cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Face for the Endoplasmic Reticulum: RNA Localization

Even before the first cell division, the oocyte shows signs of asymmetry that mark the formation of the embryo's head, tail, top, and bottom. One of these signs is the localization of RNA molecules to one end of the cell or the other. As discussed by Etkin in his Perspective, some of the mechanisms of this asymmetry are known, but this week's issue (p. [1128][1]) reports a surprise: Deshler et al . show that one way in which these RNAs are put in place is by assistance from an unexpected corner--the endoplasmic reticulum, an organelle better known for its central place in protein synthesis. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/276/5315/1128
Sexual Problems Among Older Women by Age and Race.

Abstract Background: The purpose of our study was to examine the prevalence of sexual problems by age and race among older women in the United States and to examine quality of life correlates to sexual dysfunction among non-Hispanic white and African American older women. Methods: A cross-sectional study using self-report surveys was conducted among community-dwelling U.S. women, aged 60 years and over. A total of 807 women aged 61–89 years were included. Self-administered questionnaires assessed sexual dysfunction, satisfaction with life, depressive symptomatology, and self-rated health. Analyses included multivariate logistic regression. Results: The mean age of the sample was 66 years. Two-thirds of the sample had at least one sexual dysfunction; the most common for both African American and non-Hispanic white women were lack of interest in sex and vaginal dryness. Prevalence varied by age for each of the sexual dysfunctions. The odds of experiencing sexual dysfunction varied with age and race. Compare...
Simple MaxEnt Models for Food Web Degree Distributions

Degree distributions have been widely used to characterize biological networks including food webs, and play a vital role in recent models of food web structure. While food webs degree distributions have been suggested to follow various functional forms, to date there has been no mechanistic or statistical explanation for these forms. Here I introduce models for the degree distributions of food webs based on the principle of maximum entropy (MaxEnt) constrained by the number of species, number of links and the number of top or basal species. The MaxEnt predictions are compared to observed distributions in 51 food webs. The distributions of the number of consumers and resources in 23 (45%) and 35 (69%) of the food webs respectively are not significantly different at a 95% confidence level from the MaxEnt distribution. While the resource distributions of niche model webs are well-described by the MaxEnt model, the consumer distributions are more narrowly distributed than predicted by the MaxEnt model. These findings offer a new null model for the most probable degree distributions in food webs. Having an appropriate null hypothesis in place allows informative study of the deviations from it; for example these results suggest that there is relatively little pressure favoring generalist versus specialist consumption strategies but that there is more pressure driving the consumer distribution away from the MaxEnt form. Given the methodological idiosyncrasies of current food web data, further study of such deviations will need to consider both biological drivers and methodological bias.
Tire Shear Force Generation During Combined Steering and Braking Maneuvers

A historical overview of theory and experiment pertaining to tire shear force generation during combined slip is presented followed by a review of more recent empirical findings. The requirements for modeling the tire in combined maneuvers are summarized prior to presenting, in detail, a semiempirical model of the tire developed to fulfill these requirements. The ability of the developed model to fit the shear force characteristics exhibited by belted, radialply tires and bias-ply tires is examined and demonstrated. /Author/
Asbestos Lessons: The Unattended Consequences of Asbestos Litigation

This essay is in part a result of the author's participation over several years in the meetings of the Panel on Law Science and Technology of the National Academy of Sciences. It was published by the Review of Litigation in 2007. It is a summary of the problems faced by the courts in resolving extremely complex scientific issues arising in a million civil cases arising out of uses of asbestos that also had the incidental effect of saving many thousands of lives. It concludes that a single-payer health care system is to be desired in preference to tort law as a system of allocating costs.
Optimal Website Design with the Constrained Subtree Selection Problem

We introduce the Constrained Subtree Selection (CSS) problem as a model for the optimal design of websites. Given a hierarchy of topics represented as a DAG G and a probability distribution over the topics, we select a subtree of the transitive closure of G which minimizes the expected path cost. We define path cost as the sum of the page costs along a path from the root to a leaf. Page cost, γ, is a function of the number of links on a page. We give a sufficient condition for γ which makes CSS NP-Complete. This result holds even for the uniform probability distribution. We give a polynomial time algorithm for instances of CSS where G does not constrain the choice of subtrees and γ favors pages with at most k links. We show that CSS remains NP-Hard for constant degree DAGs, but also provide an O(log(k)γ(d+1)) approximation for any G with maximum degree d, provided that γ favors pages with at most k links. We also give a complete characterization of the optimal trees for two special cases: (1) linear degree cost in unconstrained graphs and uniform probability distributions, and (2) logarithmic degree cost in arbitrary DAGs and uniform probability distributions.
In-depth view of structure, activity, and evolution of rice chromosome 10

Rice is the world's most important food crop and a model for cereal research. At 430 megabases in size, its genome is the most compact of the cereals. We report the sequence of chromosome 10, the smallest of the 12 rice chromosomes (22.4 megabases), which contains 3471 genes. Chromosome 10 contains considerable heterochromatin with an enrichment of repetitive elements on 10S and an enrichment of expressed genes on 10L. Multiple insertions from organellar genomes were detected. Collinearity was apparent between rice chromosome 10 and sorghum and maize. Comparison between the draft and finished sequence demonstrates the importance of finished sequence.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PASSIVE GLENOHUMERAL TOTAL ROTATION AND THE STRENGTH OF THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ROTATOR MUSCLES, A PRELIMINARY STUDY.

Background There is little research on how the amount of shoulder joint range of motion, specifically glenohumeral rotation, may be related to the muscle strength of the rotator cuff muscles. A long held belief is that a joint with excessive range of motion needs sufficient muscular strength for stability. However, no studies have examined this concept.
High‐Field Whole Body Systems

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Hardware Limitations 3 Spectroscopy 4 Anatomical and Functional Imaging Related Articles
Overdues and Academic Libraries

How overdues are dealt with in an academic library often dcpends on which group of borrowers is involved. For student borrowers, reducing overdues requires an appropriate loan period (including study carrels for graduatc students) and certain punitive measures, such as fines, revoking borrowing privileges, or blocking students from registering. Faculty and staff overdues are more difficult to resolve, and individual cases may be very time-consuming. Outside borrowers can be dealt with in traditional ways (fines, revoked privileges), but serious problems can develop.
Administrative Law Agonistes

This paper is in part a reply to a recent article by Professor Lisa Bressman, entitled "Procedures as Politics in Administrative Law" (107 Columbia Law Review 1749) and, in part, a precis of future work on prescriptive administrative law in the positive political theory tradition.
Managing more than the mean: using quantile regression to identify factors related to large elk groups

Animal group size distributions are often right-skewed, whereby most groups are small, but most individuals occur in larger groups that may also disproportionately affect ecology and policy. In this case, examining covariates associated with upper quantiles of the group size distribution could facilitate better understanding and management of large animal groups.We studied wintering elk groups in Wyoming, where group sizes span several orders of magnitude, and issues of disease, predation and property damage are affected by larger group sizes. We used quantile regression to evaluate relationships between the group size distribution and variables of land use, habitat, elk density and wolf abundance to identify conditions important to larger elk groups.We recorded 1263 groups ranging from 1 to 1952 elk and found that across all quantiles of group size, group sizes were larger in open habitat and on private land, but the largest effect occurred between irrigated and non-irrigated land [e.g. the 90th quantile group size increased by 135 elk (95% CI = 42, 227) on irrigation].Only upper quantile group sizes were positively related to broad-scale measures of elk density and wolf abundance. For wolf abundance, this effect was greater on elk groups found in open habitats and private land than those in closed habitats or public land. If we had limited our analysis to mean or median group sizes, we would not have detected these effects. Synthesis and applications. Our analysis of elk group size distributions using quantile regression suggests that private land, irrigation, open habitat, elk density and wolf abundance can affect large elk group sizes. Thus, to manage larger groups by removal or dispersal of individuals, we recommend incentivizing hunting on private land (particularly if irrigated) during the regular and late hunting seasons, promoting tolerance of wolves on private land (if elk aggregate in these areas to avoid wolves) and creating more winter range and varied habitats. Relationships to the variables of interest also differed by quantile, highlighting the importance of using quantile regression to examine response variables more completely to uncover relationships important to conservation and management.
Tunneled-Cuffed Catheter Associated Infections in Hemodialysis Patients Who Are Seropositive for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Infection rates in tunneled-cuffed catheters (TCC) are reported to be higher in immunocompromised patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate TCC-associated infection rates in patients with HIV infection (HIV+). Data were collected in 40 HIV + patients and 41 controls (C), and in 118 TCC (HIV+, 58; C, 60) for 28,146 catheter days (HIV+, 16,227; C, 11,919). There were no significant differences in the TCC bacteremia rates (HIV+, 2.23 versus C, 2.53 per 1000 TCC days, P: = NS) or in the TCC exit site infection rates (HIV+, 2.20 versus C, 2.24 per 1000 TCC days, P: = NS) between the groups. The number of TCC removed due to infection was also similar, (HIV+ versus C: 17 versus 15%, P: = NS). In the HIV+ group, the association of hepatitis B surface antigenemia with TCC exit site infection was dependent on the history of injection drug use. Black race was a significant risk factor for higher TCC exit site infection rates, whereas prophylactic antibiotic use and high CD4 count were significantly associated with lower TCC exit site infection rates. None of the factors significantly predicted bacteremia rate in either group (HIV+ or C). In comparison to controls, HIV+ patients had a fivefold increased risk of having a Gramnegative organism (P: = 0.02) and a sevenfold increased risk of a fungal isolate (P: = 0.08), although the latter finding was not statistically significant. HIV infection is not a significant risk factor for TCC-associated infection but is associated with a higher prevalence of Gram-negative and fungal species.
Comparison of obese men and women with binge eating disorder seeking weight management

OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether obese males with binge eating disorder (BED) seeking weight loss treatment differed significantly from obese females with BED seeking weight loss treatment in developmental variables, weight loss history, current and lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorders, and metabolic abnormalities. METHODS: Psychiatric (using the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-IV), medical, and laboratory assessments of 44 obese males with BED were compared with assessments from 44 age- and race-matched obese females with BED seeking weight loss treatment. RESULTS: High rates of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and metabolic syndrome were observed in the population as a whole. Obese males with BED had attempted significantly fewer diets, medications and supplements for weight loss before seeking weight loss treatment. The two genders did not differ significantly in any other of the examined variables. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that while obese men and women with BED who present for weight management are very similar, males had fewer previous attempts at weight loss, possibly related to their less pronounced body dissatisfaction or fewer help-seeking behaviors as compared to females. Our results also support findings of substantial comorbidity among obesity, BED, mood and anxiety disorders, and metabolic syndrome in weight loss seeking populations, in men as well as women.
Principals’ Perceptions and Practices of School Bullying Prevention Activities

The purpose of this study was to examine principals’ perceptions and practices regarding bullying prevention. A survey instrument was developed to assess principals’ stages of change and perceived barriers regarding selected bullying prevention activities as well as the effectiveness of bullying prevention activities. Of a national random sample of 700 principals to which the survey was mailed, 55% responded. None of the school-based bullying prevention activities were being done by more than one in five schools even though principals perceived there to be no barriers regarding these activities. Characteristics that affected the offering of these activities included number of perceived barriers to implementing the activity, whether the principal had received violence/ bullying prevention training, perceptions regarding the extent of bullying, and the number of bullying problems reported to them. The findings suggest that preprofessional training and continuing education are needed to educate principals regarding this area.
Modeling linguistic probabilities and linguistic quantifiers using interval type-2 fuzzy sets

In this paper, we synthesize interval type-2 fuzzy set models of linguistic probability words and linguistic quantifiers by applying the Enhanced Interval Approach to data collected from subjects about those words. We establish some user friendly sub-vocabularies of linguistic probabilities and linguistic modifiers, so that they can be used in advanced computing with words applications. The user friendly vocabularies are based on axioms of fuzzy probabilities.
Coulomb stress accumulation along the San Andreas Fault system

Stress accumulation rates along the primary segments of the San Andreas Fault system are computed using a three-dimensional (3-D) elastic half-space model with realistic fault geometry. The model is developed in the Fourier domain by solving for the response of an elastic half-space due to a point vector body force and analytically integrating the force from a locking depth to infinite depth. This approach is then applied to the San Andreas Fault system using published slip rates along 18 major fault strands of the fault zone. GPS-derived horizontal velocity measurements spanning the entire 1700 x 200 km region are then used to solve for apparent locking depth along each primary fault segment. This simple model fits remarkably well (2.43 mm/yr RMS misfit), although some discrepancies occur in the Eastern California Shear Zone. The model also predicts vertical uplift and subsidence rates that are in agreement with independent geologic and geodetic estimates. In addition, shear and normal stresses along the major fault strands are used to compute Coulomb stress accumulation rate. As a result, we find earthquake recurrence intervals along the San Andreas Fault system to be inversely proportional to Coulomb stress accumulation rate, in agreement with typical coseismic stress drops of 1 - 10 MPa. This 3-D deformation model can ultimately be extended to include both time-dependent forcing and viscoelastic response.
Epidemiology of DSM-III-R Major Depression and Minor Depression Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the National Comorbidity Survey

Data on the prevalences, comorbidities, and cohort effects of DSM-III-R major depression (MD) and minor depression (mD) are reported for the nationally representative sample of n = 1,769 adolescents and young adults who participated in the National Comorbidity Survey. Lifetime prevalences are 15.3% (MD) and 9.9% (mD), while 30-day prevalences are 5.8% (MD) and 2.1% (mD). Most cases reported recurrent episodes (73.9% of those with MD and 69.2% with mD) and significant role impairment, including attempted suicide among 21.9% of those with MD. The majority of lifetime cases (76.7% of those with MD and 69.3% with mD) reported other comorbid lifetime NCS/ DSM-III-R disorders. Depression was temporally secondary in the majority of these cases. Number of prior disorders was more important than type of disorders in predicting subsequent depression, raising the possibility that secondary depression is a nonspecific severity marker for earlier disorders. A cohort effect for both MD and mD was documented that persisted even for episodes lasting a year or longer. Increasing prevalences of prior comorbid disorders were found to play an important part in explaining the cohort effect for depression.
Phase-sensitive observables as a route to understanding molecular continua

We consider the origin and implications of the phase lag, an observable in two-pathway excitation schemes whose recent measurement raised both interest and controversy. A closed-form expression is derived which illustrates the various sources of a nonvanishing phase lag, distinguishes their roles and exposes their unifying feature. Several formally interesting and experimentally relevant limits of the general form are considered and the potential application of phase-sensitive measurements as a route to understanding molecular coupling mechanisms is illustrated.
Comments on “A turbulent diffusion model for particle dispersion and deposition in horizontal tube flow”

An error was found in the paper ‘‘A Turbulent Diffusion Model for Particle Dispersion and Deposition in Horizontal Tube Flow’’ by Mols and Oliemans (1998). The error affected the results presented in the first part of the paper, namely, Figs. 6–11. The objective of this Brief communication is to correct the error providing the proper solution, and to present the main results with the corrected solution. Note that the nomenclature used is the same as in Mols and Oliemans (1998).
On translating technology research into industrial applications

Basic or pure research advances fundamental knowledge about the world and generates new ideas, principles, and theories, which, while not always immediately usable, form the basis of progress and development in different fields and industries, even starting new ones. For example, computers could not exist without research in mathematical logics and solid state physics over a century ago, while the prevalent world wide web and social media owe much to the fundamental breakthroughs in semiconductors and network theory, for which there was no known practical application at the time. Basic research is more speculative and takes a long time, often decades, to be applied in the real world, and occasionally results in unexpected discoveries.
Prediction of recurrent coarctation by early postoperative blood pressure gradient.

Objective Blood pressure gradients that are noted early after repair of coarctation in neonates and infants are often attributed to proximal arch hypoplasia. Rapid growth of the hypoplastic proximal arch is usually observed, although in some individuals an early gradient predicts the subsequent need for reintervention. To define the predictive reliability of blood pressure gradients between arms and legs and to identify predictors of arch growth, we undertook a retrospective study. Methods Between January 2000 and June 2008, 77 infants underwent surgical repair of coarctation. Data collected included preoperative dimensions of aortic segments. Blood pressure gradients between arms and legs determined by cuff were compared intraoperatively and postoperatively, as well as 2-dimensional echocardiographic dimensions of the aorta between those who did not require reintervention for recoarctation (group A) and those who did (group B). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was applied to evaluate discrimination of the systolic gradient in differentiating the 2 groups of patients. Results At surgery, patients' median age was 10 days and weight was 3.3 kg. There was 1 early death. Median follow-up was 40 months (interquartile range, 24–63 months). Recoarctation developed in 11 patients (14.3%), defined as a resting blood pressure gradient of greater than 20 mm Hg with a corresponding decrease in the diameter of the aorta by 50%. Freedom from recoarctation was 87% at 1 year and 85% at 5 years. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified the size of the ascending aorta as a risk factor for recoarctation. Blood pressure gradient at the end of surgery was not predictive of recoarctation. The ascending aorta and transverse arch showed rapid growth in group A, and this was associated with a decrease in blood pressure gradient over time. In comparison, the growth of the ascending aorta and arch in group B was significantly less than in group A and associated with worsening of gradients. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that gradients at the time of hospital discharge (>13 mm Hg) had excellent discriminative accuracy in identifying patients in whom subsequent recoarctation developed. Conclusions Small size of the ascending aorta is a risk factor for recoarctation. Limb gradient in the operating room at completion of surgery is not a reliable tool to assess repair of coarctation, although the gradient at the time of hospital discharge can be used to accurately predict recoarctation. Rapid growth of both the ascending and the transverse aorta is frequently observed and associated with improvement in gradients over time.
Physical activity patterns during pregnancy through postpartum

Realizing the importance of regular physical activity, particularly in the prevention of chronic diseases and unhealthy weight gain, it is important to study how physical activity changes during and after pregnancy using prospective study designs. The aim of this study was to describe the mode, duration, intensity, and changes in physical activity during pregnancy through one year postpartum among a cohort of women. This study was part of the third Pregnancy, Infection and Nutrition Postpartum Study at the University of North Carolina Hospitals. A cohort of 471 women was followed at 17-22 and 27-30 weeks' gestation and at 3 and 12 months postpartum. The participants reported the mode, frequency, duration, and intensity of all physical activities that increased their breathing and heart rate in the past week. Overall physical activity for the cohort decreased from 17-22 weeks to 27-30 weeks of gestation, but rebounded up at 3 months postpartum and remained stable at 12 months postpartum. The mean MET h/wk values for each time point were 24.7 (standard deviation, SD 26.8), 19.1 (SD 18.9), 25.7 (SD 29.3), and 26.7 (SD 31.5). In postpartum, women reported more care-giving and recreational activity and less indoor household activity, as compared to their activity level during pregnancy. For health benefits and weight management, health care professionals are encouraged to provide pregnant and postpartum women with information on recommendations of physical activity, particularly regarding the minimum duration and intensity level.
Countering plutocracies: increasing autonomy and accountability through culturally relevant leadership

In urban school districts across the USA there are mandates to implement zero tolerance policies. As this occurs, there is an increasing number of students, specifically students of colour, who are being jettisoned out of the educative process. When school principals have little autonomy regarding how they handle disciplinary infractions within their schools, it becomes relatively easy for them to opt out of making tough decision. The authors assert that Culturally Relevant Leadership is a framework that, if applied correctly, can help school leaders reduce the multiple school suspensions and expulsions that are occurring among students of colour.
Shear, Uniaxial, and Biaxial Stress Relaxation Functions

Performance of approximate methods for computing uniaxial and biaxial stress relaxation functions is evaluated by comparison with the exact solutions. Equally good results are obtained by neglecting dilational relaxation and by assuming that the shear modulus is negligible compared to the bulk modulus.
Removing antennae and maxillae has little effect on feeding on normal host plants by two species of caterpillar.

Abstract Models of feeding regulation postulate that chemosensory information from available food both initiates and maintains feeding. However, we find that removing antennae and maxillae (AM) from Manduca sexta and Diacrisia virginica larvae has little effect on amounts eaten, patterns of feeding, and the microstructure (each bite and pause) of feeding, as quickly as two days after the operation. However, there was a small change in the microstructure of feeding of AM D. virginica . Bite frequency of AM D. virginica was significantly lower than for controls when larvae began meals without exploring the food first. Exploring was also followed by longer chewing bouts. Acute effects of the ablation were tested using only Manduca . Six hours after the operation larvae ate less than most controls by eating fewer meals and by biting more slowly. Unilateral ablates also ate less 6 h post-operatively, by eating fewer meals; their bite frequency was not low. These observations suggest that chemosensory input affects bite frequency but not other aspects of feeding. As quickly as 24 h post-operatively other sensory input to the CNS of AM larvae may compensate for the reduction in chemosensory information, but overall, chemosensory input appears relatively unimportant in non-choice situations.
Integrated regional development planning: Linking urban centres and rural areas in Bolivia

Abstract Highly polarized settlement systems in developing countries reflect and tend to reinforce strong disparities in levels of development between the largest city and other regions and between urban centres and their hinterlands in rural regions. Integrated regional development planning seeks to create a more diffuse and articulated system of settlements in order to diversify the services and facilities available to rural residents, increase their access to town-based markets, new sources of agricultural inputs and non-agricultural employment opportunities, and to provide guidelines for sectoral investment and location decisions. One approach to integrated regional development planning — ‘Urban Functions in Rural Development’ - was tested in the Department of Potosi, Bolivia, and its results provide insights not only into the methodology of analysis but also into the complex relationships among rural development, patterns of human settlement and processes of spatial interaction.
COLONIC ADENOCARCINOMA IN A RHESUS MACAQUE (MACACA MULATTA)

: A spontaneous colonic adenocarcinoma and endometriosis was diagnosed in a 34-year-old female rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). The tumor caused partial obstruction of the ascending colon and histologically resembled the commonly described napkin-ring tumors of the descending and sigmoid colon found in humans. Serum levels of CA 125, a high-molecular-weight glycoprotein antigen that has been reported elevated in a variety of pathological conditions of the pelvic cavity in humans, was severely elevated. Both the adenocarcinoma and the endometriosis may have contributed to this finding.
Linking Rule Acquisition in Novel Phrasal Constructions

All natural languages rely on sentence-level form-meaning associations (i.e., linking rules) to encode propositional content about who did what to whom. Although these associations are recognized as foundational in many different theoretical frameworks (Goldberg, 1995, 2006; Lidz, Gleitman, & Gleitman, 2003; Pinker, 1984, 1989) and are—at least in principle—learnable (Allen, 1997; Morris, Cottrell, & Elman, 2000), very little empirical work has been done to establish that human participants are able to acquire them from the input. In the present work, we provided adult participants with 3 min worth of exposure to a novel syntactic construction and then tested to see what was learned. Experiment 1 established that participants are able to accurately deploy newly acquired linking rules in a forced-choice comprehension task, and that constructional knowledge largely persists over a 1-week period. In Experiment 2, participants were exposed to the linking rules immanent in one of two novel constructions and were asked to describe novel events using their exposure construction. The data indicate that participants were successful in using their exposure construction's linking rules in production, and that performance was equally good regardless of the specifics of the target linking pattern. These results indicate that linking rules can be learned relatively easily by adults, which, in turn, suggests that children may also be capable of learning them directly from the input.
Quantitative Characterization of the Particle Size Distributions of Instant Coffee During Mechanical Attrition

The bimodal particle size distribution of agglomerated and freeze-dried coffees during mechanical attrition by tapping is presented by a mathematical model based on a normalized size and a modified beta distribution function. Its five dimensionless parameters are the modes of the fine and coarse fractions, their two corresponding variances and the fines weight fraction. The magnitude of these parameters and their progressive change enabled quantitative assessment of the role of shattering and surface erosion in this size reduction process and comparison between the attrition patterns of different kinds of particulates.
Migraine: A Question and Answer Review

Internists commonly treat migraine, which affects more than 29 million Americans yearly. This article reviews epidemiology, pathophysiology, comorbidity, clinical features, diagnostic testing, acute and preventive treatment, and women's issues. Physicians and migraineurs would like to see more effective and more tolerable medications.
BMP4-directed trophoblast differentiation of human embryonic stem cells is mediated through a ΔNp63+ cytotrophoblast stem cell state

The placenta is a transient organ that is necessary for proper fetal development. Its main functional component is the trophoblast, which is derived from extra-embryonic ectoderm. Little is known about early trophoblast differentiation in the human embryo, owing to lack of a proper in vitro model system. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) differentiate into functional trophoblast following BMP4 treatment in the presence of feeder-conditioned media; however, this model has not been widely accepted, in part owing to a lack of proof for a trophoblast progenitor population. We have previously shown that p63, a member of the p53 family of nuclear proteins, is expressed in proliferative cytotrophoblast (CTB), precursors to terminally differentiated syncytiotrophoblast (STB) in chorionic villi and extravillous trophoblast (EVT) at the implantation site. Here, we show that BMP4-treated hESCs differentiate into bona fide CTB by direct comparison with primary human placental tissues and isolated CTB through gene expression profiling. We show that, in primary CTB, p63 levels are reduced as cells differentiate into STB, and that forced expression of p63 maintains cyclin B1 and inhibits STB differentiation. We also establish that, similar to in vivo events, hESC differentiation into trophoblast is characterized by a p63(+)/KRT7(+) CTB stem cell state, followed by formation of functional KLF4(+) STB and HLA-G(+) EVT. Finally, we illustrate that downregulation of p63 by shRNA inhibits differentiation of hESCs into functional trophoblast. Taken together, our results establish that BMP4-treated hESCs are an excellent model of human trophoblast differentiation, closely mimicking the in vivo progression from p63(+) CTB stem cells to terminally differentiated trophoblast subtypes.
A Developmental Examination of Story Recall and Coherence Among Children with ADHD

This study investigated developmental differences in story recall in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), N = 57 (77.2% male) and their comparison peers, N = 98 (61.2% male). Children at the ages of 4–6 or 7–9 completed a free recall immediately after viewing each of two televised stories, once in the presence of toys during viewing and once in their absence. This procedure was repeated with new stories 21 months later. Comparison children recalled more story events and showed a greater sensitivity to the thematic importance of the story events than did children with ADHD, a pattern that remained stable over time. Older comparison children showed a dramatic increase over time in the global coherence of their narrations, whereas the older children with ADHD showed limited improvement over time. The implications of these findings for academic performance and the possible need for remediation are discussed.
Capillary Electrophoresis for Detection and Quantitation of Domoic Acid in Mussels

Abstract Capillary electrophoresis (CE) was utilized to quantitate the domoic acid content in mussel tissues. The analyses were conducted on samples obtained by aqueous extraction of the tissues. Lipids were removed from the extract in order to facilitate electroendomosis and to shorten analysis time. Satisfactory resolution of domoic acid was accomplished with 300 mM CAPS buffer at pH 10.25 or 10.30 and the electrophoresis time was less than 10 minutes per sample. A procedure was devised for quantitation of domoic acid in the mussel extracts. Application of this procedure on a sample of naturally contaminated mussel homogenate yielded results in close agreement with those reported in the literature.
Experimental evaluation of pressure drop in round tubes provided with physically separated, multiple, short-length twisted tapes

Abstract Isothermal pressure drop tests were performed on horizontal round tubes each containing identical, physically separated, equally spaced, short-length twisted tapes (TTs). The tests investigated the dependence of the Darcy friction factor, f , on the empty tube Reynolds number Re , TT twist ratio y , and TT spacing s . The variation of f across TTs belonging to the same test section was also examined. Ranges of the experimental variables examined were: 10,000 ⩽ Re ⩽ 90,000, 1.5 ⩽ y ⩽ 6, and s = 30, 40 and 50. The number of 360° revolutions was held constant for all the tapes and equal to 1.5. Tap water at room temperature and nearly atmospheric pressure was used as the working fluid. A correlation for the Darcy friction factor, in the form f = f ( Re , y , s ), was developed from the collected experimental data, with excellent accuracy.
The control of fatty acid composition in glycerolipids.

The continued suggestion that the ratio of saturated to unsaturated acids in the diet can influence the general health of a mammal is still not easily explained at a biochemical level. Studies on the metabolism of glycerophosphatides show that the enzymes involved appear to differ in the degree of selectivity toward substrates with different amounts of unsaturation. In general, each individual acid will have its own characteristic metabolic fate. The acyl-CoA:acyl-GPC acyltransferases have a marked specificity for both the position to be acylated and the particular acyl-CoA involved. In some cases, the observed distributions of fatty acids in naturally occurring lecithins and triglycerides are similar to the distributions predicted from in vitro studies of the acyltransferase enzymes. Other enzymatic steps, such as acid activation and N-methylation, can also be shown to influence the fatty acid composition of the glycerolipids. The relative importance of these metabolic processes must now be determined.
Angiotensin II-Induced Nuclear Targeting of the Angiotensin Type 1 (AT1) Receptor in Brain Neurons

Angiotensin II (Ang II) interaction with the neuronal AT1 receptor results in a chronic stimulation of neuromodulation that involves the expression of norepinephrine transporter (NET) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). In view of this unique property and the presence of putative nuclear localization signal (NLS) consensus sequence in the AT1 receptor, this study was conducted to investigate the hypothesis that Ang II would induce nuclear sequestration of this G protein-coupled receptor and that the sequestration may have implications on Ang II-induced expression of NET and TH genes. Incubation of neuronal cultures with Ang II caused a time- and dose-dependent increase in the levels of AT1 receptor immunoreactivity in the nucleus. A 6.7-fold increase was observed with 100 nM Ang II, in 15 min, that was blocked by losartan, an AT1 receptor-specific antagonist. Ang II-induced nuclear sequestration was specific for AT1 receptor, because Ang II failed to produce a similar effect on neuronal AT2 receptors. The presence of the putative NLS sequence in the cytoplasmic tail of the AT1 receptor seems to be the key in nuclear targeting because: 1) nuclear targeting was attenuated by a peptide of the AT1 receptor that contained the putative NLS sequence; and 2) Ang II failed to cause nuclear translocation of the AT2 receptor, which does not contain the putative NLS. Ang II also caused a time- and dose-dependent stimulation of P62 phosphorylation, a glycoprotein of the nuclear pore complex. A 6-fold stimulation of phosphorylation was observed with 100 nM Ang II, in 15 min, that was completely blocked by losartan and not by PD123,319, an AT2 receptor specific antagonist. Preloading of neurons with p62-pep (a peptide containing consenses of mitogen-activated protein kinase in p62) resulted in a loss of Ang II-induced p62 phosphorylation and stimulation of NET and TH messenger RNA levels. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that Ang II induces nuclear sequestration of AT1 receptor involving NLS in the AT1 receptor and p62 of the nuclear pore complex in brain neurons. A possible role of such a nuclear targeting of the AT1 receptor on chronic neuromodulatory actions of Ang II has been discussed.
A nuclear Argonaute promotes multigenerational epigenetic inheritance and germline immortality

Double-stranded RNA interference (RNAi) in Caenorhabditis elegans is heritable; here a genetic screen for factors required for RNAi inheritance identifies the nuclear-localized Argonaute gene hrde-1, which acts in the germ cells of progeny to promote multigenerational inheritance of silencing and, also, germline immortality. Gene silencing due to RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can be inherited for more than five generations. Here, Scott Kennedy and colleagues have performed a genetic screen for defects in the transmission of RNAi-silencing signals to future generations, and identify a nuclear-localized Argonaute protein termed HRDE-1. It associates with small-interfering RNAs and acts in the germ cells of the progeny of animals exposed to double-stranded RNA to promote multigenerational inheritance of silencing. The authors propose that one biological function of the RNAi-inheritance machinery is to transmit ‘germline immortality’ in the form of small RNAs, selected for their ability to promote fertility, across generational boundaries. Epigenetic information is frequently erased near the start of each new generation1. In some cases, however, epigenetic information can be transmitted from parent to progeny (multigenerational epigenetic inheritance)2. A particularly notable example of this type of epigenetic inheritance is double-stranded RNA-mediated gene silencing in Caenorhabditis elegans. This RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) can be inherited for more than five generations3,4,5,6,7,8. To understand this process, here we conduct a genetic screen for nematodes defective in transmitting RNAi silencing signals to future generations. This screen identified the heritable RNAi defective 1 (hrde-1) gene. hrde-1 encodes an Argonaute protein that associates with small interfering RNAs in the germ cells of progeny of animals exposed to double-stranded RNA. In the nuclei of these germ cells, HRDE-1 engages the nuclear RNAi defective pathway to direct the trimethylation of histone H3 at Lys 9 (H3K9me3) at RNAi-targeted genomic loci and promote RNAi inheritance. Under normal growth conditions, HRDE-1 associates with endogenously expressed short interfering RNAs, which direct nuclear gene silencing in germ cells. In hrde-1- or nuclear RNAi-deficient animals, germline silencing is lost over generational time. Concurrently, these animals exhibit steadily worsening defects in gamete formation and function that ultimately lead to sterility. These results establish that the Argonaute protein HRDE-1 directs gene-silencing events in germ-cell nuclei that drive multigenerational RNAi inheritance and promote immortality of the germ-cell lineage. We propose that C. elegans use the RNAi inheritance machinery to transmit epigenetic information, accrued by past generations, into future generations to regulate important biological processes.
Trends and issues in land and water resources management: Setting the agenda for change

The classical model of a paradigm shift is used to explore changes that are occurring in public lands and water resources management. Recent policy developments suggest that the traditional paradigm, which is characterized by sustained yield, is in the process of being invalidated. While no new paradigm has been fully accepted, the emerging paradigm does appear to be based on two principles: ecosystem management and collaborative decision making. Implementation of these two principles is likely to require extensive revision of traditional management practices and institutions. Failure to address these issues could result in adoption of the rhetoric of change without any lasting shift in management practices or professional attitudes.
Block-oriented information compression

Data base statistics play an important role in conventional information compression. For a large data base, the acquisition of data base statistics becomes a very difficult task. This paper presents a new scheme for information compression that does not use information statistics. Each information block is represented by two sub-blocks called the alphabet and the generator. The alphabet contains the linearly independent elements; the generator is computed through the linear combination of the linearly dependent elements. The total length of these two sub-blocks is generally shorter (never greater) than the original block.
Sub-acute disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis in a girl diagnosed by CT guided transthoracic needle biopsy: case report and literature review

Abstract Primary tuberculosis often occurs in children with the main types of hilar lymphonode tuberculosis or Ghon complex. When pulmonary tuberculosis aggravates and tubercule bacillus invades pulmonary veins, a disseminated disease may occur clinically. One 8-year-old girl presented with hypodynamia and emaciation. CT indicated the disseminated disease and extensive mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy. But she had negative sputum smears and negative PPD test. The bronchi showed inflammatory change in fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) guided by CT was used as a means for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. The case was rapidly diagnosed as sub-acute disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis with the help of combined CT imagine and histology.
Implications of chemical and physical properties of desflurane for longer surgery

Increased duration of anaesthetic administration has implications for recovery from anaesthesia, has cardiovascular effects, and potential for toxicity through metabolism and breakdown of the anaesthetics. Recovery of function after desflurane or sevoflurane anaesthesia, because of the low blood gas and tissue solubilities of these agents, is more rapid than after halothane, isoflurane or enflurane, with recovery being most rapid after desflurane. Increased duration of anaesthesia amplifies the differences in rate of recovery because of the additional anaesthetic (greater with more soluble agents) dissolved in tissues. Increased duration of anaesthesia lessens the cardiovascular depression associated with most halogenated inhaled anaesthetics including desflurane, but not isoflurane. Increased duration of anaesthesia allows for greater metabolism of anaesthetics and greater exposure to metabolites and potentially toxic breakdown products. Desflurane is the least metabolised of the available anaesthetics and is stable in soda lime and Baralyme. Thus, it has exceedingly low potential for toxicity. Sevoflurane undergoes considerable metabolism, producing free fluoride ion, with plasma concentrations proportional to dose and duration of anaesthesia exceeding 50 microM in approximately 7% of patients. In rats, the effects of a toxic breakdown product of sevoflurane, CF2 = C(CF3)OCH2F (compound A), are also dose- and duration-dependent, with lower concentrations producing toxic effects as duration of exposure increases. The clinical importance of the metabolism and in vitro breakdown of sevoflurane has still to be adequately tested.
Smuggling, Betrayal, and the Handle of a Gun: Death, Laughter, and the Narcocorrido

A comparison of two narcocorridos, Los Tigres del Norte's “Contrabando y traicion” (1974) and Alfredo Rios's “El Katch” (2009), highlights both continuity and change in core features of the genre. Whereas Los Tigres del Norte demonstrate a greater degree of restraint, a change of perspective enables Rios to enthusiastically celebrate the illicit lifestyle of the narco-trafficker. The lighthearted musical setting of “El Katch” emphasizes personal autonomy by degrading the sense of the power of death, but a preoccupation with mortality remains, following Rios beyond the song's boundaries into his off-stage reality.
A methodological framework for systemic design and evaluation of computer aids for planning and decision support

Abstract This paper discusses methodological design and evaluation frameworks that appear to have general applicability. The design methodology has specific relevance for the design of systemic process aids to planning and decisionmaking and, potentially, to other system design efforts as well. A five-phase iterative methodology is suggested. The paper discusses objectives for systemic process aids, requirements to be accomplished in each of the five phases of the design methodology, and leadership requirement considerations as they affect the design of systemic process aids realized by use of the methodological design framework. A framework for evaluation of systemic aids is also presented. The resulting evaluation methodology may be incorporated into the design methodology or used independently to evaluate existing or proposed aids for planning, forecasting and decision support.