cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rat Intestinal Acyl Coenzyme A: Cholesterol Acyl Transferase Properties and Localization

Microsomal acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase activity of rat intestinal mucosa was measured as the incorporation of [1-14C]oleic acid into cholesterol esters. Exogenous cholesterol and sterol carrier protein singly and together extended the time over which the reaction rate was linear. Cholesterol esterification was suppressed by 2-monooleoyl glyceryl ether a 2-monoglyceride analog and potential substrate, but was unaltered by alpha-glycerophosphate or lysolecithin. Esterifying activity was lowest in microsomes from the intestinal segment 0-15 cm distal to the pylorus and highest in microsomes from the 30- to 45-cm segment. The total and specific activities of acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase were highest in cells isolated from the crypt zones. The location and level of activity were unaffected by diversion of either pancreatic juice or pancreatic juice and bile from the intestinal lumen. These findings question the physiological significance of acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyl transferase in the regulation of the absorption of exogenous cholesterol.
Inferring angiosperm phylogeny from EST data with widespread gene duplication

Most studies inferring species phylogenies use sequences from single copy genes or sets of orthologs culled from gene families. For taxa such as plants, with very high levels of gene duplication in their nuclear genomes, this has limited the exploitation of nuclear sequences for phylogenetic studies, such as those available in large EST libraries. One rarely used method of inference, gene tree parsimony, can infer species trees from gene families undergoing duplication and loss, but its performance has not been evaluated at a phylogenomic scale for EST data in plants. A gene tree parsimony analysis based on EST data was undertaken for six angiosperm model species and Pinus, an outgroup. Although a large fraction of the tentative consensus sequences obtained from the TIGR database of ESTs was assembled into homologous clusters too small to be phylogenetically informative, some 557 clusters contained promising levels of information. Based on maximum likelihood estimates of the gene trees obtained from these clusters, gene tree parsimony correctly inferred the accepted species tree with strong statistical support. A slight variant of this species tree was obtained when maximum parsimony was used to infer the individual gene trees instead. Despite the complexity of the EST data and the relatively small fraction eventually used in inferring a species tree, the gene tree parsimony method performed well in the face of very high apparent rates of duplication.
Purification of campesterol and preparation of 7-dehydrocampesterol, 7-campestenol and campestanol.

Campesterol ([24R]-24-methyl-5-cholesten-3β-ol) was isolated from a soybean sterol mixture and purified on a small scale by column chromatography and on a large scale by crystallization from acetone to 97% purity. From this, 7-dehydrocampesterol ([24R]-24-methyl-5,7-cholestadien-3β-ol) and campestanol ([24R]-24-methyl-cholestan-3β-ol) were prepared. The acetates and benzoates of all four compounds also were obtained and compared to the corresponding members of the ergostane series.
The effect of coumarin anticoagulants on the adenine nucleotide content and protein synthesis in rat liver

Abstract Studies were conducted on the mode of action of the inhibition of synthesis of proteins of the prothrombin complex by the coumarin anticoagulants. The comparison of the adenine nucleotide content and the incorporation of 32 P-orthophosphate into liver nucleotides of both anticoagulant-treated and control rats was used as index of oxidative phosphorylation in the intact animal. Determinations of adenine nueleotides and 32 P-orthophosphate incorporation into liver nucleotides of treated rats gave values similar to the controls. On the basis of these studies, it would not appear that the anticoagulant effect of these agents is the result of uncoupling. The possible direct effect of these agents on protein synthesis was also studied by the incorporation of 14 C-leucine into protein of rat liver slices and cell-free systems. The anticoagulants inhibited the incorporation of 14 C-leucine into liver slice proteins. However, the results of 14 C-leucine incorporation into RNA and into microsomal or ribosomal protein indicated that bishydroxycoumarin and warfarin had no measurable effect on these reactions.
Proteins as Potential Endpoint Temperature Indicators for Ground Beef Patties

Ground beef patties were cooked to 63, 66, 68 and 71°C and 25g meat from the center of each patty was extracted. Changes in protein composition of extracts were monitored by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polya-crylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blotting and enzyme activity. Acid phosphatase, bovine serum albumin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate mutase, and tri-ose phosphate isomerase concentration or activity decreased (P < 0.05) as endpoint temperatures increased. None of the enzymes was completely inactivated or insolubilized at 71°C. These proteins might be useful in assays to verify processing temperatures of ground beef patties.
Implementing directives that involve prepositions with children with autism: a comparison of spoken cues with two types of augmented input.

Some children with autism face considerable challenges with comprehension, including difficulties following spoken directives involving prepositional relations. The use of augmented input through v...
Adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate phosphodiesterase from Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Abstract Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase has been extracted from Phycomyces sporangiophore. The material is stable at −20° for several months. Activity depends on the presence of a divalent metal ion (e.g. magnesium. The enzyme may be multiple; at pH 8, two K m s are observed, 3 and 12.5 μM, and an Arrhenius plot has a ‘break’ at ca 21°. No cooperativity is seen. Inhibition by dibutyryl cyclic AMP is marked, but cyclic GMP is not inhibitory (except at lower pH and high concentration) and cyclic GMP is not hydrolysed. The enzyme is thermolabile above 30°. Calcium is not stimulatory. Millimolar concentrations of pyrophosphate and nucleoside triphosphates are required for significant inhibition. Reductants, ascorbic acid, cysteine, dithiothreitol, glutathione, β-mercaptoethanol, NADH, sodium dithionite, sodium suifite and the mild oxidant, ferricyanide, have little or no effect. Gallic acid, an abundant endogenous reducing agent, is inhibitory. Histamine and imidazole are slightly inhibitory. Methylxanthines are inhibitory but at high concentrations. Inhibition to 50% required 15, 15, 30 and > 4 mM for aminophylline, theophylline, caffeine and 3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine, respectively. The enzyme may be involved in the behavioral responses of the organism.
Explicit Solution of the Inverse Problem for a Vibrating String.

Abstract : The problem of reconstructing the density rho(x) of a vibrating string of length L from the knowledge of two spectra (lambda n)1 to infinity and (microns n) 1 to infinity is considered. The method of construction relies (i) on a formula for rho at an arbitrary point x=l in terms of the spectra (lambda n (l)) 1 to infinity and (microns n (l)) 1 to infinity associated with the natural frequencies of vibration of the portion (l, L) of the original string and (ii) on a set of first order differential equations for (lambda n(l))1 to infinity and (micron n (l)) 1 to infinity. The density is deduced by integrating these equations of the spectra and substituting in the above mentioned formula.
Residues in the Hendra virus fusion protein transmembrane domain are critical for endocytic recycling

Hendra virus is a highly pathogenic paramyxovirus classified as a biosafety level four agent. The fusion (F) protein of Hendra virus is critical for promoting viral entry and cell-to-cell fusion. To be fusogenically active, Hendra virus F must undergo endocytic recycling and cleavage by the endosomal/lysosomal protease cathepsin L, but the route of Hendra virus F following internalization and the recycling signals involved are poorly understood. We examined the intracellular distribution of Hendra virus F following endocytosis and showed that it is primarily present in Rab5- and Rab4-positive endosomal compartments, suggesting that cathepsin L cleavage occurs in early endosomes. Hendra virus F transmembrane domain (TMD) residues S490 and Y498 were found to be important for correct Hendra virus F recycling, with the hydroxyl group of S490 and the aromatic ring of Y498 important for this process. In addition, changes in association of isolated Hendra virus F TMDs correlated with alterations to Hendra virus F recycling, suggesting that appropriate TMD interactions play an important role in endocytic trafficking.
Cell Mechanics: FilaminA Leads the Way

Actin filaments are thought to be the major structural components of most eukaryotic cells, but reconstituted actin networks have yet to account for the remarkable strength exhibited by cellular networks. A new study has found that reconstituted networks that include the cross-linker filaminA can replicate many of the mechanical properties of cells if they are stressed prior to mechanical measurement.
Expression of an immunoreactive 72 kDa protein in strains of Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius associated with Brazilian purpuric fever

Brazilian purpuric fever (BPF) is a newly described pediatric syndrome that results in significant morbidity and mortality. BPF is caused by specific phenotypic strains of Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius that are capable of intravascular survival. Immunoblotting of outer membrane proteins of H. influenzae biogroup aegyptius with normal human serum showed that most virulent strains of H. influenzae biogroup aegyptius associated with BPF expressed an immunologically prominent protein at 72 kDa. A corresponding protein in avirulent isolates migrated at 79 kDa. Although a minor component on SDS-PAGE analysis of the outer membrane, specific antibody against this protein is present in high concentrations in normal human serum.
A Comparative Study of Cell Formation Techniques: Experimental Findings on Data‐Dependency and Solution Quality

A large number of techniques for solving the cell formation problem has emerged in recent years. However, little effort has been spent on determining the procedures' relative performance. This paper identifies four problem areas for which important decisions must be made in connection with a comparative study: asymmetry among procedures with respect to input data, sensitivity to input data, ability of cell formation techniques to generate different solutions, and criteria for acceptable cell performance. Relying on a new taxonomy that categorizes cell formation techniques based on required input data, and a new approach to describing and manipulating shop data, this paper illustrates how choices within the four areas above can be resolved within the context of a comparative study. The experiments uncover fundamental relations between cell formation techniques, the types of input data they use, the characteristics of the data that drive the models, and the resulting performance.
Gender Differences in Children’s Hero Attributions: Personal Hero Choices and Evaluations of Typical Male and Female Heroes

The current study investigated gender differences in the personal hero choices, hero attributions, and characteristics attributed to “typical” male and female heroes of children living in the Midwestern United States (N = 103; mean age = 10 years). Questionnaires were completed in a school setting. The majority of girls chose heroes personally known to them; boys chose personal and public figures equally often. Most boys chose same gender heroes; girls’ nominations were mixed. Gender differences were also seen in the characteristics children attributed to their own heroes and in their conceptions of “typical” male and female heroes. Children rated same-gender “typical” heroes more positively on many attributes, except for stereotypically masculine characteristics. Gender socialization, stereotypes, and in-group favoritism were used to explain these findings.
Southern Sons: Becoming Men in the New Nation – By Lorri Glover

In this book the author provides a thorough and fascinating examination of elite, Southern, male child‐rearing practices in the early decades of the American republic. Lorri Glover conceived her an...
Searching the deep web: distributed explorit directed query applications

In 1999 a directed query distributed search engine was integrated into a new Department of Energy Virtual Library of Energy Science and Technology. Millions of pages of government information across multiple agencies were made immediately searchable via one query, setting the stage for the development of a variety of interagency initiatives and applications.
Reconstitution and purification of eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (eIF2B) expressed in Sf21 insect cells.

Abstract Eukaryotic initiation factor eIF2B plays a key role in the regulation of protein synthesis through its ability to catalyze the exchange of GDP bound to a second initiation factor, eIF2, for free GTP. In contrast to other GDP–GTP exchange factors (GEFs), which are often single subunit proteins, eIF2B consists of five dissimilar subunits. In the studies reported here the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) was used to express FLAG epitope tagged alleles for the α, β, γ, δ, and ϵ subunits of rat eIF2B in Sf21 cells. The eIF2B holoprotein was reconstituted in vivo by coexpression of all five subunits in Sf21 cells and was subsequently purified to greater than 98% homogeneity using a two-step procedure involving an anti-FLAG immunoaffinity column followed by gel filtration chromatography. The purified five-subunit eIF2B complex had high GEF activity as assayed by using [ 3 H]GDP-bound to eIF2 as a substrate. Alternatively, eIF2B with high GEF activity was reconstituted in vitro by mixing crude cell lysates containing different eIF2B subunits. The latter results suggest that eIF2B activity in vivo could involve alterations in the concentration and/or the availability of individual subunits for holoprotein assembly. Overall, the results show the utility of the baculovirus–insect cell system for the expression, assembly, and purification of active recombinant multisubunit factors.
Reaction of oxygen atoms with ethylene and vinylbromide

Abstract Identification of the primary products in the reaction of O( 3 P) atoms with ethylene and vinyl bromide was accomplished by measurement of the angular and velocity distributions of the products in a crossed beam apparatus under single-collision conditions. The atomic elimination processes were found to be the major channels and molecular elimination was not observed. The 1,2 migration of a hydrogen atom in the intermediate complex was not observed to occur.
Contributions to the History of Psychology: CIV. Eminence in Psychology as Measured by Name Counts and Eponyms:

Two measures of eminence in psychology are proposed, (1) consistency of surname counts among authors of introductory psychology textbooks and (2) frequency of use of eponyms in the psychological li...
Multivariate linkage analysis of blood pressure and body mass index

Multivariate linkage analyses of correlated traits provide greater statistical power to identify genetic loci with effects too small to be detected in single trait analyses. We conducted genomewide multivariate analyses of systolic BP, diastolic BP, and body mass index (BMI) in 1,848 non-Hispanic white subjects (968 females, 880 males) from 279 multigenerational pedigrees from Rochester, Minnesota. Blood pressure was measured by random zero sphygmomanometer; body mass index was calculated from measurements of height and weight; and genotypes were measured at 520 microsatellite marker loci distributed across the 22 autosomes. Univariate linkage analyses demonstrated tentative evidence of linkage (defined by univariate LOD scores of 1.30-1.99) for diastolic BP on chromosome 18 and for BMI on chromosomes 3, 10, and 18. Bivariate linkage analyses showed tentative evidence of linkage (defined by bivariate LOD scores of 2.06-2.86) for systolic and diastolic BP on chromosome 14 and for either measure of BP and BMI on chromosomes 2, 3, 10, and 18; and suggestive evidence of linkage (defined by bivariate LOD scores of 2.87-3.99) for either measure of BP and BMI on chromosomes 10 and chromosome 15. Trivariate linkage analyses of systolic and diastolic BP and BMI provided evidence of a region influencing all three traits on chromosome 10, where the trivariate LOD score rose to a maximum value of 4.09 (at 144 cM, P=0.0007), and possibly on chromosome 2, where it rose to a maximum value of 2.80 (at 77 cM, P=0.0075). For genomewide linkage analyses to succeed in localizing genes influencing BP, it may be advantageous to exploit the greater statistical power of multivariate linkage analyses to identify loci with pleiotropic effects on correlated traits.
Effects of transportation stress and addition of salt to transport water on the skin mucosal homeostasis of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Transportation of live fish is a common practice among aquaculture facilities. Many studies have previously reported how transport elicits physiological stress responses and increases disease susceptibility in farmed fish. The aim of this work is to investigate the changes that the skin of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) experiences due to stress. Since NaCl is commonly added to transport water as a stress mitigator, the effects of salt addition on the skin mucosa and skin-associated bacteria were also examined. Three experimental groups (Control, post-transport no salt (PTNS) and post-transport with salt (PTS)) were analyzed in a 5-hour transport acute stress model. Results indicate that the skin mucosa and the skin-associated bacteria are affected by transport stress. Total numbers of culturable skin-associated bacteria increased by ~10-fold and ~50-fold in the PTS and PTNS groups, respectively. Compared to controls, MUC2 expression was increased by 5-fold and 2-fold in the PTNS and PTS groups, respectively. Claudin-7, 8d and 12 expression levels were higher in both PTNS and PTS groups whereas antimicrobial peptide gene expression was lower than controls. Expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine TGF-β but not IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α was up-regulated 2-3 fold in both the PTS and PTNS groups. The addition of salt diminished some of the physiological responses measured including the numbers of skin-associated bacteria. The responses recorded here appeared to be efficient at controlling bacterial translocation since stress did not lead to significant presence of bacteria in the liver or spleen of rainbow trout. When examining the ability of skin mucus to inhibit or promote growth of the bacterial pathogen Vibrio anguillarum, the skin mucus of PTS trout was more efficient at inhibiting V. anguillarum growth (20% inhibition) compared to control or PTNS mucus (11-12% inhibition). Our data clearly indicate the skin and skin microbiota of rainbow trout undergo important physiological responses during stress. The reduction in the magnitude of the skin responses recorded when salt was added to the transport water explains a new mechanism by which salt is an effective stress mitigator in some fish species. Aquaculture specialists will benefit from the present study by taking into consideration the importance of skin health during live transport.
An Adaptive Controller for Coupled Nonlinear Systems with Robotic Applications

An adaptive control algorithm is presented which is based on state derivative estimation and desired pole placement in a first-order discrete system model. The approach has the advantage that the system states are easily decoupled and that it works well on nonlinear systems. Several simulation studies for robotic systems are presented.
Tunneling matrix element in Ru-modified blue copper proteins: Pruning the protein in search of electron transfer pathways

We investigate with semi-empirical extended Huckel theory calculations the tunneling matrix element for electron transfer in three ruthenium-modified blue copper azurin molecules from the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa which have been recently synthesized and studied experimentally by Gray and co-workers. All of the atoms in the protein can be included in the calculations with the method of transition amplitudes that has been developed recently. Our particular focus here, however, is to develop procedures that create a truncated protein much smaller than the initial 2000 atom one, the aim being to retain only those amino acids that are important to the electron tunneling mechanism. Such a procedure, which we refer to as ‘pruning’, is useful, first because it reduces the size of the problem, perhaps allowing for more accurate techniques to be used on the truncated protein, and second because it allows for the identification of the regions in the protein in which the tunneling electron is localized. The pruning procedures enable us to reduce the number of atoms required in an extended Huckel theory analysis of the tunneling mechanism by approximately a factor of 10 over that in the original protein.
Specificity of a monoclonal antibody to Drosophila melanogaster neoplastic hematopoietic cell surfaces as detected by immunofluorescence.

We have generated, and characterized the immunological specificity of, a monoclonal antibody (MAb) termed 2B3G8 that recognizes cell-surface determinant(s) of D. melanogaster neoplastic hematopoietic tissue. This antibody was generated against antigens of a tumor line derived from neoplastic lymph glands, the hematopoietic organs, of a growth control mutant, Tumorous-lethal (Turn1). 2B3G8 does not recognize any of a panel of normal Drosophila cells or transformed cell lines from mouse or human sources as assayed by indirect immunofluorescence. Enzymatic digests did not remove this antigen from neoplastic blood cells or uncover the antigen in normal blood cells. Thus, we have generated a MAb that serves as a marker for the neoplastic hematopoietic condition in Drosophila which is a model for vertebrate neoplasia. This antibody is potentially useful for the study of oncodevelopmental antigens in developing hematopoietic systems and for detecting the onset of the neoplastic condition.
Anterior submuscular transposition of the ulnar nerves by the Learmonth technique

Thirty-eight patients with progressive posttraumatic ulnar neuropathy at the elbow underwent anterior submuscular transposition of their nerves. Multiple mechanical causes of neuropathy were identified. Fourteen patients had undergone previous surgery for ulnar neuropathy, while 24 had not. Postsurgical follow-up averaged 23.1 months. The operative technique is described and illustrated in detail. Complications attributable to surgery were minimal. No absolute prognostic factors could be identified, and even those patients with significant muscular atrophy or time delay before operation were generally benefited. if prior surgery had induced significant scarring and neural damage, the prognosis for recovery was considerably worse, as it also was for patients who had severe preoperative dysesthesia or pain. Four patients thought to represent examples of double crush or compression syndrome were identified.
Impression Management in Kindergarten Classrooms: An Analysis of Children's Face‐Work in Peer Interactions

The “face-work” construct described by Erving Goffman is applied in an analysis of child-to-child interactions in kindergarten classrooms. Five- and six-year-olds in the study were found to have developed a substantial, yet incomplete, knowledge of the norms, rules, and expectations of adult face-work and to be more aggressive and less tactful than adults in peer interactions. Children's uses of avoidance processes, corrective interchanges, and making points behavior are described and compared to adult face-work as presented by Goffman. CHILD-TO-CHILD INTERACTION, FACE-WORK, IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT, CLASSROOM INTERACTION ANALYSIS
Vitamin-Dependent Methionine Metabolism and Alcoholic Liver Disease

Emerging evidence indicates that ethanol-induced alterations in hepatic methionine metabolism play a central role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Because malnutrition is a universal clinical finding in this disease and hepatic methionine metabolism is dependent upon dietary folate and vitamins B-6 and B-12, ALD can be considered an induced nutritional disorder that is conditioned by alcohol abuse. The present review describes the etiologies of these 3 vitamin deficiencies in ALD and how they interact with chronic ethanol exposure to alter hepatic methionine metabolism. Subsequent sections focus on molecular mechanisms for the interactions of aberrant methionine metabolism with ethanol in the pathogenesis of ALD, in particular the role of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) in regulating the epigenetic expressions of genes relevant to pathways of liver injury. The review will conclude with descriptions of studies on the efficacy of SAM in the treatment of ALD and with discussion of potentially fruitful future avenues of research. Adv. Nutr. 2: 421–427, 2011.
Details of magnetic polarity transitions recorded in a high deposition rate deep-sea core

Measurements of the NRM of a 26 m long deep-sea core from the southern Indian Ocean indicated the presence of three transitions of magnetic polarity which have been identified as the upper and lower Jaramillo and the upper Olduvai on the basis of micropaleontological criteria. Detailed studies of the magnetic reversals were made in view of the high deposition rates (~ 9 cm/10"J yr) present over sections of the core. The NRM was found stable against alternating fields. Magnetic mineralogy studies indicated the presence of titanomagnetite and magnetite which probably have not undergone any significant low-temperature oxidation. The three polarity changes bad the following features in common : ( 1 ) presence of intermediate directions of magnetization; (2) a pronounced drop in the intensity ol magnetization; (3) the drop in intensity of magnetization was coincident with the large directional fluctuations. Measurements of saturation isothermal and anhysteretic remanence, and bulk susceptibility, show that the decrease in NRM intensity associated with each polarity change is not due to a low concentration of the magnetic minerals. The best estimate for the duration of a polarity transition is approximately 4600 yr. There is evidence for both eastward and westward drift of the non-dipole field, which appears to be dominant during the polarity transition interval. The data presented here support a model of a reversing field in which the main dipole field decays to a low value and then builds up in the opposite direction.
Integrated low‐profile dual loop‐dipole antennas using an embedded electromagnetic bandgap structure

Electrical characteristics of an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure embedded in a high dielectric layer are studied using FDTD simulation methods. A low-profile loop antenna is designed above the embedded EBG structure. For diversity applications in wireless communications and biotelemetry, a printed dipole antenna is also incorporated with the low-profile loop antenna. The experimental results of the antennas are compared with the simulated results, to show how applicable embedded EBG structures are for low-profile antenna designs. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 1085–1089, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI.10.1002/mop.22342
What Is STEM? A Discussion About Conceptions of STEM in Education and Partnerships

Educational reformation has proceeded slowly despite the many calls to improve science and mathematics for our students. The acronym STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) has been adopted by numerous programs as an important focus for renewed global competitiveness for the United States, but conceptions of what STEM entails often vary among stakeholders. This paper examines the conceptions of STEM held by faculty members from a public Research I institution in the middle of a regional “STEM movement.” Faculty members responded to two open-ended questions: (1) What is STEM? and (2) How does STEM influence and/or impact your life? Although 72% of these faculty members possessed a relevant conception of STEM, the results suggest that they do not share a common conceptualization of STEM. Their conception is most likely based on their academic discipline or how STEM impacts their daily lives. STEM faculty members were likely to have a neutral or positive conception where non-STEM faculty members often had negative feelings about STEM.
Z-source networks for power conversion

This paper extends the impedance-source (Z-source) converter/inverter into a broader concept and presents several new impedance-source networks (Z-source networks or Z-networks) for power conversion purpose. The previously presented Z-source network (circuit) consists of two inductors and two capacitors connected in a special arrangement to form a two-port impedance network that can be open-circuited and short-circuited on either end. Based on this unique Z-source network, several power converters/inverters have been presented to overcome the limitations and problems of the traditional voltage-source and current-source converters, to provide the advantageous buck and boost function, and to improve reliability and performance. The Z-source concept is generalized in this paper, which leads to several new Z-networks that can be used in power conversion circuits. Some circuit examples and simulation/experimental results are shown to demonstrate how to apply the Z-source concept and utilize the Z-networks in power converters/inverters.
CHARACTERIZATION AND MODELING OF RELAXOR SINGLE CRYSTALS

ABSTRACT The engineered multi-domain features and phase transition behavior of ⟨110⟩ and ⟨001⟩ oriented relaxor PZN-4.5%PT and PMN-32%PT single crystals have been characterized and modeled. A crystal variant approach to modeling the electromechanical properties has led to the identification of engineered domain states with properties optimized for specific applications, including the large transverse piezoelectric coefficients of the ⟨110⟩ orientation and large 33-mode piezoelectric coefficients of the ⟨001⟩ orientation. Polarization switching and phase transitions under combinations of stress, electric field, and temperature loading are reported. Features of field induced phase transitions in these crystals are discussed.
Do past climate states influence diversity dynamics and the present‐day latitudinal diversity gradient?

Aim To identify the role of climate variations over geological time in shaping present-day diversity patterns, particularly the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG; the decrease of taxonomic diversity from low towards high latitudes), using marine bivalves as a model system. Location World-wide. Methods We use the fossil record of extant and extinct bivalve taxa and information on global palaeoclimate states to evaluate how the climate state at the beginning of the evolutionary history of individual families influenced (a) their diversification dynamics through subsequent climate changes and (b) their present-day LDG. For (a), we estimated per-family genus origination and extinction rates during the last cool interval in the late Cenozoic and overall genus origination and extinction rates since the early Palaeozoic. For (b), we compared LDG slopes and oldest fossil occurrences of extant families with palaeoclimate data. We also tested whether such dynamics vary with life habits. Results Families that originated in warm intervals tend to have higher extinction rates in the (cool) late Cenozoic and occasionally in other cool intervals. However, in contrast to the results of Romdal et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2013, 22, 344–350), present-day LDG slopes do not vary with the climate state at the time of family origination, regardless of the palaeoclimatic scheme used. Infaunal living families have marginally higher origination rates in the late Cenozoic, but their LDG slopes do not differ significantly from the epifaunal families. In contrast, feeding habit appears to affect family LDG slopes, but not late Cenozoic diversification rates. Main conclusion For marine bivalves, ancestral climate state appears to influence subsequent diversification dynamics with clades originating in warm intervals showing higher extinction rates during intervals of global cooling, but ancestral climate has no detectable influence on present-day LDGs.
How to Rein in the Volatile Actor: A New Bounded Perspective

Abstract Actor-critic algorithms are amongst the most well-studied reinforcement learning algorithms that can be used to solve Markov decision processes (MDPs) via simulation. Unfortunately, the parameters of the so-called “actor” in the classical actor-critic algorithm exhibit great volatility — getting unbounded in practice, whence they have to be artificially constrained to obtain solutions in practice. The algorithm is often used in conjunction with Boltzmann action selection, where one may have to use a temperature to get the algorithm to work, but the convergence of the algorithm has only been proved when the temperature equals 1. We propose a new actor-critic algorithm whose actor's parameters are bounded. We present a mathematical proof of the boundedness and test our algorithm on small-scale MDPs for infinite horizon discounted reward. Our algorithm produces encouraging numerical results.
The swallowing disorder in patients with diabetic neuropathy-gastroenteropathy.

Manometric studies of the pharynx and esophagus in 8 patients with evidence of diabetic neuropathy-gastroenteropathy revealed, in comparison with control patients, marked diminution in the amplitude of pharyngeal contractions, in the percentage of swallows followed by progressive peristalsis in the body of the esophagus, in the amplitude of peristaltic contractions throughout the esophagus, and in the effective lower esophageal intrasphincteric pressure. These observations serve further to delineate and quantitate the nature of the swallowing disorder which had previously been demonstrated cineradiographically in this same group of patients.
Diabetic Vascular Disease: Characteristics of Vascular Disease Unique to the Diabetic Patient

Diabetes is a cardiovascular disease affecting almost every arterial vascular bed with significant consequences. Vascular disease is one part of a triopathy of complications that singularly but most commonly in combination makes the Diabetic patient uniquely susceptible to lower extremity complications. The other two conditions are Neuropathy and an altered response to Infection. Diabetic peripheral arterial disease has a predilection for the smaller below knee tibial/peroneal arteries and there is no microvascular occlusive arterial disease affecting the diabetic foot. Microvascular dysfunction is not an occlusive phenomenon and supports an aggressive approach to treating existing macrovascular atherogenic occlusive disease complicating diabetic wounds of all extremities. Individualized, patient-centered treatment utilizing all available endovascular and open revascularization options best ensures the highest quality outcomes at a cost our healthcare system can afford.
Highly accelerated, free-surface flows

Accelerations exceeding 20g in surface waves have been observed both in experiments and in numerically computed flows with a free surface. The present paper describes a family of analytic solutions which display such behaviour. They are expressible in parametric form as z = F sinh ω + iG cosh ω + γω + iH, where F, G and H are functions of the time t only, and γ is linear in t. ω is a complex parameter which is real at the free surface. The functions F(t) and G(t) satisfy two nonlinear, coupled ODEs, which can be solved numerically. Typically the solutions pass through an ‘inertial shock’, or singularity in the time, where the displacements vary as t2/3, the velocities as t1/3 and the accelerations as t-4/3. In this class of solution the free surface develops a cusp as t → ∞. In a special case, F and G vary as t4/7 and the cusp is reached in finite time. Gravity is neglected, but plays a part in setting up the initial conditions for the highly accelerated flow.In future papers it will be shown that more general solutions exist in which the acceleration is momentarily large but bounded.
Interferon-lambda as a new approach for treatment of allergic asthma?

Asthma is a heterogeneous inflammatory disorder of the lung caused principally by sensitization and exposure to an allergen, but also influenced by environmental factors such as cigarette smoking, stress, exercise, pollution, respiratory virus infection and certain respiratory bacteria. The cardinal features of asthma include wheeze, shortness of breath, variable and reversible airway obstruction, airway hyperresponsiveness, mucus production and airway inflammation. Allergic asthma is the most common form of asthma, caused by sensitization and exposure via the airways to a number of innocuous allergens including proteins from house dust mites, animals, moulds and tree and grass pollens. Sensitization and challenge elicits a response from Th2 helper T cells and, through the actions of interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐13, IgE production, airway eosinophilia, mast cell activation, mucus production and airway hyperreactivity ensues. Mild asthma can be well controlled by inhaled steroid therapies or inhaled steroid‐β2 agonist combinations. However, in moderate to severe asthma, adequate control frequently cannot be achieved with these therapies, and new and better treatments are therefore required. Asthma exacerbations are acute attacks of asthma when an otherwise ‘stable’ asthmatic experiences a rapid increase in symptoms accompanied by decreased lung function, most often precipitated by a respiratory virus infection. Asthma exacerbations are responsible for the vast majority of the morbidity and mortality associated with asthma; and represent an area not well controlled by current therapy regimes. The search for new asthma therapies remains an intensive area of interest, and the last 10 years have seen a number of novel therapeutic strategies applied to both stable asthma and asthma exacerbations, including new formulations of steroids and β2 agonists, anti‐Th2 cytokine therapies, anti‐TNF‐α therapies, etc. The work by Koltsida et al (Koltsida et al, 2011) in this issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine is of outstanding importance in this regard for …
T cell recognition of lysozyme. II. Shift in specificity during long-term culture determined by synthetic overlapping peptides comprising the entire protein chain.

Recently, by using a comprehensive synthetic strategy developed in this laboratory, we localized four sites (T sites) within the polypeptide chain of lysozyme recognized by T cells from two high responder mouse strains, DBA/1 and B10.BR. However, to detect minor specificities, the selective enrichment of lysozyme reactive cells, would be required. T cells from long-term cultures maintained by repeated stimulation with antigen are selectively enriched for that antigen. It is not known whether maintaining T cells for extended periods of time in vitro has any consequences on the profile of T cell recognition. In the present study, T cells from long-term cultures, derived from these two high responder lysozyme-primed mouse strains, were examined for their responsiveness to a series of synthetic overlapping peptides encompassing the entire polypeptide chain of the lysozyme molecule. We have found that the profile of T cell recognition of the long-term cultures may not reflect that of the lysozyme primed lymph ...
ADR for the Federal Workforce: A Evaluation of EEOC Management Directive 110

This paper examines the impacts of the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission’s Management Directive 110, which requires all federal agencies to offer Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to federal sector Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complainants. Specifically, the paper examines whether MD 110 improved federal sector EEO complaint processing, and whether the use of ADR for federal sector discrimination complaints is more effective, efficient, and fair than the traditional EEO procedure. Findings are reported in three sections, including an overall analysis, an analysis of the informal stage of the process, and an analysis of the formal stage of the process. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the study and directions for future research.
Risk of Reoperation Within 90 Days of Liver Transplantation: A Necessary Evil?

Background The rate and consequences of reoperation after liver transplantation (LT) are unknown in the United States. Study Design Adult patients (n = 10,295; 45% of all LT) undergoing LT from 2009 through 2012 were examined using a linkage of the University HealthSystem Consortium and Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients databases providing recipient, donor, center, hospitalization, and survival details. Median follow-up was 2 years. Reoperations were identified within 90 days after LT. Results Overall 90-day reoperation rate after LT was 29.3%. Risk factors for 90-day reoperation included recipients with a history of hemodialysis, severely ill functional status, government insurance, increasing Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score, and increasing donor risk index. Reoperation within 90 days was found to be an independent predictor of adjusted 1-year mortality (odds ratio = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.5–2.1), as was government-provided insurance and increasing donor risk index. Additionally, patients undergoing delayed reoperative intervention (after 30 days) were found to have increased risk of 1-year mortality compared with those undergoing early reoperative intervention (odds ratio = 1.96; 95% CI, 1.4–2.7; p Conclusions This is the first national study reporting that nearly one-third of transplant recipients undergo reoperation within 90 days of LT. Although necessary at times, reoperation is associated with increased risk of death at 1 year; however, it appears that the timing of these interventions can be critical, due to the type of intervention required. Early reoperative intervention does not appear to influence long-term outcomes, and delayed intervention (after 30 days) is strongly associated with decreased survival.
Social Media Use and Online Political Participation Among College Students During the US Election 2012

A total of 4,556 US college students were surveyed immediately after Election 2012 to investigate what social media–related psychological and behavioral factors predicted their online political par...
Syndecan functions to regulate Wnt-dependent axon guidance in C. elegans

Syndecans are conserved cell-surface receptors that function in multiple developmental contexts. We found that C. elegans with mutations in the single syndecan gene, sdn-1, exhibited errors in anterior-posterior axon growth and termination, including axons that stopped short of or grew past their stereotypical termination point. Transgenic rescue experiments indicated that syndecan function was cell non-autonomous for GABAergic axon outgrowth during early development, but likely cell autonomous to inhibit growth later in development. In regulating the posterior termination of the GABAergic motorneurons in the dorsal nerve cord, sdn-1 appeared to function to regulate the inhibitory activity of the egl-20/Wnt ligand. Over-expression of EGL-20 induced premature axon termination, and this was enhanced by loss of sdn-1. Conversely, removing egl-20 from sdn-1 mutants resulted in fewer animals with prematurely terminating dorsal nerve cords. The proteoglycan modifying enzymes hse-5 and hst-2, but not hst-6, had similar effects, suggesting specific heparan sulfate modifications regulated EGL-20 axon-terminating activity. sdn-1 appears to function with lin-17/Frizzled, bar-1/beta-catenin and the egl-5 Hox-like transcription factor in EGL-20-dependent axon outgrowth. We found that bar-1 was required for egl-5 expression in the most posterior GABAergic neurons. sdn-1 mutants had a more variable effect on egl-5 expression, but over-expression of egl-5 was able to partially rescue phenotypes caused by the loss of sdn-1. Overall our results suggest that syndecan is a component of a specific Wnt-signaling event that is necessary for axons to recognize appropriate termination points.
115 EFFECT OF ETHANOL BEFORE SLEEP ON OVERNIGHT INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR 1 AND INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR BINDING PROTEIN 3 DYNAMICS IN HEALTHY, NONDIABETIC SUBJECTS.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is recognized as an insulin sensitizer, whereas IGFBP3 acts as an insulin antagonist (Muzumdar RH, Diabetes). Since overnight glucose regulation may be modulated by alterations in the availability of IGF-1 and/or IGFBP3, we hypothesized that oral ethanol ingestion prior to sleep would alter the relationship between IGF-1 and IGFBP3 during sleep. Eleven healthy subjects (age = 63 ± 5 years, HbA1C = 5.0 ± 0.2%, BMI = 27 ± 5 kg/m2) were admitted to the UNM GCRC for two separate 24-hour studies. At 2200, subjects ingested sugar free punch with or without 95% ethanol (ethanol vs placebo) to achieve blood alcohol concentrations of 0.12 ± 0.02% (mild intoxication) by midnight during the ethanol arm of the study. During sleep, glucose, insulin, GH, IGF-1, and IGFBP3 were sampled at baseline and every 30 minutes between midnight and 0800. Results are shown below: These results demonstrate that IGF-1 availability relative to IGFBP3 is reduced following low-dose ethanol ingestion prior to sleep. This occurs independently of GH concentrations and may reflect a suppressive effect of insulin on IGF-1. This may represent an additional glucose counterregulatory response to reduced glucose concentrations following ethanol ingestion.
Behavioral perturbation and sleep in healthy and virus-infected inbred mice.

Murine gammaherpesvirus (MuGHV) is a natural pathogen of wild rodents that has been studied extensively in terms of host immune responses to herpesviruses during acute infection, latency, and reactivation from latency. Although herpesvirus infections in people can be associated with fatigue and excessive sleepiness during both acute and latent infection, MuGHV has not been assessed extensively as a model for studying the behavioral consequences of chronic latent herpesvirus infections. To assess MuGHV infection as a model for evaluating fatigue and assessing potential mechanisms that underlie the exacerbation of fatigue during chronic viral disease, we evaluated sleep, temperature, and activity after exposure of healthy and latently MuGHV-infected mice to sleep fragmentation and social interaction. Neither treatment nor infection significantly affected temperature. However, at some time points, latently infected mice that underwent sleep fragmentation had less locomotor activity and more slow-wave sleep than did mice exposed to social interaction. In addition, delta-wave amplitude during slow-wave sleep was lower in infected mice exposed to sleep fragmentation compared with uninfected mice exposed to the same treatment. Both reduced locomotor activity and increased time asleep could indicate fatigue in infected mice after sleep fragmentation; reduced delta-wave amplitude during slow-wave sleep indicates a light plane of sleep from which subjects would be aroused easily. Identifying the mechanisms that underlie sleep responses of mice with chronic latent MuGHV infection may increase our understanding of fatigue during infections and eventually contribute to improving the quality of life for people with chronic viral infections.