cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring intermolecular rupture forces with a combined TIRF-optical trap microscope and DNA curtains

We report a new approach to probing DNA-protein interactions by combining optical tweezers with a high-throughput DNA curtains technique. Here we determine the forces required to remove the individual lipid-anchored DNA molecules from the bilayer. We demonstrate that DNA anchored to the bilayer through a single biotin-streptavidin linkage withstands ∼20pN before being pulled free from the bilayer, whereas molecules anchored to the bilayer through multiple attachment points can withstand ⩾65pN; access to this higher force regime is sufficient to probe the responses of protein-DNA interactions to force changes. As a proof-of-principle, we concurrently visualized DNA-bound fluorescently-tagged RNA polymerase while simultaneously stretching the DNA molecules. This work presents a step towards a powerful experimental platform that will enable concurrent visualization of DNA curtains while applying defined forces through optical tweezers.
Ontogeny and Effects of Thyroid Hormone on β1-Adrenergic Receptor mRNA Expression in Ovine Fetal Kidney Cortex

Previous studies indicate that thyroidectomy (TX) decreases renin gene expression in ovine fetal renal cortex in late gestation. Fetal ovine renin-containing renocortical cells become increasingly responsive to β-adrenergic stimulation as gestation proceeds. Increases in plasma thyroid hormone concentrations parallel this change, suggesting that there is a positive developmental relationship between the two. To examine this hypothesis, we determined the ontogeny of β1 adrenergic receptor (β1R) mRNA expression, and the effect of thyroid hormone on in vivo and in vitro expression in fetal sheep. Renocortical tissue was obtained from naive, TX, and sham-operated fetuses to determine β1R mRNA levels. Renin-containing renocortical cells from TX or sham fetuses were treated with isoproterenol (Iso) or forskolin (FSK)for analysis of cellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels. Renocortical cells from naive fetuses were treated with triiodothyronine (T3) to assess cellular β1R mRNA levels. Fetal plasma thyroxine (T4) level was determined. Renocortical β1R mRNA expression increased significantly between 100 and 140 days’ gestational age (dGA), while TX attenuated this increase (P <.01). Renocortical cellular cAMP levels were higher in sham compared to TX fetuses following incubation with Iso or FSK (P <.05). Cells incubated with T3 exhibited significantly increased β1R mRNA expression (P <.05). The data suggest that thyroid hormone may be involved in modulating ovine fetal renocortical β1R gene expression during development. We speculate that the increased β1R mRNA expression in renal cortical cells as development progresses may mediate the increases in renin gene response to β-adrenergic stimulation in late gestation.
Towards UCI+: A mindful repository design

Public repositories have contributed to the maturation of experimental methodology in machine learning. Publicly available data sets have allowed researchers to empirically assess their learners and, jointly with open source machine learning software, they have favoured the emergence of comparative analyses of learners' performance over a common framework. These studies have brought standard procedures to evaluate machine learning techniques. However, current claims-such as the superiority of enhanced algorithms-are biased by unsustained assumptions made throughout some praxes. In this paper, the early steps of the methodology, which refer to data set selection, are inspected. Particularly, the exploitation of the most popular data repository in machine learning-the UCI repository-is examined. We analyse the type, complexity, and use of UCI data sets. The study recommends the design of a mindful data repository, UCI+, which should include a set of properly characterised data sets consisting of a complete and representative sample of real-world problems, enriched with artificial benchmarks. The ultimate goal of the UCI+ is to lay the foundations towards a well-supported methodology for learner assessment.
A cumulative method of paired-associate and serial learning

Summary A study is reported of a cumulative method (CM) of paired-associate presentation which exposes S to successive portions of a list before he proceeds to the entire list. A comparison was made of learning under this method with the standard method (SM), in which all pairs in the list appear equally often, once on each trial. Experiment I examined the two methods with materials of high and low meaningfulness (M). A prediction of an interaction between Methods and M was not supported; performance was significantly better under CM at both M levels. Experiment II, which used different materials, a longer list, and a warm-up task, tended to support the hypothesis of an interaction, with better learning under CM with low M but not with high M, but this effect was not significant. Experiment III examined the effects of the list order used in the cumulative expansion with lists of heterogeneous rated difficulty. A CM order in which the added items became successively easier (difficult-first) was compared with an order in which added items were progressively more difficult (easy-first). Both CM conditions were slightly inferior to SM; the difficult-first order of CM failed to surpass the easy-first order of CM. A comparison of SM with CM in serial learning was made in Exp. IV. No significant differences were obtained in recall either in the mean number of serially correct responses or in the mean number of correct responses regardless of correct serial placement. The lack of consistent differences in amount of learning between CM and SM throughout the present studies suggests that S can perform with about equal efficiency under widely different conditions in paired-associate and serial learning.
GENETICS, EVOLUTION, AND ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES

Wilson, D. S. 1992. The effect of complex interactions on variation between units of a metacommunity, with implications for biodiversity and higher levels of selection. Ecology 73:1984-2000. Wilson, D. S. 1997. Biological communities as functionally organized units. Ecology 78:2018-2024. Wilson, D. S., and W. G. Knollenberg. 1987. Adaptive indirect effects: the fitness of burying beetles with and without their phoretic mites. Evolutionary Ecology 1: 139-159. Wooton, J. T. 1994. The nature and consequences of indirect effects in ecological communities. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 25:443-466.
A study on the order disorder phase transformations of rapidly solidified Sm Co-based permanent magnets

Abstract The structural transformation from the metastable, disordered TbCu 7 -type SmCo 7 structure to the equilibrium, ordered Th 2 Zn 17 -type Sm 2 Co 17 structure was revealed by X-ray diffraction analysis using Rietveld refinement. The magnetic properties depended strongly on the stage of the transformation, as the coercivity depended on the annealing temperature. The as-solidified alloys in the TbCu 7 -type structure exhibited coercivity as high as 7.85 kOe, which increased to greater than 9 kOe after heat treatment. The magnetization processes were also strongly influenced by the structural state. Initially it was dominated by nucleation processes, which gave way to domain wall pinning-controlled magnetization processes with the development of the Sm 2 Co 17 structure. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the development of antiphase domains during heat treatment, which apparently served as the domain-wall pinning sites during magnetization reversal.
Recognizing Heart Disease: Helping Women Seek Treatment Faster

Despite the great advances in treating coronary heart disease (CHD) and increasing survival rates, heart disease remains the #1 killer of women. But women who experience myocardial infarction (MI) may not have the same presenting symptoms as men, even though they share many of the same risk factors for CHD, such as obesity, elevated serum lipid level and sedentary life‐styles. Therefore, it's critical that health care providers understand, recognize and identify the unique manifestations of CHD and MI in women as an important first step in decreasing the morbidity and mortality associated with these health complications. Here's how to help women get into treatment faster.
Tumor initiating cells in malignant gliomas: biology and implications for therapy

A rare subpopulation of cells within malignant gliomas, which shares canonical properties with neural stem cells (NSCs), may be integral to glial tumor development and perpetuation. These cells, also known as tumor initiating cells (TICs), have the ability to self-renew, develop into any cell in the overall tumor population (multipotency), and proliferate. A defining property of TICs is their ability to initiate new tumors in immunocompromised mice with high efficiency. Mounting evidence suggests that TICs originate from the transformation of NSCs and their progenitors. New findings show that TICs may be more resistant to chemotherapy and radiation than the bulk of tumor cells, thereby permitting recurrent tumor formation and accounting for the failure of conventional therapies. The development of new therapeutic strategies selectively targeting TICs while sparing NSCs may provide for more effective treatment of malignant gliomas.
Anomaly-based Fault Detection System in Distributed System

One of the important design criteria for distributed systems and their applications is their reliability and robustness to hardware and software failures. The increase in complexity, inter connectedness, dependency and the asynchronous interactions between the components that include hardware resources (computers, servers, network devices), and software (application services, middleware, web services, etc.) makes the fault detection and tolerance a challenging research problem. In this paper, we present an innovative approach based on statistical and data mining techniques to detect faults (hardware or software) and also identify the source of the fault. In our approach, we monitor and analyze in realtime all the interactions between all the components of a distributed system. We used data mining and supervised learning techniques to obtain the rules that can accurately model the normal interactions among these components. Our anomaly analysis engine will immediately produce an alert whenever one or more of the interaction rules that capture normal operations is violated due to a software or hardware failure. We evaluate the effectiveness of our approach and its performance to detect software faults that we inject asynchronously, and compare the results for different noise level.
The case study: storytelling in the industrial age and beyond

Purpose – Storytelling is traditionally associated with an oral tradition, dating back to the age of the hunter‐gatherer. Beginning with the etymology of the word, “story,” this article attempts to show how both written and oral storytelling evolved in relation to changing needs in society, from story telling among hunter‐gatherers to current forms of storytelling in today's organizational settings.Design/methodology/approach – This article examines the various forms of storytelling, from its origins in prehistoric times to the post‐Industrial Age, with emphasis on the case study as storytelling in the Industrial Age and beyond.Findings – The forms and applications of storytelling continually expand to meet the expanding needs of society throughout human history. Storytelling today, as in the past, can be useful as a tool for defining, securing and shaping people's existence in relation to both their culture and their universe. Storytelling is particularly valuable for ensuring one's survival in today's c...
Holographic diffraction-through-aperture spectrum splitting for increased hybrid solar energy conversion efficiency

Summary A holographic module is designed to split light into two spectral bands for hybrid solar energy conversion. Incoming light is either transmitted to a large subsystem receiver or diffracted through an aperture in this receiver toward a second subsystem receiver. The holographic element is simulated using rigorous diffraction and ray-tracing methods. Two applications of the design are described and simulated. A photovoltaic/thermal system with 93% optical efficiency and adjustable subsystem power output ratio is designed to address solar intermittency and provide energy storage. A photovoltaic system added to an alga biofuel operation significantly increases energy output while maintaining 92% of the original algae yield. The energy return on investment of this photovoltaic/biofuel system is 2.4× greater than that of the biofuel system alone, leading to economically viable operation. Modifications to the standard holographic lens provide additional increases in spectrum-splitting capability, optical efficiency, and energy conversion efficiency. The diffraction-through-aperture concept is demonstrated as a successful approach to spectrum splitting for hybrid solar applications. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Activation of toxin ADP-ribosyltransferases by the family of ADP-ribosylation factors.

ADP-ribosylation factors or ARFs are 20-kDa guanine nucleotide-binding proteins, initially identified as stimulators of cholera toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of Gsa. We now know that ARFs play a critical role in many vesicular trafficking events and ARF activation of a membrane-associated phospholipase D (PLD) has been recognized. ARF is active and associates with membranes when GTP is bound. The active state is terminated by hydrolysis of bound GTP, producing inactive ARF*GDP. The nucleotide effect on ARF association with membranes is related to alteration in orientation of the N-terminal myristoyl moiety that is important for ARF function. Cycling of ARF between active and inactive states involves guanine nucleotide-exchange proteins (GEPs) that accelerate replacement of bound GDP with GTP and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPS) that are responsible for ARF inactivation.
Effects of aquatic and terrestrial carbaryl exposure on feeding ability, growth, and survival of American toads

The present study evaluates whether larval density and aquatic exposure to the insecticide carbaryl influenced susceptibility to terrestrial exposure of carbaryl through effects on juvenile feeding ability, growth, and survival with metamorphs of American toads (Bufo americanus). Tadpoles were reared in outdoor mesocosms, and individuals were brought into the lab at metamorphosis for terrestrial exposure studies. The present study indicated that feeding and survival of toads after metamorphosis was not affected by earlier aquatic or subsequent terrestrial exposure; therefore, the impacts of short-lived insecticides may be most significant to aquatic, larval stages. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2323–2327. © 2010 SETAC
Distinguishing Developing Versus Non-Developing African Easterly Waves Using Adaptive Observational Strategies

The impacts of dust loaded, Saharan Air Layer (SAL) during the life cycle of African Easterly Waves (AEWs) is a many-faceted scientific problem. It entails possible radiative effects of dust aerosols, impacts of dust on cloud physics, and the cloud nuclei of condensation, advective effects, that is, intrusions of dry dusty air versus humid air into the interior of storms. This paper addresses several such AEWs of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, where we have made use of special aircraft reconnaissance data sets that include wind and humidity profiles in the vertical. Using what are called adaptive observational strategies within a mesoscale model, we show the impacts of adding such observations in the analysis and in short-range forecasts of several AEWs. We do not have the direct and indirect effects of aerosols, but we do include the advective component. Our results show that the inclusion of humidity profiling distinguishes between developing versus nondeveloping AEWs from the use of these additional data ...
Tracking humans using prior and learned representations of shape and appearance

Tracking a moving person is challenging because a person's appearance in images changes significantly due to articulation, viewpoint changes, and lighting variation across a scene. And different people appear differently due to numerous factors such as body shape, clothing, skin color, and hair. In this paper, we introduce a multi-cue tracking technique that uses prior information about the 2D image shape of people in general along with an appearance model that is learned online for a specific individual. Assuming a static camera, the background is modeled and updated online. Rather than performing thresholding and blob detection during tracking, a foreground probability map (FPM) is computed which indicates the likelihood that a pixel is not the projection of the background. Offline, a shape model of walking people is estimated from the FPMs computed from training sequences. During tracking, this generic prior model of human shape is used for person detection and to initialize a tracking process. As this prior model is very generic, a model of an individual's appearance is learned online during the tracking. As the person is tracked through a sequence using both shape and appearance, the appearance model is refined and multi-cue tracking becomes more robust.
Self-adaptive distributed multi-task allocation in a multi-robot system

Some common issues exist in the bio-inspired algorithms for a multi-robot system include considerable randomness of the robot movement during coordination and unevenly distributed robots in a multi-task environment. To address these issues, a self-adaptive distributed multi-task allocation method in a multi-robot system is proposed in this paper. In this method, each robot only communicates with its neighbors through a virtual stigmergy mechanism and makes its local movement decision based on a balance between the exploration and exploitation inspired from particle swarm optimization (PSO) method. To further reduce the random movement, a new task utility function is developed, where not only the current available task weight and the travel cost are considered, but also the potential number of robot redundancy around the task, as well as the task/robot distribution ratio. The proposed algorithm has been implemented on the embodied robot simulator, Player/Stage, in a searching task. The simulation results demonstrate the efficiency and robustness in a power-efficient manner with the real-world constraints.
Hysteresis Compensation for High-Precision Positioning of a Shape Memory Alloy Actuator using Integrated Iterative-Feedforward and Feedback Inputs

In this paper, we investigate the design of an iteration-based control algorithm combined with feedback control to address the positioning error caused by hysteresis effect in a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator. SMA actuators offer relatively large strain (up to 8%) and high strength-to-weight ratio, and as a result, they are being exploited in minimally invasive surgery tools and microrobotics. But unfortunately, SMA actuators exhibit significant hysteresis effect which can lead to loss in positioning precision; it can cause as much as 50% error in positioning. To address the prohibitive effect of hysteresis, we study the application of an iterative-feedforward algorithm specifically designed to account for this behavior. We show that one of the major challenges with iterative- feedforward inputs for SMA actuators is the slope of the hysteresis curve at the phase transition zones (from martensite to austenite and vice versa) can be significantly large, and thus the output response can be highly sensitive to small changes in the input. As a result, iterative-feedforward input provides limited performance because at the transition zones, small changes in the input (due to noise, for example) cause the output to change significantly, thus inducing tracking error. To alleviate this problem, and to help improve the performance of the feedforward method, we consider the addition of a feedback input to add robustness. We show: (1) experimental results that demonstrate the efficacy of the method and (2) the tracking precision can be reduced by over ten times compared to just using iterative-feedforward input. In particular, the ultimate tracking error was reduced to 0.15% of the total displacement range - approximately the sensor noise level.
Potent chemopreventive/antioxidant activity detected in common spices of the Apiaceae family

Spices are used worldwide, particularly in the Asian and Middle Eastern countries, and considered protective against degenerative diseases, including cancer. Here, we report the efficacy of aqueous and non-aqueous extracts of 11 Apiaceae spices for free radical-scavenging activity and to inhibit cytochrome P450s in two separate reactions involving: 1) 4-hydroxy-17s-estradiol (4E2), DNA, and CuCl2 and 2) 17s-estradiol, rat liver microsomes, cofactors, DNA and CuCl2. Oxidative DNA adducts resulting from redox cycling of 4E2 were analyzed by (32)P-postlabeling. Aqueous (5 mg/ml) and non-aqueous extracts (6 mg/ml) substantially inhibited (83-98%) formation of DNA adducts in the microsomal reaction. However, in nonmicrosomal reaction, only aqueous extracts showed the inhibitory activity (83-96%). Adduct inhibition was also observed at five-fold lower concentrations of aqueous extracts of cumin (60%) and caraway (90%), and 10-fold lower concentrations of carrot seeds (76%) and ajowan (90%). These results suggests the presence of 2 groups of phytochemicals: polar compounds that have free radical-scavenging activity and lipophilic compounds that selectively inhibit P450 activity associated with estrogen metabolism. Because most of these Apiaceae spices are used widely with no known toxicity, the phytochemicals from the Apiaceae spices used in foods may be potentially protective against estrogen-mediated breast cancer.
Global Cooling After the Eruption of Mount Pinatubo: A Test of Climate Feedback by Water Vapor

The sensitivity of Earth's climate to an external radiative forcing depends critically on the response of water vapor. We use the global cooling and drying of the atmosphere that was observed after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo to test model predictions of the climate feedback from water vapor. Here, we first highlight the success of the model in reproducing the observed drying after the volcanic eruption. Then, by comparing model simulations with and without water vapor feedback, we demonstrate the importance of the atmospheric drying in amplifying the temperature change and show that, without the strong positive feedback from water vapor, the model is unable to reproduce the observed cooling. These results provide quantitative evidence of the reliability of water vapor feedback in current climate models, which is crucial to their use for global warming projections.
Preparation of Tetrabutylammonium (4-fluorophenyl)trifluoroborate

4-Fluorophenyl boronic acid Tetrabutylammonium bifluoride Chloroform Tetrabutylammonium (4-fluorophenyl)trifluoroborate Tetrabutylammonium ion Keywords: Tetrabutylammonium (4-fluorophenyl)trifluoroborate; Hazardous chemical disposals; Alkyl tetrabutylammonium trifluoroborates; Aromatic tetrabutylammonium trifluoroborates; Heteroaromatic tetrabutylammonium trifluoroborates
Connecting the holographic and Wilsonian renormalization groups

Inspired by the AdS/CFT duality, we develop an explicit formal correspondence between the planar limit of a d-dimensional global gauge theory and a classical field theory in a (d + 1)-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. The key ingredient is the identification of scalar fields in the AdS with generalized Hubbard-Stratonovich transforms of single-trace couplings of the QFT. Guided by this idea, we show that the Wilsonian renormalization group flow of these transformed couplings can match the holographic (Hamilton-Jacobi) flow of bulk fields along the radial direction in AdS. This result leads to an outline of an AdS/CFT dictionary that does not rely on string theory.
Do All Roads Lead to the Oestrogen Receptor

Beatson [1] made the initial discovery that the ovary could influence the growth of advanced breast cancer. His observation that oophorectomy could reduce the growth rate of some breast cancers was confirmed by Stanley Boyd [2] who found improvement in approximately one-third of patients. This result has been adequately supported throughout this century but it is now clear that any hormonal therapy will affect the growth rate of about one-third of advanced breast cancer in either pre- or postmenopausal women.
Vena cava filters in hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary embolism.

In view of the high case fatality rates of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have pulmonary embolism (PE) we speculated that such patients might benefit from vena cava filters. To test this hypothesis we assessed the database of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. From 1998–2009, 440,370 patients were hospitalised with PE and COPD who were not in shock or ventilator-dependent and did not receive thrombolytic therapy or pulmonary embolectomy. In-hospital all-cause case fatality rate among those with filters was 5,890 of 68,800 (8.6%) (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.4–8.8) compared with 38,960 of 371,570 (10.5%) (95% CI = 10.4–10.6) (paged 80 years, 11,720 of 81,600 (14.4%) compared with 1,570 of 17,220 (9.1%) (paged 50 years who also had COPD. The benefit was greatest in elderly patients. The benefit in terms of a decreased case fatality rate would seem to outweigh the risks of vena cava filters in such patients.
Stochastic Variations in Queuing Processes

In this paper we consider a queuing process in which there are two mean arrival and service rates. Not only does the system randomly change from one mode of service and arrival to the other, but units arrive at random and require varying amounts of service. Analytic expressions are obtained for the generating functions, the mean queue length, and the mean waiting time. Several practical illustrations are given.
Disturbance and landscape dynamics in a changing world

Disturbance regimes are changing rapidly, and the consequences of such changes for ecosystems and linked social-ecological systems will be profound. This paper synthesizes current understanding of disturbance with an emphasis on fundamental contributions to contemporary landscape and ecosystem ecology, then identifies future research priorities. Studies of disturbance led to insights about heterogeneity, scale, and thresholds in space and time and catalyzed new paradigms in ecology. Because they create vegetation patterns, disturbances also establish spatial patterns of many ecosystem processes on the landscape. Drivers of global change will produce new spatial patterns, altered disturbance regimes, novel trajectories of change, and surprises. Future disturbances will continue to provide valuable opportunities for studying pattern-process interactions. Changing disturbance regimes will produce acute changes in ecosystems and ecosystem services over the short (years to decades) and long-term (centuries and beyond). Future research should address questions related to (1) disturbances as catalysts of rapid ecological change, (2) interactions among disturbances, (3) relationships between disturbance and society, especially the intersection of land use and disturbance, and (4) feedbacks from disturbance to other global drivers. Ecologists should make a renewed and concerted effort to understand and anticipate the causes and consequences of changing disturbance regimes.
The response of tropical tropospheric ozone to ENSO

We have successfully reproduced the Ozone ENSO Index (OEI) in the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) chemistry-climate model (CCM) forced by observed sea surface temperatures over a 25-year period. The vertical ozone response to ENSO is consistent with changes in the Walker circulation. We derive the sensitivity of simulated ozone to ENSO variations using linear regression analysis. The western Pacific and Indian Ocean region shows similar positive ozone sensitivities from the surface to the upper troposphere, in response to positive anomalies in the Nino 3.4 Index. The eastern and central Pacific region shows negative sensitivities with the largest sensitivity in the upper troposphere. This vertical response compares well with that derived from SHADOZ ozonesondes in each region. The OEI reveals a response of tropospheric ozone to circulation change that is nearly independent of changes in emissions and thus it is potentially useful in chemistry-climate model evaluation.
Incorporating Ecology into Survey Design: Monitoring the Recruitment of Age-0 Gags in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

AbstractWe developed a multiple-gear survey (183-m haul seine and 6.1-m otter trawl) that was designed to supplement long-term, fishery-independent survey data on age-0 Gags Mycteroperca microlepis in Apalachicola Bay, Tampa Bay, and Charlotte Harbor, Florida. The supplemental survey design specifically considered juvenile Gag recruitment ecology and thus targeted the deep, polyhaline seagrass habitats that are utilized by age-0 Gags yet infrequently sampled. It also expanded the spatial coverage of ongoing surveys to include two unsampled estuaries (St. Andrew Bay and Big Bend [Apalachee Bay]) where Gag recruitment had been documented. Analyses of data collected in long-term and supplemental surveys (2008–2012) demonstrated the effectiveness of this sampling approach. The size ranges of Gags collected in long-term and supplemental surveys were similar, but age-0 individuals were captured more frequently and CPUE was significantly higher in the supplemental surveys. Interannual patterns of variability in ...
Phylogeny of Leafhopper Subgenus Errhomus (Erronus) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Based on Mitochondrial DNA Sequences

The Nearctic leafhopper genus Errhomus Oman (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) exhibits high host-plant selectivity and female brachyptery, which may limit gene flow. Two subgenera, Errhomus (Errhomus) and Errhomus (Erronus), are recognized based on morphological and behavioral differences. We used mitochondrial DNA sequencing to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships among members of the subgenus Errhomus (Erronus). Portions of the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1) and the leucine (CUN) transfer RNA (tRNA-Leu) genes were sequenced and were analyzed with parsimony and maximum likelihood. Our results generally verified the findings of Hamilton and Zack (1999); however, both optimality criteria revealed a paraphyletic Errhomus (Erronus). Errhomus (Erronus) calvus does not seem to be a member of the subgenus Errhomus (Erronus) but seems to be more closely aligned with the subgenus Errhomus (Errhomus). We tested two a priori null hypotheses: 1) that the phylogeny estimated from the molecular data matched a previous phylogeny based on morphology and biogeography from Hamilton and Zack (1999) and 2) that diagnostic characters of the male genitalia (serrated aedeagal processes and triangular aedeagal shaft tip) were synapomorphies that defined major clades. We rejected these hypotheses with both Bayesian tests and parametric bootstraps.
Pathways from marine protected area design and management to ecological success

Using an international dataset compiled from 121 sites in 87 marine protected areas (MPAs) globally (Edgar et al., 2014), I assessed how various configurations of design and management conditions affected MPA ecological performance, measured in terms of fish species richness and biomass. The set-theoretic approach used Boolean algebra to identify pathways that combined up to five 'NEOLI' ( No-take, Enforced, Old, Large, Isolated) conditions and that were sufficient for achieving positive, and negative, ecological outcomes. Ecological isolation was overwhelming the most important condition affecting ecological outcomes but Old and Large were also conditions important for achieving high levels of biomass among large fishes (jacks, groupers, sharks). Solution coverage was uniformly low ( 0.50) for negative results (i.e., the absence of high biomass) among the large commercially-exploited fishes, implying asymmetries in how MPAs may rebuild populations on the one hand and, on the other, protect against further decline. The results revealed complex interactions involving MPA design, implementation, and management conditions that affect MPA ecological performance. In general terms, the presence of no-take regulations and effective enforcement were insufficient to ensure MPA effectiveness on their own. Given the central role of ecological isolation in securing ecological benefits from MPAs, site selection in the design phase appears critical for success.
Phylogenetic and Morphometric Reassessment of the Dental Evidence for a Mesonychian and Cetacean Clade

Van Valen (1966, 1968, 1969, 1978) first hypothesized that mesonychians, an aberrant group of carnivorous mammals nested within the ungulates, are closely related to cetaceans. Discoveries of new cetacean and mesonychian fossils have prompted detailed descriptions of taxa in both groups (Szalay, 1969a,b; Ting and Li, 1987; Gingerich and Russell, 1990; O’Leary and Rose, 1995a,b; Zhou et al., 1995; Thewissen et al., 1996), classificatory changes (McKenna, 1975; McKenna and Bell, 1997), and cladistic analyses (Prothero et al., 1988; Thewissen, 1994; Zhou et al., 1995) (Fig. 1).
A Comprehensive Pulmonary Data Processing System

This work supported by grants from the Irvine Foundation, Irvine California and the Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Foundation, Los Angeles, California.
Stat3 Signaling Promotes Survival And Maintenance Of Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cells

Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) are essential for establishing central tolerance by expressing a diverse array of self-peptides that delete autoreactive thymocytes and/or divert thymocytes into the regulatory T cell lineage. Activation of the NFκB signaling pathway in mTEC precursors is indispensable for mTEC maturation and proliferation resulting in proper medullary region formation. Here we show that the Stat3-mediated signaling pathway also plays a key role in mTEC development and homeostasis. Expression of a constitutively active Stat3 transgene targeted to the mTEC compartment increases mTEC cellularity and bypasses the requirement for signals from positively selected thymocytes to drive medullary region formation. Conversely, conditional deletion of Stat3 disrupts medullary region architecture and reduces the number of mTECs. Stat3 signaling does not affect mTEC proliferation, but rather promotes survival of immature MHCIIloCD80lo mTEC precursors. In contrast to striking alterations in the mTEC compartment, neither enforced expression nor deletion of Stat3 affects cTEC cellularity or organization. These results demonstrate that in addition to the NFkB pathway, Stat3-mediated signals play an essential role in regulating mTEC cellularity and medullary region homeostasis.
Cryogenic Helium System Angular Momentum and Moment Fluctuations Driven by Gravity Gradient in Microgravity

The dynamical behavior of fluids affected by the asymmetric gravity gradient acceleration and gravity jitter acceleration, in particular the effect of surface tension on partially-filled rotating fluids with special example applicable to a full-scale Gravity Probe-B Spacecraft dewar tank have been investigated. Results of slosh wave excitation along liquid-vapor interface induced by gravity gradient acceleration indicated that one-up one-down and one-down one-up oscillations of two bubbles in the cross-section of doughnut profiles in the vertical r-z plane of rotating dewar, and an eccentric contour of bubble rotating around the axis of dewar in horizontal r-θ plane. Results of slosh wave excitation along liquid-vapor interface induced by gravity jitter acceleration indicated equivalent to time-dependent oscillatory forces which push bubble in the combined bubble motion of down-and-up and leftward-and-rightward as the bubble is rotating with respect to rotating dewar axis. Fluctuations of angular momentum, fluid moment and bubble mass center caused by slosh wave excitations driven by gravity gradient acceleration or gravity jitter acceleration are also investigated.
The Dual Function of Reactive Oxygen/Nitrogen Species in Bioenergetics and Cell Death: The Role of ATP Synthase

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) targeting mitochondria are major causative factors in disease pathogenesis. The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) is a mega-channel modulated by calcium and ROS/RNS modifications and it has been described to play a crucial role in many pathophysiological events since prolonged channel opening causes cell death. The recent identification that dimers of ATP synthase form the PTP and the fact that posttranslational modifications caused by ROS/RNS also affect cellular bioenergetics through the modulation of ATP synthase catalysis reveal a dual function of these modifications in the cells. Here, we describe mitochondria as a major site of production and as a target of ROS/RNS and discuss the pathophysiological conditions in which oxidative and nitrosative modifications modulate the catalytic and pore-forming activities of ATP synthase.
Mapping the field of educational administration research: a journal citation network analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to uncover how knowledge is exchanged and disseminated in the educational administration research literature through the journal citation network. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing upon social network theory and citation network studies in other disciplines, the authors constructed an educational administration journal citation network by extracting all 157,372 citations from 5,359 journal articles in 30 educational administration journals from 2009 to 2013. The authors then performed social network analysis to visualize the network structure by journal clusters, and quantified journal prominence and interdisciplinarity by calculating Freeman indegree and betweenness, respectively. In addition to journal-to-journal citations, the authors examined the sources of non-journal citations by citation counts. Findings – The results of journal prominence, interdisciplinarity, and eight journal clusters in the citation network indicate that educational administration, as ...
An ultrastructural and taxonomic study of Valvisporites auritus (Zerndt) Bhardwaj, a lycopsid megaspore from the Middle Pennsylvanian of southern Illinois

An isolated megasporangium with in situ megaspores assigned to Valvisporites auritus (Zerndt) Bhardwaj has been collected from the Anna Shale Member, Carbondale Formation (middle Pennsylvanian), of southern Illinois. The specimen is preserved by authigenic cementation that allows the enclosed megaspores to remain uncompressed. The isolated megasporangium is assigned to Lepidocystis Lesquereux, emend. Wood, a genus established for disarticulated reproductive organs of lycopsid affinity. The specimen is most closely related to Lepidocystis truncatus Lesquereux (=Polysporia mirabilis Newberry), but is not assigned to this taxon, because 4 different reproductive strobili have been described in which megaspores assignable to V. auritus were produced. Valvisporites contains numerous species based upon differences in megaspore diameter, radial "ear" development and cingulum development. Examination of intact lycopsid fructifications demonstrates that when populations of megaspores are examined, characters used to separate species are invalid. The megaspore wall is composed of an anastomosing stratified pattern of sporopollenin rods similar to the structure reported for other extinct and extant heterosporous lycopods. It appears that lycopsid megaspores have retained a distinct organization throughout geologic time. Although there appear to be variants to the basic pattern, the primary organization of an ektexine composed of stratified anastomosing sporopollenin rods appears consistent. The ultrastructural organization of V. auritus adds additional evidence to the theory that lycopsid megaspores have remained basically unchanged in ektexine organization from the Carboniferous to the present. An ultrastructural and taxonomic study of Valvisporites auritus (Zerndt) Bhardwaj, a lycopsid megaspore from the middle Pennsylvanian of southern Illinois
HYPERRESPONSIVENESS OF RENAL HYPERTENSIVE RATS TO INTRAVENOUS ANGIOTENSIN II.

SummaryRenal hypertensive rats were found to have a pressor response to angiotensin which exceeded that of normal rats in both magnitude and duration. The results would appear to be in keeping with an intrinsic increase in pressor reactivity of the hypertensive organism, but are not compatible with the production of a specific angiotensinase as an adaptive mechanism to prevent chronic angiotensinemia.
Connective Tissue. XVI. Species Difference in Amino Acid Composition of Insoluble Collagen of Uterus

SummaryInsoluble collagen was prepared from the uteri of rat, guinea pig, rabbit, pig, cow, and human being, after extracting the salt- and acetic acid-soluble collagens. The insoluble collagen of uterus contained a significantly higher content of hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine than the soluble collagen from uterus. The highest content of hydroxyproline, 115 residue/1000 residues, was found in the insoluble collagen of rabbit uterus. The highest content of hydroxylysine, 16 residues/1000 residues, was found in rat uterine insoluble collagen.
Buggy Creek virus (Togaviridae: Alphavirus) upregulates expression of pattern recognition receptors and interferons in House Sparrows (Passer domesticus).

Abstract Birds serve as reservoirs for at least 10 arthropod-borne viruses, yet specific immune responses of birds to arboviral infections are relatively unknown. Here, adult House Sparrows were inoculated with an arboviral alphavirus, Buggy Creek virus (BCRV), or saline, and euthanized between 1 and 3 days postinoculation. Virological dynamics and gene expression dynamics were investigated. Birds did not develop viremia postinoculation, but cytopathic virus was found in the skeletal muscle and spleen of birds 1 and 3 days postinoculation (DPI). Viral RNA was detected in the blood of BCRV-infected birds 1 and 2 DPI, in oral swabs 1–3 DPI, and in brain, heart, skeletal muscle, and spleen 1–3 DPI. Multiple genes were significantly upregulated following BCRV infection, including pattern recognition receptors (TLR7, TLR15, RIG-1), type I interferon (IFN-α), and type II interferon (IFN-γ). This is the first study to report avian immunological gene expression profiles following an arboviral infection.
Theo-Dur® (Key)

Theophylline is a xanthine bronchodilator. Like other xanthines it also has cardiac positive inotropic, vasodilating, and diuretic actions. It is an inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. Theo-dur tablets are in timed-release form and should not be chewed or crushed.
Focal plane actuation by hexapod for the development of a high-resolution suborbital telescope

We present a prototype hexapod image stabilization system as the key instrument for a proposed suborbital balloon mission. The unique design thermally isolates an off-the-shelf non-cryogenic hexapod from a liquid nitrogen cooled focal plane, enabling its use in a cryogenic environment. Balloon gondolas currently achieve 1-2 arcsecond pointing error, but cannot correct for unavoidable jitter movements (~20 micron amplitude at 20 Hz at the worst) caused by wind rushing over balloon surfaces, thermal variations, and vibrations from cryocoolers, and reaction wheels. The jitter causes image blur during exposures and limits the resolution of the system. Removal of this final jitter term decreases pointing error by an order of magnitude and allows for true diffraction-limited observation. Tip-tilt pointing systems have been used for these purposes in the past, but require additional optics and introduce multiple reflections. The hexapod system, rather, is compact and can be plugged into the focal point of nearly any configuration. For a 0.8m telescope the improvement in resolution by this system would provide 0.1” angular resolution at 300nm, which is comparable to Hubble for a fraction of the cost. On an actual balloon, the hexapod system would actuate the focal plane to counteract the jitter using position information supplied by guidestar cameras. However, in the lab, we instead simulate guide camera tracking, using a 1024 × 1024 e2v science-grade CCD to take long exposures of a target attached to an XY stage driven with the balloon jitter signal recorded during the STO mission. Further confirmation of the positional accuracy and agility of the hexapod is achieved using a laser and fast-sampling position-sensitive diode. High-resolution time domain multispectral imaging of the gas giants, especially in the UV range, is of particular interest to the planetary community, and a suborbital telescope with the hexapod stabilization in place would provide a wealth of new data. On an Antarctic ~100-day Long-Duration-Balloon (LDB) mission the continued high-resolution imaging of gas giant storm systems would provide cloud formation and evolution data second to only a Flagship orbiter.
The LGBT Community, Health Policy, and the Law.

Recent legislative and regulatory actions extend equal protection under the law to members of the LGBT community. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Is vacuolization in amniocytes really pathognomonic for fetal gastroschisis

Cytoplasmic vacuolization in amniocytes reportedly is specific to gastroschisis, but documentation is anecdotal. To test this point, we compared 47 placentas from documented cases of gastroschisis to 48 placentas from patients without gastroschisis. We found amniocyte vacuolization is highly sensitive (0.94), but not nearly as specific (0.44) for gastroschisis even after accounting for extent or prominence of vacuoles (specificities <0.73). The lack of specificity results from similar, if not identical, cytoplasmic vacuolization seen in term placentas. If one limits comparison to cases delivered before 37 weeks' gestation, then amniocyte vacuolization is highly sensitive (0.95) and specific (0.82) for gastroschisis.
The Role of Perceived Discrimination in Obesity Among African Americans.

Introduction African Americans, especially those in the South, suffer a disproportionate burden of obesity and are at high risk for perceived discrimination (PD). This study investigates the association between PD and weight status among African Americans and clarifies the role of perceived stress and health behaviors in this relationship. Methods Data came from the Jackson Heart Study, Examination 1 (2000–2004; analyses conducted in 2016 using Stata, version 14). African Americans from Jackson, Mississippi, aged 21–95 years were recruited (N=5,301). Weight status was measured using anthropometric data with BMI; waist circumference (in centimeters); and obesity class (I, II, III). Survey instruments were used to measure PD, perceived global stress, and health behaviors. Multivariate regression was used to model weight status outcomes as a function of PD, perceived stress, and health behaviors. Results After controlling for sociodemographic factors and health status, perceived everyday discrimination was associated with higher BMI (b=0.33, p p p p p Conclusions PD and perceived stress are potential risk factors for higher weight status. They should be considered as a part of a comprehensive approach to reduce obesity among African Americans.
Non-contact, antenna-free probe for characterization of THz devices and components

This paper presents fabrication and testing of a contact-free, antenna-free probe for characterizing planar semiconducting devices in the THz region.