Crime trends and the effect of mandated drug treatment: Evidence from California's Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act

The Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act (SACPA), implemented statewide in California in July 2001, mandates drug treatment rather than incarceration for certain nonviolent drug offenders. Critics of the legislation suggest that crime increased as a result of the legislation, but researchers have largely ignored this issue. Utilizing time series methodology applied across several independent data sets from Orange County, California, the effects of SACPA on crime were assessed. Results indicate that significant increases in commercial burglaries and paraphernalia arrests may have been attributed to SACPA, but the overall pattern does not support a conclusion that crime increased markedly.

Performance of food-type soybean genotypes and their possibility for adaptation to Brazilian latitudes Comportamento de genótipos de soja tipo alimento e possibilidades de adaptação às latitudes brasileiras

This work was conducted at the Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), in Londrina, State of Paraná, Brazil, with the goal to study food-type soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) genotypes performance for use in cultivation or crosses. A total of 104 genotypes were analyzed: 88 were food-type with large seeds, eight were food-type with small seeds, and eight-grain types adapted cultivars. The experimental plan was in randomized complete block design with four replications, and 12 traits of agronomic importance were considered. Genetic diversity was observed in the food-type germplasm. There were some genotypes with high yield adapted to a normal period of sowing. Soybean genetic improvement programs for direct human consumption in Brazil, either by means of Asiatic pure lines or by means of the incorporation of genes for late flowering in short-day conditions in this lines is highly viable.<br>O presente trabalho foi desenvolvido na Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), em Londrina, PR, com o objetivo de estudar o comportamento de genótipos de soja (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) tipo alimento, para posterior uso como cultivares ou em cruzamentos. Foram avaliados 104 genótipos, sendo 88 do tipo alimento, de sementes grandes, oito do tipo alimento, de sementes pequenas, e oito adaptados, tipo grão. O delineamento foi o de blocos completos ao acaso, com quatro repetições, considerando 12 caracteres de importância agronômica. Foi observada uma grande diversidade genética no germoplasma tipo alimento, havendo genótipos com alta produtividade e adaptados para época normal de semeadura. Programas de melhoramento genético da soja para consumo humano direto, no Brasil, são viáveis, seja pelo uso direto de linhagens asiáticas, seja por meio da incorporação de genes para florescimento tardio, em dias curtos, nestas linhagens

Amidine dications : isolation and [fe]-hydrogenase-related hydrogenation

This commmunication demonstrates the preparation, isolation, and full characterization of superelectrophilic salts based on amidine dications in organic solvent, as their triflate salts. These dications are highly activated toward regiospecific reaction with hydrogen gas under mild conditions in the presence of a metal catalyst (Pd/C), mimicking the behavior of the natural substrate, N-5,N-10-methenyltetrahydromethanopterin, in the iron-sulfur cluster-free [Fe]-hydrogenase

Sequence characterization of hypervariable regions in the soybean genome: leucine-rich repeats and simple sequence repeats

The genetic basis of cultivated soybean is rather narrow. This observation has been confirmed by analysis of agronomic traits among different genotypes, and more recently by the use of molecular markers. During the construction of an RFLP soybean map (Glycine soja x Glycine max) the two progenitors were analyzed with over 2,000 probes, of which 25% were polymorphic. Among the probes that revealed polymorphisms, a small proportion, about 0.5%, hybridized to regions that were highly polymorphic. Here we report the sequencing and analysis of five of these probes. Three of the five contain segments that encode leucine-rich repeat (LRR) sequence homologous to known disease resistance genes in plants. Two other probes are relatively AT-rich and contain segments of (A)n/(T)n. DNA segments corresponding to one of the probes (A45-10) were amplified from nine soybean genotypes. Partial sequencing of these amplicons suggests that deletions and/or insertions are responsible for the extensive polymorphism observed. We propose that genes encoding LRR proteins and simple sequence repeat region prone to slippage are some of the most hypervariable regions of the soybean genome.<br>A base genética da soja cultivada é relativamente estreita. Essa observação foi confirmada por análises de características agronômicas entre diferentes genótipos e, mais recentemente, pelo uso de marcadores moleculares. Durante a construção de um mapa de RFLP da soja (Glycine soja x Glycine max), os dois progenitores foram analisados com mais de 2000 sondas, das quais 25% eram polimórficas. Entre as sondas que revelaram polimorfismos, uma pequena proporção, cerca de 0,5%, hibridizou com regiões que eram altamente polimórficas. Neste trabalho, são apresentados o seqüenciamento e análise de cinco dessas sondas. Três dessas sondas contêm segmentos que codificam repetições ricas em leucina que são homólogas a genes de resistência a doenças já conhecidos em plantas. As duas outras sondas são relativamente ricas em AT e contêm segmentos do tipo (A)n/(T)n. Segmentos de DNA correspondentes a uma das sondas (A45-10) foram amplificados a partir de nove genótipos de soja. Seqüenciamento parcial desses amplicons sugere que deleções e/ou inserções são responsáveis pelo extensivo polimorfismo observado. Nós propomos que os genes que codificam proteínas com repetições ricas em leucina e regiões de seqüências repetidas simples, que são passíveis do fenômeno de slippage (deslizamento), estão entre as regiões mais variáveis do genoma da soja

Neutrophils and oral squamous cell carcinoma: lessons learned and future directions.

Uses of this material require specific permission from the publisher.The role of cells of the innate immune system in the pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma has been the subject of intense research in recent years. In particular, neutrophils have been shown recently to have either a pro-tumor or anti-tumor phenotype in different cancers. Here, we review the role of neutrophils as tumor microenvironment and signaling modulators of OSCC and their possible role as biomarkers of OSCC prognosis. Current evidence supports a pro-tumor role for neutrophils in OSCC, but more research is needed to clarify the precise mechanisms involved