cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunochemical resemblance between human leukemia and hen egg-white lysozyme and their reduced carboxymethyl derivatives

Abstract The immunological resemblance between hen egg and human leukemia lysozymes and their reduced, carboxymethyl derivatives has been examined by radioimmunoassay, immuno-diffusion and micro-complement fixation. No crossreactions were observed between the native proteins despite evidence that their primary structures are identical in 77 of 129 amino-acid positions and that they are also quite similar in three-dimensional structure. In contrast, when the reduced, carboxymethyl derivatives of these lysozymes were examined by the same immunological techniques, it was possible to show that they would crossreact with antisera prepared against either denatured lysozyme. Control experiments using performic acid-oxidized lysozymes demonstrated that these crossreactions were not solely due to antibodies directed against the reduced and alkylated cystine residues. These results indicate that immunological studies using antisera directed against proteins whose native structures have been disrupted may reveal sequence homologies which are otherwise undetected when cross-reactivity between the native molecules is examined. It is concluded that failure to demonstrate cross-reactivity between two similar proteins does not necessarily rule out the possibility that their amino-acid sequences exhibit a high degree of homology. When immunological evidence for such homologous relationships is being sought, it might be advantageous to include experiments with antisera to reduced, carboxymethyl or performic acid-oxidized protein derivatives.
Interfacial Carriers Dynamics of CdS Nanoparticles

The relaxation dynamics of charge carriers in 4 nm CdS colloidal quantum dots are studied by means of picosecond time-resolved fluorescence and femtosecond transient absorption experiments. We also studied the effects of the adsorption of viologen derivatives as electron acceptors on the surface of these particles. From these experimental measurements, we reached a model of the electron-hole dynamics in these nanoparticles consistent with previous proposals. In particular, we have confirmed that the electron trapping in these particles is slower than the hole trapping (30 ps versus a few picoseconds). After excitation, rapid formation of an optical hole (bleach) within the lowest energy exciton (band gap) absorption region appears. The maximum of the bleaching band is red-shifted by 20 meV in 2.5 ps, and the bleach intensity recovers in 30 ps. Upon the adsorption of electron acceptors, the rate of the red shift of the optical hole is not affected while the bleach recovery time is reduced to a few picoseco...
Dilemmas and controversies in penicillin allergy

Since the initial reports of penicillin and beta-lactam drugs causing allergic reactions, much has been elucidated regarding their pathophysiology and mechanism of action. Despite advances in testing for penicillin allergy, with IgE antibodies and skin tests available for the major and minor determinants of penicillin, these reactions remain a challenge to all physicians. They have characteristically been classified according to mechanism and time. Herein, the authors propose a classification system of penicillin allergy based on immunologic mechanisms.
Alarm system management: evidence-based guidance encouraging direct measurement of informativeness to improve alarm response

Although there are powerful incentives for creating alarm management programmes to reduce 'alarm fatigue', they do not provide guidance on how to reduce the likelihood that clinicians will disregard critical alarms. The literature cites numerous phenomena that contribute to alarm fatigue, although many of these, including total rate of alarms, are not supported in the literature as factors that directly impact alarm response. The contributor that is most frequently associated with alarm response is informativeness, which is defined as the proportion of total alarms that successfully conveys a specific event, and the extent to which it is a hazard. Informativeness is low across all healthcare applications, consistently ranging from 1% to 20%. Because of its likelihood and strong evidential support, informativeness should be evaluated before other contributors are considered. Methods for measuring informativeness and alarm response are discussed. Design directions for potential interventions, as well as design alternatives to traditional alarms, are also discussed. With the increased attention and investment in alarm system management that alarm interventions are currently receiving, initiatives that focus on informativeness and the other evidence-based measures identified will allow us to more effectively, efficiently and reliably redirect clinician attention, ultimately improving alarm response.
Motion segmentation and estimation

Applies mean field technique and presents a deterministic algorithm to determine the optical flow and motion boundaries. To deal with the problem of large motion, the authors present an adaptive multigrid approach, which also greatly reduces the computation time. This algorithm is fully parallelizable and iterative. The performance of the proposed method is compared against known algorithms using performance measures proposed by Barren et al. [1992]. Experimental results indicate that the present approach provides good estimates of optical flow and motion boundaries. >
Work Departure Time Analysis Using Dogit Ordered Generalized Extreme Value Model

This paper applies a discrete choice modeling technique to investigate departure time choice for individual workers residing in the New York City metropolitan area. This effort is distinguished from previous departure time models primarily by the use of the dogit ordered generalized extreme value (DOGEV) model rather than the commonly used multinomial logit (MNL) model. The MNL model is restrictive in cases in which the continuous time needs to be discretized into departure time intervals. Because the MNL model treats departure time intervals as independent alternatives, the model cannot account for the ordering of the time intervals and their correlation. In contrast, the DOGEV model has two distinct features. First, it recognizes the ordinal nature of the departure time intervals by allowing them to be correlated in vicinity (i.e., time intervals that are close to each other in the ordering have error terms that are correlated). Second, it allows a worker's departure time choice to be captive or constra...
Modelling the pole tide and its effect on the Earth's rotation

The pole tide is the response of the ocean to incremental centrifugal forces associated with the Chandler wobble. The tide has a potentially important effect on the period and damping of the wobble, but it is at present not well constrained by observations. Here, both analytical and numerical models for the pole tide are constructed. The analytical models consider the tide first in a global ocean and then in an enclosed basin on a beta-plane. The results are found to approach equilibrium linearly with decreasing frequency and inversely with increasing basin depth. The numerical models solve Laplace's tidal equations over the world's oceans using realistic continental boundaries and bottom topography. The results indicate that the effects of non-equilibrium portion of the deep ocean tide on the Chandler wobble period and damping are negligible.
Autonomous Mobile Robot Global Self-Localization Using Kohonen and Region-Feature Neural Networks

This article presents and compares two neural network-based approaches to global selflocalization (GSL) for autonomous mobile robots using: (1) a Kohonen neural network; and (2) a region-feature neural network (RFNN). Both approaches categorize discrete regions of space (topographical nodes) in a manner similar to optical character recognition (OCR). That is, the mapped sonar data assumes the form of a character unique to that region. Hence, it is believed that an autonomous vehicle can determine which room it is in from sensory data gathered from exploration. With a robust exploration routine, the GSL solution can be time-, translation-, and rotation-invariant. The GSL solution can also become independent of the mobile robot used to collect the sensor data. This suggests that a single robot can transfer its knowledge of various learned regions to other mobile robots. The classification rate of both approaches are comparable and, thus, worthy of presentation. The observed pros and cons of both approaches are also discussed.  1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Psychotherapy and the real-life experience: From gender dichotomy to gender diversity

Summary Treatment of gender-identity disorders is guided by standards set forth by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Although not absolute, WPATH’s eligibility criteria for hormone therapy and/or genital-reconstructive surgery include participation in psychotherapy. In addition, applicants for genital-reconstructive surgery are required to live at least one year full-time in the preferred gender role, a period referred to as the real-life experience (RLE). The rationale behind the RLE is to prepare the client as well as possible to make a fully informed decision about irreversible surgery. Psychotherapy can play an important role in planning the RLE and in developing resilience in coping with the inevitable psychosocial challenges. The tasks of the mental-health professional include assessment of gender identity and the impact of stigma on psychological adjustment; treatment of coexisting mental-health concerns; confronting internalized transphobia; giving permission to explore gender and sexuality; managing the gate-keeping role and offering support and advocacy during the RLE and beyond. Moreover, the desire to “change sex” in a binary way and the actual reality of living life as a gender variant person can be quite different; through facilitating a “coming-out” process, psychotherapy can aid in grieving the loss of the ideal to make room for a deeper level of acceptance of one’s transgender (as opposed to male or female) identity.
CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF EFFECTS OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION PRACTICE ON INTERHEMISPHERIC FRONTAL ASYMMETRY AND FRONTAL COHERENCE

Two studies investigated frontal alpha lateral asymmetry and frontal interhemispheric coherence during eyes-closed rest, Transcendental Meditation (TM) practice, and computerized reaction-time tasks. In the first study, frontal coherence and lateralized asymmetry were higher in 13 TM subjects than in 12 controls. In the second study (N = 14), a one-year longitudinal study, lateral asymmetry did not change in any condition. In contrast, frontal coherence increased linearly during computer tasks and eyes-closed rest, and as a step-function during TM practice—rising to a high level after 2-months TM practice. Coherence was more sensitive than lateral asymmetry to effects of TM practice on brain functioning.
Pyrimidine metabolism in normal man studied with N15 labeled uracil.

IN CONTRAST to our knowledge of purine metabolism, which is fairly well understood, our knowledge of pyrimidine metabolism in man is rather limited. The pyrimidines, as well as the purines, are components of such physiologically important substances as nucleic acids, yet the intermediary stages of pyrimidine metabolism have not been established, and the final end-product or products of degradation in man are not known with any degree of certainty. Some of the earliest work on pyrimidines dates back to about 1901, when Steudel fed several of them to dogs and concluded that they did not contribute to purine metabolism and were not excreted as the intact molecule but were degraded (1, 2, 3). In 1907 Sweet and Levine fed thymine to a dog with an Eck fistula and recovered half in the urine (4). When the same amount was fed in the form of nucleic acid, none could be found in the urine. In 1910 Mendel and Myers concluded that pyrimidines did not become purines, did not metabolize to urea to any degree, and could...
A Modular Design Approach to Support Sustainable Design

This paper presents a redesign method supporting sustainable design of products. The method correlates product modularity with various life cycle directions at the conceptual stage of design. In the case of product redesign, the modular design approach allows designers to focus on increasing the sustainability of a product in terms of recyclability, disassembly and reduction of resource usage at the conceptual stage. By stepping back to the conceptual design phase and analyzing the product free from its current embodiment solutions, the scope of redesign and the potential product improvement increases. At this stage of design, the comprehension of the relationship between the various life cycle aspects of the product and the product design is essential. The elimination preference index (EPI) metric, calculated by pair-wise comparison of various factors governing the product design, quantifies the effect of redesign alternatives on product sustainability. The method is applied to the redesign of twelve small-scale consumer products, of which one example is presented here. In all cases, the redesigned products exhibited enhancement in modularity and part count reduction.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
FS02.2 CD4+ CCR10+ effector T cells reside at former allergic contact dermatitis sites

Local skin memory (LSM) describes the clinical phenomenon of an accelerated and increased inflammatory allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) response upon renewed allergen exposure. This has been ascribed to the local persistence of few, but allergen-specific, T cells. Here, firstly, we characterized effector T cells, and, subsequently, studied which of these cell populations are present at former challenge sites and might contribute to LSM. Peripheral blood T cells were stimulated with nickel sulphate. Cellular phenotypes and chemokine receptor expression profiles were analysed by FACS-staining: CLA together with CD4/CD8, CD45R0/RA, CXCR3, CCR4, CCR6 and CCR10. Skin biopsies were taken at 0, 3 and 21 days after allergen application and analysed for the same markers. Upon nickel-stimulation, amount of CD4+ CLA+ CD45R0+ T cells was increased. Together with CLA, CXCR3, CCR4 and, mainly, CCR10 expression was augmented. CCR6 expression was negative on CLA+ cells. In biopsies from patch tests, cellular infiltrates were present at 3 and 21 days after allergen application. Interestingly at day 21, residing cells were localized at the perivascularity and were characterized as CD4+ CD8− CCR10+ T cells. In conclusion, nickel-activated effector T cells can be characterised as CD4+ CD8− CLA+ memory T cells. They express CXCR3, CCR4 and, in particular, CCR10. After clinical recovery from an ACD reaction, CD4+ CCR10+ memory T cells apparently reside locally. The persistence of these CCR10+ T cells, expressing the appropriate receptor of the skin specific chemokine CCL27, can explain clinically important phenomena such as LSM and flare up reactions.
On-chip Generation of the Second Primary Input Vectors of Broadside Tests

Broadside tests are two-pattern scan-based tests for delay faults. One of the complications that occur in relation to the application of broadside tests from an external tester is the need to change the primary input vector applied to the circuit at-speed during the test. We explore a solution to this problem where the second primary input vector of every test is produced on chip. The important features of the proposed solution are: (1) it achieves the same fault coverage as a deterministic test set; (2) on-chip area overhead can be kept low; and (3) the part of the test data that needs to be stored externally can be compacted to reduce its storage requirements.
Fluid links for informed and incremental link transitions

We have developed a novel user interface technique for hypertext, called fluid links, that has several advantages over current methods. Fluid links provide additional information at a link source to support readers in choosing among links and understanding the structure of a hypertext. Fluid links present this information in a convenient location that does not obscure the content or layout of the source material. The technique uses perceptually-based animation to provide a natural and lightweight feeling to readers. In their richer forms, fluid links can provide a novel hypertext navigation paradigm that blurs the boundaries of hypertext nodes and can allow readers to fluidly control the focus on the material to support their current reading goals.
Improving Application Management Services through Optimal Clustering of Service Requests

In the area of Application Management Services (AMS), good resource planning, efficient workload assignment, and effective skill planning are critical to success. Meeting these objectives would require systematic and repeatable approaches for determining the best way of forming resource pools, assigning the right service requests to the right people, and identifying who to train for what skills under a constrained budget. In this paper, we present a methodology developed for the Global Business Services (GBS) organization of IBM to help achieve the above goals. Specifically, given a collection of service request records, we propose to group service requests that require similar problem-solving skills, into a single cluster using a statistical clustering technique. Such clusters are then associated with service consultants along with their respective service handling experiences and confidence levels. Using real GBS account data, we conducted a queuing-based simulation which has shown that, by applying the resource sharing plan recommended by our clustering analysis, we are able to achieve an average 40% resource reduction for both within- and across-geography situations, while maintaining the same Service-Level Agreements (SLA) with the customer.
Numerical viscosity and the entropy condition

Weak solutions of hyperbolic conservation laws are not uniquely determined by their initial values; an entropy condition is needed to pick out the physically relevant solutions. The question arises whether finite difference approximations converge to this particular solution. It is known that this is not always the case with the standard Lax-Wendroff (L-W) difference scheme. In this paper a simple variant of the L-W scheme is devised which retains its desirable computational features—conservation form, three point scheme, second-order accuracy on smooth solutions, but which has the additional property that limit solutions satisfy the entropy condition. This variant is constructed by adding a simple nonlinear artificial viscosity to the usual L-W operator. The nature of the viscosity is deduced by first analyzing a model differential equation derived from the truncation error for the L-W operator, keeping only terms of order (Δx)2. Furthermore, this viscosity is “switched on” only when sufficiently steep discrete gradients develop in the approximate solution: The full L-W scheme is then shown to have the desired property provided that the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy restriction |λf′(u)|≤0.14 is satisfied.
The influence of treatment effect size on willingness to adopt a therapy.

Background. Physicians are slow to adopt novel therapies, and the reasons for this are poorly understood. The authors sought to determine if the size of the treatment effect of a novel therapy influences willingness to adopt it. Methods. We developed 2 experimental vignette pairs describing a trial of a therapy for a hypothetical disease that showed a statistically significant mortality benefit. The size of the mortality effect was varied in vignettes of a pair (3% v. 10%). The 2 experimental vignette pairs differed in whether study enrollment was reported. Vignettes were mailed to a random sample of physicians using an intersubject design. The main study outcome was respondents’ willingness to adopt the hypothetical therapy, based on the results of the hypothetical trial. Results. There were 124 and 89 respondents to vignette pairs 1 and 2, respectively. In vignette pair 1, 91% versus 71% of respondents adopted the therapy when it reduced mortality by 10% and 3%, respectively (P = 0.0058). For vignette p...
Internet access resources: searching, newsgroups, presentation software, K-12 resources, blocking software

The effective use of the Internet for both educational and personal uses is becoming increasingly important. This is especially true for educators at all levels. The ability to "attend" on-line workshops, retrieve teaching aids and research material, interact with colleagues, and maintain/advance your knowledge base within your profession are just a few of the possibilities available through effective use of the network. This paper is designed to provide some of the basic tools needed for accessing the numerous resources available on the Internet. Additionally, software designed for incorporating Internet information into classroom presentations is presented as is software for preventing access of undesirable material.
Assessment of the severity of valvular regurgitation by digital subtraction angiography compared to cineangiography.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the degree of valvular regurgitation could be reliably estimated by digital subtraction angiography using a 0 to 4+ scale of measurement identical to that applied in conventional cineangiography. Thirty-seven sets of angiograms, each consisting of a digital subtraction angiogram (DSA) and a cineangiogram (CINE) were obtained from 33 patients. Twenty-three angiogram sets were obtained from the ventricles, while 14 were performed in the ascending aorta. Both DSA and CINE images were analyzed for regurgitation by two independent observers. A weighted kappa statistical analysis, carried out to determine the extent to which the two observers agreed on DSA and CINE assessments, demonstrated excellent agreement. The degree of atrioventricular valve regurgitation manifested by DSA was not significantly different from that determined on CINE for either Observer A or B (1.8 ± 1.2 by CINE vs 2.1 ± 1.5 by DSA, 2.1 ± 1.4 vs 2.5 ± 1.0, respectively). However, occasional exceptions occurred in which the degree of atrioventricular valve regurgitation was overestimated by DSA as compared to CINE. Conversely, in 12 cases with aortic regurgitation, DSA overestimated the grade of regurgitation compared to CINE, 2.3 ± 1.1 by CINE vs 3.2 ± 0.8 by DSA ( p p
Johnny Appleseed and the American Orchard: A Cultural History. By William Kerrigan. (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012. Pp. xii, 231. $25.00.)

Until 1955, John Chapman, the man who became known as “Johnny Appleseed,” was little more than a collection of wilderness tales, Disney animations, and a popular camp song (“The Lord is good to me”...
Evaluation of bacterial survival and phagocyte function with a fluorescence-based microplate assay

To compare antibacterial function in macrophages from mice deficient in the respiratory burst oxidase or inducible nitric oxide synthase, we developed a fluorescence-based microplate assay of bacterial survival. As bacteria grow, they convert a formulation of resazurin termed AlamarBlue from its nonfluorescent oxidized state to its fluorescent reduced state. The time required to achieve a given fluorescence is inversely proportional to the number of viable bacteria present when the dye is added. This relationship allows a precise, accurate assessment of bacterial numbers with greater sensitivity and throughput and at less cost than conventional assays. The assay facilitated quantification of the killing of Escherichia coli by S-nitrosoglutathione and hydrogen peroxide and of Salmonella typhimurium by human neutrophils and mouse macrophages. Mouse macrophages lacking the 91-kDa subunit of the respiratory burst oxidase were deficient in their ability to kill S. typhimurium, while those lacking inducible nitric oxide synthase were unimpaired.
Role of shear-stress-induced VEGF expression in endothelial cell survival

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a crucial role in developmental and pathological angiogenesis. Expression of VEGF in quiescent adult tissue suggests a potential role in the maintenance of mature blood vessels. We demonstrate, using a Vegf-lacZ reporter mouse model, that VEGF is expressed by arterial but not by venous or capillary endothelial cells (ECs) in vivo. Using an in vitro model, we show that arterial shear stress of human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) decreases apoptosis and increases VEGF expression, which is mediated by the induction of Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2). Additionally, shear stress stimulates the expression of VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and is associated with its activation. Knockdown of VEGF in shear stressed HUVECs blocks the protective effect of shear stress, resulting in EC apoptosis equivalent to that in control ECs cultured under static conditions. Similarly, treatment of ECs subjected to arterial shear stress with the VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor SU1498, or VEGFR2 neutralizing antiserum, led to increased apoptosis, demonstrating that the mechanoprotection from increased shear is mediated by VEGFR2. Taken together, these studies suggest that arterial flow induces VEGF-VEGFR2 autocrine-juxtacrine signaling, which is a previously unidentified mechanism for vascular EC survival in adult arterial blood vessels.
New directions in commercial fluorescent lighting

The author shows how the new compact fluorescent lamps and smaller luminaires using deeper shielding can meet, better than traditional commercial lighting approaches, the requirements of lighting the newer space configurations and visual tasks that did not exist a few years ago. Design approaches that will optimize lighting cost and effectiveness in matching the new hardware and the new lighting needs are shown. Luminaire patterns are shown in various room and furniture configurations, their effectiveness in delivering light into panelled workstations is demonstrated, and practical methods of predicting the delivered light are discussed. >
1,1-Bis(3'-indolyl)-1-(p-bromophenyl)methane and related compounds repress survivin and decrease γ-radiation-induced survivin in colon and pancreatic cancer cells

1,1-Bis(3'-indolyl)-1-(p-bromophenyl)methane (DIM-C-pPhBr) and the 2,2'-dimethyl analog (2,2'-diMeDIM-C-pPhBr) inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in SW480 colon and Panc28 pancreatic cancer cells. In this study, treatment with 10-20 microM concentrations of these compounds for 24 h induced cleaved PARP and decreased survivin protein and mRNA expression in both cell lines. However, results of time course studies show that DIM-C-pPhBr and 2,2'-diMeDIM-C-pPhBr decrease survivin protein within 2 h after treatment, whereas survivin mRNA levels were decreased only at later time-points indicating activation of transcription-independent and -dependent pathways for downregulation of survivin. In addition, we also observed that gamma-radiation inhibited pancreatic and colon cancer cell growth and this was associated with enhanced expression of survivin after 24 (SW480) or 24 and 48 h (Panc28) and correlated with previous studies on the role of survivin in radiation-resistance. However, in cells co-treated with gamma-radiation plus DIM-C-pPhBr or 2,2'-diMeDIM-C-pPhBr, induction of survivin by gamma-radiation was inhibited after co-treatment with both compounds, suggesting applications for these drugs in combination cancer chemotherapy with gamma-radiation.
Angular False Scattering in Radiative Heat Transfer Analysis Using the Discrete-Ordinates Method With Higher-Order Quadrature Sets

The SN quadrature set for the discrete-ordinates method is limited in overall discrete direction number in order to avoid physically unrealistic negative directional weight factors. Such a limitation can adversely impact radiative transfer predictions. Directional discretization results in errors due to ray effect, as well as angular false scattering error due to distortion of the scattering phase function. The use higher-order quadrature schemes in the discrete-ordinates method allows for improvement in discretization errors without an overall directional limitation. In this analysis, four higher-order quadrature sets (Legendre-Equal Weight, Legendre-Chebyshev, Triangle Tessellation, and Spherical Ring Approximation) are implemented for determination of radiative transfer in a 3-D cubic enclosure containing participating media. Radiative heat fluxes, calculated at low direction number, are compared to the SN quadrature and Monte Carlo predictions to gauge quadrature accuracy. Additionally, investigation into the reduction of angular false scattering with sufficient increase in direction number using higher-order quadrature, including heat flux accuracy with respect to Monte Carlo and computational efficiency, is presented. While higher-order quadrature sets are found to effectively minimize angular false scattering error, it is found to be much more computationally efficient to implement proper phase function normalization for accurate radiative transfer predictions.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Comparison of the Structure and Expression of Odd-Skipped and Two Related Genes That Encode a New Family of Zinc Finger Proteins in Drosophila

The odd-skipped (odd) gene, which was identified on the basis of a pair-rule segmentation phenotype in mutant embryos, is initially expressed in the Drosophila embryo in seven pair-rule stripes, but later exhibits a segment polarity-like pattern for which no phenotypic correlate is apparent. We have molecularly characterized two embryonically expressed odd-cognate genes, sob and bowel (bowl), that encode proteins with highly conserved C(2)H(2) zinc fingers. While the Sob and Bowl proteins each contain five tandem fingers, the Odd protein lacks a fifth (C-terminal) finger and is also less conserved among the four common fingers. Reminiscent of many segmentation gene paralogues, the closely linked odd and sob genes are expressed during embryogenesis in similar striped patterns; in contrast, the less-tightly linked bowl gene is expressed in a distinctly different pattern at the termini of the early embryo. Although our results indicate that odd and sob are more likely than bowl to share overlapping developmental roles, some functional divergence between the Odd and Sob proteins is suggested by the absence of homology outside the zinc fingers, and also by amino acid substitutions in the Odd zinc fingers at positions that appear to be constrained in Sob and Bowl.
Responses of Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Acari: Macronyssidae) and Menacanthus stramineus (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) to Gradients of Temperature, Light, and Humidity, With Comments on Microhabitat Selection on Chickens

Responses of the northern fowl mite (NFM), Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini & Fanzago) (Acari: Macronyssidae), and the chicken body louse (CBL), Menacanthus stramineus (Nitzsch) (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae), to variation in temperature, light, and humidity were assessed in bioassays. The location on a continuous thermal gradient at which each ectoparasite arrested was recorded and analyzed. NFM adults arrested at an average temperature of 30.09 +/- 0.34 degrees C. Adult CBL and first-instar CBL nymphs arrested at 33.69 +/- 0.20 degrees C and 34.99 +/- 0.26 degrees C, respectively. Groups of each ectoparasite were placed into clear glass vials (n = 10/vial) with one half shaded, and vials were exposed to three light levels, as follows: high (200 micromolm(-2)s(-1)), low (4 micromolm(-2)s(-1)), and nearly no light (0 micromolm(-2)s(-1)). The vial cap edges provided an opportunity to assess the interactive effect of light with harborage. NFM avoided light and sought harborage. In low light, the harborage preference overrode the tendency to avoid light. CBL avoided the harborage and showed a minimal preference for light. A four-level humidity gradient was established in two separate experimental arenas for NFM and CBL. Trials were run in ambient light (4 micromolm(-2)s(-1)) for the NFM and in nearly no light for the CBL. The NFM gradient used 38 +/- 2%, 54 +/- 7%, 73 +/- 3%, and 90 +/- 4% RH, whereas the CBL gradient used 42 +/- 5%, 48 +/- 7%, 63 +/- 4%, and 73 +/- 5% RH. NFM showed no humidity response in the walking bioassay, but the CBL settled at the lowest humidity level. Temperature and humidity on different hen body regions were related to the bioassay results and observed on-host ectoparasite distributions.
Using a manipulator for force display in molecular docking

A real-time molecular docking system is developed that uses an electrically coupled remote manipulator as a force display. The system, which uses integrates interactive computer graphics and high-speed calculation of the interaction forces between a drug and a receptor site in a molecule, is designed to be a tool for molecular scientists. The manipulator is used to generate the forces and torques exerted on the drug molecule when it is aligned with the receptor site by the user's hand. The manipulator serves both as an input device for 6-D manipulation and as an output device for generating forces. Preliminary testing indicates that the system might enhance the biochemist's understanding and performance. >
Wood in the stationary state: Zero entropy gradients for water vapor and bound water

According to nonequilibrium thermodynamics, the local rate of entropy production is minimized for moist wood in the stationary state. Furthermore, the rate of entropy production due to moisture flow must be zero in this state. Conservation of energy applied to the steady flow of water vapor through an arbitrarily selected volume element of wood shows that the vapor entropy gradient is zero. Because the entropy production due to moisture flow must be balanced by a corresponding entropy flow away from the element, entropy gradients for bound water and water vapor are equal and the bound water entropy gradient also is zero.
PGC-1α, a New Therapeutic Target in Huntington's Disease?

The coactivator PGC-1alpha is a key regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration, mediating expression of several transcription factors required for these programs. Three new studies reveal that PGC-1alpha expression is downregulated in patients with Huntington's disease (HD) and in several animal models of this neurodegenerative disorder, implicating PGC-1alpha in HD pathogenesis and providing a connection between impaired energy metabolism and neurodegeneration.
Electrogenic sodium-proton exchange in membrane vesicles from crab (Carcinus maenas) gill

Plasma membrane vesicles from Na+-absorbing posterior gills of the green crab Carcinus maenas were shown to contain a Na+-H+ antiporter sensitive to amiloride (Ki = 280 mumol/l), using a fluorometric assay based on acridine orange. Lithium was found to support Li+-H+ exchange, giving Michaelis-Menten kinetics (K0.5 = 20 mmol/l) and a Hill coefficient of 1.32 +/- 0.06, indicating a stoichiometry of 1 Li+:1 H+. The stoichiometry of Na+-H+ exchange, however, appeared to be 2 Na+:1 H+. The dependence of exchange rate on Na+ concentration followed a sigmoid relationship (K0.5 = 34 mmol/l), producing a Hill coefficient of 1.99 +/- 0.18. Measurements made with the potential-sensitive dye 3,3'-dipropylthiadicarboxocyanine iodide directly demonstrated electrogenicity of Na+-H+ exchange. Na+-loaded vesicles showed greater potential change upon addition to Na+-free medium than upon addition to Na+-containing medium, and the developed potential was reversed by the addition of external Na+. Amiloride reduced the rate of membrane polarization and abolished the reversal by external Na+. The crustacean Na+-H+ antiporter therefore bears similarities to the vertebrate antiporter but is uniquely electrogenic.
Introduction to the Rosetta Special Collection

The Rosetta macromolecular modeling software is a versatile, rapidly developing set of tools that are now being routinely utilized to address state-of-the-art research challenges in academia and industrial research settings. A Rosetta Conference (RosettaCon) describing updates to the Rosetta source code is held annually. Every two years, a Rosetta Conference (RosettaCon) special collection describing the results presented at the annual conference by participating RosettaCommons labs is published by the Public Library of Science (PLOS). This is the introduction to the third RosettaCon 2014 Special Collection published by PLOS.
Modeling of indirect carbon fuel cell systems with steam and dry gasification

Abstract An indirect carbon fuel cell (ICFC) system that couples coal gasification to a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a promising candidate for high efficiency stationary power. This study couples an equilibrium gasifier model to a detailed 1D MEA model to study the theoretical performance of an ICFC system run on steam or carbon dioxide. Results show that the fuel cell in the ICFC system is capable of power densities greater than 1.0 W cm−2 with H2O recycle, and power densities ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 W cm−2 with CO2 recycle. This result indicates that the ICFC system performs better with steam than with CO2 gasification as a result of the faster electro-oxidation kinetics of H2 relative to CO. The ICFC system is then shown to reach higher current densities and efficiencies than a thermally decoupled gasifier + fuel cell (G + FC) system because it does not include combustion losses associated with autothermal gasification. 55–60% efficiency is predicted for the ICFC system coupled to a bottoming cycle, making this technology competitive with other state-of-the-art stationary power candidates.
Mapping Transcription Regulatory Networks with ChIP-seq and RNA-seq

Bacterial genomes encode numerous transcription factors, DNA-binding proteins that regulate transcription initiation. Identifying the regulatory targets of transcription factors is a major challenge of systems biology. Here I describe the use of two genome-scale approaches, ChIP-seq and RNA-seq, that are used to map transcription factor regulons. ChIP-seq maps the association of transcription factors with DNA, and RNA-seq determines changes in RNA levels associated with transcription factor perturbation. I discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these and related approaches, and I describe how ChIP-seq and RNA-seq can be combined to map individual transcription factor regulons and entire regulatory networks.
Loss of RPGR glutamylation underlies the pathogenic mechanism of retinal dystrophy caused by TTLL5 mutations

Mutations in the X-linked retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator (RPGR) gene are a major cause of retinitis pigmentosa, a blinding retinal disease resulting from photoreceptor degeneration. A photoreceptor specific ORF15 variant of RPGR (RPGR(ORF15)), carrying multiple Glu-Gly tandem repeats and a C-terminal basic domain of unknown function, localizes to the connecting cilium where it is thought to regulate cargo trafficking. Here we show that tubulin tyrosine ligase like-5 (TTLL5) glutamylates RPGR(ORF15) in its Glu-Gly-rich repetitive region containing motifs homologous to the α-tubulin C-terminal tail. The RPGR(ORF15) C-terminal basic domain binds to the noncatalytic cofactor interaction domain unique to TTLL5 among TTLL family glutamylases and targets TTLL5 to glutamylate RPGR. Only TTLL5 and not other TTLL family glutamylases interacts with RPGR(ORF15) when expressed transiently in cells. Consistent with this, a Ttll5 mutant mouse displays a complete loss of RPGR glutamylation without marked changes in tubulin glutamylation levels. The Ttll5 mutant mouse develops slow photoreceptor degeneration with early mislocalization of cone opsins, features resembling those of Rpgr-null mice. Moreover TTLL5 disease mutants that cause human retinal dystrophy show impaired glutamylation of RPGR(ORF15) Thus, RPGR(ORF15) is a novel glutamylation substrate, and this posttranslational modification is critical for its function in photoreceptors. Our study uncovers the pathogenic mechanism whereby absence of RPGR(ORF15) glutamylation leads to retinal pathology in patients with TTLL5 gene mutations and connects these two genes into a common disease pathway.
Anarchist Modernism: Art, Politics, and the First American Avant-Garde

The relationship between the anarchist movement and American art during the years surrounding World War I is most often described as a tenuous affinity between two distinct spheres: political and artistic. In "Anarchist Modernism" - the first in-depth exploration of the role of anarchism in the formation of early American modernism - Allan Antliff reveals that modernists participated in a wide-ranging movement that encompassed lifestyles, literature, art, and even politics. Drawing on a wealth of previously unknown materials, including interviews and reproductions of lost works, he examines anarchism's influence on a telling cross section of artists such as Robert Henri, Elie Nadelman, Man Ray, and Rockwell Kent. He also traces the interactions between cultural figures and thinkers including Emma Goldman, Alfred Stieglitz, Ezra Pound, and Ananda Coomaraswamy. By situating the evolution of American art in the progressive politics of the time, Antliff offers a richly illustrated chronicle of the anarchist movement and also revives the creative agency of those who shaped and implemented modernism for radical ends.
Hitching wagons to stars: celebrity, metonymy, hegemony, and the case of Will Smith

ABSTRACTRepresentations of celebrities operate as politically and culturally significant resources for the construction, regulation, and even contestation of hegemonic discourses about race and gender in the United States. Not simply meaningful or important to fans, star images may also provide resources to critics aiming to interrogate and intervene against potentially oppressive cultural norms. Forwarding an approach called metonymic criticism, this essay argues that the associative logic of metonymy plays a central role in both the articulation of celebrity personae and the operations of hegemonic discourse formations. The analysis develops by considering the case of a star whose public image has unique probative value for studying the intersecting discourses of race and gender in US culture: Will Smith.
The problematic nature of sustainable tourism: some implications for planners and managers

Sustainability is a principle and practice expected of tourism development and management. The uneven performance of sustainable tourism policies and strategies is generating increasing attention and concern, along with a need to better understand sustainability and the problems it presents tourism planners and managers. In this article, we investigate the notion that traditional tourism problem-solving paradigms and approaches are not effective for all of the problems arising in sustainable tourism and explore what new approaches may be required. After a brief, but necessary definition of key concepts, we take a look at the range of problems which can arise in sustainable tourism and review what research has to offer in terms of understanding why some of these problems seem resistant to traditional problem-solving approaches. Following that, we consider the problems of sustainable tourism through a series of three analytical lenses, the Cynefin Framework, Complexity Science and Wicked Problems, to explor...
Functional and Gait Assessment in Children and Adolescents Affected by Friedreich's Ataxia: A One-Year Longitudinal Study.

Friedreich’s ataxia is the most common autosomal recessive form of neurodegenerative ataxia. We present a longitudinal study on the gait pattern of children and adolescents affected by Friedreich’s ataxia using Gait Analysis and the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA). We assessed the spectrum of changes over 12 months of the gait characteristics and the relationship between clinical and instrumental evaluations. We enrolled 11 genetically confirmed patients affected by Friedreich’s ataxia in this study together with 13 normally developing age-matched subjects. Eight patients completed a 12-month follow-up under the same protocol. By comparing the gait parameters of Friedreich’s ataxia with the control group, we found significant differences for some relevant indexes. In particular, the increased knee and ankle extension in stance revealed a peculiar biomechanical pattern, which correlated reliably with SARA Total, Gait and Sitting scores. The knee pattern showed its consistency also at the follow-up: Knee extension increased from 6.8±3.5° to -0.5±3.7° and was significantly correlated with the SARA total score. This feature anticipated the loss of the locomotor function in two patients. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that the selective and segmental analysis of kinetic/kinematic features of ataxic gait, in particular the behavior of the knee, provides sensitive measures to detect specific longitudinal and functional alterations, more than the SARA scale, which however has proved to be a reliable and practical assessment tool. Functional outcomes measures integrated by instrumental evaluation increase their sensitivity, reliability and suitability for the follow-up of the disease progression and for the application in clinical trials and in rehabilitative programs.
A Numerical Study of Convection Heat Transfer Within Enclosed Horizontal Rod Bundles

Natural-convection heat transfer in enclosed horizontal N × N arrays of heated rods with a constant heat flux dissipation is numerically investigated. For a fixed rod diameter d, the width of the i...
Mechanical forces regulate the reactivity of a thioester bond in a bacterial adhesin

Bacteria must withstand large mechanical shear forces when adhering to and colonizing hosts. Recent structural studies on a class of Gram-positive bacterial adhesins have revealed an intramolecular Cys-Gln thioester bond that can react with surface-associated ligands to covalently anchor to host surfaces. Two other examples of such internal thioester bonds occur in certain anti-proteases and in the immune complement system, both of which react with the ligand only after the thioester bond is exposed by a proteolytic cleavage. We hypothesized that mechanical forces in bacterial adhesion could regulate thioester reactivity to ligand analogously to such proteolytic gating. Studying the pilus tip adhesin Spy0125 of Streptococcus pyogenes, we developed a single molecule assay to unambiguously resolve the state of the thioester bond. We found that when Spy0125 was in a folded state, its thioester bond could be cleaved with the small-molecule nucleophiles methylamine and histamine, but when Spy0125 was mechanically unfolded and subjected to forces of 50-350 piconewtons, thioester cleavage was no longer observed. For folded Spy0125 without mechanical force exposure, thioester cleavage was in equilibrium with spontaneous thioester reformation, which occurred with a half-life of several minutes. Functionally, this equilibrium reactivity allows thioester-containing adhesins to sample potential substrates without irreversible cleavage and inactivation. We propose that such reversible thioester reactivity would circumvent potential soluble inhibitors, such as histamine released at sites of inflammation, and allow the bacterial adhesin to selectively associate with surface-bound ligands.