cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Association of Multiple Interacting Genes with Specific Phenotypes in Rice Using Gene Coexpression Networks

Discovering gene sets underlying the expression of a given phenotype is of great importance, as many phenotypes are the result of complex gene-gene interactions. Gene coexpression networks, built using a set of microarray samples as input, can help elucidate tightly coexpressed gene sets (modules) that are mixed with genes of known and unknown function. Functional enrichment analysis of modules further subdivides the coexpressed gene set into cofunctional gene clusters that may coexist in the module with other functionally related gene clusters. In this study, 45 coexpressed gene modules and 76 cofunctional gene clusters were discovered for rice (Oryza sativa) using a global, knowledge-independent paradigm and the combination of two network construction methodologies. Some clusters were enriched for previously characterized mutant phenotypes, providing evidence for specific gene sets (and their annotated molecular functions) that underlie specific phenotypes.
Structure refinement of deuterated boehmite

The crystal structure of a deuterated synthetic boehmite powder, γ-AIOOD, has been determined by time-of-flight neutron diffraction and Rietveld profile refinement in space group Cmcm to a weighted profile R of 3.71%. Cell dimensions are a = 2.868(1), b = 12.2336(4), and C = 3.6923(1) A. Alternate space groups for the boehmite structure suggested in the recent literature were found to be unacceptable. Atom positions, bond distances, and angles, with the exception of those involving hydrogen, were nearly identical to those determined by R. J. Hill in 1981 who studied a single crystal of boehmite by X-ray diffraction. All atoms were refined with anisotropic thermal parameters. The b value is 0.013 A larger, and the thermal ellipsoids of oxygen are slightly more anisotropic than those reported by Hill and may reflect the different samples studied.
Determination of neutralization capacity and stability of a basic methacrylate monomer using NMR

The durability of dental resin depends on the stability of the polymer. The neutralizing capacity of a basic methacrylate monomer and its chemical stability were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Lactic acid solution was titrated with 2-(dimethylamino)ethylmethacrylate (DMAEMA) or 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and its chemical shifts monitored. Addition of DMAEMA alters the chemical shift proportionally to pH neutralization, whereas HEMA has no impact. Chemical shifts were used to quantify both the change in pH and monomer stability. The results demonstrate that neutralization by basic monomer can be achieved and that this can be measured using an NMR assay.
Plasmid Chemokines and Colony-Stimulating Factors Enhance the Immunogenicity of DNA Priming-Viral Vector Boosting Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Vaccines

Heterologous “prime-boost” regimens that involve priming with plasmid DNA vaccines and boosting with recombinant viral vectors have been shown to elicit potent virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses. Increasing evidence, however, suggests that the utility of recombinant viral vectors in human populations will be significantly limited by preexisting antivector immunity. Here we demonstrate that the coadministration of plasmid chemokines and colony-stimulating factors with plasmid DNA vaccines markedly increases the immunogenicity of DNA prime-recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (rAd5) boost and DNA prime-recombinant vaccinia virus (rVac) boost vaccine regimens in BALB/c mice. In mice with preexisting anti-Ad5 immunity, priming with the DNA vaccine alone followed by rAd5 boosting elicited only marginal immune responses. In contrast, cytokine-augmented DNA vaccine priming followed by rAd5 vector boosting was able to generate potent immune responses in mice with preexisting anti-Ad5 immunity. These data demonstrate that plasmid cytokines can markedly improve the immunogenicity of DNA prime-viral vector boost vaccine strategies and can partially compensate for antivector immunity.
Soot Formation in Laminar Premixed Methane/Oxygen Flames at Atmospheric Pressure

Flame structure and soot formation were studied within soot-containing laminar premixed mc1hane/oxygen flames at atmospheric pressure. The following measurements were made: soot volume fractions by laser extinction, soot temperatures by multiline emission, gas temperatures (where soot was absent) by corrected fine-wire thermocouples, soot structure by thermophoretic sampling and transmission electron microscope (TEM), major gas species concentrations by sampling and gas chromatography, and gas velocities by laser velocimetry. Present measurements of gas species concentrations were in reasonably good agreement with earlier measurements due to Ramer et al. as well as predictions based on the detailed mechanisms of Frenklach and co-workers and Leung and Lindstedt: the predictions also suggest that H atom concentrations are in local thermodynamic equilibrium throughout the soot formation region. Using this information, it was found that measured soot surface growth rates could be correlated successfully by predictions based on the hydrogen-abstraction/carbon-addition (HACA) mechanisms of both Frenklach and co-workers and Colket and Hall, extending an earlier assessment of these mechanisms for premixed ethylene/air flames to conditions having larger H/C ratios and acetylene concentrations. Measured primary soot particle nucleation rates were somewhat lower than the earlier observations for laminar premixed ethylene/air flames and were significantly lower than corresponding rates in laminar diffusion flames. for reasons that still must be explained.
A variable-coefficient plate withdrawal theory for power law fluids

Abstract A new theory for withdrawal of flat plates from power law fluids has been developed and tested with film thickness data. The theory was found to be superior to previous theories. Agreement between theory and data was found to be sensitive to the relevant curvature coefficient. Properties of the variable coefficient were described.
Fetal pulmonary immunoreactive adrenocorticotropin: molecular weight and cellular localization.

Abstract The hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis of the sheep fetus plays a critical role in fetal development, responsiveness to stress, and initiation of parturition. We have recently reported that the fetal lung contains and secretes significant amounts of immunoreactive adrenocorticotropin (iACTH). The present study was designed to identify the molecular weight profile and the cellular location of iACTH in this tissue. iACTH extracted from fetal lung was immunoprecipitated, electrophoresed, and immunoblotted. Pulmonary iACTH was found in several molecular forms. The largest peptides appeared as doublets, and had molecular weights similar to POMC (32, 33 kD). Smaller peptides appeared in molecular weights (17, 24, and 27 kD) which were not consistent with the post-translational processing of POMC in fetal pituitary, but which were consistent with known processing of POMC by chromaffin granule aspartyl protease. None of the molecular forms of iACTH were glycosylated. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the iACTH was contained within bronchial epithelium and within groups of cells within the parenchyma of the lung. Both of these types of cells are consistent with pulmonary neuroendocrine cells. The distribution of neuroendocrine cells and apparent concordance with the iACTH-positive cells was confirmed by immunostaining for neuron specific enolase, a marker for neuroendocrine cells within the lung. We conclude that the lung contains unprocessed and partially processed POMC within cells known to contain neuropeptides. We speculate that secretion of the POMC-related peptides from these cells is physiologically important in the late-gestation fetus.
Hit or Miss: Sociocognitive Approach to Decisionmaking

Risk Taking and Decisionmaking: Foreign Military Intervention Decisions, Yaakov Vertzberger (Palo Alto, Cal.: Stanford University Press, 1998). 658 pp., cloth (ISBN: 0-8047-2747-3), $69.50; paper (ISBN: 0-8047-3168-3), $19.95. Book reviewed: Risk Taking and Decisionmaking: Foreign Military Intervention Decisions , Yaakov Vertzberger
Psychosis and suicide

The prevalence and characteristics of psychosis were observed in a population of 134 subjects who committed suicide in St. Louis in a 1-year period. Psychosis was diagnosed if a subject had, in the period just prior (1 month or less) to his suicide, experienced any of the following: delusions; hallucinations; bizarre behavior; disorientation, confusion, or memory loss; or formal thought disorder. Using these criteria, 25 (19%) of the 134 subjects were found to be psychotic at the time of suicide.
A mechanism supported by extensive experimental evidence to explain high heat fluxes observed during nucleate boiling

The mechanism responsible for high heat transfer rates occurring in nucleate boiling when liquid films exist on the heating surface is described. High-speed cinematography and simultaneous transient surface temperature measurements provide a basis for describing the mechanism. In a liquid film, bubbles grow and detach rapidly. The film is quickly renewed. A liquid microlayer exists beneath a bubble its entire life. Conditions are very favorable for rapid evaporation from the microlayer so that heat transfer is rapid. A number of independent observations by other investigators working on diverse problems are cited in support of the mechanism.
Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate Affects Ceramide 1-phosphate Phase Behavior

Ceramide is a well-characterized sphingolipid metabolite and second messenger that participates in numerous biological processes. When ceramide is phosphorylated by ceramide kinase (CERK), ceramide-1-phosphate (Cer1P) is obtained. It has recently been proposed that Cer1P is involved in cell survival, cell proliferation, inflammation and phagocytosis. It has been observed that the CERK activity is dependent on the interaction with phosphatidyl inositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2). In turn, Cer1P was found to affect the PI3K/AKT pathway. This suggests that PI(4,5)P2 and Cer1P might co-localize and interact. To address this issue, giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) composed of POPC and 10% Cer1P were made with different concentrations of brain PI(4,5)P2 (from 2%, 5%, 10% to 20 mol%), labeled with fluorescent lipids and analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. GUVs composed of POPC and 10% Cer1P showed irregular branch-shaped domains, which are characteristic for the Cer1P gel phase. In the presence of 2% brain PI(4,5)P2, the irregularly branched domains took on a shape of beads on strings, i.e., the domains were round indicating increased fluidity. With increasing amount of PI(4,5)P2 added, the bead region became larger and larger. In the presence of 10% PI(4,5)P2; the gel type string regions can barely be seen. For 20% PI(4,5)P2 only one fluid type region can be seen. Since the portion of Cer1P in the GUVs was fixed, (10% of the total lipids) the increasingly larger domains have to be the result of the incorporation of brain PI(4,5)P2 in the Cer1P phase. This incorporation of PI(4,5)P2 in the Cer1P phase leads to an increasing fluidity and increasing size of the domain. In conclusion, Cer1P and PI(4,5)P2 co-localize into a domain when mixed with POPC and this domain exhibits fluid like properties at high PI(4,5)P2 concentrations.
Survey of the American College of Surgeons Scholarship Recipients: A Story of Generating Academic Leaders

Background The objective of this survey was to provide a review of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) scholarship activity. Study Design The domestic ACS scholarship recipient survey was electronically transmitted twice to awardees from 1987 to 2007 (n = 253). Themes of the survey included type of practice, activities during scholarship period, success of peer review funding, and the role of mentors. All survey responses were evaluated using SPSS version 20. Results There were 123 total responses, with 108 separate respondents (94, 1 award; 13, 2 awards; 1, 3 awards). The group averaged 11.8 years in clinical practice, with the majority (90.2%) having an academic appointment. Seventy-seven percent of respondents were on a tenure track, and almost three-quarters (72.4%) of the respondents hold a major leadership position. In terms of research, 67.5% of respondents have received extramural funding; 10.6% have received patents. The average number of publications related to their funded research is 19.2 (range 0 to 180). Most respondents perform peer review of research (73.2%), learned about the peer review process during their funding period (82.1%), and mentor medical students (88.6%). The average number of students currently mentored is 6.4; the average total trainees mentored is 13. Despite the significant research responsibilities of respondents, they still spend more time performing clinical care (49.2%) than research (30.4%). Conclusions The ACS scholarship has a significant impact on the recipient's academic career, even in the setting of increasing clinical burdens. This program also appears to tangentially identify surgeons who become leaders in academic surgery.
Sorting of silica nanocups by diameter during fabrication process

We demonstrated a new technique to sort nanoparticles based on their dimensions. Due to the interactions between charged droplets and a nonlinear electrostatic field, nanoparticles with different dimensions were deposited at different spatial locations on a given target substrate. By using this principle, we have been able to sort nanocups into three groups with mean diameters of 0.31 µm, 0.7 µm, and 1.1 µm and a standard deviation of 20%. This technique improves the nanoparticle fabrication process not only by decreasing the standard deviation of its dimensions but also by increasing its yield since nanoparticles with different mean diameters can be generated at the same time.
Surface oxygen chemistry of a gas-sensing material: SnO2(101)

Experimental techniques and density-functional theory have been employed to identify the surface composition and structure of SnO2(101). The stoichiometric Sn4+O22− surface is only stable at high oxygen chemical potential. For lower oxidizing potential of the gas phase a Sn2+O2− bulk termination is favored. These two surfaces convert into each other without reconstruction by occupying and vacating bridging oxygen sites. This variability of the surface composition is possible because of the dual valency of Sn and may be one of the fundamental mechanisms responsible for the performance of this material in gas-sensing devices.
Human factors design of a video monitor emulator and display (VMED) for visuallyimpaired computer users

This paper describes research conducted by the Atlanta VA Medical Center in the area of visual impairment and computer usage—in particular, work on the design of a device that reformats computer video output for use by persons with limited usable vision. The objective of the current project is to design, build, and test a video/video control interface that can be connected to and will reformat the video data of any general-purpose computer/word processor. The objectives of this work are (1) to complete a human factors analysis of types of tasks performed on computers/word processors, and (2) to design and build a universal interface that implements the results of the aforementioned study.
Attacking the flank: targeting new pathways in SBMA

Androgen withdrawal–based therapeutic strategies for spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) have shown limited benefit in clinical trials, and therapies for this disease still remain a considerable challenge. The finding that a class of migraine medications, the triptans, improve disease in a mouse model of SBMA suggests a new route for future investigations into SBMA therapies (pages 1531–1538).
Age-related changes in beta-adrenergic neuroeffector systems in the human heart.

BACKGROUNDAging decreases cardiac beta-adrenergic responsiveness in model systems and in humans in vivo. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the age-related changes in the beta-receptor-G protein-adenylyl cyclase complex in nonfailing human hearts.METHODS AND RESULTSTwenty-six nonfailing explanted human hearts aged 1 to 71 years were obtained from organ donors and subjected to pharmacological investigation of beta-adrenergic neuroeffector systems. When the population was subdivided into the 13 youngest and 13 oldest subjects, total beta-receptor density assessed by maximum [125I]ICYP binding (beta max) was reduced in older hearts by 37% in left ventricles and 31% in right ventricles (both P < .05), and the downregulation was confined to the beta 1 subtype (r = .78 left ventricle beta 1 density versus donor age). Older donor hearts exhibited a 3- to 4-fold rightward shift of ICYP-isoproterenol (ISO) competition curves and demonstrated 43% fewer receptors in a high-affinity agonist bin...
Evaluation of acoustical and non-acoustical properties of sound absorbing materials made of polyester fibres of various cross-sectional shapes

Abstract Four types of fibrous material samples made of polyester fibres of various cross-sections, i.e. circle, hollow, flat and triangle, have been prepared. The surface impedance and the non-acoustical parameters of them have been measured. The effect of the variation in the cross-sections on the acoustical properties and the non-acoustical parameters of the polyester fibre samples have been examined. The effects of the ‘circle’ and the ‘hollow’ samples are almost the same. However, for the ‘flat’ and the ‘triangle’ samples, the effects different from the ‘circle’ sample are found in the measured flow resistivity and the two characteristic lengths. This paper also discusses the equivalent diameters of the materials made of non-circular cross-sections.
A Macroeconomic Study of the Effects of Promotion on the Consumption of Infant Formula in Developing Countries

During 1975, Nestle and other infant formula manufacturers agreed to curtail promotion of their products in developing countries. This curtailment resulted in a decrease in consumption of infant formula (when controlling for other variables) in 79 developing countries. Thus a causal link between promotion and consumption of the product is supported by the data and macroeconomic analyses in the study.
Droplet Size and Velocity Distributions of a Transient Hollow‐Cone Spray for GDI Engines

An experimental investigation of a gasoline direct injection (GDI) spray, emerging from an electronically controlled swirl-type injector, was carried out at an injection pressure and duration of 7.0 MPa and 3.0 ms, respectively, in an optically accessible vessel, at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. The temporal and spatial spray evolution was investigated in terms of global spray structure, interaction with the external gas, time-resolved droplet size and velocity distribution. The measurements were carried out with an AVL Engine Video System with a CCD camera, a frame grabber and a strobe flash triggered by the injection apparatus. Digital image processing software for the study of the global parameters of the spray was used. A particle Doppler analyzer (PDA) system was used to estimate the local droplet size and velocity as function of the radial coordinate and distance from the nozzle. A laser light extinction technique was applied to investigate the region close to the nozzle up to 5 mm. The spray emerging from the nozzle, at an early time, showed a hollow-cone type of structure because of the swirl motion of the fuel in the orifice that produces a rotational momentum at the nozzle exit. The spray starts with a central pre-injection phase followed, later, by the main body characterized by a large cone angle. The interaction of the fuel with the gas in the spray chamber was evidenced; curls on the external boundary and re-filling of the central part of the cone, during the second part of the injection, were observed. Measurements at different locations within the spray showed high values of the droplet velocity close to the nozzle exit at an early time. These high values were found downstream in the final stage of injection. Radial velocities were present along the entire injection process with an outer direction in the first stage, while an inner direction was observed in the second part. The droplet size distribution showed increasing values along the injector axis and towards the periphery of the spray.
Determination of lipoic acid in chick livers and chicken eggs during incubation

Abstract Gas chromatography of the methyl esters of lipoic (1,2-dithiolane-3-pentanoic), bisnor -lipoic (1,2-dithiolane-3-propanoic), tetranor -lipoic (1,2-dithiolane-3-carboxylic) acids, and their reduced (dithiol) forms was carried out on a Poly A-103 column. This new chromatographic method is sensitive and adaptable to determine lipoic acid content in animal tissues and other biological materials. Livers from 1-week-old chicks and eggs at different incubation times were pooled, lyophilized, delipidated, hydrolyzed, and extracted. The extracts, after methylation, were chromatographed and quantitated for lipoate. Overall recovery using [ 14 C]lipoic acid was found to be 34%. The corrected level of lipoic acid in the chick liver was in the range 5–10 μg/g. The level in the egg increased from 1–2 μg/egg at 0 day to 22–24 μg/egg at 17 days of incubation.
The Escherichia coli heat labile toxin binds to Golgi membranes and alters Golgi and cell morphologies using ADP-ribosylation factor-dependent processes.

The fate of the catalytic subunit of theEscherichia coli heat labile toxin (LTA1) was studied after expression in mammalian cells to assess the requirement for ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) binding to localization and toxicity and ability to compete with endogenous ARF effectors. A progression in LTA1 localization from cytosol to binding Golgi stacks to condensation of Golgi membranes was found to correlate with the time and level of LTA1 expression. At the highest levels of LTA1 expression the staining of LTA and both extrinsic and lumenal Golgi markers all became diffuse, in a fashion reminiscent of the actions of brefeldin A. Thus, LTA1 binds to the Golgi and can alter its morphology in two distinct ways. However, point mutants of LTA1 that are defective in the ability to bind activated ARF were also unable to bind Golgi membranes or modify Golgi morphology. Co-expression of mutants of ARF3 that regained binding to these same mutant LTA1 proteins restored the localization and activities of the toxin. Thus, binding to ARF is required both for the localization of the toxin to the Golgi and for effects on Golgi membranes. A correlation was also seen between the ability of LTA mutants to bind ARF and the increase in cellular cAMP levels. These results demonstrate the importance of ARF binding to the toxicity and cellular effects of the ADP-ribosylating bacterial toxin and reveal that mutants defective in binding ARF retain basal ADP-ribosylation activity but are the least toxic LTA1mutants yet described, making them the best candidates for development as mucosal adjuvants.
Inelastic Diffraction Scattering

The mechanism of inelastic diffraction scattering, introduced by Drozdov and Inopin to discuss scattering from nuclei with quadrupole surface deformation, has been extended for scattering amplitude linear in the deformation to arbitrary multipolarity. The resulting angular distributions and gamma-ray angular correlations correspond closely to Born approximation predictions. The model provides a natural explanation for why the inelastic angular distributions of strongly absorbed projectiles are characterized by sharp and persistent oscillations. Comparison is made to observed inelastic scattering of alpha particles and deuterons by light nuclei. Large quadrupole deformations are indicated in many nuclei. The systematic appearance in $4n$ nuclei of states corresponding to octupole excitation is noted.
Fluid requirements and shifts after reconstruction of the aorta

Summary The fluid requirements and shifts after reconstruction of the abdominal aorta were analyzed retrospectively in one hundred patients and prospectively in ten patients. Nine per cent of the patients undergoing operation while receiving fluid regimen of balanced saline solution infused at 500 to 1,000 ml per hour and replacement of lost blood developed complications secondary to fluid overload. Distribution of retained fluid with this regimen was determined in six patients by clinical, laboratory, and isotopic measurements. The weight increased by 6 per cent, ECFV rose 33 per cent, and renal function and solute excretion increased markedly by the second postoperative day. In four patients a balanced saline solution was infused at a rate sufficient to maintain urinary output at 50 to 55 ml per hour during operation. Although this regimen reduced the volume of infused fluid by 50 per cent, it appeared to meet the obligatory ECFV loss, while preserving normal renal function and lessening the risks of systemic fluid overload.
Liver receptor homologue-1 is expressed in human steroidogenic tissues and activates transcription of genes encoding steroidogenic enzymes

In the current study we test the hypothesis that liver receptor homologue-1 (LRH; designated NR5A2) is involved in the regulation of steroid hormone production. The potential role of LRH was assessed by first examining expression in human steroidogenic tissues and second by examining effects on transcription of genes encoding enzymes involved in steroidogenesis. LRH is closely related to steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1; designated NR5A1), which is expressed in most steroidogenic tissues and regulates expression of several steroid-metabolizing enzymes. LRH transcripts were expressed at high levels in the human ovary and testis. Adrenal and placenta expressed much lower levels of LRH than either ovary or liver. To examine the effects of LRH on steroidogenic capacity we used reporter constructs prepared with the 5'-flanking region of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), cholesterol side-chain cleavage (CYP11A1), 3beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type II (HSD3B2), 17alpha hydroxylase, 17,20 lyase (CYP17), 11beta hydroxylase (CYP11B1) and aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2). Co-transfection of these reporter constructs with LRH expression vector demonstrated that like SF1, LRH enhanced reporter activity driven by flanking DNA from StAR, CYP11A1, CYP17, HSD3B2, and CYP11B1. Reporter constructs driven by CYP11A1 and CYP17 were increased the most by co-transfection with LRH and SF1. Of the promoters examined only HSD3B2 was more sensitive to LRH than SF1. The high level of ovarian and testicular LRH expression make it likely that LRH plays an important role in the regulation of gonadal function.
Cellular and viral components that mediate glucocorticoid-regulated processing of retroviral envelope proteins

A comparison of the MMTV and MuLVenelope proteins in W7MG1 cells indicates that within the same cell some proteins are processed and sorted constitutively in the ER/Golgi system, whereas other proteins are processed in a hormone-dependent manner. The requisite hormone-dependent step in MMTV envelope protein processing occurs relatively early in the pathway, before the mannosidase II step (in the medial Golgi), which renders the oligosaccharide chains endo H resistant. Thus, the hormone dependent step must occur in the ER or early Golgi stacks; it cannot be proteolytic cleavage, any secondary glycosylation, sorting of proteins into specific secretory pathways (e.g., constitutive vs regulated), or transport to the cell surface, because all of these steps occur after acquisition of endo H resistance. The remaining candidates for the hormone-regulated step include core oligosaccharide trimming, subunit folding, subunit oligomerization (with homologous or heterologous proteins), or exit from the ER. Our current studies are focusing on these ER events. The proteolytic cleavage step for the MMTV envelope proteins occurs after acquisition of endo H resistance and after terminal galactose addition (in thetrans-Golgi). Although studies of the envelope proteins of several other retroviruses have concluded that proteolytic cleavage occurs before acquisition of endo H resistance, we suggest that these conclusions are premature without examination of processing intermediates. Finally, when the MMTV envelope gene is expressed in cells without any of the other MMTV genes, Pr74 is not processed to mature products. Although a point mutation in the envelope protein cannot be ruled out, we propose that the product of another MMTV gene may be required for the processing of Pr74.
Patterns of Revision in Online Writing A Study of Wikipedia's Featured Articles

This study examines the revision histories of 10 Wikipedia articles nominated for the site's Featured Article Class (FAC), its highest quality rating, 5 of which achieved FAC and 5 of which did not. The revisions to each article were coded, and the coding results were combined with a descriptive analysis of two representative articles in order to determine revision patterns. All articles in both groups showed a higher percentage of additions of new material compared to deletions and revisions that rearranged the text. Although the FAC articles had roughly equal numbers of content and surface revisions, the non-FAC articles had fewer surface revisions and were dominated by content revisions. Although the unique features of the Wikipedia environment inhibit strict comparisons between these results and those of earlier revision studies, these results suggest revision in this environment places unique structural demands on writers, possibly leading to unique revision patterns.
Simultaneous measurement of plasma vitamin D(3) metabolites, including 4β,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Simultaneous and accurate measurement of circulating vitamin D metabolites is critical to studies of the metabolic regulation of vitamin D and its impact on health and disease. To that end, we have developed a specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method that permits the quantification of major circulating vitamin D(3) metabolites in human plasma. Plasma samples were subjected to a protein precipitation, liquid-liquid extraction, and Diels-Alder derivatization procedure prior to LC-MS/MS analysis. Importantly, in all human plasma samples tested, we identified a significant dihydroxyvitamin D(3) peak that could potentially interfere with the determination of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1α,25(OH)(2)D(3)] concentrations. This interfering metabolite has been identified as 4β,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [4β,25(OH)(2)D(3)] and was found at concentrations comparable to 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3). Quantification of 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) in plasma required complete chromatographic separation of 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) from 4β,25(OH)(2)D(3). An assay incorporating this feature was used to simultaneously determine the plasma concentrations of 25OHD(3), 24R,25(OH)(2)D(3), 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3), and 4β,25(OH)(2)D(3) in healthy individuals. The LC-MS/MS method developed and described here could result in considerable improvement in quantifying 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) as well as monitoring the newly identified circulating metabolite, 4β,25(OH)(2)D(3).
Option Acceleration in Response to SFAS 123(R)

As of February 28, 2006, 958 publicly held companies accelerated the vesting of some or all of their employee stock options in advance of adopting SFAS 123 (R). In doing so, these companies, on average, avoided $11.3 (8.4) million in pretax (after tax) expense, which represented 42 percent of prior year income. Investors, in general, react positively to acceleration announcements as we find an average cumulative abnormal return of about one-half of one percent for the three day window (-1,1) surrounding the announcement, with the reaction positively associated with the expense reduction that resulted from the acceleration, the declaration by the firm that the options accelerated are out of the money, return on assets, and firm size. Additionally, we find that the decision to accelerate is positively associated with our estimate of the future expense related to unvested options, i.e., the expense avoided because of the acceleration. In contrast, the intrinsic value of unvested options, i.e., the expense that would have to be recognized at the time of acceleration, firm profitability and firm size (i.e., political visibility) are negatively associated with the decision to accelerate. Our interpretation of these results is that managers consider the costs, as well as the benefits, in deciding whether or not to accelerate. Overall we conclude that while accelerated vesting may be motivated by expense avoidance, it appears to be beneficial to equity investors as evidenced by the positive abnormal returns associated with the announcement of the acceleration and the fact that abnormal returns are positively associated with the expense avoided via acceleration.
Staff evaluation of nursing home residents' competence

Nursing home staff members frequently screen residents for competence, but the ability to assess competence has received limited attention. This study compared staff members' competence assessments with residents' ( N = 100) mental status, measured by the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), and examined information used by staff to evaluate residents' competence. Staffers' evaluation of competence was significantly correlated with resident SPMSQ score. Staffers used information about orientation, alertness, and verbal function, with little consideration of decision making ability and mental status.
Review of the synthesis and properties of colloidal quantum dots: the evolving role of coordinating surface ligands

This review highlights the developments in synthetic methods for colloidal quantum dots that have expanded the range of achievable sizes, shapes, materials, and surface chemistries over the past 30 years, and how these methods have enabled optimization of properties like photoluminescence quantum yield, monodisperse size distributions, and conductivity in the solid state.
Midbrain 6-hydroxydopamine lesions modulate blink reflex excitability

The blink reflex abnormalities present in the 6 hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rat model of parkinsonism mimicked those of the human with Parkinson's disease. In alert rats, we monitored the long and short latency components of the orbicularis oculi electromyographic (OOemg) response evoked by electrical stimulation of the supraorbital branch of the trigeminal nerve (SO). Two paradigms, habituation and double pulse, provided a measure of blink reflex excitability. In normal rats, repeated stimulation of the SO produced habituation of the R2 component of the blink. In the double pulse paradigm, presentation of two identical SO stimuli resulted in a reduced or suppressed OOemg response to the second stimulus relative to the first. In rats with complete, unilateral lesions of midbrain dopamine neurons, repeated SO stimulation produced facilitation rather than habituation of the R2 component of the blink reflex. This facilitation occurred only with the eyelid contralateral to the lesion. In the double pulse paradigm, the lesioned rats showed increased excitability rather than suppression. This effect occurred bilaterally, although the increased excitability was strongest contralateral to the lesion. Rats with partial lesions of midbrain dopamine neurons exhibited qualitatively similar, but less pronounced blink reflex abnormalities. The R1 component of the blink reflex was unaffected by either the complete or partial lesions. Thus, modification of the blink reflex by 6-OHDA lesions provides a reproducible parkinsonian-like symptom which is amenable to investigations of increases in reflex excitability.
The Influence of Ovarian Fluid pH of Stripped Unfertilized Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, Eggs on the Hatching Success of Channel Catfish ♀ x Blue Catfish, Ictalurus furcatus♂, Hybrid Catfish Eggs

This study was designed to determine the effect of ovarian fluid pH of stripped unfertilized channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, eggs on fertilization and hatch rate of channel catfish â x blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatusâ, hybrid catfish eggs. A significant correlation was established between ovarian fluid pH of stripped channel catfish eggs and hybrid embryo hatch rate (R2 = 0.75, P = 0.01), suggesting ovarian fluid pH of stripped catfish eggs prior to fertilization can be predictive of the hatching success of hybrid catfish embryos. These data were used to categorize pH of stripped eggs: pH 7.4 as âhigh pH eggsâ quality eggs. The range in percent hatch rate for these pH categories was 30%, respectively. Higher calcium concentrations during incubation do not appear to improve hatching success of âlow pH eggs.â The predictive model presented herein describes a quick method for evaluating stripped catfish eggs for hybrid fry production in catfish hatcheries.
The larvae of Placusa Mannerheim (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), with notes on their feeding habits

Larvae of Placusa despecta Erichson collected in association with adults were described in detail and compared with reared larvae of Placusa tachyporoides Waltl. Illustrations of structural features and chaetotaxy are provided. These larvae are very similar to those of Euvira Sharp. These similarities are outlined and a table of features which will distinguish between larvae of these two genera is provided. Gut contents of both larvae and adults were composed of large masses of hyphae, asexual fruiting structures and similar parts of imperfect fungi. This, as well as structural evidence, strongly supports the conclusion that both adults and larvae of Placusa are primarily fungivores in the subcortical habitat.
Non-interpenetrated square-grid coordination polymers synthesized using an extremely long N,N'-type ligand.

Four new, non-interpenetrated square-grid coordination polymers, namely [Mn(L)2(NO3)2]∞ (1), {[Cd(L)2(NO3)2]·solvate}∞ (2), [Cd(L)2(NO3)2]∞ (3), and {[Zn(L)2](BF4)2·(C6H6)2.564·(DMF)1.576·(MeOH, H2O)3.454}∞ (4), were synthesized using the new, extremely long N,N‘-type ligand: 2,5-bis(4‘-(imidazol-1-yl)benzyl)-3,4-diaza-2,4-hexadiene (L). The reaction of Cd(NO3)2 with L leads to two novel structures sharing the same framework composition, [Cd(L)2(NO3)2]∞, which have different arrangements of L around the metal centers. Both the channel-containing structure and the nonporous structure can be formed by choice of the appropriate solvent system. Moreover, the less stable, channel-containing form readily converts into the more stable, condensed structure upon removal of the guest molecules from the channels.
Polyanhydrides: Stability and novel composition

Preparation de polyanhydrides de formule [O 2 C-C 6 H 4 -(CH 2 ) x -CO] n (x=1-10) par polycondensation a l'etat fondu des anhydrides des acides p-carboxyphenoxyacetique, -valerique et -octanoique et par polymerisation en solution de ces acides purs ou melanges. Etude de la stabilite a l'etat solide en solution et de la cinetique d'hydrolyse en conditions physiologiques de ces polymeres. Preparation de polyanhydrides de formule [(O 2 C-CH=CH-CO) x -(O 2 C-M-CO) y ] n par polycondensation de l'acide fumarique avec l'acide sebacique, adipique ou dodecanoique; etude de la cinetique d'hydrolyse des polymeres en variant le pH
Activation of Nonclassical CD1d-Restricted NK T Cells Induces Airway Hyperreactivity in β2-Microglobulin-Deficient Mice

Allergic asthma is characterized by Th2-driven eosinophilic airway inflammation and by a central feature called airway hyperreactivity (AHR), development of which requires the presence of classical type I invariant NK T (iNKT) cells. Allergen-induced AHR, however, develops in beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)m)(-/-) mice, which lack classical iNKT cells, suggesting that in some situations iNKT cells may be dispensable for the development of AHR. In contrast, our studies now suggest that a CD1d-restricted, NK1.1(+) noninvariant TCR NKT cell population is present in beta(2)m(-/-) mice and is responsible for the development of AHR but not for Th2 responses. Furthermore, treatment of beta(2)m(-/-) mice with anti-CD1d mAb or anti-NK1.1 mAb unexpectedly abolished allergen-induced AHR. The CD1-restricted NKT cells in these mice, which failed to respond to alpha-galactosylceramide and which therefore were not classical type I iNKT cells, appear to represent an NKT cell subset restricted by a beta(2)m-independent form of CD1d. These results indicate that, although classical type I iNKT cells are normally required for the development of AHR, under different circumstances other NKT cell subsets, including nonclassical NKT cells, may substitute for classical iNKT cells and induce AHR.
Distributed LT Codes

This paper proposes a novel distributed encoding procedure to realize codes that resemble LT codes (rateless codes for erasure correction) in both structure and performance. For the case of two sources communicating with a single sink via a common relay, this technique separately encodes k/2 symbols of information onto slightly more than k code symbols at each source. These two codewords are then selectively XOR-ed at the relay, such that the result can be decoded by the sink to recover all k information symbols. It is shown that, for the case of four sources communicating to a single sink, the use of a similar distributed LT code leads to a 50% reduction in overhead at the sink, compared to the use of four individual LT codes.
Nondissipative Signaling Structures and Dividend Policy

Existence conditions for signaling equilibria in which the signal is not exogenously costly are derived for the continuum of classes case. Applications to labor market models based on productivity quotas and time-profiles of wages, and an exploratory model of the "information content" of corporate dividends are discussed. The last application focuses on intertemporal consistency requirements and the role of insider trading observations.
Stable isotopic comparison between loggerhead sea turtle tissues.

RATIONALE Stable isotope analysis has been used extensively to provide ecological information about diet and foraging location of many species. The difference in isotopic composition between animal tissue and its diet, or the diet-tissue discrimination factor, varies with tissue type. Therefore, direct comparisons between isotopic values of tissues are inaccurate without an appropriate conversion factor. We focus on the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), for which a variety of tissues have been used to examine diet, habitat use, and migratory origin through stable isotope analysis. We calculated tissue-to-tissue conversions between two commonly sampled tissues. METHODS Epidermis and scute (the keratin covering on the carapace) were sampled from 33 adult loggerheads nesting at two beaches in Florida (Casey Key and Canaveral National Seashore). Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios were measured in the epidermis and the youngest portion of the scute tissue, which reflect the isotopic composition of the diet and habitat over similar time periods of the order of several months. RESULTS Significant linear relationships were observed between the δ(13)C and δ(15)N values of these two tissues, indicating they can be converted reliably. CONCLUSIONS Whereas both epidermis and scute samples are commonly sampled from nesting sea turtles to study trophic ecology and habitat use, the data from these studies have not been comparable without reliable tissue-to-tissue conversions. The equations provided here allow isotopic datasets using the two tissues to be combined in previously published and subsequent studies of sea turtle foraging ecology and migratory movement. In addition, we recommend that future isotopic comparisons between tissues of any organism utilize linear regressions to calculate tissue-to-tissue conversions.
Influence of grazing pressure on cattle consumption of the teratogenic plant velvet lupine

ABSTRACT Lupine species may contain teratogenic alkaloids that cause birth defects called crooked calf syndrome. If pregnant cows ingest toxic lupine between d 40 and 100 of gestation, fetal movement is impaired and irreversible skeletal defects occur. To prevent ingestion of this toxic forb during the critical period of gestation, there is a need to determine the time and conditions in which cattle graze velvet lupine (Lupinus leucophyllus Dougl. ex Lindl.). Intensive grazing trials were conducted to evaluate cattle consumption of lupine in its stages of phenological development through the growing season, in relation to increasing grazing pressure in eastern Washington. Ten Hereford cows and a bull grazed velvet lupine-infested rangeland in 3 grazing pressure trials each year. Pastures were fenced to limit forage availability to the amount required for 6-d trials in 2007 and 10-d trials in 2008. Diets were estimated by bite count. Linear and quadratic regression was used to describe the relationship between forage allowance (the reciprocal of grazing pressure) and lupine consumption. In May, cattle preferred green cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) and immature forbs at the beginning of the trial and did not graze lupine until all other forage was depleted. There was a negative linear relationship between declining forage allowance and increasing lupine consumption (r 2 = 0.91 and 0.78 for 2007 and 2008, respectively). In June, cheatgrass was dry and cattle preferred forbs that were flowering. As availability of palatable forbs declined, cows started eating lupine, and this declined as its availability declined. Quadratic regressions were not strong (r 2 = 0.10 and 0.53 for 2007 and 2008, respectively). In July when annual forbs matured and became fibrous and unpalatable, cattle ate lupine at the beginning of the trial and reverted to dry cheatgrass as lupine became limited. There was a quadratic regression in 2007 (r 2 = 0.37) and a positive linear regression in 2008 (r 2 = 0.69). We conclude that lupine is not palatable early in the growing season in May and early June, but cattle can be forced to graze it as availability of green cheatgrass and other forbs declines. Intensive grazing systems that force cattle to use all forage may enhance the risk of crooked calf disease by forcing cattle to graze lupine throughout the grazing season.
Physical growth of Jamaican school children who were severely malnourished before 2 years of age.

A study is reported of physical growth of Jamaican schoolboys who had been admitted to hospital with severe malnutrition during infancy (index cases). Height, weight and head circumference of the index cases was compared with that of male siblings close in age (siblings), with unrelated classmates or neighbours matched for sex and age (comparisons) and with Jamaican or US growth standards. Index boys were significantly smaller in height and head circumference than comparisons and significantly smaller than sibs only in head circumference. Sibs were intermediate in stature to the index and comparison boys. When the boys were divided into three age groups there was evidence of complete catch-up in height and weight after 7 years of age, but catch-up was incomplete for head circumference in the oldest group. No significant differences in stature at follow-up of the index boys were found in relation to age when admitted to hospital.
Ferrite Kicker Magnet for the LAMPF Switchyard Upgrade

The new LAMPF switchyard requires a kicker magnet as the first element in the transport line leading to the Proton Storage Ring (PSR). The magnet must produce 1-ms-long pulses with 40-ps rise time and <0.3% flat-top regulation to deflect the 800-MeV H- beam by 1.2°. We have constructed two 1-m-long, single-turn ferrite magnets, each powered by a modulator supplying up to 2400 A at a maximum rate of 24 Hz. The modulators use a transistor amplifier/regulator, a dual pulse-forming-network (PFN), and a compensating circuit driven by a function generator to achieve a total 0.1% current variation in the pulse. The system also produces an alternate kicking mode consisting of 150-?s-long pulses at a maximum rate of 120 Hz; the two modes can be multiplexed within the charging power-supply limitations.