cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overlapping and distinct gray and white matter abnormalities in schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder

Objectives Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may share common neurobiological mechanisms, but few studies have directly compared gray and white matter structure in these disorders. We used diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and a region of interest based analysis to identify overlapping and distinct gray and white matter abnormalities in 35 patients with schizophrenia and 20 patients with bipolar I disorder in comparison to 56 healthy volunteers. Methods We examined fractional anisotropy within the white matter and mean diffusivity within the gray matter in 42 regions of interest defined on a probabilistic atlas following non-linear registration of the images to atlas space. Results Patients with schizophrenia had significantly lower fractional anisotropy in temporal (superior temporal and parahippocampal) and occipital (superior and middle occipital) white matter compared to patients with bipolar disorder and healthy volunteers. By contrast, both patient groups demonstrated significantly higher mean diffusivity in frontal (inferior frontal and lateral orbitofrontal) and temporal (superior temporal and parahippocampal) gray matter compared to healthy volunteers, but did not differ from each other. Conclusions Our study implicates overlapping gray matter frontal and temporal lobe structural alterations in the neurobiology of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder, but suggests that temporal and occipital lobe white matter deficits may be an additional risk factor for schizophrenia. Our findings may have relevance for future diagnostic classification systems and the identification of susceptibility genes for these disorders.
The role of interfacial free energy in wettability, solubility, and solvent crazing of some polymeric solids

Abstraet-The laser contact angle goniometry technique was applied to measure the wettability of water droplets on polymer surfaces in different normal alkanes. Using the modified two-liquid contact angle technique and the model recently proposed by us, we can determine the dispersive and non-dispersive (acid-base) contributions to the surface free energy for polymeric solids of high surface energy. The interfacial free energies between several polymers and various liquids were calculated, using our model, from the constitutive properties of the two component phases. These data can, in turn, be used for evaluating the wettability of liquids on polymer surfaces, and the dissolving and solvent crazing/cracking behaviors of polymers in liquids. A good correlation between the critical crazing strain and the interfacial free energy was established. Attacking and non-attacking liquids were separated by a cut-off interfacial free energy of about 3 mJ/m2. In addition, excellent agreement was found between the pred...
Thermomechanical Behavior of Cu50Hf41.5Al8.5 Bulk Metallic Glass after Sustained Elastic Deformation

Thermomechanical analysis (TMA) was conducted in a temperature modulated mode to analyze the effect of static and dynamic elastic compression on a Cu50Hf41.5Al8.5 bulk metallic glass. The nonreversible length changes clearly demonstrate that the elastic loading affects the thermomechanical behavior of the metallic glass. A sustained static elastic compressive load increases the relative length decrease, while a dynamic elastic load to the same maximum load and for the same time reduces the length decrease. A preliminary interpretation suggests that the static compression raises the defect of free volume level, but the dynamic compression mimics annealing and reduces the free volume level. Elastic compression thus emerges as a novel tool to control the free volume level of metallic glasses.
Static analysis of functionally graded elastic anisotropic plates using a discrete layer approach

An approximate solution for the static analysis of three-dimensional, anisotropic, elastic plates composed of functionally graded materials (FGM) is presented. The solution is obtained by using a discrete layer theory in combination with the Ritz method in which the plate is divided into an arbitrary number of homogeneous and/or FGM layers. Two types of functionally graded materials are considered: an exponential variation of the mechanical properties through the thickness of the plate, and mechanical properties as a function of the fiber orientation, which varies quadratically through the laminate thickness. The present approach is not dependent on a specific transition function, and any continuous function representing the variation of the material properties in the thickness direction may be incorporated in the model. The method is validated by solving the problem of a single simply supported FGM plate, for which excellent agreement with the exact solution is obtained. Two more examples with different boundary conditions and different material configurations are presented in order to demonstrate the applicability of this solution. Homogeneous, graded, and bi-layer plates are examined in order to study potential advantages of using FGM.
Non-stationary stochastic vector processes: seismic ground motion applications

A spectral-representation-based simulation algorithm is used in this paper to generate sample functions of a non-stationary, multi-variate stochastic process with evolutionary power, according to its prescribed non-stationary cross-spectral density matrix. If the components of the vector process correspond to different locations in space, then the process is also non-homogeneous in space (in addition to being non-stationary in time). The ensemble cross-correlation matrix of the generated sample functions is identical to the corresponding target. For the important application of earthquake ground motion simulation, an iterative scheme is introduced to generate seismic ground motion time histories at several locations on the ground surface that are compatible with prescribed response spectra, correlated according to a given coherence function, include the wave propagation effect, and have a specified duration of strong ground motion. Three examples involving simulation of earthquake ground motion are presented in order to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed methodologies. In the first two examples, acceleration time histories at three points on the ground surface are generated according to a prescribed cross-spectral density matrix, while in the third example, the acceleration time histories are generated to be compatible with prescribed response spectra.
Chemomechanics of surface stresses induced by DNA hybridization.

When biomolecular reactions occur on one surface of a microcantilever beam, changes in intermolecular forces create surface stresses that bend the cantilever. While this phenomenon has been exploited to create label-free biosensors and biomolecular actuators, the mechanisms through which chemical free energy is transduced to mechanical work in such hybrid systems are not fully understood. To gain insight into these mechanisms, we use DNA hybridization as a model reaction system. We first show that the surface grafting density of single-stranded probe DNA (sspDNA) on a surface is strongly correlated to its radius of gyration in solution, which in turn depends on its persistence length and the DNA chain length. Since the persistence length depends on ionic strength, the grafting density of sspDNA can be controlled by changing a solution's ionic strength. The surface stresses produced by the reaction of complementary single-stranded target DNA (sstDNA) to sspDNA depend on the length of DNA, the grafting dens...
Definition of noise temperatures θ in three dimensions and the conjecture θ ≥ T in nonequilibrium systems

Abstract A system of electrons in a strong electric field obeying a linear transport equation is considered. Various possibilities to define a second-rank noise-temperature tensor θαβ by means of the velocity fluctuation spectrum Sαβ and the velocity-field response function μαβ are proposed. The noise-temperature conjecture θ ≥ T can obviously be generalized in three different forms to three dimensions: 1) weak form θ∥F (parallel to field) ≥ T, 2) intermediate form Sp θ ≥ 3T, 3) strong form θsym - T1 positive definite. They are supposed to hold for all electric fields F independently of band structure and collision operator (scattering mechanism). In the constant relaxation-time model of the collision operator forms 1) and 2) are shown to hold at least for small fields (warm electron), whereas for case 3) it is easy to find counter examples which are isotropic and therefore independent of the θ-tensor definition chosen. Noise temperatures are given for two examples with nontrivial collision operators: the LKDPYW model with deformation potential scattering and n-type GaAs using the data of Monte-Carlo calculations.
Neutrophil Recruitment to Lymph Nodes Limits Local Humoral Response to Staphylococcus aureus

Neutrophils form the first line of host defense against bacterial pathogens. They are rapidly mobilized to sites of infection where they help marshal host defenses and remove bacteria by phagocytosis. While splenic neutrophils promote marginal zone B cell antibody production in response to administered T cell independent antigens, whether neutrophils shape humoral immunity in other lymphoid organs is controversial. Here we investigate the neutrophil influx following the local injection of Staphylococcus aureus adjacent to the inguinal lymph node and determine neutrophil impact on the lymph node humoral response. Using intravital microscopy we show that local immunization or infection recruits neutrophils from the blood to lymph nodes in waves. The second wave occurs temporally with neutrophils mobilized from the bone marrow. Within lymph nodes neutrophils infiltrate the medulla and interfollicular areas, but avoid crossing follicle borders. In vivo neutrophils form transient and long-lived interactions with B cells and plasma cells, and their depletion augments production of antigen-specific IgG and IgM in the lymph node. In vitro activated neutrophils establish synapse- and nanotube-like interactions with B cells and reduce B cell IgM production in a TGF- β1 dependent manner. Our data reveal that neutrophils mobilized from the bone marrow in response to a local bacterial challenge dampen the early humoral response in the lymph node.
Methyl Bromide and Aluminum Phosphide as Fumigants for Control of Adult Boll Weevils: Laboratory Studies

Adults (2-4 days old) of a laboratory-reared strain, Ebony Pearl, Anthonomus grandis Boheman were readily controlled with methyl bromide (MeBr) or aluminum phosphide. At temperatures below 10°C, much higher concentration-time products (CT) of MeBr were apparently required for control than expected if the relationship between CT and temperature were a straight line. There was some indication that adults 9-11 days old were more tolerant to aluminum phosphide than 2- to 4-day-old adults. Fumigation schedules are recommended for quarantine control.
The status of oxygen abundances of metal-poor stars

Abstract The sensitivity of various methods of oxygen-abundance determination to the structure of the model atmosphere in a classical analysis is described, with emphasis on the role of stellar effective temperature and the treatment of convection. Oxygen-abundance results presented during this meeting are outlined. Because the oxygen diagnostics are sensitive in different ways to the choice of model stellar parameters and to the treatment of convection, it is not surprising that different methods applied by different groups give different results. Most are consistent with an increase in [O/Fe] as [Fe/H] declines, but the slope is uncertain still, and the scatter is large at very low abundances. The trend may continue to low [Fe/H], but more stars and more checks are needed.
Characterization of the active sucrose transport system of immature soybean embryos.

Immature soybean embryos were isolated from soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seeds at various stages of development to study their accumulation of [14C]sucrose in vitro. Isolated embryos accumulate sucrose at a constant rate over several hours, the label entering large, endogenous pools of sucrose from which starch, protein, and lipid storage products are formed. Accumulation is without extracellular sucrose hydrolysis and occurs predominantly by active transport at physiological sucrose concentrations. A nonsaturable diffusion component, apparently superimposed upon the active saturable component, dominates overall uptake at exogenous concentrations greater than approximately 50 millimolar sucrose. Active transport is sensitive to uncoupling agents and the sulfhydryl-modifying reagent p-chloromecuribenzene sulfonate, is dependent on more than one energy source, and exhibits well-defined requirements for incubation temperature, pH, and oxygen availability. Under optimal incubation conditions of 35°C, saturating illumination (pH 6), and 21% oxygen, the apparent Km for sucrose is approximately 8 millimolar and Vmax is approximately 0.6 micromoles per hour per 100 milligrams fresh weight. Embryos readily accumulate sucrose from dilute exogenous solutions and, when preloaded with large amounts of sucrose, maintain the internal sucrose pool against steep outward gradients. These and other observations indicate that, although perhaps fully saturated in vivo, active sucrose transport is a significant component of photosynthate uptake in developing soybean embryos, enhancing uptake at physiological sucrose concentrations 2- to 5-fold over diffusion alone.
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is typified by robust marrow and extramedullary myeloid cell production. In the absence of therapy or sometimes despite it, CML has a propensity to progress from a relatively well tolerated chronic phase to an almost uniformly fatal blast crisis phase. The discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome followed by identification of its BCR-ABL fusion gene product and the resultant constitutively active P210 BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase, prompted the unraveling of the molecular pathogenesis of CML. Ground-breaking research demonstrating that BCR-ABL was necessary and sufficient to initiate chronic phase CML provided the rationale for targeted therapy. However, regardless of greatly reduced mortality rates with BCR-ABL targeted therapy, most patients harbor quiescent CML stem cells that may be a reservoir for disease progression to blast crisis. While the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) origin of CML was first suggested over 30 years ago, only recently have the HSC and progenitor cell-specific effects of the molecular mutations that drive CML been investigated. This has provided the impetus for investigating the genetic and epigenetic events governing HSC and progenitor cell resistance to therapy and their role in disease progression. Accumulating evidence suggests that the acquired BCR-ABL mutation initiates chronic phase CML and results in aberrant stem cell differentiation and survival. This eventually leads to the production of an expanded progenitor population that aberrantly acquires self-renewal capacity resulting in leukemia stem cell (LSC) generation and blast crisis transformation. Therapeutic recalcitrance of blast crisis CML provides the rationale for targeting the molecular pathways that drive aberrant progenitor differentiation, survival and self-renewal earlier in disease before LSC predominate.
Sparsistency of the Edge Lasso over Graphs

The fused lasso was proposed recently to enable recovery of high-dimensional patterns which are piece-wise constant on a graph, by penalizing the ‘1-norm of dierences of measurements at vertices that share an edge. While there have been some attempts at coming up with ecient algorithms for solving the fused lasso optimization, a theoretical analysis of its performance is mostly lacking except for the simple linear graph topology. In this paper, we investigate sparsistency of fused lasso for general graph structures, i.e. its ability to correctly recover the exact support of piece-wise constant graphstructured patterns asymptotically (for largescale graphs). To emphasize this distinction over previous work, we will refer to it as Edge Lasso. We focus on the (structured) normal means setting, and our results provide necessary and sucient conditions on the graph properties as well as the signal-to-noise ratio needed to ensure sparsistency. We examplify our results using simple graph-structured patterns, and demonstrate that in some cases fused lasso is sparsistent at very weak signal-to-noise ratios (scaling as p (logn)=jAj, where n is the number of vertices in the graph and A is the smallest set of vertices with constant activation). In other cases, it performs no better than thresholding the dierence
The emerging role of bendamustine in follicular lymphoma.

Follicular lymphoma is the most common indolent B cell lymphoma in the United States. Recent studies have suggested improved outcome in the modern therapeutic era, due largely to the routine introd...
Exchangeability of N Termini in the Ligand-gated Porins ofEscherichia coli

The ferric siderophore transporters of the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane manifest a unique architecture: Their N termini fold into a globular domain that lodges within, and physically obstructs, a transmembrane porin β-barrel formed by their C termini. We exchanged and deleted the N termini of two such siderophore receptors, FepA and FhuA, which recognize and transport ferric enterobactin and ferrichrome, respectively. The resultant chimeric proteins and empty β-barrels avidly bound appropriate ligands, including iron complexes, protein toxins, and viruses. Thus, the ability to recognize and discriminate these molecules fully originates in the transmembrane β-barrel domain. Both the hybrid and the deletion proteins also transported the ferric siderophore that they bound. The FepA constructs showed less transport activity than wild type receptor protein, but the FhuA constructs functioned with turnover numbers that were equivalent to wild type. The mutant proteins displayed the full range of transport functionalities, despite their aberrant or missing N termini, confirming (Braun, M., Killmann, H., and Braun, V. (1999) Mol. Microbiol. 33, 1037–1049) that the globular domain within the pore is dispensable to the siderophore internalization reaction, and when present, acts without specificity during solute uptake. These and other data suggest a transport process in which siderophore receptors undergo multiple conformational states that ultimately expel the N terminus from the channel concomitant with solute internalization.
Large deviations theory and efficient simulation of excessive backlogs in a GI/GI/m queue

The problem of using importance sampling to estimate the average time to buffer overflow in a stable GI/GI/m queue is considered. Using the notion of busy cycles, estimation of the expected time to buffer overflow is reduced to the problem of estimating p/sub n/=P (buffer overflow during a cycle) where n is the buffer size. The probability p/sub n/ is a large deviations probability (p/sub n/ vanishes exponentially fast as n to infinity ). A rigorous analysis of the method is presented. It is demonstrated that the exponentially twisted distribution of S. Parekh and J. Walrand (1989) has the following strong asymptotic-optimality property within the nonparametric class of all GI/GI importance sampling simulation distributions. As n to infinity , the computational cost of the optimal twisted distribution of large deviations theory grows less than exponentially fast, and conversely, all other GI/GI simulation distributions incur a computational cost that grows with strictly positive exponential rate. >
Is AOU a good measure of respiration in the oceans

AOU ¼ O2;satO2 ð1Þ where O2,sat depends on potential temperature, T, and salinity, S. Estimates of respiration inferred from AOU could contain errors due to several processes as pointed out by Shiller (1981), Broecker and Takahashi (1985) and Broecker et al. (1991), which include air-sea disequilibrium in the regions of water mass formation, non-linearity in the solubility of oxygen, and respiration involving denitrifica- tion. The impact of denitrification can be diagnosed from the distribution of N* (Gruber and Sarmiento, 1997; Sabine et al., 1999) whereas the impact of the other effects have not been well-understood nor quantified. In this study, we explicitly determine the decoupling of AOU from respira- tion in a 3-dimensional physical-biogeochemical model. (3) True Oxygen Utilization (TOU) (Broecker and Peng, 1982) is defined as the difference between the preformed oxygen content, O2,pre, and the observed oxygen content. TOU ¼ O2;preO2 ð2Þ DO2 ¼ TOUAOU ¼ O2;preO2;sat ð3Þ Preformed oxygen is set at the time of subduction and is transported into the interior ocean by physical circulation. Thus the preformed properties typically represent the mixed layer properties during winter seasons. Differences between AOU and TOU can arise from the surface disequilibrium at the time of subduction and water mass formation, and from mixing in the interior ocean combined with the nonlinearity in the solubility of oxygen. DO2 is exactly equal to the degree of saturation at the surface; see equation (3). DO2 is mapped into the interior ocean through advection and mixing. While O2,sat can be determined from observed temperature and salinity, it is impossible to determine DO2 from direct observation since the true preformed oxygen content remains unknown.
Cloning of a Na+-driven Cl/HCO3 exchanger from squid giant fiber lobe

We extracted RNA from the giant fiber lobe (GFL) of the squid Loligo pealei and performed PCR with degenerate primers that were based on highly conserved regions of Na+-coupled HCO3- transporters. ...
A review of time and frequency transfer methods

I will discuss the three general methods that are commonly used to transmit time and frequency information: one-way methods, which measure or model the path delay using ancillary data, two-way methods, which depend on the symmetry of the delays in opposite directions along the same path, and common view, in which several stations receive data from a common source over paths whose delays are approximately equal. I will describe the advantages and limitations of the different methods including uncertainty estimates for systems that are based on them.
Transition From School to Adulthood for Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder: What We Know and What We Need to Know

Youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience poor outcomes in the areas of independence, employment, and postsecondary education. This article provides a critical review of the key aspects of the transition process and identifies recommendations for policy and practice. The review highlights the literature and explores recommendations across the manifold elements of this transition, including social and psychological development, high school curriculum, work, and college. Five policy recommendations are outlined in the areas of school curriculum, employment development, postsecondary education, inclusion with nondisabled peers, and systematic instruction. Finally, the authors offer recommendations for further research in the areas of social interaction, increased academic and vocational rigor, employment, technology, independence, and postsecondary education.
The Public Health Threat of Emerging Viral Disease

"Emerging diseases" are those that either have newly appeared in the population or are rapidly increasing their incidence or expanding their geographic range. Emerging viruses usually have identifiable sources, often existing viruses of animals or humans that have been given opportunities to infect new host populations ("viral traffic"). Environmental and social changes, frequently the result of human activities, can accelerate viral traffic, with consequent increases in disease emergence. Host factors, including nutrition, have often received less attention in the past but are of considerable importance. These factors, combined with the ongoing evolution of viral and microbial variants, make it likely that emerging infections will continue to appear and probably increase, emphasizing the need for effective surveillance.
Stochastic Optimization Modeling and Quantitative Project Management

Successful projects manage and balance four variables effectively: schedule, effort (or cost), scope, and quality. Project activities influence these four variables as distributions rather than deterministically. Thus, the end results expected from a project with respect to those variables are a function of all the distributions associated with each activity. Integrating stochastic optimization modeling (SOM) with quantitative project management (QPM) lets projects factor in uncertainties and get near-real-time feedback, so they can monitor key variables and initiate corrective action.This case study provides a detailed description of our implementing SOM and QPM in a development project. Our project's scope was to develop a resource management application that facilitated centralized data collection with distributed reporting.
Draft Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas putida Strain S610, a Seed-Borne Bacterium of Wheat.

ABSTRACT We report the genome sequence of a seed-borne bacterium, Pseudomonas putida strain S610. The size of the draft genome sequence is approximately 4.6 Mb, which is the smallest among all P. putida strains sequenced to date.
Theophylline-induced respiratory recovery following cervical spinal cord hemisection is augmented by serotonin 2 receptor stimulation

Abstract Cervical spinal cord hemisection leads to a disruption of bulbospinal innervation of phrenic motoneurons resulting in paralysis of the ipsilateral hemidiaphragm. We have previously demonstrated separate therapeutic roles for theophylline, and more recently serotonin (5-HT) as modulators to phrenic nerve motor recovery; mechanisms that likely occur via adenosine A1 and 5-HT2 receptors, respectively. The present study was designed to specifically determine if concurrent stimulation of 5-HT2 receptors may enhance motor recovery induced by theophylline alone. Adult female rats (250–350 g; n=7 per group) received a left cervical (C2) hemisection that resulted in paralysis of the ipsilateral hemidiaphragm. Twenty-four hours later rats were given systemic theophylline (15 mg/kg, i.v.), resulting in burst recovery in the ipsilateral phrenic nerve. Theophylline-induced recovery was enhanced with the 5-HT2A/2C receptor agonist, (±)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine hydrochloride (DOI; 1.0 mg/kg). DOI-evoked augmentation of theophylline-induced recovery was attenuated following subsequent injection of the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, ketanserin (2.0 mg/kg). In a separate group, rats were pretreated with ketanserin, which did not prevent subsequent theophylline-induced respiratory recovery. However, pretreatment with ketanserin did prevent DOI-induced augmentation of the theophylline-evoked phrenic nerve burst recovery. Lastly, using immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization, we showed for the first time a positive co-localization of adenosine A1 receptor mRNA and immunoreactivity with phrenic motoneurons of the cervical ventral horns. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that theophylline may induce motor recovery likely at adenosine A1 receptors located at the level of the spinal cord, and the concurrent stimulation of converging 5-HT2 receptors may augment the response.
AUDITORY PREEMPTION VERSUS MULTIPLE RESOURCES: WHO WINS IN INTERRUPTION MANAGEMENT?

We examined the effects of modality (auditory versus visual) and spatial separation when a simulated vehicle control (tracking) task (the ongoing task: OT) was time shared with a digit entry task (the interrupting task: IT), contrasting the predictions of auditory preemption theory with that of multiple resource theory. Participants performed the tracking task with auditory display of the phone numbers, or with visual display at eccentricities ranging from 0 deg (overlay) to 45 deg. Auditory input improved IT performance relative to visual, but disrupted OT performance, thereby supporting the role of auditory preemption. This cost did not grow with longer messages. In contrast, at eccentricities above 15 deg, auditory superiority emerged for both tasks, highlighting the role of multiple resources, and separation produced greater costs to the OT than to the IT. Therefore, both discrete tasks, and auditory delivery have inherent preemptive effects on the continuous visual OT. The results are also interpreted in the context of the non-linear costs to dual task performance with increasing separation from the eye-field to the headfield, and the support for different visual hemi-fields for concurrent processing of verbal and ambient spatial information.
The Regulation of Glucose Transporter Gene Expression by Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate in NIH3T3 Fibroblasts

The effect of cAMP on glucose transport was studied in fibroblastic cells. Incubation of confluent NIH3T3 cells for 6 h in the presence of cholera toxin (10 ng/ml) and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine [(IBMX) 0.2 mm] or 8-bromo-cAMP (0.3 mm) and IBMX resulted in a 4-fold increase in the rate of deoxyglucose uptake; no change in hexose transport could be detected after treatment for 30 min. Either cholera toxin (0.3 ng/ml−30 ng/ml) or 8-bromo-cAMP (30 μm−3 mm) increased the expression of the mRNA encoding the glucose transporter (GT) protein, as determined by hybridization of size-fractionated total RNA to a rat brain GT cDNA. Activation of adenylate cyclase by forskolin also rapidly induced a 4- to 10-fold increase in GT mRNA. The rise in the level of GT mRNA was maximal 3–4 h after addition of the drug, and returned to basal values by 16 h. The stimulation was concentration dependent, with forskolin producing a maximal effect at 30 μm. The effect of a submaximal concentration (1 μm) of forskolin was greatly e...
Earth's core, climate, and magnetic field

H.H. Lamb (Climate, Present, Past and Future, vol. 2., Methuen Co., N.Y., 1977) postulated convincingly that there is a tight correlation between variations in the earth's climate and solar exposure (as represented by mean surface temperature 8). Given constant radiation and surface, solar exposure is a function of the length of day, and thus it has been tempting to correlate, as well, mechanisms that could cause or be the result of changes in the earth's rotation rate. Such mechanisms have been reviewed by Lambeck (The Earth's Variable Rotation, Geophysical Causes and Consequences, Cambridge University Press, London, 1980). Lambeck examined the variations in terms of fluid mechanical coupling between the earth's fluid core and the mantle but deduced that the electromagnetic coupling process between core and mantle probably plays the most dominant role in affecting the spin rate. The factors, climate (9), length of day, variation in the earth's rotation rate, and variations in the geomagnetic field, have been recently correlated by a group of French geophysicists (V. Courtillot et al., Nature, 297, 386, 1982) to form the basis of what is described as an ‘attractive causal chain’ to forecast future climatic variations. The predictive correlations are not subject to circular reasoning as to which—climate variations or variations within the core—was the ultimate cause. Courtillot et al. note a lag in time between core changes and climate changes—in terms of 0—of 15–25 years to predict the climate.
Physiological function of alcohol dehydrogenases and long-chain (C(30)) fatty acids in alcohol tolerance of Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus.

A mutant strain (39E H8) of Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus that displayed high (8% [vol/vol]) ethanol tolerance for growth was developed and characterized in comparison to the wild-type strain (39E), which lacks alcohol tolerance (<1.5% [vol/vol]). The mutant strain, unlike the wild type, lacked primary alcohol dehydrogenase and was able to increase the percentage of transmembrane fatty acids (i.e., long-chain C(30) fatty acids) in response to increasing levels of ethanol. The data support the hypothesis that primary alcohol dehydrogenase functions primarily in ethanol consumption, whereas secondary alcohol dehydrogenase functions in ethanol production. These results suggest that improved thermophilic ethanol fermentations at high alcohol levels can be developed by altering both cell membrane composition (e.g., increasing transmembrane fatty acids) and the metabolic machinery (e.g., altering primary alcohol dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase activities).
Cycling of Biogenic Mn-Oxides in a Model Microbial Predator-Prey System

The phase distribution and bioavailability of both essential and toxic trace metals can be profoundly impacted by trophic transfer in microbial food webs. A model microbial predator-prey system was...
Vibrational spectroscopic investigation of the ligand binding domain of kainate receptors

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has been used to probe the agonist-protein interactions in the ligand binding domain of the GluR6 subunit, one subunit of the kainate subtype of glutamate receptors. In order to study the changes in the interactions over a range of activations the investigations were performed using the wild type, N690S, and T661E mutations. These studies show that the strength of the interactions at the α-amine group of the agonist, as probed by studying the environment of the nondisulphide bonded Cys 432, acts as a switch with weaker interactions at lower activations and stronger interactions at higher activations. The α-carboxylate interactions of the agonist, however, are not significantly different over the wide range of activations, as measured by the maximum currents mediated by the receptors at saturating concentrations of agonists. Previous investigations of AMPA receptors show a similar dependence of the α-amine interactions on activation indicating that the roles of the α-amine interactions in mediating receptor activation are similar for both subtypes of receptors; however, in the case of the AMPA receptors a tug of war type of change was observed between the α-amine and α-carboxylate interactions and this is not observed in kainate receptors. This decoupling of the two interactions could arise due to the larger cleft observed in kainate receptors, which allows for a more flexible interaction for the α-amine and α-carboxylate groups of the agonists.
The EURODEM Collaborative Re-Analysis of Case-Control Studies of Alzheimer's Disease: Implications for Clinical Research and Practice

The EURODEM re-analyses of 11 case-control studies of Alzheimer's disease imply that familial aggregation of dementia, Down's syndrome, and parkinsonism occurs more frequently in Alzheimer's disease than in matched controls. Prior history of head trauma, hypothyroidism, and depression also occurs in higher frequency among patients with Alzheimer's disease. Exposure to a series of other medical conditions and environmental toxins was not significant. The association between Alzheimer's disease and maternal age remains unclear.
Unusual patterns of exon skipping in Bruton tyrosine kinase are associated with mutations involving the intron 17 3' splice site

Seven individuals with the diagnosis of X-linked agammaglobulinemia were analyzed for mutations in Bruton tyrosine kinase (Btk) gene at both the cDNA transcript and genomic DNA levels. In addition, maternal carrier status was determined in six of the seven families by examining X chromosome-inactivation patterns for B cells in comparison with other types of blood cells. Three categories of mutations were identified: (1) three patients have missense mutations in either the pleckstrin or SH2 domains of Btk; (2) three patients exhibit mutations at or near intron/exon splice sites, two of which represent inherited mutations within the kinase domain; and (3) one patient has inherited a 2.5-kb deletion with the loss of a DNA segment encoding three exons of the kinase domain. Variation in the lengths of Btk transcripts was evident in two patients with splice-site mutations and in the patient with the DNA deletion. Sequences of the different cDNA transcripts from the patients with 3' splice-site mutations reveal complex patterns of exon skipping involving from one to four exons of the kinase domain. These findings implicate 3' splice sites of the penultimate exon in the recognition or processing of upstream exons.
3D Surface Reconstruction of ICF Shells after Full Surface Spheremapping

AbstractWe have developed a mathematical algorithm to reconstruct the entire ICF shell surface to 10 nm accuracy. Mode 0 and 1 information is inherently missing in the Spheremapper measurements and must be retrieved systematically by minimizing the radius discrepancy at trace intersections. The R(θ,ϕ) map with 1 deg. angular resolution can be constructed by this method to give the target designer a way to model implosions, to give the process engineer feedback and to give the customer a tool for product visualization
Definitive Surgical Therapy after Open Neck Biopsy for HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Cancer:

ObjectiveTo determine the impact of prior open neck biopsy on the prognosis of patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)–related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) who are subsequently tr...
Taxonomic Studies in the Family Pythiaceae II. Pythium

(1932). Taxonomic Studies in the Family Pythiaceae II. Pythium. Mycologia: Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 14-61.
Variable Matrix Substitution in Algebraic Cryptography

(1958). Variable Matrix Substitution in Algebraic Cryptography. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 65, No. 3, pp. 170-179.
Research on the Ancient Landslide Governance at One Certain Embankment Slope Huishui to Xingren Highway

Because of the complex geological conditions,in the geological disaster-prone areas from Zhenning to Xingren in the Hui-Xing highway,there were many geological disasters to be easily lead with improper construction,such as,bedding landslides,avalanches,etc. In this paper,an ancient landslide control techniques were discussed as an example of the highway. Project description and basic engineering geological conditions of the landslide area were introduced,together with a ddetailed geological survey analysis of the basic ancient landslide characteristics,on the basis of which,the Landslide remediation design were carried out. Practice had proved that the " three slope" consulting and design of the project and ancient landslide remediation were successful,it was worthy of a certain reference for similar projects.
Muscle Protein Characteristic and Its Association with Faster Growth in Percids and Other Teleosts

This chapter provides a brief review of the current state of knowledge regarding fish skeletal muscle characteristics, factors affecting muscle growth, and proteomic based research in teleost fish with emphasis on percids. Part of the review includes a study that investigated genetic outcome that underlie the growth potential of muscle of yellow perch Perca flavescens. More specifically, it compared skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic proteins/peptides between fast- and slow-growing yellow perch in order to identify the differences in expression of skeletal muscle proteins in fish exhibiting different growth capabilities. Briefly, the study identified bands that presented different staining intensities between fast- and slow-growing fish by using 1D electrophoresis. It also demonstrated muscle metabolic enzymes identified by protein sequencing using nano-LC/MS/MS. The results of the present work contribute to the identification of genetic traits that affect the growth superiority in fish in controlled conditions. Therefore it could become a tool for selection of breeders with the potential for increased protein accretion associated with rapid muscle growth, and hence, the production of larger fish.
The Role of Viral Protein Phosphorylation During Filovirus Infection

Viral hemorrhagic fevers encompass a distinct group of acute, zoonotic, multisystemic illnesses. Of these, filoviruses (ebolaviruses and marburgviruses) are the most lethal. Further, the filoviruses are considered global health concerns due to the potential for their accidental introduction from endemic to nonnative regions or intentional manipulation for nefarious purposes. Although these concerns have prompted considerable investigation into therapeutic treatments, currently no licensed therapeutics are available for filovirus infections. Given the overall public health concern posed by these viruses, and the potential health and economic burden if introduced into a larger urban setting, the molecular pathogenesis associated with filovirus infections remains poorly defined. One important aspect of filovirus pathogenesis is the role of the regulation of viral protein function through posttranslational modification by phosphorylation. Here, we provide a review of the current state of knowledge regarding filovirus protein phosphorylation as it pertains to viral function and its role in the filovirus life cycle.
OR17 HLA-B intron derived microrna regulates the posttranscriptional expression of the heavy chain of the immunoglobulin A

Aim The MHC harbors non-protein coding informative regulatory elements such as microRNAs in the intronic and intergenic regions in addition to protein coding regions. MicroRNAs are 20–22 nucleotide RNAs which bind to target transcripts and regulate gene expression. The MHC encodes for 12 microRNAs including miR-6891, which is transcribed from within intron 4 of HLA-B and formed following splicing of the HLA-B transcript. The aim of this work was the functional characterization of miR-6891-5p. Methods We used the COX B-lymphocyte cell line and a lentivirus construct engineered to express the antisense miR-6891-5p to examine the effects on mRNA expression as quantified by expression microarray analysis, using mRNA from cells transfected with a scrambled antisense miR-6891-5p lentivirus expression vector as a control. Q-PCR and ELISA methods were used to assess gene transcription and protein expression of heavy chain of IgA. Results Primary B-cells and B-lymphoblastoid cells express miR-6891-5p as observed by Q-PCR. We inhibited miR-6891-5p by expressing its antisense and identified putative direct mRNA targets through microarray analysis. A significantly enriched transcript encodes the heavy chain of IgA. Both mRNA transcript of IgA heavy chain and secreted IgA protein expression were significantly increased when miR-6891-5p function was attenuated (as measured by qPCR and ELISA). Since, miRNAs are known to primarily target 3′ Untranslated regions (UTRs) of transcripts, we cloned the 3′ UTR of IgA heavy chain mRNA downstream of a luciferase reporter to assess direct targeting. Additionally, a mutant IgA heavy chain mRNA 3′ UTR was generated in which the predicted miR-6891-5p binding site was scrambled. When transfected in HEK 293T cells, luciferase expression from the wild-type IgA heavy chain 3′ UTR reporter was inhibited by miR-6891-5p overexpression and enhanced by miR-6891-5p antisense expression, whereas the mutant construct was resistant to effects of miR-6891-5p overexpression and inhibition. Conclusions This is the first report to show (1) functional characterization of any HLA-derived microRNA and (2) that a miRNA directly regulates antibody expression through targeting 3′ UTR of an immunoglobulin gene.
Linear Parameter Varying Techniques Applied to Aeroservoelastic Aircraft: In Memory of Gary Balas

Abstract This paper presents an overview of Dr. Gary Balas research activities in linear, parameter-varying (LPV) systems applied to aeroservoelastic (ASE) aircraft. More efficient aircraft can be designed by reducing weight and structure in the wings and fuselage. This makes the aircraft more flexible leading to increased ASE effects. Such ASE aircraft can be modeled as a linear parameter varying (LPV) system with an arbitrary, i.e. not necessarily rational, dependence on the scheduling parameters. The system involves coupling of the aircraft structural dynamics and aerodynamics thus resulting in large state dimension. This large dimension necessitates special approaches to modeling, order reduction and control design. The paper describes the process of designing an LPV controller for flutter suppression of a flexible unmanned aircraft starting from the nonlinear equation of motions for the vehicle.
Abstract 393: Chymase: Augmented Renal Tubular Protein Expression in Diabetes

Chymase is a serine protease that is predominantly found stored in granules of mast cells. Chymase expression is increased in mesangial cells, podocytes, vascular smooth muscle cells, and cardiomyocytes under hyperglycemic culture conditions. We have presented evidence for enhanced intrarenal chymase-dependent Ang II formation on afferent arteriole vasoconstriction in the diabetic kidney ( Hypertension. 56: e55, 2010). We tested the hypothesis that renal chymase protein expression is enhanced in the diabetic kidney. Kidneys were harvested from littermate control ( db/m ) and type II diabetic ( db/db ) mice at 36-wk-old. Body weight was significantly lower (33 ± 3 vs 40 ± 2 g), while plasma glucose was significantly higher (552 ± 40 vs 220 ± 21 mg/dl) in diabetic (n=6) compared to control (n=7) mice. However, plasma insulin levels were not different from controls (0.77 ± 0.10 vs 0.43 ± 0.11 mg/L), indicating that the diabetic mice are transitioning from type II to type I diabetic disease. Immunohistochemistry was performed using primary rabbit polyclonal antibodies [mMCP-4 (chymase, A Husain), anti-malignant T cell amplified sequence 1 (chymase, Abcam), H + -ATPase (D Brown), and aquaporin 2 (AQP2, J Sands)]. Renal subcapsular and adipose tissue mast cell granules stained positively for toluidine blue and chymase. Chymase protein expression was localized to the apical membrane of connecting tubules and cortical collecting ducts of both control and diabetic kidneys. Chymase was co-localized to AQP2 positive and H + -ATPase negative cells indicating that chymase is specifically expressed in the principal cells of the distal nephron. Prominent chymase immunostaining was observed in the renal papilla and endothelial cells of renal arteries and arterioles in all diabetic, but none of the control kidneys. Chymase was not localized to renal vascular smooth muscle cells. The renal localization of chymase was identical using custom and commercially available polyclonal antibodies. These are the first studies to identify chymase protein expression in the principal cells of the distal nephron. These novel data suggest that the serine protease actions of chymase may be linked to altered epithelial transport mechanisms in the distal nephron in diabetic kidney disease.
Dermatomyositis Associated with Myelofibrosis following Polycythemia Vera

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a unique inflammatory myopathy with clinical findings of proximal muscle weakness, characteristic rash, and elevated muscle enzymes. The association of DM and malignancy, most commonly adenocarcinoma, is well known. There have been few case reports of primary myelofibrosis associated with DM. We present the case of a 69-year-old male with a history of polycythemia vera (PV) who developed proximal muscle weakness, dysphagia, and rash. He was found to have elevated creatinine kinase and skin biopsy was consistent with DM. Due to persistent pancytopenia a bone marrow biopsy was performed and showed postpolycythemic myelofibrosis. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported of this unique association.
Theorizing About Human Capacity: A View from the Nineteenth Century

Political economy from Adam Smith through John Stuart Mill presupposed a race-blind account of human nature. As such, it maintained that left to their devices, ordinary people would find the best paths to attain happiness. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the historian Thomas Carlyle, joined by anthropologists and biologists, attacked and overthrew this view. In this chapter, Sandra J. Peart and David M. Levy bring together their previous work by focusing on the economic writings of W. R. Greg. His views on Irish inferiority, central to his argument against Mill’s abstract human, was cited by Charles Darwin as a consequence of the “failure” of natural selection in humans. Greg proposed eugenic policies to remedy this failure.