cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preference among Turfgrass Genera and Cultivars for Colonization by Rhodesgrass Mealybug, Antonina graminis (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

Abstract. The Rhodesgrass mealybug (Antonina graminis) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is resurging as an important pest of turfgrass across Texas and the Southeastern United States. This mealybug is known to feed on many warm-season turfgrasses and pasturegrasses. Twenty-seven cultivars from nine genera of turfgrass were evaluated for susceptibility and preference by the mealybug. Cultivars of kikuyugrass (Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst) and bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) were significantly more susceptible than cultivars of seven other genera of turfgrass. Cultivars of St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze], buffalograss [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm], and zoysiagrass (Zoysla spp.), each exhibited susceptibility of >2 mealybugs per 7.5 × 7.5-cm plant. Populations did not exceed ≤0.5 mealybug per plant on centipedegrass [Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack.], seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaglnatum Swartz), bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge), or tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb).
Individual Motivation and Institutional Changes Under the Senior Executive Service

The Senior Executive Service (SES) represents an attempt to alter the incentive structure for govern ment executives, primarily by introducing new financial incentives to motivate performance, im prove performance appraisal, and make retention, promotion, and pay truly contingent on the results of appraisals. Our findings indicate that the reform did address sources of some dissatisfaction, but that the impact of SES to date has been, if anything, to make matters worse. SESers do not perceive improvement in the areas that SES was designed to address.
An artificial energy method for calculating flows with shocks

The artificial-viscosity method, first proposed by von Neumann and Richtmyer, introduces an artificial viscous pressure term in regions of compression such that an increase in entropy occurs in shock transition zones. The paper describes how dissipative flows can be induced by reducing the total energy available for adiabatic processes in shock zones. A class of inviscid fluid flows, called semiflows, is described in which the flows exhibit thermodynamic differences. Induced dissipative flows modify the pressure in regions of compression in a manner analogous to the artificial-viscosity method and for a gas, the effect is equivalent to suitably modifying the gas constant in the equation of state. By employing MacCormack's method and the usual non-adiabatic equations, numerical solutions of a Riemann problem are compared with the modified artificial energy method, showing that the dissipation effect predicted by the analytical formulation is reflected in the numerical method as well.
How many, precisely?

A common question from investigators and researchers is ‘how many subjects do I need for my study’? The always correct answer is ‘it depends,’ since there are multiple factors that must come under ...
Calcium-carbohydrate bridges composed of uncharged sugars. Structure of a hydrated calcium bromide complex of α-fucose

Abstract X-ray diffraction data were used to determine the crystal structure of a hydrated CaBr2 complex of α-fucose, a common terminal sugar of oligosaccharide chains on glycoproteins. Crystals of C 6 H 12 O 5 · CaBr 2 · 3H 2 O are orthorhombic, space group P212121, with a = 14.360(2), b = 12.896(3), and c = 8.043(1) A. Intensity data for 1442 independent reflections were measured with an automated diffractometer. A trial structure, obtained by the heavy-atom method, was refined by leastsquares to R = 0.052 . Ca2+ is chelated by a pair of hydroxyl groups from each of two symmetry-related fucose molecules and is coordinated to three water molecules. Thus the structure consists of hydrated fucose-calcium-fucose bridges. The bridge geometry, which is dictated by the coordination requirements of Ca2+, is like that of other calcium-carbohydrate complexes. Our results indicate that calcium-fucose interactions can provide an effective, stereospecific mechanism for cross-linking carbohydrate chains. Similar calcium-carbohydrate bridges may be involved in a variety of Ca2+-dependent agglutination and adhesion processes.
Theoretical studies of the infrared and Raman spectra of perylene

Abstract We present computations of the structure and vibrational frequencies of perylene at the Hartree–Fock and B3LYP (DFT) levels of theory using the standard 6-31G* basis set. A detailed analysis of the normal vibrational modes of perylene along with assignments of both symmetry and molecular motion are also presented. Empirical correction factors for all computational data are calculated and presented. The large size and high symmetry of the perylene make it an interesting candidate for a detailed study of vibrational normal modes of the molecule.
Enhancing the Teaching Profession in Nigeria: A Historical Perspective

Teaching is a special profession that should be given every encouragement if a society must grow in every ramification. The worth of society’s citizens makes that society important in comity of nations. The teaching profession in Nigeria has gone through many stages and even today there are disagreements as to whether it should be called a profession. The change in status actually came after the founding of its umbrella body The Nigeria Union of Teachers (N.U.T.). The formation of this body helped to radicalize the status of teachers in Nigeria as it fought many battles with government in order to enhance the status of the profession. This has culminated into the establishment of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) in charge of the registration of teachers and currently the approval of a special salary scale for teachers known as the Teachers Salary Scale. Although this has not been fully implemented, it is hoped that it will further enhance the profession when it finally takes off in all the states of the federation. The paper is an attempt therefore to bring history to bear on the rough roads of the teaching profession in Nigeria. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n5p51
Investigation of benzoporphyrin and azulenic compounds by two-dimensional z-scan technique

A two-dimensional Z-scan technique employing a CCD camera was used to study the nonlinear optical parameters of materials. Using the known beam distribution at the lens plane, measured by the CCD camera, and the split step beam propagation method, we simulate the evolution of the beam profile within the sample. This technique may be applied to any arbitrary beam distribution and sample thickness. We applied our two- dimensional Z-scan technique for the investigation of zinc tetraphenyltetrabenzoporphyrin and three azulene-containing donor-acceptor compounds. It was found that some samples exhibit strong nonlinear refraction while others show strong nonlinear absorption. The use of these materials in optical limiting devices is discussed.
A spatio-temporal mosaic of land use and access in central Mozambique

This article examines the spatial and temporal dimensions of access to land in Sussundenga District in central Mozambique. The article suggests that access to land is not only a socially embedded process, but is also spatialised through the area's history of settlement, colonial eviction, postcolonial resettlement, and war-induced displacement, creating a context of multiple and overlapping land claims and forms of authority to substantiate various claims. Consequently, land use and access is situated within a spatio-temporal mosaic signifying several interrelated and overlapping events that have created a patchwork of land use patterns and spatialised the forms of authority that produce the legitimacy to rule over people and land. When and where people requested and received land is in part shaped by the time period in which they settled in the area, creating distinctions between longstanding residents and recent arrivals. While no one reported being landless, the size, quality, and proximity to homestea...
Raman spectroscopy study of BaI2 :Eu and SrI2 :Eu scintillator crystals

Abstract Europium-doped barium and strontium iodide crystals are high light yield scintillator materials with excellent energy resolution. In this communication, BaI2:Eu and SrI2:Eu single crystals with space groups of Pnma ( D 2 h 16 ) and Pbca ( D 2 h 15 ) respectively were grown from the vertical Bridgman method. The crystals were investigated with polarized Raman spectroscopy at temperatures varied from 77 to 300 K. The observed Raman-active modes for each crystal were assigned with the help of group theory analysis. It is found that the absence of the site symmetry leads to splitting of a spectral line in Pnma structure into two lines in the Pbca structure. Structural defects including dark spots formed during crystal growth and new species produced from hydration were characterized.
The extracellular matrix ligands fibronectin and tenascin collaborate in regulating collagenase gene expression in fibroblasts.

Abstract Tenascin (TN) is a large oligomeric glycoprotein that is present transiently in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of cells and is involved in morphogenetic movements, tissue patterning, and tissue repair. It has multiple domains, both adhesive and anti-adhesive, that interact with cells and with fibronectin (FN) and other ECM macromolecules. We have studied the consequences of the interaction of TN with a FN matrix on gene expression in rabbit synovial fibroblasts. Fibroblasts plated on a mixed substrate of FN and TN, but not on FN alone, upregulated synthesis of four genes: collagenase, stromelysin, the 92-kDa gelatinase, and c-fos. Although the fibroblasts spread well on both FN and FN/TN substrates, nuclear c-Fos increased within 1 h only in cells that were plated on FN/TN. TN did not induce the expression of collagenase in cells plated on substrates of type I collagen or vitronectin (VN). Moreover, soluble TN added to cells adhering to a FN substrate or to serum proteins had no effect, suggesting that TN has an effect only in the context of mixed substrates of FN and TN. Collagenase increased within 4 h of plating on a FN/TN substrate and exhibited kinetics similar to those for induction of collagenase gene expression by signaling through the integrin FN receptor. Arg-Gly-Asp peptide ligands that recognize either the FN receptor or the VN receptor and function-perturbing anti-integrin monoclonal antibodies diminished the interaction of fibroblasts with a mixed substrate of FN, TN, and VN, but had no effect on the adhesion of fibroblasts to a substrate of FN and VN, suggesting that both receptors recognize the complex. Anti-TN68, an antibody that recognizes an epitope in the carboxyl-terminal type III repeats involved in the interaction of TN with both FN and cells, blocked the inductive effect of the FN/TN substrate, whereas anti-TNM1, an antibody that recognizes an epitope in the amino-terminal anti-adhesive region of epidermal growth factor-like repeats, had no effect. These data suggest that transient alteration of the composition of ECM by addition of proteins like TN may regulate the expression of genes involved in cell migration, tissue remodeling, and tissue invasion, in regions of tissue undergoing phenotypic changes.
Browsing: Important in marine sedimentary environments? spionid polychaete examples

Abstract Data on the morphology and behavior of five species of spionid polychaete from muddy sand habitats in both the United Kingdom and the northwest coast of North America are presented. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that browsing predation by visual predators is important now and has been important in the evolutionary past. As predicted by such a hypothesis, regenerating individuals are common in all the populations examined. Individuals belonging to species that expose their anterior ends while feeding and/or defecating have cryptic anteriors (Pygospio elegans Claparede, Rhynchospio glutaeus (Ehlers), Malacoceros fuliginosus (Claparede), and Spiophanes bombyx (Claparede)). Individuals belonging to species that do not expose their anteriors while feeding and/or defecating do not have cryptic anteriors (Pseudopolydora kempi (Southern)). Given these data it is still unclear as to how many of the geographic patterns of coloration that have been reported for infauna are associated with the presence of visual predation. Further investigations are suggested.
Substance abuse treatment and HIV services: Massachusetts' policies and programs

Abstract States and communities use many strategies and policies to facilitate the integration of HIV and AIDS services with alcoholism and drug abuse treatment and prevention programs. Massachusetts' policy initiatives that promoted collaboration between substance abuse programs and AIDS services are outlined. The review begins with an overview of the HIV epidemic in Massachusetts and reflects on the initial challenges of building system capacity so that HIV and substance abuse services could become more closely integrated. The discussion summarizes specific policy strategies implemented to encourage system development and to develop program and staff skills for working with men and women with HIV/AIDS and at risk of infection. The initiatives included integration of alcoholism and drug abuse treatment programs, expansion of Medicaid reimbursement for substance abuse treatment, training and skills development for counselors, and coordinated service development and advocacy for substance abuse and AIDS/HIV services.
Modelling of Microscale Patch Encounter by Chemotactic Protozoa

A model of protozoan chemotaxis, based on the rate of change of chemoreceptor occupancy, was used to analyse the efficiency of chemotaxis in a variety of situations. Simulated swimming behaviour replicated patterns observed experimentally. These were classified into three forms of chemosensory behaviour; run-tumble, steered turning, and helical klinotaxis. All three could be simulated from a basic model of chemotaxis by modifying memory times and rotational velocities. In order to steer during helical klinotaxis, the cell must have a short term memory for responding to a signal within a fraction of the time period of the helix. Steered turning was identified as a form where cells react to negative changes in concentration by steering around the turn to swim back up the gradient. All 3 forms were quite effective for encountering targets within the response radius. A response to negative changes in concentration, experienced when the cell is moving away from a target, was found to be important in the absence of periodic changes in swimming direction. The frequency of patch encounter at a fixed density was calculated to be roughly proportional to swimming speed. On the basis of the model, cells are only able to sense point sources within a radius of a few mm. However, even a response radius of 1 mm is enough to increase encounter probability of otherwise minute targets by 2 orders of magnitude. The mean time for patch encounter was calculated to be an exponential function of the mean distance between patches. This results in a very sharp threshold at approximately 6 cm, above which they are not encountered by protozoa within time periods of several days.
The contribution of religious and existential well-being to depression among African American heterosexuals with HIV infection.

The AIDS crisis has challenged black churches to examine how to provide spiritual support to individuals who are living with HIV. The dilemmas facing some black churches have been specifically rela...
Homological stability for automorphism groups of free groups

Let F, be a free group on n generators, Aut(F,) its group of automorphisms, and Out(F,) its outer automorphism group, the quotient of Aut(F,) by inner automorphisms. There has been much progress of late in the study of these groups via the one-dimensional model which arises from regarding F, as the fundamental group of a graph; see e.g., [BH] and [CV]. In this paper we return to a three-dimensional model first used by J. H. C. Whitehead in the 1930's, which involves looking at embedded 2-spheres in a connected sum of S 1 x S2's. Refining Whitehead's techniques and applying subsequent results of Laudenbach, we use this three-dimensional model to prove:
Photometric Displacement Transducer

Measurements of variations in intensity of light reflected from a moving surface provide a method for quantitating displacement. A system to monitor displacements of a few microns is easily constructed. This technique has wide application in biological experiments, offering the advantage of probeless displacement monitoring.
Correlated signals at the energy and intensity frontiers from non-Abelian kinetic mixing

We show that when a dark Abelian gauge sector and $\mathrm{SU}(2{)}_{L}$ kinetically mix it necessarily generates a relation between the kinetic mixing strength and the mass of the mediating particle. Remarkably, this correspondence maps the weak scale directly to the kinetic mixing strengths being probed by modern fixed-target experiments and next generation flavor factories. This illuminates the exciting possibility of correlated discoveries of a new particle at the LHC and a dark photon at intensity frontier experiments. To motivate the scenario, we construct a simple model and explore its phenomenology and constraints.
Socialization and Self-Selection How Police Officers Develop Their Views About Using Force

To what extent are bureaucrats’ views shaped by the organizational contexts that they enter? What role do preorganizational influences have? This study provides some answers to these questions by t...
A Study of the Electronic Structure Near Individual Dislocations in Diamond by Energy-Loss Spectroscopy

Spatially resolved electron energy-loss spectra recorded from very small volumes of diamond containing individual dislocations show extra intensity within the band-gap just below the 1s to bulk conduction band threshold energy, when compared to spectra recorded from neighboring defect free regions. This is interpreted as direct evidence for the presence of vacant defect states associated with the dislocation structure. The contribution of the π* states from the surface layers to this region of the spectra is completely removed by calculating the difference between the spectra recorded on and off the defect. A comparison is drawn between the measured near edge structure and calculations of local density of states reported in the literature.
Integrin-mediated collagen gel contraction by cardiac fibroblasts. Effects of angiotensin II.

Angiotensin II (Ang II), a vasoactive octapeptide, has been implicated in cardiac growth and the development of hypertrophy and fibrosis secondary in hypertensive disease. These consequences of Ang II imply an effect on the function and morphology of cardiac interstitial cells (fibroblasts). The present investigation was designed to (1) determine whether neonatal heart fibroblasts (NHFs) possess functional Ang II receptors on their plasma membrane and (2) examine the effects of Ang II on NHFs in vitro using three- and two-dimensional (3D and 2D, respectively) cultures. Several analytic techniques were used to test the specific questions of the present study. Since cardiac fibroblast phenotype can be influenced by culture conditions, both 2D and 3D cultures were used in the present investigations. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and radioligand binding analysis were used to test for the presence of Ang II receptors on NHFs. Both revealed that NHFs in 2D culture possess Ang II receptor mRNA and Ang II receptors. When isolated NHFs were cultured in 3D collagen gels and treated with Ang II, gel contraction was stimulated by NHFs. This effect was attenuated by the specific Ang II receptor antagonist [Sar1,Ala8]Ang II. Ang II-stimulated gel contraction was completely inhibited by extracellular matrix receptor (beta 1-integrin) antibodies (P < .05), supporting previous studies indicating that collagen gel contraction is mediated via the integrins. Immunofluorescent staining was used to test the localization of cell-surface integrins. A more intense staining pattern for beta 1-integrin in Ang II-treated versus control cells was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Human Schistosomiasis Resistance to Praziquantel in China: Should We Be Worried?

The efficacy of praziquantel for the treatment of Schistosoma japonicum in humans is reported from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 33 villages in Sichuan Province. Infection prevalence was found to be 5.7% (185 infected of 3,269 tested) in a region where 44-73% prevalence was found 9 years before. Collected miracidia were subjected to an in vitro test of praziquantel susceptibility. An effective concentration of praziquantel associated with 50% of miracidia changing shape was found between 10(-8) and 10(-7) M and 10(-7) and 10(-6) M for 10 and 5 minutes of exposure, respectively. After treating infected persons two times with 40-mg/kg doses of praziquantel, only one remained infected. Findings are reported from a 60-household questionnaire on attitudes and behaviors that may be associated with development of drug resistance. The low number of treatment failures and good compliance with treatment despite side effects and repeated annual treatments suggest that, in the near term, praziquantel remains effective in treating human S. japonicum infection in China.
Venus Fly Trap Domain of mGluR1 Functions as a Dominant Negative Against Group I mGluR Signaling

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) form covalently linked homodimers and contain large, N-terminal extracellular ligand binding, "venus fly trap" (VFT) domains. These domains, when expressed separately, are secreted as disulfide linked dimers and can dimerize with full-length receptors. mGluR splice variants have been described that contain only this domain, but the consequences of their interaction on receptor signaling have not been explored. Here it is shown that an mGluR1 mutant containing only the VFT is retained on the cell surface when a full-length receptor is co-expressed. Further, when expressed in rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons and modulation of native calcium currents is used as an assay for receptor activity, the VFT acts as a dominant negative with respect to mGluR1 signaling. Although full-length mGluR1 and mGluR5 are not known to heterodimerize, the mGluR5 VFT partially occludes mGluR1 signaling and the mGluR1 VFT potently occludes mGluR5 signaling in SCG neurons. In addition, an mGluR1 point mutant, mGluR1 C140G, which cannot covalently dimerize, functions like the wild-type receptor when expressed alone. The C140G mutant is inhibited by the mGluR1 VFT construct but does not retain the mGluR1 VFT on the cell surface, suggesting that the loss of C140 renders the interaction reversible. Finally, a peptide designed to disrupt mGluR1 dimerization reduced signaling through the C140G mutant receptor, but only when applied intracellularly for several hours, indicating that loss of signaling requires disruption of dimerization prior to plasma membrane insertion.
Was Erasmus’s Christian Politics Too Uncompromising?

Political theorists typically laud Machiavelli as the first thinker to decisively cast the restrictions of religion and ethics off of politics and to thereby initiate modernity. Consequently, scholars neglect other political thinkers of the Renaissance, whose works receive short shrift either as problematic fusions of the classical and biblical traditions or as failed ventures in utopianism. But one prominent figure of the sixteenth century, Desiderius Erasmus, understood and took seriously the reconciliation of practical life’s demands with the requirements of justice and wisdom. In his Education of a Christian Prince, Erasmus sought to squelch political tyranny by advocating a model of just rule based on that of Jesus Christ; but in so doing, he fended against the charges of naivete and conceit that would inevitably attend his philosophia Christi by demonstrating a certain moral flexibility embedded in his standard of political rule.
The graph median–A stable alternative measure of central tendency for compositional data sets

In a letter to the editor some 16 years ago, Aitchison noted that the arithmetic average for compositions such as illustrated by the hongite subcomposition ABC (Fig. 1) is “clearly useless as a measure of location because it falls outside of the array of compositions and is indeed very atypical of the data set” (Aitchison, 1989, p. 789). He then states that the geometric mean “serves equally well for curved data sets and for more linear and elliptical data sets” (Aitchison, 1989, p. 789). This property of the geometric mean went unchallenged until 11 years later when, in another letter to the editor, Shurtz (2000) pointed out that the position of the geometric mean is not conserved and varies greatly with small changes in marginal values. To this reader, Aitchison had made an important point in that there may be instances when one wants a measure of location which consistantly belongs to the data set. However, the results of Shurtz suggested that the geometric mean might not always belong to the data set. The purpose of this note was to check on the geometric mean as a consistent measure of location and should it fail, to then propose a suitable alternative.
State parity legislation and changes in health insurance and perceived access to care among individuals with mental illness: 1996–1998

BACKGROUND: The 1990's witnessed a new wave of state and federal legislation affecting mental health insurance in the United States. Although patient advocacy groups have hailed the passage of numerous "parity" laws that require insurance coverage for mental illnesses to equal that for physical ailments, it is unclear whether this activity represents a major improvement in insurance benefits among mentally ill or significantly increases their access to care. AIMS: This paper contrasts how insurance coverage has changed among individuals with mental health problems in states with and without parity legislation. METHODS: National survey data from 1996 to 1998, subset to a panel of 1220 individuals exceeding clinical screeners for a mental health disorder. Dependent variables are change in insurance status, insurance generosity and perception of access to care. The analysis contrasts changes in dependent variables between states with and without parity legislation (a difference-in-differences analysis). RESULTS: There are no statistical significant effects of state parity; point estimates suggest that parity mandates are associated with a slightly higher number of mentally ill reporting improved insurance generosity and access to care, but also with a higher number of mentally ill losing all insurance coverage in parity states. The estimated effects are too small to be statistically significant, although the sample size is limited and the study had only good statistical power to detect large effects. DISCUSSION: At the population level, state parity legislation appears to have not had large effects on the insurance coverage of the group that was intended as the primary beneficiary of legislation. Likely reasons include the limited scope of the actual legal requirements and large numbers of mentally ill that are not covered by health insurance subject to such legislation. The results do not exclude the possibility that some subgroups experienced substantial improvements in their insurance coverage. At the population level, large effects experienced by small subgroup are diluted by groups that experienced no similar changes. However, parity legislation was not considered a minor issue by advocates and opponents and this analysis has the statistical power to detect the sizeable differences that were argued in the policy debate. IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH POLICIES: While state parity legislation may have improved insurance benefits for some, it appears not to have resulted in substantial improvements for the mentally ill as a whole. The results could be very different, however, if strong federal legislation were passed that has a broader scope than state legislation. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: The parity debate provides an important reminder of how little research is available to inform policy. This study provides a crude picture, but it is far from being a conclusive evaluation. The most urgent need is for data that continue to track changes in markets and policies.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Treatment of Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has long been considered a complex and disabling psychiatric condition, marked by intrusive and unwanted imagery (obsessions) that is usually accompanied by ritualized behavior designed to neutralize the obsessions. Treatment research has shown that, for those who complete treatment, significant improvement can be achieved (Simpson et al., 2011; Storch, Geffken, et al., 2007). There is a growing consensus that the first-line psychosocial treatment for OCD is exposure with response prevention (ERP; McKay et al., 2013; Olatunji et al., 2013). In the case of children, meta-analyses have shown that ERP is highly efficacious, with large effect sizes (mean d = 1.98; Abramowitz, Whiteside, & Deacon, 2005). Indeed, practice parameters recommend ERP monotherapy as the treatment of choice for mild and moderate cases, and together with antidepressant medication for only the most severe presentation. Although this augurs well for the treatment of children with OCD, not all children respond to treatment and ERP dissemination remains a challenge. Accordingly, this special issue is devoted to cases involving variations in treatment delivery and symptom presentation in childhood OCD. The articles that form this special issue address a variety of special circumstances that take the reader beyond the findings from randomized controlled trials that evaluate the efficacy of ERP in general. Instead, these cases help the reader understand the issue of comorbidity and how to successfully contend with it during treatment, and provide a peek at several promising avenues that are emerging in the treatment of childhood OCD. These include addressing family-related complications in treatment delivery, specific developmental phases (i.e., in very young children), Also examined in this special are cases with under severe stigmatizing conditions, when symptoms present with complex comorbidities, and evaluation of interventios that by capitalizes on technological advances in service delivery.
Biochemical characterization of Cdk2-Speedy/Ringo A2

Normal cell cycle progression requires the precise activation and inactivation of cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs), which consist of a CDK and a cyclin subunit. A novel cell cycle regulator called Speedy/Ringo shows no sequence similarity to cyclins, yet can directly bind to and activate CDKs. Speedy/Ringo proteins, which bind to and activate Cdc2 and Cdk2 in vitro, are required for the G2 to M transition during Xenopus oocyte maturation and for normal S-phase entry in cultured human cells. We have characterized the substrate specificity and enzymatic activity of human Cdk2-Speedy/Ringo A2 in order to gain insights into the possible functions of this complex. In contrast to Cdk2-cyclin A, which has a well-defined consensus target site ((S/T)PX(K/R)) that strongly favors substrates containing a lysine at the +3 position of substrates, Cdk2-Speedy/Ringo A2 displayed a broad substrate specificity at this position. Consequently, Cdk2-Ringo/Speedy A2 phosphorylated optimal Cdk2 substrates such as histone H1 and a KSPRK peptide poorly, only ~0.08% as well as Cdk2-cyclin A, but non-canonical Cdk2 substrates such as a KSPRY peptide relatively well, with an efficiency of ~80% compared to Cdk2-cyclin A. Cdk2-Speedy/Ringo A2 also phosphorylated authentic Cdk2 substrates, such as Cdc25 proteins, which contain non-canonical CDK phosphorylation sites, nearly as well as Cdk2-cyclin A. Phosphopeptide mapping indicated that Cdk2-Speedy/Ringo A2 and Cdk2-cyclin A phosphorylate distinct subsets of sites on Cdc25 proteins. Thus, the low activity that Cdk2-Speedy/Ringo A2 displays when assayed on conventional Cdk2 substrates may significantly underestimate the potential physiological importance of Cdk2-Speedy/Ringo A2 in phosphorylating key subsets of Cdk2 substrates. Unlike Cdk2-cyclin A, whose activity depends strongly on activating phosphorylation of Cdk2 on Thr-160, neither the overall catalytic activity nor the substrate recognition by Cdk2-Speedy/Ringo A2 was significantly affected by this phosphorylation. Furthermore, Cdk2-Speedy/Ringo A2 was not a suitable substrate for metazoan CAK (which phosphorylates Cdk2 at Thr-160), supporting the notion that Speedy/Ringo A2 activates Cdk2 in a CAK-independent manner. There are major differences in substrate preferences between CDK-Speedy/Ringo A2 and Cdk2-cyclin complexes. These differences may accommodate the CAK-independent activation of Cdk2 by Speedy/Ringo A2 and they raise the possibility that CDK-Speedy/Ringo A2 complexes could phosphorylate and regulate a subset of non-canonical CDK substrates, such as Cdc25 protein phosphatases, to control cell cycle progression.
Terbacil and Oryzalin Herbicides Effectively Control Weeds in Lingonberry

ABSTRACT Terbacil 157 g/ha (5 oz/acre) or 314 g/ha (10 oz/acre) and oryzalin 4.7 liteis/ha (2 qt/acre) provided satisfactory weed control in lingonberry plantings. Lingonberry plantings were nearly weed free 6 weeks after initial application. Untreated and napropa-mide treated plots with inadequate weed control had weeds large enough 6 weeks after application to cause substantial shading of young lingonberry transplants, resulting in undesirable elongated growth. Chlorosis and necrosis of foliage produced as a result of terbacil or oiyzalin treatment appeared to be localized. New growth from vegetative and rhizome shoots was healthy and vigorous with no trace of herbicide phytotoxicity.
Gene Expression Profile and Immunological Evaluation of Unique Hypothetical Unknown Proteins of Mycobacterium leprae by Using Quantitative Real-Time PCR

The cell-mediated immunity (CMI)-based in vitro gamma interferon release assay (IGRA) of Mycobacterium leprae-specific antigens has potential as a promising diagnostic means to detect those individuals in the early stages of M. leprae infection. Diagnosis of leprosy is a major obstacle toward ultimate disease control and has been compromised in the past by the lack of specific markers. Comparative bioinformatic analysis among mycobacterial genomes identified potential M. leprae-specific proteins called “hypothetical unknowns.” Due to massive gene decay and the prevalence of pseudogenes, it is unclear whether any of these proteins are expressed or are immunologically relevant. In this study, we performed cDNA-based quantitative real-time PCR to investigate the expression status of 131 putative open reading frames (ORFs) encoding hypothetical unknowns. Twenty-six of the M. leprae-specific antigen candidates showed significant levels of gene expression compared to that of ESAT-6 (ML0049), which is an important T cell antigen of low abundance in M. leprae. Fifteen of 26 selected antigen candidates were expressed and purified in Escherichia coli. The seroreactivity to these proteins of pooled sera from lepromatous leprosy patients and cavitary tuberculosis patients revealed that 9 of 15 recombinant hypothetical unknowns elicited M. leprae-specific immune responses. These nine proteins may be good diagnostic reagents to improve both the sensitivity and specificity of detection of individuals with asymptomatic leprosy.
Glycosyltransferases of the GT8 Family

The higher plant genomes sequenced to date include numerous genes encoding proteins classifi ed as belonging to CAZy family GT8. The large number and diversity of GT8 proteins in higher plants, which currently constitute more than 65% of the identifi ed eukaryotic GT8 genes, highlight the importance of these proteins in plants. Here we summarize a detailed phylogenetic study of GT8 proteins from three monocot and four dicot plant genomes that clearly divides higher plant GT8 proteins into two distantly related sets of clades, many of which are further divided into statistically well - supported subclades. One set, the GAUT1 ( GA lact U ronosyl T ransferase1) - related family, includes the GAUT and GA U T - L ike (GATL) proteins, comprising one proven galacturonsyltransferase and multiple additional members strongly implicated in the synthesis of pectins and xylan, two major types of polysaccharides present in plant cell walls. The second set, which includes P lant G lycogenin - like S tarch I nitiation P rotein s (PGSIPs) and G alactin ol S ynthase s (GolSs), appears not to be directly involved in plant cell wall synthesis. The PGSIPs have been suggested to play a role in priming starch biosynthesis, while the GolSs are key enzymes in the synthesis of
Development of SPR sensor array based on optoelectronic platform for high throughput system

A SPR biosensor array based on optoelectronic platform has been developed. Using integrated photodetector, the SPR signal has been directly converted into electrical signal and the device has the potential of high throughput measurement capabilities.
Eastern European Adoptions: Current Status and Implications for Intervention

Children born in the countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe are now a main source of international adoptions in the United States. Infants and young children constitute the majorit...
Impaired mitochondrial degradation by autophagy in the skeletal muscle of the aged female interleukin 10 null mouse

Mitochondrial dysfunction, chronic inflammation and muscle aging are closely linked. Mitochondrial clearance is a process to dampen inflammation and is a critical pre-requisite to mitobiogenesis. The combined effect of aging and chronic inflammation on mitochondrial degradation by autophagy is understudied. In interleukin 10 null mouse (IL-10(tm/tm)), a rodent model of chronic inflammation, we studied the effects of aging and inflammation on mitochondrial clearance. We show that aging in IL-10(tm/tm) is associated with reduced skeletal muscle mitochondrial death signaling and altered formation of autophagosomes, compared to age-matched C57BL/6 controls. Moreover, skeletal muscles of old IL-10(tm/tm) mice have the highest levels of damaged mitochondria with disrupted mitochondrial ultrastructure and autophagosomes compared to all other groups. These observations highlight the interface between chronic inflammation and aging on altered mitochondrial biology in skeletal muscles.
Nucleonics of a Be-Li-Th Blanket for the Fusion Breeder

The nuclear performance of a candidate fission-suppressed, U233-producing blanket is assessed. It is predicted to have a breeding ratio (fusile + fissile) of 1.68 and produce U233 at a rate of 8030 kg/year from 3140 MW of DT fusion and a blanket coverage of 96%. Blanket energy multiplication is estimated to vary between 1.3 and 2.0 as the U233/Th232 ratio varies between 0 and 0.5%. Heterogeneous effects in the blanket's pebble-bed configuration were found to be important and more detailed analysis is needed to more accurately predict Li6 content required and U233 fission power versus U233 content.
Stanford University Department of Statistics

The teaching of statistics has a long history at Stanford prior to the formation of a statistics department. The university was founded in 1891, and starting in the early 1920s, courses in statistics appeared in a number of departments, each emphasizing a different aspect of the field.
Source parameters from locally recorded aftershocks of the 9 January 1982 Miramichi, New Brunswick, earthquake

Abstract Source parameters are derived from 111 locally recorded three-component seismograms of 40 aftershocks (magnitude = 1.0 to 3.5) of the 9 January 1982 Miramichi, New Brunswick, earthquake. This data set greatly expands the set of three-component data recorded at small source-to-receiver distances in eastern North America. Preliminary analysis showed that some aftershock spectra were modified by strong site effects. The need to understand and account for site effects, when analyzing the aftershock data in terms of simple source models, led to a two-part data analysis. First, site effects were modeled as a seismic-wave resonance in a thin layer (0 to 10 m) of low-seismic-impedance glacial till over a high-seismic-impedance bedrock half-space. Second, we calculated source parameters from SH -wave seismograms and amplitude spectra, incorporating what had been learned about site resonances. Correcting for obvious site effects partially succeeded in reducing scatter in the source-parameter determinations but some site-dependent discrepancies remain. Seismic moments range from 1 × 10 18 to 5 × 10 20 dyne-cm and corner frequencies from 5 to 45 Hz. Brune-model stress drops primarily range between 5 and 300 bars; stress drop apparently increases with increasing seismic moment. Trends in apparent stress calculated from radiated energy and seismic moment parallel trends in stress drop. Corner frequencies from these locally recorded data are greater than those derived from regionally recorded L g waves for earthquakes of comparable moment. This result contradicts a recently proposed M 0 ω 4 = constant source-scaling law based primarily on L g data.
Astrocytes Regulate GLP-1 Receptor-Mediated Effects on Energy Balance

Astrocytes are well established modulators of extracellular glutamate, but their direct influence on energy balance-relevant behaviors is largely understudied. As the anorectic effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists are partly mediated by central modulation of glutamatergic signaling, we tested the hypothesis that astrocytic GLP-1R signaling regulates energy balance in rats. Central or peripheral administration of a fluorophore-labeled GLP-1R agonist, exendin-4, localizes within astrocytes and neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), a hindbrain nucleus critical for energy balance control. This effect is mediated by GLP-1R, as the uptake of systemically administered fluorophore-tagged exendin-4 was blocked by central pretreatment with the competitive GLP-1R antagonist exendin-(9–39). Ex vivo analyses show prolonged exendin-4-induced activation (live cell calcium signaling) of NTS astrocytes and neurons; these effects are also attenuated by exendin-(9–39), indicating mediation by the GLP-1R. In vitro analyses show that the application of GLP-1R agonists increases cAMP levels in astrocytes. Immunohistochemical analyses reveal that endogenous GLP-1 axons form close synaptic apposition with NTS astrocytes. Finally, pharmacological inhibition of NTS astrocytes attenuates the anorectic and body weight-suppressive effects of intra-NTS GLP-1R activation. Collectively, data demonstrate a role for NTS astrocytic GLP-1R signaling in energy balance control. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists reduce food intake and are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of obesity, but the cellular mechanisms underlying the anorectic effects of GLP-1 require further investigation. Astrocytes represent a major cellular population in the CNS that regulates neurotransmission, yet the role of astrocytes in mediating energy balance is largely unstudied. The current data provide novel evidence that astrocytes within the NTS are relevant for energy balance control by GLP-1 signaling. Here, we report that GLP-1R agonists activate and internalize within NTS astrocytes, while behavioral data suggest the pharmacological relevance of NTS astrocytic GLP-1R activation for food intake and body weight. These findings support a previously unknown role for CNS astrocytes in energy balance control by GLP-1 signaling.
Low-Flow Vascular Malformation Pitfalls: From Clinical Examination to Practical Imaging Evaluation--Part 2, Venous Malformation Mimickers.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review the unusual clinical and radiographic features of venous malformations that can give rise to diagnostic confusion. Entities that can have overlapping clinical and imaging features with venous malformations are also reviewed. CONCLUSION. Venous malformations are congenital endothelial malformations secondary to errors in vascular morphogenesis and are usually diagnosed in the first 2 decades of life. The clinical and imaging features of venous malformations often overlap those of other pathologic entities, creating diagnostic confusion. Furthermore, the clinical presentation and imaging appearance of venous malformations can vary, making the diagnosis challenging. Thorough knowledge of the various clinical and imaging features not only of venous malformations but also of the major potential mimic lesions is crucial for clinicians caring for patients with these lesions.
Nonlinear aeroelasticity of an airfoil with control surface freeplay

This paper presents a correlation study between numerical and experimental results for the response of a typical section airfoil with freeplay in the control surface. Since this is an inherently nonlinear system the equations of motion are integrated numerically. The typical response of this three-degree-of-freedom system, is either stationary or limit cycle prior to the onset of divergent flutter. The equations of motion are solved in state-space with the aerodynamic modeling based on Theodorsen's theory. The freeplay condition is modeled as piecewise linear and a special procedure is developed to account accurately for this effect numerically. The physical experiments were conducted in the Duke University wind runnel. The paper describes how the response of the system changes with freestream velocity, and how these responses exhibit characteristic nonlinear behavior, in both the experimental and numerical results.
Total Amino Acids in Pollen Fumigated with Ethylene Oxide

Unidentified mixed pollen collected by Apis mellifera L. was decontaminated with ethylene oxide (EtO). Amino acid analyses of untreated and fumigated pollen revealed that levels of all amino acids examined except proline were lower in fumigated pollen. Thirty-one percent of the methionine, an amino acid essential to honey bees, was destroyed by treatment of pollen with EtO.
Generalized game trees

We consider two generalizations of the standard two-player game model: different evaluation functions for the players, and more than two players. Relaxing the assumption that players share the same evaluation function produces a hierarchy of levels of knowledge as deep as the search tree. Alpha-beta pruning is only possible when the different evaluation functions behave identically. In extending the standard model to more than two players, the minimax algorithm is generalized to the maxn algorithm applied to vectors of N-tuples representing the evaluations for each of the players. If we assume an upper bound on the sum of the components for each player, and a lower bound on each individual component, then shallow alpha-beta pruning is possible, but not deep pruning. In the best case, the asymptotic branching factor is reduced to (1 + √46-3)/2. In the average case, however, pruning does not reduce the asymptotic branching factor. Thus, alpha-beta pruning is found to be effective only in the special case of two players with a common evaluation function.
The Effects of Olfactory Environmental Cues on Prospective Memory

The sense of smell is uniquely tied to brain regions involved in memory. Previous research shows that introducing the scent of a household cleaner into the experimental room will elicit more cleaning behaviors and increase recall for cleaning-related words. However, these findings are limited to retrospective memory. Prospective memory is remembering to complete a task in the future and accounts for up to 80% of every day memory problems. Because of the consequences of prospective memory failures, it is vital to find ways to reduce these failures. While scent has been shown to modify behavior in a retrospective memory context, little is known about the effects of scent on prospective memory. The current study seeks to extend previous research on scent and memory into a prospective memory paradigm.