cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HYPOCALCEMIC EFFECT OF PITUITARY POLYPEPTIDES IN RABBITS.

The serum calcium of rabbitsis reduced by the following pituitary preparations:a crude pituitary extract, pep tidesI and II, oxycellulose-purified corticotropin,a-MSH and β-MSH. Following subcutaneousinjection the serum calcium reaches minimalvalues in approximately 2 hr and returns tonormal after 4 hr. These factors also producean increase in serum free fatty acids; fastingpotentiates both effects, suggesting that the 2effects may be related. The hypocalcemiaoccurs despite the injection of large amountsof parathyroid extract. In dogs or rats thesepeptides have little or no effect on either theserum calcium or the free fatty acids. (Endocrinology 75: 692, 1964)
Connoisseur's Choice: Beryl, Variety Morganite San Diego County, California

One of the most popular of all collectible minerals is beryl. Its wide variation in color, particularly in the gem varieties, its tendency to form exceptionally perfect crystals in pocket environme...
Bridging the Spectral Gap in Fluorescent Proteins through Directed Evolution

Fluorescent proteins are used as noninvasive tags for protein trafficking, structure, and action. In this issue of Chemistry & Biology, Hoi and colleagues present a new optimized zFP538 yellow fluorescent protein called mPapaya1 that is bright, monomeric, and an excellent fusion partner for cellular proteins.
Implementation of a 64-bit Jackson adder

In 2004, Robert Jackson and Sunil Talwar published a novel method of decomposing binary prefix addition. Their work sought to balance the complexity of the generate and propagate terms that bear the computational load in parallel prefix adders. This paper presents an implementation of a 64-bit adder based on this method, as well as an improved method of expressing this complex decomposition. This adder is compared to the optimized Sklansky architecture produced by Design Compiler in a 45 nm process. The 64-bit Jackson adder is 5% faster than the DesignWare adder, but uses 80% more energy.
Nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Navajo and White Mountain Apache children before the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Background:Infants and children are frequently colonized with pneumococcus. Recent nasopharyngeal acquisition of pneumococcus is thought to precede disease episodes. The increased risk of pneumococcal disease among Navajo and White Mountain Apache populations has been documented. Little is known abo
Effects of contiguous administration of tranquilizing drugs and shock traumatization in infancy.

64 albino rats received contiguous administrations of “major” and “minor” tranquilizing drugs and shock traumatization in infancy. The performance measures were avoidance conditioning and competition testing. The results indicate that drug administrations in infancy were effective in mitigating the effects of shock traumatization; major tranquilizing drugs were more effective than minor tranquilizing drugs under the conditions of this study. The findings were related to the state-dependent or dissociated learning phenomenon.
Temperature-dependent optical properties of InP nanowires in ensembles

Nanowire ensembles on non-single crystalline substrates are quickly becoming a popular active material moving towards commercial device production. In this study, ensembles of InP nanowires were grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition on non-single crystalline substrates. The samples are complicated by the presence of differing lattice types, geometries, crystal orientations and physical interaction that occurs in samples with high areal densities. The optical properties of the nanowires were studied by photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy at various temperatures. The spectra are interpreted with particular emphasis on the above-mentioned complications.
Grassou et Frenhofer: Chef-d'oeuvre connu ou inconnu?

(1997). Grassou et Frenhofer: Chef-d'oeuvre connu ou inconnu? Romance Quarterly: Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 131-142.
Nucleolar protein Nop12p participates in synthesis of 25S rRNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A genetic screen for mutations synthetically lethal with temperature sensitive alleles of nop2 led to the identification of the nucleolar proteins Nop12p and Nop13p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. NOP12 was identified by complementation of a synthetic lethal growth phenotype in strain YKW35, which contains a single nonsense mutation at codon 359 in an allele termed nop12-1. Database mining revealed that Nop12p was similar to a related protein, Nop13p. Nop12p and Nop13p are not essential for growth and each contains a single canonical RNA recognition motif (RRM). Both share sequence similarity with Nsr1p, a previously identified, non-essential, RRM-containing nucleolar protein. Likely orthologs of Nop12p were identified in Drosophila and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Deletion of NOP12 resulted in a cold sensitive (cs) growth phenotype at 15°C and slow growth at 20 and 25°C. Growth of a nop12Δ strain at 15 and 20°C resulted in impaired synthesis of 25S rRNA, but not 18S rRNA. A nop13 null strain did not produce an observable growth phenotype under the laboratory conditions examined. Epitope-tagged Nop12p, which complements the cs growth phenotype and restores normal 25S rRNA levels, was localized to the nucleolus by immunofluorescence microscopy. Epitope-tagged Nop13p was distributed primarily in the nucleolus, with a lesser portion localizing to the nucleoplasm. Thus, Nop12p is a novel nucleolar protein required for pre-25S rRNA processing and normal rates of cell growth at low temperatures.
Academic on a mission: Run and run and run

Challenges the distinctions we make between research/scholarship and practice. Recognizes and values the complimentarity of teaching, research, practice, and public policy. Tells how I have tried to approach creating opportunities to integrate those activities in my role as a community psychologist in an academic setting. Describes some of the lessons I have learned from my two decades of practice.
An optimal solution for the stochastic version of the Wagner–Whitin dynamic lot-size model

We present an algorithm for determining the optimal solution over the entire planning horizon for the dynamic lot-size model where demand is stochastic and non-stationary. The optimal solution to the deterministic problem is the well-known Wagner–Whitin algorithm. The present work contributes principally to knowledge building and provides a tool for researchers. One potentially useful contribution to practice is the solution to an important special case, where demand follows normal distributions. Other contributions to practice will likely flow from the development of improved heuristics and the improved basis to evaluate heuristic performance.
Echocardiographic predictors of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve after mitral valve reconstruction for myxomatous valve disease

OBJECTIVE To determine predictors of systolic anterior motion and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (SAM/LVOTO) after mitral valve repair (MVRep) in patients with myxomatous mitral valve disease. BACKGROUND Mechanisms for the development of SAM/LVOTO after MVRep have been described; however, predictors of this complication have not been explored. We hypothesize that pre-MVRep transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) can predict postrepair SAM/ LVOTO. METHODS Using TEE, the lengths of the coapted anterior (AL) and posterior (PL) leaflets and the distance from the coaptation point to the septum (C-Sept) were measured before and after MVRep in 33 patients, including 11 who developed SAM/LVOTO (Group 1) and 22 who did not (Group 2). RESULTS Group 1 patients had smaller AL/PL ratios (0.99 vs. 1.95, p < 0.0001) and C-Sept distances (2.53 vs. 3.01 cm, p = 0.012) prior to MVRep than those in Group 2. Resolution of SAM/LVOTO was associated with increases in AL/PL ratio and C-Sept distance. This reflects a more anterior position of the coaptation point in those who developed SAM/ LVOTO. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that TEE analysis of the mitral apparatus can identify patients likely to develop SAM/LVOTO after MVRep for myxomatous valve disease. The findings are consistent with the concept that SAM of mitral leaflets is due to anterior malposition of slack mitral leaflet portions into the LVOT. The position of the coaptation point of the mitral leaflets is dynamic and a potential target and end point for surgical designs to prevent SAM/LVOTO post MVRep.
Differences in independence of irrelevant alternatives at individual vs aggregate levels, and at single pair vs full choice set

Abstract The concept of ‘independence of irrelevant alternatives’ (IIA) was originally developed at the individual level. Real-world applications of choice modeling in fields such as marketing, transportation, and political science, however, generally occur at the aggregate level. Here, we investigate the relationship between the IIA assumptions at the two levels, and identify variables moderating this relationship. Specifically in this research, we prove that under some particular conditions, validity of the IIA assumption at the individual level leads to validity (or violation) of IIA at the aggregate level. Analogous to the above, past literature has focused on evaluating IIA violations or otherwise for a single pair of alternatives. Real-world managers, on the other hand, need to look at possible IIA violations between all possible pairs of alternatives in a choice set; this focus on the full choice set is necessary for making appropriate marketing strategy decisions. In this research, we argue that it is more relevant to focus on the full choice set. We first identify IIA relationships at the single pair level, and then build on those findings to identify IIA relationships at the full choice set level. One of the important findings at the full choice set level is that there must exist preference homogeneity or IIA is violated at the aggregate level, when there is no violation at the individual level.
The role of esterase activity in the ocular disposition of dipivalyl epinephrine in rabbits

Abstract Dipivalyl epinephrine (DPE), a clinically useful prodrug of epinephrine in the treatment of glaucoma, relies on hydrolysis by ocular esterases for expression of its pharmacological activity. This study demonstrated that in rabbits, variations in esterase activity with age and iris pigmentation did not alter the fraction of DPE absorbed by the eye and its adnexa at 10 min post-instillation of 0.1% DPE solutions. Specifically, about 10% of the instilled dose was absorbed into the eyes of albino and pigmented rabbits, 6 and 12 weeks of age. Nonetheless, the concentration of epinephrine, derived from hydrolysis of DPE in the aqueous humor and selected ocular tissues correlated with age- and pigmentation-related variations in esterase activity, and was between 2.5 and 5 times higher than the concentrations achieved following the topical instillation of 0.1% epinephrine solutions. The results also indicated that absorption and the subsequent hydrolysis of DPE in the conjunctiva accounted for 60–75% of the instilled DPE recovered in the eye and its adnexa.
Peptides in lipid bilayers: structural and thermodynamic basis for partitioning and folding

Abstract The lipid bilayer is commonly, but incorrectly, viewed as a slab of bulk hydrocarbon liquid bounded by thin polar regions. Recent experimental and theoretical advances reveal the true complexities of the bilayer and its interactions with peptides. These are reviewed in the context of five fundamental questions that must be addressed in order to arrive at a structural and thermodynamic framework that is useful for studies of a broad array of biological processes.
Modal Behavior of IGluR3 AMPA-Receptor-Channels in Cell Attached Recordings

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluR's) are ligand gated ion channels that mediate most of the fast excitatory neurotransmission in the CNS. Aberrant function of glutamate neurotransmission can lead to epilepsy and other neurodegenerative disorders. The extracellular ligand binding domain is a bilobal structure that binds an agonist and induces channel activation. Cell attached patch recordings were performed with both full and partial agonists on HEK 293 cells stably expressing homomeric GluR3-flip receptor channels. Single channel data were analyzed using QuB software to detect channel conductance states and to determine a simple model of agonist dependent channel activity and underlying modal behavior. Amplitude analysis uncovered three conductance states, 15 pS, 27 pS, and 40 pS, in the presence of the full agonist, glutamate, as well as the partial agonists, fluorowillardiine, chlorowillardiine and nitrowillardiine. Different modes of activation ranging from low to high open probability exist for this channel. The dwell times for the high mode are longer compared to the low mode. In the presence of the full agonist, glutamate, during a high mode of activation, the channel prefers to open to the intermediate and large conductance states. In the presence of the willardiine partial agonists, the channel opens more frequently to the smallest and intermediate conductance states. Kinetic modeling using maximum interval likelihood rate optimization revealed two time constants in each open state and at least three in the closed state for the full and partial agonists. These data suggests that the mechanisms of channel activation are similar for both full and partial agonists but the transition rates between states differ. Supported by NIH NS049223 and NS063518.
HIGH COTTON: WHY THE USA SHOULD NOT PROVIDE SUBSIDIES TO COTTON FARMERS

Trade theorists agree that barriers to trade are declining. Still more progress could be made if trade barriers and government interventions were eliminated. One area in which government interference can and should be vastly reduced is that of agricultural production in general and US cotton production in particular.
Transformation plasticity of retained austenite in stage-I tempered martensitic steels

In the present study, controlled experiments were designed to isolate the role of retained austenite and investigate the associated transformation plasticity effects on shear instability, which is the precursor to fracture in these ultrahigh-strength steels. The stability of the retained austenite is the most important parameter controlling its transformation plasticity and toughening effects. The M/sub s//sup {sigma}/ temperature is adopted here as a quantitative characterization of the stability of retained austenite. It is the temperature at which the transformation occurs at the yield stress of the parent phase. Below M/sub s//sup {sigma}/, the transformation is stress-assisted and nucleation occurs at the same pre-existing nucleation sites responsible for the transformation on cooling. Above M/sub s//sup {sigma}/, yielding of the austenite by slip generates new nucleation sites and the transformation is strain-induced. The M/sub s//sup {sigma}/ temperature is a function of stress state due to the interaction of the transformation volume change with stress triaxiality. Recent experiments in metastable fully-austenitic steels have demonstrated that transformation plasticity can substantially enhance uniform ductility and toughness when fracture is controlled by shear instability. These property improvements appeared near the corresponding M/sub s//sup {sigma}/ temperatures for the uniaxial tension and crack-tip stress states. It is, therefore,more » necessary to determine the stress-state dependence of the M/sub s//sup {sigma}/ temperature before assessing the effects of transformation plasticity on mechanical properties.« less
Effects of Localized Hydrophilic Mannitol and Hydrophobic Nelfinavir Administration Targeted to Olfactory Epithelium on Brain Distribution

Many nasally applied compounds gain access to the brain and the central nervous system (CNS) with varying degree. Direct nose-to-brain access is believed to be achieved through nervous connections which travel from the CNS across the cribriform plate into the olfactory region of the nasal cavity. However, current delivery strategies are not targeted to preferentially deposit drugs to the olfactory at cribriform. Therefore, we have developed a pressurized olfactory delivery (POD) device which consistently and non-invasively deposited a majority of drug to the olfactory region of the nasal cavity in rats. Using both a hydrophobic drug, mannitol (log P = −3.1), and a hydrophobic drug, nelfinavir (log P = 6.0), and POD device, we compared brain and blood levels after nasal deposition primarily on the olfactory region with POD or nose drops which deposited primarily on the respiratory region in rats. POD administration of mannitol in rats provided a 3.6-fold (p < 0.05) increase in cortex-to-blood ratio, compared to respiratory epithelium deposition with nose drop. Administration of nelfinavir provided a 13.6-fold (p < 0.05) advantage in cortex-to-blood ratio with POD administration, compared to nose drops. These results suggest that increasing the fraction of drug deposited on the olfactory region of the nasal cavity will result in increased direct nose-to-brain transport.
Compton losses, Compton rockets

The radiation force on a relativistic plasma is shown to accelerate the plasma to relativistic bulk velocities under certain conditions, thus demonstrating that relativistic bulk motion not only alleviates Compton losses, but can also result from such losses. In order to isolate Compton-rocket effects from hydrodynamical ones, it is assumed that the plasma in its instantaneous rest frame has a temporally constant density and is spatially uniform.
Stress concentrations, diffusionally accommodated grain boundary sliding and the viscoelasticity of polycrystals

Using analytical and numerical methods, we analyse the Raj–Ashby bicrystal model of diffusionally accommodated grain-boundary sliding for finite interface slopes. Two perfectly elastic layers of finite thickness are separated by a given fixed spatially periodic interface. Dissipation occurs by time-periodic shearing of the viscous interfacial region, and by time-periodic grain-boundary diffusion. Although two time scales govern these processes, of particular interest is the characteristic time t D for grain-boundary diffusion to occur over distances of order of the grain size. For seismic frequencies ωt D ≫1, we find that the spectrum of mechanical loss Q −1 is controlled by the local stress field near corners. For a simple piecewise linear interface having identical corners, this localization leads to a simple asymptotic form for the loss spectrum: for ωt D ≫1, Q −1 ∼const. ω − α . The positive exponent α is determined by the structure of the stress field near the corners, but depends both on the angle subtended by the corner and on the orientation of the interface; the value of α for a sawtooth interface having 120 ° angles differs from that for a truncated sawtooth interface whose corners subtend the same 120 ° angle. When corners on an interface are not all identical, the behaviour is even more complex. Our analysis suggests that the loss spectrum of a finely grained solid results from volume averaging of the dissipation occurring in the neighbourhood of a randomly oriented three-dimensional network of grain boundaries and edges.
The Lorentzian-squared environemental broadening model in Mössbauer spectra

Abstract A model for non-Lorentzian environmental broadening in Mossbauer spectra is used to derive a non-Lorentzian peak shape in rational function form. A series of shapes exists which includes this, each shape being variable in shape. Non-Lorentzian source shape is considered. Examples of practical use of this shape are presented and compared with use of the Lorentzian shape.
Metabolic profile of pancreatic acinar and islet tissue in culture.

Abstract Background The amount and condition of exocrine impurities may affect the quality of islet preparations, especially during culture. In this study, the objective was to determine the oxygen demand and viability of islet and acinar tissue post-isolation and whether they change disproportionately while in culture. Method We compared the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) normalized to DNA (OCR/DNA, a measure of fractional viability in units of nmol/min/mg DNA), and the percent change in OCR and DNA recoveries between adult porcine islet and acinar tissue from the same preparation (paired) over 6–9 days of standard culture. Paired comparisons were done to quantify differences in OCR/DNA between islet and acinar tissue from the same preparation, at specified time points during culture. Results The mean (±SE) OCR/DNA was 74.0 ± 11.7 units higher for acinar (vs islet) tissue on the day of isolation (n = 16, P P = .03), 56.6 ± 11.5 units lower after 2 days (n = 12, P = .0004), and 65.9 ± 28.7 units lower after 8 days (n = 4, P = .2) in culture. DNA and OCR recoveries decreased at different rates for acinar versus islet tissue over 6–9 days in culture (n = 6). DNA recovery decreased to 24 ± 7% for acinar and 75 ± 8% for islets ( P = .002). Similarly, OCR recovery decreased to 16 ± 3% for acinar and remained virtually constant for islets ( P = .005). Conclusion Differences in the metabolic profile of acinar and islet tissue should be considered when culturing impure islet preparations. OCR-based measurements may help optimize pre–islet transplantation culture protocols.
Nonoperative Management of Fecal Incontinence

Fecal incontinence is a significant health problem that affects quality of life. Continence may often be improved with changes in diet with or without pharmacologic treatment to optimize the consistency of stool. Biofeedback is a multifaceted therapeutic approach that helps an individual improve his or her sensitivity to rectal distention and respond with appropriate voluntary sphincter control. One or more of these techniques can be used in conjunction with education and supportive counseling to optimize an individual's continence.
Synthesis of superparamagnetic MgFe2O4 nanoparticles by coprecipitation

MgFe2O4 nanoparticles have been synthesized by coprecipitation method. Magnetic measurements in combination with neutron diffraction have determined the existence of a superparamagnetic state in this metal oxide system. The superparamagnetic relaxation of magnetization in these nanoparticles has been studied by using Mossbauer spectroscopy. The relaxation time has been correlated with the particle size and temperature and is consistent with Neel theory.
Feasibility and acute healing of vocal fold microflap incisions in a rabbit model

Objectives The purpose of this study was to: 1) investigate the feasibility of performing mucosal elevation of a vocal fold microflap in a rabbit model, and 2) measure the acute healing of rabbit microflap incisions compared to control vocal folds.
Role of grain rotation during grain growth in a columnar microstructure by mesoscale simulation

We use a mesoscopic simulation approach to study the coupling and competition between grain-boundary-curvature driven and grain-rotation-coalescence induced grain growth in a {l_angle}001{r_angle} textured columnar microstructure. The well-known variational formulation for the total dissipated power, due to Needleman and Rice, provides the formal basis for our two-dimensional simulations. A stochastic velocity Monte-Carlo algorithm is used to minimize the functional in each time step. The competition between grain-boundary migration and grain rotation introduces a physical length scale, Rc, into the system, enabling the growth process to be characterized by two regimes. If the average grain size is smaller than Rc, as is the case in nanocrystalline materials, grain growth is dominated by the grain-rotation-coalescence mechanism. By contrast, if the average grain size is greater than Rc, then growth is dominated by curvature-driven grain-boundary migration. The growth exponents characterizing the power-law time dependence of the average grain size are different for the two growth regimes. An extended von Neumann-Mullins relation, based on averaged grain-boundary properties, is further extended to include the effect of grain rotations.
Fatal hypernatremia associated with the antegrade continence enema procedure.

Fecal incontinence is a significant problem in patients with congenital neurological abnormalities. In 1990 Malone et al introduced a technique for creating a continent appendicocecostomy to administer antegrade enemas.l Results have been encouraging and complications have primarily been technical in nature.' We report a devastating metabolic complication in a patient who underwent the antegrade continence enema procedure.
Abolition by selective gastric vagotomy of the influence of water temperature on water intake: Mediation via enhanced gastric clearance ☆

Abstract Female rats had water available for 20 min/day. The temperature of the water alternated between cool (5°C) and warm (35°C) water days. Intact rats drank 33% less on cool water days. After bilateral gastric vagotomy intake on warm water days fell such that there was no longer any differential thermal influence on water intake. In a second experiment intact rats retained 38% less of the ingested water in their stomachs 20 min after the start of a cool water drink as compared to a warm drink. With bilateral gastric vagotomy, warm water gastric retention was reduced such that there was no longer any differential thermal influence on gastric retention. Thus, cool water appears to elicit a reflexive inhibition of vagal efferents to the upper gastrointestinal tract as a result of which gastric clearance accelerates and water intake is suppressed.
Varicose Veins: A Clinical and Biochemical Correlation

Prostaglandin (PG) metabolism in chronic venous disease can be assessed by quantitative analysis of prostacyclin (PGI2, an antiaggregatory vasodilator) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2, a proaggregatory vasoconstrictor). The authors corre lated the biochemical and noninvasive evaluation (Doppler ultrasound, pho toplethysmography [PRG], and phleborheography [PRG]) of 20 patients with normal and varicose veins, using operative specimens for biochemical analysis. Ten-mg segments of vein were incubated with 10 μM 14C-PGH2 and separated by thin-layer chromatography. Formation of 6-keto-PGF1a and TXB2 was in creased in varicose vein compared with normal vein: 157 ± 11 vs 230 ± 19 picograms 6-keto-PGF1a (p <.05) and 23 ± 2 vs 34 ± 4 picograms TXB2 (p <.05). All patients with varicose veins displayed evidence of venous insufficiency by all examinations. Of 13 patients with clinically normal veins, 8 were normal by all noninvasive criteria. Five were abnormal by two or more noninvasive critera, yet had normal biochemical ...
From Minds Hidden in the Heads of Individuals to the Use of Mind-Talk between Us: Wittgensteinian Developmental Investigations1

I criticize Carpendale and Lewis's (2004) attempt to produce a Wittgensteinian theory, as an alternative to work in the "theory of mind" (TOM) tradition, not because I disagree with it as theory, but because Wittgenstein would be critical of any attempt to make such a use of his work. Theories are concerned with discovering rules, principles, of lawful regularities hidden behind appearances. Wittgenstein's whole latter philosophy is inimical to such an aim. His concern is not with theories but with descriptions-which can be explanatory, but in a relational or orientational rather than a causal fashion. Below, I give some initial examples to show what Wittgensteinian investigations in developmental psychology might look like.
An explanation for the multivalued heat transport found experimentally for convection in a porous medium

Convection experiments were conducted in a porous slab 3 m in diameter and 30 cm thick, using two quite different media: a filling of rubberized curled coconut fibre and of clear polymethylmethacrylate beads. The second experiment involved the successful use of a visualization scheme for the flows at the upper boundary. Convection began in a hexagonal pattern with a slight tendency to form into rolls, but became very complex, irregular and three-dimensional at higher Rayleigh numbers, without developing any obvious temporal instabilities. Above a Rayleigh number of 1000 a significant number of dendritic downwellings appeared, where smaller downwellings seemed to feed into larger areas such that the whole complex may have converged into a single downwelling plume. The visualization provides direct confirmation that the lateral scale of the convection decreases with increasing Rayleigh number, approximately as ([Ascr ] + C)−0.5.Nusselt number versus Rayleigh number curves were obtained for both experiments. The only feature they have in common is a central section where the slope on a log/log graph is slightly over 0.5. On the graph from the first experiment, this section is preceded by a slope close to 1 and followed by a slope close to 0.33. The temperature measured at a point in the fill 25 mm below the top boundary was unsteady at conditions representative of the upper two segments of the graph; sensitivity was insufficient to measure fluctuations at lower temperature differences. The Nusselt number for the bead fill jumps upward just above onset (where [Ascr ] = 4π2), rapidly settles to a slope of 0.52, and then gradually breaks upward again to a slope of greater than 1. Increases in conductivity and permeability close to the boundary are not a large enough fraction of the boundary-layer thickness to cause this. A new phenomenon, lateral thermal dispersion, appears to be responsible. It occurs because there is no constant separation distance between adjacent channels in a bead fill. Thermal exchange in the junction pores exceeds the average if the flow is fast enough, especially when the fluid is more conductive than the beads.A simple boundary-conduction theory can be matched to the uncontaminated results. It is based on relative scaling of the residence time of fluid in the boundary layer, and predicts Nusselt number growth as the 0.55 power of Rayleigh number toward the high values typical of major geothermal areas.
Stargazin and other transmembrane AMPA receptor regulating proteins interact with synaptic scaffolding protein MAGI-2 in brain.

The spatial coordination of neurotransmitter receptors with other postsynaptic signaling and structural molecules is regulated by a diverse array of cell-specific scaffolding proteins. The synaptic trafficking of AMPA receptors by the stargazin protein in some neurons, for example, depends on specific interactions between the C terminus of stargazin and the PDZ [postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95)/Discs large/zona occludens-1] domains of membrane-associated guanylate kinase scaffolding proteins PSD-93 or PSD-95. Stargazin [Cacng2 (Ca2+ channel γ2 subunit)] is one of four closely related proteins recently categorized as transmembrane AMPA receptor regulating proteins (TARPs) that appear to share similar functions but exhibit distinct expression patterns in the CNS. We used yeast two-hybrid screening to identify MAGI-2 (membrane associated guanylate kinase, WW and PDZ domain containing 2) as a novel candidate interactor with the cytoplasmic C termini of the TARPs. MAGI-2 [also known as S-SCAM (synaptic scaffolding molecule)] is a multi-PDZ domain scaffolding protein that interacts with several different ligands in brain, including PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog), dasm1 (dendrite arborization and synapse maturation 1), dendrin, axin, β- and δ-catenin, neuroligin, hyperpolarization-activated cation channels, β1-adrenergic receptors, and NMDA receptors. We confirmed that MAGI-2 coimmunoprecipitated with stargazin in vivo from mouse cerebral cortex and used in vitro assays to localize the interaction to the C-terminal -TTPV amino acid motif of stargazin and the PDZ1, PDZ3, and PDZ5 domains of MAGI-2. Expression of stargazin recruited MAGI-2 to cell membranes and cell–cell contact sites in transfected HEK-293T cells dependent on the presence of the stargazin -TTPV motif. These experiments identify MAGI-2 as a strong candidate for linking TARP/AMPA receptor complexes to a wide range of other postsynaptic molecules and pathways and advance our knowledge of protein interactions at mammalian CNS synapses.
Legal, Moral, and Social Reasons for Decriminalizing Sodomy

This article traces the development of sodomy laws and the history of their piecemeal invalidation in the United States. It then presents several arguments for the decriminalization of sodomy laws still in existence, focusing on constitutional law and the inapplicability of the major philosophical justifications for criminal punishment. The article also presents moral and social arguments for decriminalization that are often left out of the debate about the continuing viability of sodomy laws, including their role in perpetuating stigma and discrimination against homosexuals, creating a class of “criminals,” and contributing to the psychological, emotional, and physical abuse of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals.
Inactivation of the fibronectin-binding adhesin gene bbk32 significantly attenuates the infectivity potential of Borrelia burgdorferi

Borrelia burgdorferi, the aetiological agent of Lyme disease, utilizes multiple adhesins to interact with both the arthropod vector and mammalian hosts it colonizes. One such adhesive molecule is a surface-exposed fibronectin-binding lipoprotein, designated BBK32. Previous characterization of BBK32-mediated fibronectin binding has been limited to biochemical analyses due to the difficulty in mutagenizing infectious isolates of B. burgdorferi. Here we report an alternative method to inactivate bbk32 via allelic exchange through use of a low-passage variant of B. burgdorferi strain B31 that is more readily transformed. The resulting mutant does not synthesize BBK32, exhibits reduced fibronectin binding in solid phase assays and manifests decreased interactions with mouse fibroblast cells relative to both the infectious parent and genetic complement. Furthermore, the bbk32 knockout was significantly attenuated in the murine model of Lyme disease, whereas a genetically complemented control was not, indicating that BBK32 is necessary for maximal B. burgdorferi infection in the mouse. To our knowledge this is the first mutational analysis of a surface exposed, functional borrelial lipoprotein adhesin whose activity is associated with the mammalian host environment. By analogy with other pathogens that utilize fibronectin binding as an important virulence determinant, the borrelial fibronectin-BBK32 interaction is likely to be important in B. burgdorferi-specific pathogenic mechanisms, particularly in the context of dissemination, secondary colonization and/or persistence.
Canonical maps between semidirect products with applications to elasticity and superfluids

It is shown that two canonical maps arising in the Poisson bracket formulations of elasticity and superfluids are particular instances of general canonical maps between duals of semidirect product Lie algebras.
Relation of left atrial dysfunction to pulmonary artery hypertension in patients with aortic stenosis and left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) increases mortality in patients with severe aortic stenosis. We hypothesized that left atrial (LA) dysfunction would be related to PAH in patients with severe aortic stenosis complicated by left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. The data from 70 patients with severe aortic stenosis and LV systolic dysfunction were analyzed. From the transmitral flow, the peak early (E) and late (A) diastolic velocities were obtained. From the pulmonary vein flow, the peak S-wave, D-wave, and reversed atrial wave velocities were determined. The right ventricular systolic pressure was measured in 50 patients and averaged 38 ± 13 mm Hg. Patients with PAH (n = 19) presented with greater LV diameters, E/A ratio, E-wave velocity, LV mass index, reversed atrial wave velocity, and LA volume (p
Work-first and help-first scheduling policies for async-finish task parallelism

Multiple programming models are emerging to address an increased need for dynamic task parallelism in applications for multicore processors and shared-address-space parallel computing. Examples include OpenMP 3.0, Java Concurrency Utilities, Microsoft Task Parallel Library, Intel Thread Building Blocks, Cilk, X10, Chapel, and Fortress. Scheduling algorithms based on work stealing, as embodied in Cilk's implementation of dynamic spawn-sync parallelism, are gaining in popularity but also have inherent limitations. In this paper, we address the problem of efficient and scalable implementation of X10's async-finish task parallelism, which is more general than Cilk's spawn-sync parallelism. We introduce a new work-stealing scheduler with compiler support for async-finish task parallelism that can accommodate both work-first and help-first scheduling policies. Performance results on two different multicore SMP platforms show significant improvements due to our new work-stealing algorithm compared to the existing work-sharing scheduler for X10, and also provide insights on scenarios in which the help-first policy yields better results than the work-first policy and vice versa.
Novel mutations associated with combined pituitary hormone deficiency

The pituitary gland produces hormones that play important roles in both the development and the homeostasis of the body. A deficiency of two or several of these pituitary hormones, known as combined pituitary hormone deficiency, may present in infants or children due to an unknown etiology and is considered congenital or idiopathic. Advancements in our understanding of pituitary development have provided a genetic basis to explain the pathophysiological basis of pituitary hormone disease. Nevertheless, there are several challenges to the precise characterization of abnormal genotypes; these exist secondary to the complexities of several of the hypothalamic/pituitary developmental factors and signals, which ultimately integrate in a temporal and spatial dependent manner to produce a mature gland. Furthermore, the clinical presentation of pituitary hormone disease may be dynamic as subsequent hormone deficiencies may develop over time. The characterization of patients with mutations in genes responsible for pituitary development provides an opportunity to discover potential novel mechanisms responsible for pituitary pathophysiology. The focus of this review is to report the most recent mutations in genes responsible for pituitary development in patients with hypopituitarism and emphasize the importance to physicians and researchers for characterizing these patients. Continuing efforts toward understanding the molecular basis of pituitary development as well as genetic screening of patients with pituitary disease will offer new insights into both diagnostic and potential therapeutic options that will decrease the morbidity and mortality in patients with hypopituitarism.
Crisis of Kingship: Dynasticism and Revolt in Burma, 1837–1852*

One of the most obscure periods in modern Burmese history comprises the reigns of King Tharrawaddy (1837–1846) and his eldest son, Pagan Min (1846–1852). Historians have relied, to varying degrees, on Colonel Henry Yule's unsympathetic and inaccurate retelling of court gossip which portrays the two monarchs as bestial lunatics who murdered and plundered at will. This assessment is as exaggerated as it is simplified and ignores the very real structural problems the Burmese nation experienced between the first and second Anglo-Burmese Wars.
Beyond-The-Roadmap Technology: Silicon Heterojunctions, Optoelectronics, and Quantum Devices

The roadmap for silicon device technology has been drawn, extending to the year 2010, and featuring a CMOS transistor with a gate length of 0.07 μm [{xc1}]. Beyond this point, silicon heterojunctions could provide a means to further device scaling. Silicon heterojunctions could also bring new devices to the silicon substrate including light emitters and detectors, and resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs). Today SiGe/Si and SiGeC/Si heterojunctions are receiving the greatest attention, but heterojunctions now being developed to realize silicon RTDs are increasing the heterojunction options for silicon-based quantum-well and optical devices. Here we outline the fundamental device requirements for silicon optical and tunneling devices and describe progress on silicon heterojunction development towards demonstration of silicon-based RTDs. Materials now under study include, ZnS, crystalline oxides and nitrides; new processes could provide methods for forming crystalline materials over amorphous barriers.
The Dynamic Life of Natural Killer Cells

Natural killer (NK) cells play important roles in immunological processes, including early defense against viral infections. This review provides an overview of the dynamic in vivo life of NK cells from their development in the bone marrow to their mature peripheral responses and their ultimate demise, with particular emphasis on mouse NK cells and viral infections.
Predicting cancer prognosis using interactive online tools: A systematic review and implications for cancer care providers

Cancer prognosis is of keen interest for patients with cancer, their caregivers, and providers. Prognostic tools have been developed to guide patient–physician communication and decision-making. Given the proliferation of prognostic tools, it is timely to review existing online cancer prognostic tools and discuss implications for their use in clinical settings. Using a systematic approach, we searched the Internet, Medline, and consulted with experts to identify existing online prognostic tools. Each was reviewed for content and format. Twenty-two prognostic tools addressing 89 different cancers were identified. Tools primarily focused on prostate ( n = 11), colorectal ( n = 10), breast ( n = 8), and melanoma ( n = 6), although at least one tool was identified for most malignancies. The input variables for the tools included cancer characteristics ( n = 22), patient characteristics ( n = 18), and comorbidities ( n = 9). Effect of therapy on prognosis was included in 15 tools. The most common predicted outcome was cancer-specific survival/mortality ( n = 17). Only a few tools ( n = 4) suggested patients as potential target users. A comprehensive repository of online prognostic tools was created to understand the state-of-the-art in prognostic tool availability and characteristics. Use of these tools may support communication and understanding about cancer prognosis. Dissemination, testing, refinement of existing, and development of new tools under different conditions are needed. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(10); 1645–56. ©2013 AACR .
Clustering of domains of functionally related enzymes in the interaction database PRECISE by the generation of primary sequence patterns

The PRECISE database was developed by our laboratory to allow for the systematic study of the ligand interactions common to a set of functionally related enzymes, where an interaction site is defined broadly as any residue(s) that interact with a ligand. During the construction of PRECISE, enzyme chains are extracted from the protein data bank (PDB) and clustered according to functional homology as defined by the enzyme commission (EC) nomenclature system. A sequence representative is chosen from each cluster based on the criterion set forth by the non-redundant PDB set, and pair-wise alignments of each cluster member to the representative are performed. Atom-based residue-ligand interactions are calculated for each cluster member, and the summation of ligand interactions for all cluster members at each aligned position is determined. Although we were able to successfully align most clusters using a simple dynamic programming algorithm, several cluster created exhibited poor pair-wise alignments of each cluster member to its sequence representative. We hypothesized that the observed alignment problems were, in most cases, due to the incorrect separation and alignment of different domains in multi-domain proteins, a mistake that frequently causes error proliferation in functional annotation. Here we present the results of generating primary sequence patterns for each poorly aligned cluster in PRECISE to assess the extent to which multi-domain proteins that are incorrectly aligned contributes to poor pair-wise alignments of each cluster member to its representative. This requires the use of an iterative locally optimal pair-wise alignment algorithm to build a hierarchical similarity-based sequence pattern for a set of functionally related enzymes. Our results show that poor alignments in PRECISE are caused most frequently by the misalignment of multi-domain proteins, and that the generation of primary sequence patterns for the assignment of sequence family membership yields better alignments for the functionally related enzyme clusters in PRECISE than our original alignment algorithm.
Graphical models, potential outcomes and causal inference: comment on Ramsey, Spirtes and Glymour.

Abstract Ramsey, Spirtes and Glymour (RSG) critique a method proposed by Neumann et al. (2010) for the discovery of functional networks from fMRI meta-analysis data. We concur with this critique, but are unconvinced that directed graphical models (DGMs) are generally useful for estimating causal effects. We express our reservations using the “potential outcomes” framework for causal inference widely used in statistics.
Detecting carbon uptake and cellular allocation by individual algae in multispecies assemblages

Algal species vary in carbon (C) need and uptake rates. Understanding differences in C uptake and cellular allocation among species from natural communities will bring new insight into many ecosystem process questions including how species changes will alter energy availability and C sequestration in aquatic ecosystems. A major limitation of current methods that measure algal C incorporation is the inability to separate the response of individual species from mixed-species assemblages. I used Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy to qualitatively measure inorganic 13C isotope incorporation into individual algal cells in single species, two species, and natural phytoplankton assemblages. Lateral shifts in spectral peaks from 13C treatments were observed in all species. Comparison of peaks associated with carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids allowed for the detection of which individuals took in C, and which macromolecules the C was used to make. For example, shifts in Spirogyra spectral peaks showed substantial C incorporation in carbohydrates. Further, shifts in peaks at 1160 cm−1, 1108 cm−1, 1080 cm−1, 1048 cm−1, and 1030 cm−1 suggested C was being allocated into cellulose. The natural phytoplankton assemblage demonstrated how C could be tracked into co-occurring species. A diatom had large shifts in protein and carbohydrate peaks, while a green alga and euglenoid had only a few shifts in protein related peaks. Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy is an established, label free method for measuring the chemical composition of algal cells. However, adding a label such as 13C isotope can greatly expand the technique's capabilities by qualitatively tracking C movement between inorganic and organic states within single cells.
Direct adaptive control for nonlinear matrix second-order systems with time-varying and sign-indefinite damping and stiffness operators

A direct adaptive control framework for a class of nonlinear matrix second-order systems with time-varying and sign-indefinite damping and stiffness operators is developed. The proposed framework guarantees global asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system states associated with the plant dynamics without requiring any knowledge of the system nonlinearities other than the assumption that they are continuous and bounded. The proposed adaptive control approach is used to design adaptive controllers for suppressing thermoacoustic oscillations in combustion chambers.