cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy conservation in power plants: Analysis of pressure-equalizing pump performance

Abstract This analysis is a comparison of the performance differences between a pressure-equalizing pump and a conventional centrifugal boiler-feed pump in a typical steam-power plant, operating on a 60,000 kW e turbine-generator unit with throttle steam at 1350 psi and 950 °F. The purpose of this paper is to define the operating power required for a high-volume, high-pressure, high-speed, pressure-equalizing (P.E.) pump. This power is calculated to be 42 horsepower and should be compared with 854 horsepower for the centrifugal pump at the same condensate loading.
Biochemical characterization of a cellular structure retaining vegetally localized RNAs in Xenopus late stage oocytes.

Two pathways operate during Xenopus oogenesis to localize a small number of RNAs to the vegetal cortex. Correct localization of these RNAs is essential to normal development as the proteins they encode are involved in specifying cell type and in patterning the early embryo. Binding these RNAs to the vegetal cortex and thus preserving their localized condition is a critical step, although little is known about how this is achieved. In this study, we have used a biochemical approach to examine the anchoring step. Xlsirts, an abundant localized RNA (locRNA), was selectively enriched in a detergent-insoluble fraction (DIF) prepared from oocytes that had completed the RNA localization process. These putative RNA-anchoring complexes were analyzed by density gradient centrifugation and in RNA-protein binding assays. Cortical Xlsirts and other localized RNAs are specifically found in the heavy region of sucrose gradients and in the pellet, quite different from other cellular RNPs. Four proteins were identified by UV-crosslinking that bound the Xlsirts localization signal in the cortex, but not in the soluble fraction. These are likely members of the anchoring complex and appear to include vera, a characterized Vg1 RNA binding protein. Vera was found to co-sediment with other locRNAs found in the vegetal cortex, suggesting that it is a common component of locRNPs. Finally, we found that locRNPs extracted into the soluble fraction had the same buoyant density as typical ooplasmic RNPs. We propose that locRNAs are organized and anchored in the cortex as typical RNPs.
Pumping ions: regulation of intracellular pH in hepatocytes.

In rat hepatocytes, basolateral Na+-H+ exchange and Na+-HCO3− cotransport function as acid extruders. To assess mechanisms of acid loading, intracellular pH (pHi) recovery from an alkaline load was analyzed in short-term cultured rat hepatocyte monolayers using the pH-sensitive dye BCECF. Electrophysiological techniques were also used to assess the role of the membrane potential (Vm). Cells were alkaline loaded by suddenly reducing external CO2 and HCO3− (from 10% and 50 mM, respectively, to 5% and 25 mM) at constant pH. After this maneuver, pHi rapidly rose by 0.13 ± 0.03 pH units (pHu) and recovered to baseline at an initial rate of 0.026 ± 0.009 pHu/min. Intracellular buffering power was estimated from the dependence of pHi on [NH4−]o and varied between 70 and 10.5 mM/pHu in a pHi range of 6.5-7.6. Initial pHi recovery corresponded to a rate of OH− efflux (JOH) of 1.76 ± 0.71 mM/min and was blocked by 0.5 mM DIDS (0.003 ± 0.002; JOH = 0.18 ± 0.06) or by 1 mM H2DIDS (0.001 ± 0.002; JOH = 0.26 ± 0.08) and by removal of [Cl−]o (0.003 ± 0.007; JOH = 0.28 ± 0.07). The dependence of JOH on [Cl−]o exhibited saturation kinetics with an apparent Km for [Cl−]o of 5.1 mM. pHi recovery was Na+ independent and was not inhibited by substitution of Na+ with NMDG (0.045 ± 0.09; JOH = 2.94 ± 0.59). During an alkaline load, cell Vm hyperpolarized from –33.4 ± 1.8 to –43.4 ± 2.8 mV, mainly due to an increase in K+ conductance by a factor of 2.8 ± 0.3. Ba2+ blocked these changes and depolarized Vm by 12.1 ± 1.2 mV but had no effect on pHi recovery (0.025 ± 0.007; JOH = 1.46 ± 0.60), excluding that Vm functions as a major force for HCO3− extrusion after an alkaline load. The rate of JOH was directly proportional to the pHi reached after the alkaline load and varied fourfold over the pHi range of 7.25-7.46. These data indicate that pHi recovery from an alkaline load in rat hepatocytes is mediated by an electroneutral Na+-independent Cl−-HCO3− exchanger.
Comparing Arctic Regional Climate Model

Recent climate modeling results show the Arctic to be a region of particular importance and vulnerability to global climate change. Despite the climatic significance of the Arctic, many physical processes occurring in this region are still not well understood. Hence, it is not surprising that simulated climates of the Arctic vary widely depending on the choice of climate model and physical parameterizations.
Recovery of function following injections of kainic acid: Behavioral, electrophysiological and neuroanatomical correlates

Abstract This research examined the electrophysiological, behavioral and neuroanatomical changes following an injection of kainic acid (KA) which destroyed most of the CA3 pyramidal cells in the hippocampus. For 5 days following the injection of KA, the evoked potential (EP) in the CA1 pyramidal cells produced by stimulation of the perforant path (PP), dentate gyrus (DG), or remaining CA3 cells was markedly altered. These rats also had an impairement of choice accuracy in a discrimination task that required working memory. Within 30 days, however, all EPs had become more normal. Choice accuracy had either returned to criterion levels, or improved substantially above that immediately following the KA injection. Analysis of the EPs indicated that the normal trisynaptic pathway through the hippocampus had been re-established. Neuroanatomical examination of the remaining CA3 pyramidal cells showed a marked increase in cross-sectional area. These data provide an electrophysiological description of the effects of KA on neuronal transmission in the hippocampus, and suggest that the behavioral recovery following these injections was due to sprouting of the remaining CA3 cells which re-established the trisynaptic pathway in the hippocampus.
An acid-catalyzed Michael–aldol reaction

A tricyclic ketone is formed from cyclohexanone and cyclohexenone in strong acid solutions. The structure is confirmed by X-ray crystallography.
Ocular Hypotony After Trabeculectomy With Mitomycin C

Because mitomycin C reduces the resistance to aqueous outflow normally provided by postoperative subconjunctival fibrosis, we would expect to see more frequent hypotony after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C than after standard trabeculectomy. To evaluate the incidence of hypotony in trabeculectomy with intraoperative mitomycin C use, we performed a retrospective analysis on 52 eyes of 48 patients who underwent trabeculectomy with mitomycin C. Mitomycin C concentration was 0.4 mg/ml in all eyes, and treatment time ranged from 3 1/2 to seven minutes. We defined hypotony as intraocular pressure lower than 5 mm Hg on two examinations at least four weeks apart and six weeks or more postoperatively. Overall, average intraocular pressure was 22.7 ± 10.7 mm Hg preoperatively and 10.4 ± 5.0 mm Hg postoperatively (P 2 = 2.30, P=.13). Nine of 17 hypotonous eyes (52.7%) and five of 35 nonhypotonous eyes (14.3%) had loss of two or more lines of Snellen visual acuity. Hypotony occurred in nearly one third of eyes treated with mitomycin C during trabeculectomy in our study. There was a statistically significant (P = .03) association of hypotony with longer application time of mitomycin C, and a trend toward increased incidence of hypotony in primary filtration.
Defining the Boundaries of Early Adolescence: A User's Guide to Assessing Pubertal Status and Pubertal Timing in Research With Adolescents

This article addresses pragmatic issues regarding the assessment of puberty in research on adolescent health and development. Because pubertal processes have a major effect on physical, psychological, and social development, we posit that the assessment of pubertal status is at least as important as the specification of age for characterizing adolescent participants in research studies. Yet, a sampling of recent literature shows that the majority of publications addressing health and developmental issues in adolescence lack any measure of puberty. A more comprehensive review of 447 articles reporting to have assessed puberty reveals considerable inconsistencies in methods, definitions, and conceptualizations of puberty and its stages, which highlights the need for better standardization. This article provides an in-depth review of existing methods to assess pubertal status and timing and enumerates the relative merits and shortcomings of several approaches. Conceptual and practical guidelines are provided...
Teleseismic Signal Extraction

Additive ambient seismic noise in the 0.5 to 2.0 c/s range can be reduced by 'isotropic' receiver systems employing horizontal arrays (with 5 to 10 km aperture), or reasonable vertical arrays (with some limitations), probably to teleseismic body-wave noise level (about - 15 dB relative to 1 nm$^2$ (c/s)$^{-1}$ at 1 c/s)* in reasonable areas. Very large aperture arrays of these receiver systems are expected to detect and extract teleseismic signals below the teleseismic (or mantle P wave) noise level. 'Signal-generated noise' resulting from scattering should be reduced by the same approach. Alteration of teleseismic signal waveforms by reverberation at the receiving station is important at some, though probably not all, receiving sites. Appropriate linear filtering which may be dependent on epicentral location should be suitable for adequately reducing this effect. A 0.5 to 2.0 c/s (or broader) representation of the teleseismic signal as it appears in the upper mantle at the receiving location, with additive noise reduced to a hypothetically predictable level, should be achievable at a number of locations by an appropriate combination of isotropic trapped and leaking noise reduction subsystems, built into large aperture directional scanning arrays, with filtering to reduce reverberation. An attempt to exploit the large time x bandwidth product of 'complex' teleseisms by coherent processing of signals emanating from different directions in the source 'radiation pattern' was unfruitful.
Windblown dust influenced by conventional and undercutter tillage within the Columbia Plateau, USA.

Exceedance of the US Environmental Protection Agency national ambient air quality standard for PM10 (particulate matter ≤10 µm in aerodynamic diameter) within the Columbia Plateau region of the Pacific Northwest US is largely caused by wind erosion of agricultural lands managed in a winter wheat–summer fallow rotation. Land management practices, therefore, are sought that will reduce erosion and PM10 emissions during the summer fallow phase of the rotation. Horizontal soil flux and PM10 concentrations above adjacent field plots (>2 ha), with plots subject to conventional or undercutter tillage during summer fallow, were measured using creep and saltation/suspension collectors and PM10 samplers installed at various heights above the soil surface. After wheat harvest in 2004 and 2005, the plots were either disked (conventional) or undercut with wide sweeps (undercutter) the following spring and then periodically rodweeded prior to sowing wheat in late summer. Soil erosion from the fallow plots was measured during six sampling periods over two years; erosion or PM10 loss was not observed during two periods due to the presence of a crust on the soil surface. For the remaining sampling periods, total surface soil loss from conventional and undercutter tillage ranged from 3 to 40 g m–2 and 1 to 27 g m–2 while PM10 loss from conventional and undercutter tillage ranged from 0·2 to 5·0 g m–2 and 0·1 to 3·3 g m–2, respectively. Undercutter tillage resulted in a 15% to 65% reduction in soil loss and 30% to 70% reduction in PM10 loss as compared with conventional tillage at our field sites. Therefore, based on our results at two sites over two years, undercutter tillage appears to be an effective management practice to reduce dust emissions from agricultural land subject to a winter wheat–summer fallow rotation within the Columbia Plateau. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Imaging of memory-specific changes in the distribution of protein kinase C in the hippocampus

Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) can mimic the biophysical effects of associative learning on neurons. Furthermore, classical conditioning of the rabbit nictitating membrane (a form of associative learning) produces translocation of PKC activity from the cytosolic to the membrane compartments of the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Evidence is provided here for a significant change in the amount and distribution of PKC within the CA1 cell field of the rabbit hippocampus that is specific to learning. This change is seen at 1 day after learning as focal increments of [3H]phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate binding to PKC in computer-generated images produced from coronal autoradiographs of rabbit brain. In addition, 3 days after learning, the autoradiographs suggest a redistribution of PKC within CA1 from the cell soma to the dendrites.
Hydrostatic equilibrium and convective stability in the plasmasphere

Abstract It has been shown that no hydrostatic/barometric model for a rotating plasmasphere is able to fit the equatorial electron density distributions observed by the ISEE satellite for L L , while those corresponding to any hydrostatic/barometric models are always increasing functions of L . Furthermore, all calculated barometric equatorial density profiles have a minimum value at an equatorial distance given by L o =(GM E / Ω 2 R 3 E ) 1/3 =6.6( Ω E / Ω ) 2/3 , depending on the value of the angular rotational speed, Ω: L o ≤6.6 for Ω/Ω E ≥1. The position of this minimum is independent of the particle velocity distribution function (VDF) assumed (i.e. on the energy spectrum of the ions and electrons); the value of the minimum density depends on the temperature and density at the low altitude reference, as well as on the kappa index of the Lorentzian VDF assumed to calculate the barometric model. There is no evidence for such a minimum value in the observed equatorial density profiles of ISEE. This is considered as a second indication that the plasmasphere is not in hydrostatic/barometric equilibrium. Next, it is shown that for L > L o all barometric models are convectively unstable with respect to interchange and quasi-interchange. Therefore, it is not surprising that observed density profiles do not fit any of the profiles corresponding to corotating barometric models. A final indication that the plasmasphere is not in hydrostatic equilibrium but in a state of continuous hydrodynamic expansion comes from the fact that the total plasma pressure at the outer edge of the magnetosphere is lower than the kinetic pressure predicted by barometric models at large radial distances. As a consequence of this pressure unbalance, the plasmasphere is expected to expand continuously like the solar corona. Evidence for such a plasmaspheric wind had already been inferred earlier from the study of the ion density profiles obtained from the OGO-5 mission.
Antiretroviral Non-Adherence is Associated With a Retrieval Profile of Deficits in Verbal Episodic Memory

HIV-associated deficits in verbal episodic memory are commonly associated with antiretroviral non-adherence; however, the specific aspects of memory functioning (e.g., encoding, consolidation, or retrieval) that underlie this established relationship are not well understood. This study evaluated verbal memory profiles of 202 HIV+ participants who underwent a 30-day electronic monitoring of antiretroviral adherence. At the group level, non-adherence was significantly associated with lower scores on immediate and delayed passage recall and word list learning. Retention and recognition of passages and word lists were not related to adherence. Participants were then classified as having either a normal verbal memory profile, a "subcortical" retrieval profile (i.e., impaired free recall with relatively spared recognition), or a "cortical" encoding profile (e.g., cued recall intrusions) based on the Massman et al. ( 1990 ) algorithm for the California Verbal Learning Test. HIV+ participants with a classic retrieval deficit had significantly greater odds of being non-adherent than participants with a normal or encoding profile. These findings suggest that adherence to prescribed antiretroviral regimens may be particularly vulnerable to disruption in HIV+ individuals due to deficits in the complex process of efficiently accessing verbal episodic information with minimal cues. A stronger relationship between non-adherence and passage (vs. word list) recall was also found and may reflect the importance of contextual features in remembering to take medications. Targeted interventions for enhancing and supporting episodic memory retrieval processes may improve antiretroviral adherence and overall health outcomes among persons living with HIV.
GaN non-linear modeling for Ka band resistive mixer design

Summary form only given. Mixers are a fundamental component in transmit and receive communications systems for military and space applications. The power handling capability and linearity specifications for mixer blocks has increased for these applications. Resistive mixers are an excellent option for achieving these specifications. A gate controlled variable drain resistance is used as the mixing element for this type of mixer. The local oscillator signal (LO) drives the gate of the device while the RF signal is applied to the drain of the device. The time varying reflection coefficient at the drain produces an intermodulated response which contains the down converted response. The linearity performance of these mixers is superior since the device is operated in the linear region of operation. The design goal is to maximize linearity and minimize the conversion loss.GaN HEMT structures are an attractive device option when designing resistive mixers. Their high power handling capabilities, large knee voltage, and high operating frequency make them an excellent candidate for resistive mixer designs. Since AlxGa1-xN/GaN technology is relatively new, there exist problems with robustness and non-ideal device behavior. Trap induced dispersion produces gate and drain lag which in turn affects the large signal behavior of the device. In order to design resistive mixers with the GaN technology, accurate models must be produced which take into account both gate and drain lag and accurately model drain resistance over entire linear operating region. The non-linear model should also include accurate behavior of the gate to drain capacitance and the drain to source capacitance. This paper presents a non-linear model and the design of a resistive mixer at 30GHz. The design will use an unreleased high speed GaN process from Triquint. The model is a modified version of Angelov's non-linear model. The model is modified to provide better fit for the drain resistance and large signal reactances over a larger range of bias voltages. The model also includes gate and drain dispersion effects.
Accuracy of parental and youth reporting of secondhand smoke exposure: The Florida youth cohort study

The accuracy of adolescent and parental reports of youth secondhand smoke exposure has received limited attention in the research literature. Florida Youth Cohort Study participants provided saliva samples during the fifth round of interviews for determination of cotinine levels. After exclusion of admitted or likely youth smokers with cotinine levels>14.7 ng/ml, there were 341 youth ages 13-17 who completed a telephone interview; 304 parents of these participants completed a similar secondhand smoke exposure interview. Adolescents with cotinine levels above the threshold of detection (> 0.10 ng/ml) were considered exposed. Specificity ranged from 87.1-97.8. Positive predictive value, negative predictive value, sensitivity, and kappa values varied considerably by the reporting source (e.g., youth, parent, or a combination of responses), and the age and gender of the youth respondent. Agreement between youth and parent that at least one parent smoked inside the home yielded the best combination of sensitivity (85.0) and specificity (89.8) and was least affected by the age and gender of the youth respondent.
Enhanced speculative parallelization via incremental recovery

The widespread availability of multicore systems has led to an increased interest in speculative parallelization of sequential programs using software-based thread level speculation. Many of the proposed techniques are implemented via state separation where non-speculative computation state is maintained separately from the speculative state of threads performing speculative computations. If speculation is successful, the results from speculative state are committed to non-speculative state. However, upon misspeculation, discard-all scheme is employed in which speculatively computed results of a thread are discarded and the computation is performed again. While this scheme is simple to implement, one disadvantage of discard-all is its inability to tolerate high misspeculation rates due to its high runtime overhead. Thus, it is not suitable for use in applications where misspeculation rates are input dependent and therefore may reach high levels.In this paper we develop an approach for incremental recovery in which, instead of discarding all of the results and reexecuting the speculative computation in its entirety, the computation is restarted from the earliest point at which a misspeculation causing value is read. This approach has two advantages. First, the cost of recovery is reduced as only part of the computation is reexecuted. Second, since recovery takes less time, the likelihood of future misspeculations is reduced. We design and implement a strategy for implementing incremental recovery that allows results of partial computations to be efficiently saved and reused. For a set of programs where misspeculation rate is input dependent, our experiments show that with inputs that result in misspeculation rates of around 40% and 80%, applying incremental recovery technique results in 1.2x-3.3x and 2.0x-6.6x speedups respectively over the discard-all recovery scheme. Furthermore, misspeculations observed during discard-all scheme are reduced when incremental recovery is employed -- reductions range from 10% to 85%.
Factors affecting long-term survival (>10 years) after cardiac transplantation in the cyclosporine era

Abstract OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine long-term survival (>10 years) after cardiac transplantation in the cyclosporine era and identify risk factors influencing long-term survival. BACKGROUND Despite the availability of newer modalities for heart failure, cardiac transplantation remains the treatment of choice for end-stage heart disease. METHODS Between 1983 and 1988, 195 patients underwent heart transplantation at a single center for the treatment of end-stage heart disease. Multivariable logistic regression analysis of pretransplant risk factors affecting long-term survival after cardiac transplantation included various recipient and donor demographic, immunologic and peritransplant variables. RESULTS Among the group of 195 cardiac transplant recipients, actuarial survival was 72%, 58% and 39% at 1, 5 and 10 years respectively. In the 65 patients who survived >10 years, mean cardiac index was 2.9 l/m2and mean ejection fraction was 58%. Transplant-related coronary artery disease (TRCAD) was detected in only 14 of the 65 patients (22%). By multivariable analysis, the only risk factor found to adversely affect long-term survival was a pretransplant diagnosis of ischemic cardiomyopathy (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Long-term survivors maintain normal hemodynamic function of their allografts with a low prevalence of TRCAD. It is possible that similar risk factors that lead to coronary artery disease in native vessels continue to operate in the post-transplant period, thereby contributing to adverse outcomes after cardiac transplantation. Aggressive preventive and therapeutic measures are essential to limit the risk factors for development of coronary atherosclerosis and enable long-term survival after cardiac transplantation.
α-Synuclein Promotes Neuroprotection Through NF-κB–Mediated Transcriptional Regulation of Protein Kinase Cδ

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that results in a progressively debilitating loss of motor function and hypokinesia and is characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Recent evidence suggests that caspase-3-dependent proteolytic cleavage and nuclear translocation of the δ isoform of protein kinase C (PKCδ) may be required for oxidative stress-induced dopaminergic cell death. Whereas several proteins have been postulated to contribute to dopaminergic neuron loss, the signaling cascades that mediate this selective neuron loss in PD are not well understood. The presynaptic protein α-synuclein (α-syn), mutations in which cause familial PD, has been implicated in pathways that influence both neuronal protection and apoptosis. However, the activities of α-syn in PD have not been elucidated at the molecular level, and whether α-syn is neuroprotective or neurotoxic remains controversial. This Journal Club discusses recent research indicating that α-syn may protect against dopaminergic cell death by down-regulating PKCδ, a key molecule that mediates apoptosis in these cells. These findings are the first steps toward the understanding of critical signaling pathways that might be important in PD pathogenesis and represent potential targets for developing new therapies.
Bipolar Tined Polyurethane Ventricular Lead: A Four-Year Experience

With the advent of polyurethane as an insulating material for permanent pacemaker leads, concern has arisen over the integrity and long-term durability of polyurethane-insulated pacing leads. Specific concern has arisen over particular bipolar tined polyurethane ventricular leads. We have assessed our 4-year experience with this lead. This experience involves two groups of patients, those with leads manufactured before a certain date and those with leads manufactured at a later date. In the first group (judged to be at increased risk) the failure rate was 8.8%, and in the second group (judged not to be at increased risk) the rate was 3.9%. Lead failure occurred at an average of 17.5 months in the first group. Adequate follow-up on the second group is not available to determine whether or not the failure rate may eventually be as high as that in the early group. Actuarial analysis suggests that survivorship free of lead failure is probably not significantly different in the two groups. This experience points out the need for determining lead failure rates, identifying optimal lead design and configuration, and establishing a lead registry or mechanism by which the integrity of various pacing leads can be evaluated.
Plus CA Change…? The Sexual Structure of Occupations Over Time

Through use of an adaptation of the Duncans' Index of Segregation, a measure of the amount of sexual segregation in occupations is calculated for each Census year from 1900 to 1960. Detailed occupations are employed in order to avoid masking effects of broad categories. No change in amount of segregation over this 60 year period is evident. Through use of a measure devised by Gibbs to hold size structure “constant,” some evidence for a decrease in segregation is derived. Such decrease seems to be accompanied by continued resistance by male occupations to females but decreased resistance by female occupations to the entry of males. The latter tendency, it is suggested, should be more carefully studied.
FREEZE-INJURY IN BACTERIA

(1973). Freeze-Injury in Bacteria. CRC Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 161-213.
Endocrinopathies: Thyroid and Adrenal Disorders

This article focuses on common adrenal and thyroid diseases in the geriatric patient consisting of hypothyroidism in the dog, hyperthyroidism in the cat, and hyperadrenocorticism in the dog to include clinical signs, diagnosis, and management. A brief section on hyperadrenocorticism in the cat, thyroid tumors in the dog, and pheochromocytoma in the dog and cat are also included.
Experimental infection of dogs and monkeys with two rabies serogroup viruses, Lagos bat and Mokola (IbAn 27377). Gross pathologic and histopathologic changes.

Dogs and monkeys were inoculated intracerebrally or intramuscularly with Lagos bat virus or Mokola virus, two viruses serologically and morphologically related to rabies virus. All animals inoculated intracerebrally died, but some animals inoculated intramuscularly survived. One monkey inoculated intramuscularly with Lagos bat virus survived with a hemiparesis. In both dogs and monkeys that died there was a nonsuppurative meningoencephalomyelitis and ganglionitis. Lesions were more extensive than those reported after infection with street rabies virus. Intracytoplasmic inclusions, morphologically indistinguishable from Negri bodies, were seen in the central nervous system of monkeys, but not dogs, that died. With fluorescent-antibody microscopy, granular aggregations of viral antigen were observed in the cytoplasm of many neurons in the central nervous system. In some animals, the retina and ciliary body of the eye had focal inflammatory changes.
Relaxed Constraint and Evolutionary Rate Variation between Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Floral Anthocyanin Regulators in Ipomoea

Regulatory genes are believed to play a large role in morphological diversification and are often characterized by elevated rates of evolution. Whether this rapid evolution is primarily due to adaptive differentiation or relaxed selective constraint remains an open question. We attempted to distinguish between these alternative outcomes in 2 transcription factors known to regulate the expression of anthocyanin pigmentation genes in flowers. We cloned the full-length coding region from 2 basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors from several species of Ipomoea with diverse flower colors and determined the selective forces operating on them. In both genes, rapidly evolving sites and indel mutations are clustered in nonbinding domains, but the extent of rate acceleration in these domains is reduced relative to most previously characterized plant transcription factors. Moreover, codon models of substitution rates and models evaluating the magnitude of change to physical amino acid properties demonstrate little evidence for adaptive evolution and suggest that elevated nonsynonymous substitution rates in these domains represent relaxed selective constraint. Although both genes show qualitatively similar patterns, their rates of evolution differ significantly due to an increased rate of nonsynonymous substitutions in the nonbinding domains in one copy, suggesting substantial differences in functional constraint on each gene. In general, these results provide additional evidence demonstrating that decreased constraint as opposed to positive selection is largely responsible for the frequently observed pattern of rapid evolution in particular domains of plant transcription factors. More specifically, they suggest that most of the amino acid substitutions are neutral and do not implicate a role for natural selection on these regulatory genes in the diversification of flower color in Ipomoea.
Crystal structure of human protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 in the open conformation

SHP-1 belongs to the family of non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) and generally acts as a negative regulator in a variety of cellular signaling pathways. Previously, the crystal structures of the tail-truncated SHP-1 and SHP-2 revealed an autoinhibitory conformation. To understand the regulatory mechanism of SHP-1, we have determined the crystal structure of the full-length SHP-1 at 3.1 A. Although the tail was disordered in current structure, the huge conformational rearrangement of the N-SH2 domain and the incorporation of sulfate ions into the ligand-binding site of each domain indicate that the SHP-1 is in the open conformation. The N-SH2 domain in current structure is shifted away from the active site of the PTP domain to the other side of the C-SH2 domain, resulting in exposure of the active site. Meanwhile, the C-SH2 domain is twisted anticlockwise by about 110°. In addition, a set of new interactions between two SH2 domains and between the N-SH2 and the catalytic domains is identified, which could be responsible for the stabilization of SHP-1 in the open conformation. Based on the structural comparison, a model for the activation of SHP-1 is proposed. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 2062–2071, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Interaction of a single-cycle laser pulse with a bound electron without ionization

In this paper, interaction of an ultrashort single-cycle pulse (USCP) with a bound electron without ionization is reported for the first time. For a more realistic mathematical description of USCPs, Hermitian polynomials and combination of Laguerre functions are used for two different single cycle excitation cases. These single cycle pulse models are used as driving functions for the classical approach to model the interaction of a bound electron with an applied electric field. A new novel time-domain technique was developed for modifying the classical Lorentz damped oscillator model in order to make it compatible with USCP excitation. This modification turned the Lorentz oscillator model equation into a Hill-like function with non-periodic time varying damping and spring coefficients. Numerical results are presented for two different excitation models and for varying spring and damping constants. Our two driving model excitations provide quite different time response of the bound electron. Different polarization response will subsequently result in relative differences in the time dependent index of refraction.
Planar Theory Made Plainer

In recent years, A.D. Jackson, A. Lande, and I have been approaching the many-body problem from the point of view of summing an important set of Feynman diagrams, the planar or parquet diagrams. It had long been recognized that the hypernetted-chain (HNC) variational theory approach and the summation of rings and ladders in perturbation theory were both dealing with diagrams of very similar topological structure. Early work by Sim, Buchler, and Woo [1] showed that the optimized hypernetted-chain (HNC) variational theory for bosons summed all ring and ladder diagrams exactly and in addition generated terms whose structure was that of other legitimate diagrams. Neither the numerical factors nor the diagrams generated this way were identified. Ref. [2] showed that the diagrams generated by the optimized HNC theory were a subset of the parquet diagrams and in general were not generated with the right numerical factors. Roughly speaking, the boson parquet theory sums ring diagrams in which there can be ladders between bubbles and ladder diagrams in which the rungs of the ladders can be chains of bubbles. These two types of diagrams are embedded in each other in a self-consistent way. A first effort was made in this work to generate an approximate sum of parquet diagrams. For the energy of liquid 4He, the results were comparable to those obtained from optimized Jastrow theory; the corresponding liquid-structure function was reasonable except for the behavior at small k.
[3H]D-aspartic acid release in brain slices of adult and aged fischer 344 rats

Alterations in glutamate content and uptake have been reported to occur in aged animals. The present studies used [3H]d-Aspartic acid ([3H]-D-ASP) release as a marker for glutamate neurotransmission. Frequency dependent [3H]-D-ASP release was measured in adult (8 month) and aged (28–30 month) Fischer 344 rats. Relatively high stimulation frequencies (>10 Hz) were required to induce [3H]-D-ASP release in both adult and aged F344 rats in temporal cortex and hippocampus. In both brain areas aged animals showed significantly more [3H]-D-ASP release than adult animals Kainic acid 1 mM failed to induce the release of [3H]-D-ASP in either temporal cortex or hippocampus. Omega conotoxin GVIA (5×10−9M) a N and L type voltage sensitive calcium channel antagonist failed to inhibit [3H]-D-ASP stimulated release. These results demonstrate an increase in [3H]-D-ASP release in aged compared to adult F344 rats. The data also suggest a novel calcium channel may be involved in [3H]-D-ASP release.
PVT Relationships for Liquid and Glassy Poly(vinyl acetate).

PVT measurements were made on liquid and glassy poly(vinyl acetate) over ranges of -30 to 100 °C and 0 to 800 bar (gage pressure). The data were obtained by three different thermodynamic histories: (a) variable formation pressure, (b) constant formation pressure at one atmosphere, and (c) constant formation pressure at 800 bar. In all of these the glass was formed by isobaric cooling at 5 °C/h. The salient characteristics resulting from the different histories are the following. History (a) produces a glass of structure varying with formation pressure and, hence, does not necessarily give the proper thermodynamic properties of a "single physical substance." However, the liquid-glass intersection temperature, Tg (P), is an important kinetic, or relaxational, property which approximates an isoviscous state. Accordingly, the values of dTg /dP are in close agreement with those obtained from dynamic mechanical and dielectric time-temperature-pressure superposition. Constant formation histories (b) and (c) give proper thermodynamic properties of the glasses, but very little information with respect to kinetics. Increasing the pressure at which the glass is formed increases the density of the glass (at the given cooling rate) considerably in contrast to the entropy (from other work), which appears to be essentially independent of formation pressure. A considerable part of the paper is definitional. The results are related to other PVT, dynamic mechanical, dielectric, and thermodynamic measurements. Interpretations are given in terms of both phenomenological and molecular models.
Multimodality treatment for distal esophageal (DE) and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma (ACA) with celiac lymph node (CLN) involvement

4574 Background: CLN involvement is a predictor of poor outcome in patients (pts) with DE or GEJ ACA. Pre-treatment identification of such patients depends on clinical staging including endoscopic ...
LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF INFLUENTIAL FACTORS OF HCV INFECTION IN ONE BLOOD-DONATOR AGGREGATED AREA.

Objective:To find out the status of HCV infection and analyze its influential factors in one blood-donator aggregated area in south Jiangsu.Methods:An Epidemiological investigation was conducted and screen for anti-HCV,HBsAg,HBc-Ab were determined in a total of 3 484 subjects by taking the sample with stratification and cluster method in the blood-donator aggregated area.Results:Infection rate of HCV was higher in the blood donors (43.24%,797/1843)than that in other general population (3.05%,48/1572),and the infection rate of HCV was higher in the male blood donors than in the female (P0.01).Mono-,multi-logistic Regression Analysis showed that history of blood donating,type of blood donating,frequency of blood donating per year and the first time of blood donating,gender and HbsAg positive were the important influential factors relevant to HCV infection.Conclusions:There was a higher prevalence rate of HCV infection among the blood donators in the area.There was relationship between HCV infection and the history of blood donating,the type of blood donating,the frequency of blood donating per year,the first time of blood donating.The other general population's rate of HCV infection was in the range of Chinese,and higher than that in north Jiangsu.
Nasal Administration of the Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitor L-NAME Induces Daytime Somnolence

In preliminary studies, human subjects complained of drowsiness after aerosolization of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) into the nasal passages. We compared the effects of a nasal aerosol of L-NAME (0.5 M, 4 ml) to those of saline on sleep onset latency and exhaled nasal nitric oxide (NO). L-NAME decreased sleep onset latency and exhaled nasal NO. Vasoconstriction and local effects of L-NAME on NO synthesis are unlikely to explain this effect since oxymetazoline, a vasoconstrictor, decreased exhaled NO but had no effect on sleep onset latency. We conclude that aerosolization of L-NAME to the nasal passages induces daytime sleepiness.
Mind the Gap Assessing and Addressing the Word Gap in Early Education

Children from poor families typically know fewer words when they enter school than children from wealthy families do. This “word gap” persists over time and may significantly affect educational ach...
Dietary Influence on Depression.

Nurses are well aware of the physiologic benefits of consuming a healthy diet. Incidence of cardiovascular disease is lower in individuals who adhere to a diet rich in vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and low in saturated fats such as the Mediterranean Diet. Recent work by experts in nutrition a
Hydrocortisone does Not Influence in Vitro Glucocorticoid Sensitivity of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Blasts

Introduction: Dexamethasone-induced neuropsychological side effects on mood, behavior and cognition seriously affect quality of life in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during a long treatment period. Based on recent studies in animals, we hypothesized that these neuropsychological side effects are mediated by dexamethasone-induced cortisol depletion of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in the brain. Therefore, we hypothesize that these side effects could be ameliorated by an intervention with hydrocortisone. For clinical application settings however, an absolute prerequisite is that MR activation does not interfere with the efficacy of the glucocorticoids, dexamethasone and prednisolone, on ALL cells. Materials and Methods: To investigate responsiveness of leukemic cell lines and fresh patients’ leukemic cells to dexamethasone and prednisolone in the presence of hydrocortisone, MTT-assays were performed. In addition MR and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression on leukemic cells of different ALL subtypes was studied with a microarray-based gene expression profiling and validated by quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Leukemic cells expressed the MR at a very low level with a significantly higher ( P ≤0.001) expression in ETV6-RUNX1 + patients (median: 160.7 [AU] of fluorescence intensity, range: 38.1 - 760.6 [AU]) versus other ALL subtypes (median: 41.8 [AU] of fluorescence intensity, range: 25.1 - 276.2 [AU]). MR expression did not differ between glucocorticoid resistant and sensitive patients’ cells. Hydrocortisone addition did not affect glucocorticoid sensitivity of leukemic cell lines and patients’ leukemic cells of different leukemic subtypes also including ETV6-RUNX1 + . Glucocorticoid sensitive patients’ cells became significantly more sensitive by hydrocortisone addition (prednisolone: P ≤0.01, dexamethasone: P ≤0.05). Conclusion: This present study shows that hydrocortisone does not interfere with efficacy of dexamethasone and prednisolone in vitro . These findings support a clinical randomized trial to study whether addition of hydrocortisone decreases the neuropsychological side effects of dexamethasone in children with ALL. Acknowledgements: The financial support of the KiKa ® (Kinderen Kankervrij) foundation is highly appreciated. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Animal Metabolites: From Amphibians, Reptiles, Aves/Birds, and Invertebrates

Abstract One of the aims of this chapter is to delineate the enormous diversity of metabolites in animals, focusing on amphibians, reptiles, aves/birds, and invertebrates. In concept, this chapter briefly describes metabolites in the simplest terms, as intermediates or end products of biotransformation of targeted substrates in the pathways of metabolic processes. The process of metabolism, with the consequent production of metabolites, occurs in all animals, vertebrates, and invertebrates. The grouping of metabolites into primary and secondary is with reference to their specific physiological utilization in the host animal. To illustrate the incredible diversity of metabolites, several examples of secondary metabolites and their sources of synthesis in birds, amphibians, and invertebrates are highlighted. The role and significance of host–symbiont (organism–bacterial/algal symbiosis) in the synthesis of metabolites is highlighted. Furthermore, the overall physiological significance of metabolites to the host animal, to the ecosystem, and to the drug development in pharmaceutical industry and its health implications are also highlighted.
Dynamic protein S-palmitoylation mediates parasite life cycle progression and diverse mechanisms of virulence

Eukaryotic parasites possess complex life cycles and utilize an assortment of molecular mechanisms to overcome physical barriers, suppress and/or bypass the host immune response, including invading host cells where they can replicate in a protected intracellular niche. Protein S-palmitoylation is a dynamic post-translational modification in which the fatty acid palmitate is covalently linked to cysteine residues on proteins by the enzyme palmitoyl acyltransferase (PAT) and can be removed by lysosomal palmitoyl-protein thioesterase (PPT) or cytosolic acyl-protein thioesterase (APT). In addition to anchoring proteins to intracellular membranes, functions of dynamic palmitoylation include - targeting proteins to specific intracellular compartments via trafficking pathways, regulating the cycling of proteins between membranes, modulating protein function and regulating protein stability. Recent studies in the eukaryotic parasites - Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii, Trypanosoma brucei, Cryptococcus neoformans and Giardia lamblia - have identified large families of PATs and palmitoylated proteins. Many palmitoylated proteins are important for diverse aspects of pathogenesis, including differentiation into infective life cycle stages, biogenesis and tethering of secretory organelles, assembling the machinery powering motility and targeting virulence factors to the plasma membrane. This review aims to summarize our current knowledge of palmitoylation in eukaryotic parasites, highlighting five exemplary mechanisms of parasite virulence dependent on palmitoylation.
Counterintuitive Roles of Experience and Weather on Migratory Performance

ABSTRACT Migration allows animals to live in resource-rich but seasonally variable environments. Because of the costs of migration, there is selective pressure to capitalize on variation in weather to optimize migratory performance. To test the degree to which migratory performance (defined as speed of migration) of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) was determined by age- and season-specific responses to variation in weather, we analyzed 1,863 daily tracks (n = 83 migrant eagles) and 8,047 hourly tracks (n = 83) based on 15 min GPS telemetry data from Golden Eagles and 277 hourly tracks based on 30 s data (n = 37). Spring migrant eagles traveled 139.75 ± 82.19 km day−1 (mean ± SE; n = 57) and 25.59 ± 11.75 km hr−1 (n = 55). Autumn migrant eagles traveled 99.14 ± 59.98 km day−1 (n = 26) and 22.18 ± 9.18 km hr−1 (n = 28). Weather during migration varied by season and by age class. During spring, best-supported daily and hourly models of 15 min data suggested that migratory performance was influenced most st...
ARTAIDSAMERICA: An Exhibit.

Danger. Despair. Death. Shame. Fear. Hopelessness. Powerlessness. Isolation. Loss. Hope. These are some of the powerful themes apparent in the impressive and extensive visual arts exhibit ARTAIDSAMERICA, which closed a national tour in Chicago at the Alphawood Gallery in April 2017. Co-curated by Jonathan David Katz, from the University at Buffalo, and Rock Hushka, curator of Contemporary and Northwest Art at Tacoma Art Museum, the exhibit toured to critical acclaim—and some controversy—at the Tacoma Art Museum, Bronx Museum of the Arts, and the Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art at Kennesaw State University in Georgia before its Chicago appearance.