cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Processing of communication sounds: contributions of learning, memory, and experience.

Abstract Abundant evidence from both field and lab studies has established that conspecific vocalizations (CVs) are of critical ecological significance for a wide variety of species, including humans, non-human primates, rodents, and other mammals and birds. Correspondingly, a number of experiments have demonstrated behavioral processing advantages for CVs, such as in discrimination and memory tasks. Further, a wide range of experiments have described brain regions in many species that appear to be specialized for processing CVs. For example, several neural regions have been described in both mammals and birds wherein greater neural responses are elicited by CVs than by comparison stimuli such as heterospecific vocalizations, nonvocal complex sounds, and artificial stimuli. These observations raise the question of whether these regions reflect domain-specific neural mechanisms dedicated to processing CVs, or alternatively, if these regions reflect domain-general neural mechanisms for representing complex sounds of learned significance. Inasmuch as CVs can be viewed as complex combinations of basic spectrotemporal features, the plausibility of the latter position is supported by a large body of literature describing modulated cortical and subcortical representation of a variety of acoustic features that have been experimentally associated with stimuli of natural behavioral significance (such as food rewards). Herein, we review a relatively small body of existing literature describing the roles of experience, learning, and memory in the emergence of species-typical neural representations of CVs and auditory system plasticity. In both songbirds and mammals, manipulations of auditory experience as well as specific learning paradigms are shown to modulate neural responses evoked by CVs, either in terms of overall firing rate or temporal firing patterns. In some cases, CV-sensitive neural regions gradually acquire representation of non-CV stimuli with which subjects have training and experience. These results parallel literature in humans describing modulation of responses in face-sensitive neural regions through learning and experience. Thus, although many questions remain, the available evidence is consistent with the notion that CVs may acquire distinct neural representation through domain-general mechanisms for representing complex auditory objects that are of learned importance to the animal. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled “Communication Sounds and the Brain: New Directions and Perspectives”.
EXPERT SYSTEMS FOR THERMAL AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS IN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM DESIGN

This paper presents an application of rule-based expert systems to thermal and structural analysis, part of mechanical engineering design, in electronic system design. The purpose of these expert systems is to serve as a consultant or design reviewer. These design expert systems are capable of performing both symbolic reasoning and numeric computation. The advantages of expert systems over conventional systems such as user friendliness, explanation and help facilities, and easy development and maintenance are also shown in this paper. Using system-subsystem tree structure several interrelated expert systems can be integrated into one system, and it is flexible for future expansion or modification. Object-oriented approach is also discussed, which with its unique representation of object could be a useful tool for engineering design.
Lifetime of Trimethylene Calculated by Variational Unimolecular Rate Theory

The calculation was undertaken to establish an RRKM prediction of the lifetime of trimethylene for comparison to the experimental result of Zewail and co-workers, 120 ± 20 fs. Nine stationary points on the C3H6 potential energy surface were located using 2,2-CASSCF or 4,4-CASSCF and a polarized valence triple-zeta basis set consisting of [4s3p2d] on C and [3s1p] on H. These included two minima and four saddle points associated with trimethylene previously reported by others. Two saddle points associated with propene formation were located, involving direct 1,2-H transfer and 1,3-H transfer to ethylcarbene, which was also optimized. Three intrinsic reaction coordinate paths were computed for cyclization to cyclopropane using 2,2-CASSCF/6-31G*, and microcanonical variational transition states were located with RRKM theory at seven values of the total energy. Under experimental conditions the lifetime is computed to be 118 fs. The match to experiment suggests that variational RRKM theory may be useful for bi...
Abstract 3831: Sodium butyrate induces differential expression of Th17 and inflammatory cytokines during apoptosis in human U937 leukemia cells

Sodium butyrate (NaB) is a sodium salt of butyric acid. It is a strong HDAC1 inhibitor, which has been implicated in many studies as a potential therapy for various forms of cancer including prostate cancer. Also, it has been suggested as a potential therapy for hemoglobin disorders including sickle cell diseases and leukemia because of its ability to promote both total globin and gamma globin synthesis during erythroid differentiation. Previously NaB has been shown to active apoptosis in several cancer cell lines including U937 and K562 leukemia cell lines. However, it is not known whether it has the capability to modulate cytokines expression in cancer cells and alter the cancer microenvironment, which was the purpose of this study. We exposed U937 leukemia cells to NaB at 5 mM or 10 mM for 24 or 48 hours, conditions under which NaB is known to induce apoptosis in these cells. The culture media of the cells were harvested and analyzed by Human Multi-Analyte Cytokine ELISArray method and by protein/antibody cytokine arrays for levels of TH17-type and Inflammatory cytokines. We also monitored cells for caspase 3 activation and cell viability as evidence of apoptosis. Our results indicate that NaB induces differential expression of several TH17-type and Inflammatory cytokines from 2 to 10-fold within 24 hours. The ranking order of induction of TH17-type cytokines by NaB was IL-17A>IL-5>IL-4>G-CSF>IL-10>TNF>IL-12>IFNγ while induction of inflammatory cytokines was of the ranking order: IL-1A>IL-8>IL-10. Also within 24 hours, NaB treatment caused at least 2-fold activation of caspase 3 and reduced the cell viability by 60 %. These observations indicate that NaB induces differential expression of both TH17 and Inflammatory cytokines during induction of apoptosis. The data also suggest that while promoting cancer cell death by apoptosis, NaB also has the potential to influence cancer microenvironment by inducing differential expression and secretion of cytokines. Such an effect could influence the biology of both the normal and cancer cells and could alter the status of the patient who is receiving NaB therapy. Further studies are in progress to determine whether NaB has similar effects in human monocytes. Supported by NCI U54 cancer grants # 5 U54 CA091408-09. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3831.
Impact of technology scaling on energy aware execution cache-based microarchitectures

Reducing total power consumption in high performance microprocessors can be achieved by limiting the amount of logic involved in decoding, scheduling and executing each instruction. One of the solutions to this problem involves the use of a microarchitecture based on an Execution Cache (EC) whose role is to cache already done work for later reuse. In this paper, we explore the design space for such a microarchitecture, looking at how the cache size, associativity and replacement algorithm affect the overall performance and power efficiency. We also look at the scalability of this solution across next process generations, evaluating the energy efficiency of such caching mechanisms in the presence of increasing leakage power. Over a spectrum of SPEC2000 benchmarks, an average of 35% energy reduction is achieved for technologies ranging from 130nm to 90nm and 65nm, at the expense of a negligible performance hit.
Primate colour predicts social status and aggressive outcome

Abstract Colourful signals in insects, fish, amphibians, lizards and birds have attracted considerable attention among evolutionary biologists. While primates display the most conspicuous secondary sexual coloration in mammals, little is known about its function. In several types of organisms, variation in colour predicts differences in social status. For this study, I experimentally investigated the relationship between scrotal colour and social status in adult vervet monkeys Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus , by analysing the social interactions between pairs of unfamiliar males matched for size, but differing in scrotal colour. Differences in scrotal colour predicted eventual social status, as males with a dark scrotum dominated those with a pale scrotum. Experimental modification of scrotal colour failed to confirm that scrotal colour alone signalled social status, but supported the finding that males with scrota of similar colour were more antagonistic towards each other than males differing in colour. These results represent the first experimental evidence for a relationship between colour and social status in primates.
Open-Mindedness as a Critical Virtue

This paper proposes to examine Daniel Cohen’s recent attempt to apply virtues to argumentation theory, with special attention given to his explication of how open-mindedness can be regarded as an argumentational or critical virtue. It is argued that his analysis involves a contentious claim about open-mindedness as an epistemic virtue, which generates a tension for agents who are simultaneously both an arguer and a knower (or who strive to be both). I contend that this tension can be eased or resolved by clarifying the nature of open-mindedness and by construing open-mindedness in terms of its function. Specifically, a willingness to take a novel viewpoint seriously is sufficient for making open-mindedness both an epistemic and a critical virtue.
The Predictive Value of a School of Origin Variable in Pharmacy Student Academic Performance

ABSTRACTThis project evaluated the predictive capabilities of a school of origin variable over and above the predictive capabilities of a model including pre-pharmacy math/science GPA, PCAT, and prior degree variables. Evaluating 6 years of pharmacy student admission and progression data from 1997 to 2002, the project explored a variable that designated the location where a majority of the pre-pharmacy course work was completed, either a 2-year or 4-year school. The regression models found that a school of origin variable contributed significantly to the predictive model of GPA and PCAT and accounted for more variance than prior degree in the prediction of first-semester and first-year pharmacy-student GPA. Defining a school of origin variable based upon the location of completion of the majority of pre-pharmacy course work aids in the prediction of first-year pharmacy students' academic performance in addition to a traditional model of PCAT and GPA and prior degree.
Large Molecular Quadratic Hyperpolarizabilities in Donor/Acceptor-Substituted trans-Tetraammineruthenium(II) Complexes.

A series of new Ru(II) complex salts trans-[Ru(NH3)4(L1)(L2)](PF6)n [n = 2, L1 = 4-acetylpyridine (4-acpy) and L2 = 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (dmap) (1), 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (dmabn) (2), 4-picoline (4-pic) (3), or 1-methylimidazole (1-MeIm) (4); n = 3, L1 = N-methyl-4,4‘-bipyridinium (MeQ+) and L2 = dmap (6), dmabn (7), 1-MeIm (8), 4-acpy (9), or phenothiazine (PTZ) (10); n = 2, L1 = dmap and L2 = 4-pyridinecarboxaldehyde (pyca) (12) or ethyl isonicotinate (isne) (13)] have been synthesized and fully characterized. These complexes display intense, visible metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) absorptions which are highly solvatochromic. An X-ray crystal structure determination has been carried out for trans-[Ru(NH3)4(MeQ+)(PTZ)](PF6)3·Me2CO (10·Me2CO). This salt, empirical formula C26H38F18N7OP3RuS, crystallizes in the hexagonal system, space group P63, with a = b = 17.853(4) A, c = 21.514(6) A, and Z = 6. The MeQ+ ligand adopts an almost planar conformation, with a torsion angle of 9.6° betwee...
Interactions Between Cardiovascular and Pain Regulatory Systems

This chapter discusses interactions between cardiovascular and pain regulatory systems. The term “interaction” is used broadly to describe a number of relationships that exist between these systems. Some aspects of these relationships have been well studied, but aspects critical to understanding the nature of interactions between cardiovascular and pain regulatory systems are poorly understood. For example, it has been known for more than 100 years that circulatory responses are produced by noxious stimuli that activate either Group III or Group IV afferents (Howell, 1894; Hunt, 1895; Ranson and Billingsley, 1916). Yet, beyond the fundamental characterization of this phenomenon for virtually every somatic or visceral afferent in the body, we know virtually nothing about central nervous system (CNS) nuclei and pathways that mediate circulatory responses produced by noxious stimuli. Other relationships are less well studied, but hold great potential for understanding interactions between cardiovascular and pain regulatory systems. For example, cells in the raphe nuclei apparently receive convergent indirect input from both vagal afferents and spinal nociceptive afferents, and activity of some of these cells is correlated with both arterial blood pressure (ABP) and nociception (Fields et al., 1983a,b; Thurston and Randich, 1991; Yen and Blum, 1984).
IQ Correlations in Transracial Adoptive Families

Abstract IQ tests were administered to all available members over 4 years old in 101 transracial adoptive families when the adopted children were an average of 7 years old and again when they averaged 17 years old. At both times, 426 members of 93 families were studied; 398 were seen in person and administered the WAIS-R or WISC-R. IQ correlations were calculated for adopted and biological parent-child pairs, and for genetically related and unrelated siblings. Educational levels of birth parents were correlated with the IQ scores of their adopted-away children. Results show that biologically related family members tended to resemble each other intellectually more than did adoptive family members at both time points. IQ correlations for biological parent-child pairs exceeded those for adoptive parent-child pairs, and correlations were greater for genetically related than unrelated siblings. In late adolescence, the IQ scores of unrelated siblings in the transracial adoptive families were more similar than those of unrelated adolescent siblings pairs reported in other studies. The pattern of IQ correlations for unrelated siblings suggested that familial environmental influences on IQ decline from childhood to late adolescence, but this conclusion was not supported by parent-child IQ correlations. The effects of selective placement on familial IQ correlations were small. Estimates of genetic and familial environmental influences on IQ were very similar to those of other studies. This suggests that the influences on intellectual development in this sample of black/interracial adoptees reared in white families are similar to those for children in the majority populations of the United States and Western Europe.
Vesicular Glutamate Transporters In Cognito

If the plasma membrane glutamate transporters provide any guidance, there are multiple isoforms of vesicular glutamate transporters yet to be identified. BNP1/VGLUT1 immunocytochemistry is not found on many known excitatory synaptic pathways (Bellocchio et al. 1998xBellocchio, E.E., Hu, H., Pohorille, A., Chan, J., Pickel, V.M., and Edwards, R.H. J. Neurosci. 1998; 18: 8648–8659PubMedSee all ReferencesBellocchio et al. 1998), a strong suggestion that additional members await discovery. Recently a protein with high homology to BNP1/VGLUT1 (82% identity) was cloned and named DNP1 for differentiation-associated Na+/Pi contransporter 1 (Aihara et al. 2000xAihara, Y., Mashima, H., Onda, H., Hisano, S., Kasuya, H., Hori, T., Yamada, S., Tomura, H., Yamada, Y., Inoue, I. et al. J. Neurochem. 2000; 74: 2622–2625Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (208)See all ReferencesAihara et al. 2000). It also shows high expression in brain. When expressed in Xenopus oocytes, DNP1 also stimulates Na+-dependent Pi uptake. How does the expression pattern of DNP1 complement that of BNP1/VGLUT1? Antibody data is not yet available but Northern blot analysis shows strong relative abundance in medulla, moderate abundance in thalamus, substantia nigra, and spinal cord and weak or no expression in amygdala, hippocampus, and cerebellum. This pattern nicely complements the pattern of expression of BNP1/VGLUT1 that is at highest levels in cerebellum, cerebral cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus, but weakly expressed in substantia nigra and medulla and absent from thalamus and spinal cord. Of course, it remains to be established whether DNP1 can function as a vesicular glutamate transporter. Other isoforms may be identified through screening by homology, and, of course, it is possible that there are vesicular glutamate transporters with weak homology to BNP1/VGLUT1 that at present remain in disguise as other proteins.In short, the recent unmasking of BNP1/VGLUT1 as a vesicular glutamate transporter has raised suspicions and provided long-sought insight. Already, these important findings have improved our understanding of the process by which SVs fill with glutamate. Future developments are certain to sharpen the picture of how this critical step in synaptic transmission might regulate excitatory signaling.*E-mail: otist@ucla.edu
Constructing All Composition Series of a Finite Group

This paper describes an effective method for enumerating all composition series of a finite group, possibly up to action of a group of automorphisms. By building the series in an ascending way it only requires a very easy case of complement computation and can avoid the need to fuse subspace chains in vector spaces.As a by-product it also enumerates all subnormal subgroups.
Great ape societies

Edited by W.C. McGrew, Linda F. Marchant, and Toshisada Nishida. New York: Cambridge University Press. 1996. 328 pp. ISBN 0-521-55494-2. $64.95 (cloth). © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
QUALITY OF MEAT PRODUCTS DURING REFRIGERATED AND ULTRA‐CHILLED STORAGE

Standard domestic refrigerators store food between 1 and 5C (33.8‐ 41F). A manufacturer recently developed a refrigerator capable of storing food in the “ultra-chilled region” ( - 3 to - 7C) and claimed that storage of fresh meat in this region better maintains quality. To understand quality in terms of chemical reaction rates, microbial growth and texture and flavor changes, three common consumer meat products ‐ steak, ground beef patty and salmon ‐ were stored for a selected period of time, as determined by microbial testing, in five refrigerator models with different environmental conditions (constant temperature and temperature fluctuation). At the end of the storage period, consumer panelists assessed the quality of the cooked samples by ranking them according to preference. In addition, instruments were used to measure the color and shear cutting force (for steak only) of each sample. Results from the consumer Ranking R-Index Test indicate that panelists preferred samples stored under or near ultra-chilled conditions rather than samples stored under standard refrigerated conditions. The ultrachilled samples not only had higher panelist rankings and more favorable comments, but also had lower microbial aerobic plate counts. The instrument readings, however, highly varied and did not correlate well with sensory data.
Metabolism of Human Thyrotropin in the Dog

The metabolism of labeled (131I-hTSH)and unlabeled human thyrotropin (hTSH) has been studied in the dog. Disappearance curves of labeled and unlabeled hormone were shown to be similar. Metabolic clearance rates of mI-hTSH performed by constant infusion in three dogs were 0.97 ± .15 cc⁄min⁄kg. Arteriovenous differences of 131I-hTSH at equilibrium across various organs revealed a significant 5.8‰ difference across the kidney but no significant difference was found across the liver, thyroid or lower extremity. (Endocrinology95:1181, 1974)
Purification and characterization of equine complement factor C3

A rapid method for purifying equine C3 which yields milligram quantities of pure C3 is described. Protein from equine plasma was selectively precipitated with polyethylene glycol, and the C3 was purified by anionic and cationic exchange HPLC. The yield from this procedure was 12%. The purified C3 was composed of an alpha chain (118 kD) and a beta chain (68 kD) linked by at least one disulfide bond, and it had an isoelectric point of 4.7. Amino acid analysis indicated a strong conservation of amino acid usage between equine and human C3. The N-terminal sequences of the alpha and beta chains were homologous to human, mouse, and rat C3, and activation of C3 produced breakdown products similar in molecular weight to C3b and iC3b of other species. Equine C3 appeared to be functionally dependent upon a reactive thiolester as treatment of fresh equine serum with methylamine abrogated its hemolytic activity.
Creatine phosphate--creatine kinase in enzymatic synthesis of glycoconjugates.

Enzymatic production of glycoconjugates is hampered by expensive phosphagens such as acetyl phosphate (AcP) and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP). Here, we introduce creatine phosphate−creatine kinase system as a novel and practical energy source in carbohydrate synthesis. This system was successfully demonstrated in the production of bioactive oligosaccharides with different sugar nucleotide regeneration systems.
Utility of the early screening profiles in identifying preschoolers at risk for cognitive delays

This study investigated the utility of the Early Screening Profiles (ESP; Harrison, 1990) to differentiate between preschoolers at risk for cognitive delays (n= 49) and non-risk preschoolers (n= 44). Step-wise discriminant function analysis was performed using the ESP Profiles and Total Screening scores as the predictors of group membership. The Total Screening score, by itself, was found to correctly classify approximately 81% of the preschoolers. In a separate discriminant analysis, the Cognitive/Language and Motor profiles were required to maintain a similar level of correct classifications as the ESP Total Screening score. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mutations that alter the equilibrium between open and closed conformations of Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein impede its ability to enhance the solubility of passenger proteins

Certain highly soluble proteins, such as Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein (MBP), have the ability to enhance the solubility of their fusion partners, making them attractive vehicles for the production of recombinant proteins, yet the mechanism of solubility enhancement remains poorly understood. Here, we report that the solubility-enhancing properties of MBP are dramatically affected by amino acid substitutions that alter the equilibrium between its “open” and “closed” conformations. Our findings indicate that the solubility-enhancing activity of MBP is mediated by its open conformation and point to a likely role for the ligand-binding cleft in the mechanism of solubility enhancement.
Psychological effects of habitual aerobic exercise: A critical review

Controlled experiments of the effects of habitual aerobic exercise on mood, personality, and cognition are reviewed. The results indicate that exercise improves self-concept. They provide little evidence for claims that exercise improved anxiety, depression, body image, personality, or cognition. Several processes have been hypothesized to mediate the psychological benefits of exercise but none has been adequately tested. Future research should examine the individuals and the disorders that are most likely to experience psychological benefits from exercise, the types of exercise that are most beneficial, and the proposed mechanisms for the psychological benefits.
A Difference In Informational Influences: Services vs. Goods

The literature provides little insight as to whether a difference exists between the marketing of services and goods. Most textbooks do not address the issue of possible differences. Their neglect of the topic would seem to indicate a working hypothesis that services and goods do not differ in any meaningful way. Authors of articles and books that do address the service issue typically dwell on implied differences between goods and services. Wyckham (1975) has concluded that “in terms of marketing, services are not different from products (goods).” Wyckham’ argument and most of the other services literature, however, is non-empirical and provides little guidance as to whether a difference between goods and servicesactually exists.
Inhibition of the succinic dehydrogenase of parasitic protozoans by an arsono and a phosphono analog of succinic acid.

Abstract The succinate analogs, arsonoacetate and β-phosphonopropionate competitively inhibit the succinic dehydrogenase of the parasitic protozoans, Trypanosoma cruzi, Endamoeba histolytica, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Plasmodium lophurae. The degree of inhibition effected by a given concentration of the arsono or phosphono compound is identical regardless of the organism source of the enzyme. This indicates that the structure of the enzyme is similar in the four protozoans studied.
Continuation of auditory frequency gradients across temporal breaks: The auditory Poggendorff

An auditory analog of the visual Poggendorff figure was constructed on the assumption that selected temporal variables in audition have parallels with selected spatial variables in vision. As with the visual Poggendorff, the extent of underestimation within the auditory analog is directly related to the slope of the signal and to the magnitude of the temporal gap being bridged. Some of the conditions which limit the existence region of the auditory Poggendorff are determined.
An evaluation system for experimental silicon and silicon carbide super gate turn off thyristors.

This paper describes the design and implementation of a small-scale pulsed power system specifically intended to evaluate the suitability of experimental silicon and silicon carbide high power Super Gate Turn Off thyristors for high action (500 A2 s and above) pulsed power applications where energy is extracted from a storage element in a rapid and controlled manner. To this end, six of each type of device was placed in a controlled three phase rectifier circuit which was in turn connected to an aircraft ground power motor-generator set and subjected to testing protocols with varying power levels, while parameters such as offset firing angle were varied.
Seepage force on a pipeline buried in a poroelastic seabed under wave loadings

The water wave induced seepage force on a pipeline buried in the seabed is investigated. The seabedis modeled as a porous and elastic medium containing a nearly saturated pore water, which is generally known as the Biot model. The pipeline is assumed to be rigid. It is not supported by any anchoring force. The governing equations describing soil stresses as well as pore water pressure under periodic wave loadings are solved numerically using a Boundary Integral Equation Method. Numerical results of pore water pressure amplitude around the pipeline are compared with laboratory data. Agreement is fairly good. Sensitivities of pore water pressure response to different soil and fluid parameter are also examined. It is found that with realistic parameters the uplift seepage force on the pipeline can be as much as 60% of the displaced water weight if the pipeline is located in the pore water pressure boundary layer.
Über die Kristallisation von Jod und Jodiden in Gelen

Aus einer Reihe von Untersuchungen uber Bildung, Niederschlagung, scheinbaren Bewegung und Austausch von kristallinem Jod und unloslichen kristallinen Jodiden in verschiedenen Gelen und anderen Mitteln wurde gefolgert, das die Prozesse der Niederschlagung des Reaktionsproduktes und der Diffusion dieses Produktes nicht voneinander getrennt werden konnen. Es wurde darauf hingewiesen, das die offensichtliche Wanderung von kristallinem Jod und unloslichen kristallinen Jodiden in Gelstrukturen sich als eine Folge der Wiederauflosung in einem Teil der Kristallmasse und der Wiederablagerung an einem andern Teile zu ergeben scheint.
The wake-promoting effects of hypocretin-1 are attenuated in old rats

Disruption of sleep is a frequent complaint among elderly humans and is also evident in aged laboratory rodents. The neurobiological bases of age-related sleep/wake disruption are unknown. Given the critical role of the hypocretins in sleep/wake regulation, we sought to determine whether the wake-promoting effect of hypocretin changes with age in Wistar rats, a strain in which age-related changes in both sleep and hypocretin signaling have been reported. Intracerebroventricular infusions of hypocretin-1 (10 and 30 μg) significantly increased wake time relative to vehicle in both young (3 mos) and old (25 mos) Wistar rats. However, the magnitude and duration of the wake-promoting effects were attenuated with age. An increase of parameters associated with homeostatic sleep recovery after sleep deprivation, including non-rapid eye movement (NR) sleep time, NR delta power, the ratio of NR to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and NR consolidation, occurred subsequent to Hcrt-induced waking in young but not old rats. ICV infusions of hypocretin-2 (10 and 30 μg) produced fewer effects in both young and old rats. These data demonstrate that activation of a major sleep/wake regulatory pathway is attenuated in old rats.
Characterization of receptor-interacting protein 140 in retinoid receptor activities.

Receptor-interacting protein 140 (RIP140) contains multiple receptor interaction domains and interacts with retinoic acid receptors in a ligand-dependent manner. Nine LXXLL receptor-interacting motifs are organized into two clusters within this molecule, each differentially interacting with retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR). RAR interacts with the 5′ cluster, whereas RXR interacts with both clusters. Additionally, a third ligand-dependent receptor-interacting domain is assigned to the very C terminus of this molecule, which contains no LXXLL motif. In mammalian cells, receptor heterodimerization is required for efficient interaction of RAR/RXR with RIP140. Furthermore, the heterodimeric, holoreceptors cooperatively interact with RIP140, which requires the activation function 2 domains of both receptors. By using different retinoic acid reporter systems, it is demonstrated that RIP140 strongly suppresses retinoic acid induction of reporter activities, but coactivator SRC-1 enhances it. Furthermore, an intrinsic repressive activity of RIP140 is demonstrated in a GAL4 fusion system. Unlike receptor corepressor, which interacts with antagonist-bound RAR/RXRs, RIP140 does not interact with antagonist-occupied RAR/RXR dimers. These data suggest that RIP140 represents a third coregulator category that is able to suppress the activation of certain agonist-bound hormone receptors.
Stability of a fluid in a rectangular region heated from below

Finite-difference methods were used to compute hydrodynamic instability due to natural convection in an enclosed horizontal rectangular region heated from below. Critical Rayleigh numbers were determined for a series of Prandtl numbers and length-to-height ratios. For Prandtl numbers greater than unity excellent agreement was obtained between these calculations and the values predicted by Kurzweg on the basis of a linearized theory. However, for Prandtl numbers less than unity the critical Rayleigh numbers exhibited a dependence on NPr, which was not predicted by the linearized theory. For Rayleigh numbers greater than the critical, complete temperature and velocity fields were determined. The calculations assumed that the fluid motion is two dimensional. Experiments have indicated that the flow may be two or three dimensional depending on minor perturbations in the boundary conditions. Although a number of metastable two-dimensional circulations are possible for symmetrical initial conditions, the calculation always converged to a single, unique solution for any asymmetric initial condition.
Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon-induced degradation of trichloroethylene in Wautersia numadzuensis sp. nov.

Two strains of trichloroethylene (TCE)-degrading bacteria were isolated from soils at polluted and unpolluted sites. The isolates, strains TE26T and K6, showed co-substrate-independent TCE-degrading activity. TCE degradation was accelerated by preincubation with tetrachloroethylene, cis-dichloroethylene (DCE) and 1,1-DCE. TCE-degrading activities of strains TE26T and K6 were 0.23, 0.24 μmol min−1 g−1 dry cells, respectively. 16S rDNA sequences of strains TE26T and K6 were almost identical (99.7% similarity), and most closely related to Ralstonia basilensis (ATCC17697T) (98.5% similarity). From the results of DNA–DNA hybridizations, strain TE26T was genetically coherent to strain K6 (94 and 88% hybridization), and exhibited lower relatedness to R. basilensis (DSM11853T) (44% and 15%). In addition, because of the differences in chemotaxonomic properties, strain TE26T and strain K6 appear to be distinct from all established species of the Ralstonia group. Based on these results and the proposal of transferring R. basilensis and related species to Wautersia gen. nov., we propose that these strains should be assigned to the genus Wautersia as Wautersia numadzuensis sp. nov.
New QSAR prediction models derived from GPCR CB2-antagonistic triaryl bis-sulfone analogues by a combined molecular morphological and pharmacophoric approach

In order to build quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models for virtual screening of novel cannabinoid CB2 ligands and hit ranking selections, a new QSAR algorithm has been developed for the cannabinoid ligands, triaryl bis-sulfones, using a combined molecular morphological and pharmacophoric search approach. Both pharmacophore features and shape complementarity were considered using a number of molecular descriptors, including Surflex–Sim similarity and Unity Query fit, in addition to other molecular properties such as molecular weight, ClogP, molecular volume, molecular area, molecular polar volume, molecular polar surface area and dipole moment. Subsequently, partial least squares regression analyses were carried out to derive QSAR models linking bioactivity and the descriptors mentioned, using a training set of 25 triaryl bis-sulfones. Good prediction capability was confirmed for the best QSAR model by evaluation against a test set of a further 20 triaryl bis-sulfones. The pharmacopho...
Ethylene pretreatment and blackspot of potato tubers, Solanum tuberosum: Histochemistry and histology of wound healing

Summary Potato tubers preconditioned by exposure to 1–2 μ liter ethylene/liter for 72 hours, undergo different wound-healing responses after bruising than the tubers exposed only to air. Cytological evidence for an enhancement of cell division and starch hydrolysis, and histochemical evidence for a greater accumulation of RNA and protein was obtained. Procambial development is also enhanced, but the development of a suberized periderm is greater in the air controls. After incision wounding, evidence of cell division leading to periderm formation was observed much earlier in the ethylene pretreated tubers than in the air controls. These responses to wounding are an indication that pretreatment with ethylene causes changes in the tissue that minimize the activity of enzyme systems such as polyphenoloxidase that lead to darkening. The marked increase in RNA and protein in the ethylene pretreated tubers supports the assumption that the amino acid and phenolic substrate, tyrosine, may be utilized in protein accumulation and thus becomes unavailable for oxidation into the dark phenolic products resulting in blackspot.
4-Chloroprolines: Synthesis, conformational analysis, and effect on the collagen triple helix†

Collagen is an abundant, triple-helical protein comprising three strands of the repeating sequence: Xaa–Yaa–Gly. (2S)-Proline and (2S,4R)-4-hydroxyproline (Hyp) are common in the primary structure of collagen. Here, we use nonnatural proline derivatives to reveal determinants of collagen stability. Specifically, we report high-yielding syntheses of (2S,4S)-4-chloroproline (clp) and (2S,4R)-4-chloroproline (Clp). We find that the molecular structure of Ac-Clp-OMe in the solid state is virtually identical to that of Ac-Hyp-OMe. In contrast, the conformational properties of Ac-clp-OMe are similar to those of Ac-Pro-OMe. Ac-Clp-OMe has a stronger preference for a trans amide bond than does Ac-Pro-OMe, whereas Ac-clp-OMe has a weaker preference. (Pro–Clp–Gly)10 forms triple helices that are significantly more stable than those of (Pro–Pro–Gly)10. Triple helices of (clp–Pro–Gly)10 have stability similar to those of (Pro–Pro–Gly)10. Unlike (Pro–Clp–Gly)10 and (clp–Pro–Gly)10, (clp–Clp–Gly)10 does not form a stable triple helix, presumably due to a deleterious steric interaction between proximal chlorines on different strands. These data, which are consistent with previous work on 4-fluoroprolines and 4-methylprolines, support the importance of stereoelectronic and steric effects in the stability of the collagen triple helix and provide another means to modulate that stability. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 89: 443–454, 2008. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Recurring Hypocalcemia of Bovine Parturient Paresis Is Associated with Failure to Produce 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D

Parturient paresis (milk fever) is a hypocalcemic disorder caused by the onset of lactation in the dairy cow. In most cows a complete recovery follows a single iv calcium treat- ment to correct the acute hypocalcemia. However, about 20% of cows treated for parturient paresis experience recurring episodes of hypocalcemia (relapses) requiring further treatment. Analysis of plasma from 8 nonrelapsing parturient paretic and 11 relaps- ing parturient paretic cows revealed differences in plasma 1,25- dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-(OH)2D) concentrations before and during the development of hypocalcemia. In nonrelapsing cows, plasma 1,25-(OH)2D increased to 4- to 5-fold as plasma calcium concentrations declined during the first stage of parturient pa- resis. In relapsing cows, decreases in plasma calcium concentra- tions during the first stage of parturient paresis were accom- panied by just a 2- to 2.5-fold increase in plasma 1,25-(OH)2D. Plasma 1,25-(OH)2D eventually increased 4- to 5-fold in the relapsing cows, but this response was delayed 24-48 h compared with the response in the nonrelapsing cows. Plasma PTH con- centration profiles were similar in relapsing and nonrelapsing cows, suggesting that renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D la-hydroxylase was temporarily refractory to stimulation by PTH in the relaps- ing cows. In both groups of cows recovery from parturient paresis began about 12-24 h after plasma 1,25-(OH)2D concentrations had increased 4- to 5-fold. These data imply that lack of pro- duction of 1,25-(OH)2D is an important factor in predisposing the cow to relapses of parturient paresis and is critical for recovery from the hypocalcemia associated with the onset of lactation. (Endocrinology 125: 49-53, 1989)
A concise treatment of indentation problems in transversely isotropic half-spaces

A concise treatment of a class of indentation problems in elastic transversely isotropic half-spaces is presented. The half-space is deformed either by a prescribed surface traction or by the indentation of a rigid punch that includes frictionless normal indentation, sliding contact and adhesive punch problems. The complete solution in the half-space is obtained by integrating the elastic displacement due to point loads with appropriate distribution functions over the contact area. The point load on the contact area is the linear superposition of the normal and tangential point forces, and the centers of compression. The point load distribution is the same as the surface traction distribution, but for a sign difference and is either prescribed or determined from the surface deformation due to the indentation. The governing equations for the surface deformation and the surface traction are the same for the isotropic and the transversely isotropic half-spaces. For a given punch, the surface tractions on either half-spaces have the same spatial distribution but with different magnitudes. The profiles of the deformed boundary surfaces for either half-spaces are the same.
Vegetative Survey of Martha's Meadow, an Open Limestone Habitat in Northwestern Georgia

The vegetation of Martha's Meadow (Berry College, Floyd County, GA) is distinct from that of surrounding flatwood areas and appears to be floristically similar to a limestone glade community. Limestone (cedar) glades of the southeastern United States are characterized by high species richness and diversity, calcareous soil, and up to 26 endemic or near-endemic indicator species. To describe the vegetation of Martha's Meadow and to determine its affinity to other limestone-based communities, a comprehensive species survey was augmented by quantitative surveys in May, July, and October of 2006. A total of 203 species in 56 families were identified, including nine limestoneassociated species designated as rare in the state of Georgia. Juniperus virginiana, a key species associated with glade communities, was important in both the overstory and the understory. Other important overstory species included Pinus taeda, Quercus shumardii, Q. muehlenbergii, and Ostrya virginiana. The perennial grass Danthonia spicata, the southeastern sedge Carex cherokeensis, and the herb Verbesina virginica, which is commonly associated with alkaline soils, were among the most important understory species, but no well-recognized limestone glade endemics were found. Two invasive grasses (Festuca subverticillata and Microstegium vimineum) were also among the most important understory species. Several ordination and clustering methods were used to compare the community structure of Martha's Meadow with data sets derived from other open calcareous and non-calcareous habitats throughout the southeastern and mid-western United States. Regardless of method, Martha's Meadow appeared to be most similar to several well-recognized Georgia limestone glades. While Martha's Meadow has some characteristics of edaphically determined limestone glades, it also lacks some characteristic traits (e.g., key limestone endemic species), making definitive classification tenuous. Evidence of on-going succession involving woody species suggests that the site might be best classified as a xeric limestone prairie (barrens) that requires disturbance or active management to maintain canopy openness and understory diversity.
HIV-regulated diphtheria toxin A chain gene confers long-term protection against HIV type 1 infection in the human promonocytic cell line U937.

ABSTRACT Gene therapy approaches have recently been investigated for the treatment of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), both in preclinical and clinical studies, because more traditional antiviral agents have proven to be of limited effectiveness. We have previously shown that long-term protection against both laboratory and clinical isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) was conferred by HIV-regulated diphtheria toxin A (DT-A) chain in a human T cell line. Because the monocyte/macrophage cell is an important reservoir for HIV-1 in infected individuals, we sought here to determine whether HIV-regulated DT-A would also be effective in the promonocytic cell line U937. We report here that long-term protection, conferred by HIV-regulated DT-A, was observed in U937 cells, but that protection was dependent on the stock of HIV IIIB used for challenge. HIV production was measured by p24 assays, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HIV vif, gag, and reverse transcriptase (RT) sequences, an...
Doubly Deuterium-Labeled Patchouli Alcohol from Cyclization of Singly Labeled [2-2H1]Farnesyl Diphosphate Catalyzed by Recombinant Patchoulol Synthase

Incubations of isotopically pure [2-2H1](E,E)-farnesyl diphosphate with recombinant patchoulol synthase (PTS) from Pogostemon cablin afforded a 65:35 mixture of monodeuterated and dideuterated patchoulols as well as numerous sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. Extensive NMR analyses (1H and 13C NMR, 1H homodecoupling NMR, HMQC, and 2H NMR) of the labeled patchoulol mixture and comparisons of the spectra with those of unlabeled alcohol led to the conclusion that the deuterium label was located at positions (patchoulol numbering system) C5 (both isotopomers, ca. 100%) and C12 (minor isotopomer, 30−35%), that is, an approximately 2:1 mixture of [5-2H1]- and [5,12-2H2]-patchoulols. Low-resolution FIMS analyses and isotope ratio calculations further corroborated the composition of the mixture as mainly one singly deuterated and one doubly deuterated patchoulol. From a mechanistic point of view, the formation of [5,12-2H2]patchoulol is rationalized through the intermediacy of an unknown exocyclic [7,10:1,5]patchoul-4(12)-ene (15-d1), which could incorporate a deuteron at the C-12 position on the pathway to doubly labeled patchoulol. The corresponding depletion of deuterium content observed in the hydrocarbon coproducts, β-patchoulene and α-guaiene (55% d0), identified the source of the excess label found in patchoulol-d2. Comparison of the PTS amino acid sequence with those of other sesquiterpene synthases, and examination of an active site model, suggested that re-orientation of leucine 410 side chain in PTS might facilitate the creation of a 2-pocket active site where the observed deuteron transfers could occur. The retention of deuterium at C5 in the labeled patchoulol and its absence at C4 rule out an alternative mechanism involving two consecutive 1,2-hydride shifts and appears to confirm the previously proposed occurrence of a 1,3-hydride shift across the 5-membered ring. A new, semisystematic nomenclature is presented for the purpose of distinguishing the three different skeletal structures of the patchoulane sesquiterpenes.
A new integrated charge pump architecture using dynamic biasing of pass transistors

In this paper, a new charge pump architecture is presented: it is based on PMOS pass transistors with dynamic biasing of gates and bodies. By controlling the gate and body voltages of each pass transistor, the voltage loss due to the device threshold is removed and the charge is pumped from one stage to the other with negligible voltage drop. Furthermore, the overdrive voltage of the pass transistors grows progressively from the first to the last boost stage. This new architecture was developed and validated through simulations and experimental measurements on AMS 0.8/spl mu/m standard CMOS technology.