cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phytochrome B and shade signals regulate phytochrome A expression

The control of phytochrome A expression at the protein and mRNA levels was investigated in wild-type and phyB-1 mutant sorghum (Sorghum bicolor[L.] Moench). PHYA mRNA abundance follows a diurnal rhythm in both genotypes, with maximal accumulation near the latter part of the light period. PHYA mRNA is more abundant in the phyB-1 mutant. The level of PHYA message correlates with both R : FR and photon flux density in wild-type, but only with photon flux density in the phyB-1 mutant. The differences in mRNA abundance are reflected in the level of phyA protein, which is elevated in the phyB-1 mutant and accumulates under low photon flux density. During de-etiolation, PHYA message accumulation is initially repressed solely by a very low fluence response (VLFR) presumably mediated by phyA. The phyB-mediated low fluence response maintains the repression of accumulation past the time controlled by the VLFR. With repetitive photoperiods, the transition from the etiolated growth form to autotrophic competency is accompanied by a transition from light-induced reduction of PHYA mRNA abundance to enhanced accumulation during the light period. The loss of phyB function allows partial de-repression of PHYA message accumulation under repetitive photoperiods, resulting in plants deficient in phyB but enriched in phyA. The modification of PHYA mRNA and protein levels in the phyB-1 mutant documented in this study may help clarify the molecular basis of the phyB-1 phenotype. The tailoring of phyA abundance in wild-type to the time of day and shade signals suggests a plastic role for this pigment in controlling development in light-grown plants.
Turf Toe: Anatomy, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Context:Despite an increasing awareness of turf toe injury, confusion still exists regarding the anatomy, mechanism, diagnosis, and treatment of this hyperextension injury to the hallux metatarsoph...
An Analysis of the Canadian Mosaic: Language Usage among Immigrant Post-Secondary Students

This article examines language usage—specifically, multilingualism as a division of multiculturalism—in regard toCanadian post-secondary education. The findings challenge previous research, popular opinion, and governmentpolicy, which tend to designate Canadian classrooms and society as accepting of linguistic diversity. While the datasituates Canadian students as extremely ethno-linguistically diverse, this diversity is predominantly confined to homecommunities. This paper uses national population demographics to analyze the limitations of government policy,thereby recognizing this confinement as problematic, and emphasizes ways in which Canadian post-secondaryinstitutions can redesign pedagogical and curricular practices to better engage (and serve) multilingual immigrant students.
Millenarian Slaves? The Santidade de Jaguaripe and Slave Resistance in the Americas

RUMORS OF A NEW RELIGION SPREAD through the forests, parishes, and sugar plantations of the Bay of All Saints in the hinterland of Salvador da Bahia, capital of the Portuguese colony of Brazil, in the 1580s. By 1585, scores of Indians, many Africans, and virtually all of the mixed race Mamelucos (the offspring of Portuguese men and Indian women) had heard of a congregation in the wilderness where participants had constructed their own temple, practicing rituals through which they achieved a state of holiness known as santidade. Mamelucos who joined the sect later described baptisms, prayers, speaking in tongues, "drinking" the sacred smoke of tobacco, and falling into trances verging on delirium. Believers proclaimed that on earth their crops would grow of their own accord, their vegetables would be bigger than those of others, and they would not want for food or drink. Furthermore, they proclaimed that "God was coming now to free them from their captivity and to make them lords of the white people" and that they would "fly to the sky," while "those who did not believe ... would be converted into birds and animals of the forest." When some of the believers came from the wilderness and built a village and a temple on a sugar plantation in Jaguaripe, on the southern fringes of the bay, Indians, Africans, and Mamelucos from all over the bay came to be baptized by its female leader, known as "Mother of God." From its center in Jaguaripe, the religious frenzy spread to other parishes along the bay where believers embraced the sect and created their own congregations. Faced with a labor crisis on the sugar plantations and a conversion crisis in the missions, the governor of Bahia, the Jesuits, the bishop, and the city council of Salvador joined forces to destroy the sect.'
Grazing gradient detection with airborne imaging spectroscopy on a semi-arid rangeland

A grazing gradient in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, UT was identified with field measurements and spectral mixture analysis (SMA) of remotely sensed hyperspectral imagery. Grazing gradient persistence during a period of above-average rainfall was confirmed with multi-temporal Landsat imagery. SMA yielded accurate sub-pixel fractional cover measurements of photosynthetic vegetation (PV), non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) and bare soil, and revealed a clear trend of increasing PV and NPV and decreasing bare soil with distance from water. The effect of topographic slope on cover fractions with distance from water was investigated and indicated that cover fraction values are tightly coupled to slope and distance from water. Results showed that on steeper slopes, fractional cover of PV and bare soil increased while NPV decreased. The fundamental relationship of changing cover fractions with distance from water was preserved within all slope classes. This work shows how imaging spectroscopy can be used to assess rangeland condition by demonstrating its ability to detect fine scale variations in cover fractions known to be sensitive to grazing. The study indicates the potential for routine assessment of rangeland resources with current and future spaceborne hyperspectral imaging systems.
Functional anatomy of the shoulder and arm of the fruit-eating bat Artibeus jamaicensis

The functional morphology of the pectoral girdle and arm of Artibeus jamaicensis (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) was interpreted on the basis of gross dissection, high speed cinematography, and electromyography (EMG). EMG data obtained during flight for 17 muscles elucidate several temporal patterns of activity associated with the wingbeat cycle that contrast with the patterns of flexor, extensor, and bifunctional muscles observed in terrestrial mammals. Abductor muscles exhibit intense activity associated with the early upstroke phase of the wingbeat cycle and include clavotrapezius, acromiotrapezius, latissimus dorsi, and triceps brachii (long and lateral heads). All abductors except for the triceps brachii exhibit a secondary period of low-amplitude activity associated with the early downstroke. Adductor muscles exhibit primary activity immediately prior to and during the early downstroke phase. The adductors include the serratus ventralis thoracis, pectoralis, clavodeltoideus, and biceps brachii (short head). Bifunctional muscles exhibit two periods of activity or activity throughout most of the wingbeat cycle. The bifunctional muscles include the spinotrapezius, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and biceps brachii (long head). Dissection of all other muscles of the shoulder and antebrachium form the basis of interpreting musculoskeletal movements during flight in Artibeus. The major muscles of support in Artibeus include the serratus ventralis thoracis, pectoralis, and the trapezius group. These muscles support the trunk between the wings during flight or terrestrial walking. Propulsion during flight differs from that observed during stepping in terrestrial mammals. During the wingbeat, the pectoralis provides the major component of thrust, both by adducting and pronating the wing. Although latissimus dorsi is a major propulsive muscle during stepping in terrestrial mammals, its major function in Artibeus is to abduct the wing and reposition the wing prior to the beginning of the downstroke.
Case Management of Critically Ill Elders: A Case Study

As the number of elderly increase, new challenges for the management of their health care arise. Elders who become critically ill are one of the most complex subsets of this population. Their special needs, risk factors, and diminished resources create a demand for comprehensive and creative approaches to care management. The purpose of this article is to explore the needs of the critically ill elderly and the role of nursing case management in meeting these needs. A case study approach is used to illustrate typical needs, interventions, and outcomes.
Morphine dependence in rats with medial forebrain bundle lesions.

Rats with posterior medial forebrain bundle (PMFB) lesions and control rats were administered morphine chronically for 4 or 5 days via implanted subcutaneous silicone reservoirs. Following cessation of morphine administration after five days, PMFB rats showed less withdrawal-induced weight loss than control rats. Other PMFB and control rats were subjected to forced drinking of morphine solution for 9 days. PMFB rats consumed the morphine solution much more readliy than control rats, whereas intake of a quinine solution was similar in two other PMFB and control groups. These results suggest that the addictive and dependence properties of morphine may have separate mechanisms and based on previously reported neurochemical effects of PMFB lesions, that biogenic amines may be differentially involved in such mechanisms.
Radicals of regular near-rings

Analogues of ring theory results concerning the Jacobson radical of a regular ring are obtained for near-rings with a two-sided zero. The quasiradical and the radical-subgroup of a regular near-ring are shown to be {0}. Some sufficient conditions are obtained for the radical and the primitiveradical of a regular near-ring to be {0}. Necessary and sufficient conditions are determined for a near-ringR which satisfies d. c. c. onR-subgroups ofR to be regular.
74-Year-Old Woman With New-Onset Myoclonus

A 74-year-old female nursing home resident with Alzheimer disease was admitted to the hospital with a 5-month history of aggressive behavior, including physically striking other nursing home residents. She had been treated with quetiapine with mild improvement; however, she became tremulous while receiving this medication and so was switched to 0.125 mg/d of risperidone orally. Unfortunately, the patient continued to act aggressively and was brought to the emergency department, where she was unable to follow commands or answer questions appropriately. Laboratory blood tests revealed an elevated serum creatinine level of 1.2 mg/dL (0.6-1.1 mg/dL), compared with a baseline of 0.8 mg/dL. Urine studies showed the presence of gram-negative bacilli and 10 to 20 white blood cells per high-power field, indicating a possible urinary tract infection (UTI). Results for all other diagnostic tests were unremarkable. The patient was treated empirically with a 10-day course of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMX-TMP) for a presumed UTI and admitted to the psychiatry unit for behavioral dyscontrol.
Method of Adaptive-Gradient Elements for Computational Mechanics

For tackling high-gradient, localized, or singular boundary value problems, the concept of an adaptive-gradient (AG) element family is introduced to advance the utility of discretization methods. Capable of encompassing regular and singular elements as special cases, a basic but versatile family of AG elements for multidimensional applications is derived whose gradient and singularity can be controlled parametrically to handle a wide variety of functional behavior with standard mesh configurations. As illustrations, examples of usage and performance in a set of linear and nonlinear mixed-boundary value problems are presented.
Vocal cord dysfunction and feeding difficulties after pediatric cardiovascular surgery.

Objective To evaluate the impact of vocal cord dysfunction on feeding in children after cardiovascular surgery. Study design Of the 2255 children who had cardiovascular surgery between January 2000 to January 2006, 38 (1.7%) had postoperative vocal cord dysfunction confirmed at laryngoscopy. The following data were obtained retrospectively: type of surgery, laryngoscopic examination results, swallowing studies, upper gastrointestinal (UGI) studies, and feeding route: oral, nasogastric tube (NG), and gastrostomy. Results Surgeries included aortic arch reconstruction (n = 20), patent ductus arteriosus ligation (n = 8), arterial switch (n = 3), cervical cannulation for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (n = 2), and others (n = 5). A swallowing study confirmed dysfunction in 27 of 29 patients. Gastrostomy was placed in 18/38 patients. At discharge, 18 patients were fed by gastrostomy, 13 orally, 3 by NG, and 4 by combination oral/NG. At a median follow-up of 12 months, 20 were fed orally, 1 by NG, 7 by gastrostomy, 7 by combination gastrostomy/orally, 1 was lost to follow-up, 2 died. Conclusion Vocal cord dysfunction after pediatric cardiovascular surgery is associated with significant feeding problems and may require prolonged gastrostomy feeding. These findings support aggressive surveillance for vocal cord dysfunction, especially in patients undergoing aortic arch surgery.
The introduction and expression of transgenes in plants

Abstract The worldwide effort to transform an ever-increasing number of plant species with high efficiency has resulted in a number of promising gene transfer systems that continue to become more refined. Although Agrobacterium -mediated transformation remains the method of choice, alternative methods such as electroporation and particle bombardment have been developed in order to circumvent poorly understood biological barriers which prevents its application to certain plants, most notably monocots. In addition to the transfer of foreign DNA into plant cells, another aspect critical to any transformation method is the ability to conveniently and specifically select and regenerate transgenic cells. This prerequisite has spurred the development of gene transfer techniques which utilize organized, regenerable tissue explants as well as lead to the employment of a variety of genes that encode resistance to antibiotics or herbicides. The emerging ability to deliberately and specifically regulate gene expression within higher plants is an area of critical importance for many experimental or improvement strategies which involve gene transfer Numerous gene promoters are now available that can regulate transcription spatially, temporally and quantitatively while molecular knowledge which details these mechanisms of regulation continues to accrue. Modification of post-transcriptional processes is also becoming an increasingly important engineering tool as the function of antisense genes, translational enhancers and knowledge of codon usage frequencies becomes better elucidated. Whereas these two general areas of gene transfer and gene expression have lead to a deeper understanding of plant biology, this review limits its focus to those aspects currently relevant to crop improvement.
Yang-Mills particle in 't Hooft's gauge field

We investigate the classical motion of a Yang-Mills test particle in an external field given by 't Hooft's monopole solution. For large distances the space motion is that of a charged particle in a magnetic-monopole field. It is different at small distances though. We also find the asymptotic solution for the motion of the particle's isospin vector and discuss its interpretation. (AIP)
Cross-sectional and longitudinal reliability of semiquantitative osteoarthritis assessment at 1.0T extremity MRI: multi-reader data from the most study

Abstract Objective To determine reliability among four experienced and calibrated readers in cross-sectional and longitudinal semi-quantitative MRI assessments of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in the Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST) study. Design From all MOST participants with at least one knee with readable 60-month and 84-month paired knee MRIs (1.0 ​T extremity systems), we selected 10 subjects having a spectrum of baseline disease severity of cartilage, bone marrow lesions, and meniscal damage and a spectrum of longitudinal changes in severity at 24 months follow-up. MRIs were independently assessed using the WORMS grading system by four musculoskeletal radiologists with the chronological sequence known to the readers. Kappa statistics were used to determine agreement between each pair of readers and Kendall's coefficient of concordance to determine average agreement across readers. Results For most features, cross-sectional reliability was substantial to almost perfect. Regarding longitudinal reliability (detection of longitudinal change), inter-reader reliability as weighted kappa values ranged from 0.62 to 0.78 for cartilage damage, 0.75–0.88 for bone marrow lesions, 0.75–0.92 for meniscal tears, 0.67–0.95 for meniscal extrusion, 0.51–0.77 for bone attrition, 0.43–0.76 for osteophytes, 0.31–0.70 for Hoffa-synovitis, and 0.47–0.85 for effusion-synovitis. Kendall's coefficient ranged from 0.65 to 0.98. Conclusion High levels of cross-sectional reliability and moderate to high longitudinal reliability was achieved using four experienced readers in semiquantitative MRI-assessment of most knee OA features.
The Prison-House of Narrative

in Canada. Meanwhile, work consumes her life. A listless relationship with her boss, the textile manufacturer Oswald, provides a modicum of companionship, but the years of disappointment and waiting have transformed her into a bitter, cynical woman. Her sole consolation is the single rose Hermann sends each month to remind her of his love, which, covered in thorns, provides more pain than solace.
A survey of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in the selectively logged Ngotto Forest, Central African Republic.

Currently, the timber company Industrie Forestiere du Batalimo is selectively logging the Ngotto Forest in the Central African Republic. The forest is home to a population of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and provides the Bofi-speaking people of Grima with food, medicine, housing material, and other commodities. Over a 7-month period, the research team conducted a line-transect survey of the great ape population in the forests to the south of Grima to document their distribution. For comparison purposes, the team also surveyed a section of adjacent forest that had already been logged. Ape nests were significantly rarer in the logged forest than in the unlogged forest, and ape nests were most common in the more pristine forests to the south. This report further discusses the effects of logging and other human activities.
Roles of cPLA2α and arachidonic acid in cancer

Phospholipase A(2)s (PLA(2)s) are key enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids to release bioactive lipids that play an important role in normal cellular homeostasis. Under certain circumstances, disrupted production of key lipid mediators may adversely impact physiological processes, leading to pathological conditions such as inflammation and cancer. In particular, cytosolic PLA(2)alpha (cPLA(2)alpha) has a high selectivity for liberating arachidonic acid (AA) that is subsequently metabolized by a panel of downstream enzymes for eicosanoid production. Although concentrations of free AA are maintained at low levels in resting cells, alterations in AA production, often resulting from dysregulation of cPLA(2)alpha activity, are observed in transformed cells. In this review, we summarize recent evidence that cPLA(2)alpha plays a role in the pathogenesis of many human cancers. Much of this evidence has been accumulated from functional studies using cPLA(2)alpha-deficient mice, as well as mechanistic studies in cell culture. We also discuss the potential contribution of cPLA(2)alpha and AA to apoptosis, and the regulatory mechanisms leading to aberrant expression of cPLA(2)alpha.
Kingship, Crusade, and the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in the Chronica latina regum Castellae

The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212) is widely regarded as a decisive moment in Christian Spain's “re-conquest” of Al-Andalus. But when did the story of that battle assume its central place in the conventional history of theReconquista and of Castile more broadly? Only a short time after Las Navas, theChronica latina regum Castellae (Latin Chronicle of the Kings of Castile) capitalized on the propagandistic potential of the battle, using a retelling of the Christian victory to legitimate Castilian royal authority and promote the idea of Castile's dominance on the Iberian Peninsula. TheChronica latina's account of Las Navas served immediate political ends while also setting the tone for later histories.
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy investigation of a GFP mutant-enhanced cyan fluorescent protein and its tubulin fusion in living cells with two-photon excitation

This study investigates the feasibility of using the enhanced cyan mutant of green fluorescent protein (ECFP) as a probe for two-photon fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). Molecular dynamics and other properties of ECFP and an ECFP-tubulin fusion protein were investigated in living Potorous tridactylis (PTK2) cells. ECFP has high molecular brightness in the nucleus (eta=3.3 kcpsm) and in the cytoplasm (3.2 kcpsm) under our experimental conditions. The diffusion constants of ECFP were determined to be 20+/-7 microm(2)/s in the nucleus and 21+/-8 microm(2)/s in the cytoplasm. ECFP has stable molecular characteristics with negligible photobleaching and photodynamic effects in our measurements. At the highest concentration of monomer ECFP (425 nM) the amount of dimer ECFP was estimated to be negligible ( approximately 1.8 nM), consistent with our data analysis using a single species model. ECFP-tubulin has a diffusion constant of 6 microm(2)/s in the living cells. In addition, we demonstrate that analysis of the molecular brightness can provide a new avenue for studying the polymerization state of tubulin. We suggest that the tubulin in the vicinity of the nucleus exists primarily as a heterodimer subunit while those in the area away from the nucleus (d>5 microm) are mostly oligomers. We conclude that ECFP is a useful genetic fluorescent probe for FCS studies of various cellular processes when in fusion to other biomolecules of interest.
Protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation of orphan nuclear receptor TR2: effects on receptor stability and activity.

In vivo metabolic labeling showed that orphan nuclear receptor TR2 could be phosphorylated. Systematic studies were conducted using specific kinases/phosphatase inhibitors to determine the enzymes responsible for TR2 phosphorylation and the effects of TR2 phosphorylation on its protein stability and activation of its target gene. The data showed that protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated phosphorylation enhanced the activating ability of TR2 on target gene RARβ as well as its stability through protection from proteosome-mediated degradation. Several PKC-mediated potential serine/threonine phosphorylation sites on TR2 protein were predicted from the computer analysis using NetPhos software (http://us.expasy.org) and were commensurate by in vitro phosphorylation of purified TR2 protein using PKC enzyme. Two phosphorylation sites at Ser-461 and Ser-568 were identified by LC-ESI-MS/MS. Point mutations at Ser-568 or Ser-461 were prepared and evaluated for their biological activity. Ser-568, but not Ser-461, mutation significantly reduced PKC-mediated TR2 protein stability and its transcriptional activity.
Photoemission studies of crystalline and amorphous Sb 2 Se 3

The photoemission energy distribution curves (EDC's) of crystalline and amorphous ${\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ were measured in the photon energy range $h\ensuremath{\nu}=7$ to 35 eV using polarized radiation from a synchrotron storage ring. The polarization dependence of the EDC's is much stronger than that of the reflectance spectra. The EDC's show several regions of high density of states in both the valence and conduction bands, with the structure strongly smeared-out in amorphous ${\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$. The region of the upper 2 eV of the valence band with six electrons per ${\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ molecule attributed primarily to the selenium lone $p$ pairs, is clearly separated from the remaining part of the EDC's in crystalline ${\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$. The optical transitions in crystalline ${\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ occur with matrix elements strongly dependent on the orientation of the electrical vector of the polarized radiation as a result of crystal-field effects. Model densities of states are constructed for both crystalline and amorphous ${\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$.
Psychosocial effects of war experiences among displaced children in southern Darfur.

This study focused on assessing the psychosocial effects of the long standing, high intensity, and guerrilla-style of warfare among displaced children in Southern Darfur. The goal was to better understand the etiology, prognosis, and treatment implications for traumatic reactions, depression, and grief symptoms in this population. Three hundred thirty-one children aged 6–17 from three IDP Camps were selected using a quota sampling approach and were administered a Demographic Questionnaire, Child Post Traumatic Stress Reaction Index, Child Depression Inventory, and the Expanded Grief Inventory. Forty-three percent were girls and 57% were boys. The mean age of the children was 12 years. Results found that children were exposed to a very large number of war experiences with no significant differences between genders for types of exposure, including rape, but with older children (13–17 years) facing a larger number of exposures than younger children (6–12 years). Out of the 16 possible war experiences, the me...
“To read what was never written”: From Deconstruction to the Poetics of Redemption

The current controversy on the “undecidability” of literary meaning and the possibility of reliable translation has focused attention on the intervention of deconstruction as a critical theory of reading and interpretation. The model of deconstruction examined here is Paul de Man's commentary on Walter Benjamin's text “The Task of the Translator.” This essay argues that de Man's mis-construing of Benjamin's ideas reveals the basic methodological and philosophical inadequacies of deconstruction. Deconstruction refuses the historical, cultural and biographical contexts of cultural artifacts it claims to appraise and judge. De Man's neo-Nietzschean perspective (aptly captured by the postmodernist allegories of Borges) cannot comprehend Benjamin's radical historicism. Postmodernist irony is thus no substitute for the rigor of dialectical thinking. This lesson is inscribed in Benjamin's concept of translation situated in the framework of his complex project of an aesthetics of redemption.
Nitric oxide donors prevent while the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME increases arachidonic acid plus CYP2E1-dependent toxicity.

Abstract Polyunsaturated fatty acids such as arachidonic acid (AA) play an important role in alcohol-induced liver injury. AA promotes toxicity in rat hepatocytes with high levels of cytochrome P4502E1 and in HepG2 E47 cells which express CYP2E1. Nitric oxide (NO) participates in the regulation of various cell activities as well as in cytotoxic events. NO may act as a protectant against cytotoxic stress or may enhance cytotoxicity when produced at elevated concentrations. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the effect of endogenously or exogenously produced NO on AA toxicity in liver cells with high expression of CYP2E1 and assess possible mechanisms for its actions. Pyrazole-induced rat hepatocytes or HepG2 cells expressing CYP2E1 were treated with AA in the presence or absence of an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase l - N G -Nitroarginine Methylester ( l -NAME) or the NO donors S -nitroso- N -acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), and ( Z )-1-[-(2-aminoethyl)- N -(2-aminoethyl)]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (DETA-NONO). AA decreased cell viability from 100% to 48 ± 6% after treatment for 48 h. In the presence of l -NAME, viability was further lowered to 23 ± 5%, while, SNAP or DETA-NONO increased viability to 66 ± 8 or 71 ± 6%. The l -NAME potentiated toxicity was primarily necrotic in nature. l -NAME did not affect CYP2E1 activity or CYP2E1 content. SNAP significantly lowered CYP2E1 activity but not protein. AA treatment increased lipid peroxidation and lowered GSH levels. l -NAME potentiated while SNAP prevented these changes. Thus, l -NAME increased, while NO donors decreased AA-induced oxidative stress. Antioxidants prevented the l -NAME potentiation of AA toxicity. Damage to mitochondria by AA was shown by a decline in the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). l -NAME potentiated this decline in MMP in association with its increase in AA-induced oxidative stress and toxicity. NO donors decreased this decline in MMP in association with their decrease in AA-induced oxidative stress and toxicity. These results indicate that NO can be hepatoprotective against CYP2E1-dependent toxicity, preventing AA-induced oxidative stress.
Rhetorics and communication media across cultures

Abstract Recent developments in contrastive rhetoric have looked at a variety of cultural, linguistic, historical, and social factors that influence the complex acts of acquiring and demonstrating second language (L2) writing competencies. These developments, however, focus almost exclusively on writing. The present paper suggests that other communication media—such as orality, email, and hypertext—can similarly influence cultural and rhetorical patterns. Just as each rhetorical tradition has a distinct relationship to communication media, the use of each communication medium in a particular rhetorical tradition can also influence the textual and organizational patterns of writers from that rhetorical tradition. This paper first overviews the debate about media–culture relationships, and then explores how orality, writing, email, and hypertext relate to three major intercultural values: individual–collective, universal–particular, and high and low context. This section draws on intercultural and cross-cultural studies, showing that contrastive rhetoric and EAP scholars could benefit from understanding L2 literacies from a cross-cultural perspective.
Interaction of Type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Evauation of: Kasturiratne A, Weerasinghe S, Dassanayake A et al. Influence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on the development of diabetes mellitus. J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 28(1), 142-147 (2013). It has been a few decades that Type 2 diabetes has been clearly linked to the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In a recent study reported by Kastuiratne et al., the reverse scenario is also reported. In this study, a cohort of Sri Lankan adults were evaluated for NAFLD by ultrasound and for the presence of Type 2 diabetes. Those without diabetes at baseline were followed prospectively for 3 years and assessed for incident diabetes. On multivariate analysis, after adjustment for a number of factors (age, impaired fasting glucose, BMI, waist circumference, elevated ALT, family history of diabetes and presence of hypertension and hyperlipidemia), NAFLD was the only predictor of incident diabetes in those with and without impaired fasting glucose at baseline. This study adds to the growing evidence connecting NAFLD to Type 2 diabetes and highlights the importance of its recognition in an effort to target those at the highest risk of diabetes for lifestyle and pharmacologic intervention.
Aging changes in the medullary cavity of the proximal femur in American Blacks and Whites.

This study explores changes with age in the medullary cavity in an area of the femur which is becoming of increasing clinical interest. It is based on measurements of medial-lateral and posterior-anterior radiographs of the proximal one-third of the right femur, below the greater trochanter. The study population consisted of 257 individuals from the Terry collection in the Smithsonian Institution and included Blacks and Whites, males and females, aged 20 to 90 years. Medullary cavity and external diameters were measured at 11 levels, beginning with a line drawn perpendicular to the linea aspera at the level of the inferior border of the greater trochanter. To correct for size differences, the interval between levels was set at one-fourth the individual femoral head diameter. The data were subjected to regression analysis and analysis of variance. Anterior-posterior medullary diameter is more highly correlated with age than medial-lateral diameter. Females show the greatest relative increase with age in both dimensions, especially at subtrochanteric levels, and they tend to have relatively larger medullary cavities than males at all ages. White males have relatively larger medullary diameters than Black males. Younger White females have relatively larger medullary cavities than Black females, but the latter reach parity with White females in middle age and show a greater overall percentage of medullary expansion.
Prognostic implications of left ventricular dyssynchrony for major adverse cardiovascular events in asymptomatic women and men: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results-—A total of 1392 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA; mean age: 64.7 years; 46% were women) with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at baseline were followed for a median duration of 8.3 years. Harmonic phase imaging analysis was used to derive systolic circumferential strain. Greater standard deviation of time to peak systolic strain (SD-TPS) indicates greater dyssynchrony. With SD-TPS as a continuous variable, Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to assess hazards ratio after adjusting for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, LV mass-to-volume ratio, and ejection fraction. Using the 75th percentile of SD-TPS as a cutoff, Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed between 2 categorical groups for each gender. Higher values of dyssynchrony in women predicted major adverse cardiovascular events, defined as myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and death (hazard ratio: 1.01 per 1-ms increment in SD-TPS, P=0.015), hard coronary events (hazard ratio: 1.05 per 1-ms increment in SD-TPS, P=0.026), and cerebrovascular events (hazard ratio: 1.03 per 1-ms increment in SD-TPS, P=0.013). In contrast, dyssynchrony in men was not predictive of events. Kaplan–Meier analyses in women revealed increased event occurrence in the higher dyssynchrony group, but this was not the case in men. Conclusions-—In an asymptomatic cohort, greater LV dyssynchrony determined by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging predicts adverse cardiovascular outcome in women but not in men.
A new method to develop the finite element model of the bones in the hand from CT scans

There is a need for biomechanical computer models that can qualitatively and quantitatively generate an accurate representation of the patient's condition. Such a model of the hand was developed using computerized axial tomography (CT) scans from a cadaver hand. CT and magnetic resonance (MR) scans of a cadaver hand glued to a polycarbonate box were acquired in the axial orientation. The bones from the CT images were segmented using edge detection technique. The point cloud of the individual bones in millimeter coordinates was fitted with curves. A solid surfaces fitted to the curves were assembled to build a finite element (FE) model comprising of the bones of the hand.
Biomass Production and Utilization

The theme of this Symposium is the linking of basic research to crop improvement programs for the less developed countries. The participants are asked to analyze the needs for advanced technology in developmental agricultural programs in the less developed countries (LDC’s) and examine the nature of the contributions to be expected from basic research laboratories in the developed countries in such areas as biomass production, nitrogen fixation, plant breeding, etc. We are, furthermore, urged to explore ways by which basic research may be more effectively linked to the developmental process, to discuss the training of researchers that might be needed to improve this linkage, and to determine how funding resources should be divided between basic research (i.e., long-term projects) and applied research and development (i.e. short-term projects).
Selective membrane transport

Cyclic Polyethers acting as mobile carriers in facilitated transport can cause changes of as much as three orders of magnitude in the fluxes of various cations across liquid membranes. The cyclic polyether dibenzo-18-crown-6 (2,3,11,12-dibenzo-1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxacyclooctadeca-2,11-diene) was used in this work to achieve such a large selectivity. The results show that a primary factor leading to the selectivity is the ratio of unsolvated cation radius to polyether central ring radius. The implication is that by selecting a polyether with a desired central ring radius, any two cations of slightly different radius can be separated efficiently.
Nanotechnology and super high-density three-dimensional nanoelectronics and nanoICs

Significant progress has been made in various applications of nanotechnology. This paper concentrates on far-reaching research in three-dimensional nanoelectronics and nanoICs. The rapid miniaturization of electronics to nanoscale has been a key force, and nanoelectronics is the twenty first century frontier. Significant progress has been made over last few years in various applications of nanotechnology to nanoelectronics. In last years there have been significant advances in fabrication and demonstration of molecular wires, diode switches, single electron transistors, quantum dots, etc. However, fundamental and applied developments in three-dimensional (3D) nanoelectronics and nanoICs have been behind experimental research. Fabrication, testing and characterization of different nanodevices (carbon nanotube transistors and interconnects, silicon nanowires, molecular transistors, quantum dots and other) result in possible application them in three-dimensional nanoICs (3DnanoICs). We propose to design 3D nanoelectronic building blocks (3DnanoBB), and illustrate their application in crossbar nanoICs. Using distinct 3DnanoBB and 3DnanoFabrics, functional 3DnanoICs and memory arrays can be designed applying the proposed nanoarchitectronics paradigm. In fact, one of the most promising directions that will lead to benchmarking progress are synthesis, design and analysis of super high-density three-dimensional nanoICs (Super3DnanoICs).
Bone Tumors: A Practical Guide to Imaging

J.S. Wu and M.G. Hochman New York, NY: Springer, 2012, 414 pages, $89.95 In the authors’ words, the main purposes of this book “are to provide the reader with a practical way to analyze bone tumors and to highlight the most common tumors that one would expect to see in everyday clinical
A numerical model for predicting crack path and modes of damage in unidirectional metal matrix composites

A finite element-based numerical technique has been developed to simulate damage growth in unidirectional composites. This technique incorporates elastic-plastic analysis, micromechanics analysis, failure criteria, and a node splitting and node force relaxation algorithm to create crack surfaces. Any combination of fiber and matrix properties can be used. One of the salient features of this technique is that damage growth can be simulated without pre-specifying a crack path. In addition, multiple damage mechanisms in the forms of matrix cracking, fiber breakage, fiber-matrix debonding and plastic deformation are capable of occurring simultaneously. The prevailing failure mechanism and the damage (crack) growth direction are dictated by the instantaneous near-tip stress and strain fields. Once the failure mechanism and crack direction are determined, the crack is advanced via the node splitting and node force relaxation algorithm. Simulations of the damage growth process in center-slit boron/aluminum and silicon carbide/titanium unidirectional specimens were performed. The simulation results agreed quite well with the experimental observations.
Influence of seasonal timing on thermal ecology and thermal reaction norm evolution in Wyeomyia smithii.

Evolutionary changes in the seasonal timing of life-history events can alter a population’s exposure to seasonally variable environmental factors. We illustrate this principle in Wyeomyia smithii by showing that: (1) geographic divergence in diapause timing reduces differences among populations in the thermal habitat experienced by nondiapause stages; and (2) the thermal habitat of the growing season is more divergent at high compared with low temperatures with respect to daily mean temperatures. Geographic variation in thermal reaction norms for development time was greater in a warm compared with a cool rearing treatment, mirroring the geographic trend in daily mean temperature. Geographic variation in body size was unrelated to geographic temperature variation, but was also unrelated to development time or fecundity. Our results suggest that proper interpretation of geographic trends may often require detailed knowledge of life-history timing.
Finding All Small Error-Prone Substructures in LDPC Codes

It is proven in this work that it is NP-complete to exhaustively enumerate small error-prone substructures in arbitrary, finite-length low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. Two error-prone patterns of interest include stopping sets for binary erasure channels (BECs) and trapping sets for general memoryless symmetric channels. Despite the provable hardness of the problem, this work provides an exhaustive enumeration algorithm that is computationally affordable when applied to codes of practical short lengths n ap 500. By exploiting the sparse connectivity of LDPC codes, the stopping sets of size les 13 and the trapping sets of size les11 can be exhaustively enumerated. The central theorem behind the proposed algorithm is a new provably tight upper bound on the error rates of iterative decoding over BECs. Based on a tree-pruning technique, this upper bound can be iteratively sharpened until its asymptotic order equals that of the error floor. This feature distinguishes the proposed algorithm from existing non-exhaustive ones that correspond to finding lower bounds of the error floor. The upper bound also provides a worst case performance guarantee that is crucial to optimizing LDPC codes when the target error rate is beyond the reach of Monte Carlo simulation. Numerical experiments on both randomly and algebraically constructed LDPC codes demonstrate the efficiency of the search algorithm and its significant value for finite-length code optimization.
Helminthic therapy: improving mucosal barrier function

The epidemiology of autoimmune diseases and helminth infections led to suggestions that helminths could improve inflammatory conditions, which was then tested using animal models. This has translated to clinical investigations aimed at the safe and controlled reintroduction of helminthic exposure to patients suffering from autoimmune diseases (so-called ‘helminthic therapy’) in an effort to mitigate the inflammatory response. In this review, we summarize the results of recent clinical trials of helminthic therapy, with particular attention to mechanisms of action. Whereas previous reviews have emphasized immune regulatory mechanisms activated by helminths, we propose that enhancement of mucosal barrier function may have an equally important role in improving conditions of inflammatory bowel diseases.
Modular Assembly of Allosteric MEK Inhibitor Structural Elements Unravels Potency and Feedback-Modulation Handles.

Having recently identified a so-far unexplored area adjacent to the known binding site of allosteric mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitors, we now report an extension of these studies by combining our new side chains with different MEK inhibitor cores in a modular manner. Replacement of the amide headgroup with inverse sulfonamides resulted in the identification of new MEK inhibitors with at least 10-fold higher cellular potency against K-Ras-mutated tumor cells. A selected inhibitor from this new series retained the favorable pharmacokinetic profile of its predecessor in rodent and non-rodent species and displayed significant in vivo efficacy at once-daily oral doses of 0.25-1 mg kg(-1) in a K-Ras-mutated xenograft model. The brain penetration potential of this analogue was significantly attenuated relative to PD325901. In a second series, the central fluorophenyl core was replaced by a pyridine moiety which gave rise to a similar boost in cellular potency. Most notably, analogues from this second series do not show MEK feedback phosphorylation in K-Ras-mutated A549 cells. Our results complement recent reports on the structural intricacies of MEK-Raf feedback interactions.
Questions Commonly Asked About Research

In this column Drs. Jacqueline Fawcett, Beryl Pilkington, Callista Roy, Susan Taylor, and Elizabeth Geden answer three questions commonly posed about teaching research, the research critique, and the relationship of research and theory. Contributors independently provided their answers to the questions, so they did not have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with one another.
Studies on the Mechanism of Action of Azinomycin B: Definition of Regioselectivity and Sequence Selectivity of DNA Cross-Link Formation and Clarification of the Role of the Naphthoate

Evaluation of the sequence selectivity, noncovalent association, and orientation of the DNA cross-linking agent azinomycin B on its duplex DNA receptor is described. A strong correlation between sequence nucleophilicity and cross-linking yield was observed, and steric effects due to the thymine C5-methyl group were identified. Detailed studies on the role of the azinomycin naphthoate using viscometry, fluorescence contact energy transfer, and DNA unwinding assays point to a nonintercalative binding mode for this group. A kinetic assay for agent regioselectivity was used to determine the orientation of binding and covalent cross-link formation.
Recharting the Caribbean: Land, Law, and Citizenship in the British Virgin Islands

Recharting the Caribbean: Land, Law, and Citizenship in the British Virgin Islands. Bill Maurer. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1997. xvii. 301 pp., figures, tables, notes, references, index.
Quality Tradeoffs in Object Tracking with Duty-Cycled Sensor Networks

Extending the lifetime of wireless sensor networks requires energy-conserving operations such as duty-cycling. However, such operations may impact the effectiveness of high fidelity real-time sensing tasks, such as object tracking, which require high accuracy and short response times. In this paper, we quantify the influence of different duty-cycle schemes on the efficiency of bearings-only object tracking. Specifically, we use the Maximum Likelihood localization technique to analyze the accuracy limits of object location estimates under different response latencies considering variable network density and duty-cycle parameters. Moreover, we study the tradeoffs between accuracy and response latency under various scenarios and motion patterns of the object. We have also investigated the effects of different duty-cycled schedules on the tracking accuracy using acoustic sensor data collected at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL).