cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification and characterization of acetyl-CoA carboxylase from developing soybean seeds

Abstract Acetyl-CoA carboxylase from two lines of soybean ( Glycine max ) seeds has been purified to apparent homogeneity. The procedure included affinity chromatography of the enzyme on avidin-monomer-Sepharose 4B. The enzyme from both lines showed a single band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. On sodium dodecyl sulphatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the enzyme from experimental line 9686 showed a single protein band having the M , 240 000. The enzyme from the commercial line Wayne, however, showed three protein bands having the M , s 240 000, 65 000 and 58 000, respectively. High concentrations of the enzyme were required for stability as well as the presence of dithiothreitol, glycerol and Triton X-100. The enzyme was active over a wide pH range, with an optimum at 8.2 for 9686 and 7.5 for Wayne. The enzyme from both 9686 and Wayne showed absolute specificity for acetyl-CoA as a substrate and this could not be replaced by propionyl-CoA, butyryl-CoA, hexanoyl-CoA or S-methylerotonyl-CoA. At the optimum pH the apparent K m values for the substrates were: bicarbonate, 1.13 mM; acetyl-CoA, 0.32 mM; ATP, 0.46 mM for the Wayne carboxylase and bicarbonate, 1.56 mM; acetyl-CoA, 0.17 mM; ATP, 0.14 mM for the 9686 enzyme. Citrate, at higher concentrations, was strongly inhibitory. Both ADP and AMP inhibited the enzyme from 9686 and Wayne. The enzyme from both 9686 and Wayne did not appear to be highly regulated by cellular metabolites.
Basic comparison of structure and functioning of legislative, governmental and non-governmental bodies for water quality management in the USA and the CR: an american view

The structure and function of water quality management systems in USA and CR are compared and the basic principles of the Water Protection Approach used by US EPA outlined.
The role of irradiation in the management of squamous‐cell carcinomas of the mouth and throat

Fundamental precepts of radiation biology are presented to provide a basis for the comprehension of radiotherapy. These precepts include cell viability, randomness of cell killing by irradiation, the influence of molecular oxygen on radiosensitivity, phases of the cell cycle, and repopulation. The combined-treatment concept is developed, and preoperative and postoperative irradiation options, as well as the optimal extent of the surgical procedure, are discussed. These principles of combined treatment are first applied to the management of neck disease, which is a common denominator to all sites. The anatomic sites of the mouth and throat are then discussed. The capabilities of radiotherapy have greatly altered treatment planning for carcinomas of the mouth and throat; one must now develop an initial overall plan that varies with the extent and anatomic site of the primary lesion, the extent of neck disease, and the probability of spread to clinically uninvolved lymphatic areas.
Studies of the activity of chymotrypsin

Physical and chemical studies of chymotrypsin in solution and kinetic measurements of individual steps in reactions catalysed by this hydrolytic enzyme are reported. The solution studies also provide a basis for correlation of individual reaction steps with structural information obtained by Drs Blow and Hartley and discussed at this Discussion. The rate and equilibrium constants pertaining to the three-step mechanism shown below have been determined for the chymotrypsin catalysed hydrolysis of three specific ester substrates-the ethyl esters of N-acetyl-L-tyrosine, N-acetyl-L-tryptophan, and N-acetyl-L-phenylalanine-at selected pH values with use of both flow and relaxation techniques. $E + S \overset{K'\_S}{\rightleftharpoons} ES \nearrow\rightarrow^{P\_1}\_{k\_{23}} EP\_2 \rightarrow\_{k\_{23}} E + P\_2$ where E is enzyme, S is substrate, ES is a complex, EP $\_2$ is an intermediate compound, and the products P $\_1$ and P $\_2$ are, respectively, an alcohol or amine and an acid. The hydrolysis of chymotrypsin specific substrates is shown to be considerably more complex than is indicated by this previously proposed mechanism. In addition to the steps shown, there exist a number of ionization and conformational equilibria which account for the bell-shaped pH-rate profiles observed for chymotrypsin catalysed reactions. A catalytically active enzyme conformation, which is in pH dependent equilibrium with a catalytically inactive conformation, is shown to have its origin in the enzyme activation mechanism. In the chymotrypsin catalysed hydrolysis of an amide substrate, furylacryloyltrypto-phanamide, there has been detected an additional intermediate which differs from the intermediate EP $\_2$ observed in ester hydrolysis.
Characterization of a spontaneously transformed chicken mononuclear cell line

We describe the characterization of a spontaneously transformed chicken monocytic cell line that developed as a single colony of cells in a heterophil culture that was inadvertently left in the incubator over a period of 25 days. These cells, hitherto named HTC, grow efficiently at both 37 or 41 8C in culture medium containing either 5% FBS or 2% chicken serum. The HTC cells are acid phosphatase positive, show expressions of both class I and class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC), CD44, K1, and K55 cell surface antigens, and engulf latex beads, produce nitrite and interleukin-6 on stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Treatment with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) induces respiratory burst in HTC cells and the secretion of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) into culture medium. Using gene-specific primers and reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the presence of mRNA trancripts for interferon-g (IFN-g), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) were detected. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment of HTC cells modulated IL-1, IL-6, IFN-g, NOS mRNA levels as detected by RT-PCR analyses. Using different avian tumor virus gene-specific primers and PCR, the HTC cells were positive for the presence of avian leukosis virus (ALV) and Marek’s disease virus (MDV) but negative for reticuloendothelial virus (REV), chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV), and herpes virus of turkeys (HVT). The production of ALV antigens by HTC cells was further confirmed using p27 gag protein ELISA. Collectively, these results show that the HTC cells belong to myeloid/ macrophage lineage and were likely transformed by ALV and MDV but retain many interesting and useful biological activities. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Entropy-constrained mean-gain-shape vector quantization for image compression

Abstract A method for optimal variable rate mean-gain-shape vector quantization (MGSVQ) is presentedwith application to image compression. Conditions are derived within an entropy-constrained productcode framework that result in an optimal bit allocation between mean, gain, and shape vectors at allrates. An extension to MGSVQ called hierarchical mean-gain-shape vector quantization (HMGSVQ)is similarly introduced. By considering statistical dependence between adjacent means, this method isable to provide improvement in rate-distortion performance over traditional MGSVQ, especially at lowbit rates. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the rate-distortion performance of MGSVQand HMGSVQ for image data. Keywords: entropy-constrained, vector quantization, image coding, optimal bit allocation 1 INTRODUCTION Since its introduction, the use of vector quantization (VQ) has been pervasive in data compressionapplications, including image coding. One drawback, however, is that for a given rate, the size of a VQcodebook tends to grow exponentially with the block length, resulting in unwieldy memory requirementsand enormous encoding complexity. Consequently, a product code framework is often employed to simplify
Breastfeeding in chronic illness: the voices of women with fibromyalgia.

PURPOSE To describe what it is like for women with fibromyalgia (FM) to breastfeed their infants. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Nine women with FM who chose to breastfeed their infants were the sample for this qualitative study. van Manen's phenomenological method of reflection, writing, and rewriting was used to analyze the data collected through in-depth tape-recorded interviews and written stories. RESULTS All nine women felt that they were not successful in their attempts to breastfeed, and felt frustrated. Themes included (a) muscle soreness, pain, and stiffness made it difficult to breastfeed the baby; (b) fatigue interfered with the breastfeeding process; (c) the need for medication, perceived insufficient milk supply, and sore nipples led to forced unplanned weaning; and (d) being forced to wean the infant when not ready to do so created sadness and a feeling of depression. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Nurses who work with women with FM who choose to breastfeed need to be proactive in providing informational, emotional, and physical support to facilitate a successful breastfeeding experience for these women. Knowing that the pain, muscle soreness, stiffness, and fatigue of FM may affect breastfeeding can direct nurses to help women with FM plan for support after childbirth and learn techniques to control/reduce the muscle pain and stiffness. Nurses are encouraged to refer breastfeeding women with FM to lactation consultants and support groups for encouragement and validation regarding their concerns about breastfeeding. It is important that nurses continue to serve as advocates for breastfeeding women with FM and keep other healthcare providers informed about the issues related to breastfeeding for women with FM.
MODELING OF HUMAN EXPOSURE TO IN-VEHICLE PM(2.5) FROM ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE.

ABSTRACT Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is estimated to be a significant contributor to in-vehicle human exposure to fine particulate matter of 2.5 μm or smaller (PM2.5). A critical assessment was conducted of a mass balance model for estimating PM2.5 concentration with smoking in a motor vehicle. Recommendations for the range of inputs to the mass-balance model are given based on literature review. Sensitivity analysis was used to determine which inputs should be prioritized for data collection. Air exchange rate (ACH) and the deposition rate have wider relative ranges of variation than other inputs, representing inter-individual variability in operations, and inter-vehicle variability in performance, respectively. Cigarette smoking and emission rates and vehicle interior volume are also key inputs. The in-vehicle ETS mass balance model was incorporated into the Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulation for Particulate Matter (SHEDS-PM) model to quantify the potential magnitude and variability of ...
In vivo optical frequency domain imaging of human retina and choroid

Optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) using swept laser sources is an emerging second-generation method for optical coherence tomography (OCT). Despite the widespread use of conventional OCT for retinal disease diagnostics, until now imaging the posterior eye segment with OFDI has not been possible. Here we report the development of a highperformance swept laser at 1050 nm and an ophthalmic OFDI system that offers an A-line rate of 18.8 kHz, sensitivity of >92 dB over a depth range of 2.4 mm with an optical exposure level of 550 µW, and deep penetration into the choroid. Using these new technologies, we demonstrate comprehensive human retina, optic disc, and choroid imaging in vivo. This advance enables us to view choroidal vasculature in vivo without intravenous injection of fluorescent dyes and may provide a useful tool for evaluating choroidal as well as retinal diseases.
Comparative Statics of the Firm

Abstract Complementarities arise naturally in diverse models of optimal decision-making in a firm. Theoretical properties of supermodular functions provide a powerful tool for analyzing qualitative properties in such circumstances. This paper considers a general model of the firm and gives sufficient conditions for complementarities to hold and for optimal decisions to be monotone with a parameter. A variety of specific models of the firm are shown to satisfy these conditions. Necessary conditions delimit those models of the firm that may exhibit monotone optimal decisions. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: B41, C61, D20, L00.
Study of two tyrosine kinase inhibitors on growth and signal transduction in polycythemia vera.

Objective An activating somatic mutation of Janus kinase 2 V617F ( JAK2 V617F ) is present in most polycythemia vera (PV) patients. We studied efficacy of two potent tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), AEE788 and AMN107, in vitro on cells bearing this mutation. Materials and Methods We employed reporter cells expressing wild-type JAK2 and mutant JAK2 V617F , human erythroleukemic cells (HEL) carrying JAK2 V617F to study the efficacy of these TKIs by cell proliferation assay, Annexin-V/propidium iodide staining, and on relevant cell-signaling and apoptotic events. These data were compared to ex vivo expanded native human erythroid PV progenitor cells grown in liquid cultures. Results AEE788 showed a time- and dose-dependent growth inhibitory effect that was greater in FDCP cells expressing JAK2 V617F and HEL cells than in cells expressing wild-type JAK2 . AEE788 caused dephosphorylation of Akt (S243) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (Y694) proteins, increase in Annexin-V binding and caspase-3 cleavage, suggesting induction of apoptosis. We also observed AEE788-mediated decrease in heat shock protein 70 and 90 antiapoptotic proteins. Similarly, native PV erythroid progenitors showed more sensitivity to AEE788 than normal erythroid progenitors. AEE788 also exerted dose-dependent inhibition of PV-specific erythroid colonies. Nilotinib (AMN107) however, lacked specificity and required high (>8 μM) concentrations to inhibit growth of JAK2 V617F -carrying cells. Conclusion Our data suggest that AEE788 exerts its apoptotic activity via downregulation of proliferative and antiapoptotic regulatory proteins. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the effect of AEE788 on PV erythroid progenitors. Differential effects on PV and normal progenitor cells suggest AEE788 has potential in the treatment of PV and other JAK2 V617F positive hematologic malignancies.
Cads and Dads on Screen Do Media Representations of Partner Scarcity Affect Partner Preferences Among College-Aged Women?

Two laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effect of exposure to varying media representations of partner availability on the traits women found desirable in potential romantic and sexual partners. In each study, after watching media narratives featuring either an abundance or scarcity of male prospective sexual partners, women indicated their interest in hypothetical sexual partners with characteristics typical of the Cad (e.g., aggressive, promiscuous) or Dad (e.g. devoted, upright) for long-term and short-term relationships. Viewing any romantic narrative caused a decline in interest in a partner with Cad traits, particularly for a short-term relationship. Viewing romantic narratives in which romantic relationships were framed in terms of male abundance caused women with short-term relationship goals to be less interested in a partner with Dad traits; viewing the male scarcity trailers caused a similar reduction for women with long-term relationship goals.
RATIOS OF TRANSITION PROBABILITIES BETWEEN ROTATIONAL STATES IN ODD-A NUCLEI

A $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-coincidence method has been developed for measuring relative electric excitation cross sections of the first two excited levels in odd-$A$ nuclei. This method has been applied to eight nuclei in the region $63\ensuremath{\le}Z\ensuremath{\le}75$. In general the results agree very well with the strong-coupling collective-model theory, indicating that in any one nucleus $Q$ is constant to within about 20%. The deviations, though small, are outside the limits of experimental error for a number of nuclei.
27-Hydroxycholesterol Links Hypercholesterolemia and Breast Cancer Pathophysiology

Hypercholesterolemia is a risk factor for estrogen receptor (ER)–positive breast cancers and is associated with a decreased response of tumors to endocrine therapies. Here, we show that 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC), a primary metabolite of cholesterol and an ER and liver X receptor (LXR) ligand, increases ER-dependent growth and LXR-dependent metastasis in mouse models of breast cancer. The effects of cholesterol on tumor pathology required its conversion to 27HC by the cytochrome P450 oxidase CYP27A1 and were attenuated by treatment with CYP27A1 inhibitors. In human breast cancer specimens, CYP27A1 expression levels correlated with tumor grade. In high-grade tumors, both tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages exhibited high expression levels of the enzyme. Thus, lowering circulating cholesterol levels or interfering with its conversion to 27HC may be a useful strategy to prevent and/or treat breast cancer.
A simple variation of the Marzke-Wheeler clock

The Marzke-Wheeler clock is based on the back-and-forth passage of a light signal between two observers who remain at rest with respect to one another. It differs from earlier photon clocks by providing a specific method based on the properties of free particles and light signals for establishing the relative rest of the two observers. The present paper provides an alternative and more straightforward method also based on the properties of free particles and light signals for accomplishing this result.
Adaptation of the temporal receptive fields of macaque V1 neurons

Abstract Traditional view of macaque V1 neurons is that they are static spatiotemporal filters. This study shows that V1 neurons’ temporal receptive fields (kernels) are dynamic and adaptive. In order to study the adaptation of the kernels to a variety of stimuli, we developed a regression approach to recover kernels using naturalistic stimuli. Using this technique, we studied how the kernels of the V1 neurons in macaque monkeys adapt to the frequency bandwidth of naturalistic signals. We found that the temporal frequency tunings and the gains of the receptive fields of the neurons change according to the statistical context of the stimulus environment.
Basal promoter elements as a selective determinant of transcriptional activator function

In eukaryotes, activation of transcription involves an interplay between activators bound to cis-regulatory elements and factors bound to basal elements near the start site of transcription. The basal elements, for example the TATA box or proximal sequence element (PSE) of small nuclear RNA (snRNA) promoters, nucleate the assembly of basal transcription complexes, components of which interact with activators. Although one basal transcription complex can interact with many activators, it is unclear whether different basal transcription complexes can direct different responses to particular activators. We show here that changing the arrangement of basal elements can alter the response to transcriptional activation domains. Indeed, in the human U6 snRNA promoter, point mutation of either a TATA box or PSE results in diametrically opposed responses to VP16- and Sp1-derived activation domains. These basal elements can even discriminate small changes in an activation domain. Thus the arrangement of basal promoter elements provides a mechanism for differential regulation of transcription.
Chronic jet-lag increases mortality in aged mice

Document S1. Supplemental Experimental ProceduresxDownload (.08 MB ) Document S1. Supplemental Experimental Procedures
A response from Amy Plantinga Pauw

In his review of my book, Steven Studebaker asserts that Jonathan Edwards's trinitarianism is useful in challenging ‘the common assumption that Western Augustinian trinitarianism is inherently monistic and must be transcended by recourse to the Eastern trinitarian tradition’. While I find Edwards to be theologically useful for a wide variety of reasons, I am in basic agreement with Studebaker's assertion, and certainly do not share in the ‘common assumption’ about Augustinianism that he deplores.
Task-driven saliency using natural statistics (SUN)

Learning the scales of objects  The scale at which objects appear varies significantly so there is no single optimal scale. However the distribution of scales within each object class is distinct.  We cluster the percent increase in size of the resized features for each training object using one Gaussian mixture model per class with three clusters each.  The three cluster centers found for each class are used to rescale the filters when computing P(C = 1 | F = fz) during testing.  For ease of computation, we combine our bottom-up and appearance terms.  Recall, this combination is pointwise mutual information.
Africism. a Response To the Onomastic Plight of African Religion

For many centuries the autochthonal religion of African peoples have been subjected to a variety of misnomers. This has resulted in the fact of the marginalization of the religions ofAfricans. This paper aims at sensitizing the reader about the issue in order to help check the perpetuation of such marginalization of the religion ofAfrica. In our time, notable personalities and institutions interested in world religions and interreligious dialogue, have expressed the need of an appropriately consolidated and objective designation for the autochthonal religion of Africa. This paper submits that an objectively and creatively established name can be arrived at by a geo-ontological approach. As we turn a new leaf in a new millennium, Africism is hereby submitted as the appropriately consolidated and objective name of the essence and manifestations of the autochthonal religion of Africa.
Numerical, perturbative and Chebyshev inversion of the incomplete elliptic integral of the second kind

Abstract The incomplete elliptic integral of the second kind, E ( sin ( T ) , m ) ≡ ∫ 0 T 1 - m sin 2 ( T ′ ) dT ′ where m ∈ [ 0 , 1 ] is the elliptic modulus, can be inverted with respect to angle T by solving the transcendental equation E ( sin ( T ) ; m ) - z = 0 . We show that Newton’s iteration, T n + 1 = T n - E ( sin ( T ) ; m ) - z 1 - m sin 2 ( T ) , always converges to T ( z ; m ) = E - 1 ( z ; m ) within a relative error of less than 10 −10 in three iterations or less from the first guess T 0 ( z , m ) = π / 2 + r ( θ - π / 2 ) where, defining ζ ≡ 1 - z / E ( 1 ; m ) , r = ( 1 - m ) 2 + ζ 2 and θ = atan ( ( 1 - m ) / ζ ) . We briefly discuss three alternative initialization strategies: “homotopy” initialization [ T 0 ( z , m ) ≡ ( 1 - m ) ( z ; 0 ) + mT ( z , m ) ( m ; 1 ) ], perturbation series (in powers of m ), and inversion of the Chebyshev interpolant of the incomplete elliptic integral. Although all work well, and are general strategies applicable to a very wide range of problems, none of these three alternatives is as efficient as the empirical initialization, which is completely problem-specific. This illustrates Tai Tsun Wu’s maxim “usefulness is often inversely proportional to generality”.
Constrained optimization via genetic algorithms

This paper presents an application of genetic algorithms (GAs) to nonlinear constrained optimization. GAs are general purpose optimization algorithms which apply the rules of natural genetics to explore a given search space. When GAs are applied to nonlinear constrained problems, constraint handling becomes an important issue. The proposed search algorithm is realized by GAs which utilize a penalty function in the objective function to account for violation. This extension is based on systematic multi-stage assignments of weights in the penalty method as opposed to single-stage assignments in sequential unconstrained minimization. The experimental results are satisfactory and agree well with those of the gradient type methods.
Gadolinium Decreases Stretch-Induced Vulnerability to Atrial Fibrillation

Background—Atrial fibrillation (AF) is frequently associated with atrial dilatation caused by pressure or volume overload. Stretch-activated channels (SACs) have been found in myocardial cells and may promote AF in dilated atria. To prove this hypothesis, we investigated the effect of the SAC blocker gadolinium (Gd3+) on AF propensity in the isolated rabbit heart during atrial stretch. Methods and Results—In 16 isolated Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts, the interatrial septum was perforated to equalize biatrial pressures. Caval and pulmonary veins were occluded. Intra-atrial pressure (IAP) was increased in steps of 2 to 3 cm H2O by increasing the pulmonary outflow fluid column. Vulnerability to AF was evaluated by 15-second burst pacing at each IAP level. At baseline, IAP needed to be raised to 8.8±0.2 cm H2O (mean±SEM) to induce AF. A dose-dependent decrease in AF vulnerability was observed after Gd3+ 12.5, 25, and 50 μmol/L was added. AF threshold increased to 19.0±0.5 cm H2O with Gd3+ 50 μmol/L (P<0....
Reliability and the adaptive utility of discrimination among alarm callers

Unlike individually distinctive contact calls, or calls that aid in the recognition of young by their parents, the function or functions of individually distinctive alarm calls is less obvious. We conducted three experiments to study the importance of caller reliability in explaining individual-discriminative abilities in the alarm calls of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris). In our first two experiments, we found that calls from less reliable individuals and calls from individuals calling from a greater simulated distance were more evocative than calls from reliable individuals or nearby callers. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that marmots assess the reliability of callers to help them decide how much time to allocate to independent vigilance. The third experiment demonstrated that the number of callers influenced responsiveness, probably because situations where more than a single caller calls, are those when there is certain to be a predator present. Taken together, the results from all three experiments demonstrate the importance of reliability in explaining individual discrimination abilities in yellow-bellied marmots. Marmots' assessment of reliability acts by influencing the time allocated to individual assessment and thus the time not allocated to other activities.
Psychosocial outcomes and health status of adults who have had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: A controlled population-based study

Objective. The goal of this study was to evaluate the physical and psychosocial impact of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) among a population-based cohort of adults who had the disease during childhood, compared with a control cohort of subjects with no history of JRA. Methods. The Rochester Epidemiology Project database was used to identify all cases of JRA (based on the American College of Rheumatology [formerly, the American Rheumatism Association] 1977 criteria) among Rochester, Minnesota residents first diagnosed between January 1, 1960 and December 31, 1993. Controls were age- and sex-matched to the cases as of the date of diagnosis of JRA. A pretested postal survey was mailed to all adult cases (whose date of birth was before December 31, 1975) and matched controls from the same population, to obtain information on socioeconomic issues and functional status (using the Health Assessment Questionnaire and the Health Status Questionnaire). The complete medical records of all cases and controls were reviewed to obtain information on demographics and clinical manifestations of JRA. Results. Of the 50 eligible cases, 44 (88%) responded to the survey. There were 102 age- and sexmatched controls (2–3 per case) who responded to the survey. Seventy-three percent of the cases had pauciarticular-onset JRA, 16% had polyarticular-onset JRA, and 11% had systemic-onset JRA. Average followup was 24.7 years and 24.5 years after the index date for cases and controls, respectively. Greater disability (P = 0.0002), more bodily pain (P = 0.0002), increased fatigue (P = 0.0112), poorer health perception (P = 0.0004), and decreased physical functioning (P = 0.0002) were reported by the cases compared with the controls. JRA cases reported significantly lower rates of employment (P = 0.015) and lower levels of exercise (P = 0.0002) than did controls. Level of educational achievement, annual income, health insurance status, and rate of pregnancy and childbirth were similar for both cases and controls. Conclusion. Adults who have had JRA during childhood experience long-term physical and psychosocial impairment.
Cloning and characterization of uronate dehydrogenases from two pseudomonads and Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain C58.

Uronate dehydrogenase has been cloned from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato strain DC3000, Pseudomonas putida KT2440, and Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain C58. The genes were identified by using a novel complementation assay employing an Escherichia coli mutant incapable of consuming glucuronate as the sole carbon source but capable of growth on glucarate. A shotgun library of P. syringae was screened in the mutant E. coli by growing transformed cells on minimal medium containing glucuronic acid. Colonies that survived were evaluated for uronate dehydrogenase, which is capable of converting glucuronic acid to glucaric acid. In this manner, a 0.8-kb open reading frame was identified and subsequently verified to be udh. Homologous enzymes in P. putida and A. tumefaciens were identified based on a similarity search of the sequenced genomes. Recombinant proteins from each of the three organisms expressed in E. coli were purified and characterized. For all three enzymes, the turnover number (kcat) with glucuronate as a substrate was higher than that with galacturonate; however, the Michaelis constant (Km) for galacturonate was lower than that for glucuronate. The A. tumefaciens enzyme was found to have the highest rate constant (kcat = 1.9 × 102 s−1 on glucuronate), which was more than twofold higher than those of both of the pseudomonad enzymes.
“Alligator eats cookie”: Acquisition of writing and reading skills by deaf children using the microcomputer

This research investigated the effects of microcomputer technology on the acquisition of writing and reading skills in 32 deaf children between the ages of 3.2 and 8.5 years. The children used a special interface keyboard which builds in perceptual salience and animation of color pictures and graphic representations of signs from American Sign Language (ASL). The learning mechanism underlying this novel instructional system is responsive, interactional, and exploratory, reflective of the way in which most children acquire a first language. Results have demonstrated improvement in writing, reading, and general communication skills. These advances are attributed to exploratory learning -not solely programmed instruction – which allows the child to investigate at will the representation of various printed forms which relate to the child's own primary mode of communication.
Blunt cerebrovascular injury in rugby and other contact sports: case report and review of the literature.

Contact sports have long been a part of human existence. The two earliest recorded organized contact games, both of which still exist, include Royal Shrovetide Football played since the 12th century in England and Caid played since 1308 AD in Ireland. Rugby is the premier contact sport played throughout the world with the very popular derivative American football being the premier contact sport of the North American continent. American football in the USA has on average 1,205,037 players at the high school and collegiate level per year while rugby in the USA boasts a playing enrollment of 457,983 at all levels. Recent media have highlighted injury in the context of competitive contact sports including their long-term sequelae such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) that had previously been underappreciated. Blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) has become a recognized injury pattern for trauma; however, a paucity of data regarding this injury can be found in the sports trauma literature. We present a case of an international level scrum-half playing Rugby Union at club level for a local non-professional team, in which a player sustained a fatal BCVI followed by a discussion of the literature surrounding sport related BCVI.
Fine-grained supply gating through hypergraph partitioning and Shannon decomposition for active power reduction

Energy-efficient performance has emerged as the key design objective of high-performance logic circuits to address power-induced reliability concerns and battery life requirements in portable devices. In the sub-65nm technology regime, these problems continue to grow as leakage power becomes the predominant form of power consumption. Among numerous power reduction techniques employed at the circuit and architectural levels, supply gating has been proven to be very effective for standby power reduction. In this paper, we propose application of fine-grained supply gating to large complex circuits for active leakage and dynamic power reduction. A design methodology and associated CAD tool is developed to synthesize combinational logic using hypergraph partitioning and Shannon decomposition, which reduces both leakage and switching power by disabling unused logic dynamically in small clusters of gates. Simulation results for a set of ISCAS-85 benchmarks show that the proposed approach can achieve up to 40% saving in total power in active mode (and up to 37% saving in standby power) with negligible impact on performance and die area for a predictive 32 nm technology.
Understanding the backward slices of performance degrading instructions

For many applications, branch mispredictions and cache misses limit a processor's performance to a level well below its peak instruction throughput. A small fraction of static instructions, whose behavior cannot be anticipated using current branch predictors and caches, contribute a large fraction of such performance degrading events. This paper analyzes the dynamic instruction stream leading up to these performance degrading instructions to identify the operations necessary to execute them early. The backward slice (the subset of the program that relates to the instruction) of these performance degrading instructions, if small compared to the whole dynamic instruction stream, can be pre-executed to hide the instruction's latency. To overcome conservative dependance assumptions that result in large slices, speculation can be used, resulting in speculative slices.This paper provides an initial characterization of the backward slices of L2 data cache misses and branch mispredictions, and shows the effectiveness of techniques, including memory dependence prediction and control independence, for reducing the size of these slices. Through the use of these techniques, many slices can be reduced to less than one tenth of the full dynamic instruction stream when considering the 512 instructions before the performance degrading instruction.
museums and the reformulation of ethnographic practice

Cannibal Tours and Glass Boxes: The Anthropology of Museums. MICHAEL M. AMES. Museums and Communities: The Politics of Public Culture. IVAN KARP, CHRISTINE MULLEN KREAMER, and STEVEN D. LAVINE, eds.
Welfare and the Multifaceted Decision to Move

Are poor single mothers more likely to stay in or move to states with higher welfare benefits? This question has important implications on at least two levels. As a policy matter, the answer will enlighten us about the effects of welfare on society and will assist efforts to understand whether states systematically lower benefits in order to avoid becoming “welfare-magnets” (Peterson and Rom 1989; Rom, Peterson, and Scheve 1998; Volden 2002). This answer will also help us anticipate how welfare policies may evolve in other areas of the world where it is—‐or is becoming—‐as easy to move across jurisdictional boundaries as in the United States. As a theoretical matter, understanding the relationship between welfare and migration can help us better understand how the increasing mobility of people, firms, and capital affects governmental capacities to provide welfare and other redistributive benefits. If generous government benefits prompt people who receive them to flow in and the people who pay for them to flow out, the benefits will become increasingly difficult to sustain. This is true not only for a federal system such as the United States, but also for the international system in which political, social, and economic barriers to migration have fallen dramatically in recent years. Finding that welfare-induced migration occurs in the United States would enhance concern about governmental capacity for social services; finding no such behavior, on the other hand, would make us less inclined to believe that migration constrains governments in other, less likely contexts. Lately, most scholars researching the question have found very little or no support for the idea that welfare affects migration in the United States (Allard and Danziger 2000; Levine and Zimmerman 1999; Schram, Nitz, and Krueger 1998; Schram and Soss 1999). They conclude that the evidence is “at best mildly in favor” of the idea that welfare affects migration (Brueckner
Human Substantia Nigra Neurons Encode Unexpected Financial Rewards

The brain's sensitivity to unexpected outcomes plays a fundamental role in an organism's ability to adapt and learn new behaviors. Emerging research suggests that midbrain dopaminergic neurons encode these unexpected outcomes. We used microelectrode recordings during deep brain stimulation surgery to study neuronal activity in the human substantia nigra (SN) while patients with Parkinson's disease engaged in a probabilistic learning task motivated by virtual financial rewards. Based on a model of the participants' expected reward, we divided trial outcomes into expected and unexpected gains and losses. SN neurons exhibited significantly higher firing rates after unexpected gains than unexpected losses. No such differences were observed after expected gains and losses. This result provides critical support for the hypothesized role of the SN in human reinforcement learning.
An Evaluation of Recent Old-Age Policy Innovations in South Korea

In 2008, South Korea launched a Basic Old-Age Pension program, which provides income support for the bottom 60% of the population, and a universal Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) program. We investigate the effect of both policies on subjective well-being of the elderly. We use panel data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, with the 2006 data representing the "pretreatment" and the 2008 data the "posttreatment" situations. We use regression methods for purposes of inferring program impacts. Our findings suggest that satisfaction with economic status was slightly improved by LTCI alone, and by LTCI and basic old-age pension in combination, depending on the estimator used. We found no policy impacts on satisfaction with health conditions. The benefits provided by the two programs may be insufficient to raise well-being in the population as a whole; alternatively, the outcomes may have been measured too soon after the policies were implemented.
Anxiety and Depression in Breast Cancer Survivors of Different Sexual Orientations.

Objective We conducted a study comparing anxiety and depression by sexual orientation in long-term breast cancer survivors, testing the hypothesis that sexual minority women (e.g., lesbian and bisexual women) have greater levels of anxiety and depression. Method From a state cancer registry, we recruited 257 heterosexual and 69 sexual minority women with a diagnosis of primary, nonmetastatic breast cancer. To increase the number of sexual minority participants, we used convenience recruitment methods and obtained an additional 112 sexual minority women who fit the same eligibility criteria as did the registry-derived sample. Using a telephone survey, we assessed clinical and demographic characteristics of the participants and the outcomes of anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983). Results We did not confirm our study hypothesis but found that sexual orientation is associated with anxiety and depression through interactions with demographic and clinical factors. Younger age and lower socioeconomic status are associated with worse anxiety and depression. These factors explain less than 20% of the variance in anxiety and depression. Conclusions This sample of long-term breast cancer survivors shows low levels of psychological morbidity, while some sexual minority survivors are more depressed. Future research should examine explanatory factors to account for the better-than-expected psychological rehabilitation of sexual minority survivors.
Diminished ovarian reserve in a woman with a balanced 13;21 translocation.

Objective To present the a case of decreased ovarian reserve in a patient with a balanced 13;21 translocation. Design Case report. Setting Reproductive endocrinology and infertility practice in a university teaching hospital. Patient(s) A 33-year-old caucasian woman with primary infertility. Intervention(s) Laboratory evaluation, hysterosalpingogram, karyotype analysis, semen analysis. Main Outcome Measure(s) Endocrinologic evaluation and genetic analysis. Result(s) A diagnosis of decreased ovarian reserve based upon laboratory evaluation with concomitant findings of a balanced translocation between the long arms of chromosomes 13 and 21. Conclusion(s) A diagnosis of primary infertility secondary to decreased ovarian reserve of unknown etiology, but with karyotype evidence of a balanced autosomal translocation and a familial history of early menopause, suggested possible roles of autosomal genes in mechanisms of ovarian follicular attrition.
ABACUS/X an incremental compiler for minicomputer use

This paper describes an incremental compiler which has been developed for use on minicomputers. The language which it accepts, ABACUS/X, is described, as is overall system operation. The internal workings of the compiler are discussed, along with the methods developed to minimize the memory space problems inherent in the use of incremental compilers. Speed and space comparisons are included for some benchmark programs.
Radionuclide Therapy for Osseous Metastases in Prostate Cancer

Bone metastases are associated with increased morbidity and poor prognosis in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Since 2010, 5 systemic therapies for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration based on an improvement in overall survival, offering alternatives to docetaxel, a chemotherapeutic agent with modest effect and significant toxicity. These systemic treatments belong to different classes of medication such as immunotherapy, hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and radionuclide therapy. Radium-223 dichloride ((223)RaCl2), approved in May 2013, is a novel α-emitting radiopharmaceutical that targets areas of increased bone turnover in bone metastases, delivering densely ionizing radiation within a short tissue range and causing more severe chromosomal damage than β-emitting radiopharmaceuticals. In this article, we review the clinical development of (223)RaCl2, focusing on its effects on pain relief, skeletal events, biochemical markers, overall survival, quality of life, and safety. We also outline the differences between (223)RaCl2 and the previously developed bone-seeking β-emitters and briefly present new trials on the horizon involving (223)RaCl2.
HORMONAL REGULATION OF MICRORNA EXPRESSION IN PERIOVULATORY MOUSE MURAL GRANULOSA CELLS

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) mediate posttranscriptional gene regulation by binding to the 3' untranslated region of messenger RNAs to either inhibit or enhance translation. The extent and hormonal regulation of miRNA expression by ovarian granulosa cells and their role in ovulation and luteinization is unknown. In the present study, miRNA array analysis was used to identify 212 mature miRNAs as expressed and 13 as differentially expressed in periovulatory granulosa cells collected before and after an ovulatory dose of hCG. Two miRNAs, Mirn132 and Mirn212 (also known as miR-132 and miR-212), were found to be highly upregulated following LH/hCG induction and were further analyzed. In vivo and in vitro temporal expression analysis by quantitative RT-PCR confirmed that LH/hCG and cAMP, respectively, increased transcription of the precursor transcript as well as the mature miRNAs. Locked nucleic acid oligonucleotides complementary to Mirn132 and Mirn212 were shown to block cAMP-mediated mature miRNA expression and function. Computational analyses indicated that 77 putative mRNA targets of Mirn132 and Mirn212 were expressed in ovarian granulosa cells. Furthermore, upon knockdown of Mirn132 and Mirn212, a known target of Mirn132, C-terminal binding protein 1, showed decreased protein levels but no change in mRNA levels. The following studies are the first to describe the extent of miRNA expression within ovarian granulosa cells and the first to demonstrate that LH/hCG regulates the expression of select miRNAs, which affect posttranscriptional gene regulation within these cells.
Open label smoking cessation with varenicline is associated with decreased glutamate levels and functional changes in anterior cingulate cortex: preliminary findings

Rationale: Varenicline, the most effective single agent for smoking cessation, is a partial agonist at α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Increasing evidence implicates glutamate in the pathophysiology of addiction and one of the benefits of treatment for smoking cessation is the ability to regain cognitive control. Objective: To evaluate the effects of 12 week varenicline administration on glutamate levels in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and functional changes within the cognitive control network. Methods: We used single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in the dACC and functional MRI (fMRI) during performance of a Stroop color-naming task before and after smoking cessation with varenicline in 11 healthy smokers (open label design). Using the dACC as a seed region, we evaluated functional connectivity changes using a psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis. Results: We observed a significant decrease in dACC glutamate + glutamine (Glx)/Cr levels as well as significant blood oxygen level-dependent signal (BOLD) decreases in the rostral ACC/medial orbitofrontal cortex and precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex. These BOLD changes are suggestive of alterations in default mode network (DMN) function and are further supported by the results of the PPI analysis that revealed changes in connectivity between the dACC and regions of the DMN. Baseline measures of nicotine dependence and craving positively correlated with baseline Glx/Cr levels. Conclusions: These results suggest possible mechanisms of action for varenicline such as reduction in Glx levels in dACC and shifts in BOLD activities between large scale brain networks. They also suggest a role for ACC Glx in the modulation of behavior. Due to the preliminary nature of this study (lack of control group and small sample size), future studies are needed to replicate these findings.
Ideas or Interests: Privacy in Electronic Communications

This article examines why the idea of privacy failed to structure policymaking in the case of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). Although the relatively quick passage of ECPA might appear to be a case of the politics of ideas, the model of interest group politics more simply explains policy making. The analysis of this case suggests several factors as important in establishing the conditions under which a politics of ideas will be realized.