cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hyperreactivity of B-Z junctions to 4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen photobinding assayed by an exonuclease III/photoreversal mapping procedure.

Abstract We have developed an exonuclease III/photoreversal procedure to map, with base-pair resolution, the bases that have photoreacted with 4,5′,8-trimethylpsoralen (Me3-psoralen) forming either monoadducts or interstrand crosslinks in DNA. This assay allows quantification of relative rates of Me3-psoralen photobinding to bases in DNA at levels less than one crosslink per 8000 base-pairs. We demonstrate the applicability of the Me3-psoralen mapping procedure on the Z-forming sequence GAATT(CG)6-TA(CG)6AATTC. The results confirm our previous findings that Me3-psoralen forms crosslinks in the 5′TA within the (CG)6TA(CG)6 sequence when it exists in the B conformation but not when it exists in the Z conformation. In addition, with increasing superhelical density we observe at least a hundred-fold increased Me3-psoralen photoreactivity at the 5′AT sequence within the EcoRI sites (GAATTC), which presumably represent B–Z junctions. The two presumed junctions respond differently with increasing negative superhelical tension, however, suggesting that the structures of these junctions differ. This increased Me3-psoralen photoreactivity provides a positive signal for the presence of Z-DNA. The sequence and assay described here provide a “torsionally tuned probe” for determining the effective superhelical density of DNA in vivo.
Presenilin mutations and calcium signaling defects in the nervous and immune systems.

Presenilin-1 (PS1) is thought to regulate cell differentiation and survival by modulating the Notch signaling pathway. Mutations in PS1 have been shown to cause early-onset inherited forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by a gain-of-function mechanism that alters proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) resulting in increased production of neurotoxic forms of amyloid beta-peptide. The present article considers a second pathogenic mode of action of PS1 mutations, a defect in cellular calcium signaling characterized by overfilling of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium stores and altered capacitive calcium entry; this abnormality may impair synaptic plasticity and sensitize neurons to apoptosis and excitotoxicity. The calcium signaling defect has also been documented in lymphocytes, suggesting a contribution of immune dysfunction to the pathogenesis of AD. A better understanding of the calcium signaling defect resulting from PS1 mutations may lead to the development of novel preventative and therapeutic strategies for disorders of the nervous and immune systems.
Implementing agglomerative hierarchic clustering algorithms for use in document retrieval

Searching hierarchically clustered document collections can be effective, but creating the cluster hierarchies is expensive since there are both many documents and many terms. However, the information in the document-term matrix is sparse: documents are usually indexed by relatively few terms. This paper describes the implementations of three agglomerative hierarchic clustering algorithms that exploit this sparsity so that collections much larger than the algorithms'' worst case running times would suggest can be clustered. The implementations described in the paper have been used to cluster a collection of 12,000 documents.
Differences in stressors experienced by urban African American, White, and Hispanic children

The frequency of occurrence of 30 stressful life events and circumstances (SLE-Cs), most major and chronic stressors, was compared among 1179 African American, White, and Hispanic secondto sixth-grade, poor (76% eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch) urban children, and their families. Parents completed a Life Events Checklist (LEC) reporting all SLE-Cs experienced by child and family. Factor analysis identified a 5-factor solution for the LEC: Family Turmoil, Poverty, Family Separation/Social Services, Injury/Illness, and Unsafe/Violent Neighborhood. Although the three groups did not differ in overall number of SLE-Cs reported, there were significant group differences on 15 of the 30 LEC items distributed across all five factors. Implications of these findings, both for identifying future research directions and framing preventive interventions, are considered. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. A R T I C L E
Temporomandibular joint compression in coma.

There are many ways to apply a pain stimulus to a comatose patient to elicit a motor response. [1-4] Physicians have different preferences with regard to noxious pain stimuli. An ideal pain stimulus in coma must respect the patient, result in a motor response if elicitable, and not be associated with a significant sympathetic or vagal response or cause bruising. Many noxious stimuli have been suggested, including twisting of the forearm, pinprick on several body locations, rubbing the knuckles …
Cloning and Expression of Trichoderma reesei Cellobiohydrolase I in Pichia pastoris

Pichia pastoris was transformed with the Trichoderma reesei cbh1 gene, and the recombinant enzyme was purified and analyzed kinetically and by circular dichroism. The P. pastoris rCBH I was recognized by MoAb raised to T. reesei CBH I but was found in multiple molecular weight species on SDS-PAGE gels. Carbohydrate content determination and SDS-PAGE western analysis indicated that the recombinant protein was hyperglycosylated, although a species very similar in molecular weight to the T. reesei enzyme could be isolated chromatographically. The P. pastoris rCBH I also demonstrated activity toward soluble and insoluble substrates (i.e., pNPL and Sigmacell), although at a level significantly lower than the wild-type enzyme. More seriously, the yeast-expressed enzyme showed non-wild-type secondary structure by circular dichroism. We conclude that P. pastoris may not serve as an adequate host for the site-directed mutagenesis of T. reesei CBH I.
Cognitive radio based spectrum sharing: Evaluating channel availability via traffic pattern prediction

In this paper, a technique is proposed that enables secondary users to evaluate channel availability in cognitive radio networks. Here, secondary users estimate the utilization of channels via predicting the traffic pattern of primary user, and select a proper channel for radio transmission. The proposed technique reduces the channel switching rate of secondary users (the rate of switching from one channel to another) and the interference on primary users, while maintaining a reasonable call blocking rate of secondary users.
Contamination Flashover, Part I: Theoretical Aspects

This paper discusses some of the physical processes involved in the flashover of insulators with contaminated surfaces. Past theories of discharge propagation across moist films are reviewed and found to be unsatisfactory in certain respects. To better account for what is observed, it is proposed that under certain conditions contamination flashover is an electrical breakdown process, rather than a drying process or an electrical instability as has been generallly assumed.
Learning technical concepts with collaboration and communication skills

This presentation describes a method for improving technical skills at the same time as collaboration and communication skills.
Detection of tyrosinase mRNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in melanoma sentinel nodes.

Background: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is an alternative to elective dissection or observation for management of lymph node basins in patients with cutaneous melanomas. The detection of tyrosinase mRNA in melanoma SLN specimens by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has been reported to be a more sensitive method to detect subclinical metastases, compared with histological analysis. The aims of this study were to (1) define the yield of RT-PCR in assessing SLNs, compared with histological analysis, (2) identify the incidence of false-positive results in SLNs, and (3) report the rate of actin PCR negativity (i.e., samples with degraded RNA) in SLNs. Methods: Twenty-eight patients with 1.2–9.6-mm cutaneous melanomas underwent SLN biopsy (between October 1996 and March 1997). One half of each SLN was analyzed by nested RT-PCR for tyrosinase mRNA. The other half of the SLN was examined by routine microscopy. Twenty-one lymph nodes from patients without melanoma were evaluated as controls. Results: Two of the 28 patients with melanoma were excluded because of RNA degradation, as indicated by actin negativity. Six of the remaining 26 patients exhibited melanoma metastases in routine histological examinations. All histologically positive lymph nodes were RT-PCR-positive. Thirteen of the 20 (65%) histologically negative cases were RT-PCR-positive. Of 21 control lymph nodes, 3 were actin-negative and were not assessable for tyrosinase mRNA. Two of the remaining 18 (11%) negative-control nodes were RT-PCR-positive. Conclusions: Among patients undergoing SLN biopsy, tyrosinase mRNA was detectable in 73% of SLNs from patients at risk for regional nodal metastases, including all of those with histologically positive SLNs. There is a definable false-positive rate for tyrosinase mRNA detection in the lymph nodes of patients who do not have melanoma. Actin verification of RNA integrity is necessary to ensure the accuracy of this test in detecting tyrosinase mRNA. Ongoing follow-up monitoring will define the prognostic value of this assay.
Speech entrainment compensates for Broca's area damage

Speech entrainment (SE), the online mimicking of an audiovisual speech model, has been shown to increase speech fluency in patients with Broca's aphasia. However, not all individuals with aphasia benefit from SE. The purpose of this study was to identify patterns of cortical damage that predict a positive response SE's fluency-inducing effects. Forty-four chronic patients with left hemisphere stroke (15 female) were included in this study. Participants completed two tasks: 1) spontaneous speech production, and 2) audiovisual SE. Number of different words per minute was calculated as a speech output measure for each task, with the difference between SE and spontaneous speech conditions yielding a measure of fluency improvement. Voxel-wise lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) was used to relate the number of different words per minute for spontaneous speech, SE, and SE-related improvement to patterns of brain damage in order to predict lesion locations associated with the fluency-inducing response to SE. Individuals with Broca's aphasia demonstrated a significant increase in different words per minute during SE versus spontaneous speech. A similar pattern of improvement was not seen in patients with other types of aphasia. VLSM analysis revealed damage to the inferior frontal gyrus predicted this response. Results suggest that SE exerts its fluency-inducing effects by providing a surrogate target for speech production via internal monitoring processes. Clinically, these results add further support for the use of SE to improve speech production and may help select patients for SE treatment.
Compositional Variation of Short- and Intermediate-Range Structure and Chemical Order in Ge−As Sulfide Glasses: A Neutron Diffraction Study

The structures of chalcogenide glasses in the Ge−As−S system with Ge:As = 1:1 and with S concentration varying between 33.3 and 70.0 atom% have been studied using neutron diffraction. Ge and As atoms are primarily heteropolar bonded to S atoms in stoichiometric and S-excess glasses. Formation of homopolar As−As bonds at low and intermediate levels of S-deficiency results in violation of chemical order and in the formation of As-rich structural moieties. Ge takes part in metal−metal bonding, predominantly via the formation of Ge−As bonds, only in the highly S-deficient glasses once all the As atoms are used up in homopolar bonding. Incorporation of tetrahedrally coordinated Ge into the structure disrupts the topological continuity of the low-dimensional As-rich clusters and the GeS2 network. These intermediate-range order structural orderings are manifested in the compositional dependence of the intensity, position, and width of the first sharp diffraction peak in the structure factor.
Proteolysis of p6.9 Induced by Cytochalasin D in Autographa californica M Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus-Infected Cells

Cytochalasin D, a fungus-derived compound that interferes with actin polymerization, inhibits Autographa californica M nuclear polyhedrosis virus production in infected Spodoptera frugiperda (IPLB-Sf-21) cells. Cytochalasin D appears to inhibit nucleocapsid morphogenesis by interfering with nucleoprotein packaging. We were interested in determining, therefore, whether the drug affected the synthesis or processing of p6.9, the major core protein involved in nucleoprotein packaging. We found that cytochalasin D had no effect on the synthesis, phosphorylation, or dephosphorylation of p6.9, but that it induced the proteolysis of p6.9, an effect which could account for the inhibition of nucleocapsid morphogenesis. We also determined that the cytochalasin D-induced proteolysis of p6.9 was reversible upon removal of the drug, even in the absence of protein synthesis.
Relationship between soil extractable boron and tissue concentrations in Rosaceae shrubs in Utah

Abstract Native species are distributed among a broad range of soil and environmental conditions and vary widely in boron (B) content. Soil B tests have been used often, but inconsistently, to characterize the supply of B to cultivated crop species; however such tests have never been correlated with B concentrations in native species. This study was designed to determine (a) how well three soil B extraction procedures (hot water, pressurized hot water and DTPA‐sorbitol extraction) predict tissue B concentrations in three native Rosaceae shrubs [serviceberry (Amelanchier utahensis), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), and Woods' rose (Rosa woodsii)]; (b) the effects of other soil factors (soil pH, percent organic matter and percent clay) on availability of soil B to the forgoing species; and (c) if mature leaf sorbitol concentrations are correlated with B concentrations in plant tissues and B availability in soils. We found that there was no significant difference among soil extraction methods used in predict...
A Reinterpretation of the Turbulent Prandtl Number

The eddy viscosity at any location in fully developed turbulent flow in a round pipe is shown by an exact analysis to be simply the ratio of the shear stress due to the time-averaged turbulent fluc...
Biochemical characterization and expression of RLK4, a receptor-like kinase from Arabidopsis thaliana

The Arabidopsis RLK4 gene encodes a Ser/Thr receptor-like protein kinase. A lysine to glutamic acid substitution in an essential subdomain of the RLK4 catalytic domain, results in an inactive protein kinase. Transphosphorylation experiments, using the inactive form of RLK4 as a substrate for an active form, indicated that autophosphorylation could proceed via an intermolecular mechanism. Multiple sites are phosphorylated at the catalytic domain of RLK4, as indicated by two-dimensional (2D) thin-layer electrophoresis and chromatography. To analyze the expression pattern of RLK4, we used the RLK4 promoter to drive the expression of the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene in transgenic plants. GUS activity was observed in the shoot apex and roots. In roots, the GUS staining pattern was limited to the lateral roots and at the root-hypocotyl transition zone. Analysis of an RLK4 mutant line did not show any difference in the phenotype with respect to the wild type. The expression of other related RLKs with similar expression patterns suggest there is functional redundancy for RLK4.
Newcastle Disease Virus V Protein Is a Determinant of Host Range Restriction

It has been demonstrated that the V protein of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) functions as an alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β) antagonist (M. S. Park, M. L. Shaw, J. Munoz-Jordan, J. F. Cros, T. Nakaya, N. Bouvier, P. Palese, A. Garcia-Sastre, and C. F. Basler, J. Virol. 77:1501-1511, 2003). We now show that the NDV V protein plays an important role in host range restriction. In order to study V functions in vivo, recombinant NDV (rNDV) mutants, defective in the expression of the V protein, were generated. These rNDV mutants grow poorly in both embryonated chicken eggs and chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) compared to the wild-type (wt) rNDV. However, insertion of the NS1 gene of influenza virus A/PR8/34 into the NDV V(−) genome [rNDV V(−)/NS1] restores impaired growth to wt levels in embryonated chicken eggs and CEFs. These data indicate that for viruses infecting avian cells, the NDV V protein and the influenza NS1 protein are functionally interchangeable, even though there are no sequence similarities between the two proteins. Interestingly, in human cells, the titer of wt rNDV is 10 times lower than that of rNDV V(−)/NS1. Correspondingly, the level of IFN secreted by human cells infected with wt rNDV is much higher than that secreted by cells infected with the NS1-expressing rNDV. This suggests that the IFN antagonist activity of the NDV V protein is species specific. Finally, the NDV V protein plays an important role in preventing apoptosis in a species-specific manner. The rNDV defective in V induces apoptotic cell death more rapidly in CEFs than does wt rNDV. Taken together, these data suggest that the host range of NDV is limited by the ability of its V protein to efficiently prevent innate host defenses, such as the IFN response and apoptosis.
New Definition of Mental Retardation for the American Association of Mental Retardation

Purpose: To describe the new definition of mental retardation developed by the American Association of Mental Retardation (AAMR) published in 1992. The previous definition was based on a deficiency model that identified “subaverage intelligence” using an intelligence quotient (IQ) score equal to or less than 70. The new definition places greater emphasis on adaptive skills and environmental support needs. Scope: Defining mental retardation according to AAMR criteria reflects a significant paradigm shift from an absolute trait to a functional conception. The new definition is dynamic, attends to context, is inherently holistic—and, therefore—closely aligned with nursing theory. Diagnosis is a three-step process by which functional strengths and weaknesses are identified along 4 dimensions and 10 adaptive-skill areas. Identification of needed supports is incorporated within the three-step process. Conclusions: Nurses can enhance holistic care by working to have AAMR's new definition adopted by government legislators and administrators of state and county agencies that provide mental-retardation services. Nurses should become active participants as interdisciplinary diagnostic team members as well as case managers. Nurse researchers and educators can contribute toward further developing AAMR's definition by standardizing assessment instruments, working to make diagnostic procedures more user-friendly, and researching the construct validity of adaptive-skill areas. Finally, nurses should help legislators and policy makers understand the sociocultural ramifications of AAMR's new definition.
Modified Layered-Sectional Analysis for Forensic Investigation

AbstractThis paper describes a modification to the layered-sectional analysis approach, which provides the engineer with a tool to assess structural behavior of concrete beams with localized damage, a problem not well suited to classical, closed-form solutions. The modified layered-sectional analysis (MLSA) framework is applied to a forensic investigation case study in which two prestressed double-tee beams are exposed to a short duration, intense fire in a parking structure. The results of the MLSA are within 1% of the case study load test, which indicates that the MLSA could be a useful, computationally efficient tool for the investigating engineer to predict the postfire serviceability and strength of damaged beams, and potentially eliminate the need for expensive load testing. A short parametric study is included for the research engineer interested in the MLSA for predicting the postdamage behavior of non-standard materials such as enhanced sustainability concrete (ESC).
Business Services and Business Componentization: New Gaps between Business and IT

"Services" is one of the most overloaded terms in the last 5 years in the IT industry. Progressively, the various co-existing meanings of this word have shifted from describing Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Web Services concepts to newer ideas such as Business Services and Service Oriented Business Application (SOBA). Consequently, use of the term "services" currently implies different connotations to different audiences, with all inferred meanings only vaguely understood by business researchers and decision-makers outside the IT industry. Something similar occurs with the words "component" and "componentization" which has both IT and business connotations. Business components have recently been proposed and used in modeling enterprises and industries. On the other hand, software and application components have also become very popular with the advent of Service Component Architecture standardization and related efforts. In this paper, we aim to provide a preliminary definition for Business Services and Business Components while also describing how they are different from their related IT siblings. Our goal is to identify the gap and shed some light to the SOA field.
Effects of Aortic Balloon Pumping during Cardiopulmonary Bypass on Myocardial Perfusion, Metabolism, and Contractility

This study was undertaken to determine if the production of pulsatile flow by the intra-aortic balloon pump during cardiopulmonary bypass has any beneficial effect on coronary flow, regional myocardial flow, myocardial metabolism, and left ventricular function. Thirty-six conditioned dogs were subjected to one hour of total normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. They were divided into the following five groups: (1) controls, beating heart and femoral inflow; (2) balloon, beating heart, and femoral inflow; (3) balloon, beating heart, and aortic inflow; (4) control, fibrillating heart and femoral inflow; and (5) balloon, fibrillating heart, and femoral inflow. Total coronary flow, left ventricular flow, coronary sinus flow, and the endocardial-to-epicardial flow ratio increased in group 3. This increase in flow may have been in part due to increased resistance to flow in the descending aorta by the balloon. No differences in flow were noted in the other groups, all of which were perfused via the femoral artery. No significant differences in myocardial metabolism or left ventricular contractility could be demonstrated between balloon-treated and control groups in these normal hearts.
1958 PGEC Membership Survey Report

In order to sense the Professional Group on Electronic Computers' current position in the computing industry and in order for each member to assess his position within the Group, a second membership survey was completed in the Fall of 1958. The results of this survey are reported herein. Tabular data, bar graphs and salary curves are included to aid in assessment of the Group and an individual's position in the industry, particularly with respect to education, experience, field of endeavor, salary and geographical location.
Media Literacy as a Core Competency for Engaged Citizenship in Participatory Democracy

The ubiquitous media landscape today is reshaping what it means to be an engaged citizen. Normative metrics for engagement—voting, attending town meetings, participation in civic groups—are eroding in the context of online advocacy, social protest, “liking,” sharing, and remixing. These new avenues for engagement offer vast opportunities for new and innovative approaches to teaching and learning about political engagement in the context of new media platforms and technologies. This article explores digital media literacy as a core competency for engaged citizenship in participatory democracy. It combines new models of engaged and citizenship and participatory politics with frameworks for digital and media literacy education, to develop a framework for media literacy as a core political competency for active, engaged, and participatory citizenship.
Pucara (Amaryllidaceae) Reduced to Synonymy with Stenomesson on the Basis of Nuclear and Plastid DNA Spacer Sequences, and a New Related Species of Stenomesson

Pucara leucantha is transferred to Stenomesson as Stenomesson leucanthum based on the phylogenetic position of Pucara resolved by nuclear and plastid DNA sequences. An allied species, Stenomesson chloranthum, is described from the Departments of Amazonas and Cajamarca in Peru, but at lower elevations. Both of these species release their pollen in tetrads, unique within Amaryllidaceae, and have tri-lobed stigmas, unique within Stenomesson.
What Is Driving Hospitals’ Patient-Safety Efforts?

The Institute of Medicine’s report To Err Is Human described the alarming prevalence of medical errors and recommended a range of activities to improve patient safety. Three general mechanisms for stimulating hospitals to reduce medical errors are professionalism, regulation, and market forces. Although some believe that market forces are becoming more important, we found that a quasi-regulatory organization (the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) has been the primary driver of hospitals’ patient-safety initiatives. Professional and market initiatives have also facilitated improvement, but hospitals report that these have had less impact to date.
P-MIP: paging extensions for mobile IP

As the number of Mobile IP users grows, so will the signalling overhead associated with Internet mobility management in the core IP network. This presents a significant challenge to Mobile IP as the number of mobile devices scale-up. In cellular networks, registration and paging techniques are used to minimize the signalling overhead and optimize the mobility management performance. Currently, Mobile IP supports registration but not paging. In this paper, we argue that Mobile IP should be extended to support paging to improve the scalability of the protocol to handle large populations of mobile devices. To address this, we introduce P-MIP, a set of simple paging extensions for Mobile IP, and discuss the construction of paging areas, movement detection, registration, paging and data handling. We present analysis and simulation results for Mobile IP with and without paging extensions, and show that P-MIP can scale well supporting large numbers of mobile devices with reduced signalling under a wide variety of system conditions.
Solar abundances as derived from solar energetic particles

Recent studies have shown that there are well defined average abundances of heavy (Z≳2) solar energetic particles (SEPs), with variations in the acceleration and propagation producing a systematic flare‐to‐flare fractionation that depends on the charge per unit mass of the ion. Correcting the average SEP abundances for the fractionation yields SEP‐derived coronal abundances for 20 elements. Higher resolution SEP studies have also provided isotopic abundances for 5 elements. SEP‐derived abundances indicate that elements with high first ionization potentials (≳10 eV) are depleted in the corona relative to the photosphere and provide new information on the solar abundance of C and ^(22)Ne. Future SEP observations offer the prospect of a significant reduction of the uncertainties in solar elemental and isotopic abundances.
Round Two: Doubt [Perspectives on Graduate Life]

With the registration for fall courses complete and the arrival of new master's degree and Ph.D. students, it is hard to ignore that I am no longer new. I feel as if I had spent the last year struggling through a painfully drawn-out transition into graduate school and adult life, and with each stumble and mistake, I was able to console myself because it was my first year.
CMOS-integrated 40GHz germanium waveguide photodetector for on-chip optical interconnects

Compact (0.7µm×20µm) germanium waveguide photodetector operating at 40Gbps is demonstrated. Monolithic integration of high-quality Ge-on-insulator single-crystalline layer into the CMOS stack was achieved by lateral seeded crystallization during CMOS wells activation anneal above germanium melting temperature.
Statistical Application in Economics

Statisticians have recently proposed some methods for ranking the gene variables with outlier expressions. The major attraction of these methods is their ability to select the variables which show systematic decrease or increase in only a subset of samples in the disease group. In order to fully account for the outliers, in this article, we truncate the expression values and propose an alternative method to rank the variables with systematic increase or decrease. The proposed statistic is very simple to implement. Simulations and real data study show that the proposed statistic has a more powerful ability to rank the variables than some methods in literature.
A wideband radar for high-resolution mapping of near-surface internal layers in glacial ice

Snow accumulation rate is an important parameter in determining the mass balance of polar ice sheets. Accumulation rate is currently determined by analyzing ice cores and snow pits. Inadequate sampling of the spatial variations in the ice sheet accumulation has resulted in accumulation rate uncertainties as large as 24%. We designed and developed a 600-900-MHz airborne radar system for high-resolution mapping of the near-surface internal layers for estimating the accumulation rate of polar ice sheets. Our radar system can provide improved spatial and temporal coverage by mapping a continuous profile of the isochronous layers in the ice sheet. During the 2002 field season in Greenland, we successfully mapped the near-surface layers to a depth of 200 m in the dry-snow zone, 120 m in the percolation zone, and 20 m in the melt zone. We determined the water equivalent accumulation rate at the NASA-U/spl I.bar/1 site to be 34.9/spl plusmn/5.1 cm/year from 1964 to 1992. This is in close agreement with the ice-core derived accumulation rate of 34.6 cm/year for the same period.
Bcl‐xL sequesters its C‐terminal membrane anchor in soluble, cytosolic homodimers

Bcl-xL is a potent inhibitor of apoptosis. While Bcl-xL can be bound to mitochondria, a substantial fraction, depending on the cell type or tissue, is found in the cytosol of healthy cells. Gel filtration and crosslinking experiments reveal that, unlike monomeric Bax, Bcl-xL migrates in a complex of approximately 50 kDa in the cytosol. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments indicate that Bcl-xL in the cytosol forms homodimers. The C-terminal hydrophobic tails of two Bcl-xL molecules are involved in homodimer formation, and analysis of mutants demonstrates that the C-terminal lysine residue and the G138 residue lining the BH3-binding pocket are required for homodimerization. The flexible loop preceding the C-terminal tail in Bcl-xL is longer than that of several monomeric Bcl-2 family members and is a requisite for the homodimer formation. Bad binding to Bcl-xL dissociates the homodimers and triggers Bcl-xL binding to mitochondrial membranes. The C-terminal tail of Bcl-xL is also required to mediate Bcl-xL/Bax heterodimer formation. Both mitochondrial import and antiapoptotic activity of different Bcl-xL mutants correlate with their ability to form homodimers.
Recent advances in antimultiple myeloma drug development.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological malignancy and is characterized by the aberrant proliferation of terminally differentiated plasma B cells with impairment in apoptosis capacity. Particularly, osteolytic bone diseases and renal failure resulting from hyperparaproteinemia and hypercalcemia have been the major serious sequelae that are inextricably linked with MM tumor progression. Despite the introduction of new treatment regimens, problematic neuropathy, thrombocytopenia, drug resistance and high MM relapse rates continue to plague the current therapies. New chemical agents are in development on the basis of understanding several signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms like tumor necrosis factor-α, proteasome, PI3K and MARKs. This review focuses on the most recent patents and clinical trials in the development of new medicine for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Furthermore, the important signaling pathways involved in the proliferation, survival and apoptosis of myeloma ...
Computing MEG signal sources

This paper deals with the complexity of the inverse computation of brain currents from magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals. MEG measures the magnetic field outside the head: in effect, the resultant field from the flow of current inside the brain. We describe our current techniques to perform this inverse computation (called source estimation in much of the literature), which provides a view of brain activity that is less sensitive to disturbances which affect other kinds of brain activity measurements, though much more expensive to record.
Recent Developments in Highway Research in the United States

Several years ago, the Highway Agency leaders in the United States found themselves to be the object of intense public and political concern as the poor condition of the nation’s infrastructure became apparent. In large part, this came about because the Interstate Highway System, on which construction began in the late 1950’s and 1960fs, had moved from its low-maintenance early life into a new phase where large maintenance and rehabilitation costs were growing rapidly. Further, necessary maintenance had been deferred in many cases, so that by the time the infrastructure problem captured the public’s attention, the costs of doing all the needed repairs were extremely large.
Human Identification for Human-Robot Interactions

In co-robotics applications, the robots must identify human partners and recognize their status in dynamic interactions for enhanced acceptance and effectiveness as socially interactive agents. Using the data from depth cameras, people can be identified from a person’s skeletal information. This paper presents the implementation of a human identification algorithm using a depth camera (Carmine from PrimeSense), an open-source middleware (NITE from OpenNI) with the Java-based Processing language and an Arduino microcontroller. This implementation and communication sets a framework for future applications of human-robot interactions. Based on the movements of the individual in the depth sensor’s field of view, the program can be set to track a human skeleton or the closest pixel in the image. Joint locations in the tracked human can be isolated for specific usage by the program. Joints include the head, torso, shoulders, elbows, hands, knees and feet. Logic and calibration techniques were used to create systems such as a facial tracking pan and tilt servomotor mechanism. The control system presented here sets groundwork for future implementation into student built animatronic figures and mobile robot platforms such as Turtlebot.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Subcellular Localization of the Staphylococcus aureus Heme Iron Transport Components IsdA and IsdB

Staphylococcus aureus is a human pathogen that represents a tremendous threat to global public health. An important aspect of S. aureus pathogenicity is the ability to acquire iron from its host during infection. In vertebrates, iron is sequestered predominantly within heme, the majority of which is bound by hemoglobin. To acquire iron, S. aureus binds hemoglobin, removes heme, and transports it into the cytoplasm, where heme is degraded. This process is carried out by the iron-regulated surface determinant system (Isd); however, the mechanism by which hemoglobin recognition occurs is not completely understood. Here we report that the surface receptor components of the Isd system, IsdA and IsdB, physically interact with each other and are anchored to a discrete location within the cell wall. This organized localization pattern is dependent upon the iron status of the bacterium. Furthermore, we have found that hemoglobin colocalizes with IsdB at discrete sites within the cell wall. Virulence studies revealed that IsdB is required for the efficient colonization of the heart and that IsdB is differentially expressed within infected organs, suggesting that S. aureus experiences various degrees of iron starvation depending on the site of infection. These findings significantly expand our understanding of hemoglobin iron acquisition and demonstrate an orchestrated pattern of regulation and localization for the S. aureus heme iron acquisition system.
A 40-MHz 85.8%-peak-efficiency switching-converter-only dual-phase envelope modulator for 2-W 10-MHz LTE power amplifier

In conventional envelope modulators, a linear regulator is required to attain fast tracking, but it is a significant source of efficiency degradation. To eliminate the linear regulator, a dual-phase switching converter with synchronized adaptive voltage tracking (SAVT) control is employed. The SAVT control enables synchronization and fast hysteretic response for voltage tracking. To overcome the switching converter slew rate limit, a push-pull slew rate enhancer is implemented. The modulator is fabricated with a 0.18μm process and achieves 85.8% peak efficiency tracking a 10MHz LTE envelope.
Identification of cytokinin-responsive genes using microarray meta-analysis and RNA-Seq in Arabidopsis.

Cytokinins are N6-substituted adenine derivatives that play diverse roles in plant growth and development. We sought to define a robust set of genes regulated by cytokinin as well as to query the response of genes not represented on microarrays. To this end, we performed a meta-analysis of microarray data from a variety of cytokinin-treated samples and used RNA-seq to examine cytokinin-regulated gene expression in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Microarray meta-analysis using 13 microarray experiments combined with empirically defined filtering criteria identified a set of 226 genes differentially regulated by cytokinin, a subset of which has previously been validated by other methods. RNA-seq validated about 73% of the up-regulated genes identified by this meta-analysis. In silico promoter analysis indicated an overrepresentation of type-B Arabidopsis response regulator binding elements, consistent with the role of type-B Arabidopsis response regulators as primary mediators of cytokinin-responsive gene expression. RNA-seq analysis identified 73 cytokinin-regulated genes that were not represented on the ATH1 microarray. Representative genes were verified using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and NanoString analysis. Analysis of the genes identified reveals a substantial effect of cytokinin on genes encoding proteins involved in secondary metabolism, particularly those acting in flavonoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, as well as in the regulation of redox state of the cell, particularly a set of glutaredoxin genes. Novel splicing events were found in members of some gene families that are known to play a role in cytokinin signaling or metabolism. The genes identified in this analysis represent a robust set of cytokinin-responsive genes that are useful in the analysis of cytokinin function in plants.
Single Cell Analysis of Transcriptional Activation Dynamics

Background: Gene activation is thought to occur through a series of temporally defined regulatory steps. However, this process has not been completely evaluated in single living mammalian cells. Methodology/Principal Findings: To investigate the timing and coordination of gene activation events, we tracked the recruitment of GCN5 (histone acetyltransferase), RNA polymerase II, Brd2 and Brd4 (acetyl-lysine binding proteins), in relation to a VP16-transcriptional activator, to a transcription site that can be visualized in single living cells. All accumulated rapidly with the VP16 activator as did the transcribed RNA. RNA was also detected at significantly more transcription sites in cells expressing the VP16-activator compared to a p53-activator. After a-amanitin pre-treatment, the VP16-activator, GCN5, and Brd2 are still recruited to the transcription site but the chromatin does not decondense. Conclusions/Significance: This study demonstrates that a strong activator can rapidly overcome the condensed chromatin structure of an inactive transcription site and supercede the expected requirement for regulatory events to proceed in a temporally defined order. Additionally, activator strength determines the number of cells in which transcription is induced as well as the extent of chromatin decondensation. As chromatin decondensation is significantly reduced after a-amanitin pre-treatment, despite the recruitment of transcriptional activation factors, this provides further evidence that transcription drives large-scale chromatin decondensation.
On Developing Expert-Based Decision-Support Systems in Physical Therapy: The NIOSH Low Back Atlas

We have described the process of the initial development of an expert-based decision-support system for the management of patients with low back syndrome. Important considerations for developing decision-support systems are reviewed, both generally and specifically. The term "expert" is dissected and discussed. Our work so far involved congregation of a number of experts and compilation of a testing protocol. We are now refining the system for specific populations and purposes.
The Miller-Urey Experiment and Prebiotic Chemistry

Laboratory synthesis of a large variety of important prebiotic molecules is surprisingly straightforward, using conditions likely to apply to the early Earth. The variety of compounds formed with a reducing atmosphere is more diverse and amounts more abundant than when a CO2 and N2 is the starting point. Attempts to obtain useful amounts and types of prebiotic compounds starting from these more oxidized conditions typically require some method to add reducing capacity, which often seems somewhat ad hoc. Even if large amounts of prebiotic monomers can be produced, by whatever starting conditions, it is necessary to have mechanisms available to polymerize them to get useful biopolymers (polynucleotides and polypeptides). These polymerization reactions require dehydration, which may result from drying of some part of the prebiotic soup, or high temperatures associated with volcanism, or availability of specific active molecules such as polyphosphates. These requirements suggest that Darwin may have been correct in pointing to some kind of isolated surface pond loaded with suitable precursor compounds. Even if the early ocean was greatly enriched in organic compounds, as suggested by the degassing scenarios previously discussed, the mix of reaction conditions and energy available in a coastal setting with volcanism present seems a better bet for the emergence of life, than origin either in open water of even at deep-sea vents.
Constraints on Training: Informativeness and Breadth in Procedural Skill Learning

Three training methods were compared in a computer text editing situation. Training varied on the degree of constraint imposed on the behavior of learners. For complex methods, completely constrained and completely unconstrained training situations led to worse test perfomance than an unconstrianed training condition in which subjects were informed about their compliance with a method and allowed to reset the system at will. The results argue against a strict “training wheels” approach to learning environments but support the general notion of “guided exploration,” especially for complex methods.
Stability of Higher Order Repetitive Control

Repetitive control (RC) and iterative learning control (ILC) apply to repeating situations, and iteratively adjust the command to a feedback control system aiming to converge on zero tracking error. Thus, these forms of control solve an inverse problem, but instead of doing so numerically with a mathematical model, it is done iteratively with the real world hardware. ILC restarts the system before each run, while repetitive control applies to executing a periodic command or eliminating the effects of a periodic disturbance. The ILC literature has many contributions developing what are called higher order ILC laws, where the control action in the current repetition is a function of the errors observed in multiple previous runs. It is the purpose of this paper to develop the higher order repetitive control, and in particular to develop the relevant theory of stability. It is proved that the simple frequency response based sufficient condition for convergence in first order RC, is also a sufficient condition for convergence in higher order RC, and it is independent of the order chosen. Furthermore, this condition is very close to being a necessary condition for stability. The result is that the typical design process in the frequency domain for first order RC can now be directly extended to the design of higher order RC as well.
The Effect of Noncondensables on the Buoyancy-Thermocapillary Convection in Confined and Volatile Fluids

Convection in confined layers of volatile liquids has been studied extensively under atmospheric conditions. Recent experimental results [1] have shown that removing most of the air from a sealed cavity significantly alters the flow structure and, in particular, suppresses transitions between the different convection patterns found at atmospheric conditions. Yet, at the same time, this has almost no effect on the flow speeds in the liquid layer. To understand these results, we have formulated and numerically implemented a detailed transport model that accounts for mass and heat transport in both phases as well as the phase change at the interface. Surprisingly, the numerical simulations show that noncondensables have a large effect on buoyancy-thermocapillary flow at concentrations even as low as 1%, i.e., much lower than those achieved in experiment.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Preparation of Purified Myelin of Rabbit Brain by Sedimentation in a Continuous Sucrose Gradient

SummaryPurified myelin was prepared in high yield by a single centrifugation in the L-4 zonal centrifuge. A whole rabbit brain (8 g) homogenate in 7% sucrose was layered over a 10–35% sucrose gradient in the B-IV rotor and sedimented for 2 hr at 40,000 rpm. The gradient was removed by pumping 50% sucrose into the rotor with the recovery of 120 fractions of 13 ml each. Every fifth to tenth fraction was examined under the electron microscope and was assayed for RNA, DNA, sialic acids, and 10 enzymes. The latter included cytochrome oxidase (CyOx) to monitor for mitochondria, K-activated ATPase (K∗ATP) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) for synaptic membranes, leucylglycinase for soluble and microsomes, acid phosphatase for lysosomes, and glucose-yields in fractions 90–110, in keeping with the presence of all subcellular constituents in these fractions.We gratefully acknowledge the support of this project through NIH, Grant NB 08278.
Case 2-2009: A 25-year-old man with pain and swelling of the right hand and hypotension

A 25-year-old man was transferred to the emergency department of this hospital because of pain and swelling of the right hand and hypotension. His hand was mottled and swollen, with a black eschar on the dorsum, and soft-tissue swelling extended up the proximal forearm. Vigorous fluid resuscitation and norepinephrine were required for hemodynamic support.