cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rates and Mechanisms in Formation of Dolomite: ABSTRACT

Dolomite is forming in Deep Springs Lake, California, and marine-associated Coorong lakes of South Australia. Dolomite forms via a surface-layer precursor, which is commonly calcium-rich in comparison End_Page 631------------------------------ with the main body of the crystal, and which yields a calcium-rich dolomite by solid-state diffusion. This can be demonstrated to be true of most dolomite which forms in the absence of extraneous phases of calcite and magnesian calcite, from both the marine-associated Coorong lakes and Deep Springs Lake, by employing the following methods: (1) progressive leachings, with attendant chemical analyses; (2) X-ray diffraction; and (3) electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction data show that it is also true of dolomite forming in the presence of such extraneous phases. Dolomite also forms in the presence of magnesite or calcian magnesite, in certain of the marine-associated Coorong lakes; such dolomite is slightly magnesium rich. This dolomite probably forms via a magnesium-rich precursor, dep sited as a layer on the individual crystals of dolomite, in much the same manner as the calcium-rich layer on the calcium-rich dolomite. Carbon-14 dates of the calcium-rich dolomite from Deep Springs Lake yield growth rates of 500-900 angstroms/103 years. End_of_Article - Last_Page 632------------
Is the GSI anomaly due to neutrino oscillations? A real time perspective

We study a model for the ``GSI anomaly'' in which we obtain the time evolution of the population of parent and daughter particles directly in real time, considering explicitly the quantum entanglement between the daughter particle and neutrino mass eigenstates in the two-body decay. We confirm that the decay rate of the parent particle and the growth rate of the daughter particle do not feature a time modulation from interference of neutrino mass eigenstates. The lack of interference is a consequence of the orthogonality of the mass eigenstates. This result also follows from the density matrix obtained by tracing out the unobserved neutrino states. We confirm this result by providing a complementary explanation based on Cutkosky rules applied to the Feynman diagram that describes the self energy of the parent particle.
Solution Structure of a Cyanovirin-N:Manα1-2Manα Complex

Abstract Background: Cyanovirin-N (CVN) is a novel, 11 kDa cyanobacterial protein that potently inhibits viral entry by diverse strains of HIV through high-affinity carbohydrate-mediated interactions with the viral envelope glycoprotein gp120. CVN contains two symmetry-related carbohydrate binding sites of differing affinities that selectively bind to Man 8 D1D3 and Man 9 with nanomolar affinities, the carbohydrates that also mediate CVN:gp120 binding. High-resolution structural studies of CVN in complex with a representative oligosaccharide are desirable for understanding the structural basis for this unprecedented specificity. Results: We have determined by multidimensional heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy the three-dimensional solution structure of CVN in complex with two equivalents of the disaccharide Manα1-2Manα, a high-affinity ligand which represents the terminal-accessible disaccharide present in Man 8 D1D3 and Man 9 . The structure reveals that the bound disaccharide adopts the stacked conformation, thereby explaining the selectivity for Man 8 D1D3 and Man 9 over other oligomannose structures, and presents two novel carbohydrate binding sites that account for the differing affinities of the two sites. The high-affinity site comprises a deep pocket that nearly envelops the disaccharide, while the lower-affinity site comprises a semicircular cleft that partially surrounds the disaccharide. The ∼40 A spacing of the two binding sites provides a simple model for CVN:gp120 binding. Conclusions: The CVN:Manα1-2Manα complex provides the first high-resolution structure of a mannose-specific protein-carbohydrate complex with nanomolar affinity and presents a new carbohydrate binding motif, as well as a new class of carbohydrate binding protein, that facilitates divalent binding via a monomeric protein.
Design and construction of a double inversion recombination switch for heritable sequential genetic memory.

Author(s): Ham, Timothy S; Lee, Sung K; Keasling, Jay D; Arkin, Adam P | Abstract: BackgroundInversion recombination elements present unique opportunities for computing and information encoding in biological systems. They provide distinct binary states that are encoded into the DNA sequence itself, allowing us to overcome limitations posed by other biological memory or logic gate systems. Further, it is in theory possible to create complex sequential logics by careful positioning of recombinase recognition sites in the sequence.Methodology/principal findingsIn this work, we describe the design and synthesis of an inversion switch using the fim and hin inversion recombination systems to create a heritable sequential memory switch. We have integrated the two inversion systems in an overlapping manner, creating a switch that can have multiple states. The switch is capable of transitioning from state to state in a manner analogous to a finite state machine, while encoding the state information into DNA. This switch does not require protein expression to maintain its state, and "remembers" its state even upon cell death. We were able to demonstrate transition into three out of the five possible states showing the feasibility of such a switch.Conclusions/significanceWe demonstrate that a heritable memory system that encodes its state into DNA is possible, and that inversion recombination system could be a starting point for more complex memory circuits. Although the circuit did not fully behave as expected, we showed that a multi-state, temporal memory is achievable.
Single-Seek Data Layout for Walkthrough Applications

With increasing speed of graphics rendering, the bottleneck in walkthrough applications has shifted to data transfer from secondary storage device to main memory. While techniques designed to reduce the data transfer volume and amortize the transfer cost are well-studied, the disk seek time, which is one of the most important components of the total rendering cost is not reduced explicitly. In this work, we propose an orthogonal approach to address the disk seek time bottleneck, namely single-seek data layouts. This is a solution in one end of the spectrum of solutions that guarantee an upper bound on the number of disk seeks. Using this approach, we can reduce the number of disk seeks required to load the data for any viewpoint in the scene to no more than one. We achieve this single seek layout using data redundancy. We provide a theoretical proof on the upper-bound of this redundancy factor, and analyze its trade-off with the rendering performance through an implementation that uses this data layout for walkthrough applications of datasets with hundreds of millions of triangles.
Thermal characterization of carbon-opacified silica aerogels☆

A new method to introduce carbon into aerogels to block the infrared component of radiant heat transfer within the aerogel was developed to improve the thermal properties of silica aerogel. Chemical vapor infiltration and heat treatment were used to deposit and grow nanophase carbon deposits inside the aerogel. Infrared measurements were performed on the doped material to determine the absorption. A vacuum thermal tester was used to measure the thermal conductivity as a function of air pressure and specimen temperature on flat plate aerogel samples.
Mapping between design activities and external representations for engineering student designers

Many design researchers have attempted to characterize design through the different activities the designer exhibits, such as problem framing, solution generation, and evaluating alternative solutions. Others have documented the way that sketching supports design. This study combines these approaches to understanding design by exploring the interplay between designers' representations and their design activities in a set of four case studies. We analyzed verbal protocols collected from two senior and two freshman engineering students. The four students exemplify the significant design activity findings from a previous study. In this paper, we present the results from the analysis of the four design protocols, focusing on the relationship between representation and design activity, and on differences between the freshmen and seniors in our sample in the way that they make and use design sketches. We discuss these findings with a focus on improving design education.
Fuel hedging and airline operating costs

Abstract Fuel hedging is a common risk management tool used in the airline industry. But past studies have not addressed the question of whether fuel hedging creates any benefit to airline operations. This study is the first work that empirically examines the role of fuel hedging in reducing airlines’ operating costs. Using US airlines data from 2000 through 2012, we find that, after accounting for the presence of cost inefficiency, fuel-hedging airlines had about 9–12% lower operating costs, but this effect is statistically insignificant. Irrespective of the hedging status, US airlines could reduce operating costs by an average of 12–14% per year without reducing output.
Distribution of Lectins in the Jumbo Virginia and Spanish Varieties of the Peanut, Arachis hypogaea L

Peanut lectin was purified from seed meal of the Spanish and Jumbo Virginia varieties of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) by affinity chromatography on lactose coupled to Sepharose 4B. Polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing resolved the lectin preparation from Jumbo Virginia seeds into seven isolectins (pI 5.7, 5.9, 6.0, 6.2, 6.3, 6.5, and 6.7). Seed meal from the Spanish variety contained six isolectins which were indistinguishable from the pI 5.7, 5.9, 6.2, 6.3, 6.5, and 6.7 isolectins from Jumbo Virginia. Quantitative, lactose-specific hemagglutination was used to examine the lectins in tissues of both peanut varieties. In young (3- to 9-day-old) seedlings of each variety, more than 90% of the total amount of lectins detected in the plants was in the cotyledons. Most of the remainder was in hypocotyls, stems, and leaves; young roots contained no more than 4 micrograms of lectin per plant. Lectins were present in all nonroot tissues of 21- to 30-day-old seedlings, except 27-day-old Spanish hypocotyls. As cotyledons of each variety senesced, several of the more basic isolectins decreased to undetectable levels, but the acidic isolectins remained until at least 15 days after planting. Some of the seed isolectins and several apparently new lactose-binding lectins were also identified in affinity-purified extracts of 5-day-old roots and hypocotyls. Rabbit antibodies raised against the Jumbo Virginia seed isolectin preparation reacted with seed, cotyledon, and hypocotyl lectin preparations from both varieties. Analysis of seed lectin preparations from seven varieties of A. hypogaea and of a related species (A. villosulicarpa) indicated that isolectin composition in Arachis may be a characteristic of both the species and the subspecies (botanical type) to which the variety belongs.
Silicon carbide/diamond heterostructure rectifying contacts

The first results pertaining to the fabrication of an optically transparent SiC contact on naturally occurring semiconducting diamond C(001) substrates are reported. The SiC layer is formed by electron-beam evaporation of an Si film followed by a two-step high-temperature annealing process. By employing Al dots as a metal mask, mesa heterostructure diodes comprising Al/SiC/C(001) were fabricated by etching in an electron cyclotron resonance oxygen plasma. Rectifying I–V characteristics were obtained from the mesa heterostructures.
A model for fluctuations in the fraction of a bacterial population harboring plasmids

Abstract In some experimental situations the fraction of bacteria containing plasmids appears to repeatedly decline and increase before the plasmids are eventually lost in a gradual terminal decline. These fluctuations may not be observed unless the composition of the population is determined at various cell densities. This paper gives a mathematical model for this behavior. In the model the decreases in the fraction of cells bearing plasmids record the appearance of plasmidless offspring cells of plasmid-bearing cells. The increases occur because plasmidless cells obtain plasmids from multicopy donor cells when the cell density is high. The periodic dilution of the medium necessary to permit continued growth of the population in test tubes repeatedly alters the balance of these two factors. The gradual terminal decline in the fraction of cells bearing plasmids is the result of a slight growth rate advantage of plasmidless cells. During the entire process the average copy number of the cells decreases, and the time lag before the final decline is the time required for the average copy number to approach one.
Individual and Environmental Factors Related to Quitting Heroin Injection

This study examines the relationship between individual-level and the certain neighborhood characteristics with drug use cessation among a sample of long-term inner-city heroin injectors in Baltimore, Maryland. The data were derived from baseline and first follow-up visits of SHIELD, a larger HIV prevention intervention study targeting members of the drug-using community. The survey instrument was interviewer-administered and ascertained sociodemographics, drug use history, and sexual and drug risk behaviors. The data were collected between August 1997 and March 1999. The current study was limited to participants with a median age of 41 years old. 27.5% (n = 53) reported quitting drug use at follow-up. Compared with those who quit, participants who continued (n = 147) were close to five times as likely to buy drugs in the neighborhoods in which they lived, 80% less likely to have used drugs in a shooting gallery in the past 6 months, and close to five times more likely to have used drugs in outside places...
Substituted 2-norbornyl carbenes

A series of endo-6-substituted bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-yl carbenes have been generated by pyrolysis of the sodium salt of the tosylhydrazone precursors. The endo-6-trimethylsilyl and endo-6-thiomethoxy substituted carbenes give 1,3-migration of these substituents to the carbene center. However groups such as methyl, CH2SiMe3, phenyl, and methoxy are ineffective 1,3-migrating groups. The facile 1,3-migration of trimethylsilyl and thiomethoxy has been rationalized in terms of stabilized transition states where the migrating group interacts effectively with the carbene vacant orbital. In the cases of endo-6-thiomethoxy and methoxy derivatives, the carbene also inserts effectively into the methyl group of the substituent. Heteroatom stabilization of the transition state for C-H insertion facilitates these processes. Certain exo-6-substituted bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-yl carbenes have also been generated. While the exo-6-thiomethoxy and carbomethoxy systems give exclusive 1,3-hydrogen migration, the exo-6-sulfonyl derivative gives, in addition to 1,3-hydrogen migration, an alkene product derived from 1,2-hydrogen migration. The lowered propensity for 1,3-hydrogen migration is attributed to the strong electron-withdrawing sulfonyl group, which decreases the hydridic 1,3-interaction with the carbene vacant orbital.
Characterization of the occurrence of ifosfamide-induced neurotoxicity with concomitant aprepitant.

Purpose. Ifosfamide is metabolized by the cytochrome P450 system to its active form, ifosforamide mustard. A potential side effect is neurotoxicity, often manifesting as confusion, hallucination, o...
Atmospheric deposition in acid sensitive areas of Ireland — The influence of wind direction and a new coal burning electricity generation station on precipitation quality

Greater acidity and substantially higher annual deposition of the major ions, were recorded in the precipitation at Glencree (Co. Wicklow) on the east coast of Ireland compared to those recorded at the west coast sampling stations. The daily average deposition of hydrogen ions, non-marine sulphate and oxidized nitrogen was higher at all sampling locations when associated with air masses arriving from the east compared with those from the west, particularly at Glencree. The impact of emissions from the coal-fired power station at Moneypoint (Co.Clare) on the precipitation was negligible at all sampling locations except at Gortglass, a point 19 km to its east. At this sampling point the higher concentrations and deposition for hydrogen ion and non-marine sulphate were associated with air masses expected to show the influence of the Moneypoint power station.
Chaos and symmetry in the history of mechanics

A practicing physicist can find inspiration and interesting ideas from looking at the original publications, even going back several centuries. The rate of progress in physics is slower than most modern scientists like to think; a fifty-year cycle in mechanics can be perceived simply by making a list of the most important books. A quick survey is presented to find out to what extent the early authors are aware of two modern concepts: symmetry as an argument to justify the basic mathematical relations and the chaotic behavior in their solutions. The personalities and philosophical inclinations of the writers come out very clearly. The origin of the variational principle and its meaning for Feynman's path integral are mentioned toward the end.
Development of a Score to Predict the Need for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery in Patients With Non-ST Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes

Abstract Background Our ability to identify surgical candidates before angiography is limited. Early identification of surgical patients would improve preoperative management and ultimately postoperative outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine whether surgical candidates could be identified before coronary angiography using simple clinical variables. Methods The study population was comprised of 688 patients admitted to a tertiary hospital because of non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of surgery. A test cohort (50.2%) was used to generate the model and a validation cohort (49.8%) was used for independent validation of the proposed score. Results Three variables independently predicted the indication for bypass surgery: the absolute thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) risk score (odds ratio [OR] = 2.34 for each unit increase in the score, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.89–2.89, p p = 0.006), and the presence of congestive heart failure (CHF) on admission (OR = 2.57, CI=1.08–6.81, p = 0.03). A simplified score that spans from 0–10 was developed based on the logistic regression model. The score adds two points to the TIMI score if PVD is present and one point if CHF is present. The area under the receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve of the proposed score for predicting surgery was 0.80 ± 0.02. Conclusions The score we have proposed and validated can be used to predict the likelihood of bypass surgery before coronary angiography and may assist the clinician to tailor preoperative medical therapy.
Graphene nanoengineering and the inverse Stone-Thrower-Wales defect

We analyze a fundamental building block for monolithic nanoengineering on graphene: the Inverse-Stone-Thrower-Wales (ISTW) defect. The ISTW is formed from a pair of joined pentagonal carbon rings placed between a pair of heptagonal rings; the well-known Stone-Thrower-Wales defect is the same arrangement, but with the heptagonal rather than pentagonal rings joined. When removed and passivated with hydrogen, the structure constitutes a molecule, diazulene, which may be viewed as the result of an ad-dimer defect on anthracene. Embedding diazulene in the honeycomb lattice, we study the effect of ad-dimers on planar graphene. Because the ISTW defect has yet to be experimentally identified, we examine several synthesis routes and find one for which the barrier is only slightly higher than that associated with adatom hopping on graphene. ISTW and STW defects may be viewed as fundamental building blocks for monolithic structures on graphene. We show how to construct extended defect domains on the surface of graphene in the form of blisters, bubbles, and ridges on a length scale as small as $2\text{ }\text{\AA{}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7\text{ }\text{\AA{}}$. Our primary tool in these studies is density functional theory.
An Instrument for Self-Measurement of Intraocular Pressure

Close monitoring of the intraocular pressure is considered important to the diagnosis and management of glaucoma. We developed an instrument that allows patients to record their own intraocular pressure. A pilot study demonstrates the good acceptance and safety of the self tonometer. Its accuracy meets standardization guidelines for such instruments.
Controlling the flood: when more of a dose is less

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the flood of information that is inundating us. This flood makes it increasingly difficult to make sense of the world and arrive at the correct interpretation of events. Design/methodology/approach – Classic narrative literature review applying the dosage metaphor to the growing problem of information overload. Findings – The seven elements of dosage – amount, frequency, sequencing, delivery systems, contraindications, interactions, and dysfunctions – are used to discuss four major coping mechanisms – escape, attention, delegation, and creative destruction – for dealing with the flood. Each of the coping mechanisms has different entailments for the dosage elements. Originality/value – This essay develops a guiding principle for thinking about how we should cope with this central problem of the information age: suggesting a minimalist approach that offers the hope of clarity in acting in an age that increasingly overwhelms us.
Fighting “Frankenfoods”: Industry Opportunity Structures and the Efficacy of the Anti-Biotech Movement in Western Europe

This article analyzes how a new social movement against genetic engineering in agriculture managed to turn a major industry upside down. While the social movements literature has long recognized the importance of external context for the success of social movements, it has paid little attention to the institutional logic and features of targets other than the state. Here I argue that an undertheorized aspect of external context, namely, industry structures , is a primary factor explaining why the anti-biotech movement in Western Europe was so effective. As conceptualized here, industry structures are composed of economic, organizational, and cultural features, and function to enhance or constrain social movements' efforts to change industry behavior. Bringing these structures into our purview and recognizing their significance for activist struggles can significantly advance our understanding of social movement efficacy in this age of globalization and increased corporate power.
Oppositions in In Country

Abstract Bobbie Ann Mason's In Country presents a surface rarely disturbed by signs of its coded structure. The characters and the world they inhabit seem real; the emotional and physical problems they face familiar. Much of the commentary on the novel, in fact, focuses almost exclusively on the novel's characters—Sam and Emmett particularly—as if they were real people whose lives continue beyond the novel. Sam perhaps forgets about the wounded and impotent vet Tom and advances toward her college degree at the University of Kentucky. Emmett likely goes on to live a happier life while flipping burgers at Burger King rather than flipping out during flashbacks to his Vietnam experience.
Estimating the Frequency of Future High Microbial Counts in Records with an Actual or Potential Trend or Periodicity

ARSTRACT: Microbial counts records from 2 food plants, showing irregular fluctuating patterns and an apparent trend or periodicity were converted into a series of ratios, Y n =N n /N n-1 where N n is the n th count and N n-1 its predecessor. The distribution of these ratios was described by the logLaplace and lognormal distribution functions, calculated by the method of moments and maximum likelihood estination. These distributions were used to extimate the probability that a count will exceed its predecesser by given gations. The extinates obtained with both distributions func-tions were in reasonable agreement with the actual values observed in fresh data, indicating that the probabilly of future events can be estimated from records with or without a trend or periodicity.
Fatal infantile cardiopathy caused by phosphorylase b kinase deficiency.

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Continuidade e ruptura no processo de constituição psíquica

O trabalho se constitui numa discussao sobre o processo de constituicao dos limites psiquicos em duas leituras contrastantes representadas por Andre Green e Donald Winnicott. Inicialmente apresentamos duas hipoteses sobre esta questao encontradas no texto freudiano, especificamente em 1930, que a nosso ver fundamentam os desenvolvimentos teoricos posteriores em Winnicott e Green. Entao, a possibilidade de pensar a constituicao psiquica a partir do postulado de uma indiferenciacao primaria, em Freud, se apresenta, em Winnicott, atraves do recurso ao paradoxo enquanto figura emblematica do processo de constituicao psiquica. Por outro lado, a postulacao freudiana sobre a ausencia enquanto requisito fundamental da constituicao da psique ressurge em Green sob a forma da exigencia do trabalho do negativo, evento central na construcao dos limites psiquicos.
Why NATO is Still Relevant

In this article, I argue that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) can still play a useful role in providing security to its members after September 11. The alliance had been prepared for terrorist attacks politically and militarily and continues to adjust to a new security environment. As a consequence, it acted swiftly and decisively in response to September 11. In addition, NATO generated two important ‘second image reversed’ effects. First, its defense planning system coordinated and implemented common military goals and ensured interoperability among national forces. Second, its decisions changed the political discourse in member states. Using the example of Germany — currently the most reluctant ally of the US — I show that the discourse changed from (self) interest to reputation after NATO invoked Article 5. The German discourse shifted back to (self) interest on the issue of war against Iraq because the Bush administration chose to bypass NATO to ensure allied cooperation.
High efficiency green light-emitting diodes based on InGaN-ZnGeN2 type-II quantum wells

Strain-compensated type-II InGaN-ZnGeN 2 -AlGaN quantum wells (QWs) are studied as improved active regions for light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Both the band gap and the lattice parameters of ZnGeN2 are very close to those of GaN. The recently predicted large band offset between GaN and ZnGeN 2 allows the formation of a type-II heterostructure. The deep confinement of holes in the ZnGeN2 layer allows the use of a low In-content InGaN QW to extend the emission wavelength into the green wavelength region. A thin layer of AlGaN surrounding the QW is used as a strain compensation layer. Simulation studies of the proposed type-II QW indicate an enhancement of 5.6-6.8 times the spontaneous emission rate compared to InGaN-GaN QWs emitting in the green wavelength region.
Plumage and song differences mediate species recognition between incipient flycatcher species of the Solomon Islands.

Changes in mating signals among populations contribute to species formation. Often these signals involve a suite of display traits of different sensory modalities (“multimodal signals”); however, few studies have tested the consequences of multimodal signal divergence with most focusing on only a single divergent signal or suite of signals of the same sensory modality. Populations of the chestnut-bellied flycatcher Monarcha castaneiventris vary in song and plumage color across the Solomon Islands. Using taxidermic mount presentation and song playback experiments, we tested for the relative roles of divergent song and color in homotypic (“same type”) recognition between one pair of recently diverged sister taxa (the nominate chestnut-bellied M. c. castaneiventris and the white-capped M. c. richardsii forms). We found that both plumage and song type influenced the intensity of aggressive response by territory-owners, with plumage color playing a stronger role. These results indicate that differences in plumage and song are used in homotypic recognition, suggesting the importance of multimodal signal divergence in the evolution of premating reproductive isolation.
Hapln1a is required for connexin43-dependent growth and patterning in the regenerating fin skeleton.

Cell–cell communication, facilitating the exchange of small metabolites, ions and second messengers, takes place via aqueous proteinaceous channels called gap junctions. Connexins (cx) are the subunits of a gap junction channel. Mutations in zebrafish cx43 produces the short fin (sof b123) phenotype and is characterized by short fins due to reduced segment length of the bony fin rays and reduced cell proliferation. Previously established results from our lab demonstrate that Cx43 plays a dual role regulating both cell proliferation (growth) and joint formation (patterning) during the process of skeletal morphogenesis. In this study, we show that Hapln1a (Hyaluronan and Proteoglycan Link Protein 1a) functions downstream of cx43. Hapln1a belongs to the family of link proteins that play an important role in stabilizing the ECM by linking the aggregates of hyaluronan and proteoglycans. We validated that hapln1a is expressed downstream of cx43 by in situ hybridization and quantitative RT-PCR methods. Moreover, in situ hybridization at different time points revealed that hapln1a expression peaks at 3 days post amputation. Expression of hapln1a is located in the medial mesenchyme and the in the lateral skeletal precursor cells. Furthermore, morpholino mediated knock-down of hapln1a resulted in reduced fin regenerate length, reduced bony segment length and reduced cell proliferation, recapitulating all the phenotypes of cx43 knock-down. Moreover, Hyaluronic Acid (HA) levels are dramatically reduced in hapln1a knock-down fins, attesting the importance of Hapln1a in stabilizing the ECM. Attempts to place hapln1a in our previously defined cx43–sema3d pathway suggest that hapln1a functions in a parallel genetic pathway. Collectively, our data suggest that Cx43 mediates independent Sema3d and Hapln1a pathways in order to coordinate skeletal growth and patterning.
Water Levels and Total Phosphorus in Lake Okeechobee

ABSTRACT Pelagic total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in Lake Okeechobee were shown previously to be correlated with lake water levels, possibly due to littoral flooding and subsequent P release from vegetation (Canfield and Hoyer 1988). The present paper reviews the research to test this and other hypotheses to explain the water level – TP relationship. Research in the littoral region indicates that during low to intermediate water levels, there is little water or nutrient exchange between the pelagic and littoral regions, and that under high water levels, the littoral is a P sink. These findings lead to a rejection of the littoral flooding hypothesis. Alternative hypotheses, concerning internal loading from pelagic sediments, have been suggested. Maceina and Soballe (1990) proposed that wind, rather that water level, controls TP – in windy years, there is frequent resuspension of P-rich sediments into the water column. This hypothesis is supported by results of hydrodynamic model simulations, and by stu...
Aldicarb immunomodulation in mice: an inverse dose-response to parts per billion levels in drinking water.

The effects of aldicarb (a carbamate insecticide and nematocide) on selected immune and non-immune parameters of mice were examined. The primary objective was to determine whether exposure to low levels of aldicarb through drinking water could affect selected immune functions. Aldicarb was administered via drinking water either at 10, 100, and 1,000 parts per billion (ppb)2 for 14 days or at 1, 10, 100, and 1,000 ppb for 34 days. The 34-day experiment was repeated twice with minor variations. Aldicarb significantly and repeatedly suppressed the splenic plaque forming cell response to sheep red blood cells at the lowest concentrations tested: the 1 ppb level elicited greater suppression of plaque forming cells and other immune factors than did 1,000 ppb of aldicarb. This inverse dose-response represents a dramatic departure from the classic toxicologic dose-response curve, where toxicity increases with increasing dose levels.
The game of F-saturator

Let G be a graph and F be a family of graphs. We say that G is F-saturated if G does not contain a copy of any member of F, but for any pair of nonadjacent vertices x and y in G, G+xy contains a copy of some [email protected]?F. A great deal of study has been devoted to the maximum and the minimum number of edges in an F-saturated graph. Little is known, however, about F-saturated graphs of other sizes or, alternatively, about the F-saturated subgraphs of an arbitrary graph G. In this paper, we introduce the game of F-saturator on G as a means to study the characteristics of all of the F-saturated subgraphs of G. Two players alternate, selecting edges from G and considering the subgraph of G formed by all of the edges selected thusfar. The first player to create a copy of H, for some [email protected]?F, loses the game. Alternatively, the first player to create an F-saturated subgraph of G wins the game. We consider the game of F-saturator for various choices of F and G.
A sodium channel pore mutation causing Brugada syndrome.

Background Brugada and long QT type 3 syndromes are linked to sodium channel mutations and clinically cause arrhythmias that lead to sudden death. We have identified a novel threonine-to-isoleucine missense mutation at position 353 (T353I) adjacent to the pore-lining region of domain I of the cardiac sodium channel (SCN5A) in a family with Brugada syndrome. Both male and female carriers are symptomatic at young ages, have typical Brugada-type electrocardiogram changes, and have relatively normal corrected QT intervals. Objectives To characterize the properties of the newly identified cardiac sodium channel (SCN5A) mutation at the cellular level. Results Using whole-cell voltage clamp, we found that heterologous expression of SCN5A containing the T353I mutation resulted in 74% ± 6% less peak macroscopic sodium current when compared with wild-type channels. A construct of the T353I mutant channel fused with green fluorescent protein failed to traffic properly to the sarcolemma, with a large proportion of channels sequestered intracellularly. Overnight exposure to 0.1 mM mexiletine, a Na + channel blocking agent, increased T353I channel trafficking to the membrane to near normal levels, but the mutant channels showed a significant late current that was 1.6% ± 0.2% of peak sodium current at 200 ms, a finding seen with long QT mutations. Conclusions The clinical presentation of patients carrying the T353I mutation is that of Brugada syndrome and could be explained by a cardiac Na + channel trafficking defect. However, when the defect was ameliorated, the mutated channels had biophysical properties consistent with long QT syndrome. The lack of phenotypic changes associated with the long QT syndrome could be explained by a T353I-induced trafficking defect reducing the number of mutant channels with persistent currents present at the sarcolemma.
Salivary Diagnosis: More than a Lick and a Promise

There is a growing appreciation for the use of oral fluid as an easily collected, non-invasive diagnostic medium in a variety of disease states and clinical situations. Dental applications include differential diagnosis of salivary gland disease, caries and periodontal disease activity and susceptibility tests, Candida monitoring and testing for HIV and hepatitis.
Nutrient uptake by Candida albicans: the influence of cell surface mannoproteins.

Numerous ultrastructural and biochemical analyses have been performed to characterize the cell wall composition and structure of Candida albicans. However, little investigation has focused on how s...
Derivation of a total charge and dipole moment-preserving population analysis for FSGO wavefunctions

Abstract A population analysis scheme is derived especially for floating spherical gaussian orbital (FSGO) wavefunctions. The overlap populations are redistributed into the basis FSGO's in such a way that the total charge and dipole moment of the system are preserved. The small set of point charges generated by this population analysis should provide a rapid and convenient way to calculate (i) coulombic potential surfaces outside the molecule and (ii) coulombic intermolecular interaction energies.
Observed Structure of Convectively Coupled Waves as a Function of Equivalent Depth: Kelvin Waves and the Madden–Julian Oscillation

AbstractThe view that convectively coupled Kelvin waves and the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) are distinct modes is tested by regressing data from the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis against satellite outgoing longwave radiation data filtered for particular zonal wavenumbers and frequencies by wavelet analysis. Results confirm that nearly dry Kelvin waves have horizontal structures consistent with their equatorial beta-plane shallow-water-theory counterparts, with westerly winds collocated with the lower-tropospheric ridge, while the MJO and signals along Kelvin wave dispersion curves at low shallow-water-model equivalent depths are characterized by geopotential troughs extending westward from the region of lower-tropospheric easterly wind anomalies through the region of lower-tropospheric westerly winds collocated with deep convection. Results show that as equivalent depth decreases from that of the dry waves (concomitant with intensification of the associated convection), the ridge in the westerlie...
Dose and promoter effects of adeno-associated viral vector for green fluorescent protein expression in the rat brain.

Abstract Previous studies demonstrated that the rat neuron-specific enolase (NSE) promoter is effective for transgene expression in the brain in a variety of adeno-associated virus-2 vectors. This study evaluated the dose response and longer time course of this promoter and compared it to two cytomegalovirus/chicken β-actin hybrid (CBA) promoter-based systems. NSE promoter-driven green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing neurons were found at doses as low as 10 7 particles, with expression increasing in a dose-dependent manner over a 3.3-log range. Bicistronic expression of GFP via an internal ribosome entry site coupled to the NSE promoter was also dose dependent, although the potency was decreased by 3.4-fold. The number of GFP-expressing neurons was stable for at least 25 months. The CBA promoter increased the numbers of GFP-expressing cells versus the NSE promoter, although the expression pattern remained neuronal and persisted for at least 18 months. The CBA promoter permitted detection of cells distal to the injection site that had retrogradely transported the vector from their terminal areas. Incorporating the woodchuck hepatitis virus post-transcriptional regulatory element (WPRE) into a CBA promoter vector induced greater expression levels in the hippocampus, as measured by stereological estimates of cell numbers and by Western blots, which demonstrated an 11-fold increase. Incorporation of the WPRE also improved transgene expression in primary neuronal cultures. The increased efficiency obtained with vector elements such as the CBA promoter and the WPRE may enhance the ability to genetically modify larger portions of the brain while requiring smaller doses and volumes.
Higher Education Institutions: Satisfaction and Loyalty among International Students

This study empirically investigates the relationship between satisfaction with educational service augmenters and consumer loyalty within the context of the international student market. An enhanced state of consumer satisfaction, also labeled as delight, is captured by focusing on service augmenters that fall outside the domain of the core educational service. The results indicate that while satisfaction with the augmenters does determine consumer loyalty, the augmenters that enhance the delivery of the core seem to have the strongest impact on consumer loyalty. Apart from research implications, the findings have interesting managerial implications, especially for administrators in educational institutions and policy makers associated with U.S. higher education.
Frequency dependent susceptibility of cobalt aluminosilicate glasses

Abstract The low field ac magnetic susceptibility of cobalt aluminosilicate glasses was measured for cobalt concentrations of 13.3 and 14.3 at% in an oscillating magnetic field of 3.3 Oe. The data show a spin glass type behavior with a sharp peak that flattens out and shifts to higher temperatures as the measuring frequency is increased. These results are analyzed according to the superparamagnetic domain model and are in qualitative agreement with the theory; however, severe inconsistencies are observed when quantitative comparisons are made. Some of these inconsistencies may be eliminated by the introduction of a Fulcher type of relaxation process: τ = τ 0 exp [ E a / k ( T − T 0 )].
Testosterone therapy and the pathogenesis of Kennedy's disease (X-linked bulbospinal muscular atrophy)

The mutation in X-linked bulbospinal muscular atrophy (XBSMA) is an increased CAG triplet repeat coding for a polyglutamine domain in the gene for the androgen receptor. This might impair the effect of testosterone on motor neurons, leading to their progressive degeneration. We report a trial of high-dose oral testosterone therapy in two brothers with XBSMA. Patient 1 received 37.5 mg of testosterone daily for more than 18 months, and Patient 2 received 25 mg per day for six months, both in combination with exercise therapy. Patient 1 showed improvement of up to 300% in muscle work output. Patient 2, who did less exercise, had no symptomatic improvement. These results indicate that exogenous testosterone therapy is not harmful, and may produce functional improvement when combined with exercise. We hypothesize that high-dose testosterone may reduce a toxic gain of function that the mutation produces, perhaps by inhibiting glutamate neurotoxicity.
Immobilization of bacteriophage Qβ on metal-derivatized surfaces via polyvalent display of hexahistidine tags

Metal-binding peptide motifs are widely used for protein purification, catalysis, and metal-mediated self assembly in the construction of novel materials and multivalent light harvesting complexes. Herein we describe hexahistidine sequences incorporated into the virus-like particle derived from bacteriophage Qbeta via co-expression of the wild-type (WT) and hexahistidine-modified coat proteins in Escherichia coli. The resulting polyvalent display of approximately 37 hexahistidine moieties per virion gave rise to altered properties of Zeta potential and hydrodynamic radius, but no observed change in stability compared to WT. While the resulting display density did not permit hexahistidine chains to cooperate in the coordination of heme, the multiple tags did impart a strong affinity for immobilized metal ions. A dissociation constant for binding to Ni-NTA of approximately 10nM was measured by SPR under non-competitive, physiological conditions. Affinity chromatography over immobilized metal columns was used to purify the particles from both crude cell lysates and after chemical derivatization. These results illustrate the potential of metal-NTA surfaces for the self-assembled presentation of multi-functionalized particles to interrogate systems ranging from small molecule binding to whole cell interactions.
Thrombotic Microangiopathy in Haematopoietic Cell Transplantation: an Update

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) represents a vital procedure for patients with various hematologic conditions. Despite advances in the field, HCT carries significant morbidity and mortality. A rare but potentially devastating complication is transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA). In contrast to idiopathic TTP, whose etiology is attributed to deficient activity of ADAMTS13, (a member of the A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease with Thrombospondin 1 repeats family of metalloproteases), patients with TA-TMA have > 5% ADAMTS13 activity. Pathophysiologic mechanisms associated with TA-TMA, include loss of endothelial cell integrity induced by intensive conditioning regimens, immunosuppressive therapy, irradiation, infections and graft-versus-host (GVHD) disease. The reported incidence of TA-TMA ranges from 0.5% to 75%, reflecting the difficulty of accurate diagnosis in these patients. Two different groups have proposed consensus definitions for TA-TMA, yet they fail to distinguish the primary syndrome from secondary causes such as infections or medication exposure. Despite treatment, mortality rate in TA-TMA ranges between 60% to 90%. The treatment strategies for TA-TMA remain challenging. Calcineurin inhibitors should be discontinued and replaced with alternative immunosuppressive agents. Daclizumab, a humanized monoclonal anti-CD25 antibody, has shown promising results in the treatment of TA-TMA. Rituximab or the addition of defibrotide, have been reported to induce remission in this patient population. In general, plasma exchange is not recommended.