cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alloreactivity across HLA barriers is mediated by both naïve and antigen-experienced T cells.

T cell responses to allogeneic targets arise predominantly from the naive pool. However, in humans, the risk of graft-versus-host disease is increased if the donor has circulating T cells recognizing multiple persistent DNA viruses, suggesting that memory T cells also contribute to the alloresponse. To examine HLA alloreactivity, we used flow cytometry–based proliferation and cytokine production assays. We identified the clonal identity of virus-specific T cells cross-reacting with HLA-disparate targets by sequencing the T cell receptor β chains in virus-specific T cell lines restimulated with cognate and HLA-disparate targets and sorting these chains according to cytokine response. We confirmed that naive T cells from cord blood and adult individuals responded to HLA-mismatched target cells. In addition, in adults, we identified memory T cells responding by cytokine release to HLA-mismatched targets both in direct assays and after 8 days of culture with allogeneic stimulator cells. Epstein-Barr virus–specific and cytomegalovirus-specific T cells, tested against a panel of 30 T cell antigen-presenting cells with a broad coverage of the most prominent HLA types, displayed specificity for certain mismatched HLA alleles. Sequencing of the T cell receptor β chain demonstrated a clonotypic identity of cells that responded to both viral and allogeneic stimulation. These findings show conclusively that alloresponses in humans are not confined to the naive T cell subset, and that memory viral antigen–specific T cells can cross-react with specific mismatched HLA–peptide complexes not presenting with cytomegalovirus or Epstein-Barr virus peptides.
Reaction-based fluorescent probes for selective imaging of hydrogen sulfide in living cells.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is emerging as an important mediator of human physiology and pathology but remains difficult to study, in large part because of the lack of methods for selective monitoring of this small signaling molecule in live biological specimens. We now report a pair of new reaction-based fluorescent probes for selective imaging of H2S in living cells that exploit the H2S-mediated reduction of azides to fluorescent amines. Sulfidefluor-1 (SF1) and Sulfidefluor-2 (SF2) respond to H2S by a turn-on fluorescence signal enhancement and display high selectivity for H2S over other biologically relevant reactive sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen species. In addition, SF1 and SF2 can be used to detect H2S in both water and live cells, providing a potentially powerful approach for probing H2S chemistry in biological systems.
Design and Control of a Fully Heat-Integrated Pressure-Swing Azeotropic Distillation System

If the composition of a binary homogeneous azeotrope changes significantly with pressure, the chemical components can be efficiently separated by using two distillation columns that operate at different pressures. This process is called pressure-swing azeotropic distillation. This paper updates the work of Abu-Eishah and Luyben (Ind. Eng. Chem. Process Des. Dev. 1985, 24, 132−140). These authors studied a partially heat-integrated two-column system in which an auxiliary reboiler permitted independent adjustment of vapor boilup in both columns. In the present paper, the two columns operate in the “neat” mode without any auxiliary reboiler. The details of achieving rigorous steady-state and dynamic simulations of the neat system in Aspen Plus and Aspen Dynamics are discussed. The condenser duty in the high-pressure column must equal the reboiler duty in the low-pressure column. The heat-transfer rate depends on the temperatures on the hot and cold sides in the condenser/reboiler, which change with varying p...
A HIERARCHICAL TASK MODEL FOR DISPATCHING IN COMPUTER-ASSISTED DEMAND-RESPONSIVE PARATRANSIT OPERATION

This research was conducted to organize and model a comprehensive set of paratransit dispatching task activity in a computer-assisted control room. The dispatching task involves continuous monitoring and interaction with archived and real-time data using a typical dispatch software. Extensive field observations and video recordings of dispatch operations were conducted. Then, a skeleton decision model of the dispatchers activities was generated and later validated with an expert dispatcher. Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) was used to further refine this model into a comprehensive HTA decision hierarchy (decision tree). To capture the complexity of multi-dispatcher operation, we extended this model to a simultaneous operation of two collaborative dispatchers in the same control room—a van dispatcher and a lead dispatcher. The results of this analysis showed that HTA could be used to model such an activity with a high degree of fidelity. The sequential decision tree format of the HTA also shows promise as ...
Putidaredoxin Reductase, a New Function for an Old Protein

Properties of recombinant wild type (WT) and six-histidine tag-fused (His6) putidaredoxin reductase (Pdr), a FAD-containing component of the soluble cytochrome P450cam monooxygenase system from Pseudomonas putida, have been studied. Both WT and His6 Pdr were found to undergo a monomer-dimer association-dissociation and were partially present as an NAD+-bound form. Although molecular, spectral, and electron transferring properties of recombinant His6 Pdr to artificial and native electron acceptors were similar to those of the WT protein, the presence of eight additional C-terminal amino acid residues, Pro-Arg-His-His-His-His-His-His, had a crucial effect on the enzyme interaction with oxidized pyridine nucleotide. Under anaerobic conditions, NAD+ induced in His6 Pdr spectral changes indicative of flavin reduction and formation of the charge transfer complex between the reduced FAD and NAD+. The reaction proceeded considerably faster in the presence of free histidine and thiol-reducing agents, such as dithiothreitol and reduced glutathione. In the presence of any of these three reagents, NAD+ was capable of inducing reduction of the flavin in WT Pdr. Free thiol groups were identified as an internal source of electrons in the enzyme. The results showed that WT and His6 Pdr were able to function as NAD(H)-dependent dithiol/disulfide oxidoreductases catalyzing both forward and reverse reactions, NAD+-dependent oxidation of thiols, and NADH-dependent reduction of disulfides. This function of the flavoprotein can be dissociated from electron transfer to putidaredoxin. Similarity of Pdr to the enzymes of the glutathione reductase family is discussed.
Characterization of auxin-binding proteins from zucchini plasma membrane

We have previously identified two auxin-binding polypeptides in plasma membrane (PM) preparations from zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) (Hicks et al. 1989, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 4948-4952). These polypeptides have molecular weights of 40 kDa and 42 kDa and label specifically with the photoaffinity auxin analog 5-N3-7-3H-IAA (azido-IAA). Azido-IAA permits both the covalent and radioactive tagging of auxin-binding proteins and has allowed us to characterize further the 40-kDa and 42-kDa polypeptides, including the nature of their attachment to the PM, their relationship to each other, and their potential function. The azido-IAA-labeled polypeptides remain in the pelleted membrane fraction following high-salt and detergent washes, which indicates a tight and possibly integral association with the PM. Two-dimensional electrophoresis of partially purified azido-IAA-labeled protein demonstrates that, in addition to the major isoforms of the 40-kDa and 42-kDa polypeptides, which possess isoelectric points (pIs) of 8.2 and 7.2, respectively, several less abundant isoforms that display unique pIs are apparent at both molecular masses. Tryptic and chymotryptic digestion of the auxin-binding proteins indicates that the 40-kDa and 42-kDa polypeptides are closely related or are modifications of the same polypeptide. Phase extraction with the nonionic detergent Triton X-114 results in partitioning of the azido-IAA-labeled polypeptides into the aqueous (hydrophilic) phase. This apparently paradoxical behavior is also exhibited by certain integral membrane proteins that aggregate to form channels. The results of gel filtration indicate that the auxin-binding proteins do indeed aggregate strongly and that the polypeptides associate to form a dimer or multimeric complex in vivo. These characteristics are consistent with the hypothesis that the 40-kDa and 42-kDa polypeptides are subunits of a multimeric integral membrane protein which has an auxin-binding site, and which may possess transporter or channel function.
Relativistic Behaviour of Moving Terrestrial Clocks

EINSTEIN concluded in his 1905 paper on relativity that “a balance-clock at the equator must go more slowly, by a very small amount, than a precisely similar clock situated at one of the poles under otherwise identical conditions”1. At that time, of course, he had not yet developed the general theory and did not realize that the difference in the gravitational potential at the equator and poles would just cancel the time dilatation from the difference in surface speeds, as has been pointed out recently by W. J. Cocke2. Cocke has also shown that, in so far as the Earth assumes the shape of the geoid (and weak tidal fields can be neglected), its entire surface is an “equal time” surface. There remains an interesting question, however: What would be the rate of a standard clock that is moving relative to stationary standard clocks on the geoid ? The standard answer that moving clocks run slow by the well known factor (1 - v2/c2)1/2 is almost certainly incorrect. The purpose of this note is to discuss this question of the rate of moving terrestrial clocks relative to stationary ones.
Impaired renal blood flow autoregulation in ischemic acute renal failure

We used a model of ischemic acute renal failure featuring normal renal blood flow (RBF) to evaluate the autoregulatory capability in a preparation having a marked reduction of inulin clearance (GFR). In 10 dogs, we clamped the renal artery for 90 min (experimental); 6 dogs, 1 min only (sham). Approximately 18 hours later, we determined the autoregulatory ability from RBF responses to renal arterial constriction. GFR of the experimental dogs was 10 +/- 4 ml/min, significantly lower than GFR in the sham dogs (43 /+- 9 ml/min). RBF in the experimental dogs (189 +/- 17 ml/min) was not significantly different from that in the sham dogs (206 +/- 32). An autoregulation index, ranging from 0.49 to 1.09 (mean 0.690), was significantly larger than was that of sham dogs, which ranged from zero to 0.23 (mean 0.060). At control arterial pressures, vascular resistance was comparable in both groups; however, at reduced arterial pressures below the normal autoregulatory range, average resistance of the experimental dogs (0.62 +/- 0.12 mm Hg/[ml/min]) was significantly greater than was that of the sham dogs (0.38 +/- 0.06 mm Hg/[ml/min]). These studies indicate that a substantial loss of renal hemodynamic responsiveness follows ischemic injury to the dog even when RBF is maintained within the normal range. The loss of autoregulatory capacity associated with a severely attenuated GFR is consistent with a role for tubular flow in the normal mechanism of autoregulation.
Corruption and reform in the Soviet military

(1994). Corruption and reform in the Soviet military. The Journal of Slavic Military Studies: Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 703-724.
Meta-analytic studies of leadership: Added insights or added paradoxes?

This research examines the extent to which meta-analysis of leadership research fulfills its promise to bring order into a body of literature characterized by inconsistent, equivocal findings. Manual and computer searches yielded 14 meta-analyses which clustered around the following leadership topics: (1) theories of leadership (n=7); (2) leadership in small groups (n=2); and gender differences in leadership (n=5). In all three categories, the results of the meta-analyses were as inconsistent as those of primary research. Differences in the types of meta-analystic techniques used, differences in judgment calls including decisions defining the research domain, establishing criteria for inclusion of studies, coding characteristics and selection of potential moderators are, at least in part, responsible for the differences observed. In addition, areas of leadership research which have produced sizable bodies of empirical studies such as the effects of power on leadership outcomes, leader effectiveness as well as the effects of leadership competencies and leadership contexts on leader-follower relations have not been subjected to statistical aggregation and summarization of results across studies. Recommendations for improving the quality of meta-analytic research on leadership are offered.
Swedish Feminism, 1835–1945: A Conservative Revolution

Analysis of the early Swedish women's movement shows that its accomplishments were shaped more by structural and political changes under way in Sweden at the time, than by specific feminist demands. My claim is that the gains of Swedish feminists largely accrued from efforts on the part of political state leaders to incorporate women as a constituent group during a period of increasing class conflict. Many of the Swedish social reforms which promoted gender equality were derived from the goals of politicians to modulate class tensions and increase their political base of support. This helps account for the fact that the gains won, while considerable, often had little to do with the project of the feminist movement.
REACTIONS OF HYPERTHERMAL C(3P) GENERATED BY LASER ABLATION WITH H2, HCL, HBR, AND CH3OH

The reactions of C({sup 3}P) with H{sub 2}, HCl, HBr, and CH{sub 3}OH(D) were investigated in a crossed-beam configuration using laser ablation of graphite as the source of C({sup 3}P). Upon pulsed irradiation of graphite with focused laser output at 266 and 355 nm, hyperthermal C({sup 3}P) is produced and expands freely into the vacuum. Using 266 nm ablation, the endothermic reactions of C({sup 3} P) with the title molecules were investigated by probing the CH product. CH is produced predominantly in v = 0 with rotational distributions that are well described by temperatures in the range 1500-2200 K, depending on the molecular reactants. The spin-orbit and {Lambda}-doublet sublevels are equally populated. In reactions with CH{sub 3}OD, both CH and CD are detected, identifying both the methyl and the hydroxyl groups as reactive sites. Comparisons with the CH internal energy distributions obtained in the reaction of C({sup 1}D) with H{sub 2} show remarkable similarities. On the basis of theoretical investigations and the known electronic states of the methylene intermediate, it is suggested that the reactions of both C({sup 3}P) and C({sup 1}D) proceed via insertion involving carbene intermediates. The participation of several low-lying states of the carbenes may lead bothmore » to lowering of the activation barrier for insertion and to CH products with similar populations of the two {Lambda}-doublet components. 55 refs., 7 figs.« less
Framing Hostilities: Analysis of Mission Statements From Segregated Chicana/o Schools

This study examined discourses used in mission statements from segregated Chicana/o and White schools. The words and phrases used in segregated Chicana/o school mission statements produce negatively oriented frames that make transparent low expectations and negative attitudes compared to those used in segregated White schools. These frames become part of a hegemonic milieu that produces hostilities in the schooling of Chicanas/os. I argue that schools can contribute to the creation of counter-hegemonic spaces by critically reflecting upon the discourses used in mission statements and selecting words and phrases that construct optimistic frames of Chicana/o students.
Distribution of antibody affinities: technique of measurement.

Abstract A computational method has been developed to describe, by means of a histogram, the distribution of affinities in an antibody sample. It was shown that the distribution of affinities was generally not symmetrical and that the binding data could not be adequately, approximated by a Gaussian or Sipsian distribution. Early (day 7) after immunization there is an approximately symmetrical distribution of affinities. This is followed by a progressive skewing of the population towards the high affinity end of the distribution so that by day 90 there is a markedly asymmetric distribution consisting predominantly of high affinity subpopulations of relatively restricted heterogeneity. Low affinity antibodies persist in approximately constant amounts from day 7 to 1 yr after immunization. The methods for computing affinity distributions from binding data are described. The procedure is justified by its ability to adequately approximate the distribution of affinities in a series of hypothetical populations for which theoretical binding was calculated.
Infrahepatic caudal/inferior vena cava interruption with azygos/hemiazygos continuation. Vascular anomaly in swine

Background. Swine are commonly used as a model to study congenital cardiovascular defects that occur in humans and these models have been both spontaneous and experimentally induced. Ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, and atrial septal defect (ASD) are examples of experimentally induced models. Absence of caudal/ inferior vena cava (CVC/IVC) with azygos/hemiazygos continuation is an uncommon vascular anomaly. Case report. The vascular anomaly presented in this case report was an incidental finding on a pig that was evaluated for experimental percutaneous atrial septal defect creation and its closure using a percutaneous femoral vein approach. Absence of CVC/IVC was confirmed by venography and necropsy. Conclusions. To the best of the investigators knowledge, this is the first report of absence of CVC/IVC with azygos/hemiazygos continuation in the swine.
Pyomyositis in Amazonian Ecuador.

Summary Pyomyositis occurs when intramuscular abscesses appear in one or more body sites. Analysis of data from 165 patients with tropical pyomyositis diagnosed at a hospital in rural Amazonian Ecuador from 1980 to 1989 and 1995 to 2005 found that pyomyositis is more likely to affect males than females and more likely to affect children than adults. Abscesses were most commonly located on a lower extremity. Significant changes in patients’ profiles between 1980 and 1989 and 1995 and 2005 were not found.
Evidence for a Grooming Claw in a North American Adapiform Primate: Implications for Anthropoid Origins

Among fossil primates, the Eocene adapiforms have been suggested as the closest relatives of living anthropoids (monkeys, apes, and humans). Central to this argument is the form of the second pedal digit. Extant strepsirrhines and tarsiers possess a grooming claw on this digit, while most anthropoids have a nail. While controversial, the possible presence of a nail in certain European adapiforms has been considered evidence for anthropoid affinities. Skeletons preserved well enough to test this idea have been lacking for North American adapiforms. Here, we document and quantitatively analyze, for the first time, a dentally associated skeleton of Notharctus tenebrosus from the early Eocene of Wyoming that preserves the complete bones of digit II in semi-articulation. Utilizing twelve shape variables, we compare the distal phalanges of Notharctus tenebrosus to those of extant primates that bear nails (n = 21), tegulae (n = 4), and grooming claws (n = 10), and those of non-primates that bear claws (n = 7). Quantitative analyses demonstrate that Notharctus tenebrosus possessed a grooming claw with a surprisingly well-developed apical tuft on its second pedal digit. The presence of a wide apical tuft on the pedal digit II of Notharctus tenebrosus may reflect intermediate morphology between a typical grooming claw and a nail, which is consistent with the recent hypothesis that loss of a grooming claw occurred in a clade containing adapiforms (e.g. Darwinius masillae) and anthropoids. However, a cladistic analysis including newly documented morphologies and thorough representation of characters acknowledged to have states constituting strepsirrhine, haplorhine, and anthropoid synapomorphies groups Notharctus tenebrosus and Darwinius masillae with extant strepsirrhines rather than haplorhines suggesting that the form of pedal digit II reflects substantial homoplasy during the course of early primate evolution.
A simple approach to takedown of a modified Blalock shunt.

Abstract We describe a simple and rapid technique for takedown of right-sided modified Blalock shunts involving a blunt approach belweim the pericardium and the pleura. We have used this method successfully on either side in 47 cases.
Qualitative and quantitative effects of ozone and/or sulfur dioxide on field-grown potato plants.

Abstract Solanum tuberosum L. cv Norchip plants were grown in open-top chambers in the summer of 1986. Plants were treated with charcoal-filtered air, nonfiltered air, or nonfiltered air supplemented with 33, 66, or 99% of the ambient ozone (O 3 ) concentrations from 1000 to 2000 h eastern daylight time daily. In addition, plants received charcoal-filtered air plus 0, 0·15 (393 μg m −3 ), 0·34 (891 μg m −3 ), or 0·61 (1598 μg m −3 ) ppm sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) from 0900 to 1200 h once every 14 d for a total of four treatments. Ozone induced a linear reduction in number and weight of Grade One (> 6·35-cm diameter) potato tubers and in total weight of tubers. Ozone also induced linear reductions in the percentage of dry matter of tubers and linear decreases in glucose and fructose content of Grade One tubers. Sulfur dioxide induced a stimulation and then decline of the number, percentage of dry matter, and sucrose content of Grade One tubers. The SO 2 response best fit a quadratic curve. No O 3 × SO 2 interactions were detected for any of the yield or quality functions measured.
Analgesia for the Pediatric Trauma Patient: Primum Non Nocere?

The acutely injured child poses unique clinical challenges in many respects. Our understanding of these unique characteristic differences and ability to care for pediatric trauma patients has greatly improved over recent decades; however, one area in pediatric trauma care continues to suffer from relative neglect in research and shows few signs of improvement in clinical practice: analgesia. Studies of analgesia practices continue to describe pervasive undertreatment of pain in the pediatric trauma patient. A growing body of evidence suggests that poorly controlled acute pain (oligoanalgesia) not only causes suffering but may lead to both immediate complications that worsen outcomes as well as debilitating chronic pain syndromes that are often refractory to available treatments. This article will provide a review of pain in injured children with respect to its pathophysiology, clinical ramifications, and patterns of analgesia practices. Impediments to analgesia are examined regarding multiple providers of care for the acutely injured child including prehospital personnel, nurses, and physicians. Finally, the article will provide analgesia recommendations with an approach to pain relief and sedation for the injured pediatric patient.
Patterns of Patch Colonization and Expansion In the Non-Native Annual Grass Microstegium vimineum (Poaceae)

Abstract Identifying the areas most vulnerable to a species' invasion within a habitat or region is crucial to managing and minimizing that species' eventual effect. The exotic annual grass Microstegium vimineum often occurs in the greatest density along disturbed corridors, such as waterways and trails, within otherwise undisturbed forests. We tested the hypothesis that such linear features within forests are correlated with invasion patterns. We surveyed linear transects along intermittent streams and foot trails through eight upland forests of different ages, as well as control transects within each forest that were distant from any type of linear feature. We documented significantly larger and denser patches of M. vimineum along transects in young forests than those in old stands. Streams and trails were similarly more invaded than control transects, and M. vimineum was distributed much more patchily away from such corridors. Isolated individual patches of M. vimineum (along neither streams nor trails...
ReMAP: A Reconfigurable Heterogeneous Multicore Architecture

This paper presents ReMAP, a reconfigurable architecture geared towards accelerating and parallelizing applications within a heterogeneous CMP. In ReMAP, threads share a common reconfigurable fabric that can be configured for individual thread computation or fine-grained communication with integrated computation. The architecture supports both fine-grained point-to-point communication for pipeline parallelization and fine-grained barrier synchronization. The combination of communication and configurable computation within ReMAP provides the unique ability to perform customized computation while data is transferred between cores, and to execute custom global functions after barrier synchronization. ReMAP demonstrates significantly higher performance and energy efficiency compared to hard-wired communication-only mechanisms, and over what can ideally be achieved by allocating the fabric area to additional or more powerful cores.
Connectivity effects on productivity, stability, and persistence in a herring metapopulation model

Secor, D. H., Kerr, L. A., and Cadrin, S. X. 2009. Connectivity effects on productivity, stability, and persistence in a herring metapopulation model. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 1726-1732.Diverse and interacting spawning groups of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) have varying degrees of independence to environmental conditions. How these population components respond independently to the same set of environmental conditions, and are connected through straying or entrainment, will contribute to the aggregate metapopulation dynamics. The consequences of connectivity for productivity, stability, and persistence were evaluated in an age-structured model of a two-component metapopulation. Simulation scenarios of straying and entrainment were developed to examine the effects of component interchange and recruitment covariance on metapopulation attributes. Asynchronous component responses should result in reduced variance in metapopulation dynamics, which was measured as the portfolio effect (PE). Most types and magnitudes of connectivity reduced metapopulation productivity and stability. Increased connectivity tended to increase instability of a component by distributing the effect of strong year classes among components and disrupting the “storage effect” within components. Density-dependent straying and entrainment, respectively, showed stabilizing and destabilizing feedback cycles on metapopulation stability and persistence. Furthermore, high rates of connectivity tended to result in increased synchronous responses between components and depressed metapopulation productivity, stability, and PE. Exploitation on a metapopulation should similarly depress independence among components because high mortality will dampen component responses to environmental forcing.
Enforcing IRM security policies: Two case studies

SPoX (Security Policy XML) is a declarative language for specifying application security policies for enforcement by In-lined Reference Monitors. Two case studies are presented that demonstrate how this language can be used to effectively enforce application-specific security policies for untrusted Java applications in the absence of source code.
Unexpected intraoperative diagnosis of pulmonary embolism by transesophageal echocardiography.

Fig 1. The midesophageal ascending aorta short-axis view. The right pulmonary artery in the long axis containing a mass (delineated by arrows) is visible in the near field.
Effects of anticonvulsants and other agents on seizures induced by intracerebral l-glutamate

Convulsions induced in mice by intracerebral injection of L-glutamate were antagonized by phenytoin, phenobarbital, chlordiazepoxide and valproic acid. Trimethadione had only a small effect at the dose used, and ethosuximide was ineffective. The profile of interaction of glutamate with these antiepileptic agents resembles that of ouabain, and differs considerably from the profiles of other convulsants previously tested. However, muscimol had a small potentiating effect on glutamate but not on ouabain. Neither L-glutamic acid diethyl ester nor L-nuciferine significantly altered the convulsive response to glutamate.
Allometry of skull morphology, gape size and ingestion performance in the banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata) feeding on two types of prey.

Small body size imposes limitations on the feeding capabilities of juveniles, particularly in species that consume their prey whole. It has been hypothesized that juveniles exhibit exceptional performance measures to compensate for their small size. However, few studies have examined whether juveniles have better feeding performance relative to adults and investigations of snake feeding ontogeny have not shown enhanced performance in smaller snakes. I tested the hypothesis that juvenile snakes have better feeding performance by comparing maximum gape circumference and ingestion performance (time and number of pterygoid protractions) in a series of banded watersnakes ( Nerodia fasciata ) of different sizes fed fish and frogs. I also measured several external and osteological dimensions of the head and used Akaike's information criterion to determine which morphological measurements were the strongest predictors of relative gape. All skull measurements and maximum gape circumference showed negative allometry relative to snout–vent length (SVL). Given the available models, Akaike information criterion (AIC) analysis indicated that both skull length and mandible length were the strongest predictors of gape circumference for both external and osteological measurements. Multiple regression analysis of ingestion performance indicated SVL was negatively correlated with the time and number of pterygoid protractions required to consume fish or frogs, indicating that juveniles do not have a higher ingestion performance than adults. While exaggerated morphology in juvenile snakes does not appear to improve ingestion performance, a larger gape should increase the ability of juvenile snakes to consume a wide range of encountered prey shapes and sizes.
With friends like these ... : Peer delinquency influences across age cohorts on smoking, alcohol and illegal substance use

Abstract Background Discussions and debate about youth smoking, alcohol use, and illegal substance use (collectively referred to as youth substance use) continue to receive wide attention among researchers, policymakers, and the general public. Previous research has suggested that peer delinquency is a particularly strong correlate of youth substance use. The current study focuses on the influence of delinquent peers on substance use, and how peer delinquency influences change across age cohorts of youth. Method The current study examines multiple correlates for youth substance use in a sample of 8,256 youth (mean age 14), with the goal of identifying the influence of delinquent peers across age cohorts while controlling for other correlates. Data was collected from the Ohio version of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) developed by the Centers for Disease Control. Results Results from multiple regression analyses identified peer delinquency as the strongest correlate of youth substance use even when other relevant factors related to family, neighborhood, and media use were controlled. Correlations between peer delinquency and substance use behavior increased across age cohorts and for individuals who first used in middle teen years (13–16) irrespective of current age. Interpretation Age appears to be a moderating factor regarding the correlation between peer delinquency and youth substance abuse. Primary and secondary prevention and intervention strategies that focus on peers are potentially more likely to reduce youth substance use and improve peer relationships than those focused on other areas such as schools or media.
Adaptive neural observer with forward co-state propagation

An adaptive nonlinear observer using input and output measurements is described by using techniques of optimization theory, the calculus of variations and gradient descent dynamics. A series of formulations of general parameterized nonlinear observers of continuous-time and discrete-time are given, including a co-state (sensitivity) dynamics equation that propagates forward in time and serves as a filtered version of the measured error signal. Several Matlab simulation examples in the continuous-time and discrete-time cases are given to illustrate the approach.
DNA Replication of Human Papillomavirus Type 31 Is Modulated by Elements of the Upstream Regulatory Region That Lie 5′ of the Minimal Origin

The viral replication factors E1 and E2 of papillomaviruses are necessary and sufficient to replicate plasmids containing the minimal origin of DNA replication in transient assays. Under physiological conditions, the upstream regulatory region (URR) governs expression of the early viral genes. To determine the effect of URR elements on E1 and E2 expression specifically, and on the regulation of DNA replication during the various phases of the viral life cycle, we carried out a systematic replication study with entire genomes of human papillomavirus type 31 (HPV31), a high-risk oncogenic type. We constructed a series of URR deletions, spacer replacements, and point mutations to analyze the role of the keratinocyte enhancer (KE) element, the auxiliary enhancer (AE) domain, and the L1-proximal end of the URR (5′-URR domain) in DNA replication during establishment, maintenance, and vegetative viral DNA amplification. Using transient and stable replication assays, we demonstrate that the KE and AE are necessary for efficient E1 and E2 gene expression and that the KE can also directly modulate viral replication. KE-mediated activation of replication is dependent on the position and orientation of the element. Mutation of either one of the four Ap1 sites, the single Sp1 site, or the binding site for the uncharacterized footprint factor 1 reduced replication efficiency through decreased expression of E1 and E2. Furthermore, the 5′-URR domain and the Oct1 DNA binding site are dispensable for viral replication, since such HPV31 mutants are able to replicate efficiently in a transient assay, maintain a stable copy number over several cell generations, and amplify viral DNA under vegetative conditions. Interestingly, deletion of the 5′-URR domain leads to increased transient and stable replication levels. These findings suggest that elements in the HPV31 URR outside the minimal origin modulate viral replication through both direct and indirect mechanisms.
Concordance, conformance, versions, and traceability

Since its inception in 1999, the Software Concordance Project has studied problems in software traceability [5]. Our research has been based on four principles:1. That effective traceability analysis must address the full range of documents produced by the software development process;2. That, for the foreseeable future, a large proportion of software documents will be written in natural languages, such as informal text or various types of diagrams, and that fully automated analysis of these documents will not be tractable;3. That traceability practices will only improve when developers have tools that substantially reduce the effort required to maintain traceability information; and4. That structured document and hypermedia technology is a good basis for traceability support in integrated development environments.
The Senate Electoral Cycle and Bicameral Appropriations Politics

We consider the consequences of the Senate electoral cycle and bicameralism for distributive politics, introducing the concept of contested credit claiming, i.e. that members of a state's House and Senate delegations must share the credit for appropriations that originate in their chamber with delegation members in the other chamber. Using data that isolates appropriations of each chamber, we test a model of the strategic incentives contested credit claiming creates. Our empirical analysis indicates that the Senate electoral cycle induces a back-loading of benefits to the end of senatorial terms, but that the House blunts this tendency with countercyclical appropriations. Our analysis informs our understanding of appropriations earmarking, and points a way forward in studying the larger consequences of bicameral legislatures.
An innovative approach to reduce streaking artifacts in FDK based 3D cone-beam tomography

In this paper, we propose a method to detect and eliminate the streaking artifacts, present in Feldkamp-David-Kress (FDK) based 3D cone-beam tomography, by comparing and combining two synthetic data sets. The data sets, which are 3D reconstructed volume data, are created from the original and negative of the X-ray projections of 3D Sheep-Logan model. The 2nd data set, created from the negative of the projections, has minimized streaking artifacts originated from high intensity region. However, it loses the bone structure information, so the original data set, where the streaking artifact is evident, is combined with the 2nd data set to recover bone structure information. The simulation results show a significant reduction of streaking artifact is achieved.
Molecular and morphological support for a Florida origin of the Cuban oak

Aim The origins of the Cuban biota are of long-standing interest in biogeography, and the source of a small live oak (Quercus series Virentes) population on Cuba remains unresolved. Based on morphological evidence, previous authors have hypothesized a Florida origin from either Q. geminata or Q. virginiana or both; a Mexican origin from Q. oleoides; or a hybrid origin from both sources. We use molecular data and taxonomically informative leaf morphology to identify the source species and timing of colonization. Location Cuba, Central America, Mexico and the south-eastern United States. Methods We collected representative samples of Cuban oaks and each putative source species and genotyped each sample at 12 nuclear microsatellites and two chloroplast DNA sequences. We estimated population structure using a Bayesian clustering analysis and F-statistics, pairwise migration rates among taxa, and divergence time using an isolation-with-migration model. We measured seven leaf traits and conducted an analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) to determine which putative source species was most similar to Cuban oaks. Results Cuban oak contains one chloroplast DNA haplotype, which is common in southern Florida. Bayesian clustering analysis of microsatellites revealed that the Cuban oak forms a distinct and pure population cluster, and F-statistics showed that Cuban oaks are differentiated least from Q. virginiana and most from Q. geminata. Migration rates were highest out of Cuba to Q. oleoides. Molecular diversity, the ratio of allelic richness to allele size range, and effective population size of the Cuban oak were relatively low, suggesting a founder effect. Divergence time estimates fell entirely within the Pleistocene (628–6 ka), considering a range of mutation rates and generation times. Cuban oaks were morphologically most similar to Q. virginiana and least similar to Q. geminata. Main conclusions Molecular and morphological data support a Pleistocene dispersal of Q. virginiana from Florida to Cuba, followed by isolation and divergence, then limited dispersal and introgression from Cuba to Q. oleoides in Central America. Birds could have dispersed acorns to Cuba during a glacial period when sea levels were low. These results highlight the varied origin of the Cuban biota and the possible role of Pleistocene glaciations in the establishment of temperate taxa in the tropics.
Vitamin D metabolism-related genetic variants, dietary protein intake and improvement of insulin resistance in a 2 year weight-loss trial: POUNDS Lost.

Aims/hypothesis Vitamin D and related genetic variants are associated with obesity and insulin resistance. We aimed to examine whether vitamin D metabolism-related variants affect changes in body weight and insulin resistance in response to weight-loss diets varying in macronutrient content.
Fostering Critical Thinking Through Interdisciplinary Cooperation: Integrating Secondary Level Physics into a Weight Training Unit

Should physical educators concentrate on the development of the phys ical by teaching activities that enhance strength and fitness, or should they expand its horizons by unifying mind and body via educating indi viduals through the physical, with an accent on holistic development?
Ankle instability after vascularized fibular harvest for tumor reconstruction.

Background The vascularized fibular graft is an important tool in the reconstruction of defects caused by resections of orthopedic tumors. Children often undergo this form of reconstruction, but there is little information about the complications after vascularized fibular graft harvest in this age group.
Structural and biophysical methods to analyze clock function and mechanism

Structural approaches have provided insight into the mechanisms of circadian clock oscillators. This review focuses upon the myriad structural methods that have been applied to the molecular architecture of cyanobacterial circadian proteins, their interactions with each other, and the mechanism of the KaiABC posttranslational oscillator. X-ray crystallography and solution NMR were deployed to gain an understanding of the three-dimensional structures of the three proteins KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC that make up the inner timer in cyanobacteria. A hybrid structural biology approach including crystallography, electron microscopy, and solution scattering has shed light on the shapes of binary and ternary Kai protein complexes. Structural studies of the cyanobacterial oscillator demonstrate both the strengths and the limitations of the divide-and-conquer strategy. Thus, investigations of complexes involving domains and/or peptides have afforded valuable information into Kai protein interactions. However, high-resolution structural data are still needed at the level of complexes between the 360-kDa KaiC hexamer that forms the heart of the clock and its KaiA and KaiB partners.
From Locus Association to Mechanism of Gene Causality: The Devil Is in the Details.

Arguably, one of the greatest advances in biomedical research in the past decades has been the association of human allelic variation with complex human diseases and phenotypes. Certainly, initially these findings were met with skepticism, given the underpowered and misleading number of candidate gene association studies that preceded the genome-wide association (GWA) era. Also, there was considerable incredulity when it became clear that identified variation in reasonably powered GWA studies (GWAS) could not address the bulk of attributable genetic risk for the majority of diseases. However, scientists in academia and industry are now increasingly recognizing the importance of studying these loci for better understanding of disease pathways and developing new therapeutics. This is perhaps most significant for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD), the primary source of mortality and morbidity worldwide, for which no single drug has yet been developed to target the primary disease process in the vessel wall. See accompanying article on page 2207 GWAS have identified common variation throughout the genome that associates with specific diseases, but these single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) provide little information about the mechanism for this association. Lead variants reported in GWAS are commonly tag SNPs chosen to represent regions of linkage disequilibrium (LD) that can be hundreds of thousands of nucleotides in length. The next era of GWAS will be focused on finding the causal variation in these loci, using this information to identify the causal gene, and then elucidating the mechanisms behind disease risk susceptibility. Deciphering precise molecular mechanisms will involve both state-of-the-art computational analysis and in vitro and in …
Phase I study of s-trans, trans-farnesylthiosalicylic acid (FTS), a novel oral Ras inhibitor, in patients with refractory hematologic malignancies

7071 Background: Ras activation (mutational or non-mutational) is a key pathway for survival and proliferative advantage of leukemic cells. Farnesyl transferase inhibitors (FTI) that are thought to...
The Absence of Equality and Human Dignity Values Makes American Sentencing Systems Fundamentally Different from Those in Other Western Countries

Concern for equality and human dignity is largely absent from American sentencing. Prison sentences are imposed much more often than in any other Western country and prison terms are incomparably longer. The greater frequency of imprisonment is a product of punitive attitudes and politicization of crime control policies. The longer terms result partly from abolition of parole release in every jurisdiction for all or some inmates, but mostly from the proliferation since the mid-1980s of mandatory minimum, three-strikes, life without parole, and truth-in-sentencing laws. The ideas that offenders should be treated as equals and with concern and respect for their interests largely disappeared, though they had been animating values of earlier indeterminate and determinate sentencing systems. Their disregard is evident in the nature of contemporary laws but also in low-visibility policies and practices including the near absence of meaningful systems of appellate sentence review, low standards of proof — or none at all — at the sentencing stage, and the absence of policies that limit the weight given to past convictions in the sentencing of new offenses or set standards for sentencing of people convicted of multiple offenses.
Reactivities of Metallo−Carbohedrenes: Evidence That V8C12+ Has Td or D2d Symmetry

The metallo−carbohedrene V8C12+ is studied using a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer coupled to a compact supersonic source. Its reactions with water, ammonia, ROH (R = CH3, C2H5, C3H7, C4H9), and CH3X (X = Cl, Br, I) are reported. For polar molecules, sequential attachment reactions occur leading to the initial buildup of the product V8C12L4+. V8C12L5-7+ peaks for ammonia and alcohols are also observed, but they grow in slowly. These results provide evidence that the geometric structure of V8C12+ is the theoretically calculated more stable Td or D2d symmetry with two sets of metals, as opposed to the Th symmetry with all eight equivalent metals. In reactions with methyl halide, CH3X (X = Cl, Br, I), V8C12+ undergoes four sequential halide abstraction reactions, exclusively, yielding mass spectra that truncate sharply at V8C12X4+. Dehydrogenation is observed for the secondary reactions with water and alcohols, ROH (R = H, alkyl), yielding V8C12(OR)2+ intermediates. The r...
Significance of skin as a site of fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis in the chick.

SummaryThe significance of skin as a site of fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis has been studied in the chick. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments indicate that chick skin has the capacity to synthesize fatty acid and cholesterol. The addition of glucose to the incubation medium enhanced fatty acid synthesis but not cholesterol synthesis from acetate–1–14C in chick skin. The rate of in vitro lipogenesis in skin is markedly lower than that in liver and slightly lower than that in adipose tissue. The estimated contribution of skin to total fatty acid synthesis in the intact chick was about 7%, while skin accounted for approximately 6% of total cholesterol synthesis.