cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Why Are Queens Broodless? Failed Nest Initiation Not Linked to Parasites, Mating Status, or Ovary Development in Two Bumble Bee Species of Pyrobombus (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus)

Bumble bees (Bombus [Hymenoptera: Apidae]) are important pollinators for agricultural crops, which has led to their commercial domestication. Despite their importance, little is known about the reproductive biology of bumble bees native to North America. The Hunt bumble bee (Bombus huntii Greene [Hymenoptera: Apidae]) and the Vosnesensky bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii Radoszkowski [Hymenoptera: Apidae] are native candidates for commercial production in western North America due to their efficacy in providing commercial pollination services. Availability of pollinators native to the region in which services would be provided would minimize the likelihood of introducing exotic species and spreading novel disease. Some parasites are known to affect bumble bee reproduction, but little is known about their prevalence in North America or how they affect queen success. Only 38% of wild-caught B. huntii and 51% wild-caught B. vosnesenskii queens collected between 2015 and 2017 initiated nests in the laboratory. Our objective was to identify causal factors leading to a queen's inability to oviposit. To address this, we dissected each broodless queen and diagnosed diseases, assessed mating status, and characterized ovary development. Nematodes, arthropods, and microorganisms were detected in both species. Overall, 20% of queens were infected by parasites, with higher rates in B. vosnesenskii. Over 95% of both species were mated, and over 88% had developed ovaries. This suggests that parasitism and mating status were not primary causes of broodlessness. Although some failure to nest can be attributed to assessed factors, additional research is needed to fully understand the challenges presented by captive rearing.
Survey of Trogoderma species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) associated with international trade of dried distiller’s grains and solubles in the USA: Presentation

Dried distiller’s grains and solubles, DDGS, is a valuable commodity with substantial international trade. Vietnam discovered an infestation of Trogoderma inclusum, an actionable quarantine pest, in DDGS from the USA in 2012. All subsequent shipments to Vietnam were required to be fumigated. A shipment to Vietnam from the USA 2015 was then discovered with T. variabile. We surveyed the presence and activity of T. inclusum and T. variabile at locations in the USA that provide DDGSs for shipment to Vietnam. Seven facilities in four states that either produced DDGSs or that facilitated bulk shipments were studied. Pheromone traps were deployed at each location and monitored for several weeks. T. variaible was trapped at all seven sites while T. inclusum was trapped at just five of these. T. variabile were captured in nearly every trapping period and at higher numbers than T. inclusum at five locations, while two locations captured more T. inclusum than T. variabile. Spatial variation seemed to occur within each site, but there was no common pattern among facilities. Substantial numbers of beetles were caught in the outdoor sticky flight traps for most locations, except for relatively low flight trap numbers at locations 1, 4 and 6. The results show that T. variabile and T. inclusum are commonly associated with DDGSs produced in the USA, that these beetles could infest product being shipped overseas, and provide information that can be used to develop risk assessment and pest management programs for the future.
Exploring Biologic Predictors Response Disparities to Atypical Antipsychotics among Blacks: A Quasi-Systematic Review

Purpose: Management of schizophrenia among Blacks in the United States is af­fected by persistent disparities. This review explored response to atypical antipsychotics among Blacks compared with other groups to assess systematic variation that may con­tribute to disparities. Methods: We conducted a quasi-systematic review of studies reporting response to atypical antipsychotics among Blacks com­pared with other groups, including effects of genetic variation. Results: Of 48 identified research articles, 29 assessed differences in outcomes without inclusion of genetic variation and 20 ex­plored effects of genetic variation; of note: one article included both types of data. Analysis of the 29 papers with clinical out­comes only suggests that while data on ef­ficacy and risk of movement disorders were heterogeneous, findings indicate increased risk of metabolic effects and neutropenia among Blacks. Of the 20 articles exploring effects of genetic variation, allelic or geno­typic variations involving several genes were associated with altered efficacy or safety among Blacks but not Whites, including risk of decreased response involving variation in DRD4 and DRD1 , and improved efficacy as­sociated with variants in DRD2 , COMT , and RGS4 . Others showed significant improve­ment in treatment response only among Whites, including variation in DTNBP1 , DRD4 , and GNB3 . Conclusions: The current analysis can help tailor management among Blacks using an atypical antipsychotic. Heterogeneity in genetic variation effects and response allele frequency suggests that pharmacogenetics approaches for atypical antipsychotics will need to explicitly incorporate race and eth­nicity. Ethn Dis. 2020;30(Suppl 1):229-240; doi:10.18865/ed.30.S1.229
Guidelines and tools for promoting digital equity

This paper aims to provide a targeted overview of relevant digital equity gap literature that serves to contextualize the current crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following this review of the literature, the author introduces five guidelines that educators can use to guide their decisions about how to adapt to remote learning. It concludes with an overview and full text of two tools educators and researchers can use to better understand the challenges faced by students: the Digital Equity Gap Interview Protocol and the Digital Equity Gap Survey Instrument.,This conceptual paper is grounded on the theoretical framework of Martha Nussbaum's “Capability Approach,” which outlines core human capabilities that (if fostered) enable individuals to generate valuable outcomes for themselves.,It is suggested that it is important to attend to human capabilities when addressing digital equity gaps exacerbated by the pandemic. The author provides two tools that are intended to help individuals gather important information about the communities they serve and/or study.,Both tools provide descriptive information that will contextualize digital equity gaps, should they be present.,This paper provides concrete tools for educators who wish to understand digital equity gaps within the communities they serve.,In time of unprecedented distance learning, it is important for both K-12 educators and higher education instructors to understand the technological capabilities of their students. The Digital Equity Gap Interview Protocol and the Digital Equity Gap Survey Instrument give them a place to start.,This paper fulfills an identified need to study and address digital equity gaps.
Emergency Department Dexamethasone Administration in Pediatric Asthma Exacerbations: How Timely is Timely?

Background: Early administration of systemic corticosteroids is an evidence-based intervention shown to decrease admission rates for acute asthma exacerbations. Developing pathways to improve timely steroid administration may overcome delays associated with Emergency Department (ED) crowding. Our primary aim was to decrease time from triage start time to steroid administration to less than 60 minutes for 80% of pediatric patients with moderately severe asthma exacerbations over a 1 year period, via implementation of triage nursing standing delegation orders (SDO). Methods: A multi-disciplinary team created nursing SDOs that were integrated …
Allele-specific analysis reveals exon- and cell-type-specific regulatory effects of Alzheimer’s disease-associated genetic variants

Abstract Elucidating regulatory effects of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-associated genetic variants is critical for unraveling their causal pathways and understanding the pathology. However, their cell-type-specific regulatory mechanisms in the brain remain largely unclear. Here, we conducted an analysis of allele-specific expression quantitative trait loci (aseQTLs) for 33 AD-associated variants in four brain regions and seven cell types using ~3000 bulk RNA-seq samples and >0.25 million single nuclei. We develop a flexible framework using a hierarchical Poisson mixed model unifying samples in both allelic and genotype-level expression data. We identified 24 AD-associated variants (~73%) that are allele-specific eQTLs (aseQTLs) in at least one brain region. Multiple aseQTLs are region-dependent or exon-specific, such as rs2093760 with CR1, rs7982 with CLU, and rs3865444 with CD33. Notably, the APOE e4 variant reduces APOE expression across all regions, even in healthy controls. In pinpointing the cell types responsible for the observed region-level aseQTLs, we found rs2093760 as an aseQTL of CR1 in oligodendrocytes but not in microglia. Many AD-associated variants are aseQTLs in microglia or monocytes of immune-related genes, including HLA-DQB1, HLA-DQA2, CD33, FCER1G, MS4A6A, SPI1, and BIN1, highlighting the regulatory role of AD-associated variants in the immune response. These findings provide further insights into potential causal pathways and cell types mediating the effects of the AD-associated variants.
Increased Vehicle Energy Dissipation Due to Changes in Road Roughness with Emphasis on Rolling Losses

Tire rolling resistance, in isolation from vehicle rolling losses including dissipation in the suspension and effects of the road surface, is a weakness in present procedures as they relate to fuel economy and pollution level testing. Work by Funfsinn and Korst, based on coastdown experiments and computer simulation, has shown that substantial and measurable increases in rolling losses occur for rough road surfaces. The present investigation used vehicle axle accelerations to experimentally examine various road surfaces. Correlation with computer simulations allowed the development of a deterministic road roughness model which is used to predict energy dissipation in both the tire and suspension as functions of roughness, tire pressure, and speed. Application of the methodology to coastdown techniques and comparison to the experimental results of Funfsinn results in good agreement and confirms rolling loss increases of up to 20 percent compared to ideal smooth roads. The aerodynamic drag coefficient also increases when driving on rough roads.
Elion, Gertrude Belle

1918–1999 American chemist who developed a novel approach to the treatment of diseases in which antimetabolites are used as drugs. Keywords: antimetabolites; hitchings; leukaemia; purines; transplantation
Without a Trace: The Importance of Information in Markets

Economists and practitioners alike would agree that information plays an important role in capital markets. But the practical job of gathering, organizing and disseminating information in markets is too often left to chance. This paper dramatizes the difficulties that can occur when that happens by using the high yield market as an example. The transition from rapid expansion in the 1980s to stable growth in the 1990s was not without its informational road-bumps. The main point of the paper is to emphasize the importance of the informational role being played by industry organizations such as the Loan Syndication and Trading Association (LSTA) in the U.S.
Quality Problem in Software Measurement Data

Abstract An approach to enhance the quality of software measurement data is introduced in this chapter. Using poor-quality data during the training of software quality models can have costly consequences in software quality engineering. By removing such noisy entries, i.e., by filtering the training dataset, the accuracy of software quality classification models can be significantly improved. The Ensemble-Partitioning Filter functions by splitting the training dataset into subsets and inducing multiple learners on each subset. The predictions are then combined to identify an instance as noisy if it is misclassified by a given number of learners. The conservativeness of the Ensemble-Partitioning Filter depends on the filtering level and the number of iterations. The filter generalizes some commonly used filtering techniques in the literature, namely the Classification, the Ensemble, the Multiple-Partitioning, and the Iterative-Partitioning Filters. This chapter also formulates an innovative and practical technique to compare filters using real-world data. We use an empirical case study of a high assurance software project to analyze the performance of the different filters obtained from the specialization of the Ensemble-Partitioning Filter. These results allow us to provide a practical guide for selecting the appropriate filter for a given software quality classification problem. The use of several base classifiers as well as performing several iterations with a conservative filtering scheme can improve the efficiency of the filtering scheme.
l-3-Hydroxyacyl Coenzyme A Dehydrogenase from Pig Heart Muscle II. SUBUNIT STRUCTURE

Abstract The molecular weight of 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, as measured by sedimentation equilibrium analysis, was found to be 65,000, in good agreement with the value of 67,000 obtained from amino acid analyses. Gel filtration and sedimentation velocity measurements gave a somewhat higher value of 75,000. Further sedimentation equilibrium studies in 6 m guanidine hydrochloride and gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate gave molecular weights of 31,000, indicating that the protein is composed of 2 subunits of equal molecular weight and supporting the lower molecular weight values for the native protein. NH2-terminal analyses gave 2 residues of serine per mole of protein, which is consistent with two polypeptide chains per molecule. Fractionation of the soluble tryptic peptides of the S-[14C]carboxymethylated enzyme by ion exchange chromatography and unidirectional paper electrophoresis indicated a maximum of 46 major peptides, which is approximately one-half of the number of tryptic peptides expected from the lysine plus arginine content of 81. In addition, only one peptide with [14C]carboxymethylcysteine and one peptide containing tryptophan were identified following the fractionation of the soluble tryptic peptides. These observations suggest that the subunits possess very similar or identical amino acid sequences. The sequence of amino acid residues surrounding the single cysteinyl residue is His-Pro-Val-Ser-Cys-Lys. This peptide does not show any obvious relationship to any cysteinyl-containing peptide reported from any other dehydrogenase. The stability of the protein as a function of urea concentration was followed by enzymatic activity, optical rotation, and sedimentation velocity analyses. The molecule appears to undergo a simultaneous dissociation and unfolding with a concomitant complete loss of enzymatic activity between urea concentrations of 2 and 3 m. Approximately 90% of the original activity of enzyme denatured in urea can be recovered upon removal of urea by dialysis against 0.1 m sodium pyrophosphate buffer, pH 7.3, at 4°. Substrate and cofactor do not appear to affect the extent of reactivation under optimal conditions.
Going Private Buyouts and Determinants of Shareholders' Returns:

This paper examines the effect on stock and nonconvertible bond prices of going private buyout proposals and explores sources of stock price reaction. Three alternative sources of abnormal returns ...
Treatment of Organ Confined Prostate Cancer with Third Generation Cryosurgery: Preliminary Multicenter Experience

ABSTRACTPurpose: Cryosurgical ablation of the prostate is 1 approach to the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Third generation cryosurgery uses gas driven probes that allow for a decrease in probe diameter to 17 gauge (1.5 mm). The safety, morbidity and preliminary prostate specific antigen (PSA) results of 122 cases are reported.Materials and Methods: A total of 106 patients have undergone percutaneous cryosurgery using a brachytherapy template with at least 12 months of PSA followup. Immediate and delayed morbidities were evaluated. PSA results at 3 and 12 months were recorded, and failure was defined as the inability to reach a nadir of 0.4 ng/ml or less.Results: Complications in patients undergoing primary cryosurgery included tissue sloughing (5%), incontinence (pads, 3%), urge incontinence/no pads (5%), transient urinary retention (3.3%) and rectal discomfort (2.6%). There were no cases of fistulas or infections. Postoperative impotence was 87% in previously potent patients. For patients who u...
Effect of prostaglandin A1 on several vascular beds in man

Abstract The effect of PGA 1 on regional blood flow was studied at the time of arterial reconstruction in 19 aortocoronary grafts, five interval carotid arteries, eight aortofemoral grafts, and seven femoropopliteal grafts with the use of an electromagnetic flow probe. Bolus injections of 25 or 50 μg of PGA 1 were given IV or IA as well as papaverine (15 mg. IV or IA) which was used in evaluating the coronary circulation. PGA 1 (25 μg IA) increased flow in the coronary, femoral, and popliteal vascular beds but to a lesser degree than papaverine (15 mg.). When given IV, PGA 1 increased flow in only the femoral bed while papaverine, which was used in evaluating coronary flow only, resulted in a significant increase in coronary flow.
Usefulness of new diastolic strain and strain rate indexes for the estimation of left ventricular filling pressure.

Tissue Doppler indexes of left ventricular (LV) filling pressure are prone to angulation errors and tethering and are less reliable in patients with preserved LV ejection fraction and indeterminate early peak transmitral diastolic flow (E)/mitral early diastolic velocity (Ea) (8
Frequency discrimination in four temporal paradigms

The frequency discrimination of a 20‐msec target tone was measured in four temporal paradigms: a single‐interval procedure; a two‐alternative forced‐choice procedure; a same‐different procedure; and a method‐of‐adjustment procedure. In each paradigm the 20‐msec target tone was preceded or followed by a 500‐msec 800‐Hz interfering tone. The interfering tone occurred 50 msec or 5 msec before the onset of the target tone; or the interfering tone occurred 100 msec or 5 msec after the offset of the target tone. In each of the four paradigms the value of Δf for the target tone was varied around 800 Hz to obtain an estimate of the frequency discrimination threshold in the method‐of‐adjustment procedure and estimates of psychometric functions in the other three procedures. In all paradigms except for the single‐interval procedure, no significant differences in observers' frequency‐discrimination behavior occurred among the four temporal orderings of the target and interfering tones. The thresholds for Δf from these three paradigms were the same as those obtained without an interfering tone. In the single‐interval task, that temporal order in which the target tone preceded the interfering tone by 5 msec produced approximately a fivefold increase in the value of Δf required for discrimination over that required for discrimination for the other three target‐interference tone temporal orders.
Finite representation of infinite query answers

We define here a formal notion of finite representation of infinite query answers in logic programs. We apply this notion to DatalognS programs may be infinite and consequently queries may have infinite answers.We present a method to finitely represent infinite least Herbrand models of DatalognS program (and its underlying computational engine) can be forgotten. Given a query to be evaluated, it is easy to obtain from the relational specification finitely many answer substitutions that represent infinitely many answer substitutions to the query. The method involved is a combination of a simple, unificationless, computational mechanism (graph traversal, congruence closure, or term rewriting) and standard relational query evaluation methods. Second, a relational specification is effectively computable and its computation is no harder, in the sense of the complexity class, than answering yes-no queries.Our method is applicable to every range-restricted DatalognS program. We also show that for some very simple non-DatalognS logic programs, finite representations of query answers do not exist.
A statistical model for iTRAQ data analysis.

We describe biological and experimental factors that induce variability in reporter ion peak areas obtained from iTRAQ experiments. We demonstrate how these factors can be incorporated into a statistical model for use in evaluating differential protein expression and highlight the benefits of using analysis of variance to quantify fold change. We demonstrate the model’s utility based on an analysis of iTRAQ data derived from a spike-in study.
The effects of arthroscopic partial lateral meniscectomy in an otherwise normal knee: a retrospective review of functional, clinical, and radiographic results

Abstract A retrospective review of patients who underwent arthroscopic partial lateral meniscectomy for lateral meniscus tears in otherwise normal knees was conducted to review the long-term functional, clinical, and radiographic results. Twenty-six patients (27 knees) were evaluated by questionnaire; 20 patients (21 knees) also underwent physical examination and radiographic analysis. Minimum follow-up was 5 years and mean follow-up was 8 years. Patient data were obtained from detailed questionnaires, knee examinations, and radiographs. Excellent or good results decreased from 92% at the time of maximal improvement to 62% at the most recent follow-up: 85% of patients were initially able to return to their preinjury activity level; however, only 48% were able to maintain this level of activity at the most recent follow-up. Seventy-two percent of patients had either one or no Fairbank changes and there was no statistical difference when comparing radiographic criteria in the operated and nonoperated knee. Early results for partial lateral meniscectomy can be quite good; however, significant deterioration of functional results and decreased activity level can occur. Radiographic changes did not correlate with subjective sumptoms and functional outcome in our patient population. Our findings suggest that the functional outcome for patietns undergoing partial lateral meniscectomy may deteriorate with time and it may be helpful to counsel patients concerning long-term expectations.
Hydrothermally stable silica–alumina composite membranes for hydrogen separation

Abstract A thin layer (30–40 nm) of a dual-element silica–alumina composition was deposited on a porous alumina support by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in an inert atmosphere at high temperature. Prior to CVD, an intermediate layer of γ-alumina was coated on the macroporous alumina support. The intermediate layer was prepared by the dip-coating and calcination of boehmite sols of different sizes to give a graded structure that was substantially free of defects. The resulting supported composite membrane had high permeance for hydrogen in the order of 2–3 × 10−7 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1 at 873 K with selectivities of H2 over CH4, CO and CO2 of 940, 700 and 590, respectively. The membrane operated by a hopping mechanism involving jumps of permeating molecules between solubility sites. The presence of aluminum improved the hydrothermal stability of the membranes for periods in excess of 500 h at 873 K in 16% steam, allowing the permeance to remain above 10−7 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1, although with decreased selectivities.
Who reads Navajo poetry and what are they reading? Exploring the semiotic functions of contemporary written Navajo

This paper analyzes contemporary written Navajo in public signs, newspapers, and poetry. While the number of public space displays of written Navajo has increased in recent years, this has not met with an increase in either Navajo literacy or in the number of Navajo speakers. This paper argues that much written Navajo is read not for semantico-referential content, but either as icons and indexes of Navajo spaces and identity or as icons and indexes of fidelity to an orthographic norm. Contemporary written Navajo poetry is not normally read as poetry but as a success or failure to align with the orthographic norm. This mirrors nothing so much as how many Navajos were taught English literacy in the boarding schools.
Effects of oestrogen and progesterone on nest building in the golden hamster.

Abstract Nest building in golden hamsters was measured by daily removal and weighing of nests built with straw pulled in from a supply outside each cage. Females used increasing amounts of straw as pregnancy advanced. Similar increases were seen in spayed females given implants of oestrogen and progesterone. Implants of either oestrogen or progesterone alone had no effect. Implants of oestrogen and progesterone did not increase nest building in intact or castrate males. This sex difference was not modified by castrating males or injecting females with testosterone in infancy.
Elevated pCO2 causes developmental delay in early larval Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas

Increasing atmospheric CO2 equilibrates with surface seawater, elevating the concentration of aqueous hydrogen ions. This process, ocean acidification, is a future and contemporary concern for aquatic organisms, causing failures in Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) aquaculture. This experiment determines the effect of elevated pCO2 on the early development of C. gigas larvae from a wild Pacific Northwest population. Adults were collected from Friday Harbor, Washington, USA (48°31.7′N, 12°1.1′W) and spawned in July 2011. Larvae were exposed to Ambient (400 μatm CO2), MidCO2 (700 μatm), or HighCO2 (1,000 μatm). After 24 h, a greater proportion of larvae in the HighCO2 treatment were calcified as compared to Ambient. This unexpected observation is attributed to increased metabolic rate coupled with sufficient energy resources. Oyster larvae raised at HighCO2 showed evidence of a developmental delay by 3 days post-fertilization, which resulted in smaller larvae that were less calcified.
Detection of channel catfish virus in asymptomatic adult channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque)*

Abstract. Two populations of channel catfish were examined for the presence of channel catfish virus (CCV) by use of a nucleic acid probe. In one population of 22 fish with no history of CCV, viral DNA was found in every liver. These fish had previously been examined by a technique involving co-cultivation of their leucocytes with catfish tissue culture cells. The co-cultivation method had identified virus in 10 of these fish. The second fish population consisted of 14 adults that had survived a CCV outbreak in 1980. Of the 14 fish, 11 showed positive indication of CCV DNA. The tissue distribution of the CCV differed from fish to fish. All fish from the first group and one fish from the second group showed some alterations in the DNA banding patterns expected from pure CCV DNA. This might be indicative of modifications in the genomic structure of the CCV DNA when the virus is latent in a fish.
The Effects of Differential Amounts of Stimulus Familiarization on Choice Reaction Time Performance in Children.

Abstract Groups of first-grade children were exposed during a familiarization phase to 0, 1, 10, 20, or 40 3-second presentations of a red or a green light. On 49 subsequent choice reaction time trials, the familiarized stimulus (FS) and nonfamiliarized stimulus (NS) each served as the signal to respond on half of the trials and were presented according to one of two sequences. Both sequences involved 50% alternation and 50% repetition of the two types of stimuli. Release but not travel speeds were sensitive to the effects of familiarization. Release speeds were faster to the NS than to the FS for S s given 20 or 40 familiarization exposures but not for those given 0, 1, or 10 exposures. The magnitude of this effect was comparable for S s given 20 or 40 exposures. A change effect (CE) was found for both release and travel speeds except in the case of travel speed for Group 0. The CE findings can be accounted for by either a stimulus interpretation or a modified response interpretation.
Magneto-optical studies of 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)C61; PCBM

In the quest for better power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic cells (OPVC) various architectures have been considered. Bulk heterojunction type OPVC proved to be the most successful, where the polymer as electron donor is blended with fullerene molecule as electron acceptor. With the goal of improving power conversion efficiency of OPVC we studied 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)C61 (PCBM) as a film and dispersed in polystyrene matrix. We used a variety of continuous wave (cw) optical probes including photoinduced absorption (PA), photoluminescence (PL), and optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). The steady state photophysics of PCBM is dominated by triplet exciton. For both PCBM dispersed in polystyrene and PCBM film, the triplet exciton specie is characterized by a PA band at about 1.7 eV and spin 1 PA detected magnetic resonance (PADMR) powder pattern resonance around g ∼ 2. However, in PCBM film the occurrence of a polaron PA band at 1.2 eV and spin 1/2 PADMR are also noticed.
Enhancing FDA's Evaluation of Science to Ensure Chemicals Added to Human Food Are Safe: Workshop Proceedings

Abstract: Science and expert judgment are the foundation for safety assessments of chemicals added to food to ensure their use is safe. Hazard characterization is the first step in a safety assessment. Advances in science and technology pose challenges to the regulatory system and raise questions about whether the current hazard identification and characterization process is able to systematically and transparently encompass such advances while remaining defensible. An April 2011 workshop sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the journal Nature brought together over 80 experts in science and food policy from government, industry, academia, and public interest organizations to examine the principles underlying the development and use of scientific evidence needed for chemical hazard characterization. Participants discussed challenges of identifying adverse health effects, advances in science, uses of new screening technologies and human biomonitoring data, updating of study designs, and development and review of toxicity test guidelines. Brainstorming sessions allowed participants to propose alternatives to enhance FDA's evaluation of science for safety assessment. Although there was no intention to reach a consensus, several themes emerged including the need for clear procedures to develop validated toxicity tests; importance of regularly updating guidance documents relied upon by regulators and industry; benefits of transparency and public access to information; potential for greater interagency collaboration; opportunities to improve hypothesis-based research to make it more useful to regulatory decision making; and importance of staying abreast of scientific developments to ensure that safety assessments are made using sensitive and relevant methods.
Nucleosome and Chromatin Structures and Functions

The diploid human genome contains 6x109bp of DNA of total length 2.04 m packaged into cell nuclei 6-8 µm in diameter. Despite decades of intensive research we are still far from understanding the rules that govern the packaging of these enormously long eukaryotic DNA molecules into chromosomes and cell nuclei. Some answers will come from the sequence data generated by the Human Genome Project, particularly the identification of sequence motifs involved in both the long range organization of chromosomes and in nuclear architecture. Such sequence motifs probably bind to proteins in the chromosomal scaffold, the nuclear matrix and nuclear membrane. How chromosome organization and nuclear architecture are involved in chromosome function is not well understood. In an attractive working model for long-range order in metaphase chromosomes the DNA is constrained by scaffold proteins into loops of average size 50 kbps [1]. These loops are packaged by the histones H1, H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 into nucleosomes and higher order chromatin structures.
Adenosine induced ventricular fibrillation in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

VF was observed in four patients (group A) with preexcited AF presenting to the emergency department who had been given 12 mg of adenosine. These patients were resuscitated and underwent electrophysiological study and catheter ablation of the accessory pathway (AP). In a control (group B) of five patients with manifest AP, sustained AF was induced by rapid atrial pacing during electrophysiological study and 12 mg of adenosine was administered. The ECG and electrophysiologic features in the two groups were compared. All patients had a single manifest AP. In group A, three patients had a left free-wall AP and one patient had a posteroseptal AP, while in the control group all had left free-wall APs. The antegrade AP effective refractory period (ERP) in groups A and B was 227 +/- 29 and 289 +/- 37 ms, respectively (P 0.05). The shortest R-R interval during AF in group A was 246 +/- 51 ms and 301 +/- 60 ms in group B (P value < 0.05). After adenosine, no patient in group B developed VF. Adenosine may cause VF when administered during preexcited AF. This phenomenon is seen in patients having APs with short refractory periods.
Environmental and genetic factors that contribute to Escherichia coli K-12 biofilm formation

Biofilms are communities of bacteria whose formation on surfaces requires a large portion of the bacteria’s transcriptional network. To identify environmental conditions and transcriptional regulators that contribute to sensing these conditions, we used a high-throughput approach to monitor biofilm biomass produced by an isogenic set of Escherichia coli K-12 strains grown under combinations of environmental conditions. Of the environmental combinations, growth in tryptic soy broth at 37°C supported the most biofilm production. To analyze the complex relationships between the diverse cell-surface organelles, transcriptional regulators, and metabolic enzymes represented by the tested mutant set, we used a novel vector-item pattern-mining algorithm. The algorithm related biofilm amounts to the functional annotations of each mutated protein. The pattern with the best statistical significance was the gene ontology ‘pyruvate catabolic process,’ which is associated with enzymes of acetate metabolism. Phenotype microarray experiments illustrated that carbon sources that are metabolized to acetyl-coenzyme A, acetyl phosphate, and acetate are particularly supportive of biofilm formation. Scanning electron microscopy revealed structural differences between mutants that lack acetate metabolism enzymes and their parent and confirmed the quantitative differences. We conclude that acetate metabolism functions as a metabolic sensor, transmitting changes in environmental conditions to biofilm biomass and structure.
Synthesize procedures, mechanical and electrical properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanocomposite thin films containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes

A procedure is proposed to prepare poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposite thin films with improved mechanical and dielectric properties compared to the pure PVDF films. The PVDF/MWCNT mixture with a composition range from 0.0 to 5.0% MWCNTs by weight was formed using solution blending and the ultrasonic dispersion method and then spin coated on a rotating glass substrate to produce films nearly 20 μ thick. Results indicate that the appropriate addition of MWCNTs (up to 3.0 wt%) to PVDF can significantly increase its elastic modulus while decrease its fracture toughness. The elastic modulus shows softening at a 5.0 wt% MWCNT loading. The DC and AC conductivity of the composite films were also examined with various MWCNTs concentrations. The dielectric constants were found more than doubled for 0.5 wt% MWCNTs composite compared to the values for the pure PVDF. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Isoelectric focusing of gamma crystallins I. Characterization of rat lens components

Abstract During the past several years, attention has been focused on the chemistry of gamma crystallins and their possible role in the formation of insoluble products in the lens. As with other protein classes, several very similar components (or isomers) are known to be present in this protein fraction. By isoelectric focusing in a pH gradient, the components of rat gamma crystallin have been separated and some aspects of their chemistry have been elucidated. Isoelectric focusing of DEAE-cellulose-prepared young rat gamma crystallin in 6 M urea yielded components with isoelectric points ranging from pH 8.9 to 7.3. Measurements of the levels of gamma crystallin components, and comparisons of the similarities and differences in the following properties of these components have been made: amino acid composition, sulfhydryl and disulfide content, immunochemical relationships, molecular weight, ultraviolet light absorbance, and fluorescence. The results of studies of the conversion of gamma crystallin components to insoluble products as a function of compositional differences are also presented.
Estimating MR relaxation in a single shot: considerations for estimation accuracy

ABSTRACT Quantitative and spatially accurate maps of local NMR relaxa tion rates from single-shot ac quisitions are of value for functional MRI and dynamic contrast studies. Addressing this need is SS-PARSE (Single-shot parameter assessment by recovery from signal encoding), a recen tly introduced MRI technique for mapping magnetization magnitude and phase, frequency, and net transverse decay rate R 2 * from a single-shot (<70 msec) signal. Instead of implicitly modeling the local signal as arising from a constant magnetization vector, SS-PARSE models the evolution in phase and the decay in amplitude of the local signal and estimates the local parameter maps producing the observed signal. Because the local signal model used is fundamentally more accurate than the model implicitly used in most current MRI methodology, SS-PARSE maps are inherently free from geom etric errors due to off-resonance frequ encies. The accuracy of the parameter estimates is determined by (a) the information available in the signal (the form of the local signal model, the sampling pattern, and random noise), and by (b) the effectiveness of the estimation algorithm in extracting the information present in the signal. Sources of bias and random errors are discussed. The performance of the method is investigated using experimental phantom data. Keywords: Rapid MRI methods; parameter estimation; NMR relaxation rates, MRI distortion
Nest Relocation and Excavation in the Florida Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex badius

The Florida harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex badius) excavates deep nests in the sandy soils of the Gulf and Atlantic coastal plains. Nest relocations of over 400 colonies in a north Florida coastal plains pine forest were tracked and mapped from 2010 to 2013. Individual colonies varied from one move in two years to four times a year, averaging about one per year. Almost all moves occurred between May and November peaking in July when more than 1% of the colonies moved per day. Move directions were random, and averaged 4 m, with few moves exceeding 10 m. Distance moved was not related to colony size. Over multiple moves, paths were random walks around the original nest location. Relocation is probably intrinsic to the life history of this species, and the causes of relocation remain obscure— the architecture of old and new nests was very similar, and neither the forest canopy nor the density or size of neighbors was correlated with relocation. Monitoring entire relocations (n = 20) showed that they were usually completed in 4 to 6 days. Moves were diurnal, peaking in the mornings and afternoons dipping during mid-day, and ceasing before sundown. Workers excavated the new nest continuously during the daytime throughout the move and beyond. A minority of workers carried seeds, charcoal and brood, with seeds being by far the most common burden. The proportion of burdened workers increased throughout the move. Measured from year to year, small colonies gained size and large ones lost it. Colonies moving more than once in two years lost more size than those moving less often, suggesting that moving may bear a fitness cost. Colony relocation is a dramatic and consistent feature of the life history of the Florida harvester ant, inviting inquiry into its proximal and ultimate causes.
A highway-centric labeling approach for answering distance queries on large sparse graphs

The distance query, which asks the length of the shortest path from a vertex $u$ to another vertex v, has applications ranging from link analysis, semantic web and other ontology processing, to social network operations. Here, we propose a novel labeling scheme, referred to as Highway-Centric Labeling, for answering distance queries in a large sparse graph. It empowers the distance labeling with a highway structure and leverages a novel bipartite set cover framework/algorithm. Highway-centric labeling provides better labeling size than the state-of-the-art $2$-hop labeling, theoretically and empirically. It also offers both exact distance and approximate distance with bounded accuracy. A detailed experimental evaluation on both synthetic and real datasets demonstrates that highway-centric labeling can outperform the state-of-the-art distance computation approaches in terms of both index size and query time.
Bipolar genome reductional division of human near-senescent, polyploid fibroblast cells

The rise in mitotic polyploid cells in near-senescence (phase III) of human fibroblast cells has been found to contain diplochromosomes (four chromatids). For tetraploid cells, this translates into 46 pairs of sister chromosomes. It has been suggested, from the increase in numbers of such cells, that they might deviate from expected normal, single chromatid segregations in mitosis. In this study, the polyploid cells with diplochromosomes were shown to segregate by bipolar mitosis into genome-reduced cells. Sister pairs separated from each other and moved as a genomic group of two-chromatid chromosomes to the poles. A tetraploid cell thus became reduced to two diploid cells (i.e., G2-4c in G1), which in the next mitosis could either restore the previous diplochromosomal status and ploidy level or cycle as diploid mitotic cells. The polyploid cells that are programmed for genome reductional division become part of the senescent cell population. In such populations, there is depolyploidization into multinucleated cells (MNCs) that can spawn genome-reduced mitotic offspring cells. These facts are relevant to neoplasticity-associated cytopathologies such as 4n cells as intermediates in Barrett's esophagus, MNCs in human papillomavirus infections, and radiation-associated cell changes. On a cell population level, the bipolar genome reductional division is a source for genetic heterogeneity, generating a continued mixture of polyploid and genome-reduced cells. The only other known case is in the mosquito, but the phenomenon is likely more common than has been thought.
Gender differences in research productivity among criminal justice and criminology scholars

Abstract Prior research suggests gaps in productivity by gender in the fields of criminal justice and criminology as well as other academic disciplines. Utilizing survey data from a sample of ASC and ACJS members, this study examined the overall extent of disparity in publishing between female and male academics. It also examined the impact of background, departmental, professional, work load characteristics, and other academic factors on publishing. While males published more than females, the disparity was reduced once other relevant variables, such as career length, time devoted to research, rank, and teaching in a program offering a masters or doctorate, were considered. Finally, the factors that influence productivity among male scholars were found to have a similar effect on female scholarship.
Blood transfusion in the U.S.S.R.: notes on a short visit.

The status of blood transfusion facilities and practices in the U.S.S.R. as viewed during a three-month visit in 1965 is described. Included is a description of the collection and uses of cadaver blood.
Geospatial and Temporal Analysis of a 20-Year Record of Landsat-Based Water Clarity in Minnesota's 10,000 Lakes

A large 20-year database on water clarity for all Minnesota lakes ≥8 ha was analyzed statistically for spatial distributions, temporal trends, and relationships with in-lake and watershed factors that potentially affect lake clarity. The database includes Landsat-based water clarity estimates expressed in terms of Secchi depth (SDLandsat), an integrative measure of water quality, for more than 10,500 lakes for time periods centered around 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005. Minnesota lake clarity is lower (more turbid) in the south and southwest and clearer in the north and northeast; this pattern is evident at the levels of individual lakes and ecoregions. Temporal trends in clarity were detected in ~11% of the lakes: 4.6% had improving clarity and 6.2% had decreasing clarity. Ecoregions in southern and western Minnesota, where agriculture is the predominant land use, had higher percentages of lakes with decreasing clarity than the rest of the state, and small and shallow lakes had higher percentages of decreasing clarity trends than large and deep lakes. The mean SDLandsat statewide remained stable from 1985 to 2005 but decreased in ecoregions dominated by agricultural land use. Deep lakes had higher clarity than shallow lakes statewide and for lakes grouped by land cover. SDLandsat decreased as the percentage of agriculture and/or urban area increased at county and catchment levels and it increased with increasing forested land.
Kinetics of Substitution and Isomerization of Nitrite Ion on Aqua(7-Methyl-4,10-Dithia-1,7,13-Triazatridecane)Cobalt(III) and the Structure of the Product

Abstract The influence of placing a CH3N- linkage trans to a site of nitro substitution and spontaneous nitrito-to-nitro isomerization is reported for the Co(NSNSN)H2O3+ cation where NSNSN is 7-methyl-4,10-dithia-1,7,13-triazatridecane, NH2CH2CH2-S-CH2CH2-N(CH3)-CH2CH2-S-CH2CH2NH2. Preparation and characterization is described for the aqua and nitrito complexes. Co(NSNSN)H2O3+ is 435 times more reactive than Co(NH3)5H2O3+ under identical conditions. Nitrito-to-nitro isomerization is much slower than the conversion of Co(NSNSN)H2O3+ to Co(NSNSN)ONO2+. The isomerization was studied at a number of wavelengths, temperatures and at various concentrations of acid and nitrite ion at ionic strengths of 0.11–0.60 m. Isomerization rate constants are 1.10±0.11 × 10-5sec-1 at 20.0[ddot]C, 5.24 ± 0.83 × 10-5sec-1 at 30.0[ddot]C, and 18.1 ± 1.1 × 10-5 sec-1 at 39.0[ddot]C. Thermodynamic activation parameters are ΔHΔ = 109.3 kJ mol-1, ΔSΔ = + 33 J mol-1 K-1 and ΔGΔ = 99.4 kJ mol-1. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data ...