, the lacI gene was cloned in a small plasmid.
Symposium overview: Accelerating the conversion of science to technology

Conversion of science to technology typically represents a transition across cultures, organizations, time scales, perspectives, personal motivations and philosophies. The purpose of this special issue is to address the specific problem of efficient and effective conversion of science to technology. This special issue will focus on the ideas, concepts and principles (for improving the science to technology conversion) that can be derived from past and present practices, and will complement recent special journal issues on Research Impact Assessment (Evaluation Review, February 1994) and Performance Measures for Government Sponsored Research (Scientometrics, July–August 1996).
Membrane energization at subzero temperatures: Calcium uptake and oxonol-V responses

Abstract The use of aprotic solvents for preserving the electron transport properties of mitochondria at subzero temperatures is based upon the use of binary water and ethylene glycol mixtures or upon ternary and quaternary mixtures that include dimethyl sulfoxide and the lower aliphatic alcohols. In order to better preserve the respiratory control properties of mitochondria at subzero temperatures, detailed studies have been made of the effects of these mixtures on the respiratory control and electron transport from NADH or succinate of mitochondrial preparations. It is found that ADP is not metabolized at a measurable rate below 0 °C, but that Ca 2+ is rapidly taken up and can thus be used to assay respiratory control ratios down to −8 °C. In the region below −8 °C the charge-sensitive probe oxonol-V has been used to evaluate energy coupling. By using Ca 2+ to stimulate respiration at 0 °C good results are obtained with ethylene glycol/water alone and optimal results are obtained with a quaternary mixture. A mixture that freezes at −21 °C gives about 50% inhibition of the respiratory control ratio for electron transport at 0 °C with NADH or succinate as substrates. The mixtures permit low-temperature studies of mitochondrial functions under conditions of minimal respiratory rate, including the kinetics of electron transfer reactions, the formation of intermediate compounds, and the rapid freeze-trapping of mitochondrial reactions for analytical chemistry or 31 P NMR.
What matters most: an investigation of predictors of perceived stress among young mothers in Khayelitsha.

Our purpose in the present study was to examine how two different sets of stressors, one representing the physical environment and the other representing the social environment, related to perceived stress among new mothers served by a health clinic in Khayelitsha, South Africa. We found that among the chronic urban poverty–environmental stressors related to water, housing, transportation, toileting, and lack of food, that lack of drinkable water in the home had the strongest correlation with perceived stress. In terms of social stressors we found that 60% of new mothers had no partner, and 43% of those with a partner reported that they currently were not coresiding. In terms of the social stressors, the inability to depend on a partner in times of trouble had the strongest relationship to perceived stress. Other findings relating to partner support are discussed as well as sample and community characteristics. Given the importance of partner support, it is argued that the conditions of poverty itself ser...
Bond-breaking bifurcation states in carbon nanotube fracture

Fullerene nanotubes yield to tension in two basic ways. At high temperature (or in the long time limit) a single bond rotation creates a dislocation-dipole favored thermodynamically under large stress. However, at low temperature (or limited time range) this process remains prohibitively slow until further increase of tension causes direct bond-breaking and brittle crack nucleation. This instability proceeds through the formation of a distinct series of virtual defects that only exist at larger tension and correspond to a set of shallow energy minima. The quantum mechanical computations of the intermediate atomic structures and charge density distributions clearly indicate a certain number of broken bonds.
Electron capture into eight excited states of 7 Li in collisions of 2-keV 7 Li + on H 2

We have measured relative intensities of emission from the $2p$, $3s$, $3p$, $3d$, $4s$, $4d$, $5s$, and $5d$ states of $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ produced in 444-eV (relative energy) collisions (2-keV ions on thermal molecules) of $^{7}\mathrm{Li}^{+}$ with ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$. From these, relative values of the direct charge-transfer cross sections ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{c}$ were obtained. It was found that ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{c}$ decreases rapidly and smoothly (approximately as ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}(n\ensuremath{-}3)}$), with increasing principal quantum number $n$ (for $n=3,4,5$) while the variation in ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{c}$ with angular momentum quantum number is not regular; ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{c}(3s)\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{c}(3p)$ but ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{c}(\mathrm{nd})\ensuremath{\sim}10{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{c}(\mathrm{ns})$, in sharp contrast to the behavior of capture cross sections at high energies.
Molecular diagnostic testing as an adjunct to morphologic evaluation of pancreatic ductal system brushings: potential augmentation for diagnostic sensitivity.

Malignancies arising from the pancreatic and biliary ductal systems present the gastroenterologist and pathologist with diagnostic challenges. Tumors of the pancreatic and/or biliary ductal system may present as either duct strictures or mass lesions. When lesions present as strictures without associated demonstrable masses, brushing cytology may represent the only reasonable diagnostic technique aside from open biopsy. Diagnostic sensitivities for brushing cytology have ranged from 18 to 90%. Positive diagnoses of malignancy are of great clinical value but a negative result is of relatively little clinical aid when the radiographic or clinical findings are suspicious for a malignancy. A variety of techniques have been used in an attempt to improve diagnostic sensitivity for brushing cytology. These have included immunohistochemistry and various molecular diagnostic techniques. Using the high resolution melting curve technique, we performed mutational analysis on 20 bile duct brushing specimens for mutations in p53, K-ras, BRAF, and EGFR genes. Eleven specimens had corresponding surgical specimens, which were similarly analyzed. Our series included twelve adenocarcinomas, one islet cell tumor, one case of dysplasia, and six benign cases. K-ras mutations were found in cytology specimens of 3 out of 12 malignancies. No EGFR or B-raf mutations were detected and only a single p53 mutation in an adenocarcinoma was detected in the corresponding cytology specimen. No mutations were detected in benign lesions or in the dysplasia. Only 8% of specimens from adenocarcinomas had p53 mutations and only 33% of cases had K-ras mutations. Mutational analysis did not appear to improve the cytologic detection of adenocarcinoma by bile duct brushings. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2007;35:218–224. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Injection molding metallic glass

Advances in alloy development have produced the Zr_(35)Ti_(30)Be_(27.5)Cu_(7.5) alloy with a crystallization–glass transition temperature, ΔT, of 165 °C. This alloy’s large supercooled liquid region provides the longest processing times and lowest processing viscosities of any metallic glass and was injection molded using tooling based on plastic injection molding technology. Injection-molded beams and die-cast beams were tested in three-point bending. The average modulus of rupture (MOR) was found to be similar, while injection-molded beams had a smaller standard deviation in MOR.
Effects of ionizing radiation upon intracellular levels of soluble microtubule protein in cultured mammalian cells

Abstract Intracellular soluble microtubule protein levels were determined in cultured mammalian cells following X-irradiation. Microtubule protein levels rose along with corresponding RNA and total soluble protein levels as cells accumulated in G 2 and declined as cells resumed division. These results suggest that radiation-induced division delay of mammalian cells does not arise from a radiation-induced defect in synthesis and accumulation of microtubule protein.