cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Abscisic Acid and Benzyladenine on Growth and Dormancy in Lemna

Growth and development of higher plants is regulated by several kinds of hormones, including most prominently the growth-stimulating auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins and the growth-inhibiting hormone abscisic acid. Ethylene, unique among the naturally-occurring growth substances in being a gas under physiological conditions, also is considered generally to be a hormone which influences numerous physiological processes. Although chemical characterization or identification of such substances has not yet been made, it appears highly probable that there also is one or more specific flowering hormones among species of angiosperms.
The Physical Activity Daily (PAD) Trial: The rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial evaluating an internet walking program to improve maximal walking distance among patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Abstract Background Despite established guidelines for regular walking as a first line therapy for adults with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), most patients do not walk routinely. This paper presents the design specifications for a randomized clinical trial to examine the effectiveness of an internet-based walking program compared to a telephone intervention, or the combination (internet-based with telephone counseling) for promotion of regular walking in patients with PAD. Methods Sedentary adults with documented lower extremity PAD are being recruited from the University of Michigan Health System and the surrounding area. Participants are randomized to one of four arms in a 2 × 2 factorial design: 1) telephone counseling to promote walking, 2) an internet-based walking program with tailored step-count goals, 3) the combination of telephone counseling with the internet-based walking program, or 4) waitlist control. Participants receive a 4-month intervention phase, after which all participants are followed for an additional 8 months to assess long-term adherence to regular walking. Outcomes are assessed at baseline, 4 and 12 months. The primary outcome is walking distance assessed through a standardized treadmill protocol. Additional outcomes include change in step-counts measured with a commercial activity tracker, pain-free walking distance, and changes in health-related quality of life from baseline to follow-up. Conclusion Finding effective and feasible programs to promote walking among PAD patients is warranted. This study will add to current evidence regarding use of internet based programs with and without telephone counseling to promote regular walking in this population.
Selection of an HEL-derived cell line expressing high levels of platelet factor 4

A platelet factor 4 (PF4)-expressing cell line, HELNeo, was derived from the human erythroleukemia cell line, HEL. This was achieved by stable transfection of HEL cells with a construct containing the rat PF4 promoter driving the gene coding for resistance to neomycin, followed by selection of neomycin-resistant clones. HELNeo cells were all nonadhering and about 5% of the cells had polyploid nuclei (> or = 8N), as compared with 1% in HEL cells. Immunohistochemistry showed that about 90% of the HELNeo cells contained PF4, whereas only approximately 5% of the HEL cells contained PF4. No significant parallel enrichment was observed for other megakaryocytic markers, such as the glycoprotein complex IIb/IIIa, von Willebrand factor, and platelet activation-dependent granule to external membrane glycoprotein (PADGEM), which were present to a similar extent in both HEL and HELNeo lines. The increased expression of PF4 in HELNeo cells was confirmed by transient expression assays and was associated with a fivefold increase in trans-acting factors binding to the PF4 promoter. These cells should be a rich source for purifying trans-acting factors binding to the PF4 gene. Moreover, our study shows how a lineage-specific promoter may be used to generate lineage-specific cell lines from a multilineage hematopoietic cell line.
Detection of renin lineage cell transdifferentiation to podocytes in the kidney glomerulus with dual lineage tracing

Understanding of cellular transdifferentiation is limited by the technical inability to track multiple lineages in vivo. To overcome this we developed a new tool to simultaneously fate map two distinct cell types in the kidney, and genetically test whether cells of renin lineage (CoRL) can transdifferentiate to a podocyte fate. Ren1cCreER/tdTomato/Nphs1-FLPo/FRT-EGFP mice (CoRL-PODO mice) were generated by crossing Ren1c-CreER/tdTomato CoRL reporter mice with Nphs1-FLPo/FRT-EGFP podocyte reporter mice. Following tamoxifen administration in these animals, CoRL were labeled with red fluorescence (tdTomato) and co-localized with renin. Podocytes were labeled green (enhanced green fluorescent protein) and co-localized with nephrin. Following podocyte loss by nephrotoxic antibody and subsequent enalapril-enhanced partial replacement, tdTomato-EGFP-labeled CoRL were detected as yellow-colored cells in a subset of glomerular tufts, without the use of antibodies. Co-localization with podocin indicated that these cells are podocytes, derived from CoRL origin. Thus, our novel study shows that two distinct cell types can be simultaneously labeled in the mouse kidney and provide strong genetic evidence in vivo that lost podocytes can be replaced in part by CoRL.
Perifosine-induced inhibition of Akt attenuates brain-derived neurotrophic factor/TrkB-induced chemoresistance in neuroblastoma in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Neuroblastoma (NB) tumors expressing high levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor TrkB or activated Akt are associated with decreased event-free or overall survival in patients with NB. In the current study, the effect of perifosine, an Akt inhibitor, on the chemosensitivity of TrkB-expressing NB cells or tumors was evaluated. METHODS: A tetracycline-regulated TrkB-expressing isogenic NB cell model system was tested. In this system, NB cells were treated with etoposide and/or perifosine both in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of the target by perifosine was evaluated by Western blot analysis or kinase activity assay. Cell survival and tumor growth were investigated. RESULTS: In vitro BDNF treatment induced Akt phosphorylation and rescued cells from etoposide-induced cell death in cells with high TrkB expression, but not in cells with low TrkB expression. Pretreatment of high TrkB-expressing TB3 cells with perifosine blocked BDNF/TrkB-induced Akt phosphorylation and inhibited BDNF's protection of TB3 cells from etoposide treatment. In vivo, tumors with high TrkB expression were found to have elevated levels of phosphorylated Akt and were less sensitive to etoposide treatment compared with tumors with low TrkB expression. Mice treated with a combination of perifosine and etoposide were found to have a statistically significant decrease in tumor growth compared with mice treated with either etoposide or perifosine alone. Activation of Akt through the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway induced chemoresistance in NB in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Perifosine-induced inhibition of Akt increased the sensitivity of NB to chemotherapy. The results of the current study support the future clinical evaluation of an Akt inhibitor combined with cytotoxic drugs for the improvement of treatment efficacy. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Internet Search for Midwifery Fellowship Programs

Introduction The purpose of this study was to identify existing US midwifery fellowships and their key attributes. Methods The study team adapted an internet-search methodology that was recently used to identify nurse practitioner fellowships and residencies and identified 1) search terms likely to locate websites describing or promoting midwifery fellowship or residency programs and 2) program attributes likely to be outlined in the websites. Two investigators conducted full, independent Google searches and then reconciled minor differences in terminology and findings via teleconference and simultaneous reviews of websites. Results Eight programs were identified that had sufficient information on a website to clearly establish them as midwifery fellowship programs. No programs used the term residency. The fellowship programs tended to be located in the western United States and predominantly focused on newly graduated certified nurse-midwives. Four programs were operated by university units, with the clinical experience located in the hospital. Four programs were operated by birth centers, with the clinical experience obtained in a combination of birth center, home, and/or hospital setting. Typical program lengths varied but were reported to be about 12 months. Discussion This study offers baseline information on the current midwifery fellowship offerings available via public internet search. This study also identifies key attributes of fellowships that may be helpful to stakeholders as they consider the role of fellowships for midwifery graduates and any need for accountability, such as accreditation review, among the programs.
Simulation of the Precipitation Kinetics of Maraging Stainless Steels 17-4 and 13-8+Mo During Multi-pass Welding

Recent work has shown that the strength of fusion welds in alloys 17-4 and 13-8+Mo can be restored by re-precipitation that occurs during subsequent thermal cycles associated with multi-pass welding. The purpose of the current investigation is to develop a more detailed understanding of the precipitation kinetics of these materials during times and temperatures representative of welding thermal cycles. Peak aged samples of each alloy were subjected to a series of short isothermal holds at high temperatures using a Gleeble thermomechanical simulator. Hardness measurements were then recorded to estimate the precipitate dissolution. Additional secondary heating experiments were performed and hardness measurements were recorded to estimate the extent of precipitate growth. The hardness data were then used in combination with the Avrami equation and strengthening considerations to develop a relationship between hardness and fraction transformed of the strengthening precipitates. Light optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction were performed on all samples to determine the evolution of the matrix microstructures. The matrix microstructure had minimal effect on the hardness, while the strengthening precipitates were the primary factor affecting the hardness. Apparent activation energies for precipitation, determined through conventional Arrhenius rate analysis at constant fraction transformed, were calculated as 175 and 132 kJ/mol for 17-4 and 13-8+Mo, respectively. Global fitting of the data, based on a simplifying assumption for the temperature dependence of the Avrami rate constant, was also performed in order to improve the practical utility of the analysis, and provided good correlations between estimated and measured hardness over the full range of times and temperatures. Although additional microstructural characterization is needed to understand the significance of these relationships, the kinetic parameters determined from global fitting are useful for practical estimation of strength restoration procedures in multi-pass fusion welds.
Bis(benzoyl) phosphate inactivators of beta-lactamase C from Mtb.

Abstract The class A β-lactamase BlaC is a cell surface expressed serine hydrolase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), one of the causative agents for Tuberculosis in humans. Mtb has demonstrated increased susceptibility to β-lactam antibiotics upon inactivation of BlaC; thus, making BlaC a rational enzyme target for therapeutic agents. Herein, we present the synthesis and structure-activity-relationship data for the 1st-generation library of bis(benzoyl) phosphates (1–10). Substituent effects ranged from σp = −0.27 to 0.78 for electronic and π = −0.41 to 1.98 for hydrophobic parameters. Compounds 1, 4 and 5 demonstrated the greatest inhibitory potency against BlaC in a time-dependent manner (kobs = 0.212, 0.324, and 0.450 mn−1 respectively). Combined crystal structure data and mass spectrometric analysis of a tryptic digest for BlaC inactivated with 4 provided evidence that the mechanism of inactivation by this bis(benzoyl) phosphate scaffold occurs via phosphorylation of the active-site Ser-70, ultimately leading to an aged form of the enzyme.
Easy-to-use correlations to estimate droplet mobility on hydrophobic fibrous coatings

Abstract While a water droplet beads up on a hydrophobic fibrous surface, it does not necessarily detach or move on the surface under its own weight. The underlying physics of droplet adhesion to a rough surface is very complicated, and the ability to engineer a fibrous texture that promotes or prevents droplet mobility for droplets of different liquids has been a long-standing challenge. In this concern, the current work is devised to develop easy-to-use correlations for the force needed to detach a droplet from a hydrophobic fibrous coating in the in-plane and out-of-plane directions. These correlations are obtained by first writing an equation for the balance of forces acting on a detaching droplet in terms of its geometrical dimensions at the moment of detachment, and then relating these dimensions to those in the absence of an external force via curve fitting to a series of computational data. These easy-to-use correlations only require the physical properties of the fibrous coatings (e.g., fiber diameter, fiber spacing, and fiber contact angle) and the droplets (e.g., volume and surface tension) as inputs, and they can therefore be used to optimize the surface geometry prior to manufacturing. To examine their accuracy, predictions of these correlations are compared to experimental data obtained for droplet detachment from fibrous mats with fibers having a diameter of about two orders of magnitude smaller than those considered in developing the correlations.
A Pilot Study of FDG-PET/CT in Polycythemia Vera Using Global Analysis Techniques.

Objective(s): Functional imaging presents a non-invasive process that may capture the hyper-metabolic nature of red bone marrow in myeloproliferative neoplasms, such as polycythemia vera (PV). Methods: This study analyzed the FDG-PET/CT scans (n=12) of six patients diagnosed with PV and six age-sex matched controls using a quantitative global analysis methodology. Results: All PV patients had elevated activities in the bone marrow of each skeletal structure as compared to matched controls with respect to mean standardized uptake value (femoral neck p=0.01, lumbar spine p=0.02, pelvis p=0.002, sternum p=0.04). Notable variations in splenic uptake were observed among the treated and untreated PV patients. Conclusion: Our study exemplifies the potential utility of PET in reflecting hyperactive bone marrow activity related to PV. Future studies may further substantiate and elaborate on the use of PET-derived metabolic data in PV.
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Diagnosed at <21 Years of Age.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) is the most common inherited cardiomyopathy, with varied timing of phenotypic and clinical presentation. Literature describing cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in young patients with HC is limited. This study included patients diagnosed with HC at young age ( 1% LGE, respectively). Sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk was assessed in patients >16 years of age using the European SCD risk score. A composite outcome of New York Heart Association class III-IV symptoms, aborted SCD, heart transplantation, and all-cause mortality was assessed via Kaplan-Meier curves with log-rank analysis. Overall, 126 patients were included (78 male; 62%). Median age of diagnosis was 15 (12 to 18) years. LGE was present in 81 (64%) patients, although only 4 (3%) patients had LGE >15%. Median age at CMR imaging was 19 (15 to 23) years. Patients with LGE had greater wall thickness (25 ± 8 mm vs 22 ± 7 mm, p = 0.01). Median European SCD risk score was 4.7 (2.9 to 6.5). Median follow-up was 6.5 (2.5 to 13) years with 26 patients (21%) meeting the composite outcome. There were no significant differences in composite outcome since age of diagnosis when stratified by presence/absence of LGE (p = 1.0). The presence of LGE in young HC patients was not an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Wall thickness was greater in patients with LGE. There remains a need for further evaluation of this unique HC cohort.
Understanding the family care dyad: A comparison of two multilevel models

Although there has been increasing attention on a dyadic perspective of illness, contemporary dyadic research methods are still rarely utilized in cardiovascular disease. The focus of this paper is to describe the advantages of two types of multilevel dyadic models (the matched pairs model and the lesser known incongruence model). Data exemplars in a sample of heart failure family dyads are used to illustrate the distinct advantages of these two related multilevel dyadic models with particular emphasis on alignment with research questions. The more commonly known matched pairs model examines separate outcomes for each member of the dyad, controlling for the interdependent nature of the data. By re-parameterizing this model into a univariate dyadic outcomes model, researchers can address distinct, and sometimes more appropriate, research questions (e.g. incongruent appraisals of the illness experience). This paper promotes greater application of these methods in cardiovascular research to further understanding of the dyadic experience and more appropriately target interventions.
Template Removal from SBA-15 by Ionic Liquid for Amine Grafting: Applications to CO2 Capture and Natural Gas Desulfurization

A new ionic liquid treatment method has been developed for removing the organic template from mesoporous silica SBA-15. Compared with conventional template removal by air calcination, the novel ion...
Angular power spectrum of the microwave background anisotropy seen by the COBE differential microwave radiometer

The angular power spectrum estimator developed by Peebles (1973) and Hauser & Peebles (1973) has been modified and applied to the 2 yr maps produced by the Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite Differential Microwave Radiometer (COBE DMR)). The power spectrum of the real sky has been compared to the power spectra of a large number of simulated random skies produced with noise equal to the observed noise and primordial density fluctuation power spectra of power-law form, with P(k) proportional to k(exp n). Within the limited range of spatial scales covered by the COBE DMR, corresponding to spherical harmonic indices 3 less than or = l is less than or approximately = 30, the best-fitting value of the spectral index is n = 1.25(sup +0.39 sub -0.44) with the Harrisson-Zel'dovich value n = 1 approximately 0.5 sigma below the best fit. For 3 less than or = l less than or approximately = 19, the best fit is n = 1.46(sup +0.39 sub -0.44). Comparing the COBE DMR delta-T/T at small l to the delta-T/T at l approximately = 50 from degree scale anisotropy experiments gives a smaller range of acceptable spectral indices which includes n = 1.
Propensity-Adjusted Comparative Analysis of Radial Versus Femoral Access for Neurointerventional Treatments.

Background Transradial artery (TRA) catheterization for neuroendovascular procedures is associated with a lower risk of complications than transfemoral artery (TFA) procedures. However, the majority of literature on TRA access pertains to diagnostic procedures rather than interventional treatments. Objective To compare TRA and TFA approaches for cerebrovascular interventions. Methods All patients with an endovascular intervention performed at a single center from October 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were grouped into 2 cohorts on the basis of whether TRA or TFA access was used. Outcomes included complications, fluoroscopy times, and total contrast administered. Results A total 579 interventional treatments were performed during the 15-mo study period. TFA procedures (n = 417) were associated with a significantly higher complication rate than TRA (n = 162) procedures (43 cases [10%] vs 5 cases [3%]; P = .008). After excluding patients who underwent thrombectomy and performing a propensity adjustment (including age, sex, pathology, procedure, sheath size, and catheter size), TRA catheterization was associated with decreased odds of a complication (odds ratio, 0.25; 95% CI 0.085-0.72; P = .01), but no significant difference in the amount of contrast administered (6.7-mL increase; 95% CI, -7.2 to 20.6; P = .34) or duration of fluoroscopy (2.1-min increase; 95% CI, -2.5 to 6.7; P = .37) compared with TFA catheterization. Conclusion Neurointerventional procedures and treatments for a variety of pathologies can be performed successfully using the TRA approach, which is associated with a lower risk of complications and no difference in fluoroscopy duration compared with the TFA approach.
Calculation Method and Application of Inter-Regional and Inter-Provincial Market Trading Space for Promoting the Consumption of Clean Energy

Inter-provincial market trading is putting up with to implement the national energy strategy, increasing clean energy consuming and optimization energy allocation in large-scale. To promote energy consumption, the inter-province power transmission channel’ potential needs to be full excavate to deal with clean energy fluctuation, improving trading frequency and reduce transaction period. This article puts up with an inter-province power market trading space calculation method to calculate the available power transmission ability of inter-provincial transmission channel, discovering transmission channel and releasing transaction space. Besides, for certain transmission channel or supply-demand province’s electricity requirements, the calculation method can explore the trading market space, organizing clean energy evacuation to improve transmission channel utilization and safety checking pass rates, reducing blocking.
MUDdy understanding

This paper focuses on two questions: (1) Is understanding intimately bound up with accurately representing the world? (2) Is understanding intimately bound up with downstream abilities? We will argue that the answer to both these questions is “yes”, and for the same reason-both accuracy and ability are important elements of orthogonal evaluative criteria along which understanding can be assessed. More precisely, we will argue that representational-accuracy (of which we assume truth is one kind) and intelligibility (which we will define so as to entail abilities) are good-making features of a state of understanding. Interestingly, both evaluative claims have been defended by philosophers in the literature on understanding as the criterion of evaluation. We argue that proponents of both approaches have important insights and that, drawing on both their own observations and a few novel arguments, we can construct a more complete picture of understanding evaluation. We thus posit the theory of there being Multiple Understanding Dimensions. The main thing to note about our dualism regarding the evaluative criteria of understanding is that it accounts for the intuitions about cases underlying both previously held positions.
The influence of indigenous peoples in global climate governance

To what extent do Indigenous Peoples exert influence over global climate decision-making processes? Recent studies observe the increased presence and influence of Indigenous Peoples over climate negotiations while also recognizing the limits of their political influence. For instance, Indigenous Peoples successfully advocated state parties to include language in the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that recognized their role in designing, adopting, and implementing climate change policies. Yet, activists continue to push for broader participation of Indigenous Peoples in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conferences. This article reviews the state of knowledge on the political impact of Indigenous Peoples in spaces of global climate governance and the mechanisms by which Indigenous Peoples exert political influence. This review identifies three prominent debates on the question of the influence of Indigenous Peoples in global climate governance: (1) What constitutes Indigenous Peoples political influence over global climate governance, (2) the extent to which Indigenous Peoples exert it, and (3) whether the political influence of Indigenous Peoples over global climate governance is enough to stop climate regimes from harming them.
Norms and Transfer Taxes

This chapter lays out four normative categories and then applies them to the design of the federal transfer taxes. The norm categories, familiar to tax theorists, are derived by cross-cutting the internal/external (to tax) and means/ends dichotomies to yield: (1) social justice (external/ends), (2) economic efficiency (external/means), (3) allocative fairness (internal/ends) and (4) administrative feasibility (internal/means). Although the content of social justice norms is contestable, in legal (tax) academic discourse the discussion inevitably focuses on (re)distribution of material resources. The norm for allocative tax fairness is that of ability to pay. Accordingly, the principal positive rationales of a wealth transfer tax system are to curb excessive concentrations of wealth acquired by gratuitous transfer and/or to supplement the income tax to construct a tax base that fully conforms to the ability-to-pay principle. In either case, the tax would be imposed on transferees, not transferors, by way of (a) an accessions tax with large exemptions (to curb excessive acquisitions of unearned wealth) and/or (b) inclusion of gratuitous receipts in the income tax base (to achieve a comprehensive ability-to-pay tax base). Both approaches are administratively feasible. The economic efficiency objections to these approaches (relative to other forms of tax that would raise the same revenue) are found to be unpersuasive.
Induced pancreatic inflammation is controlled in mice by extrapancreatic insulin expression and CD8 T cells limiting autoimmune attack (BA14P.209)

Type 1 diabetes can be induced by virus expressing SIINFEKL in Rat Isulin Promoter (RIP)-OVA transgenic mice harboring adoptively transferred naive antigen-specific OT1 T cells. By titrating the number of transferred OT-1 cells, disease outcome can be manipulated. Mice receiving high numbers of OT-1 cells develop autoimmunity and rapidly succumb to disease. Mice receiving limiting numbers develop hyperglycemia transiently and then over 10 days recover glucose homeostasis. Recovered mice exhibit restored normal resting blood sugar levels and are able to regulate glucose during a stress test. Histological examination of the pancreas showed extensive pancreatic destruction with no or very few remaining insulin-positive islets. Using RIP-OVA mice expressing luciferase under the mouse insulin promoter, pancreatic insulin promoter activity was extinguished, while liver expression increased in recovered animals, suggesting an ectopic source of insulin can support glucose homeostasis in mice with extensively damaged islets. Pancreatic infiltrates during peak inflammation contained host-derived CD8 T cells in addition to the infiltrating OT-1 cells. These host CD8 T cells were absent in CD8 deficient RIP-OVA mice, and diabetes occurred with fewer transferred OT-1 cells and was quickly fatal. Reconstitution of the CD8 compartment protected these animals. These findings indicate the importance of host CD8 T cells in limiting autoreactive T cell-mediated destruction of islets.
Techniques of TeV Astronomy

The contribution to astrophysics from high energy γ ray studies utilizing air Cherenkov techniques has been very significant. During the first few years only a few sources were reported and even the majority of these signals were a few standard diviations above the background of cosmic rays. In those times the question was often asked as to why there were no sources which gave signals well above the background and it was even suggested by skeptics that indeed no real signals had been observed. At this conference it became clear that this is no longer the case with data being presented on a much longer number of sources and at a greatly increased statistically significant level. It has become increasingly clear that the sporadic nature of many of the sources has restricted the statistical significance of many sets of these data.
Arsenic exposure induces the Warburg effect in cultured human cells

Understanding how arsenic exacts its diverse, global disease burden is hampered by a limited understanding of the particular biological pathways that are disrupted by arsenic and underlie pathogenesis. A reductionist view would predict that a small number of basic pathways are generally perturbed by arsenic, and manifest as diverse diseases. Following an initial observation that arsenite-exposed cells in culture acidify their media more rapidly than control cells, the report here shows that low level exposure to arsenite (75ppb) is sufficient to induce aerobic glycolysis (the Warburg effect) as a generalized phenomenon in cultured human primary cells and cell lines. Expanded studies in one such cell line, the non-malignant pulmonary epithelial line, BEAS-2B, established that the arsenite-induced Warburg effect was associated with increased accumulation of intracellular and extracellular lactate, an increased rate of extracellular acidification, and inhibition by the non-metabolized glucose analog, 2-deoxy-D-glucose. Associated with the induction of aerobic glycolysis was a pathway-wide induction of glycolysis gene expression, as well as protein accumulation of an established glycolysis master-regulator, hypoxia-inducible factor 1A. Arsenite-induced alteration of energy production in human cells represents the type of fundamental perturbation that could extend to many tissue targets and diseases.
Phytotoxicity and Distribution of Sorgoleone in Grain Sorghum Germplasm

The relative phytotoxicity of sorgoleone as measured by seed germination and seedling growth of selected crop and weed species and inhibition of photosynthetic oxygen evolution in atrazine-resistan...
Neighborhood-conditioned patterns in phonetic detail: Relating coarticulation and hyperarticulation

Abstract The experiments presented here provide a careful phonetic description of the effects of phonological neighborhood density (operationalized as relative neighborhood frequency) on speech production: not only on hyperarticulation (which has been described elsewhere as well (e.g., Wright, 2004a , Wright, 2004b ), but also on two types of coarticulation. Acoustic analysis of elicited American English data with varying neighborhood properties reveals an increased degree of coarticulation in words with a high neighborhood frequency (i.e., many neighbors with high summed frequencies), as well as increased hyperarticulation. Both nasal coarticulation (measured as degree of vowel nasality) and vowel-to-vowel coarticulation (measured as F1/F2 deviation from canonical vowel quality) display this pattern in both coarticulatory directions (anticipatory and carryover). These findings extend the current descriptions of lexically-conditioned phonetic effects to new phonetic features and new lexical structures, as well as speak to the relationship between hyperarticulation and coarticulation. The pattern of co-occurrence of hyperarticulation and coarticulation demonstrates that these two phonetic phenomena are confluent (rather than inversely occurrent) but independent, facts which inform both articulatory and functional models of coarticulation. Finally, various accounts of these neighborhood-conditioned effects on production, both those relating the effects to neighborhood influences in lexical perception and those that do not, are discussed.
Electronic relaxation in the PbOSiO2Fe2O3 glass system

Abstract The a.c. and d.c. conductivities of PbOSiO 2 glass with 0–10 mole% Fe 2 O 3 additions were measured in the temperature range 77–700 K. Two relaxation processes were noted. The relaxation mechanism at lower temperatures is due to polaron hopping between ferric-ferrous ion pairs with a distribution of relaxation times which is energy independent. The second relaxation phenomenon, at higher temperatures is polaron hopping along iron ion chains in the glass of which the pairs responsible for the first process are a part. A theoreticalmodel is proposed and additional evidence for this model is presented in the form of magnetic susceptibility and electron spin resonance (esr) data.
Concern is more than just 'ruffled feathers'.

If a government abuses science to justify its policies, scientists have a duty to speak out.
Large-scale purification of beta-adrenergic receptors from mammalian cells in culture.

Abstract S49 Mouse lymphoma wild-type cells were grown in spinner cultures of 40 liters to a density of approximately 3 million cells/ml. Growth of cells to high density (2–3 million cells/nil) required that the cell suspensions be bubbled with oxygen. Cells from 40 liter cultures were collected by centrifugation and disrupted by nitrogen cavitation. Highly purified membranes (0.35 g membrane protein) that were rich in beta-adrenergic receptor (0.4 – 0.7 pmol receptor/mg membrane protein) were prepared by differential centrifugation and then solubilized with the plant glycoside, digitonin (1.5% digitonin at 3 mg of membrane protein/ml). Beta-adrenergic receptors were isolated and purified by sequential affinity chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography, and steric exclusion high-pressure liquid chromatography. The extract was subjected to affinity chromatography on a dcrivatized Scpharose-4B CL column to which the high-affinity, beta-adrenergic antagonist (-)alprcnolol had been immobilized. Following ex...
Sensory assessment of fat content in fluid dairy products.

It is unclear what stimulus properties and sensory systems contribute to the discrimination of fat content in foods. Fluid dairy products containing 0·5 to 36% fat were rated on category scales for “fat content”, “creaminess”, and “pleasantness” under various conditions. In the first experiment, perceived fat content of the stimuli was not changed from normal conditions when visual and olfactory inputs were removed. In a second experiment, the stimuli were altered by the addition of a textural agent, such that their viscosities were all approximately equivalent. Elimination of olfactory input again had no effect on ratings of “fat content”. Addition of a textural agent greatly enhanced the apparent “fat content” of the lower fat samples, though it did not fully compensate for the perceived differences amongst the stimuli. These experiments strongly support the concept that perceptions of “fat content” in these products is largely attributable to textural properties, such as viscosity, sensed within the oral cavity.
Diagnosis of the dysplastic nevus in different populations

Because of the relationship of the dysplastic nevus to melanoma, physicians are being encouraged to identify the clinical features of this newly defined entity. However, the dysplastic nevus was originally characterized in the familial setting, and application of equivalent criteria to the general population will be disappointing. The ability of the clinician to diagnose the presence of dysplastic nevi will be markedly influenced by the true underlying prevalence of dysplastic nevi in the population subjected to the examination. Even with superlative (and perhaps unattainable) examining skills (e.g., sensitivity and specificity both 90%), the positive predictive value in the general population will be relatively low (less than one third). Grading the severity of clinical dysplasia, obtaining serial observations, and improving specificity of clinical examination are important but irrelevant to this problem because these items focus only on examining skills. Consideration given to the epiderniologic and referral characteristics of the person undergoing examination will substantially improve the ability to predict dysplastic nevi on clinical evaluation. Although comprehensive recommendations must await further research, some priorities in the diagnosis and management of patients with presumptive dysplastic nevi are suggested.
Nitrogen source effects on rhizosphere pH and nutrient accumulation by pacific northwest conifers

Nitrogen source effects on rhizosphere pH were evaluated for Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco], Sitka spruce [Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.] and western hemlock [Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.] seedlings and a 40-year-old second growth Douglas-fir stand. Nitrogen additions of 400 mg kg−1 decreased rhizosphere pH up to 0.7 units in ammonium treatments and increased pHr by up to 1.2 units in nitrate treatments. Both N sources increased foliar N but did not increase foliar P. Rhizosphere pH effects differed between the two soils used in the seedling study. Ovall soil with higher native ammonium levels had less pH increase with added nitrate. All three conifer seedlings reacted similarly to nitrogen source. Changes in rhizosphere pH of Douglas-fir seedlings were evident one week after nitrogen application and these changes were statistically significant after two weeks. Nitrogen induced pH changes were related to N added but the relation was not linear, and followed the buffering capacity curves of both soils. As pH decreased foliar Mn levels increased dramatically. Rhizosphere pH of a 40-year-old Douglas-fir stand followed the same trends as seedlings. Ammonium decreased pH in the soil surface only, while nitrate increased rhizosphere pH to a depth of 20 to 30 cm. Changes were evident one year after application.
Pair effects in random lattices; a generalized C.P.A. and its equivalence to diagramatic expansions☆

Abstract A generalization of the coherent potential approximation that is exactly equivalent to self-consistent diagrammatic summation techniques is discussed. Explicit expressions for the pair case are given.
Multifactorial causes of adolescent driver accidents: Investigation of time as a major variable☆

This study examined all reported motor vehicle accidents with adolescent drivers, aged 18 and under, in Wichita, Kansas, during 1987. The analysis focused on several time variables that may influence the cause of an accident, including time of day, day of week, and school versus nonschool day. Data analysis from 1903 accident reports showed a predominance of accidents among male drivers, a higher accident prevalence on school days, and a cluster of accidents on school days before school, during lunch hours, and immediately after school. Accidents on weekends and nonschool days clustered later in the day, with alcohol-related and injury accidents occurring more frequently than on school days. These results have potential implications for health care professionals working with youths on health promotion/disease prevention, for policymakers who schedule school activities, and for those involved in driver safety and education.
Glutamate dehydrogenase: Structure, allosteric regulation, and role in insulin homeostasis

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is a homohexameric enzyme that catalyzes the reversible oxidative deamination of l-glutamate to 2-oxoglutarate. Only in the animal kingdom is this enzyme heavily allosterically regulated by a wide array of metabolites. The major activators are ADP and leucine and inhibitors include GTP, palmitoyl CoA, and ATP. Spontaneous mutations in the GTP inhibitory site that lead to the hyperinsulinism/hyperammonemia (HHS) syndrome have shed light as to why mammalian GDH is so tightly regulated. Patients with HHS exhibit hypersecretion of insulin upon consumption of protein and concomitantly extremely high levels of ammonium in the serum. The atomic structures of four new inhibitors complexed with GDH complexes have identified three different allosteric binding sites. Using a transgenic mouse model expressing the human HHS form of GDH, at least three of these compounds blocked the dysregulated form of GDH in pancreatic tissue. EGCG from green tea prevented the hyper-response to amino acids in whole animals and improved basal serum glucose levels. The atomic structure of the ECG–GDH complex and mutagenesis studies is directing structure-based drug design using these polyphenols as a base scaffold. In addition, all of these allosteric inhibitors are elucidating the atomic mechanisms of allostery in this complex enzyme.
Cellular mechanism of premature ventricular contraction–induced cardiomyopathy

Background Frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac death and can cause secondary cardiomyopathy. Objective We sought to determine the mechanism(s) responsible for prolonged refractory period and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction demonstrated in our canine model of PVC-induced cardiomyopathy. Methods Single myocytes were isolated from LV free wall of PVC and control canines and used for patch-clamp recording, intracellular Ca 2+ measurements, and immunocytochemistry/confocal microscopy. LV tissues adjacent to the area of myocyte isolation were used for the immunoblot quantification of protein expression. Results In the PVC group, LV ejection fraction decreased from 57.6% ± 1.5% to 30.4% ± 3.1% after ≥4 months of ventricular bigeminy. Compared to control myocytes, PVC myocytes had decreased densities of both outward (transient outward current [I to ] and inward rectifier current [I K1 ]) and inward (L-type Ca current [I CaL ]) currents, but no consistent changes in rapid or slow delayed rectifier currents. The reduction in I to , I K1 , and I CaL was accompanied by decreased protein levels of their channel subunits. The extent of reduction in I to , I K1 , and I CaL varied among PVC myocytes, creating marked heterogeneity in action potential configurations and durations. PVC myocytes showed impaired Ca-induced Ca release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), without increase in SR Ca leak or decrease in SR Ca store. This was accompanied by a decrease in dyad scaffolding protein, junctophilin-2, and loss of Cav1.2 registry with Ca-releasing channels (ryanodine receptor 2). Conclusion PVCs increase dispersion of action potential configuration/duration, a risk factor for sudden cardiac death, because of the heterogeneous reduction in I to , I K1 , and I CaL . The excitation-contraction coupling is impaired because of the decrease in I CaL and Cav1.2 misalignment with respect to ryanodine receptor 2.
Levans. V. Kinetics of the acid hydrolysis of Streptococcus salivarius levan

The kinetics of the acid hydrolysis of Streptococcus salivarius levan were studied by examining the weight-average molecular weight. The molecular weights were obtained in a continuous manner from light scattering. Two first order reactions were observed: an initial rapid reaction in competition with a slower reaction. Activation energies, activation entropies, as well as the rate dependence upon substrate and hydrogen ion concentrations were determined. The data seem to indicate that the fast reaction is related to the breaking of branch-point bonds while the slower reaction is related to the breaking of main-chain bonds. Thus, levan hydrolysis seems to be fundamentally different from the completely random degradation of other branched polysaccharides, i.e., dextran, glycogen, and amylopectin.
A further note on looping in Prolog

In an earlier paper (Covington 1984) I proposed that looping in Prolog should be prevented by blocking all derivations in which the current goal matches a higher goal. This is too strong a constraint; it causes exhaustive searches to be incomplete. A better approach is to block all derivations in which the current goal matches a higher goal and is about to be evaluted using the same rule as was used to evaluate the higher goal. This is sufficient to block looping, and produces otherwise correct behavior, in all of the cases mentioned in the earlier paper.
For Which Side the Bell Tolls: The Laterality of Approach-Avoidance Associative Networks

The two hemispheres of the brain appear to play different roles in emotion and/or motivation. A great deal of previous research has examined the valence hypothesis (left hemisphere = positive; right = negative), but an increasing body of work has supported the motivational hypothesis (left hemisphere = approach; right = avoidance) as an alternative. The present investigation (N = 117) sought to provide novel support for the latter perspective. Left versus right hemispheres were briefly activated by neutral lateralized auditory primes. Subsequently, participants categorized approach versus avoidance words as quickly and accurately as possible. Performance in the task revealed that approach-related thoughts were more accessible following left-hemispheric activation, whereas avoidance-related thoughts were more accessible following right-hemispheric activation. The present results are the first to examine such lateralized differences in accessible motivational thoughts, which may underlie more “downstream” manifestations of approach and avoidance motivation such as judgments, decision making, and behavior.
Array Tomography for the Detection of Non-Dilated, Injured Axons in Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract Background Axonal injury is a key feature of several types of brain trauma and neurological disease. However, in mice and humans, many axons are less than 500 nm in diameter which is at or below the resolution of most conventional light microscopic imaging methods. In moderate to severe forms of axon injury, damaged axons become dilated and therefore readily detectible by light microscopy. However, in more subtle forms of injury, the damaged axons may remain undilated and therefore difficult to detect. New method Here we present a method for adapting array tomography for the identification and quantification of injured axons. In this technique, ultrathin (∼70 nm) plastic sections of tissue are prepared, labeled with axon injury-relevant antibodies and imaged using conventional epifluorescence. Results To demonstrate the use of array-tomography-based methods, we determined that mice that received two closed-skull concussive traumatic brain injury impacts had significantly increased numbers of non-dilated axons that were immunoreactive for non-phosphorylated neurofilament (SMI-32; a marker of axonal injury), compared to sham mice (1682 ± 628 versus 339 ± 52 per mm 2 , p = 0.004, one-tailed Mann–Whitney U test). Tubulin loss was not evident ( p = 0.2063, one-tailed Mann–Whitney U test). Furthermore, mice that were subjected to more severe injury had a loss of tubulin in addition to both dilated and non-dilated SMI-32 immunoreactive axons indicating that this technique is suitable for the analysis of various injury conditions. Comparison with existing method With array tomography we could detect similar overall numbers of axons as electron microscopy, but accurate diameter measurements were limited to those with diameters >200 nm. Importantly, array tomography had greater sensitivity for detecting small non-dilated injured axons compared with conventional immunohistochemistry. Conclusion Imaging of individual axons and quantification of subtle axonal injury is possible using this array tomography method. This method may be most useful for the assessment of concussive injuries and other pathologies in which injured axons are not typically dilated. The ability to process moderately large volumes of tissue, label multiple proteins of interest, and automate analysis support array tomography as a useful alternative to electron microscopy.
LEPIDURUS COUESII PACKARD (NOTOSTRACA) REDESCRIBED WITH A DISCUSSION OF SPECIFIC CHARACTERS IN THE GENUS

In der Originalbeschreibung von Lepidurus couesii Packard, 1875 fehlen Angaben hinsichtlich einiger taxonomisch bedeutsamen Merkmale und die Art wurde mit oder ohne Vorbehalt in die Synonymie der ebenfalls ungenugend beschriebenen L. apus (Linnaeus, 1758) gestellt. Die detaillierte Beschreibung und die Abbildungen dieses Beitrages sollen zukunftiger Verwirrung vorbeugea und L. couesii als eine gute Art bestatigen.