cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wavefront calibration and correction of an optical train path: a compliant static deformable mirror approach

For ground-based optical interferometry, the simple specification of high surface quality flat relay mirrors is not the end of the story for obtaining high quality fringes. The Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer array transports the stellar radiation from six primary collectors through a 10-reflection vacuum relay system, resulting in six separate combinable wavefronts. The surface error of each of the 60 relay mirrors is specified to be no greater than 32 nm peak-to-valley for fabrication purposes. However, once mounted in the 10-element optical train the errors from each mirror do not necessarily cancel one another, but can add and increase the resultant wavefront distortion for that path. This leads to fringe contrast reduction, reduced ability to fringe track, and a reduction in the limiting magnitude of observable objects. Fortunately, the total wavefront distortion for each train can be measured, calibrated, and nullified by using a phaseshifting interferometer combined with a compliant static deformable mirror and control system. In this paper we describe a system that mitigates the resultant wavefront distortion.
The Effect of Electric Double Layers on Ionic Conductivity in the Agglomerates of PEM Fuel Cell Anodes

We present a theoretical analysis of ionic transport inside the catalyst particle agglomerates that form the electrodes of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The electrodes continue to be the subject of intense research and development because they are still the largest cost and source of performance degradation in PEM fuel cells. The advancement of electrodes requires proper understanding of the electrode structure and the relevant transport processes. However, the details of the electrode microstructure and the micro-scale and nano-scale transport mechanisms are still not well understood. A common hypothesis, supported by recent coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, is that the primary pores (the pores inside the agglomerates) are void space and not filled with Nafion electrolyte. Instead, it has been postulated that the primary pores are saturated with liquid water during operation. Here, we report on the effect of the electric double layers (EDLs), which form at the interface between the water and the carbon catalyst supports, on the ionic transport within the agglomerates. The multi-scale model addresses phenomena at two length scales: (1) the nano-scale EDL thickness and (2) the microscale agglomerate radius. We model the EDL using the Gouy-Chapman-Stern model, which provides a pore average conductivity for the spherical conduction-reaction model of the agglomerate. We use a spherical agglomerate model to calculate an effectiveness factor for the electrochemical reactions. Here we present the application of the model to the anode, where the low activation overpotential allows linearizations and convenient analytical solutions. A key finding of this work is the important role the EDLs have in establishing the effectiveness of the platinum catalyst utilization. In addition, we resolve the dependence of the agglomerate effectiveness factor on the activation overpotential and agglomerate radius. We observe a significant nonmonotonic dependence of the catalyst effectiveness factor on the overpotential and dramatic improvement in effectiveness of catalyst utilization with smaller agglomerates.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Minimizing interactions in mixed oscillator networks

This paper investigates the use of a single control node to minimize the interactions in a network of coupled oscillators as it maintains a synchronous state in the face of disturbances. We define an ℋ 2 -norm that quantifies these interactions by considering the effect of exogenous disturbances on the relative separation of oscillator phases. Under some simplifying assumptions, we show that a single control node that is directly coupled to every oscillator cannot reduce the total network interactions. Additionally, we analyze the system in the frequency domain to gain insight about the interactions in such a network.
Porcine Ovarian Inhibin Preparations Sensitize Cultured Ovine Gonadotrophs to Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone*

Treatment of ovine pituitary cell cultures with an acetone powder of porcine follicular fluid (APPFF; 50 μg/ml) decreased FSH secretion 60%, did not alter basal LH secretion, but increased by 2- to 3-fold the effectiveness of LHRH or d-Lys6-LHRH (10−8 m) in releasing LH. Chromatography of APPFF on Matrex Gel Red A (MGRA) yielded a protein fraction (MGRA-IV) in which both FSH-inhibiting and LHRH-enhancing activities were enriched 8-fold. Both activities were destroyed by trypsin, but both were highly resistant to heat. The apparent mol wt of the active substance(s) was greater than 10,000. The LHRH-enhancing effect of MGRA-IV was reversible and declined, with an apparent half-life of 7 h, when MGRA-IV treatment was discontinued. There was too little estrogen in either APPFF or MGRA-IV to account for any of the activities. These results demonstrate that porcine follicular fluid contains LHRH-enhancing activity along with classical inhibin activity and that both activities may be linked in one molecule. Thes...
Origin of the picrite blocks in the Marginal Border Group of the Skaergaard Intrusion, East Greenland

Abstract New evidence shows that the picrite blocks in the margins of the Skaergaard intrusion, East Greenland are gabbro-contaminated xenoliths of ultramafic rock. Earlier studies suggested that the picrite blocks were cumulates formed in the Marginal Border Group or in the Hidden Zone. However, there are no known occurrences of undisturbed picrite or ultramafic rocks in the Skaergaard intrusion, and an extensive Hidden Zone is not supported by geophysical data. The picrite blocks are most abundant near a body of wehrlite in Precambrian rocks near Watkins Fjord. The wehrlite, which has a composition and mineralogy similar to the most mafic of the picrite blocks, lies structurally below the northern margin of the intrusion. It is possible that the refractory precursors of picrite in the Skaergaard intrusion may have been ultramafic xenoliths and are not representative of the earliest differentiated pan of the intrusion.
The Five Ws for Information Visualization with Application to Healthcare Informatics

The Five Ws is a popular concept for information gathering in journalistic reporting. It captures all aspects of a story or incidence: who, when, what, where, and why. We propose a framework composed of a suite of cooperating visual information displays to represent the Five Ws and demonstrate its use within a healthcare informatics application. Here, the who is the patient, the where is the patient's body, and the when, what, why is a reasoning chain which can be interactively sorted and brushed. The patient is represented as a radial sunburst visualization integrated with a stylized body map. This display captures all health conditions of the past and present to serve as a quick overview to the interrogating physician. The reasoning chain is represented as a multistage flow chart, composed of date, symptom, data, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome. Our system seeks to improve the usability of information captured in the electronic medical record (EMR) and we show via multiple examples that our framework can significantly lower the time and effort needed to access the medical patient information required to arrive at a diagnostic conclusion.
A computer aided treatment event recognition system in radiation therapy

Purpose: To develop an automated system to safeguard radiation therapy treatments by analyzing electronic treatment records and reporting treatment events. Methods: CATERS (Computer Aided Treatment Event Recognition System) was developed to detect treatment events by retrieving and analyzing electronic treatment records. CATERS is designed to make the treatment monitoring process more efficient by automating the search of the electronic record for possible deviations from physician's intention, such as logical inconsistencies as well as aberrant treatment parameters (e.g., beam energy, dose, table position, prescription change, treatment overrides, etc). Over a 5 month period (July 2012–November 2012), physicists were assisted by the CATERS software in conducting normal weekly chart checks with the aims of (a) determining the relative frequency of particular events in the authors’ clinic and (b) incorporating these checks into the CATERS. During this study period, 491 patients were treated at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for a total of 7692 fractions. Results: All treatment records from the 5 month analysis period were evaluated using all the checks incorporated into CATERS after the training period. About 553 events were detected as being exceptions, although none of them had significant dosimetric impact on patient treatments. These events included everymore » known event type that was discovered during the trial period. A frequency analysis of the events showed that the top three types of detected events were couch position override (3.2%), extra cone beam imaging (1.85%), and significant couch position deviation (1.31%). The significant couch deviation is defined as the number of treatments where couch vertical exceeded two times standard deviation of all couch verticals, or couch lateral/longitudinal exceeded three times standard deviation of all couch laterals and longitudinals. On average, the application takes about 1 s per patient when executed on either a desktop computer or a mobile device. Conclusions: CATERS offers an effective tool to detect and report treatment events. Automation and rapid processing enables electronic record interrogation daily, alerting the medical physicist of deviations potentially days prior to performing weekly check. The output of CATERS could also be utilized as an important input to failure mode and effects analysis.« less
Dense-gas chromatography of nonvolatile substances of high molecular weight.

Working at pressures of up to 2000 atmospheres, more than ten times higher than in previous gas chromatography, we used the solvent power of dense gases to enable migration of chromatographic substances of molecular weights as high as 400,000. Carotenoids, corticol steroids, sterols, nucleosides, amino acids, carbohydrates, and several polymers have been caused to migrate, separated, and detected in NH3 and CO2 carrier gases at temperatures of 140° and 40°C, just above the respective critical points. Previously such compounds either defied separation by gas chromatography or had to be chromatographed as their more volatile derivatives.
Estimation of Phase Difference in Multiple Sensor Arrays

The likelihood functional for estimating parameter differences in coherent multiple-sensor receivers is developed assuming Gaussian statistics on both signal and noise. The development relies on a matrix formulation and a subsequent factorization of a parameter constraint matrix from the signal matrix. A two-antenna phase-difference radar example is presented for cases of uncorrelated and antenna-correlated noise.
Silicon-on-insulator based high-temperature electronics for automotive applications

In recent years increasing demand for hybrid electric vehicle has generated the need for reliable and low-cost high-temperature electronics which can operate at the extreme temperatures that exists under the hood. A high-voltage and high-temperature gate-driver integrated circuit for SiC FET switches is designed and implemented in a 0.8-micron Silicon-on-Insulator high-voltage process. First prototype chip has been successfully tested up to 200degC ambient temperature without any heat sink or cooling mechanism. This gate-driver chip is intended to drive SiC power FETs of the DC-DC converters in a hybrid electric vehicle. The converter modules along with the gate-driver chip will be placed very close to the engine where the temperature can reach up to 175degC. Successful operation of the chip at this temperature with or without minimal heat sink and without liquid cooling will help achieve greater power-to-volume as well as power-to-weight ratios for the power electronics module. A second prototype has also been designed with more robust features.
Exact rotation-minimizing frames for spatial Pythagorean-hodograph curves

An exact specification of the rotation-minimizing frame on a spatial Pythagorean-hodograph (PH) curve can be derived by integration of a rational function. The result is an angular function θ( t ) of the curve parameter, comprising in general both rational and logarithmic terms, that specifies the orientation of the rotation-minimizing frame relative to the Frenet frame. For PH cubics and quintics, the solution employs only arithmetic operations on the curve coefficients and some complex square and cube root extractions. Moreover, the generalization to PH curves of arbitrary order entails only standard polynomial algorithms (i.e., arithmetic, greatest common divisors, and resultants), solution of a linear system, and a minimal element of polynomial root-solving. Rotation-minimizing frames are employed in computer animation, the construction of swept surfaces, and in robotics applications where the axis of a tool or probe should remain tangential to a given spatial path while minimizing changes of orientation about this axis.
The Effect of Intermediate Filament Inhibitors on Steroidogenesis and Cytoskeleton in Y-1 Mouse Adrenal Tumor Cells

When Y-1 mouse adrenal tumor cells were treated with sodium orthovanadate, an agent disrupting BHK21-F cell microtubule-intermediate filament (IF) interactions, there was no change in the amount of 20-dihydroprogesterone produced. A neurofilament-microtubule perturbing agent, beta,beta-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN), enhanced the ability of Y-l cells to produce steroid in response to ACTH by acting on the plasma membrane. Electron microscopy of Y-l cells extracted with Triton X-100 revealed that both vanadate and IDPN caused the aggregation of granular structures in the perinuclear area. Based on the steroidogenic effects of IDPN, perinuclear granule aggregation may result from an altered interaction between intermediate filaments, microtubules and the plasma membrane. The reason for the ultrastructural changes caused by vanadate is unknown.
Metal-silicon bonding energetics in organo-Group 4 and organo—f-element complexes. Implications for bonding and reactivity

Abstract Metal-silicon bond disruption enthalpies have been measured for a series of U, Zr, and Sm metallocene complexes: Cp3USi(TMS)3, Cp2Zr(Cl)Si(TMS)3, Cp2Zr(Me)Si(TMS)3, Cp2Zr(TMS)Si(TMS)3, Cp2Zr(TMS)OtBu, Cp′2SmSiH(TMS)2 (Cp = η5-C5H5, Cp′ = η5-Me5C5, TMS = trimethylsilyl). Data were obtained by anaerobic batch-titration solution calorimetry in toluene. Derived metal-ligand bond enthalpies D(LnM-R) in kcal mol−1 are: D[Cp3USi(TMS)3] = 37(3), D[Cp2(Cl)ZrSi(TMS)3]=57(3), D[Cp2(Me)ZrSi(TMS)3]=56(5), D[Cp2(Si(TMS)3)ZrMe] = 66(5), D[Cp2(OtBu)Zr-TMS] = 60(5), D[Cp2(TMS)ZrSi(TMS)3] = 42(11), D[Cp2(Si(TMS)3)Zr-TMS] = 45(7), D[Cp′2SmSiH(TMS)2] = 43(5). These results show that metal-silicon bond disruption enthalpies involving these electron-deficient metals are substantially smaller than those of the corresponding metal hydride and hydrocarbyl bonds. These data in combination with previously measured metal-ligand bond enthalpies allow thermodynamic analyses of a variety of stoichiometric and catalytic transformations involving metal silyl functionalities. The latter include potential pathways for dehydrogenative silane polymerization, dehydrogenative silane-hydrocarbon coupling, olefin hydrosilylation, and dehydrogenative silane-amine coupling. It is not uncommon for there to be multiple pathways which effect the same catalytic transformation and which contain no steps having major enthalpic impediments.
Lasers in dermatology

The use of dermatologic laser therapy is rapidly expanding. Thirty years of experience has produced advances in the technology, techniques, and therapeutic efficacy of dermatologic lasers. The original lasers have been improved and modified, and new types of lasers have expanded the dermatologist's therapeutic repertoire. Extensive research has provided a greater understanding of the skin's clinical and histologic response to laser treatment. This has allowed dermatologists to expand their therapeutic options and techniques and to improve clinical outcome.
Operation of thin Nafion-based self-humidifying membranes in proton exchange membrane fuel cells with dry H2 and O2

With an aim to study the possibility of operating the proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) with dry H2 and O2 reactants, a thin double-layer composite membrane consisting of one layer of Pt/C catalyst dispersed recast Nafion and another layer of plain recast Nafion has been investigated in PEMFC. The Pt/C particles dispersed Nafion layer and the plain Nafion layer were, respectively, on the anode and cathode sides of the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). The Pt/C catalyst particles present in the membrane provide the sites for the catalytic recombination of H2 and O2 permeating through the membrane from the anode and cathode to produce water. The water generated directly humidifies the membrane and allows the operation of PEMFC with dry reactants. The electrochemical performances of the composite membranes with dry and humidified reactants are compared with those of the native Nafion membrane to identify the optimum operating conditions with self-humidifying membranes.
The Life of a Fire-adapted Florida Goldenrod, Solidago odora var. chapmanii

Abstract We studied the ramet dynamics of Chapman's goldenrod [Solidago odora var. chapmanii (A. Gray) Cronquist] in burned Florida scrub and sandhill by monitoring permanent quadrats for 10 y, excavating to reveal clonal structure and postfire responses and taking extensive notes on the plant's life history. Chapman's goldenrod was attacked by a wide variety of herbivores and grazing mammals. However, leaf damage from herbivores and pathogens was relatively minor. This rhizomatous perennial forb produced conspicuous flowering displays after fires. Censuses in 23 permanent quadrats set out after 12 fires revealed that the density and size of goldenrod ramets declined over the years following fire. Densities dropped most rapidly in the first few years following fire and declined more slowly in formerly grazed areas than in ungrazed Florida scrub. Season of burn did not influence subsequent ramet dynamics. Flowering was concentrated during the first 2 y after fires. Repeated burns produced a rebound in rame...
Y-chromosomal Markers Suitable for Noninvasive Studies of Guenon Hybridization

We examine previously-published TSPY sequence data to identify synapomorphies useful for tracking Y-chromosomal gene flow between hybridizing guenon species. We then describe a set of PCR primers and protocols that amplify many of these variable sites from feces. Such Y-chromosomal markers are potentially very useful to conservation studies because they may offer an early sign of introgression as a threat to the genetic integrity of a rare species. Moreover, the ability to survey these markers from feces greatly expands the utility of noninvasive studies.
Anharmonicities in the theory of non-radiative transitions for polyatomic molecules

Abstract A dynamic theory for non-radiative transitions is presented which treats anharmonic potentials and interactions between normal modes. The amount of energy which flows into a certain vibrational mode of a typical hydrocarbon is determined and the participation of the anharmonicities is analyzed.
The Role of Language in Nation-Building within the European Union

Europe is home to a vast array of indigenous languages, not to mention numerous immigrant languages. European Union (EU) acknowledgement of “national” languages as official languages results in a privileged status for these languages vis-a-vis the minority languages with which they cohabit. This support prevents hegemony by a single language such as English, yet the EU simultaneously undermines these national languages domestically by promoting their minority language competitors. This paradox can only be understood by examining the developing model for European identity whereby identity is viewed as variable and multi-faceted, rooted in multilingual facility and the absence of a single, monolithic source of identity. If the project of creating a European identity is viewed as nation-building,it is central to consider how the issue of language diversity is addressed at the European level. The paper begins by discussing the concept of national identity and the central role that language plays in its determination, as well as what modern conceptions of language planning bring to this process. After exploring the European language terrain, the paper considers whether the EU can even be said to have a language policy. The discussion focuses on multilingual education programs, the treatment of minority languages, and the issue of languages spoken by immigrant populations. Having presented these conceptual tools and policy surveys, an analytical framework is introduced that situates the nation-building process in relation to the creation of a common European identity.
Reduction in denitrification activity in field soils exposed to long term contamination by 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT)

Terrestrial sites contaminated with 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) are a widespread and persistent problem and often contain non-vegetated areas with TNT concentrations well in excess of 1000 mg kg(-1). In this study, we examined the effect of TNT on denitrification activity in field soils, and compared the sensitivity of denitrifying enzymes to TNT. DNA probes assessed the prevalence of nirS, nirK and nosZ (encoding cd(1) or copper nitrite reductase and nitrous oxide reductase, respectively), denitrifying genotypes in the culturable and total microbial community. The nitrate (NaR), nitrite (NiR) and nitrous oxide (N(2)OR) reductase activities in field soil and in isolates were assessed by gas chromatography. The relative occurrence of the nirK, nirS or nosZ genotypes increased in the cultured community and in total uncultured community DNA as nitroaromatic concentrations increased. However, denitrifying activity decreased in response to increasing TNT concentrations, with an IC(50) for NaR+NiR+nitric oxide reductase (NOR) of 400 mg TNT kg(-1) soil and for N(2)OR of 26 mg TNT kg(-1) soil. The denitrifying activity of four soil isolates also decreased in response to TNT, with N(2)OR activity being three times more sensitive to TNT than NaR+NiR+NOR activity. Interestingly, there were 118 times more nirK isolates than nirS isolates in uncontaminated soil but only 1.5 times more in soil containing 17400 mg kg(-1) TNT. The results from this study indicated that TNT reduced denitrification activity in field soils, and N(2)OR was much more sensitive to TNT than NaR+NiR+NOR.
Physiology in Medicine: Physiological Basis of Diaphragmatic Dysfunction with Abdominal Hernias - Implications for Therapy

An incisional hernia is a common complication after abdominal surgery. Complaints of dyspnea in this population may be attributed to cardiopulmonary dysfunction or deconditioning. Large abdominal incisional hernias, however, may cause diaphragm dysfunction and result in dyspnea, which is more pronounced when standing (platypnea). The use of an abdominal binder may alleviate platypnea in this population. We discuss the link between diaphragm dysfunction and the lack of abdominal wall integrity and how abdominal wall support partially restores diaphragm function.
The occurrence and distribution of digestive enzymes in the pyloric caecum of the purple starfish Pisaster ochraceus.

Abstract 1. The variation in protease and amylase activity and their ratio on the pyloric caecum (digestive gland) of Pisaster ochraceus indicates significant (95% confidence level) differences in all three parameters between organisms investigated. Variations from 4240 ± 300 to 8280 ± 550 units/ml for protease activity and 1440 ± 20 to 2890 ± 40 units/ml for amylase activity were observed. 2. Study of protease and amylase activity and their ratio within individual rays of single starfish indicates significant variation at the 95% confidence level. In freshly collected starfish variations from 2420 ± 30 to 2850 ± 10 units/ml for protease activity and from 455 ± 21 to 955 ± 21 units/ml for amylase activity were observed. 3. The changes in activity in freshly collected as opposed to starved organisms gives no evidence for diet being responsible for the significant (95% confidence level) variations existing between or within organisms. 4. There is a significant (95% confidence level) increase in both protease and amylase specific activity (71·0 ± 13·2 vs 51·7 ± 29·9 and 27·4 ± 7·3 vs 17·2 ± 9·0 units/mg, respectively) in the pyloric caeca of starved starfish over those freshly collected but the ratio of the two activities remains unchanged (2·69 ± 0·57 vs 3·09 ± 0·76).
Molecular determinants of affinity for aminoglycoside binding to the aminoglycoside nucleotidyltransferase(2'')-Ia.

One of the most commonly occurring aminoglycoside resistance enzymes is aminoglycoside 2''-O-nucleotidyltransferase (ANT(2'')). In the present study molecular determinants of affinity and specificity for aminoglycoside binding to this enzyme are investigated using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Binding of aminoglycosides is enthalpically driven accompanied by negative entropy changes. The presence of metal-nucleotide increases the affinity for all but one of the aminoglycosides studied but has no effect on specificity. The substituents at positions 1, 2 ', and 6' are important determinants of substrate specificity. An amino group at these positions leads to greater affinity. No correlation is observed between the change in affinity and enthalpy. At the 2' position greater affinity results from a more negative enthalpy for an aminoglycoside containing an amino rather than a hydroxyl at that position. At the 6' position the greater affinity for an aminoglycoside containing an amino substituent results from a less disfavorable entropic contribution. The thermodynamic basis for the change in affinity at position 1 could not be determined because of the weak binding of one of the aminoglycoside substrates, amikacin. The effect of increasing osmotic stress on affinity was used to determine that a net release of approximately four water molecules occurs when tobramycin binds to ANT(2''). No measurable net change in the number of bound water molecules is observed when neomycin binds the enzyme. Data acquired in this work provide the rationale for the ability of ANT(2'') to confer resistance against kanamycins but not neomycins.
Arabidopsis double-stranded RNA binding protein DRB3 participates in methylation-mediated defense against geminiviruses.

ABSTRACT Arabidopsis encodes five double-stranded RNA binding (DRB) proteins. DRB1 and DRB2 are involved in microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis, while DRB4 functions in cytoplasmic posttranscriptional small interfering RNA (siRNA) pathways. DRB3 and DRB5 are not involved in double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) processing but assist in silencing transcripts targeted by DRB2-associated miRNAs. The goal of this study was to determine which, if any, of the DRB proteins might also participate in a nuclear siRNA pathway that leads to geminivirus genome methylation. Here, we demonstrate that DRB3 functions with Dicer-like 3 (DCL3) and Argonaute 4 (AGO4) in methylation-mediated antiviral defense. Plants employ repressive viral genome methylation as an epigenetic defense against geminiviruses, using an RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway similar to that used to suppress endogenous invasive DNAs such as transposons. Chromatin methylation inhibits virus replication and transcription, and methylation-deficient host plants are hypersusceptible to geminivirus infection. Using a panel of drb mutants, we found that drb3 plants uniquely exhibit a similar hypersensitivity and that viral genome methylation is substantially reduced in drb3 compared to wild-type plants. In addition, like dcl3 and ago4 mutants, drb3 plants fail to recover from infection and cannot accomplish the viral genome hypermethylation that is invariably observed in asymptomatic, recovered tissues. Small RNA analysis, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and coimmunoprecipitation experiments show that DRB3 acts downstream of siRNA biogenesis and suggest that it associates with DCL3 and AGO4 in distinct subnuclear compartments. These studies reveal that in addition to its previously established role in the miRNA pathway, DRB3 also functions in antiviral RdDM. IMPORTANCE Plants use RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) as an epigenetic defense against geminiviruses. RNA silencing pathways in Arabidopsis include five double-stranded RNA binding proteins (DRBs) related to Drosophila R2D2 and mammalian TRBP and PACT. While DRB proteins have defined roles in miRNA and cytoplasmic siRNA pathways, a role in nuclear RdDM was elusive. Here, we used the geminivirus system to show that DRB3 is involved in methylation-mediated antiviral defense. Beginning with a panel of Arabidopsis drb mutants, we demonstrated that drb3 plants uniquely show enhanced susceptibility to geminiviruses. Further, like dcl3 and ago4 mutants, drb3 plants fail to hypermethylate the viral genome, a requirement for host recovery. We also show that DRB3 physically interacts with the RdDM pathway components DCL3 and AGO4 in the nucleus. This work highlights the utility of geminiviruses as models for de novo RdDM and places DRB3 protein in this fundamental epigenetic pathway.
Stratigraphic Traps on the South Edge of the Williston Basin: ABSTRACT

The entire Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, and upper Mississippian sections pinch out around the southern margin of the Williston basin. On the southeastern edge, the Pennsylvanian, Permian and Triassic also pinch out beneath the pre-Sundance unconformity. Upper Cretaceous sands, whose source is to the east, pinch out on the west flank of the basin. Variations in quality, quantity and artesian pressure within the Pahasapa, Minnelusa, and Sundance formations also suggest effective barriers to circulation of fluids within these formations. End_of_Article - Last_Page 965------------
Electromechanical impactor for producing experimental spinal cord injury in animals.

Previous experiments indicated that the mechanical properties (compliance and mobility) of spinal cord tissue vary by ±50 per cent from the mean in different individuals of the same species. In order to apply a consistent force or compression to tissues of varying mechanical properties, feedback control of the contusion device would be desirable. A new device has been designed and used by the author which will produce experimental spinal cord injuries in animals by direct contusion of the exposed cord. The motion of the impact head is feedback controlled through all phases of advance, compression and withdrawal. Force and displacement are recorded in computer random access memory for later processing and graphical printout. A wide range of impact intensities and resultant injuries are achievable. The correlation coefficients between linear compression of the cord and gait scores and lesion volume range from 0·70 to 0·89. Thus, the neural deficit is highly predictable from the impact parameters. This should result in a significant reduction in the number of animals needed in any one experimental group.
Atomic test of the Stokes-Einstein law: Diffusion and solubility of Xe

The diffusion coefficient $D$ and the Ostwald solubility $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ have been measured for $^{133}\mathrm{Xe}$ atoms in water-sucrose solutions ranging in viscosity $\ensuremath{\eta}$ from 1 to 289 cP, i.e., 0.68% sucrose by weight. In water $D(20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C})=(1.32\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/sec, in agreement with the Stokes-Einstein (SE) law. Over the entire range studied the observed dependence is $D\ensuremath{\propto}{\ensuremath{\eta}}^{\ensuremath{-}0.63\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02}$, significantly departing from the SE law. In water $\ensuremath{\alpha}(20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C})=0.108\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005$. For water-sucrose solutions $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ is approximately proportional to the volume fraction of water in solution.
Characterization of 19-nor-10-oxo-25-hydroxyvitamin D3 production by solubilized chick kidney mitochondria and bovine serum albumin

Abstract The vitamin D3 metabolite obtained from the incubation of 3-((cholamidopropyl) dimethylammonio]-2-hydroxy-l-propanesulfonate (CHAPSO)-solubilized chick kidney mitochondria with 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (25-OH-D3) was identified to be 5(E)-19-nor-10-oxo-25-hydroxyvitamin 03 (5(E0)-19-nor). The production of 19-nor was dependent on time and on protein concentration, but was not dependent on the pH of the incubation. 19-Nor was not formed in the absence of protein or when protein had been heat-treated following detergent solubilization. 19-Nor was not further metabolized to any other product upon incubation with the CHAPSO-solubilized proteins. No 19-nor-10-oxo derivative of 1,25(OH)2D3 was formed when 1,25(OH)2D3 was used as substrate in the incubation. Kinetic analysis showed a substrate saturation with an apparent Vmax of about 4.1 pmol/nun β mg and S0.5 of approximately 1.3 × 10−6M. The production of 19-nor was not restricted to the CHAPSO-soluble protein fraction of kidney mitochondria but was also found in both the CHAPSO-soluble and -insoluble fractions of chick liver mitochondria and CHAPSO-treated bovine serum albumin (BSA). 19-Nor production by detergent-treated BSA also showed saturation kinetics with a similar So S0.5 and an apparent Vmax which was about 5-fold higher than that obtained with CHAPSO-solubilized mitochondria. The evidence suggests that the formation of 19-nor is not mediated by a traditional enzyme, but does require protein. A mechanism for the conversion of 25-OH-E3 to 19-nor is proposed, in which the naturally-occurring 5(Z)-25-OH-D3 substrate binds to protein, isomerizes to 5(E)-25-OH-D3 and is oxidized by hydrogen peroxide to 5(E)- 19-nor via a dioxetane intermediate.
Regulation of protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocyte lysates: separation of heme regulated protein kinase into a high and a low molecular weight species.

Abstract Protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocyte lysates is regulated by heme. In heme deficiency, a heme regulated protein kinase (HRI) is activated that phosphorylates initiation factor eIF-2. Consequently, eIF-2 is inactivated. Results described in this report show that HRI exists in crude and highly purified preparations in two forms; a high molecular weight component which sediments at a sedimentation co-efficient of 14–15S and a previously described 5.8S component (Ranu, R. S. and London, I. M. (1976) Proc . Natl . Acad . Sci . USA 73, 4349–4353). The 14–15S HRI selfphosphorylates poorly and undergoes dissociation into the 5.8S component via an intermediate of 8.5–9S. The 5.8S HRI, on weight basis, is about 5–10 times more active than the 14–15S HRI. In addition, a phosphoprotein phosphatase has been detected in lysates that dephosphorylates selfphosphorylated HRI. This observation suggests that phosphate on HRI turns over. These findings may be relevant ot the mechanism of activation and inactivation of HRI in the absence and presence of heme in situ .
Cardiovascular Comorbidity and Mortality in Men With Prostate Cancer Treated With Brachytherapy-Based Radiation With or Without Hormonal Therapy

Purpose To assess the impact of coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors and sequelae on the risk of all-cause mortality (ACM) in men treated for prostate cancer (PC). Methods and Materials The study cohort comprised 5077 men with PC consecutively treated with curative intent between 1997 and 2006 at the Chicago Prostate Cancer Center. Cox and Fine and Gray's competing risks regression multivariable analyses were performed, assessing whether cardiovascular comorbidity impacted the risk of ACM and PC-specific mortality, respectively, adjusting for CAD risk factors (diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, or hypertension) and sequelae (congestive heart failure or myocardial infarction), age, year and type of treatment, and known PC prognostic factors. Results When compared with men with no comorbidity there was a significantly increased risk of ACM in men with congestive heart failure or myocardial infarction (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 1.96, P P =.03) and hypertension (AHR 1.25, P =.04). In contrast, men with hypercholesterolemia had a similar risk of ACM (AHR 0.68, P =.17) when compared with men with no comorbidity. Other factors associated with a significantly increased risk of ACM included age (AHR 1.09, P P =.008), and Gleason score 8-10 disease (AHR 1.71, P =.003). Cardiovascular comorbidity did not impact the risk of PC-specific mortality. Conclusions In addition to age and unfavorable PC prognostic factors, select CAD risk factors and sequelae are associated with an increased risk of ACM in men treated for PC. These comorbidity prognostic factors predict time courses of mortality from competing causes, which may be factored into the decision-making process when considering management options for PC in a given individual.
Kauffman Economic Outlook: A Quarterly Survey of Leading Economics Bloggers – First Quarter 2012

This paper reports the results of a survey of top economics bloggers. The survey was conducted in mid-January 2012 by soliciting input from top economics bloggers as ranked by Palgrave’s Econolog.net. While many (around 50 percent) of the respondents have participated in all quarterly surveys, the results across quarters are not directly comparable.The Kauffman Foundation is dedicated to the idea that entrepreneurship and innovation drive economic growth. Naturally, this technology of blogging is a fascinating one, both for its effect on the economic research frontier, but also as an innovation in its own right. A survey of so many high-profile participants offers a unique opportunity for discussion, and this survey should be viewed as one way of summarizing some of the insights of the community of economics bloggers.Key Findings: The Economy: Economics bloggers have a negative but slightly improving outlook on the U.S. economy for the first quarter of 2012, with 14 percent who believe overall conditions are “strong and growing” and “strong with uncertain growth.” A total of 86 percent still believe the economy is “mixed” or “facing recession.” For an economy in which growth is the norm, 32 percent of respondents think the U.S. economy is worse than official statistics indicate, and only 9 percent believe it is better. When asked to describe the economy using five adjectives, “uncertain” remains the most frequently used term.Policy Recommendations: Although the panel is largely non-partisan, it remains that an almost two-thirds majority of top economics bloggers believes the government is too involved in the economy. The top policy recommendation (selected from a small set of choices) is for the government to “support the approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline” with 77 percent support.More than 70 percent of the participants again support approval of the idea to open up more domestic areas to oil and gas exploration and drilling, and opinion is split evenly on whether the top marginal income tax should be raised.Survey Results: The Kauffman Economic Outlook includes core questions that will recur each quarter and one-time-only topical questions. Core questions focus on two areas, and are presented in the charts and tables below: the performance of the U.S. economy and policy assessments and recommendations. Finally, there are topical questions provided by economics bloggers themselves, which are not categorized.
Activity of the Anthelmintic Benzimidazoles against Giardia lamblia In Vitro

In vitro growth of the protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia was highly sensitive to certain anthelmintic benzimidazoles. Albendazole and mebendazole were 30- to 50-fold more active than metronidazole and 4- to 40-fold more active than quinacrine. Thiabendazole, a noncarbamate benzimidazole, was less active. Since lack of intestinal absorption makes mebendazole an attractive new antigiardial agent, its in vitro activity was further characterized. At low concentrations (0.05 micrograms/ml) mebendazole had a static effect on G. lamblia growth; however, lethal activity was observed at a concentration fivefold lower (0.3 micrograms/ml) than necessary for the cidal agent metronidazole. Two observations are consistent with a microtubule target for mebendazole. First, attachment of cells to the culture tube, mediated by the ventral disk and flagella, was rapidly disrupted by mebendazole treatment. Second, the characteristic cell structure was grossly distorted by treatment. No mebendazole-resistant G. lamblia were detected in a population of 10(8) cells.
Does Mill's case for infant industry protection capture Hamilton's and List's arguments for promoting industrial development?

AbstractMill's case for infant-industry protection is widely regarded as capturing the arguments by Hamilton and List. This paper argues that they are actually analytically different. While all three were influenced by Smith's Wealth of Nations, Mill took from it something different than the other two. His endorsement passage for protection refers to a standalone industry. Hamilton and List attached significance to the pin-making type of division of labor at the economy-level but they emphasized the development of that division as the activation of backward and forward production linkages, a la Hirschman, with increasing diversification and differentiation of occupations and industries. Mill only considered employing customs duties in his passage, although in some personal correspondence in the 1860s he mentioned a subsidy. Contrary to mainstream misrepresentations, Hamilton and List did not restrict themselves to proposing customs duties, but suggested both trade and non-trade interventions to activate l...
Revertants of a mutant of vesicular stomatitis virus which has an aberrant polyadenylation activity and a temperature-sensitive transcriptase.

Abstract tsG16(I), a temperature-sensitive mutant of vesicular stomatitis virus, in vitro has at least three phenotypic differences from its parental wild-type (wt) virus due to mutation of the L gene. It was not known whether (i) the temperature sensitivity of the transcriptase, (ii) the aberrant polyadenylation phenotype, and (iii) the extent of increased polyadenylation in response to S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) were associated with a single mutation. Spontaneous partial revertants were selected from tsG16(I) on the basis of the ability to form plaques at 34.7° (351316 revenants) or from 35G16 revertants on the basis of the ability to form plaques at 37° (371316 revenants). All six 351316 revertants had fully (five) or partially (one) recovered the wt polyadenylation phenotype and the former five had also fully recovered the wt polyadenylation response to SAH. This suggested that a single mutation in tsG16(I) was probably associated with both of these phenotypes and also probably conferred the inability to grow at 34.7°. None of the 351316 revertants regained the wt phenotype for thermosensitivity of the transcriptase, although both of the 371316 revenants did. This suggested that in vitro temperature-sensitivity of transcription by tsG16(I) might be due to a mutation different than the one affecting polyadenylation in the absence or presence of SAH.
CpKLP1: A CALMODULIN-BINDING KINESIN-LIKE PROTEIN FROM CYANOPHORA PARADOXA (GLAUCOPHYTA).

KCBP (kinesin-like calmodulin [CaM]-binding proteins), a member of the carboxy-terminal kinesin-like proteins (KLPs), is unique among KLPs in having a CaM-binding domain (CBD). CaM-binding KLPs have been identified from flowering plants and the sea urchin. To determine if CaM-binding KLP is present in phylogenetically divergent protists, we probed Cyanophora paradoxa protein extract with affinity-purified KCBP antibody. The KCBP antibody detected a polypeptide with a molecular mass of about 133 kDa in the crude extract. In a CaM-Sepharose column-purified fraction, the same band was detected with both KCBP antibody and biotinylated CaM. In a PCR reaction using degenerate primers corresponding to two conserved regions in the motor domain of kinesin, a 500-bp fragment (CpKLP1) was amplified from a cDNA library. The predicted amino acid sequence of CpKLP1 showed significant sequence similarity with KCBPs. In phylogenetic analysis, CpKLP1 fell into the KCBP group within the carboxy-terminal subfamily. These biochemical data, sequence, and phylogenetic analysis strongly suggest the presence of a calmodulin-binding KLP in C. paradoxa and that it is related to Ca2 +/calmodulin regulated KLPs from plants. This is the first report on identification of any motor protein in C. paradoxa. Furthermore, our data suggest that CaM-binding KLPs may have evolved long before the divergence of plants and animals.
Creation, imagination, and business: is there a link?

Looks at the possible link between creativity, imagination, God and accounting. Questions whether there is a link. Asks students to submit their thoughts on spirituality and God. Provides an example to show that a link between imagination and business does exist.
An 83-year-old man with bilateral spontaneous pneumothoraces and multiple cysts.

An 83-year-old man was transferred to our medical center with bilateral pneumothoraces. A biopsy of a nonhealing scalp lesion was done 4 weeks previously, and the specimen showed high-grade angiosarcoma. During the subsequent staging evaluation a week later, he was found to have asymptomatic bilateral pneumothoraces and multiple pulmonary cysts that were not metabolically active on 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET scan. These findings were initially believed to be secondary to emphysema, and because of his absence of symptoms, the patient was sent home without intervention. However, several days later he developed a nonproductive cough with pleuritic chest pain and went to an outside ED. A chest radiograph again showed bilateral pneumothoraces, which resulted in placement of bilateral chest tubes with the subsequent transfer. His medical history was otherwise only remarkable for benign prostatic hypertrophy and cataracts. He admitted to smoking cigarettes remotely but denied fever, chills, leg swelling, palpitations, and syncope. He denied relevant occupational exposures, including asbestos.
Comparison of reversed-phase and weak anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatographic methods for peptide separations

Abstract Weak anion-exchange and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromtographic methods for peptide separations were compared using a tryptic digest of “rat small myelin basic protein”. In these experiments, a number of tryptic peptides that were not resolved on the reversed-phase column could be separated on the weak anion-exchange column, and in other instances, as might be expected, reversed-phase chromatography provided better resolution of certain peptides than did the weak anion-exchange method. The results obtained strongly suggest that the combined use of these two methods of separation, which utilize different selectivities, can provide an excellent improvement in resolving power for a number of peptide separations.