cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conformational Fluctuations within the Intrinsically Disordered RAM Domain of the Notch Receptor are Governed by the Patterning of Charged Residues within the Primary Sequence

The Notch pathway is conserved in cell-to-cell signaling mechanism and is vital in cell fate differentiation in Metazoans. Extracellular signals are transduced into transcriptional outputs through the nuclear effector CSL. Upon receptor-ligand interaction the pathway is activated, and through series of proteolytic events the Notch Intracellular Domain (NICD) is released from the membrane and translocates into the nucleus. CSL is converted from a repressor to an activator through the formation of CSL-NICD-Mastermind ternary complex. The interaction of NICD with CSL involves binding of the four-residue motif in the N terminal end and weaker interaction of the ankyrin domain. The two binding are connected in cis through a 103-residues RAM (RBP-J associated molecule) domain, which is intrinsically disordered. Speculative worm-like chain (WLC) models have been put forth to explain the role of conformational heterogeneity of RAM in facilitating bivalent binding to CSL. However, recent data in living cells that report on the role of deletion mutations within the RAM domain confound the predictions of the WLC model. We present results from atomistic Monte Carlo simulations of the RAM domain of Human Notch1 that are based on the ABSINTH implicit solvation model. Analysis of simulation results shows that the C-terminal region of RAM is compact while the N-terminal region shows considerable conformational heterogeneity. Our analysis shows that the amplitudes of conformational fluctuations are governed by the patterning of charges within the primary sequence that controls fluctuations through stochastic interplay between intramolecular electrostatic attractions and repulsions. These fluctuations help rationalize observations regarding overall binding to CSL via N-terminal fluctuation mediated anchoring of the ankyrin domain near its binding site.
Two tests of enemy release of commonly co-occurring bunchgrasses native in Europe and introduced in the United States

The popularly cited enemy release hypothesis, which states that non-native species are released from population control by their enemies, has not been adequately tested in plants. Many empirical studies have compared damage to native versus non-native invaders only in the invaded range, which can lead to erroneous conclusions regarding enemy release. Biogeographical studies that have compared natural enemies in native and introduced ranges have typically focused on a small area of the plants’ distributions in each range, only one plant species, and/or only one guild of natural enemies. To test enemy release, we first surveyed both pathogens and herbivores in multiple populations in both the native and naturalized ranges of three commonly co-occurring perennial bunchgrasses introduced to the United States from Europe. We then compared our field results to the number of fungal pathogens that have been documented on each species from published host-pathogen data compilations. Consistent with enemy release, our field survey showed less herbivory and denser populations in the naturalized range, but there was no evidence of release from pathogens. In contrast, the published host-pathogen data compilations produced evidence of enemy release from pathogens. The difference in results produced by the two approaches highlights the need for multiple approaches to testing mechanisms of invasions by introduced species, which can enable well supported theory to inform sound management practices.
Illinois Coal--A Major Bituminous Coal Resource: ABSTRACT

About two-thirds of Illinois is underlain by coal-bearing strata of the Pennsylvanian System. Major coal seams crop out along the margins of the Illinois basin coalfield and are at depths of up to 1,000 ft (300 m) in the deep part of the basin in southeastern Illinois. Identified bituminous coal resources of Illinois are 162 billion tons (147 billion metric tons) which exceeds the bituminous resources of any other state. Over 20 billion tons (18 billion metric tons) of potentially surface-minable coal ( 18 in. or 45 cm thick) have been mapped, of which 5 billion tons (4.5 billion metric tons) are estimated to be economically recoverable at present. At 50% recovery, about 50 billion tons (45 billion metric tons) of coal with an average thickne s of 4 ft (122 cm) or greater are recoverable by deep-mining techniques. Most of these resources occur primarily in two seams--the Springfield and Harrisburg (No. 5) and the Herrin (No. 6) Coal Members. Little exploratory drilling has been done on the Jamestown, Seelyville, De Koven, Davis, and other coals that may represent a substantial additional coal resource. Coal seams of Illinois commonly are overlain by black shale or limestone, which provides a relatively stable roof for modern, high-speed underground mining. Illinois coal is a high-volatile C bituminous coal having high heat values. About 4% of the state's identified coal resources are relatively low in sulfur (< 2.5%). Studies of stratigraphy and depositional environments have revealed deposits of low-sulfur coal in areas o erlain by thick gray shale. As deeper parts of the basin are explored, new discoveries of low-sulfur coal are expected. At present in Illinois, approximately 60 million tons (54 million metric tons) of coal are produced annually from about 60 mines. At least 12 new mines are expected to open during the next several years, and annual production may exceed 75 million tons (68 million metric tons) by 1985. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1289------------
College students' attitudes toward the act of gambling: influence from consumer socialization agents.

Gambling is now considered to be an increasingly mainstream recreational and leisure time activity. While the gaming industry is experiencing phenomenal growth, it is not without controversy. The prevalence of gambling has brought the issue of youth gambling to the forefront. In this study, we examined which socialization agents were most influential in the development of college students' attitudes about gambling. Consumer socialization literature defines the role of socialization agents in developing attitudes toward various behaviors. Further, we investigated the relationship between amount of influence from each socialization agent and college students' attitude toward the act of gambling. Findings suggest that parents provide more influence on college students' attitudes about gambling than did peers, media, or schools. Significant relationships were found between the amounts of parental or peer influence and college students' attitude toward the act of gambling.
RABBIT ANTIBODIES TO STREPTOCOCCAL CARBOHYDRATES : INFLUENCE OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY IMMUNIZATION AND OF POSSIBLE GENETIC FACTORS ON THE ANTIBODY RESPONSE

In a search for possible genetic factors which may influence the immune response to the streptococcal carbohydrates, over 100 rabbits have been immunized with streptococcal vaccines, and representative examples of high and low response pairs mated. The concentration of precipitins to the group—specific carbohydrates has been measured in the antisera following primary intravenous immunization with heat-killed streptococcal vaccines, Group A, Group A-variant, and Group C. For the majority of rabbits, the concentration of precipitins varied between 1 and 10 mg/ml of antiserum; while in the minority, it was between 11 and 32 mg/ml. The offspring of rabbits with high antibody levels had a significantly higher concentration of antibody than was seen in the offspring of rabbits of low response parents. Such data suggest that the magnitude of the immune response to these carbohydrate antigens is under some form of genetic control. Not uncommonly in rabbits with hyper-γ-globulinemia following primary immunization, the group-specific precipitins are the predominant component of the γ-globulin. An unusual feature of such components is that they are electrophoretically monodisperse, and possess individual antigenic specificity. In this respect they resemble the myeloma proteins. When a response of this sort is not seen after primary immunization, it may occur after secondary immunization. Therefore, prior exposure to the same or closely related antigen may also have an influence on the occurrence of high concentrations of such uniform antibodies.
Bone ingrowth into a porous coated implant predicted by a mechano-regulatory tissue differentiation algorithm.

Bone ingrowth into a porous surface is one of the primary methods for fixation of orthopaedic implants. Improved understanding of bone formation and fixation of these devices should improve their performance and longevity. In this study predictions of bone ingrowth into an implant porous coating were investigated using mechano-reculatory models. The mechano-regulatory tissue differentiation algorithm proposed by Lacroix et al., and a modified version that enforces a tissue differentiation pathway by transitioning from differentiation to bone adaptation were investigated. The modified algorithm resulted in nearly the same behavior as the original algorithm when applied to a fracture-healing model. The algorithms were further compared using micromechanical finite element model of a beaded porous scaffold. Predictions of bone and fibrous tissue formation were compared between the two algorithms and to clinically observed phenomena. Under loading conditions corresponding to a press-fit hip stem, the modified algorithm predicted bone ingrowth into approximately 25% of the pore space, which is similar to that reported in experimental studies, while the original algorithm was unstable. When micromotion at the bone-implant interface was simulated, 20 μm of transverse displacement resulted in soft tissue formation at the bone-implant interface and minimal bone ingrowth. In contrast, 10 and 5 μm of micromotion resulted in bone filling 40% of the pore space and a stable interface, again consistent with clinical and experimental observations.
Distributed liquid level sensors using self-heated optical fibers for cryogenic liquid management

We present a continuous liquid level sensing system for both room temperature and cryogenic fluids with millimeter spatial resolution. Change of in-fiber Rayleigh backscattering signal from the distinct thermal response of the heated sensing fiber in liquid and in air were interrogated and spatially resolved using the optical frequency domain reflectometry. Both electrical and optical heating techniques were investigated for cryogenic liquid applications at 4 K, 77 K, and the room temperature. The successful combination of self-heated fiber and wavelength-swept Rayleigh scattering interferometry provides, for the first time to our best knowledge, a truly distributed fuel gauge with high spatial resolution for cryogenic fuel storage, transportation, and management on ground and in space.
Accuracy and precision of lumbar bone mineral content by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in live female monkeys.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to determine thein vivo bone mineral content (BMC) of lumbar vertebrae in 20 feral adult female cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis). The ash weight of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) was compared to the measured L3BMC of thein vivo DXA analyses. Correlation between the estimated L3BMC by DXA and the actual ash weight was significant (r=0.965,P<0.01); however, DXA methodology underestimated ash weight on the average of 6.2%. Correlation was significant between two sequentialin vivo DXA scans (r=0.988,P<0.001). Noninvasivein vivo DXA was a fast, precise, and effective method for measuring the lumbar BMC in female cynomolgus macaques.
The faculty psychology of Thomas Reid

Contradictory versions of Reid's faculty psychology have been presented. A reexamination of Reid's writings suggests that the term, faculty, was used not as a classificatory device but rather to refer to innate, universal, and active mental powers. Being active, the faculties are one of the basic causes of observable psychological phenomena. The relation of the faculties to other mental powers is considered. A new listing and classification of such powers is compared with that presented in 1936 by H. D. Spoerl which has been used as the basis for much of the subsequent analysis of Reid's faculty psychology.
Altered calcium concentration and rabbit atrial H1-receptors.

Rabbit atria were incubated in various concentrations of calcium (0.9, 1.8 and 3.6 mM) and then homogenized and histamine H1-receptors analysed by radioligand binding using (3H)-pyrilamine. Only atria incubated in 3.6 mM calcium showed an alteration in (3H)-pyrilamine binding. In these tissues theK d of H1-receptors for (3H)-pyrilamine was increased suggesting a decrease in the affinity of the H1-receptor. That this decreased affinity is due to altered calcium concentrations was demonstrated by showing that no change in histamines' chronotropic effects were produced by decreasing the sodium concentration to produce the same calcium/sodium ratio compared to high calcium alone. We conclude that calcium has effects directly on H1-receptor affinity and appears to produce a decrease in the ability of histamine to bind.
Multitasking 3-d fOrward Modeling Using High-Order Finite Difference Methods On the Cray X-MP/416

The CRAY X-MP/416 was used to multitask 3-D forward modeling by the high-order finite difference method. Flowtrace analysis reveals that the most expensive operation in the unitasked program is a matrix vector multiplication. The in-core and out-of-core versions of a reentrant subroutine can perform any fraction of the matrix vector multiplication independently, a pattern compatible with multitasking. The matrix vector multipli cation routine can be distributed over two to four pro cessors. The rest of the program utilizes the micro tasking feature that lets the system treat independent iterations of DO-loops as subtasks to be performed by any available processor. The availability of the Solid- State Storage Device SSD meant the I/O wait time was virtually zero. A performance study determined a theo retical speedup, taking into account the multitasking overhead. Multitasking programs utilizing both macro- tasking and microtasking features obtained actual speedups that were approximately 80% of the ideal speedup.
Human plasma melatonin is elevated during treatment with the monoamine oxidase inhibitors clorgyline and tranylcypromine but not deprenyl

Abstract Melatonin was measured in plasma collected between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. from 27 depressed patients studied before and after 21- to 24-day treatment with three monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. Baseline plasma melatonin concentrations determined by radioimmunoassay were 4.0 ± SD 4.7 pg/ml. Tranylcypromine, a nonselective MAO inhibitor given in doses of 20–40 mg/day for 3 weeks, significantly elevated plasma melatonin to 10.6±SD 2.0 pg/ml. Clorgyline, given in doses of 15–30 mg/day for 3 weeks, produced a significant, approximately three-fold increase in plasma melatonin (13.6±SD 13.5 pg/ml). This clorgyline dose was selective for MAO type A inhibition, as MAO-B activity measured in platelets from the same blood samples was unaffected by clorgyline. In contrast, the selective MAO-B inhibitor deprenyl (10–30 mg/day for 3 weeks) led to a 96±4% inhibition of platelet MAO-B activity but no significant change in plasma melatonin (5.1 ± SD 4.2 pg/ml). As both serotonin and norepinephrine are preferentially metabolized by MAO-A rather than MAO-B, an increased availability of serotonin (the precursor of melatonin) or enhanced noradrenergic function might mediate the melatonin changes observed to follow MAO-A but not MAO-B inhibition.
Structural Analysis Applications

An account is given of the application of computer codes for the efficient conduct of three-dimensional inelastic analyses to aircraft gas turbine combustor, turbine blade, and turbine stator vane components. The synergetic consequences of the program's activities are illustrated by an evaluation of the computer analyses of thermal barrier coatings and of the Space Shuttle Main Engine's High Pressure Fuel Turbopump turbine blading. This software, in conjunction with state-of-the-art supercomputers, can significantly reduce design-task burdens.
Methodology implemented in assessing and monitoring hole stability concerns in openhole horizontal wellbores in carbonate reservoirs

Hole stability concerns are generally relevant to sandstone reservoirs, especially those characterized as being incompetent in terms of their rock mechanical properties. In general, carbonate rocks of the Middle East are competent with the vast majority of the wells completed openhole. Recent field development of a carbonate reservoir in the Middle East highlighted the weak nature of the reservoir rock in terms of its mechanical properties. A rock mechanics-testing program initiated on core samples revealed that the reservoir rock is relatively weak with the majority of the rocks tested having unconfined compressive strengths less than 2,000 psi. Hole stability concerns surfaced in two of the initial development vertical wells reflected by a stuck logging tool in one and a tight hole in the other. A comprehensive production-testing program was conducted to assess the extent of hole instability during shut-in and flowing periods, and to calibrate the rock mechanical properties. Four horizontal test wells were selected, and each tested by first running 4-arm caliper logs, followed by a 14-day flow period at maximum possible rates, and finally running production and caliper logs at the end of the test. Caliper logs from these tests established the baseline data for hole size changes and provided insights on the effect of production on wellbore stability. A monitoring program was initiated to monitor the hole stability before and after field start-up. Prior to field startup and during the shut-in phase, two caliper campaigns were conducted on the test wells. In addition, state-of-the-art sonic logs were implemented in several vertical and horizontal wells to evaluate the field stresses and provide insights on wellbore stability. Results of the shut-in monitoring campaign indicated that there was no immediate hole collapse. However, it was observed that hole size changed with time, with more significant changes occurring in wells characterized as having weak facies. Post-field start-up monitoring campaign was executed six months after field start-up. Meanwhile, experiments will be conducted in the lab to assess hole stability by predicting pore collapse through acoustic velocity measurements.
Readable computer documentation

A retrospective look shows earlier advice still relevant to both predicting and producing readable writing. For prediction, refined readability formulas with stronger criterion passages and updated familiar -word lists have appeared, although the computerization of readability tests sometimes encourages misapplying or misinterpreting them when screening text. For production, attention to sentence construction, word characteristics, and information density remains relevant to both drafting and revising computer documentation for readability, especially since reading speed and reader preference often interact with comprehension in practical settings.
Three-dimensional diagnosis andorthodontic treatment of complex malocclusions with the invisalign appliance

Abstract Recent developments in software technology have made it possible to create a virtual three-dimensional (3D) model of the dental arches from digitally scanned impressions of a patient's dentition. This model may then be manipulated with software to produce stages of tooth movement from the initial malocclusion to the final desired occlusion. A stereolithographic model is made for each stage of tooth movement which is the basis for construction of a series of clear, thin, overlay appliances. These appliances are worn full time by the patient to move the teeth according to the programmed stages of movement. Malocclusions involving mild to moderate crowding and space closure have been proven to be successfully treated with this appliance. The present study shows orthodontic treatment of patients with more complex orthodontic problems, requiring dental expansion, Class II and Class III correction, extraction treatment and correction of overbite. Experience with this appliance, thus far, has demonstrated excellent patient compliance with less discomfort, and improved esthetics and oral hygiene, when compared with fixed orthodontic appliances. Orthodontic treatment with this appliance is a potentially useful alternative approach to fixed appliances for treatment of a variety of malocclusions in patients with fully erupted permanent teeth.
Neuromuscular recovery after parathyroidectomy in primary hyperparathyroidism

Background. Primary hyperparathyroidism today is diagnosed in the asymptomatic phase because of the inclusion of serum calcium in sequential multichannel analysis. The purpose of present study was to test for neuromuscular abnormalities in asymptomatic patients and to test the improvement of neuromuscular performance after parathyroidectomy. Methods. Nine patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and nine patients with nodular goiter were enrolled in this study. Neuromuscular recovery including muscle power, sensation, and fine motor movement was studied before operation and 1 week and 4 weeks after operation. The muscle power was measured as grip power, palm pinch, lateral pinch, and three-chuck pinch. The sensation was measured as touch sensation and two-point discrimination. The fine motor movement was measured with the Purdue Pegboard Test and the Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test. Results. Four weeks after the operation the patients with hyperparathyroidism had increased their muscle strength and had improved fine motor movement but no change was noted in two-point and touch sensation. When the postoperative muscle recovery was compared, there was a reversible correlation (r=−0.62; p Conclusions. Surgery can improve muscle strength and fine motor movement but does not affect sensation in asymptomatic patients.
Democracy and Trade Union Action: A Comparative Overview

: In this paper the author covers the current Italian debate on union representativeness and democracy, i.e. relations between union leadership and the rank-and-file, focusing on democratic procedures adopted (or not) in the internal decision-making process of the labour organisations. Experiments in the area of union self-regulation (autoregolamentazione) are discussed in connection with the collective bargaining process and strike action, mainly in public and private essential services. The author critically compares these experiments with more innovative solutions adopted in Spain, France, U.K., U.S.A. and Japan. Special attention is given to the role played by secret ballots in increasing union responsiveness.
Effects of increased transportation costs on spatial price differences and optimum locations of cattle feeding and slaughter.

A least-cost multiproduct transshipment model is developed to evaluate the impact of changes in interregional relationships in the cattle feeding/fed-beef economy as a result of increased transportation costs. Results indicate that Southern and Central Plains and Corn Belt cattle feeders would continue to account for nearly 85% of all cattle fed in the US in the short run. Slaughter generally was shown to remain production oriented as slaughter firms locate near concentrated sources of fed slaughter cattle. Results suggest that cattle feeders in the Southern and Central Plains may be faced with less favorable competitive positions when competing with western Corn Belt feedlots if transportation costs increase more than 50% relative to other input costs. Future increases in placements of feeder cattle would likely occur to a greater degree in the Corn Belt and to a lesser extent in the South.
The Effects of Sex and Temporal Context on Feelings of Romantic Desire: An Experimental Evaluation of Sexual Strategies Theory:

According to evolutionary theories of human mating, people should feel the most romantic desire toward potential mates who possess reproductively adaptive attributes. Across five person-perception experiments involving staged interviews, we found that men’s and women’s feelings of romantic desire can be manipulated by varying adaptive attributes in a target person. For example, during some interviews, participants were exposed to an experimental confederate exhibiting cues to easy sexual access. Because men’s short-term sexual strategy is based on obtaining high numbers of partners, it was predicted that exposure to a target person suggesting easy sexual access would especially intensify men’s short-term romantic desires. The authors found evidence that targets who exhibited cues to easy sexual access were rated the most desirable by men in the context of short-term mating. Discussion focused on limitations of the current studies and on the importance of invoking methodological pluralism when testing evol...
Multigrained modeling with pattern specific maximum likelihood transformations for text-independent speaker recognition

We present a transformation-based, multigrained data modeling technique in the context of text independent speaker recognition, aimed at mitigating difficulties caused by sparse training and test data. Both identification and verification are addressed, where we view the entire population as divided into the target population and its complement, which we refer to as the background population. First, we present our development of maximum likelihood transformation based recognition with diagonally constrained Gaussian mixture models and show its robustness to data scarcity with results on identification. Then for each target and background speaker, a multigrained model is constructed using the transformation based extension as a building block. The training data is labeled with an HMM based phone labeler. We then make use of a graduated phone class structure to train the speaker model at various levels of detail. This structure is a tree with the root node containing all the phones. Subsequent levels partition the phones into increasingly finer grained linguistic classes. This method affords the use of fine detail where possible, i.e., as reflected in the amount of training data distributed to each tree node. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the modeling with verification experiments in matched and mismatched conditions.
Subdivision of Thick Sedimentary Units into Layers for Simulation of Ground‐Water Flowa

Subdividing thick sedimentary units into model layers based solely on stratigraphy can lead to serious violation of ground-water flow modeling restraints and produce erroneous results. Borehole geophysical data can be used to suggest relative permeabilities and delineate model layers that are more likely to have uniform hydraulic properties than layers delineated by stratigraphic definitions alone. The uniformity within layers emphasizes the permeability contrast between layers, thereby allowing a quasi three-dimensional approach. Sedimentary units containing many thin beds of limited areal extent must be subdivided into model layers which incorporate large variations in hydraulic properties. The lack of permeability contrast between layers requires a fully three-dimensional approach. In this case, the subdivision into layers needs to be made by including an evaluation of depths of producing zones, and the resultant vertical distribution of hydraulic heads. Nonlinear vertical hydraulic-head gradients can occur in thick sedimentary units due to uneven vertical distribution of pumpage and small vertical permeabilities. Because these hydraulic-head gradients are not modeled within a layer, the subdivisions should be made such that the model layers permit simulation of vertical hydraulic-head gradients which can closely approximate observed gradients. These methods are applied to the thick sedimentary units of the Gulf Coastal Plain, U.S.A.
Atom-wave diffraction between the Raman-Nath and the Bragg regime: Effective Rabi frequency, losses, and phase shifts

We present an analytic theory of the diffraction of (matter) waves by a lattice in the ``quasi-Bragg" regime, by which we mean the transition region between the long-interaction Bragg and ``channeling'' regimes and the short-interaction Raman-Nath regime. The Schr\"odinger equation is solved by adiabatic expansion, using the conventional adiabatic approximation as a starting point, and reinserting the result into the Schr\"odinger equation to yield a second-order correction. Closed expressions for arbitrary pulse shapes and diffraction orders are obtained and the losses of the population to output states otherwise forbidden by the Bragg condition are derived. We consider the phase shift due to couplings of the desired output to these states that depends on the interaction strength and duration and show how these can be kept negligible by a choice of smooth (e.g., Gaussian) envelope functions even in situations that substantially violate the adiabaticity condition. We also give an efficient method for calculating the effective Rabi frequency (which is related to the eigenvalues of Mathieu functions) in the quasi-Bragg regime.
Empirical Arguments for Group Minds: A Critical Appraisal

This entry addresses the question of group minds, by focusing specifically on empirical arguments for group cognition and group cognitive states. Two kinds of positive argument are presented and critically evaluated: the argument from individually unintended effects and the argument from functional similarity. A general argument against group cognition ‐ which appeals to Occam’s razor ‐ is also discussed. In the end, much turns on the identification of a mark of the cognitive; proposed marks are briefly (and inconclusively) surveyed in the final section.
Warm season precipitation climatology: First European results

Abstract. To date very low scores are associated to quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPF) of warm season precipitation, a fact mostly due to the little knowledge of the mechanisms driving these phenomena. The study aims to produce a five-year climatology (1999–2003) of warm season precipitation systems (MJJA) over Europe using Meteosat IR brightness temperatures as a contribution to a global study launched by the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP). Cold cloud persistence, span and duration of weather systems were determined to derive the zonal propagation speed and daily cycles.
ExsD inhibits expression of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion system by disrupting ExsA self-association and DNA binding activity.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa utilizes a type III secretion system (T3SS) to damage eukaryotic host cells and evade phagocytosis. Transcription of the T3SS regulon is controlled by ExsA, a member of the AraC/XylS family of transcriptional regulators. ExsA-dependent transcription is coupled to type III secretory activity through a cascade of three interacting proteins (ExsC, ExsD, and ExsE). Genetic data suggest that ExsD functions as an antiactivator by preventing ExsA-dependent transcription, ExsC functions as an anti-antiactivator by binding to and inhibiting ExsD, and ExsE binds to and inhibits ExsC. T3SS gene expression is activated in response to low-calcium growth conditions or contact with host cells, both of which trigger secretion of ExsE. In the present study we reconstitute the T3SS regulatory cascade in vitro using purified components and find that the ExsD·ExsA complex lacks DNA binding activity. As predicted by the genetic data, ExsC addition dissociates the ExsD·ExsA complex through formation of an ExsD·ExsC complex, thereby releasing ExsA to bind T3SS promoters and activate transcription. Addition of ExsE to the purified system results in formation of the ExsE·ExsC complex and prevents ExsC from dissociating the ExsD·ExsA complex. Although purified ExsA is monomeric in solution, bacterial two-hybrid analyses demonstrate that ExsA can self-associate and that ExsD inhibits self-association of ExsA. Based on these data we propose a model in which ExsD regulates ExsA-dependent transcription by inhibiting the DNA-binding and self-association properties of ExsA.
Chronic hepatitis C virus infection breaks tolerance and drives polyclonal expansion of autoreactive B cells.

Chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been linked with B cell lymphoproliferative disorders and several autoimmune-related diseases. The mechanisms of how chronic viral infection affects B cell development and predisposes the patients to autoimmune manifestations are poorly understood. In this study, we established an experimental system to probe the B cell responses and characterize the antibodies from chronic-HCV-infected individuals. We identified an unusual polyclonal expansion of the IgM memory B cell subset in some patients. This B cell subset is known to be tightly regulated, and autoreactive cells are eliminated by tolerance mechanisms. Genetic analysis of the immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain variable gene (VH) sequences of the expanded cell population showed that the levels of somatic hypermutation (SHM) correlate with the extent of cell expansion in the patients and that the VH genes exhibit signs of antigen-mediated selection. Functional analysis of the cloned B cell receptors demonstrated autoreactivity in some of the expanded IgM memory B cells in the patients which is not found in healthy donors. In summary, this study demonstrated that, in some patients, chronic HCV infection disrupts the tolerance mechanism that normally deletes autoreactive B cells, therefore increasing the risk of developing autoimmune antibodies. Long-term follow-up of this expanded B cell subset within the infected individuals will help determine whether these cells are predictors of more-serious clinical manifestations.
Synthetic studies towards halichondrins synthesis of the left halves of norhalichondrins and homohalichondrins

The left halves of norhalichondrins and homohalichondrins were synthesized from γ-lactone 1, readily available from D-galactose glycal via Ireland-Claisen rearrangement then iodolactonization.
Chronic daily headache in children and adolescents: science and conjecture

SUMMARY Chronic daily headache comprises a group of headache disorders in which headaches occur almost daily or continuously over several months. Although chronic daily headache is one of the most common chronic pain disorders in pediatrics, data on pathophysiological mechanisms and relative efficacy of treatments remain sparse. In this review, we aim to provide contemporary information on classification, epidemiology, etiology and treatment of pediatric chronic daily headache based on extant empirical data when available, or general consensus in the field when not.
Composite piezoelectric transducer with truncated conical endcaps "cymbal"

This paper presents original results obtained in the development of the moonie-type transducers for actuator applications. The moonie-type actuators fill the gap between multilayer and bimorph actuators, but its position-dependent displacement and low generative force are unacceptable for certain applications. The moonie transducers were modified systematically by using finite element analysis combined with experimental techniques. A new transducer design, named "cymbal transducer", was developed with larger displacement, larger generative forces, and more cost-effective manufacturing. The cymbal transducers consist of a cylindrical ceramic element sandwiched between two truncated conical metal endcaps and can be used as both sensors and actuators. The cymbal actuator exhibits almost 40 times higher displacement than the same size of ceramic element. Effective piezoelectric charge coefficient, Eff. d/sub 33/, of cymbal is roughly 40 times higher than PZT itself.
Developmental changes in troponin T isoform expression and tension production in chicken single skeletal muscle fibres

1. The Ca2+ sensitivity of tension development was characterized in single skinned fibres from the slow anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD), fast posterior latissimus dorsi (PLD), and fast pectoralis major (PM) muscles of the chicken at adult and neonatal (2 weeks post-hatch) stages of development. In the adult, the PM was most sensitive, the ALD intermediate, and the PLD least sensitive to Ca2+. 2. PM and PLD fibres were less sensitive to Ca2+ at the neonatal stage of development than in the adult. However, ALD fibres exhibited no age-dependent changes in Ca2+ sensitivity. 3. Characterization of regulatory protein composition indicated that the PM and PLD fibres had identical fast isoforms of troponin C and troponin I at each developmental stage examined, but there were muscle-specific and age-dependent expressions of troponin T isoforms in these fibres. 4. In the ALD fibres, identical slow isoforms of troponin C, troponin I and tropomyosin were found at each stage. In addition, the troponin T isoform that was present did not change with age. 5. The results suggest a relationship between the specific troponin T isoform composition of individual muscle fibres and their calcium sensitivities of tension development.
Rapid, cost-effective DNA quantification via a visually-detectable aggregation of superparamagnetic silica-magnetite nanoparticles

DNA and silica-coated magnetic particles entangle and form visible aggregates under chaotropic conditions with a rotating magnetic field, in a manner that enables quantification of DNA by image analysis. As a means of exploring the mechanism of this DNA quantitation assay, nanoscale SiO2-coated Fe3O4 (Fe3O4@SiO2) particles are synthesized via a solvothermal method. Characterization of the particles defines them to be ∼200 nm in diameter with a large surface area (141.89 m2/g), possessing superparamagnetic properties and exhibiting high saturation magnetization (38 emu/g). The synthesized Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles are exploited in the DNA quantification assay and, as predicted, the nanoparticles provide better sensitivity than commercial microscale Dynabeads® for quantifying DNA, with a detection limit of 4 kilobase-pair fragments of human DNA. Their utility is proven using nanoparticle DNA quantification to guide efficient polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of short tandem repeat loci for human identification.
Prostaglandin E2 synthesis in the inner medullary collecting duct of the rat: Implications for vasopressin‐dependent cyclic AMP formation

The effects of osmolality on prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) biosynthetic capacity and the interaction between endogenous PGE2 synthesis and vasopressin (AVP)-dependent cyclic AMP generation were examined in papillary collecting ducts (PCD) microdissected from collagenase-digested rat kidneys. Increasing medium osmolality with NaCl:urea (1:2 molar ratio) progressively increased PGE2 synthesis in PCD up to 1,500 mOsm. Addition of NaCl:urea or NaCl alone were equally effective in stimulating PGE2 biosynthetic capacity in PCD. In contrast, addition of urea alone had a much smaller stimulatory effect on PGE2 synthesis. Inhibition of endogenous PGE2 synthesis with naproxen (10(-5)M) suppressed AVP-dependent cAMP formation in PCD when incubated in 300 mOsm medium but had no effect when incubated in 1,500 mOsm medium. Addition of 2.5 X 10(-5) M PGE2 also suppressed AVP-dependent cAMP formation in PCD only when incubated in 300 mOsm medium. The present study suggests that the PCD is a site of active PGE2 synthesis that is modulated by osmolality. Our results do not support the concept that endogenous PGE2 antagonizes vasopressin action via inhibition of AVP-dependent cAMP formation.
The readability of marketing journals: Are award-winning articles better written?

Abstract This is a study of the readability of articles in four marketing journals: Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of International Marketing, and Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. For each journal, the authors compare articles that have won an award with articles that have not. The authors find that award-winning articles are more readable, as measured by indexes focusing on sentence and word length, than nonwinning articles. The authors also identify and analyze other characteristics of more readable journal articles and discuss the importance of good writing.
Application of the finite element–difference method to vibration problems

The so-called finite element–difference method introduced in References 1 and 2 yields a continuous stress field by finite difference operations and finite element interpolations. In the present paper, applications of the method to vibration problems are discussed. The inverse iteration procedure is modified for this method. Numerical results show that the accuracy of solutions depends strongly on the type of finite difference operator chosen: for reliable and accurate solutions in modal analysis problems, element internal strains must be included in the strain field used to compute nodal forces associated with element deformations.
Activation of recombinant human neutrophil procollagenase in the presence of doxycycline results in fragmentation of the enzyme and loss of enzyme activity

Objective. To determine if reduction of collagenase activity in vitro by doxycycline (doxy) is related to activation of the proenzyme, and to determine how exogenous Ca++ and Zn++ affect the reduction. Methods. Recombinant human neutrophil pro-collagenase was activated with trypsin or APMA. Activity was assayed on a small peptolide substrate or on 14C-acetylated collagen fibers. The molecular weight of the proenzyme, active enzyme, and enzyme fragments was determined by Western blotting, using a polyclonal antiserum raised against the recombinant proenzyme. Similar experiments were performed in the presence of EDTA, EGTA, 1,10-phenanthroline, or doxy. The effects of exogenous Ca++ and Zn++ were also tested. Results. Doxy inhibited activity of the enzyme against both substrates. If the drug was present during activation, the yield of activity was lower than when it was added after activation of the proenzyme. Western blotting showed that activation in the presence of doxy resulted in the appearance of lower molecular weight fragments and accumulation of less active enzyme. APMA generated prominent 28- and 26-kd fragments, while trypsin cleavage yielded 40- and 30-kd fragments. Fragmentation of the enzyme also occurred in the presence of EDTA or EGTA, but not 1,10-phenanthroline. It was prevented by Ca++ concentrations greater than 50 mM, but was not altered by addition of Zn++ in concentrations as high as 500 μM. Inhibition of collagenase activity by doxy could be overcome by 100 mM Ca++, but addition of Zn++ had no effect. Conclusion. These data suggest that doxy alters the conformation of procollagenase or collagenase by binding enzyme-associated Ca++, rendering the proteins more susceptible to proteolysis and resulting in irreversible loss of enzyme protein.
Hair-Bearing Temporoparietal Fascial Flap Reconstruction of Upper Lip and Scalp Defects

Background: The temporoparietal fascial flap has proven to be a versatile flap for a broad spectrum of reconstructive problems in the head and neck. The temporoparietal fascial flap is a thin, pliable layer of richly vascularized tissue that may be transferred either pedicled or free and alone or as a carrier of subjacent bone or overlying skin and scalp. Objective: To report our experience using a hairbearing temporoparietal fascial flap for reconstruction in 6 male patients with extensive upper lip and scalp defects, including a discussion of the surgical anatomy and technique.
Sensitivity of Antarctic Precipitation to Sea Ice Concentrations in a General Circulation Model

Abstract Several recent studies have highlighted the connections among observed climate variability, such as the Southern Oscillation, sea ice cover, and Antarctic precipitation. The direct contribution of observed sea ice variability to precipitation has not yet been investigated. The sensitivity of Antarctic precipitation to a range of sea ice concentrations is investigated using the Community Climate Model version 3 (CCM3) general circulation model. Sea ice concentrations derived from passive-microwave satellite imagery from 1979 to 1991 are used as surface boundary conditions for climate simulations in a model that resolves both ice-covered and ice-free fractions of each grid cell. Simulations are performed with climatological average ice concentrations, maximum and minimum concentrations, and an ensemble of simulations with interannually varying concentrations from 1979 to 1991. The minimum-ice run produces greater precipitation and onshore winds along the Antarctic coastal topography, except for the...
Temporally restricted spatial localization of acetylated isoforms of histone H4 and RNA polymerase II in the 2-cell mouse embryo

Using immunofluorescent labeling and laser-scanning confocal microscopy, we show that isoforms of histone H4 acetylated on lysine 5, 8 and/or 12 (H4.Ac5-12), as well as RNA polymerase II, become enriched at the nuclear periphery around the time of zygotic gene activation, i.e., the 2-cell stage, in the preimplantation mouse embryo. In contrast, DNA and H4 acetylated on lysine 16 are uniformly distributed throughout the cytoplasm. Culture of embryos with inhibitors of histone deacetylase trichostatin A and trapoxin results in an increase in the (1) amount of acetylated histone H4 detected by immunoblotting, (2) intensity and sharpness of the peripheral staining for H4.Ac5-12, and (3) relative rate of synthesis of proteins that are markers for zygotic gene activation. The enhanced staining for H4.Ac5-12 at the nuclear periphery seems to require DNA replication, but appears independent of cytokinesis or transcription, since its development is inhibited by aphidicolin but not by either cytochalasin D or alpha-amanitin. Lastly, the restricted localization of H4.Ac 5-12 is not observed in the 4-cell embryo or at later stages of preimplantation development. These results suggest that changes in chromatin structure underlie, at least in part, zygotic gene activation in the mouse.
Joint 6D k-q Space Compressed Sensing for Accelerated High Angular Resolution Diffusion MRI

High Angular Resolution Diffusion Imaging (HARDI) avoids the Gaussian diffusion assumption that is inherent in Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), and is capable of characterizing complex white matter micro-structure with greater precision. However, HARDI methods such as Diffusion Spectrum Imaging (DSI) typically require significantly more signal measurements than DTI, resulting in prohibitively long scanning times. One of the goals in HARDI research is therefore to improve estimation of quantities such as the Ensemble Average Propagator (EAP) and the Orientation Distribution Function (ODF) with a limited number of diffusion-weighted measurements. A popular approach to this problem, Compressed Sensing (CS), affords highly accurate signal reconstruction using significantly fewer (sub-Nyquist) data points than required traditionally. Existing approaches to CS diffusion MRI (CS-dMRI) mainly focus on applying CS in the \(\mathbf {q}\)-space of diffusion signal measurements and fail to take into consideration information redundancy in the \(\mathbf {k}\)-space. In this paper, we propose a framework, called 6-Dimensional Compressed Sensing diffusion MRI (6D-CS-dMRI), for reconstruction of the diffusion signal and the EAP from data sub-sampled in both 3D \(\mathbf {k}\)-space and 3D \(\mathbf {q}\)-space. To our knowledge, 6D-CS-dMRI is the first work that applies compressed sensing in the full 6D \(\mathbf {k}\)-\(\mathbf {q}\) space and reconstructs the diffusion signal in the full continuous \(\mathbf {q}\)-space and the EAP in continuous displacement space. Experimental results on synthetic and real data demonstrate that, compared with full DSI sampling in \(\mathbf {k}\)-\(\mathbf {q}\) space, 6D-CS-dMRI yields excellent diffusion signal and EAP reconstruction with low root-mean-square error (RMSE) using 11 times less samples (3-fold reduction in \(\mathbf {k}\)-space and 3.7-fold reduction in \(\mathbf {q}\)-space).