cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of RecA in DNA damage repair in Deinococcus radiodurans

It has been shown previously that the RecA protein of Deinococcus radiodurans plays a unique role in the repair of DNA damage in this highly DNA damage-resistant organism. Despite the high level of amino-acid identity, previous work has shown that Escherichia coli RecA does not complement D. radiodurans RecA mutants, further suggesting the uniqueness of D. radiodurans RecA. The work presented here shows that E. coli RecA does in fact provide partial complementation to a D. radiodurans RecA null mutant, suggesting that the RecA protein from D. radiodurans may not be as unique as believed previously.
The Prevalence of Dysphagia among Adults in the United States

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of dysphagia, reported etiologies, and impact among adults in the United States.Study DesignCross-sectional analysis of a national health care survey.Subjects a...
NaV-Mediated Sodium Currents Are Necessary For Vertebrate Appendage Regeneration

Mammals have a limited ability to regenerate tissues. In contrast, amphibians such as frogs can restore lost developmental structures, including the lens and tail. A detailed understanding of natural regeneration is important for developing therapies for organ repair. Recently, ion transport has been implicated as a regulator of regeneration. While voltage-gated sodium channels play a well-known and important role in propagating action potentials in excitable cells, we have identified a novel role in regeneration for the ion transport function mediated by the voltage-gated sodium channel, NaV1.2. After Xenopus tadpole tail amputation, a regeneration bud (containing progenitors required for regenerative growth) is formed within 1 day at the injury site, and a new tail is re-grown by 7 days. NaV1.2 is expressed early in the bud, and its function is required for regeneration. Inhibition of its activity causes regenerative failure by greatly reducing expression of downstream genes that drive tail outgrowth and patterning, leading to decreased proliferation and altered axonal patterning in the regeneration bud. Significantly, NaV1.2 is not expressed under non-regenerative conditions, suggesting that its activity is a determinant of regenerative ability. Most importantly, pharmacological induction of a brief, transient sodium current into the regeneration bud after tail amputation is sufficient to restore full regeneration of the tail during the refractory period (an endogenous developmental period when regeneration is blocked). Our study demonstrates that sodium transport is a critical mechanism for controlling regeneration, and suggests that short-term modulations of ion transport could represent an exciting new approach to tissue repair in mammals.
Discovery of naphthyl-fused 5-membered lactams as a new class of m1 positive allosteric modulators.

Selective activation of the M1 muscarinic receptor via positive allosteric modulation represents an original approach to treat the cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. A series of naphthyl-fused 5-membered lactams were identified as a new class of M1 positive allosteric modulators and were found to possess good potency and in vivo efficacy.
Skills Needed for Teaching Hearing-Impaired Adolescents: The Perceptions of Teachers.

To date, very little research has focused on the preparation of teachers who work with hearing-impaired adolescents. In this study, a survey was developed to glean information on what secondary level teachers judge to be the essential competencies for working with hearing-impaired adolescents. In addition, the questionnaire asked teachers to indicate the degree of training they had received in the competency areas. The surveys were returned by 487 teachers. They indicated that 18 competencies should be considered essential for teaching adolescent students. For 15 of those 18 competencies, however, they indicated that there was a significant difference between the importance of the competency and the degree of training that they had received in the area. Implications for teacher preparation programs and state certification agencies are discussed.
Cold shock and adaptation

Adaptation to environmental stresses, such as temperature fluctuation, is essential for the survival of all living organisms. Cellular responses in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes to high temperature include the synthesis of a set of highly conserved proteins known as the heat shock proteins. In contrast to the heat shock response, adaptation to low temperatures has not been as extensively studied. However, a family of cold-inducible proteins is evident in prokaryotes. In addition, most organisms have developed adaptive mechanisms that alter both membrane fluidity and the protein translation machinery at low temperature. This review addresses the different adaptive mechanisms used by a variety of organisms with a focus on the molecular mechanisms of cold adaptation that have recently been identified during the cold shock response in Escherichia coli.
Transcriptional Activators Are Dispensable for Transcription in the Absence of Spt6-Mediated Chromatin Reassembly of Promoter Regions

The packaging of the eukaryotic genome into chromatin is likely to have a profound influence on transcription from the underlying genes. We have previously shown that the disassembly of promoter nucleosomes is obligatory for activation of the yeast PHO5 and PHO8 genes. Here, we show that the PHO5 promoter nucleosomes are reassembled concomitant with transcriptional repression and displacement of the TATA binding protein and RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II). We identify the histone H3-H4 chaperone Spt6 as the factor that mediates nucleosome reassembly onto the PHO5, PHO8, ADH2, ADY2, and SUC2 promoters during transcriptional repression. Furthermore, promoter nucleosome reassembly is essential for transcriptional repression. In the absence of Spt6-mediated nucleosome reassembly, the activators Pho4 and Pho2 are displaced from the PHO5 promoter in repressing conditions, yet transcription is sustained. As such, these studies demonstrate that activators are not required for transcription in the absence of competing chromatin reassembly.
Bacteriophage Lysins as Effective Antibacterials

Lysins are highly evolved enzymes produced by bacteriophage (phage for short) to digest the bacterial cell wall for phage progeny release. In Gram-positive bacteria, small quantities of purified recombinant lysin added externally results in immediate lysis causing log-fold death of the target bacterium. Lysins have been used successfully in a variety of animal models to control pathogenic antibiotic resistant bacteria found on mucosal surfaces and infected tissues. The advantages over antibiotics are their specificity for the pathogen without disturbing the normal flora, the low chance of bacterial resistance to lysins, and their ability to kill colonizing pathogens on mucosal surfaces, a capacity previously unavailable. Thus, lysins may be a much needed anti-infective in an age of mounting antibiotic resistance.
Husband-Wife Influence in Selecting a Family Professional:

This research addresses two research questions: (1) Are there differences in patterns of husband-wife roles in the selection of family professionals across different professional groups? (2) Do husbands and wives differ in their perceptions of their roles in the selection of family professionals? Over 300 respondents were asked to specify the degree of relative influence that the husband and the wife had in the selection of six family professionals: physican, dentist, eye-care specialist, lawyer, insurance agent and pharmacist. The findings indicated that: (1) Quite diverse patterns of family decision making occur across the six professional groups. (2) The aggregate perceptions of wives and husbands differ considerably with respect to two professionals: eye-care specialists and dentists.
Oscillator strengths in certain air molecule systems—I. The O2 Schumann-Runge system

Abstract The extended-basis molecular wave functions of Cade are utilized for the computation of the electronic transition moment in the AEVO approximation for the Schumann-Runge system. The calculation is carried out for both the dipole length and dipole velocity forms of the operator. The matrix elements are, to a good approximation, linear functions of internuclear separation in both forms. The electronic oscillator strength thus computed differs from the most recent experimental value by a factor of three. The introduction of the dipole centroid yields results differing by about 50 per cent from observed.
The molecular structure of autophobed monolayers and precursing films of a cationic surfactant on the silicon oxide/silicon surface

We have used X-ray and neutron reflectivity to probe autophobed layers and precursing films of a cationic surfactant on the SiO2/Si surface. Formed on retraction from solution, the autophobed films are monolayers. In the autophobed film, the polar head group of the surfactant is coordinated with its counterion in a region near the oxide surface. The layer thickness is about 11 A and the area per molecule is about 50 A2. The tails of the surfactants are disordered. When connected to the meniscus of a bulk surfactant solution and equilibrated with saturated vapor, the autophobed monolayer becomes a precursing film. The layer swells with water hydrating the polar SiO2 surface and head groups.
Evaluation of cardiovascular symptoms

Abstract Objective: To determine whether cardiac symptoms during pregnancy are predictive of pathology. Methods: The records of 50 gravidas with symptoms of shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pain, or syncope, and who received ECG, echocardiography, Holter monitor, and/or cardiology consultation were reviewed. Independent variables analyzed were gestational age (EGA) at symptom presentation and resolution, type of symptom, and the presence of a positive medical history. Data were tested for normality. Student t, X2, and Fisher exact tests were used for analysis (significance: P Results: Thirty-one patients (62%) had a negative workup, and 19 (38%) had a positive workup. There was no significant difference in maternal age (24.8 + 4.9 versus 24.4 + 7.0 years), parity (1.0 [0–1] versus 1.5[1–2]), EGA at symptom presentation (22.8 + 9.3 versus 22.4 + 8.3 weeks), or resolution (28.9 + 8.4 versus 26.22 + 7.7 weeks) between those without and with pathology. There was no significant association between number of symptoms and the odds of a positive test result (odds ratio 1.22, 95% CI 0.31–4.79). Any positive cardiac medical history was significantly associated with the probability of a positive cardiovascular test result (odds ratio 6.23, 95% CI 1.52–26.68, P= 0.008). Symptoms plus a positive medical history did not significantly improve the odds for detecting a positive cardiovascular test result (odds ratio 3.03, 95% CI 0.67–14.26). Conclusion: Cardiac symptoms commonly occur in pregnancy. A prior medical history positive for any cardiovascular abnormality may be more predictive of actual pathology than symptoms alone.
What Do We Know about Civil War Outcomes

Does political science research have something to add to the counterinsurgency strategy debate? Should the discipline even concern itself with debates over military doctrine and strategy? After conducting a thorough review of the extant empirical literature, we argue that the answer to both of these questions is yes. Evaluating the theoretical and empirical findings of the last two decades, we identify three dimensions of civil wars affecting who prevails: (i) state capacity, (ii) the effects of violence against civilians, and (iii) foreign intervention. Domestic armed conflicts are characterized not only by military struggles, but equally importantly by contests of legitimacy between incumbent and rebel visions for the state. We conclude that the analyses of COIN strategy cannot be divorced from assessments of state capacity and the role of external actors in the conflict. We thus see the academic literature as instrumental in adding to practitioners' perspectives by more clearly identifying what COIN strategies can be applied under state capacity and legitimacy constraints to facilitate peace through both population-centered (legitimacy) and insurgent-centered (battlefield effectiveness) strategies. Our analysis identifies points of consensus, but also highlights the gaps in our knowledge, which need attention from both academe and practitioners.
Update on the NCEP ATP-III emerging cardiometabolic risk factors

The intent of this review is to update the science of emerging cardiometabolic risk factors that were listed in the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel-III (ATP-III) report of 2001 (updated in 2004). At the time these guidelines were published, the evidence was felt to be insufficient to recommend these risk factors for routine screening of cardiovascular disease risk. However, the panel felt that prudent use of these biomarkers for patients at intermediate risk of a major cardiovascular event over the subsequent 10 years might help identify patients who needed more aggressive low density lipoprotein (LDL) or non-high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol lowering therapy. While a number of other emerging risk factors have been identified, this review will be limited to assessing the data and recommendations for the use of apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein (a), homocysteine, pro-thrombotic factors, inflammatory factors, impaired glucose metabolism, and measures of subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease for further cardiovascular disease risk stratification.
The thermodynamic properties of binary aromatic systems III. Excess enthalpies and volumes of isomeric xylene mixtures at 25 °C☆

Abstract Excess enthalpies and excess volumes were measured at 25 °C for the systems o-xylene+m-xylene, o-xylene+p-xylene, and m-xylene+p-xylene. Analyses of the results in terms of the theories of Flory and of Barker are described.
Computational techniques in bioelectromagnetics

Abstract Computer modeling and numerical techniques played an important role, found a wide variety of applications, and provided valuable results in the area of bioelectromagnetics. These techniques were used to calculate electromagnetic specific absorption rates (SARs) in various biological models, including humans, and to evaluate a wide variety of applicators used to administer microwave hyperthermia for cancer treatment both noninvasively and interstitially. Computational methods were also used to examine the feasibility of using microwaves in medical diagnosis and imaging. In these biomedical applications, both near- and far-field radiations were modeled and incident radiation from single and phased array antennas were utilized. In this paper, we review some of the computational techniques used in bioelectromagnetics. Example results are presented to illustrate the wide variety of applications involved in the area of bioelectromagnetics research. Advantages, limitations, and the complementary nature of three numerical techniques based on the method of moments, finite-difference time-domain, and the spherical-wave expansion methods are discussed. Tradeoffs involved in selecting a specific solution procedure to analyze the highly diverse applications in bioelectromagnetics are discussed and future needs in bioelectromagnetics research are briefly described.
Molecular Contacts between Nebulin and Actin: Cross-Linking of Nebulin Modules to the N-Terminus of Actin†

Nebulin, a giant actin binding protein, coextends with actin and is thought to form a composite thin filament in the skeletal muscle sarcomere. To understand the molecular interactions between nebulin and actin, we have applied chemical cross-linking techniques to define molecular contacts between actin and ND8, a two-module nebulin fragment that promotes actin polymerization and inhibits depolymerization by binding to both G- and F-actin. The formation of a 1:1 complex with a dissociation constant of 4.9 microM between ND8 and G-actin was demonstrated by fluorescence titration of dansyl-ND8 with G-actin. Treatment with a zero-length cross-linker, l-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino) propyl]carbodiimide (EDC), cross-linked the ND8-G-actin complex covalently without impairing actin's ability to polymerize. End-labeling Western blot and sequence and mass analyses of purified conjugated peptides revealed the cross-linking between lysine 5 of ND8 and the two N-terminal acidic residues of G-actin. Similarly, we have shown by end-labeling that cross-linking of ND8 to F-actin occurred at the N-terminus of actin protomer. The binding of nebulin to the N-terminus of actin is likely to be significant in its ability to affect actin polymerization. Furthermore, the association of nebulin modules with the actin N-terminus in subdomain 1 supports the hypothesis that nebulin wraps around the outer edges of actin filaments where Sl, tropomyosin, and several actin binding proteins are known to interact.
Scheduling topics for improved student comprehension of recursion

Abstract This paper presents the results of an experiment conducted to assess the affects of teaching recursion in two disjoint, non-consecutive units of instruction. One group of students was taught basic and advanced recursion topics in four consecutive class periods, while a second group was taught recursion in two two-period blocks that were separated by several class periods. It was unknown whether the time period separating the presentation of basic and advanced material would benefit, or hinder, student comprehension. Statistical analysis of empirical data indicates that students learning basic and advanced recursion in a consecutive unit of instruction spend less time solving their problems than the students learning the topic in two separated units, while achieving comparable scores.
Herpesvirus mRNAs Are Sorted for Export via Crm1-Dependent and -Independent Pathways

Cellular pre-mRNA splicing is inhibited by ICP27, a herpes simplex virus regulatory protein, resulting in the shutoff of host protein synthesis. Here we reveal that ICP27 also mediates the export of some virus RNAs via a Crm1-dependent pathway and present evidence that independent domains are required for these functions. Sorting of some viral mRNAs for nuclear export requires Crm1, while other virus mRNAs are exported via another pathway.
Low-calcium epileptiform activity in the hippocampus in vivo.

It has been clearly established that nonsynaptic interactions are sufficient for generating epileptiform activity in brain slices. However, it is not known whether this type of epilepsy model can b...
State-Mandated Economic Education, Teacher Attitudes, and Student Learning

Twenty-eight states require some form of economic education in the public schools. Using the National Assessment of Economic Education database, it is found that these mandates, if not accompanied by adequate teacher training, have a negative effect on teacher attitudes that in turn may negatively influence student performance.
Comparative Evolutionary Analysis of the Major Structural Subunit of Vibrio vulnificus Type IV Pili

Type IV pili contribute to virulence in Vibrio vulnificus, the bacterium responsible for the majority of fatal seafood-related infections. Here, we performed within- and between-species evolutionary analysis of the gene that encodes the major structural subunit of the pilus, pilA, by comparing it with pilD and gyrB, the genes encoding the type IV prepilin peptidase and beta subunit of DNA gyrase, respectively. Although the diversity in pilD and gyrB is similar to each other and likely to have accumulated after speciation of V. vulnificus, pilA is several times more diverse at both nonsynonymous and synonymous levels. Also, in contrast to pilD and gyrB, there are virtually unrestricted and highly localized horizontal movements of pilA alleles between the major phylogenetic groups of V. vulnificus. The frequent movement of pilA involves homologous recombination of the entire gene with no evidence for intragenic recombination between the alleles. We propose that pilA allelic diversity and horizontal movement is maintained in the population by both diversifying and frequency-dependent selection most likely to escape shellfish innate immunity defense or lytic phages. Other possibilities leading to such selection dynamics of V. vulnificus pilA could involve adaptation to diverse host populations or within-host compartments, or natural DNA uptake and transformation. We show that the history of nucleotide diversification in pilA predates V. vulnificus speciation and this diversification started at or before the time of the last common ancestor for V. vulnificus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio cholerae. At the same time, it appears that within the various pilA groups of V. vulnificus, there is no positive selection for structural mutations and consequently no evidence for source-sink selection. In contrast, pilD has accumulated a number of apparently adaptive mutations in the regions encoding the membrane-spanning portions of the prepilin peptidase, possibly affecting fimbrial expression and/or function, and is being subjected to source-sink selection dynamics.
THE EGGHEAD, THE FLATFOOT, AND THE SCREW

The growth of the American Society of Criminology has strengthened it not only in numbers but by the active participation of leading criminologists. Practitioners entering the ranks of the organization offer an opportunity for collegial interaction of social scientists with police, correctional, and other personnel. This association may be mutually beneficial, but it may also result in faction-ridden organizations whose facades of dialogue conceal dissatisfaction. The author envisages a scientific organization true to a mission that is neither elitist, exclusionary, nor isolated from the administration of justice or penology.
A highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction method detects activating mutations of the GNAS gene in peripheral blood cells in McCune-Albright syndrome or isolated fibrous dysplasia.

Background: The somatic nature of mutations in the GNAS gene in McCune-Albright syndrome and isolated fibrous dysplasia makes their identification difficult. Conventional methods for the detection of mosaic mutations of GNAS have required polymerase chain reaction analysis of genomic DNA from affected tissues or multiple rounds of tandem polymerase chain reaction and endonuclease digestion to enrich for mutant alleles in genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from other tissues. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) primers specifically block synthesis from the nonmutant or wild-type allele. We therefore used PNA-clamping to detect low copy numbers of mutant GNAS alleles in DNA from peripheral blood cells from patients with McCune-Albright syndrome and fibrous dysplasia. Methods: We applied the PNA-clamping method to the analysis of genomic DNA from peripheral blood cells of thirteen patients with McCune-Albright syndrome and three patients with isolated fibrous dysplasia. Polymerase chain reaction was performed in the presence and absence of PNA, and the polymerase chain reaction products were sequenced. In the absence of PNA, a strong 325 base-pair polymerase chain reaction band was generated from all samples; in the presence of PNA, there was an approximately 50% to 90% reduction in the intensity of this polymerase chain reaction product. Results: In the absence of PNA, direct sequencing of the polymerase chain reaction products demonstrated R201 mutations in GNAS alleles of three of the thirteen patients with McCune-Albright syndrome and none of the three patients with fibrous dysplasia. In contrast, in the presence of PNA, R201 mutations were detected in eleven of the thirteen patients with McCune-Albright syndrome and in all three of the patients with fibrous dysplasia. In mixing experiments involving the use of wild-type and mutant DNA samples, we were able to determine the presence of a mutant GNAS allele in the equivalent of one cell in 1000 to 5000 cells. Conclusions: Inclusion of a specific PNA primer in the polymerase chain reaction for GNAS exon 8 allows the selective amplification of low numbers of mutant alleles, and it permits detection of activating mutations in genomic DNA from peripheral blood cells in patients with McCune-Albright syndrome and fibrous dysplasia. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level I. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Protecting the Genome from Mdm2 and Mdmx

The contribution of Mdm2, and its recently identified family member Mdmx (Mdm4), to tumorigenesis has primarily focused on their negative regulation of the p53 tumor suppressor. Although Mdm2 and Mdmx clearly inhibit p53, which can lead to tumor development, both have also been shown to affect tumorigenesis independent of p53. Given that Mdm2 and/or Mdmx overexpression is common and likely underestimated in human cancers, understanding the functions of these proteins beyond p53 control is critical. In recent years, new functions of Mdm2 and Mdmx that lead to genome instability, a hallmark of malignancy, have emerged. Specifically, roles in the DNA damage response that are distinct from their regulation of p53 have been identified. Inhibition of p53 as well as other components of the DNA damage response by Mdm2 and Mdmx can result in delayed DNA repair and increased genome instability, making Mdm2 and Mdmx a danger to the genome when aberrantly expressed. However, the genome instability caused by altered levels of Mdm2 and Mdmx could be used therapeutically for the treatment of cancer. Specifically, drugs/small molecules that target the interaction between Mdm2 and p53 can stabilize Mdm2, resulting in negative consequences on the genome that could be exploited for cancer treatment, particularly malignancies lacking functional p53.
K x rays produced in collisions of bare ions with atoms: Contribution of multiple-electron transfer in Kr36+, Ar18+, and Ne10+ +Ar collisions

K x rays have been observed in low energy collisions of bare Kr, Ar, and Ne ions with a neutral gas target. Although largely neglected previously, we have found that multiple-electron transfer processes play a significant role in shaping the x-ray spectra. The observed ratios of normal-satellite to hyper-satellite line intensities are found to be roughly independent of the ion species and much larger than those estimated from previously reported electron transfer cross sections, suggesting that there may be a strong correlation between two electrons during the electron transfer or during the subsequent cascades. It is suggested that exact knowledge of the initial and final principal and angular momentum quantum numbers (n,l) in electron transfer are the most essential missing ingredients for understanding the entire x-ray emission process in astrophysical, laboratory, and technological plasmas.
Special issue: newborn health in Uganda.

No abstract available. (Published: 31 March 2015) Citation : Glob Health Action 2015, 8 : 27363 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v8.27363 SPECIAL ISSUE : This paper is part of the Special Issue: Newborn health in Uganda . More papers from this issue can be found at http://www.globalhealthaction.net
Shape estimation for image-guided surgery with a highly articulated snake robot

In this paper, we present a filtering method for estimating the shape and end effector pose of a highly articulated surgical snake robot. Our algorithm introduces new kinematic models that are used in the prediction step of an extended Kalman filter whose update step incorporates measurements from a 5-DOF electromagnetic tracking sensor situated at the distal end of the robot. A single tracking sensor is sufficient for estimating the shape of the system because the robot is inherently a follow-the-leader mechanism with well defined motion characteristics. We therefore show that, with appropriate steering motion, the state of the filter is fully observable. The goal of our shape estimation algorithm is to create a more accurate and representative 3D rendered visualization for image-guided surgery. We demonstrate the feasibility of our method with results from an animal experiment in which our shape and pose estimate was used as feedback in a control scheme that semi-autonomously drove the robot along the epicardial surface of a porcine heart.
A dual-layer transducer array for 3-D rectilinear imaging

Very large element counts (16,000-65,000) are required for 2-D arrays for 3-D rectilinear imaging. The difficulties in fabricating and interconnecting 2-D arrays with a large number of elements (>5,000) have limited the development of suitable transducers for 3-D rectilinear imaging. In this paper, we propose an alternative solution to this problem by using a dual-layer transducer array design. This design consists of 2 perpendicular 1-D arrays for clinical 3-D imaging of targets near the transducer. These targets include the breast, carotid artery, and musculoskeletal system. This transducer design reduces the fabrication complexity and the channel count, making 3-D rectilinear imaging more realizable. With this design, an effective N times N 2-D array can be developed using only N transmitters and N receivers. This benefit becomes very significant when N becomes greater than 128, for example. To demonstrate feasibility, we constructed a 4 times 4 cm prototype dual-layer array. The transmit array uses diced PZT-5H elements, and the receive array is a single sheet of un-diced P[VDF-TrFE] copolymer. The receive elements are defined by the copper traces on the flexible interconnect circuit. The measured -6 dB fractional bandwidth was 80% with a center frequency of 4.8 MHz. At 5 MHz, the nearest neighbor crosstalk of the PZT array and PVDF array was -30.4 plusmn 3.1 dB and -28.8 plusmn 3.7 dB, respectively. This dual-layer transducer was interfaced with an Ultrasonix Sonix RP system, and a synthetic aperture 3-D data set was acquired. We then performed offline 3-D beamforming to obtain volumes of nylon wire targets. The theoretical lateral beamwidth was 0.52 mm compared with measured beamwidths of 0.65 mm and 0.67 mm in azimuth and elevation, respectively. Then, 3-D images of an 8 mm diameter anechoic cyst phantom were also acquired.
The Deep Roots of the Rings of Life

Reconstructing early evolutionary events like the origins of informational and operational genes, membranes, and photophosphorylation is difficult because early evolutionary events can be masked by subsequent gene flows. Furthermore, as evolution progresses through both Darwinian survival of the fittest (tree-like evolution) and symbiotic/endosymbiotic cooperation (ring-like evolution), trees alone are not adequate to represent Earth's evolutionary history. Here, we reconstruct and root the New Rings of Life and use it as a framework for interpreting early events in the evolution of life. Unlike the three-domain hypothesis, the rings do not fit all life into one of three immutable categories, but rather accommodate new gene flows as novel organisms are discovered. A draft of the Rooted Rings of Life is reconstructed by analyzing the phylogenetic distributions of indels (insertions/deletions) and genes coding for fundamental molecular processes. Their phylogenetic distributions are inconsistent with all trees. Hypergeometric distribution analyses of them strongly localize the root of the rings to a segment of the deepest ring (P < 10(-21) and P < 10(-194)), and whole-genome analyses independently confirm the topology of the rooted rings (P < 7.1 × 10(-6)). The rings identify several large gene flows, including a flow of a thousand genes into the Halobacteria and the Eubacteria, the related photocyte flow, the flow of genes into the last common ancestor of the eocytes and the eukaryotes, and the informational and operational gene flows into the eukaryotes. The rooted rings also chronologically order steps in the evolution of extant taxa, that is, phototrophy evolved from Halobacteria (photophosphorylation) → Heliobacteria (photosynthesis) → Cyanobacteria (oxygenic photosynthesis).
Hormonal Regulation of Seed Development

Shortly after pollination, developing cereal grains exhibit significant transient increases in two of the major plant hormones, auxins and cytokinins. A peak in active cytokinins occurs between three to eight days after pollination in all species examined so far. Both zeatin and zeatin riboside concentrations increase by as much as one hundred fold for a period of three days and then decrease equally rapidly. The peak always coincides in time with the peak in endosperm cell division rate, although no causal relationship has been demonstrated between the two events. The enzyme cytokinin oxidase increases shortly after the increase in active cytokinins and is responsible for reducing cytokinins back to basal levels. The cytokinin peak is followed by a peak in free indole-3-acetic acid (approximately 10 to 15 days after pollination) and is associated with the endosperm cell enlargement and endoreduplication phase. The high levels of free IAA are not destroyed but are converted to various conjugates which probably supply the developing seedling with a source of free IAA.
SEMIEMPIRICAL CALCULATIONS OF THE He* (2$sup 3$S AND 2$sup 1$S) + Ar IONIZATION TOTAL CROSS SECTIONS.

The ionization (associative and Penning) total cross sections for ${\mathrm{He}}^{*}(2^{3}S)+\mathrm{Ar}$ and ${\mathrm{He}}^{*}(2^{1}S)+\mathrm{Ar}$ have been calculated from ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ to ${10}^{4}$ eV and compared with experimental data. The classical calculations used interaction potentials that agreed with ab initio theoretical calculations for the repulsive wall, possessed the correct long-range energy dependence, and were in agreement with glory-scattering experiments. The coupling width was an exponential with its free parameter determined by the thermal-energy ionization cross section for each system. The calculations were then extended over a wide range of energies. It was found that as the collision energy increased at the very low energies, the cross sections decreased until about 0.1 eV where they began slowly to rise. As the collision energy is further increased, the cross sections reach a maximum of about 15 ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{2}$ around 10 eV, and then decrease again at higher energies. The cross sections predicted by the high-energy results, 100-1500 eV, are compared with the data of Moseley, Peterson, Lorents, and Hollstein (preceding paper) and are found to agree within 20% and to have a similar energy dependence.
Arthritis and Risk of Cognitive and Functional Impairment in Older Mexican Adults.

Objective: This study investigated the risk of cognitive and functional impairment in older Mexicans diagnosed with arthritis. Participants included 2,681 Mexicans, aged ≥60 years, enrolled in the Mexican Health and Aging Study cohort. Method: Participants were categorized into arthritis and no arthritis exposure groups. Primary outcome included participants categorized into “cognitively impaired” or “cognitively normal” groups. Secondary outcomes included participants categorized into Normal, Functionally Impaired only, Cognitively Impaired only, or Dementia (both cognitively and functionally impaired) groups. Multivariable logistic and multinomial regression models were used to assess the relationships. Results: Overall, 16% or 7% were diagnosed with cognitive impairment or dementia. Compared with older Mexicans without arthritis, those who were diagnosed with arthritis had significantly increased risk of functional impairment (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.45, 2.29]),...
Enhanced Solution Scheme for Nonlinear Analysis of Force-Based Beam for Large Rotations, Multiple Critical Points, and Random Quasi-Static Loading Input

AbstractThis paper attempts to enhance (1) the flexibility-corotational beam formulation for simulating highly geometrically nonlinear problems, and (2) the arc length method of integration to develop a robust and economical solution scheme for random quasi-static loading input. The existing flexibility-corotational formulation of a three dimensional beam is improved by (1) updating the rotation matrices by using the quaternions, and (2) proposing novel methods for tracking the displacement compatibility. Further, the cylindrical arc length method is modified by (1) introducing capabilities for handling random quasi-static loading, and (2) proposing automatic adjustment of the arc length. By using these developments several classical geometric nonlinearity problems are solved and path independency for buckling and postbuckling path with the random quasi-static loading is verified. The proposed variation in the arc length solution scheme is also shown to be better than the implementation of the arc length ...
Reflections on Over 20 Years of Aircraft Design Class

Activities in the capstone aircraft design class at Virginia Tech are reviewed, and reflections on things that worked and things that didn’t are described. As with most other activities, the explosion of material available on the internet, and the availability of software to create apparently great designs has had a significant impact on the way students approach design. Examples of resources on the web are cited. Here we review how the course has been taught at Virginia Tech over the last 22 years, and directions for where to find the outcomes are given. We provide examples of “paper” and “built” design projects. The paper concludes with comments on other aspects of design education.
e0465 The incidence of renal artery stenosis in the patients with CHD treating with various therapeutic regimens

Introduction Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is one aspect of a multiterritory atherosclerotic disease. This study was to evaluate the incidence of RAS in the patients with CHD treating with various therapeutic regimen. Method From July 2008 to March 2010, intra-renal arterial digital subtraction angiography was performed in 302 patients who underwent coronary angiography. The incidence of ≥50% unilateral or bilateral renal artery stenosis were investigated in the population of the patients without and with CHD treating with various therapeutic regimens as following. By evaluating the coronary angiogram, the patients were not diagnosed to have CHD with less than 50% diameter stenosis of coronary artery; CHD was defined as narrowing of the appropriate lumen of ≥50%; the procedure of PCI were performed in the patients with more than or equal to 70% stenosis; the CABG had been proposed in patients with left main coronary artery lesions, left main equivalent, diffuse triple coronary artery lesions, two-vessel disease with significant proximal left anterior descending CAD. the intra-renal arterial digital subtraction angiography was performed, the renal artery stenosis was evaluated by three interventional cardiologists. RAS was defined as narrowing of the appropriate lumen of ≥50%. Results In 302 patients, 47 patients (15.56%) had not been diagnosed to have CHD; 255 (84.44%) to have CHD, of these patients with CHD, 80 patients (26.49%) were not indicated for PCI, 24 (7.95%) had been performed the procedure of stent implantation, 151(50%) proposed to have CABG. The incidence rates of renal artery stenosis were 6.38% (3/47) in patients without CHD and 40% (102/302) in patients with CHD (p=0.00087). In the four various therapeutic regimen groups, the incidence rates of RAS were 6.38% (3/47) in the patients without CHD, 35% (28/80) in the patients who were not indicated for PCI, 12.5% (3/24) in the patients performed stent implantation, and 47.02% (71/151) in the patients proposed to CABG. the incidence of RAS of the patients performed stent implantation was significantly lower than the patients who were not indicated for PCI (p=0.035) and the patients proposed to CABG (p=0.001). The age of was significantly older in patients with RAS than without RAS (p Conclusion The incidence of RAS was 6.38%% in patients without CHD and 40% in patients with CHD. The incidence of RAS of the patients who were not indicated for PCI or proposed to CABG was higher than the patients performed stent implantation and patients without CHD. the age, Diabetes, Cerebral infarction, CHD, Grade 3 hypertension, and very high risk factors for cardiovascular diseases are the risk factors for RAS.
Spectroscopic Characterization of Nanodiamond Solutions using Photothermal and Fluorescence Measurements

Absorption, scattering and fluorescent properties of several different types of nanodiamond samples are measured to characterize them for various applications. Two different methods, spectrophotometry and photothermal spectroscopy were used to measure absorption properties of nanodiamonds suspended in aqueous solutions. Photothermal spectroscopy provides the advantage of measuring absorption of photoactive nanodiamonds with high-sensitivity. Spectral fluorescence properties of nanodiamond samples were studied using a commercial spectrofluorometer and a home-built inverted microscope integrated with a light-sensitive imaging spectrograph. Characteristic fluorescence spectrum of nitrogen-vacancy defects in single diamond nanocrystals was obtained using the light-sensitive instrument.
Effect of inline filtration on ViaSpan cold-storage solution

The effect of filtration on the particulate load in ViaSpan cold-storage solution was studied. Commercially available inline blood transfusion filters (SQ40S, Pall Biomedical) were inserted into the delivery-set port of polyvinyl chloride bags of ViaSpan (DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical). Particles in samples collected in particle-free vials before and after filtration were counted by a light-obscuration technique. The compatibility of key ViaSpan ingredients and of three commonly used additives (penicillin G potassium, dexamethasone sodium phosphate, and human insulin) with the inline filter was also investigated. Filtration removed 56% of particles 5-10 microm in diameter, 71% of particles of > 10-25 microm, and > 99% of particles measuring > 25 microm. Flow rates with the filters were more than adequate for clinical use. Concentrations of constituent hydroxyethyl starch, glutathione, adenosine, allopurinol, raffinose pentahydrate, and lactobionic acid were not significantly affected by filtration, nor were the concentrations of any of the drug additives. Inline filtration of ViaSpan effectively reduced fatty acid salt particulates in the solution and had no deleterious effect on flow rate, ingredient concentrations, or concentrations of commonly added drugs.
US Naval Research Laboratory focus issue: introduction.

Rather than concentrate on a single topic, this feature issue presents the wide variety of research in optics that takes place at a single institution, the United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and is analogous to an NRL feature issue published in Applied Optics in 1967. NRL is the corporate research laboratory for the Navy and Marine Corps. It conducts a broadly based multidisciplinary program of scientific research and advanced technological development in the physical, engineering, space, and environmental sciences related to maritime, atmospheric, and space domains. NRL’s research is directed toward new and improved materials, techniques, equipment, and systems in response to identified and anticipated Navy needs. A number of articles in this issue review progress in broader research areas while other articles present the latest results on specific topics.
Climate Change in the Caribbean: A Multi-Scalar Account of Context and Inequality

Vulnerability is an indispensable component of climate justice discussions, especially as it functions to identify the worst off in procedures and distribution framed in a Rawlsian interpretation of justice as fairness. Yet, vulnerability is a term replete in varying interpretations and analytical approaches; and choices in interpretation and approach are consequential to policy-making. Recent policy is constructed with disproportionate reference to biophysical conceptions of climate change, which, albeit useful, can lead to an overlook of the geographic and social context of vulnerability. In addition, when considering that this context is differentiated between and within scales, it is apparent that a multi-scalar framework provides a comprehensive approach to vulnerability studies. Small island developing states (SIDS) are often noted as being among the most vulnerable to climate change. This work assesses that claim through a multi-scalar examination of the political, geographic, and socio-economic conditions that engender vulnerability. What starts as a global scale case study of the political context of SIDS vulnerability is then focused upon a regional study of the socio-economic and geographic context of Caribbean, the most tourism-intensive economy of the world; the latter examination is pursued further with a national scale analysis of contextual vulnerability in Jamaican tourism and agriculture, referencing to local scale examples of adaptive capacity. By this multi-scalar framework, justice and contextual vulnerability are revealed to be inextricable, and a re-evaluation of how these terms are operationalized in policy is suggested.
Primary epithelioid sarcoma of the kidney and adrenal gland: report of 2 cases with immunohistochemical and molecular cytogenetic studies

Summary Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) is a malignant mesenchymal neoplasm with some morphologic or immunophenotypic evidence of epithelial differentiation. The "classic" subtype occurs in younger patients, often in distal extremities as compared with the "proximal" type. Tumors of the proximal type primarily arising in solid organs are rare with only few case reports in the literature. We report 2 cases of primary ES in the kidney of a 27-year-old woman and the adrenal gland of a 73-year-old man. Clinical examination and imaging, including computed tomography and positron-emission tomography, did not reveal tumor elsewhere in both cases. Histologic features were those of ES, proximal type with epithelioid/rhabdoid phenotype. Immunohistochemical study in both cases showed strong, diffuse expression of epithelial markers, CD34, and CD31. Nuclear expression of SMARCB1 protein was lost, but fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis was negative for SMARCB1 deletion. We believe that these are the first reports of primary kidney and adrenal gland ES.
Migrating Relational Databases to the Cloud

Rapid Elasticity is often described as an essential characteristic of cloud computing, but there are some good reasons to rethink how it is described and implemented â especially as it relates to transaction processing relational databases, which are broadly used in many organizations. These types of relational databases, which support transaction processing, strictly adhere to what has been called the ACID compliance model, where the Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability of transactions are guaranteed to ensure a reliable transaction system. Databases in the cloud often sacrifice one or more of these essential ACID properties to achieve the desired Rapid Elasticity. This conflict between Rapid Elasticity and ACID compliance explains why relatively few existing transactional processing relational databases have been deployed to the cloud without undergoing significant revision. This paper argues for an expanded definition of the essential characteristic of cloud computing on which the underlying goal of Rapid Elasticity is based, but where the ACID compliance remains intact and many of the advantages of cloud computing can be utilized.