cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Economic Growth and Structural Transformation in Southeast Asia

This paper analyzes macroeconomic growth of the economies in Southeast Asia since the end of the Second World War. It argues that there appears a convergence in development strategy among the economies in this region in recent decades. With few exceptions, every economy in Southeast Asia has become more market-oriented, more outward-looking, and more industrialized. Along with this transformation, their economies have grown rapidly and their income today is multiple times higher than what it was at the end of the Second World War. However, the convergence of development strategy did not take place in a few years but occurred sequentially over the course of half a century. The sequence in which each country adopted the growth-enhancing strategy is correlated to the ranking of per capita income. Singapore, the country with highest income today, was also the first one that implemented this strategy in 1965, followed by Malaysia and Thailand in the 1970s, Indonesia in the early 1980s, Vietnam and Lao PDR in the late 1980s, and Cambodia in the early 1990s. Even Myanmar, once one of the closest economies in the world, adopted similar strategy in the late 1980s and eventually opened up its economy in 2010. The paper also discusses the limit and the drawback of the growth strategy currently adopted by virtually all economies in this region.
Molecular Epidemiology of Cholera

This chapter describes the newer molecular subtyping approaches as they have evolved and been applied to investigations of cholera since the 1970s. It presents specific applications of subtyping in outbreak and epidemic settings and in retrospective studies of well-defined culture collections of Vibrio cholerae O1, including some preliminary information on the serogroup O139. The increasing knowledge of the molecular epidemiology of cholera has been stimulated by advances in technology and by unexpected occurrences of the disease from 1978 to 1993. In this chapter, the authors look at epidemiologically and phenotypically defined groups of V. cholerae isolates and discuss the use of their molecular genetic characteristics and relationships to address specific questions regarding the occurrence and spread of cholera, i.e., the molecular epidemiology of cholera. Robot-assisted DNA sequence analysis of a 460-bp polymerase chain reaction amplification product from ctxB indicated that classical biotype strains isolated from 1921 through 1970 had identical DNA sequences. The ctxB sequences of 45 V. cholerae O1 strains showed only three nucleotide differences among all strains, and there were three ctxB genotypes; the four classical biotype isolates belong to genotype. The multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MEE) analysis of isolates indicated that both patient and food isolates belonged to the typical seventh-pandemic electrophoretic type (ET). Molecular subtyping of V. cholerae can identify specific outbreak strains and can often determine the geographic origins of strains.
Nano and molecular electronics handbook

MOLECULAR AND NANO ELECTRONICS: DEVICE- AND SYSTEM-LEVEL Electrical Characterization of Self-Assembled Monolayers Wenyong Wang, Takhee Lee and Mark A. Reed Molecular Electronic Computing Architectures J.M. Tour and D.K. James Unimolecular Electronics: Results and Prospects Robert M. Metzger Carbon Derivatives Rikizo Hatakeyama System-Level Design and Simulation of Nanomemories and Nanoprocessors Shamik Das, Carl A. Picconatto, Garrett S. Rose, Matthew M. Ziegler and James C. Ellenbogen Three-Dimensional Molecular Electronics and Integrated Circuits for Signal and Information Processing Platforms Sergey Edward Lyshevski NANOSCALED ELECTRONICS Inorganic Nanowires in Electronics Bin Yu and M. Meyyappan Quantum Dots in Nanoelectronic Devices Gregory L. Snider, Alexei O. Orlov and Craig S. Lent Self Assembly of Nanostructures Using Nanoporous Alumina Templates Bhargava Kanchibotla, Sandipan Pramanik and Supriyo Bandyopadhyay Neuromorphic Networks of Spiking Neurons Giacomo Indiveri and Rodney Douglas Allowing Electronics to Face the TSI Era-Molecular Electronics and Beyond G. F. Cerofolini On Computing Nano-Architectures Using Unreliable Nanodevices or On Yield-Energy-Delay Logic Designs Valeriu Beiu and Walid Ibrahim BIOMOLECULAR ELECTRONICS AND PROCESSING Properties of "G-Wire" DNA Thomas Marsh and James Vesenka Metalloprotein Electronics Andrea Alessandrini and Paolo Facci Localization and Transport of Charge by Nonlinearity and Spatial Discreteness in Biomolecules and Semiconductor Nanorings. Aharonov-Bohm Effect for Neutral Excitons F. Palmero, J. Cuevas, F.R. Romero, J.C. Eilbeck, R.A. Roemer and J. Dorignac Protein-Based Optical Memories Jeffrey A. Stuart, Robert R. Birge, Mark P. Krebs, Bangwei Xi, William Tetley, Duane L. Marcy, Jeremy F. Koscielecki, and Jason R. Hillebrecht Subneuronal Processing of Information by Solitary Waves and Stochastic Processes Danko D. Georgiev, MD and James F. Glazebrook Electronic and Ionic Conductivities of Microtubules and Actin Filaments, Their Consequences for Cell Signaling and Applications to Bioelectronics Jack A. Tuszynski, Avner Priel, J.A. Brown, Horacio F. Cantiello, John M. Dixon MOLECULAR AND NANO ELECTRONICS: DEVICE-LEVEL MODELING AND SIMULATION Simulation Tools in Molecular Electronics Christoph Erlen, Paolo Lugli, Alessandro Pecchia and Aldo Di Carlo Theory of Current Rectification, Switching, and a Role of Defects in Molecular Electronic Devices A.M. Bratkovsky Complexities of the Molecular Conductance Problem Gil Speyer, Richard Akis and David K. Ferry Nanoelectromechanical Oscillator as an Open Quantum System Lev G. Mourokh and Anatoly Yu. Smirnov Coherent Electron Transport in Molecular Contacts: A Case of Tractable Modeling Alexander Onipko and Lyuba Malysheva Pride, Prejudice, and Penury of ab initio Transport Calculations for Single Molecules F. Evers and K. Burke Molecular Electronics Devices Anton Grigoriev and Rajeev Ahuja An Electronic Cotunneling Model of STM-Induced Unimolecular Surface Reactions Vladimiro Mujica, Thorsten Hansen and Mark A. Ratner INDEX
New product forecasting models. Directions for research and implementation

Abstract Given the importance of forecasting the performance of new products and services in the marketplace, numerous new product forecasting models have been developed over the years, both in industry and academia. This paper evaluates strengths and weaknesses of these models and outlines a research agenda to enhance their implementation and further development.
In Vivo 31P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Measurement of Chronic Changes in Cerebral Metabolites Following Neonatal Intraventricular Hemorrhage

The purpose of this study was to determine whether cerebral metabolic changes occur after intraventricular hemorrhage in the newborn. Five babies with bilateral grade 3 to 4 intraventricular hemorrhage were compared with 15 preterm infants without intraventricular hemorrhage. Cerebral high-energy phosphorus metabolites and intracellular pH were measured with in vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Spectra were collected initially within the first 2 weeks of life, and then every other week until discharged from the hospital. The phosphocreatine to inorganic phosphate ratio and the phosphocreatine to adenosine triphosphate ratio were significantly lower in the group with intraventricular hemorrhage, but differences in intracellular pH were not significant. Differences between babies with and without intraventricular hemorrhage varied with postconceptional age: in those with intraventricular hemorrhage, the phosphocreatine to adenosine triphosphate ratio was decreased at all postconceptional ages, and the phosphocreatine to inorganic phosphate ratio was lower in babies with intraventricular hemorrhage and younger than 30 weeks. Results of this study confirm the presence of chronic metabolic changes following intraventricular hemorrhage which may exacerbate neurologic damage after intraventricular hemorrhage in the newborn.
Effects of temperature and salinity on the survival of Vibrio vulnificus in seawater and shellfish

Sterilized seawater was used to assess the effects of temperature and salinity on the survival of Vibrio vulnificus. In the temperature range of 13 to 22 degrees C, numbers of V. vulnificus increased during the 6-day incubation. Temperatures outside this range reduced the time of V. vulnificus survival in sterile 10-ppt seawater. At these restrictive temperatures, V. vulnificus numbers were reduced by 90% after 6 days of incubation. Incubation between 0.5 and 10.5 degrees C demonstrated that V. vulnificus survives poorly below 8.5 degrees C. At salinities between 5 and 25 ppt and at 14 degrees C, V. vulnificus numbers actually increased or remained unchanged after 6 days of incubation. At salinities of 30, 35, and 38 ppt, numbers of V. vulnificus decreased 58, 88, and 83%, respectively. V. vulnificus could not be recovered from deionized water, indicating lysis. When a rifampin-resistant strain of V. vulnificus was used to inoculate sterilized and unsterilized seawater (20 ppt, 20 degrees C), numbers increased in sterile seawater but decreased to undetectable levels in 14 days in the unsterilized seawater, indicating that biological factors may play a role in the survival of V. vulnificus in the environment. Since our studies demonstrated sensitivity to low temperatures, the survival of V. vulnificus in naturally contaminated oysters at temperatures of 0, 2, and 4 degrees C was also determined. Numbers of endogenous V. vulnificus in oyster shellstock increased by more than 100-fold in shellstock stored at 30 degrees C but were reduced approximately 10- and 100-fold after 14 days at 2 to 4 degrees C and 0 degrees C, respectively. We conclude that both biological and physicochemical factors are important to the survival of V. vulnificus in the environment and that temperature is critical to controlling its growth in oyster shellstock.
Distinct Requirements for Deletion versus Anergy during CD8 T Cell Peripheral Tolerance In Vivo

Activation of naive T cells by quiescent APCs results in tolerance through deletion and anergy. The underlying basis for these distinct fates is unclear. Using clone 4 TCR transgenic animals as a source of naive CD8 T cells, we examined the requirements for peripheral deletion in vivo. Our results demonstrate that independent of the amount of Ag used for stimulation, a single dose was insufficient to achieve complete clonal deletion. Instead, further antigenic exposure was required to completely eliminate all of the activated T cells. Additionally, consecutive stimulations with low doses of Ag were highly effective in promoting deletion. In contrast, although stimulation with high doses of Ag initially led to the apoptosis of many of the activated T cells, it induced hyporesponsiveness in a portion of the responding cells, thereby sparing them from further activation and deletion. These data explain why some conditions promote tolerance through clonal deletion whereas others promote anergy. Furthermore, these data provide a framework to devise protocols for effective deletion of potentially autoreactive T cells.
Objects first - does it work?

Many colleges and universities have switched to Java as the language in CS1 and CS2. The object-oriented paradigm, and Java in particular, fosters an "objects first" approach that starts with classes and objects from the first day and introduces basic programming constructs such as conditionals and loops as needed to solve specific problems. This methodology is foreign to those who have been teaching introductory programming for more than five years but seems to work for students who have no prior background. This panel will explore the question of whether or not the "objects first" approach is the most effective way to teach the art and science of programming.
Autoimmunity as an endogenous source of heterologous alloimmunity (TRAN3P.868)

Curiously, although autoimmunity is restricted to self MHC molecules, spontaneously diabetic NOD mice reject MHC-unrelated islet allografts more rapidly than syngeneic (NOD) grafts. We hypothesized that the autoimmune (islet-reactive) T cell repertoire harbors a subset of TCRs that also cross-react to allogeneic MHC molecules. To test this concept, we performed high throughput TCR sequencing of T cells infiltrating MHC-mismatched (C3H, H-2k) islet allografts on the day of rejection in diabetic female NOD mice. TCRs expressed in high frequency in the allograft (>1%) were cloned and tested for islet autoreactivity and/or alloreactivity following TCR cDNA transfection into IL-2 producing hybridoma cells. Of note, three TCRs studied that were the most frequent in the graft were also detected in the endogenous pancreas. All three transfectants expressing these TCRs were islet reactive. Importantly, all three of these TCR also were directly alloreactive to C3H spleen cells. Two of the three TCRs were MHC class I reactive (anti-H-2Dk), and the other was MHC class II-reactive (anti-I-Ak). These results suggest that dual auto/allo-reactive T cells are selectively expanded in islet allografts. As such, we propose that autoimmunity is an unusual source of endogenous heterologous alloreactivity that may accelerate allograft rejection by simultaneous auto- and allo-reactivity.
An Ultra-Wideband Optoelectronic THz the Beam System

A unique optoelectronic THz beam system is described in this article. The system can generate well collimated beams of freely propagating fsec THz pulses, which can be detected with a time-resolution better than 150 fsec and with a signal-to-noise ratio of more than 1000. The useful bandwidth of the system extends from 0.2 to more than 6 THz. An experimental and theoretical analysis of the time-domain response function describing the photoconductor shows that performance of the system is now fundamentally limited only by the ballistic acceleration of the optically generated photocarriers.
The Flow in the Planetary Boundary Layer

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the flow in the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The investigations of the flow in the PBL are frequently preoccupied with the trees represented by turbulent eddies. Elaborate instrumentation and techniques have been developed for measuring, counting, categorizing, and averaging the turbulence in various ways. It is found that unlike the random mixing motion of molecules, the turbulent eddies are dependent on the mean flow, and tend to mingle before mixing with various degrees of efficiency, again depending on the mean flow characteristics. Much of PBL modeling requires only an average value for the momentum, heat, or moisture flux for a large scale region. Some investigations of the transport of sediment have been concerned with large scale averages while others have been concerned with small scale variations, each with an appropriate PBL flow solution. It is found that if longitudinal atmospheric vortices do cause dunes, then the different wavelength would correlate to different characteristic boundary layers.
Rearticulating Contemporary Populism: Class, State, and Neoliberal Society

Oriented, descriptively, by recent liberal definitions of populism, this essay pursues a historical-materialist definition that grounds populist antagonisms in class struggles as ‘crystallised’ in the capitalist state. A critical assessment of Laclau’s early equation of populism and socialism inaugurates the reading of Poulantzas’s relational account of class and state as a nascent framework for a theory of populism, centred on the state and its ideological crystallisation of individualisation, the mental/manual-labour division and the ‘people-nation’. This framework is then expanded to articulate the political-economic core of populist antagonisms, the specific character of ‘neoliberal populism’ today, and the potential, in relation to theories of ‘popular politics’ and a ‘communist people’, that left-wing populism might hold as a process of new political productions of class. This reading provides for a more expansive account of such movements’ potentials, beyond a threat to or correction of pre-determined democratic or Marxist schemas.
Chemokines and Chemokine Receptors in Infectious Disease

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the current concepts of the way host and viral chemokine systems influence the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. It also discusses the evolving technologies for interfering with the chemokine system, particularly in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other infections. The speciﬁc effects of chemokines on their target cells are mediated by the members of a family of seven‐transmembrane‐spanning, G‐protein‐coupled receptors. These receptors are the part of a larger family of G‐protein‐coupled receptors, including hormone receptors, neuro-transmitters, paracrine substances, inflammatory mediators, proteinases, photons, and calcium ions. The significance of chemokines and their receptors in infectious diseases, which was initially guessed at because of their ability to induce leukocyte chemotaxis in vitro , is now firmly established. The chemokines and their receptors play a major role in the mediation of leukocyte trafficking to the sites of antigen entry and in T‐cell polarization and they also act as cell‐entry factors for major pathogens such as HIV and Plasmodium vivax . The use of animal models and human genetic variants has unraveled several new members of the chemokine system that are critical for normal homeostasis.
Determination of the Optimum Filter Function for SPECT Imaging

An observer study was performed in order to evaluate several filters used in SPECT imaging. The filters were applied to the simulated projection data of a uniform activity density cylinder which contained a cold, spherical lesion, 2 cm in diameter. The data incorporated the effects of the detector and scatter response functions, photon attenuation, and noise. Reconstructed transaxial images were used in 2AFC and ROC observer studies testing lesion detectability. In the 2AFC experiment, the Hanning filter scored lowest and did not show a optimum cutoff frequency. The Butterworth filter performed better and showed a well-defined optimum cutoff frequency at 0.15 cycles/pixel. The Metz filter performed as well as the optimum Butterworth but did not show an optimum power factor. In the ROC study, a high power Metz filter demonstrated an ROC curve of lower Az index and different shape from a lower power Metz filter and the optimum Butterworth filter.
White Button Mushroom Enhances Maturation of Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cells and Their Antigen Presenting Function in Mice

Mushrooms have been shown to enhance immune response, which contributes to their antitumor property. White button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) (WBM) constitute 90% of the total mushrooms consumed in the United States; however, the health benefit of this strain in general is not well studied. Furthermore, little is known about WBM's immunologic effects. Dendritic cells (DC) are the most potent antigen presenting cells and play a pivotal role in immune response by linking innate and adaptive immune responses. In this study, we investigated the effect of in vitro supplementation with WBM on maturation of bone marrow-derived DC (BMDC) of C57BL mice. BMDC were differentiated in the presence of whole mushroom concentrate at 50, 100, or 200 mg/L. Results showed that mushroom supplementation dose dependently increased the expression of maturation markers CD40, CD80, CD86, and major histocompatibility complex-II. Consistent with the changes in the phenotypic markers, functional assay for DC maturation showed that mushroom supplementation decreased DC endocytosis and increased intracellular interleukin (IL)-12 levels. Furthermore, using a syngeneic T cell activation model, we found that WBM-supplemented DC from BALB/c mice presented ovalbumin antigen to T cells from DO11.10 mice more efficiently as demonstrated by increased T cell proliferation and IL-2 production. In conclusion, WBM promote DC maturation and enhance their antigen-presenting function. This effect may have potential in enhancing both innate and T cell-mediated immunity leading to a more efficient surveillance and defense mechanism against microbial invasion and tumor development.
The Principal and Effective Staff Morale

Good staff morale is crucial to the operation of an effective educational program, these writers note. What can the principal do to ensure high morale in his or her school? Some recommenda tions ar...
Managing missing measurements in small-molecule screens

In a typical high-throughput screening (HTS) campaign, less than 1 % of the small-molecule library is characterized by confirmatory experiments. As much as 99 % of the library’s molecules are set aside—and not included in downstream analysis—although some of these molecules would prove active were they sent for confirmatory testing. These missing experimental measurements prevent active molecules from being identified by screeners. In this study, we propose managing missing measurements using imputation—a powerful technique from the machine learning community—to fill in accurate guesses where measurements are missing. We then use these imputed measurements to construct an imputed visualization of HTS results, based on the scaffold tree visualization from the literature. This imputed visualization identifies almost all groups of active molecules from a HTS, even those that would otherwise be missed. We validate our methodology by simulating HTS experiments using the data from eight quantitative HTS campaigns, and the implications for drug discovery are discussed. In particular, this method can rapidly and economically identify novel active molecules, each of which could have novel function in either binding or selectivity in addition to representing new intellectual property.
UV-ACTION SPECTRUM (254-405 nm) FOR INHIBITION OF A K+ -STIMULATED ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATASE FROM THE PLASMA MEMBRANE OF ROSA DAMASCENA

A K +-stimulated ATPase from suspension-cultured rose cells was isolated and subjected to UV radiation. The characteristics of the ATPase resembled those of a plasma-membrane associated enzyme and not those of the mitochondrial enzyme. The ATPase required Mg2+ and was further stimulated up to 100% by K+. K+ stimulation was specific for ATP. The order of stimulation by monovalent cations was K+ > Na+ > Li+. The enzyme had a pH optimum of 6.5 in the presence of 50 mM K+. It was almost completely inhibited by diethylstilbestrol and partially inhibited by vanadate. but was not affected by azide or oligomycin. The inhibition of ATPase activity by various fluences of UV indicated that one fraction of the K+-stimulated activity was very sensitive to radiation, while another fraction was relatively insensitive. It is possible that UV distinguished between two enzymes. The action spectra for inhibition of both fractions showed maxima at 290 nm and significant but much lower action throughout the near-UV region, resembling spectra in the literature for the inhibition of transport processes in bacteria.
Alternate realities for computational thinking

Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) can be utilized as an educational platform to engage students in a collaborative exploration of the field of computing as a means to increase interest in computing. This paper will review the use of ARGs for educational purposes, the educational value of using ARGS, and how ARGs can be designed for re-use. My research is focused on exploring the use of ARGS as component of a computing education framework.
Methods of Investigating Intestinal Transport

This article provides a brief overview of well-established in vivo and in vitro methods that have contributed the most to the understanding of transport processes across the gastrointestinal epithelium. In vivo perfusion techniques in humans revolve around double- and triple-lumen per oral tubes. In animals, in vivo techniques include the single and recirculation perfusion techniques and the double-isotope technique for measurement of net absorption. In vitro methods of studying intestinal transport include the everted gut sac technique, the Ussing chamber, the use of isolated epithelial cells, and the use of brush border and basolateral membranes isolated from enterocytes. The use of fluorescent probes for the measurement of intracellular ionic concentrations is a new and powerful in vivo technique that is now being applied to the gastrointestinal tract.
Sporotrichosis presenting as arthritis and subcutaneous nodules

Arthritis is a rare manifestation of systemic sporotrichosis. A patient who had sporotrichal arthritis of both wrists and elbows is described. Predisposing factors included alcoholism, rose gardening, and antecedent trauma. The onset of the arthritis was insidious, and the diagnosis was made 2½ years after his first symptoms were noted. Treatment with surgical debridement and a 23-week course of ketoconazole was unsuccessful. A review off the literature suggests that some combination of intravenous or intraarticular amphotericin B and potassium iodide, ketoconazole, or surgery is necessary for effective treatment.
Method for analysis of fatty acid distribution and oil content on a single Lesquerella fendleri seed

Abstract Lesquerella fendleri is a developing oilseed crop suitable for temperate growing regions in the US. The seed oil is rich in lesquerolic acid (57%) and could serve as a domestic source of hydroxy fatty acids. A method for the analysis of fatty acids and total oil content of a half or single lesquerella seed was developed. Lesquerella seeds are small with 1000 seed weights around 0.6 g (half seed mass of 200–500 μg). Conventional analytical balances provide mass accuracy to ±40 μg which fails to provide sufficient accuracy/precession (4–40% mass error) for the initial seed mass. A microbalance which measures to ±2 μg provided good reproducibility in initial seed weights but was not suitable for mass balance of the extracted oil. A normal phase HPLC coupled to an evaporative light scattering detector gave good response for oil in the mass range of 22 μg to 110 μg/mL. Therefore, micelle concentrations from single or half seed extractions could be determined with good reproducibility. This method was then evaluated on bulk seed that had been fractionated on a gravity table. Gravity table fractionation of L. fendleri seeds obtained from a large field plot provided seven fractions with increasing bulk density. These fractions were then analyzed in sets of 30 individual seeds and as an aggregate of 50 seeds. Oil content for individual seeds varied widely (15.6–44.2%) as did lesquerolic acid content (42.2–63.7%). The mean oil content increased (27–33%) with increasing bulk density (684–745 g/L). The mean lesquerolic acid content did not correlate with bulk density.
An Evaluation of the Quality and Use of Race-Specific Homicide Data

Research on race-specific homicide rates has paid insufficient attention to the issue of data quality. This article compares the two main sources of race-specific homicide rates: the FBI Age, Sex, and Race Record Cards (ASR) and the FBI Uniform Crime Report Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR), focusing primarily on Black homicide rates. Probably the most important finding of this research is that ASR and SHR race-specific homicide rates cannot both be valid indicators of Black homicide rates in cities. Further analysis suggests that SHR data probably more often provide a valid indicator of overall or race-specific offender homicide rates than do ASR data. Analysis indicates SHR data must be properly examined and screened if they are to provide a valid indicator of race-specific homicide data. This research addresses problems with SHR race-specific homicide data, including outright errors, cases where the race of the offender is unknown, and multiple offender and victim cases.
Topology optimization for synthesis of contact-aided compliant mechanisms using regularized contact modeling

A topology optimization technique for systematically designing contact-aided compliant mechanisms (CCM) is presented in this paper. A CCM is a single piece elastic body that uses intermittent contacts in addition to elastic deformation to transmit force and motion. Contact interactions give rise to interesting nonlinear and nonsmooth behaviors even under the small deflection assumption made in this work. The difficulties associated with the nondifferentiability inherent in the CCM systematic synthesis problem are circumvented by using a regularized contact model. This model uses a smooth approximation of the unilateral displacement constraints that are used to model contact interactions. The use of a regularized contact model in the underlying state problem makes it possible to use efficient smooth optimization algorithms for the systematic synthesis of CCMs. The formulation of the design problem for CCMs, sensitivity analysis, and solution methodology are presented. The paper includes CCM designs that exhibit nonsmooth motion and force transmission characteristics, which are not possible or practical with compliant mechanisms that do not use intermittent contact interactions.
Secretion of beta-lactamase requires the carboxy end of the protein

Synthesis and secretion of beta-lactamase were studied in Salmonella typhimurium infected with P22 phage carrying the structural gene for beta-lactamase (the bla gene) in mutant or wild-type form. The wild-type gene was shown to specify two forms of beta-lactamase which differ in molecular weight by about 2500 daltons. This difference is consistent with removal, predicted on other grounds, of 23 amino-terminal residues (the "signal" sequence). All bla- mutants, including chain-terminating mutants lacking as much as 50% or as little as 10% of the protein, were apparently unaffected in this processing step. Pulse-chase experiments showed that more than 85% of the wild-type (as well as mutant) proteins are synthesized as complete overlength precursors before being processed to their mature forms. Virtually all the mature wild-type protein appears in the periplasmic space whereas a large fraction of the precursor appears in the cytoplasm. In contrast, both the precursor and processed forms of beta-lactamase proteins synthesized by chain-terminating mutants (including one which lacks only 10% of its residues from the carboxy end) are not secreted and apparently remain soluble in the cytoplasm. These results show that the carboxy-terminal amino acid sequence (at least) of beta-lactamase is essential to successful transport across the cytoplasmic membrane, and suggest that the presence (and probably also the act of removal) of the signal sequence does not suffice to ensure secretion.
Segmental Contributions to Trunk Control in Children With Moderate-to-Severe Cerebral Palsy

Abstract Objective To examine postural constraints in children with moderate-to-severe cerebral palsy (CP) using a segmental approach. Design Quasi-experimental repeated-measures study; case series. Setting Motor control research laboratory. Participants Children (N=15; age range, 4–16y) with moderate (Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] IV; n=8; 4 boys) or severe (GMFCS V) (n=7; 4 boys) CP. Interventions Each child participated in 3 data collection sessions. During each session, we evaluated postural control for sitting using kinematics and clinical assessments. Main Outcome Measures Kinematic data were used to document head alignment and stabilization with external support at 4 levels (axillae, midrib, waist, hip). Two clinical assessments, the Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control and behavioral assessment for stage of trunk control, were also used to compare results for children with CP to previous longitudinal data from typically developing (TD) infants (3–9mo of age). Results Children with GMFCS V had difficulty aligning and stabilizing their head along the medial-lateral and anterior-posterior axes. External support improved postural control for children with GMFCS V but not for those classified as GMFCS IV, who had opposite responses to support compared with TD infants. Conclusions Children with GMFCS V have limited trunk control but respond to support similarly to young TD infants, suggesting delayed postural control. Response to external support for children with GMFCS IV suggests a unique strategy for trunk control not observed in typical infants. Overall a segmental approach offers new insights into development of trunk control in children with moderate-to-severe CP.
Evidence for in vivo Light-induced Synthesis of Ribulose-1,5-diP Carboxylase and Phosphoribulokinase in Greening Barley Leaves.

WHEN ACTINOMYCIN D, PUROMYCIN, STREPTOMYCIN, CHLORAMPHENICOL, AND CYCLOHEXIMIDE, KNOWN INHIBITORS OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS, WERE APPLIED TO LEAVES OF INTACT SEEDLINGS OR DETACHED LEAVES OF BARLEY PRIOR TO THEIR GREENING, THE SAME GENERAL RESPONSE RESULTED: the light-induced increase in activity of ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase was prevented while that of phosphoribulokinase was only partially suppressed; synthesis of chlorophyll was arrested. This is taken as preliminary evidence that de novo synthesis of protein may be responsible for the observed increase in ribulose-1,5-diphosphate carboxylase activity during greening. However, other factors may be involved with the light-induced stimulation of phosphoribulokinase.Carbohydrate metabolites and substrates of the enzymes failed to induce the formation of ribulose-1,5-diphosphate carboxylase and phosphoribulokinase in the dark. No evidence was found for the presence of inhibitors in etiolated seedlings or activators in illuminated leaves of barley. Carboxylase activity almost equal to that of the illuminated water control was stimulated by MgCl(2) in the dark; MgCl(2) had no effect on the activity of the kinase.
Invention and mystery in hypotrich DNA.

“The capacity to blunder slightly is the real marvel of DNA. Without this special attribute, we would still be anaerobic bacteria and there would be no music.” Lewis Thomas3 Hypotrichs have evolved extraordinary ways of organizing, manipulating, and replicating the DNA in their micronuclear and macronuclear genomes. Short macronuclear DNA molecules containing single genes are created by excision from chromosomes, accompanied by massive elimination of the germline DNA sequences between genes. Germline genes themselves are interrupted by multiple noncoding segments called internal eliminated segments, or IESs, that divide genes into multiple macronuclear-destined segments, or MDSs. The functional significance of this organization is unknown. Over evolutionary time IESs accumulate mutations rapidly are inserted into or excised from genes, and shift position along DNA molecules. MDSs are ligated to create functional genes when IESs are spliced out of micronuclear DNA during macronuclear development. MDSs in some germline genes are in scrambled disorder and become unscrambled in association with IES elimination. Replication of DNA in the macronucleus is accomplished by organization of replication enzymes and factors into a structure that sweeps through the macronucleus to replicate the many millions of gene-sized DNA molecules. The significance of many of the bizarre DNA phenomena in the evolutionary/functional success of hypotrichs is still unclear.
Radiosurgery for acoustic neurinomas: Early experience

We reviewed our early experience with the first 26 patients with acoustic neurinomas (21 unilateral, 5 bilateral) treated by stereotactic radiosurgery using the first North American 201-source cobalt-60 gamma knife. Follow-up ranged from 6 to 19 months (median, 13 months). Serial postoperative imaging showed either a decrease in tumor size (11 patients) or growth arrest (15 patients). Loss of central contrast enhancement was a characteristic change (18 patients). Seven patients had good or serviceable hearing preoperatively. In all 7 the preoperative hearing status was retained immediately after radiosurgery. At follow-up, 3 had preserved hearing, 1 had reduced hearing, and 3 had lost all hearing in the treated ear. Hearing in 1 patient that was nonserviceable preoperatively later improved to a serviceable hearing level. Delayed facial paresis developed in 6 patients, and delayed trigeminal sensory loss developed in 7 patients, none of whom had significant deficits before radiosurgery. Both facial and trigeminal deficits tended to improve within 3 to 6 months of onset with excellent recovery anticipated. Lower cranial nerve dysfunction was not observed. All 26 patients remain at their preoperative employment or functional status. At present, stereotactic radiosurgery is an alternative treatment for acoustic neurinomas in patients who are elderly, have significant concomitant medical problems, have a tumor in their only hearing ear, have bilateral acoustic neurinomas, refuse microsurgical excision, or have recurrent tumor despite surgical resection. Although longer and more extensive follow-up is required, the control of tumor growth and the acceptable rate of complications in this early experience testifies to the future expanding role of this technique in the management of selected acoustic neurinomas.
Equilibrium states and oscillations for localized two-enzyme kinetics: a model for circadian rhythms.

Abstract Two models of localized catalysis are presented. In Problem I we study cooperatively coupled enzymes bound to membranes separated from each other. In Problem II the interaction of a membrane bound with a soluble (homogeneously distributed on a finite interval) enzyme is considered, with non-linearity in the bulk solution. One of the models is developed to describe cellular circadian rhythms at the molecular level.
How Do Neurons Sense a Spike Burst

In this issue of Neuron, Xu et al. (2012) show that knock down of Syt1, a major Ca2+ sensor, impairs synaptic transmission similarly in different brain regions but with unexpected, region-specific behavioral outcomes.
Wave propagation over a deformable sea floor

Abstract The propagation of water waves over a deformable bottom is examined theoretically for the case where the soil beneath the water is regarded as an elastic solid. Equations are given for calculating wave speeds, soil displacements and stresses, and water motion and pressure. Detailed wave-speed solutions are worked out for the case of an incompressible soil. The effects of soil inertia are included in the analysis, and it is shown that such effects cannot generally be ignored without committing serious error.
Physiologic and Metabolic Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Gliomas

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging provides excellent soft tissue differentiation and in vivo assessment of physiologic and metabolic properties of tissue. As new and more aggressive treatment modalities and combined modalities are being investigated for brain tumor treatment, it is becoming more important to accurately define tumor volumes for treatment planning, to determine the most aggressive tumor regions for intensified radiation treatment, to identify early regional response to therapy for reoptimization of treatment, and to detect early indicators of developing normal tissue toxicity. Readily available MR techniques of physiologic and metabolic imaging can currently provide useful information regarding tumor tissue properties including chemical composition, cerebral blood volume, perfusion, vascular permeability, and water mobility. This article will focus on the potential value of MR physiologic and metabolic imaging in the clinical management of malignant gliomas.
Patients with Biopsy Gleason 9 and 10 Prostate Cancer Have Significantly Worse Outcomes Compared to Patients with Gleason 8 Disease

Purpose: We examined differences in outcome in patients with biopsy Gleason score 8 vs 9-10 who received definitive local therapy.Materials and Methods: Using an institutional database we identified a cohort of 847 patients with biopsy Gleason 8-10 disease who received definitive local therapy with radiation therapy or radical prostatectomy between January 2001 and December 2011. Multivariable Cox modeling was used to assess the association of Gleason score 8 vs 9-10 with time to biochemical recurrence, metastasis and overall survival, and evaluate treatment by Gleason score interaction. Median followup in the cohort was 5.3 years.Results: Baseline patient characteristics were similar for biopsy Gleason 8 vs 9-10. Gleason 9-10 disease was associated with higher prostate specific antigen at diagnosis. As local treatment such patients were also more likely to have received radiation therapy (58% vs 46%, p = 0.001) and neoadjuvant/adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (64% vs 49%, p <0.001). Those with highe...
Item Invariance in Four Subtests of the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) across Groups of Deaf and Hearing Children

The Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) is a new, individually administered, nonverbal intelligence test that is administered to children ages 5 through 17, regardless of hearing status, via gesture. Methods to detect differential item functioning (DIF), including the Mantel-Haenszel and Item Response Theory (IRT) likelihood ratio procedures, were used to determine whether UNIT items in four subtests (Symbolic Memory, Spatial Memory, Analogic Reasoning, and Object Memory) function differently for profoundly deaf and hearing children from the national standardization sample. No items were found to exhibit DIF, indicating that the probability of a correct response does not seem to be affected by hearing status. Further studies of the psychometric properties of the UNIT when administered to deaf children are encouraged, as well as investigations of DIF in other tests that are widely used for assessing deaf children.
Dynamic optimization of work station design for employees with disabilities

Abstract Procedures to analytically optimize the assignment of workers to job stations have been available for a number of years. Since the assignment of workers with disabilities can necessitate some adaptation of the work station, the existing methodologies are not applicable. This paper discusses (1) a classification scheme which allows comparison of job task requirements with the residual capabilities of the individual and (2) a procedure employing dynamic programming coupled with the classification scheme to maximize the effectiveness of a worker with a disability for fixed levels of capital expenditures on work station modification.
Holding chromatids together to ensure they go their separate ways

Association between sister chromatids is essential for their attachment and segregation to opposite poles of the spindle in mitosis and meiosis II. Sister-chromatid cohesion is also likely to be involved in linking homologous chromosomes together in meiosis I. Cytological observations provide evidence that attachment between sister chromatids is different in meiosis and mitosis and suggest that cohesion between the chromatid arms may differ mechanistically from that at the centromere. The physical nature of cohesion is addressed, and proteins that are candidates for holding sister chromatids together are discussed. Dissolution of sister-chromatid cohesion must be regulated precisely, and potential mechanisms to release cohesion are presented.
RNA interference silencing of the adaptor molecules ShcC and Fe65 differentially affect amyloid precursor protein processing and Aβ generation

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its pathogenic by-product amyloid-β protein (Aβ) play central roles in Alzheimer disease (AD) neuropathogenesis. APP can be cleaved by β-secretase (BACE) and α-secretase to produce APP-C99 and APP-C83. These C-terminal fragments can then be cleaved by γ-secretase to produce Aβ and p3, respectively. p3 has been reported to promote apoptosis, and Aβ is the key component of senile plaques in AD brain. APP adaptor proteins with phosphotyrosine-binding domains, including ShcA (SHC1), ShcC (SHC3), and Fe65 (APBB1), can bind to and interact with the conserved YENPTY motif in the APP-C terminus. Here we have described for the first time the effects of RNA interference (RNAi) silencing of ShcA, ShcC, and Fe65 expression on APP processing and Aβ production. RNAi silencing of ShcC led to reductions in the levels of APP-C-terminal fragments (APP-CTFs) and Aβ in H4 human neuroglioma cells stably overexpressing full-length APP (H4-FL-APP cells) but not in those expressing APP-C99 (H4-APP-C99 cells). RNAi silencing of ShcC also led to reductions in BACE levels in H4-FL-APP cells. In contrast, RNAi silencing of the homologue ShcA had no effect on APP processing or Aβ levels. RNAi silencing of Fe65 increased APP-CTF levels, although also decreasing Aβ levels in H4-FL-APP cells. These findings suggest that pharmacologically blocking interaction of APP with ShcC and Fe65 may provide novel therapeutic strategies against AD.
Heat transfer in solid state laser systems: Applications of dynamic ADI methods

This article describes numerical modelling of heat transfer and thermoelasticity effects that are significant in thermo-optical designs of solid state slab lasers capable of high average output power. The heat equation and equations of thermoelasticity are solved simultaneously to evaluate thermal stresses and microscopic deformations in isotropic and anisotropic laser host media. An efficient dynamic alternating-direction implicit method has been developed and applied in this work to solve the steady state heat transfer and stress potential equations in two dimensions. Numerical results are presented for some problems that arise in baseline designs of experimental slab laser systems.
On two photoreactions in system II of plant photosynthesis.

Abstract Light-induced absorbance changes of cytochrome b559 and C550 in chloroplasts indicate that noncyclic electron transport from water to ferredoxin (Fd)-NADP+ is carried out solely by System II and includes not one but two photoreactions (IIa and IIb) that proceed effectively only in short-wavelength light. (C550 is a new chloroplast component identified by spectral evidence and distinct from cytochromes.) The evidence suggests that the two short-wavelength light reactions operate in series, being joined by a System II chain of electron carriers that includes (but is not limited to) C550, cytochrome b559, and plastocyanin (PC). H2O → IIbhv → C550 → cyt. b559 → PC → IIahv → Fd → NADP+ Photoreaction IIb involves an electron transfer from water to C550 that does not require plastocyanin and is the first known System II photoreaction resistant to inhibition by 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea (DCMU) and o-phenanthroline. Cytochrome b559 is reduced by C550 in a reaction that is readily inhibited by DCMU or o-phenanthroline. Thus, the site of DCMU (and o-phenanthroline) inhibition of System II appears to lie between C550 and cytochrome b559. Photoreaction IIa involves an electron transfer from cytochrome b559 and plastocyanin to ferredoxin-NADP+.
Determination of the flare specification and methods to meet the CD control requirements for the 32-nm node using EUVL

The minimum gate CD for the 32 nm node is 15 nm and the CD control requirement on the gate CD is < 2.5 nm 3σ. One of the major concerns for meeting these targets using EUV lithography is flare. Flare degrades the aerial image contrast which decreases the process window, and within-die chrome density variation results in local flare variation which worsens the CD control. Since mirror roughness contributes to flare, mirror polishing needs to be improved so that the Mid Spatial Frequency Roughness (MSFR) will be reduced to < 0.14 nm/mirror for 6 mirror imaging systems. In this paper, we will determine the minimum acceptable flare for the 32 nm node to meet the CD target and control requirements using modeling and present methods to meet them as demonstrated by experiments run on the Engineering Test Stand (ETS). Effectiveness of flare mitigation methods using chrome dummification and negative tone resists are quantified, and the capability of Flare Variation Compensation (FVC) to meet CD control targets are verified experimentally.