cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
V1-situated Stalk Subunits of the Yeast Vacuolar Proton-translocating ATPase

The proton-translocating ATPase of the yeast vacuole is an enzyme complex consisting of a large peripheral membrane sector (V1) and an integral membrane sector (V0), each composed of multiple subunits. The V1 sector contains subunits that hydrolyze ATP, whereas the V0 sector contains subunits that translocate protons across the membrane. Additional subunits in both sectors couple these activities. Here we have continued our examination of intermediate subunits primarily associated with the V1 but also implicated in interactions with the V0. Interactions between Vma7p (F) and Vma8p (D) and between Vma4p (E) and Vma10p (G) are described. Although Vma7p and Vma10p have been observed to interact with the V0 sector, our results indicate that these subunits behave primarily as canonical V1 sector subunits. We categorize these four subunits as "stalk" subunits to distinguish them from the known catalytic (A and B) and proton-translocating (c, c', and Vma16p) subunits and to highlight their intermediate nature. Furthermore, we show that the in vivo stability of Vma4p is dependent upon interaction with Vma10p. This may be important in the regulation of assembly, since these two subunits add to the V1 during later stages of V1 assembly. This is the first demonstration of interdependence between ATPase subunits for structural stability.
Differential Sensitivity of Murine Leukemia Virus to APOBEC3-Mediated Inhibition Is Governed by Virion Exclusion

While members of the APOBEC3 family of human intrinsic resistance factors are able to restrict the replication of Vif-deficient forms of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), they are unable to block replication of wild-type HIV-1 due to the action of Vif, which induces their degradation. In contrast, HIV-1 Vif is unable to block inhibition mediated by APOBEC3 proteins expressed by several heterologous species, including mice. Here, we have asked whether the simple retrovirus murine leukemia virus (MLV) is sensitive to restriction by the cognate murine or heterologous, human APOBEC3 proteins. We demonstrate that MLV is highly sensitive to inhibition by human APOBEC3G and APOBEC3B but resistant to inhibition by murine APOBEC3 or by other human APOBEC3 proteins, including APOBEC3F. This sensitivity fully correlates with the ability of these proteins to be packaged into MLV virion particles: i.e., human APOBEC3G and APOBEC3B are packaged while murine APOBEC3 and human APOBEC3F are excluded. Moreover, this packaging in turn correlates with the differential ability of these APOBEC3 proteins to bind MLV Gag. Together, these data suggest that MLV Gag has evolved to avoid binding, and hence virion packaging, of the cognate murine APOBEC3 protein but that MLV infectivity is still restricted by certain heterologous APOBEC3 proteins that retain this ability. Moreover, these results suggest that APOBEC3 proteins may help prevent the zoonotic infection of humans by simple retroviruses and provide a mechanism for how simple retroviruses can avoid inhibition by APOBEC3 family members.
Dimensional reduction of a piezoelectric composite rod

Abstract In the present paper, a new generalized Timoshenko model is constructed for a composite rod with embedded or attached piezoelectric materials. This model is applicable to composite rods without prescribed electric potential along the lateral surfaces. The Variational-Asymptotic Method (VAM) is applied as a mathematical tool to carry out the dimensional reduction process. The present reduced model captured the effects of dielectric as well as the polarization of the piezoelectric material, which justifies its coupled electromechanical nature. First, the three-dimensional electromechanical enthalpy is asymptotically approximated by VAM using the slenderness of the rod as the small parameter and subsequently an equivalent one-dimensional electromechanical enthalpy is developed. Energy terms, which are asymptotically correct up to the second order are kept in the approximate enthalpy expression. For engineering applications, the approximate enthalpy is then transformed into a generalized Timoshenko model which has the traditional six mechanical degrees of freedom along with an extra one-dimensional electric degree of freedom.
Competitive Price and Quality Under Asymmetric Information

We present an analysis of equilibrium in markets with asymmetrically informed consumers. Some consumers know both price and quality of all sellers, whereas others know neither but may search among sellers. The equilibrium correlation between price and quality generally increases with the level of information in the market and can be negative when this level is sufficiently small. A meta-analysis of the available empirical studies strongly supports the model's predictions.
Management Options in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Notorious for its poor prognosis and aggressive nature, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease entity. The nature of its biological specificity, which is similar to basal-like cancers, tumors arising in BRCA1 mutation carriers, and claudin-low cancers, is currently being explored in hopes of finding the targets for novel biologics and chemotherapeutic agents. In this review, we aim to give a broad overview of the disease’s nomenclature and epidemiology, as well as the basic mechanisms of emerging targeted therapies and their performance in clinical trials to date.
Convulsions in cats following withdrawal of barbital sodium.

Abstract Twenty cats which survived chronic barbital sodium intoxication were withdrawn from the drug to determine whether this species develops abstinence convulsions and, if so, what drug regimen is necessary for their occurrence. Increasing dosages were administered orally for periods ranging from 23 to 217 days so that final dose levels varying from 61 to 279 mg per kilogram were attained. Abrupt withdrawal resulted in generalized convulsions in 11 animals. Ten of these cats had attained final dosages exceeding 173 mg per kilogram. This factor affects the reproducibility of the phenomenon more than duration of intoxication or total amount of drug received.
SU-E-J-176: Results of Images Acquired with Backscattered MV Radiation Using a Pinhole Collimator

Purpose: To ascertain the feasibility of acquiring real time images of small lung tumors from scattered photons while undergoing radiation treatment.There are several methodologies currently used to track tumor location such as MV-cine acquisition and kV fluoroscopy. However, MVcine offers no information parallel to the beam axis while kV fluoroscopy offers little potential for soft tissue discernability while also increasing the patient dose. This study investigates the feasibility of observing an actual simulated tumor while exploring techniques that may improve image quality. Methods: A prototype imager consisting of a gamma camera pinhole collimator and a computed radiography (CR) plate were used in conjunction with a Varian TrueBeam linac. One study consisted of a 2.5 cm diameter solid water cylinder representing a solid tumor imbedded within a lung equivalent material slab. The cylinder with the lung slab was sandwiched between 1 cm lung equivalent slabs and these were sandwiched between 2 slabs of solid water. The top water slab was 1 cm thick. The other imaging study consisted of three different density plugs, 0.46, 1.09, and 1.82 g/cm3 placed on the accelerator couch. The gantry was orientated 70° relative to the CR plate. The slabs and plugs were irradiated with 2000more » MU and 500 MU respectively using the 6FFF mode. Results: The solid water plug was visually discernible in the slab phantom. The ratio of the signal coming from the higher density plugs (placed on the treatment couch) to that between the plugs increased from 1.02 to about 3.0 after subtracting the background image acquired with no plugs present. Conclusion: Preliminary results indicate that a lung tumor could be visualized with scattered radiation during treatment. Improvements in discerning an object can be enhanced by filtering out the head leakage and background scattered radiation not emanating from the imaged object.« less
The effect of luminance decrements upon the detection of sinusoidal gratings.

Observers detected 20-msec sinusoidal gratings presented at various asynchronies relative to a decrement in the mean luminance of a uniform field. Brief luminance decrements have no effect upon contrast thresholds determined with high-spatial-frequency gratings. With low-spatial-frequency gratings, transient threshold elevations were found at decrement onset and offset. For longer decrements, threshold changes were found for both high- and low-spatial-frequency gratings. However, the time courses of these changes differed. With high-spatial-frequency gratings, thresholds changed more gradually, whereas with low-spatial-frequency gratings, the time courses contained marked transients at the onset and offset of the decrement. These results are discussed in terms of contribution of multiple spatial-frequency channels to temporal resolution.
Effect of Calcium Supplement Particle Size and Source on the Performance of Laying Chickens

Abstract A 3 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement was employed to test three calcium supplements (oyster shell, limestone and a mined marine source) and three dietary calcium levels (1.75, 2.50, and 3.25%) as completely ground material or as 1/3 ground plus 2/3 hen-size material in cage layer diets. Egg production, feed consumption, feed efficiency, egg weight and egg shell strength were not significantly affected by the source of calcium. Performance was improved with increasing dietary calcium levels. Egg production, feed efficiency and egg shell strength were significantly lower for birds fed diets containing 1.75% calcium as compared to higher levels. Egg weight and feed efficiency were significantly poorer for the birds fed the 2.50% calcium vs. 3.25% calcium diets. Numerically higher egg breaking strengths were found when hens were fed diets containing 3.25% calcium when compared to 2.50% but these values were not statistically different. Calcium source particle size affected only egg shell breaking strength. Feeding the mined marine source as hen-size significantly improved egg shell strength when compared to the ground material. A similar response was observed for both oyster shell and limestone since hen-size calcium supplements significantly improved egg shell strength as compared to ground material when the data for all three sources were pooled.
Intra-rater agreement of the anorectal exam and classification of injury severity in children with spinal cord injury

Intra-rater agreement of the anorectal exam and classification of injury severity in children with spinal cord injury
The Labor-saving Kitchen: Sources for Designs of the Architects’ Small Home Service Bureau

The history of the kitchen has received much attention from designers and design historians. Since the writings of Catharine Beecher, designers, household engineers, and others have written about the importance of the kitchen as the center of the home. This research traces the impact of the writings of theorists such as Frederick Taylor, Georgie Boynton Child, Helen Binkerd Young, and Christine Frederick on the designs produced by the architects in the first quarter of the 20th century. Frederick’s work took the concept of an efficient kitchen to a new level applying movement studies and introducing new ideas to the kitchen layout and arrangement. In a properly laid out and equipped kitchen, steps were saved by placing kitchen cabinets, ovens and stoves, refrigerators and sinks where they were needed in the sequence of food preparation and delivery to dining table as well as clean up after the meal. In her books, she also provided advice on a variety of considerations, such as appliances and accessories, lighting and ventilation; materials, finishes and color; and appliances and equipment. In 1919 a group of architects dedicated to improving the housing stock in the United States through good design banded together to form the Architects’ Small House Service Bureau (ASHSB). Their first plan book, How to Plan Finance and Build your Hom e published in 1921, also encouraged labor-saving kitchen design and provided advice on kitchen design. The research reported here assesses how the influence of Frederick and Boyton’s advice as reflected in the work of and interpreted by Helen Binkerd Young is demonstrated in the kitchen designs of the ASHSB’s first plan book. A plan content analysis instrument, developed using Frederick’s writings and edited to include other variables from Young and Child, is used to analyze the 99 kitchens and two essays in the ASHSB’s plan book. The plans and accompanying comments evidence enthusiasm for the concept of scientific management and other labor- and energy-saving concepts promoted by Frederick. Many of her specific suggestions are incorporated in their kitchen designs, but there is limited evidence that ASHSB designs are only influenced by Frederick but rather include other popular labor-saving concepts of the early 20 th century.
Influence of Yolk-Citrate, Yolk-Glycine, Whole Milk, and Skimmilk Extenders Containing Glycerol on Motility of Bovine Sperm at 37 and 5° C.,

Summary Sixteen semen samples were extended 1: 50 in 14 extenders with 7.5% glycerol added by direct and step-wise procedures to give 28 different extender treatments. Aliquots of each treatment were stored at 37° C. for 12 hr. and at 5° C. for seven days. Yolk-2.9% citrate, yolk-2.0% citrate, yolk-2.9% glycine, whole milk, and skimmilk were the basic extenders, together with mixtures of these at 1:1 in all possible pair combinations. Direct glycerolation generally gave better results than stepwise, as evaluated by progressive sperm motility, but these effects were not significant by seven days of storage at 5° C. Independent of glycerolation method, progressive motility at 37° C. was significantly higher in yolk-2.9% citrate and its combinations than in yolk-2.0% citrate and its combinations, but the reverse was true at 5° C. Extenders composed solely of milk constituents performed favorably at 5° C. and poorly with prolonged 37° C. storage. No single extender or combination of two basic extenders gave similar results, as time and temperature of storage and method of adding glycerol were varied.
Classification of Gravity-Formed Second-Cycle Bedding Features in Mississippian Rocks of Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas: ABSTRACT

Stratigraphic studies in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas indicate the presence of a diverse assortment of rocks which have moved by gravity subsequent to initial deposition. A tentative classification of these subaqueous gravity features is proposed which, hopefully, gives a qualitative measure of downslope distance. By plotting thickness, types, and numbers of post-depositional sedimentary structures, a better understanding of basin geometry during deposition will be obtained. One major deposit resulted from failure of both soft muds and interbedded incompetent sands. Slight downslope movement produced mixed masses of sand with flow structures and squeezed mud which might be pulled into clay "galls." Continued movement possibly caused disintegration of sand blocks to produce sandy mud and pebbly sand, finally becoming subaqueous turbidity flow as viscosity decreased. A second class of disruptive bedding resulted from plastic flow of soft mud only. Some interbedded sand behaved incompetently, failing by folding; the more competent sand eventually was pulled apart to become exotic blocks. Slight movements generally can be determined by the character of slides, slumps, and contortions of interbedded sand. Longer-distance movement by mass flow produced contorted mud with exotic blocks of all sizes, shapes, and compositions. A third deposit had failure confined to fine-grained sand with high internal clay content. Some beds show minor plastic flow; others are visibly contorted. The downslope beds also would be turbidity-current deposits. The Ouachita trough possibly consisted of an offsetting series of unstable mud slopes deepening southwest toward Oklahoma, laced with sand-feeder channels opening into laterally migrating submarine fans characterized by massive sand. More lateral or distal deposits generally are rhythmic and contain few second-cycle bedding features. End_of_Article - Last_Page 475------------
Laminar dispersion in capillaries: Part V. Experiments on combined natural and forced convection in vertical tubes

An approximate theory for transient dispersion with combined free and forced convection in vertical tubes is developed and tested experimentally. It is found that the dispersion coefficient in such systems depends on a parameter α, which is defined by Equation (38). The analytical expression developed for the dispersion coefficient, Equation (33), is found to be a reasonably good approximation in the range −50 < α < 300. Experimental results are reported for a rather wide range of parameters for tubes with both 1 1/2 and 5 mm. diameters. It is found that the extent of dispersion is enhanced significantly when lighter fluid is on the bottom and displaces a heavier one. On the other hand, the dispersion coefficient is inhibited when the situation is reversed. It is found that these effects are not symmetrical with respect to the absolute magnitude of the parameter α as is illustrated in Figure 12.
Potassium-renin-aldosterone relationships during the first year of life

In order to gain insight into factors controlling aldosterone secretion during the first year of life, westudied the relationships between PRA, serum potassium, sodium, and serum aldosterone levels. While we found a dissociation during the early neonatal period, there was a high degree of correlation between serum aldosterone, PRA, and serum potassium by 3 to 12 months of age. This suggests that aldosterone secretion in the 3- to 12-month-old child, as in adults, is regulated by the circulating levels of potassium and angiotensin II.
Cerebral glucose utilization during diazepam withdrawal in rats.

Abstract The diazepam withdrawal syndrome in rats was characterized behaviorally by an increase in spontaneous motor activity, slight body tremors and a lack of convulsions. The 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) technique was used to measured quantitatively cerebral glucose utilization during diazepam withdrawal and revealed changes in glucose utilization in 30% of the 54 structures evaluated. Areas of increased glucose utilization included medial geniculate, inferior colliculus, visual cortex, mamillary body, dorsal hippocampus, cerebellar flocculus, and zona reticulata and zona compacta of the substantia nigra. Areas of decreased glucose utilization included columnar areas in frontal sensorimotor cortex, caudate, globus pallidus, olfactory cortex, nucleus accumbens and internal capsule. There was no single or consistent relationship between reported benzodiazepine receptor densities and glucose utilization.
New Routes to Hyperbranched Poly(acrylic acid) Surface Grafts on Polyethylene Films and Powders

Hyperbranched grafting is a useful method for surface modification of both inorganic and organic polymer surfaces but is synthetically cumbersome as it requires synthesis of functional polymers as reagents. This paper describes an alternative approach using acrylic acid and Ce(IV) graft-on-a-graft chemistry. The substrates, polyethylene films and powders, were prepared for grafting by oxidation and incorporation of a low loading of a polyhydroxylated oligomer. In subsequent steps, the hydroxyl groups of this surface are successively grafted with Ce(IV) and acrylic acid. The resulting carboxylic acid groups were converted into yet more hydroxyl groups. Repetition of this process yields a hyperbranched graft. Copolymer grafts too can be prepared using appropriate mixtures of monomers.
Frequent summer temperature extremes reflect changes in the mean, not the variance.

Hansen et al. (1) demonstrated that the probability of extremely hot summers has markedly increased because the mean of the distribution of seasonally averaged temperatures has increased. However, the authors also implied that the variance of the distribution has increased, a result that differs from regional studies that show changes in the extremes are consistent with a simple shift in the mean (2, 3). Here we extend the spatially aggregated distribution analysis of Hansen et al. to show that once issues related to normalizations, trends, and reductions in surface-station density are accounted for, there is no indication that variability about the mean has increased, at least using these methods and data.
Assessing adolescent mindfulness: Validation of an Adapted Mindful Attention Awareness Scale in adolescent normative and psychiatric populations.

Interest in mindfulness-based interventions for children and adolescents is burgeoning, bringing with it the need for validated instruments to assess mindfulness in youths. The present studies were designed to validate among adolescents a measure of mindfulness previously validated for adults (e.g., Brown & Ryan, 2003), which we herein call the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale-Adolescent (MAAS-A). In 2 large samples of healthy 14- to 18-year-olds (N = 595), Study 1 supported a single-factor MAAS-A structure, along with acceptably high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and both concurrent and incremental validity. In Study 2, with a sample of 102 psychiatric outpatient adolescents age 14-18 years, participants randomized to a mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention showed significant increases in MAAS-A scores from baseline to 3-month follow-up, relative to nonsignificant score changes among treatment-as-usual participants. Increases in MAAS-A scores among mindfulness-based stress reduction participants were significantly related to beneficial changes in numerous mental health indicators. The findings support the reliability and validity of the MAAS-A in normative and mixed psychiatric adolescent populations and suggest that the MAAS-A has utility in mindfulness intervention research.
Subcondylar fracture of the mandible: An endoscopic-assisted technique

The treatment of displaced mandibular subcondylar fractures has been controversial. Nonsurgical management with maxillomandibular fixation rarely achieves fracture reduction. Functional adaptation to the altered condylar mechanics is the mainstay of conservative treatment. However, the persistent shortened ramus height and malreduced condyle leaves a structurally disadvantaged mandible with increased risk of oromasticatory dysfunction, unappealing loss of aesthetic chin projection, and deviant jaw motion with potential for late internal derangement of the contralateral temporomandibular joint. Open fracture repair has been advocated as a reliable method of anatomically restoring condylar position and mandibular height. However, established methods of open surgical repair have not been popular because of the risk of facial nerve transection, external facial scarring, impaired fracture visualization, difficult dissection, and fixation. Using endoscopic visual enhancement with an intraoral method of fracture reduction and rigid fixation, the disadvantages traditionally associated with open subcondylar fracture repair have been minimized. More importantly, anatomic fracture reduction with restoration of normal condylar mechanics and immediate jaw motion can be reliably achieved with most adult extracapsular noncomminuted subcondylar fractures. Premorbid oromasticatory function,esthetic chin projection, and dynamic jaw motion can be achieved within minimal risks. Endoscopic subcondylar fracture repair has been efficacious at functional, aesthetic, and radiographic restoration of the mandible without postoperative maxillomandibular fixation.
The financing risk warning system for multinational corporations and its evaluation

From the perspective of financial management, financing risk comes as one of the primary hazards. The multinational corporation will be faced will more risk in international trade, such as fluctuations in exchange, friction of investment, interference from foreign governments and international economic sanctions. It is of great importance for a multinational corporation seeking its survival and development overseas to avoid this kind of risk and to minimize the loss. Therefore, it is of absolute necessity to establish the Financing Risk Warning System. The Financing Risk Warning System for multi-national corporations is based on the corporate financial warning theory and gives the warning from the financial perspective with the management of the timely financial figures and relevant variations. The system include at least managing center, risk signals collecting center, and risk dealing department.
The Dynamic of Aggression: How Individual and Group Factors Affect the Long‐Term Interspecific Aggression Between Two Sympatric Species of Dolphin

Interspecific aggression, similar to intergroup conspecific aggression, has been observed in a variety of taxa. The dominant group or individual is determined by multiple aggressive events and can be influenced by the size, age, or group size of the participating individuals. Interspecific aggression between Atlantic bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and spotted (Stenella frontalis) dolphins, both resident and sympatric to Little Bahama Bank, the Bahamas has been consistently observed for over two decades. However, it is unclear whether one species is more dominant and little is known about the factors that influence the progression of aggression. For this study, underwater video recordings of 32 aggressive encounters composed of 451 aggressive behavioural events were analysed over a 12-yr period (1993–2004). These were used to describe the interspecific aggression observed and quantify which factors (the species and age class of the participants or the group size and behaviour of spotted dolphin groups) had the strongest impact on the progression and outcome of aggression. Over the long term, interspecific aggression was bidirectional with neither species being more dominant. During a single encounter, spotted dolphin group synchrony had the strongest impact on the dynamic of aggression, specifically impacting which group (1) initiated aggression, (2) the direction of aggression and (3) the occurrence of dynamic shifts or dominance reversals. This is the first study to quantify the dynamic of aggression for this population, to document bidirectional aggression and dynamic shifts during long-term interspecific aggression in free-ranging delphinids, and this study quantifies the role of synchrony during interspecific aggression using underwater observations.
Functional interaction between the early viral proteins of simian virus 40 and adenovirus.

Abstract Complementation studies using early temperature sensitive mutants of SV40 and adenovirus suggest that heterologous DNA-protein interactions can occur between these viruses in coinfected cells. This conclusion is based on the following experimental results: (a) The replication defective adenovirus 5 mutant ts125 can grow in African green monkey kidney cells at the nonpermissive temperature in the presence of preinfection with wild type SV40. (b) The overproduction of early SV40 RNA by the early SV40 temperature sensitive mutant tsA58 can be suppressed by superinfection of the monkey cells with wild type adenovirus. (c) The SV40 helper function for the growth of adenovirus in monkey kidney cells can be provided by the early SV40 mutant tsA58, even at the nonpermissive temperature. We suggest that viral DNA-protein cross-reactions may be responsible for these biological phenomena and show by DNA-DNA hybridization under nonstringent conditions (where hybrid DNAs with up to 35% base mismatch will be thermally stable) that certain regions of the Ad2 and SV40 genomes share significant sequence homology.
High Jc YBCO films on biaxially textured Ni with oxide buffer layers deposited using electron beam evaporation and sputtering

Abstract Epitaxial buffer layers of CeO 2 and yttria-stabilized ZrO 2 (YSZ) have been deposited on biaxially textured nickel using conventional electron beam evaporation and r-f sputtering. Epitaxial films of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ (YBCO) have been then grown on these buffered substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Despite intermittent exposure of the buffered substrates to 1 atm air, the resulting YBCO conductors exhibited transport critical current densities ( J c ) of 0.8 MA/cm 2 at 77.3 K and H =0 T. The dependence of J c of these conductors on temperature and magnetic field is similar to that of conductors prepared solely by in situ PLD. These results suggest that it may be possible to use more flexible and easily scalable fabrication methods for preparing long YBCO conductors.
Feasibility study for development of expert systems for power system control

Abstract This paper deals with a feasibility study of the design of an expert system for power system control. The operation of power systems has become very complex because of the requirements for different control actions at different levels and interaction between these controls, for example, generation level control, transmission level control, and distribution level control, etc. The power system operator is required to make very rapid decisions about control actions, control parameters, the selection of control strategy, and switching actions among these controls. These decisions are presently made by the operator simply on the basis of his/her previous experiences of each type of decision situation. It is therefore becoming necessary to design an expert system for making such decisions in this complex environment, to achieve the objective of minimizing the occurrence of errors by human operators and thereby of reducing the risks of blackouts, unstable operations, and even the loss of equipment. This paper discusses some of the details and problems of building an expert system for HVDC transmission systems in particular. The study concentrates on the knowledge generation and its representation, language selection and data base management for such an expert system. It is clear that the information about the state of a system at any time is of crucial importance. Hence, different identification techniques for obtaining knowledge about a system are discussed. It is concluded that system state identification procedures can be simplified by building a small knowledge-based system specifically designed for this purpose. In the last part of the paper the potential areas for application of expert systems in power system control are discussed. There is also a description of the possible problems associated with the development of expert systems in this field.
Proteomics guided discovery of flavopeptins: anti-proliferative aldehydes synthesized by a reductase domain-containing non-ribosomal peptide synthetase.

Due to the importance of proteases in regulating cellular processes, the development of protease inhibitors has garnered great attention. Peptide-based aldehydes are a class of compounds that exhibit inhibitory activities against various proteases and proteasomes in the context of anti-proliferative treatments for cancer and other diseases. More than a dozen peptide-based natural products containing aldehydes have been discovered such as chymostatin, leupeptin, and fellutamide; however, the biosynthetic origin of the aldehyde functionality has yet to be elucidated. Herein we describe the discovery of a new group of lipopeptide aldehydes, the flavopeptins, and the corresponding biosynthetic pathway arising from an orphan gene cluster in Streptomyces sp. NRRL-F6652, a close relative of Streptomyces flavogriseus ATCC 33331. This research was initiated using a proteomics approach that screens for expressed enzymes involved in secondary metabolism in microorganisms. Flavopeptins are synthesized through a non-r...
Insertional mutation of ‘classical’ and novel genes in transgenic mice

Approximately 5% of established transgenic lines carry insertional mutations. The mutated genes may be directly isolated using the transgene DNA as a molecular probe. These mutants provide useful models of human inherited disorders and developmental abnormalities.
Enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity of multifactorial adjuvants compared with unitary adjuvants as cancer vaccines.

Identification of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and their ligands, and tumor necrosis factor–tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF-TNFR) pairs have provided the first logical, hypothesis-based strategies to molecularly concoct adjuvants to elicit potent cell-mediated immunity via activation of innate and adaptive immunity. However, isolated activation of one immune pathway in the absence of others can be toxic, ineffective, and detrimental to long-term, protective immunity. Effective engineered vaccines must include agents that trigger multiple immunologic pathways. Here, we report that combinatorial use of CD40 and TLR agonists as a cancer vaccine, compared with monotherapy, elicits high frequencies of self-reactive CD8+ T cells, potent tumor-specific CD8+ memory, CD8+ T cells that efficiently infiltrate the tumor-burdened target organ; therapeutic efficacy; heightened ratios of CD8+ T cells to FoxP3+ cells at the tumor site; and reduced hepatotoxicity. These findings provide intelligent strategies for the formulation of multifactorial vaccines to achieve maximal efficacy in cancer vaccine trials in humans.
Effect of sensory cueing in learning and retention.

-In an experiment assessing the effects on learning and retention of training material presented in associadon with various sensory modalities data indicated that sensory information interacted with retention intervals and measures. Auditoty stimulation in general produced maximum retention and tactile stimulation produced the least. Results were discussed in terms of sensory cueing and established habit patterns.
Effective texture models for three dimensional flow visualization

Visualizing three dimensional flow with geometry primitives is challenging due to inevitable clutter and occlusion. Our approach to tackling this problem is to utilize semi-transparent geometry as well as animation. Using semi-transparency, however, can make the visualization blurry and vague. We investigate perceptual limits and find specific guidelines on using semi-transparency for three dimensional flow visualization. We base our results on the user study that we conducted. The users were shown multiple semi-transparent overlapping layers of flow and were asked how many different flow directions they were able to discern. We utilized textured lines as geometric primitives; two general texture models were used to control opacity and create animation. We found that the number of high scoring textures is small compared to the total number of textures within our models. To test our findings, we utilized the high scoring textures to create visualizations of a variety of datasets.
Toward a ‘paideia of the soul’: education to enrich America’s multicultural democracy

What role might education play in the reinvigoration of a robust American democracy? We argue that common understandings of democracy, citizenship, and democratic education are too anemic to right the political inequalities and stagnancies that have deadened American democracy. Instead, we look to notions of paideia and an educated, enlightened citizenry to shape a multicultural democratic education. Multicultural democratic education cultivates the full and flourishing lives and minds of all citizens in American democracy rather than focusing on narrow preparation for voting. It does this through the practice of critical and authentic caring, the cultivation of community across difference, the connection to a global context, and the opportunity for social action. Most importantly, multicultural democratic education takes as its starting point equity and justice in a pluralistic society by committing to the cultivation of the minds and intellects of all students – in stark contrast to the unequal and mind...
Phospholipase A2 and postharvest peel pitting in citrus fruit

Abstract The role of phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) activity in development of postharvest peel pitting in mature ‘Fallglo’ tangerines [Bower citrus hybrid ( Citrus reticulata Blanco × C. reticulata Blanco × C. paradisi Macf.) × Temple ( C. reticulata Blanco × Citrus sinensis L.)] and ‘Navel’ oranges ( Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) was investigated. Changes in RH from 30% to 90% followed by fruit waxing increased electrolyte leakage and PLA 2 activity in flavedo, and induced pitting. Treatment with an aqueous dip of aristolochic acid (AT), a specific inhibitor of secretory phospholipase A 2 (sPLA 2 ) activity, immediately before transfer from 30% to 90% RH storage, markedly reduced peel pitting symptoms. Five genes encoding various phospholipase As isolated from citrus (three patatin-like and two sPLA 2 -like sequences) differentially accumulated in healthy areas, areas with developing lesions and necrotic lesions of disordered fruit. Other PLA 2 , phospholipase C, and phospholipase D inhibitors also reduced peel pitting; however, PLA 2 inhibitors were the most effective in preventing the disorder. In addition, phospholipase inhibitors promoted fruit decay, suggesting that innate resistance is impacted by phospholipase action. Together, the results provide evidence for involvement of phospholipase activity in development of postharvest peel pitting symptoms in citrus fruit.
The oblique reflection of a rayleigh wave from a crack tip

Abstract The reflection of a free-surface Rayleigh wave from the edge of a half-plane crack in an unbounded isotropic elastic solid is considered. The time-harmonic surface wave, propagating on one face of the crack, is obliquely incident on the edge so that the problem is three-dimensional. Application of a displacement representation theorem reduces solution of the problem to solution of an integral equation, which is solved by application of Laplace transform methods and the Wiener-Hopf technique. The transformed displacement has a simple pole corresponding to the reflected surface waves, and the residues are determined. The amplitudes and phases of the reflected surface waves on both faces of the crack have been calculated numerically, and are plotted as functions of the angle of incidence. Energies of the reflected waves are also shown in graphs.
Using Pacific Ocean climatic variability to improve hydrologic reconstructions

Summary Reconstructions of hydrologic variables are commonly created using tree-ring chronologies. Incorporating climate signals and regionally specific sea surface temperature (SST) indices can greatly improve reconstructive skill. This study performed several reconstructions in the Upper Green River Basin (UGRB), located in the northern portion of the Upper Colorado River Basin. Reconstructed snowpack (April 1st snow water equivalent (SWE)) for the UGRB will provide information on the long-term variability of snowpack and assist in determining the effectiveness of current weather modification efforts. Previous attempts to reconstruct regional snowpack in the UGRB were unsuccessful due to a limited number of tree-ring chronologies. This study increased the number of stations used to represent regional SWE and expanded the spatial area of the study. This resulted in the first reconstruction of UGRB SWE using tree-ring chronologies (R2 = 0.34). Next, the predictor variable pool is increased by adding climate signals (Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)) and Pacific Ocean SSTs from regions that were determined to be teleconnected with UGRB SWE. Singular value decomposition (SVD) was performed on Pacific Ocean SSTs and UGRB SWE to identify coupled regions of climate (SSTs) and hydrology (SWE). Stepwise linear regression was used to identify the best predictor combinations. Including climate data (SOI) in the model improved the R2 value from 0.34 to 0.57. The addition of Pacific Ocean SST data further improved the skill of the model (R2 = 0.63). Reconstructions using Pacific Ocean SST data identified by SVD and climate signals explained a higher degree of SWE variance than reconstructions using tree-ring chronologies and climate data, indicating that Pacific Ocean SSTs and climate signals are useful predictors for snowpack reconstruction in the UGRB. This methodology is transferable to other regions.
Thrombin- and Cathepsin G-Induced Platelet Aggregation: Effect of Protein Kinase C Inhibitors

Two serine proteases, thrombin and cathepsin G, are potent agonists of human platelet activation. These pathophysiological proteases induce similar platelet responses, e.g., aggregation, shape change, and secretion of the dense granules. Maintenance of proteolytic function and the ability to bind to receptors on the platelet surface membrane are required for the responses elicited by both proteases. Protein kinase C (PKC) is a signal-transducing enzyme that is an important regulator of postreceptor intracellular changes following exposure of platelets to thrombin and cathepsin G. Inhibitors of purified PKC, e.g., staurosporine and calphostin C, have been frequently used to elucidate biochemical mechanisms mediated by the intracellular PKC following platelet activation by proteases. However, the effect of the PKC inhibitors on the amidolytic activity and on the ability of the two bioregulatory proteases to bind to cells has never been investigated. We found that staurosporine (1 and 1.5 μM), calphostin C (10 and 60 μM), and fisetin (200 and 220 μM), the three most commonly used and biochemically well-characterized inhibitors of purified PKC, completely inhibited thrombin-induced (2 nM) and cathepsin G-induced (0.85 μM) aggregation of washed human platelets, respectively. Each of the three PKC inhibitors completely blocked platelet shape change induced by thrombin (1 nM). Only fisetin inhibited platelet shape change induced by cathepsin G (0.5 μM). Only fisetin partially inhibited amidolytic activity of thrombin. The three PKC inhibitors had no inhibitory effect on the amidolytic activity of those concentrations of cathepsin G that cause maximum platelet aggregation and platelet shape change. The three PKC inhibitors completely blocked binding of 125I-thrombin to washed platelets. However, only fisetin partially blocked binding of 125I-cathepsin G to platelets. The results show that none of the three PKC inhibitors is suitable for elucidating the role of intracellular PKC in thrombin-induced platelet activation because each interferes with binding of thrombin to platelets. Only staurosporine and calphostin C are suitable for the same purpose in the case of cathepsin G, since fisetin inhibits its binding to platelets. We conclude that the use of similar inhibitors must be investigated on an individual basis before assuming their specificity to elucidate biochemical pathways involved in intracellular changes following activation of cells by proteases.
Combined 3D intracardiac echo and ultrasound ablation

We have integrated real time volumetric ultrasound imaging and ultrasound ablation in the same intracardiac catheter. This single device could be used to visualize ablation sites in three dimensions immediately prior to inducing necrosis to eliminate cardiac arrythmias. After the course of therapy, the ablated tissue could be examined ultrasonically. The 12 Fr catheter includes a 2D transducer array for imaging and a single element piston for ablation. The imaging transducer consists of 38 active elements built on a multilayer flex circuit operating at 5.2 Mhz. The ablation piston is a 4 mm by 2 mm piece of air backed PZT-4. Our real time 3D scanner (Volumetrics Medical Imaging) and the 2D array were used to image phantom targets. The spatial peak, temporal average intensity (I SPTA ) and acoustic power of the ablation beam were measured using a hydrophone. A 7 mm thick slab of beef was imaged and then ablated for 1 minute. The ultrasound ablation piston produced an I SPTA of nearly 30 W/cm 2 and a corresponding acoustic power of 2.6 W. The electrical to acoustic power efficiency of the transducer was 39%. The minute long ablation produced a transmural lesion in the beef 2mm by 4 mm by 7 mm deep.
Reflections upon directive language in health care.

Abstract This article presents examples of types of terms and phrases which play an immensely important but often unrecognized role in shaping health care. The need for heightened awareness of the various effects of different types of language is emphasized, and distinctions of ‘working’, vs ‘descriptive’ words, and ‘manifest’ vs ‘mystical’ terms are introduced. Directive language typically arouses emotional responses which, if constructively ‘directed’, can provide a valuable energy source for the betterment of health care. Conversely, however, directive phrases may also create barriers to such improvement. A thoughtful approach to the creation and usage of such terms is therefore vital to the maximation of their positive impact.
Polarity Control of LP-MOVPE GaN using N2 the Carrier Gas

The polarity control of GaN films grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by LP-MOVPE using N2 as carrier and diluent gas was investigated in detail. The polarity type depended on the substrate preparation prior to the high temperature (HT) GaN growth. Device-quality Ga-polar GaN was obtained by using a low temperature (LT) AlN buffer layer followed by a specific annealing process. Optimized buffer layer thickness was 10 nm, with an annealing time of 20 min and a temperature of 1050 °C. By using these conditions for the buffer layer growth, mirror-like Ga-polarity GaN was grown using a V/III ratio of 100. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of Ga-polar GaN films was 360 arcsec for the symmetric (00.2) reflection and 640 arcsec for the skew-symmetric (30.2) reflection. The surface roughness was measured by AFM to be 0.2 nm RMS and the growth rate was estimated at 2.0 μm/hr. These results indicated that by exclusively using N2 carrier gas, one can achieve films of the same quality as those more commonly grown by using H2 carrier gas.
Influence of Dietary Particle Size and Composition on Phosphorus Availability

Abstract SCOTT et al. (1956) first reported that soybean meal added to an isolated soybean protein purified diet would greatyl improve the availability of phosphorus from anhydrous dicalcium phosphate (CaHPO4) to the poult. Since that time, various explanations for this phenomenon have been advanced. Carlson et al. (1964 a, b) proposed the existence of a rachitogenic factor in the isolated soybean protein used in the purified diet and an “anti-rachitic” factor in soybean meal. Griffith et al. (1966) and Jensen and Mraz (1966) reported the “anti-rachitic” factor of soybean was associated with the water insoluble fraction of the soybean meal, while Griffith and Young (1967) showed that adding soybean hulls to a purified diet would duplicate the effect of adding soybean meal. Griffith (1968a) demonstrated that grinding soybean meal or hulls to a powder destroyed the “anti-rachitic” properties of these materials and suggested that their ability to increase bone ash was…