cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linking alpha-synuclein properties with oxidation: a hypothesis on a mechanism underling cellular aggregation

α-Synuclein is a small, natively unstructured protein with propensity to aggregate. α-Synuclein fibrils are major components of Lewy bodies that are hallmarks of many neurodegenerative diseases. The solution properties and aggregation behavior of α-synuclein has been well characterized, but despite numerous studies that address the role of α-synuclein in cells, a clear physiological function of this protein remains a mystery. Over a hundred review articles of α-synuclein have been written in the last decade, making it difficult to list all of the important studies that have added to our insight of α-synuclein physiology. Instead, we briefly review the status of α-synuclein research and propose a model based on the idea that α-synuclein may not have an intrinsic activity in cells but rather, it modifies the function of a group of protein partners that in turn affect cell processes. We propose that it is the loss of its cellular partners under oxidative conditions that promotes α-synuclein aggregation accelerating neuronal death.
Two Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)/ER Golgi Intermediate Compartment-based Lysine Acetyltransferases Post-translationally Regulate BACE1 Levels

We have recently identified a novel form of post-translational regulation of BACE1 (β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1), a membrane protein that acts as the rate-limiting enzyme in the generation of the Alzheimer disease amyloid β-peptide. Specifically, nascent BACE1 is transiently acetylated in seven lysine residues clustered in a highly disordered region of the protein that faces the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)/ER Golgi intermediate compartment (ER/ERGIC). The acetylation protects the nascent protein from degradation by PCSK9/NARC-1 in the ERGIC and allows it to reach the Golgi apparatus. Here we report the identification of two ER/ERGIC-based acetyltransferases, ATase1 and ATase2. Both proteins display acetyl-CoA:lysine acetyltransferase activity, can interact with and acetylate BACE1, and display an ER/ERGIC localization with the catalytic site facing the lumen of the organelle. Both ATase1 and ATase2 regulate the steady-state levels of BACE1 and the rate of amyloid β-peptide generation. Finally, their transcripts are up-regulated by ceramide treatment. In conclusion, our studies have identified two new enzymes that may be involved in the pathogenesis of late-onset Alzheimer disease. The biochemical characterization of the above events could lead to the identification of novel pharmacological strategies for the prevention of this form of dementia.
Effects of heparin and benzyl alcohol on lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro

Abstract The effect of heparin on the in vitro lysis of EL4 tumor cells by immune BALB/C lymphocytes was investigated by using a 51 Cr-release cytotoxicity. assay. Powdered heparin did not inhibit lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity (LMC) at concentrations up to 500 units/ml. Heparin containing 9 mg/ml of benzyl alcohol (BA), as preservative, significantly reduced the LMC. BA alone at 1 mg/ml inhibited LMC without any apparent toxic effect on the target cells or on the immune lymphocytes. The inhibitory effect of three different heparin preparations was found to be related to the BA concentration rather than the amount of heparin. However, low concentrations of heparin (0.5 or 1 unit/ml) significantly enhanced the LMC. Our findings are in contrast to previous reports suggesting a depressive effect of heparin on LMC.
High-altitude gas releases: transition from collisionless flow to diffusive flow in a nonuniform atmosphere

The paper is motivated by a need for describing high-altitude gas releases from rockets or the Space Shuttle. In the tenuous upper atmosphere, the injected gases expand from a collisionless to a collision-dominated state. The analysis presented extends the efforts of Baum (1973-1974) to include the effects of a nonuniform background atmosphere and a velocity-dependent collision frequency. The unsteady expansion of gas releases is analyzed using gas kinetic theory. The Boltzmann equation with the Krook collision integral is solved numerically. At late times (after many collisions with the background atmosphere) the solution is identical to the one given by diffusion in a nonuniform atmosphere (Bernhardt, 1979). The theoretical model predicts elongation and heating of the vapor trails due to collisions.
Interferon stimulated gene 15 conjugates to endometrial cytosolic proteins and is expressed at the uterine-placental interface throughout pregnancy in sheep.

Interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) is a ubiquitin homolog expressed in uteri of ruminants in response to interferon (IFN)-τ and is also induced during pregnancy in the uteri of mice, pigs, humans, and baboons. This study examined expression of ISG15 and its conjugation to target proteins in the ovine uterus beyond the period of IFNτ secretion by the conceptus. Although steady-state levels of ISG15 mRNA decreased after d 25 of pregnancy, ISG15 persisted in endometrium through d 120. In situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry localized ISG15 across the entire uterine wall through d 25, after which expression was restricted to endometrial stroma along the maternal-placental interface. Western blots revealed ISG15 and ISG15-conjugated proteins in endometrium. Treatment of ovariectomized sheep with progesterone and IFNτ increased both free and conjugated ISG15. These results are the first to show in vivo regulation of ISG15 function (i.e. conjugation to target proteins) by a type I IFN in the uterus of a...
Substrate specificity of MarP, a periplasmic protease required for resistance to acid and oxidative stress in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The transmembrane serine protease MarP is important for pH homeostasis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Previous structural studies revealed that MarP contains a chymotrypsin fold and a disulfide bond that stabilizes the protease active site in the substrate-bound conformation. Here, we determined that MarP is located in the Mtb periplasm and showed that this localization is essential for function. Using the recombinant protease domain of MarP, we identified its substrate specificity using two independent assays: positional-scanning synthetic combinatorial library profiling and multiplex substrate profiling by mass spectrometry. These methods revealed that MarP prefers bulky residues at P4, tryptophan or leucine at P2, arginine or hydrophobic residues at P1, and alanine or asparagine at P1′. Guided by these data, we designed fluorogenic peptide substrates and characterized the kinetic properties of MarP. Finally, we tested the impact of mutating MarP cysteine residues on the peptidolytic activity of recombinant MarP and its ability to complement phenotypes of Mtb ΔMarP. Taken together, our studies provide insight into the enzymatic properties of MarP, its substrate preference, and the importance of its transmembrane helices and disulfide bond.
Science Parks: A Critical Assessment

During the 1980s, many policymakersfacing decreasing revenues and increasing unemployment looked to technology-led development to pump new life into their sagging regional and national economies. O...
Attempts to define functional domains of gap junction proteins with synthetic peptides

To map the binding sites involved in channel formation, synthetic peptides representing sequences of connexin 32 were tested for their ability to inhibit cell-cell channel formation. Both large peptides representing most of the two presumed extracellular loops of connexin32 and shorter peptides representing subsets of these larger peptides were found to inhibit cell-cell channel formation. The properties of the peptide inhibition suggested that the binding site is complex, involving several segments of both extracellular loops. One of the peptides (a 12-mer) did not inhibit but instead was found to form channels in membranes. Both in oocyte membranes and in bilayers, the channels formed by the peptide were asymmetrically voltage dependent. Their unit conductances ranged from 20 to 160 pS. These data are discussed in the form of a model in which the connexin sequence represented by the peptide is part of a beta structure providing the lining of the channel pore.
THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS ANDROGENIC STEROIDS ON NITROGEN BALANCE AND GROWTH1

IT HAS been demonstrated by a number of workers (1, 3–5, 7, 8, 10–14, 20, 21) that testosterone propionate causes a retention of nitrogen and other tissue-building elements in human beings, thus confirming older observations of Kochakian (15) on castrate dogs. Methyl testosterone administered orally has similar effects (6, 13, 20, 22, 24). The anabolic effects of the androgens have been reviewed comprehensively by Kenyon, Knowlton and Sandiford (9). When a patient is given a constant nitrogen intake, the administration of testosterone propionate or methyl testosterone causes a decrease in the urinary nitrogen and no appreciable change in fecal nitrogen, so that increased amounts of nitrogen are retained. Inorganic phosphorus and sulphur in the urine are similarly affected by testosterone propionate. Phosphorus is retained approximately in the ratio to nitrogen of 1:10. The ratio of nitrogen to sulphur estimated as retained often approximates the normal proportion of these elements in body protein.
40 digital map collections: an annotated bibliography

Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to cite and briefly discuss digital map collections. Design/methodology/approach ‐ Digital map collections were located, evaluated, and selected. Collections included in the annotated bibliography consist primarily of maps that originated in print, or contain historical maps, or are unique. Each included collection meets at least one of those criteria. Findings ‐ There are a wide variety of resources available online that users can freely access. This annotated bibliography focuses specifically on digital collections that contain cartographic materials. Each item, after being evaluated, includes a citation, brief description, and usage instructions. Originality/value ‐ While there are many digital collections available for users to access that focus primarily on the manuscript and photograph formats, there are a variety of other formats that are also digitized, such as cartographic materials. This annotated bibliography highlights 40 collections that were located, ev...
Activation of the Proton Transfer Pathway in Catalysis by Iron Superoxide Dismutase

Abstract Catalysis by Escherichia coliand Porphyromonas gingivalis iron superoxide dismutase was activated by addition of primary amines, as measured by pulse radiolysis and stopped-flow spectrophotometry. This activation was saturable for most amines investigated, and a free energy plot of the apparent second-order rate constant of activation was linear as a function of the pK a of the amine, indicating activation by proton transfer. Amines provide an alternate rather than the only pathway for proton transfer, and catalysis was appreciable in the absence of amines. Solvent hydrogen isotope effects were near unity for amine activation, which is consistent with rate-contributing proton transfer if the pK a of the proton acceptor on the enzyme is not in the region of the pK a values of the amines studied, from 7.8 to 10.6. The activation of catalysis by these amines was uncompetitive with respect to superoxide, interpreted as proton transfer in a ternary complex of amine with the enzyme-bound peroxide dianion.
Avidity of technetium 99m glucarate for the necrotic myocardium: In vivo and in vitro assessment

Similar to other99mTc-based infarct-avid agents,99mTc-glucarate localizes in myocardial infarcts. Whether severely ischemic viable myocytes sequester99mTc-glucarate is uncertain. To assess the infarct specificity, in vitro and in vivo studies were performed. H9C2 embryonic rat cardiocytes cultured under normoxia (N) or hypoxia (H) for 24 hours in 7.5 μCi99mTc-glucarate were compared with necrotic cardiocytes. Mean H/N ratio (3.0±0.004, mean±SD) was significantly less than that of the necrotic/N ratio (39.9±6.5,p<0.01). Reperfused myocardial infarction (MI) in 4 dogs confirmed by201Tl, (0.5 to 1.0 mCi) scintigraphy were imaged serially, with simultaneously injected mixture of99mTc-glucarate and111In-antimyosin Fab. Infarcts were detected scintigraphically within 4 to 10 minutes with99mTc-glucarate.111In-antimyosin required more than 1 hour. Myocardial distribution at 5 hours showed a direct correlation between99mTc-glucarate and111In-antimyosin uptake (r=0.99,p<0.0001). Both99mTc-glucarate (r=−0.777,p<0.0001) and111In-antimyosin (r=−0.775,p<0.0001) were inversely related to201Tl distribution. The near perfect correlation between99mTc-glucarate and111In-antimyosin uptake (r=0.99) in reperfused canine MI and the insignificant glucarate uptake by viable cardiocytes in vitro attest to the avidity of99mTc-glucarate for the necrotic myocardium and favor its use as a specific early marker of myocyte necrosis in acute MI.
Complex Chemical Reactions: A Probabilistic Approach

A same probabilistic approach is applied to the case of complex reactions, i.e., of convex combinations of single reactions. The dynamical systems obtained in this way are considerably more complex...
SINR analysis and cell zooming with constant illumination for indoor VLC networks

Visible Light Communication offers potential for dual purpose devices providing both wireless data and illumination; however much of the early research in the area has focused primarily on link capacity. In this work, an RF cell zooming method is adapted for VLC such that the additional requirement of constant illumination is met. This method has the potential to improve traffic distribution in multi-user environments and handover at cell edges when considering mobile users. SINR is observed and analyzed in a range of scenarios to show coverage variability when transmitters are capable of dynamically changing their signal power.
Effect of maternal age on autosomal trisomies

Summary The effect of maternal age on the genesis of trisomy was studied by comparing data from 362 trisomic and 790 chromosomally normal spontaneous abortions. As a group the trisomies were associated with a substantial increase in maternal age but there were considerable differences in the magnitude of the effect for different trisomies. The effect of increasing maternal age was most pronounced for trisomies involving the small chromosomes, both acrocentric and non-acrocentric. However, trisomy 16 was conspicuously different from trisomies for all the other small chromosomes, both in the reduced importance of increased maternal age and in the high frequency with which it occurred. The effect of increasing maternal age on trisomies for chromosomes in groups A, B and C was less clear than that for the small chromosomes. However, the evidence suggested that trisomy for these chromosomes was associated with a moderate increase in maternal age. It was suggested that the maternal age-dependent trisomies might result from precocious disjunction of the bivalents and random segregation of the resulting univalents, a process which would affect chromosomes with the fewest number of chiasmata and which might be more prevalent in oocytes of older women. It was further suggested that true non-disjunction, that is, the failure of bivalents to separate at anaphase, might also result in the production of trisomies. This process might be independent of, or only slightly influenced by, increasing maternal age but be affected by the presence of large blocks of heterochromatin.
Taught Cognitive learning in its Immediate Environments: A Neglected Topic in the Anthropology of Education1

Through ethnographic inquiry into “taught” cognitive learning, the anthropology of learning can provide analytically descriptive narrative accounts of the reflexive calibration between individual teachers and learners as they construct learning environments for each other. Levels of organization comprehended in such study should include individual cognitive functioning, together with the social, political, and cultural factors in which the learning environment is embedded, but it is the pedagogical encounter itself-the adaptive transaction between the individual and the immediate learning environment-that should occupy the center of analytic attention. This requires a shift in research focus since to date the anthropology of education has shown rather little concern for cognitive learning that has been deliberately taught. COGNITIVE LEARNING, LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, TEACHING, TEACHER-LEARNER INTERACTION, MANIFEST CURRICULUM.
Extreme points in the family of typically real polynomials

In this paper, we characterize the extreme points in the family of typically real polynomials of degree n or less. Viewed as a subset of the coefficient region which is a subset of n− 1 space, the set of extreme points is the union of two manifolds. Incase n is even, each of the two manifolds is determined by (n−2)/2 parameters that vary in [−1, 1]. If n is odd, then one of the manifolds is determined by(n−l)/2 parameters, and the other by (n −3)/2 parameters. We also determine sharp bounds for some of the coefficients.
microRNAs, the cell's Nepenthe: clearing the past during the maternal-to-zygotic transition and cellular reprogramming

The maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) is a universal step in animal development characterized by two major events: activation of zygotic transcription and degradation of maternally provided mRNAs. How zygotic gene products instruct the degradation of maternal messages remains a long-standing question in biology. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently emerged as widespread regulators of gene expression. miRNAs control temporal and spatial gene expression by both accelerating the decay of mRNAs from previous developmental stages and modulating the levels of actively transcribed genes. In this review, I discuss recent studies of the roles of miRNAs during the maternal-to-zygotic transition and cellular reprogramming, where they reshape transcriptional landscapes to facilitate the establishment of novel cellular states.
Teaching CS 1 with POGIL activities and roles

The computer science community has started to experiment with process oriented guided inquiry learning, or POGIL, a learning approach that focuses on concept and process skills development by having students work together in organized teams. By emphasizing the learning process and group discussions, instructors who implement POGIL activities and roles in their classrooms may better address the different needs of their CS 1 students. After explaining how POGIL activities differ from other group activities, this paper elaborates on the importance of incorporating the learning cycle when developing a POGIL activity, so as to encourage rich group discussions and teamwork. It then describes the role of the instructor in a POGIL activity, and how POGIL roles need to be adapted for programming activities. It presents the results of using six POGIL activities in three CS 1 sections at a comprehensive liberal arts college, where the pass rate for female students increased compared to historical female pass rates for that class. Students who were introduced to recursion through a POGIL activity appear to have learned the material as well and retained the material better than students who learned recursion through a more traditional group activity.
Quantum Mechanical Rate Constants for O + OH ⇌ H + O2 for Total Angular Momentum J > 0

Thermal rate constants have been calculated for the titled reaction for total angular momentum J > 0 using the quantum flux correlation function methodology of Thompson and Miller [Thompson, W. H.;...
Identification of AF drivers: toward a mechanistic basis of AF ablation.

While the ablation endpoint in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) has been largely standardized, the optimal approach for patients with persistent AF remains unknown. Among the latter, it is clear that pulmonary vein (PV) isolation alone is insufficient. 1 In an effort to improve outcomes in patients with persistent AF, left atrial (LA) substrate modification has been shown to be effective. 2,3 This may be accomplished by linear ablation and/or ablation of complex, fractionated electrograms (CFAEs). Although CFAEs may be markers of sites that are critical to the fibrillatory process, i.e., drivers, it is also possible that they represent passive phenomena as a result of wave collision, tissue anisotropy, and slow conduction. 4 Even if one uses a relatively stringent definition of a CFAE site, e.g., continuous electrical activity, the likelihood that ablation at such a site will have a favorable impact on the AF cycle length is modest. 5 The fact that such sites may be found away from the PV region in patients with paroxysmal AF also suggests that they may be nonspecific. 6 Also, a randomized study failed to show an incremental benefit of CFAE ablation in patients with persistent AF. 7 Thus, it is possible that CFAE ablation results in more tissue destruction than perhaps necessary to eliminate AF. This has important implications with regards to procedure times, complication rates, and atrial transport function.
Amniotic fluid and palatal fusion in the rat.

Abstract Palatal processes removed from 15 1 2 - day-old rat embryos were explanted and cultivated by homotypical pairs in three different culture media. The results show that a purely micromolecular nutrient solution was not favourable for the achievement of palatal fusion in vitro. However, a nutrient solution containing a small amount of plasma albumin (0.9 g/l) gave 100 per cent complete palatal fusion in culture. 100 per cent complete fusion could be achieved as well in a micromolecular medium mixed with amniotic fluid. From the data, it is assumed that the proteins in the amniotic fluid might play a contributing role in the achievement of palatal fusion.
Control of myocardial oxygen consumption: physiologic and clinical considerations.

Abstract The basal oxygen consumption of the heart is small, approximately 20 percent of that of the contracting organ. Oxygen cost of depolarization is approximately 0.5 percent of the total oxygen consumed by the normally working heart. There is a far greater oxygen cost of “pressure work” as opposed to “flow work,” and a close relation between the area beneath the left ventricular pressure curve, that is, the tension-time index, and myocardial oxygen consumption. Also, the contractile state of the heart, as reflected in the maximal velocity of isotonic shortening, is a major determinant of myocardial oxygen consumption. Thus, velocity of contraction shares the role of important determinant of myocardial oxygen consumption with developed tension and heart rate. Although the precise costs of activation and maintenance of the active state of the myocardium have not yet been clearly defined, it is likely that they are relatively low. In studies on isolated papillary muscles, oxygen consumption was found to be a function of the tension that is developed and the velocity of shortening of the unloaded muscle. Shortening against a load requires oxygen above and beyond that required for the development of tension. Almost the entire increase in myocardial oxygen consumption produced by the administration of catecholamines results from the increased contractile activity produced rather than from a direct stimulating effect of the catecholamines on myocardial metabolism. Severe valvular regurgitation does not increase myocardial consumption significantly when myocardial tension is held constant. Congestive heart failure is associated with depression of myocardial contractility, but this cannot be attributed to any reduction of high energy phosphate stores in muscles that are utilized normally. A technique for reducing myocardial oxygen requirements by stimulating the carotid sinus nerves is described and its application to the treatment of angina pectoris demonstrated. It is also shown that following coronary occlusion, interventions that increase myocardial oxygen consumption appear to increase the size of the infarction, whereas those that decrease myocardial oxygen consumption reduce the size of the infarction.
Recent Advances in Texture Measurement Using Two-Dimensional Detector

The two most important advances in two-dimensional x-ray diffraction (XRD2) are area detectors for collecting 2D diffraction patterns and algorithms in analyzing 2D diffraction patterns. The VANTEC-500 area detector represents the innovation in detector technology. The combination of its large active area, high sensitivity, high count rate, high resolution and low noise, makes it the technology of choice for many applications, including texture analysis. A 2D diffraction pattern contains information in a large solid angle which can be described by the diffraction intensity distribution in both 2θ and g directions. The texture information appears in a 2D diffraction pattern as intensity variation in g direction. The intensity variation represents the orientation distribution of the crystallites in a polycrystalline material. The diffraction vector orientation regarding to the sample orientation can be obtained by vector transformation from the laboratory space to the sample space. The fundamental equations for texture analysis are derived from the unit vector expression in the sample space.
InP-based multiple quantum well structures grown with tertiarybutylarsine (TBA) and tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP): effects of growth interruptions on structural and optical properties

In this paper, we investigate the effect of interfacial layers on GalnAs(P)/GalnAsP and GalnAs/InP multiple quantum well structures with x-ray diffraction and photoluminescence. We observe a decrease in the room temperature and low temperature photoluminescence intensity as the number of periods is increased which we attribute to the interfaces. Furthermore, different growth interruption schemes show that decomposed As species from TBA have an effect on the structural and optical quality of these structures at both the lower and upper interfaces due to As carry-over. The effect of this carry-over is shown in structural measurements and laser diode results.
Linear viscoelastic moduli of concentrated DNA solutions

We present mechanical measurements of the frequency-dependent linear viscoelastic storage and loss moduli, G‘(ω) and G‘‘(ω), for calf thymus DNA (13 kbp) in a saline buffer over a range of mitotically relevant mass concentrations from C = 1 to 10 mg/mL. For C exceeding a critical entanglement concentration, Ce, we observe a dominant plateau elasticity, for large ω. As ω decreases, G‘ falls until it is equal to G‘‘ at the crossover frequency, ωc, below which G‘‘ dominates. These measurements are consistent with a model of entangled semiflexible polymer coils in a good solvent, which predicts ∼ C2.3 and ωc ∼ C-2.4.
The dual nature of anti-corruption agencies in China

As the pace of modern life quickens considerably and changes come fast and furious in public affairs, the qualifications based on which public servants are recruited, the skills they are required to master in order to deal with the new situation, the challenges they are faced with, and the administrative behavior they demonstrate are all no longer the same. Bureaucrats in anti-corruption agencies are no exception. This article will review the latest development in China’s public administration, as unethical bureaucratic behavior in anti-corruption agencies has been among the increasingly vexing pathologies the authorities have to cope with.
Environmental Policy, New Federalism and New Privatism: Policy Conflicts in the Coastal Zone

Public policies developed under the New Federalism of the 1970s and the new privatism of the 1980s have produced a variety of policy problems for states. This is particularly true in the area of environmental policy. This paper looks at environmental policymaking in the coastal zone giving particular attention to the conflicts between the desire to protect renewable resources and the need for economic growth in the coastal zone. These conflicts are illustrated by an examination of comprehensive land use planning in Oregon and the federal government's proposal to develop seabed mining on the Gorda Ridge.
Optimal fishery policy: an equilibrium solution with irreversible investment

Optimal fishery policy has been derived using several different models of varying biological realism. Policy has either been assumed to be non-time-varying and static optimization techniques have been applied or dynamic techniques have been used and have in some cases resulted in constant policy. Botsford (1981) showed by applying dynamic optimization techniques to several biologically realistic models (i.e. models that included size structure and either density or food dependent growth and recruitment rates) that the constant policy solution found for simpler, less realistic models was not possible. He concluded that optimal policy was a time-varying, possibly pulse-fishing policy. We show here that when the maximum allowed fishing mortality is low enough a different kind of constant policy is optimal for these realistic models. Interpretation of this condition requires explicit consideration of fixed capital costs in addition to operating costs. Practical considerations indicate that this constant policy would apply only to fisheries with high fixed capital costs.
Group-I introns with unusual sequences occur at three sites in nuclear 18S rRNA genes of Acanthamoeba lenticulata.

Seven of eleven isolates of Acanthamoeba lenticulata were found to have group-I introns located at one of three positions within the 18S rRNA gene. The introns are 636–721-bp long and are absent from mature rRNA. They lack open reading frames that could encode any known endonucleases. Sequences of introns from the same site in different isolates are 86.0–98.9% identical, while from different sites they are 24.2–29.8% identical. The most closely related introns from other organisms are in the 18S rRNA genes of several green algae where the 17.0–23.6% identity is mostly limited to a highly conserved core of base pairs including P, Q, R and S. Because the A. lenticulata introns only occur in one Acanthamoeba lineage, they were probably acquired after the divergence of this species.
Intracranial arachnoid cysts in children

The clinical and radiographic findings, surgical treatment, and outcome in 16 pediatric patients with intracranial arachnoid cysts are reviewed. The clinical presentation reflected the anatomical location of the lesions. Computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scans were diagnostic in all cases. Of the nine cysts treated primarily or secondarily by craniotomy for fenestration and drainage into the basilar cisterns, five recurred. Cyst-peritoneal shunting led to diminished cyst size and clinical improvement in all seven cases in which it was used as the initial treatment and in all four cases in which fenestration had been unsuccessful. The results in this series show that cyst-peritoneal shunting is the treatment of choice for most intracranial arachnoid cysts in children.
VLSI physical design analyzer: A profiling and data mining tool

Traditional physical design verification tools employ a deck of known design rules, each of which has a pre-defined pass/fail criteria associated with it. While passing a design rule deck is a necessary condition for a VLSI design to be manufacturable, it is not sufficient. Other physical design profiling decks that attempt to obtain statistical information about the various critical dimensions in the VLSI design lack a systematic methodology for rule enumeration. These decks are often inadequate, unable to extract all the interlayer and intralayer dimensions in a design that have a correlation with process yield. The Physical Design Analyzer is a comprehensive design analysis tool built with the objective of exhaustively exploring design-process correlations to increase the wafer yield.
Venturing into Scary Places: The Minority Experience.

Students who have lived as part of a majority for their entire life may find it frightening to be asked to visit a place where they will be in the minority. Craig Bennett uses this assignment to demonstrate to his students how some people feel every day.
Synthetic studies toward the mannopeptimycins: synthesis of orthogonally protected beta-hydroxyenduracididines.

The asymmetric synthesis of the nonproteinogenic amino acids (2S,3S,4′S)-β-hydroxyenduracididine 3 and (2R,3S,4′S)-β-hydroxyenduracididine 4 in orthogonally protected form in 15 total steps from Garner’s aldehyde is reported. The former and N-glycosylated form of the latter are found in the glycopeptide antibiotic mannopeptimycin.
Pseudodifferential Operators on Supermanifolds and the Atiyah-singer Index Theorem

Fermionic quantization, or Clifford algebra, is combined with pseudodifferential operators to simplify the proof of the Atiyah-Singer index theorem for the Dirac operator on a spin manifold.
PEGylierte anorganische Nanopartikel

Der Einsatz anorganischer Nanopartikel in der Diagnose und Therapie hat sich zu einem bedeutenden Faktor bei der Behandlung von Krankheiten entwickelt. Die Oberflachenmodifizierung anorganischer Oxide ist wichtig, um eine Vielfalt von Grosen und Formen, gute Loslichkeit, Langzeitstabilitat und das Anbinden selektiver funktioneller Gruppen zu ermoglichen. Dieser Kurzaufsatz beschreibt die Rolle von Polyethylenglycol (PEG) in der Oberflachenmodifizierung von Oxiden und konzentriert sich auf ihre biomedizinischen Anwendungen. Die PEGylierung ermoglicht die “Tarnung” von Nanomaterialien, die sonst vom menschlichen Korper als Fremdstoffe erkannt werden. Zusatzlich wird die Rolle von PEG als strukturweisendes Element in der Synthese von Oxiden behandelt.
Core Practices and Pedagogies of Teacher Education: A Call for a Common Language and Collective Activity

Currently, the field of teacher education is undergoing a major shift—a turn away from a predominant focus on specifying the necessary knowledge for teaching toward specifying teaching practices that entail knowledge and doing. In this article, the authors suggest that current work on K-12 core teaching practices has the potential to shift teacher education toward the practice of teaching. However, the authors argue that to realize this vision we must reimagine not only the curriculum for learning to teach but also the pedagogy of teacher education. We present one example of what we mean by reimagined teacher education pedagogy by offering a framework through which to conceptualize the preparation of teachers organized around core practices. From our perspectives, this framework could be the backbone of a larger research and development agenda aimed at engaging teachers and teacher educators in systematic knowledge generation regarding ambitious teaching and teacher education pedagogy. We conclude with an invitation to the field to join with us in imagining approaches to generating and aggregating knowledge about teaching and the pedagogy of teacher education that will move not only our individual practice but also our collective practice forward.
Apple Ripening-Related cDNA Clone pAP4 Confers Ethylene-Forming Ability in Transformed Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The apple ripening-related cDNA insert of clone pAP4 (G.S. Ross, M.L. Kinghton, M. Lay-Yee [1992] Plant Mol Biol 19: 231–)238) has previously been shown to have considerable nucleic acid and predicted amino acid sequence similarity to the insert of a tomato ripening-related cDNA clone (pTOM13) that is known to encode the enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) oxidase (A.J. Hamilton, G.W. Lycett, D. Grierson [1990] Nature 346: 284–287; A.J. Hamilton, M. Bouzayen, D. Grierson [1991] Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88: 7434–7437). The cDNA insert from the clone pAP4 was fused between the galactose-inducible promoter and the terminator of the yeast expression vector pYES2. Transformation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain F808- with this DNA construct and incubation of the yeast in the presence of D[+]-galactose allowed these cells to convert ACC to ethylene. The transformed yeast converted 1-amino-2-ethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate isomers to 1-butene with the same 1R,2S-stereoselectivity as achieved by the native ACC oxidase from apples. Both ascorbate and Fe2+ ions stimulated the rate of the production of ethylene from ACC by the transformed yeast, whereas Cu2+ and Co2+ were strongly inhibitory; these are features of ACC oxidase. Northern analysis of the total RNA from nontransformed and transformed yeast showed that the ability to convert the ACC to ethylene was correlated with the synthesis and accumulation of a novel 1.2-kb mRNA that hybridized to the cDNA clone pAP4. We conclude that the cDNA sequence of the clone pAP4 encodes ACC oxidase.
Packaging of Cu/low-k IC devices: a novel surface passivation and direct fine-pitched gold wirebond ball interconnects analysis

The trend towards finer pitch and higher performance devices has driven the semiconductor industry to incorporate copper and low-k dielectric materials. Compared to the commonly used aluminum metallization scheme on the traditional silicon dioxide and/or silicon nitride passivation, a Cu/low-k combination offers higher on-chip communication speed and a lower overall device cost. But the process of packaging Cu/low-k devices has been proven to be difficult, relying either on additional lithography and deposition steps or on costly new process tools. Thus, this work presents a novel methodology to bond fine pitch Au wire directly onto the Cu/low-k pad structure using the industry standard tool set. A Cu/low-k test vehicle is designed with the required slotted low-k fillings for dual damascene CMP process need. In addition, a thin organic passivation film is developed for coating the exposed Cu/low-k pad temporarily from copper oxidation and to provide a wirebondable surface to form the proper interconnects. A design of experiment is performed to optimize wirebonding parameters (power, time, and USG bleed), along with key physical contributors from wafer sawing and die attaching steps that impact the interconnect shear strength and quality. In addition, electrical and optical characterization and surface failure analysis are performed to confirm the feasibility of the technology. Finally, reliability results of the pad structure design and recommendations for further process optimization are presented.
The density and compressibility of KAlSi3O8 liquid to 6.5 GPa

The thermodynamic properties of crystalline and liquid KAlSi 3 O 8 are used to calculate the fusion curve of sanidine to 6.5 GPa. New values for the enthalpy and entropy of fusion of sanidine at one bar and 1200 °C (Δ H T f = 63.0 kJ/mol, ΔS T f = 42.8 J/mol-K) are recommended on the basis of improved heat-capacity equations for KAlSi 3 O 8 crystal, glass, and liquid. On the basis of phase-equilibrium experiments on the congruent melting reaction between 2 and 6.5 GPa, the pressure dependence of the liquid compressibility ( K 0 ’ = d K 0 /d P , where K 0 = 1/β 0 ) is constrained to be 12.2 ± 1.0 in a third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state (EOS). The metastable, one-bar melting temperature ( T f ) is additionally constrained to be 1203 ± 26 °C. Determination of the liquid K 0 ’ allows the density and compressibility of KAlSi 3 O 8 liquid to be calculated to 6.5 GPa (2.709 ± 0.014 g/cm 3 at 1600 °C). The uncertainty in K 0 ’ of ±1.0 leads to an error in melt density at 6.5 GPa of ±0.52%. With a K 0 ’ = 12.2, the relatively high compressibility of KAlSi 3 O 8 liquid at 1600 °C ( K 0 = 15.8 GPa) drops rapidly with increasing pressure. The dominant mechanism of compression for KAlSi 3 O 8 liquid between 0 and 6.5 GPa most likely involves topological changes and increases in network connectivity with pressure. It is probable that highly compressible liquids, such as hydrous, silica-rich liquids formed by partial melting of a subducted slab, may have K 0 ’ values that exceed 12 (at pressures ≤ 6.5 GPa).
Cutting edge: The T cell chemoattractant IFN-inducible protein 10 is essential in host defense against viral-induced neurologic disease

The contribution of the T cell chemoattractant chemokine IFN-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) in host defense following viral infection of the CNS was examined. IP-10 is expressed by astrocytes during acute encephalomyelitis in mouse hepatitis virus-infected mice, and the majority of T lymphocytes infiltrating into the CNS expressed the IP-10 receptor CXCR3. Treatment of mice with anti-IP-10 antisera led to increased mortality and delayed viral clearance from the CNS as compared with control mice. Further, administration of anti-IP-10 led to a >70% reduction ( p ≤ 0.001) in CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocyte infiltration into the CNS, which correlated with decreased ( p ≤ 0.01) levels of IFN-γ. These data indicate that IP-10 functions as a sentinel molecule in host defense and is essential in the development of a protective Th1 response against viral infection of the CNS.
Effect of prior radiotherapy and ablative therapy on surgical outcomes for the treatment of rectourethral fistulas.

Purpose: We evaluate the impact of pelvic radiation and ablative therapy on the surgical repair of rectourethral fistula.Materials and Methods: A total of 45 patients with rectourethral fistulas were identified from a prospective database. From 1998 to 2010 a total of 49 surgical reconstructive procedures were performed. Fistula formation was secondary to radiation (brachytherapy, external beam radiation) and ablative therapy (cryotherapy or high intensity focused ultrasound) in 29 patients. The approach for surgical repair and clinical outcomes were analyzed to identify the impact of radiation and ablative therapy on successful fistula repair.Results: Median patient age was 68 years and mean followup was 42 months (IQR 7, 71). A primary repair was more frequently attempted (15 of 16 [94%] vs 6 of 29 [21%], p <0.0001) and successful in nonradiation/ablation cases (13 of 15 [87%] vs 1 of 6 [17%], p = 0.003). Patients with prior radiation/ablation were significantly more likely to require permanent colostom...
Mean internodal distance in regular and random multihop networks

The minimum necessary aggregate link capacity in a telecommunication network is directly proportional to the mean distance between nodes. The mean internodal distance is therefore an important network characteristic. It is shown that most network topologies, including those constructed at random, display mean internodal distances comparable to those of many carefully designed networks. Thus, careful selection of network topology to minimize the mean internodal distance may be important in only the most sensitive applications. Furthermore, even in such sensitive applications, an almost randomly chosen network topology may be the best choice. >
Compression techniques for active video content

Summary for only given. Conventional digital video playback systems provide only limited user interactivity, mostly in the form of VCR-like controls. In this model, the temporal ordering and the spatial viewpoints of the video streams being viewed are completely determined at authoring time. In contrast, we have defined a form of interactive video called active video (see http://www.ecsl.cs.sunysb.edu//spl sim/anindya/avs/avs.html, 2002), which supports hyper-linking among related video sequences and interpolation of video sequences with neighboring viewpoints, to offer end users the additional flexibility of choosing the sequencing and the viewing angle (even virtual ones) at playback time. However, active video has a substantially higher storage and transmission cost due to multiple time-synchronized video streams capturing the dynamic scene and the pixel-level correspondence maps encoding the spatial association among the frame-pairs of all adjacent streams. The maps are interpolated at run-time to generate virtual views. We describe and evaluate the following three compression techniques that alleviate the storage and network transmission costs of active video: spatial video compression; lossy map compression; lossless map compression.
Use ECP, not ECC, for hard failures in resistive memories

As leakage and other charge storage limitations begin to impair the scalability of DRAM, non-volatile resistive memories are being developed as a potential replacement. Unfortunately, current error correction techniques are poorly suited to this emerging class of memory technologies. Unlike DRAM, PCM and other resistive memories have wear lifetimes, measured in writes, that are sufficiently short to make cell failures common during a system's lifetime. However, resistive memories are much less susceptible to transient faults than DRAM. The Hamming-based ECC codes used in DRAM are designed to handle transient faults with no effective lifetime limits, but ECC codes applied to resistive memories would wear out faster than the cells they are designed to repair. This paper evaluates Error-Correcting Pointers (ECP), a new approach to error correction optimized for memories in which errors are the result of permanent cell failures that occur, and are immediately detectable, at write time. ECP corrects errors by permanently encoding the locations of failed cells into a table and assigning cells to replace them. ECP provides longer lifetimes than previously proposed solutions with equivalent overhead. What's more, as the level of variance in cell lifetimes increases -- a likely consequence of further scalaing -- ECP's margin of improvement over existing schemes increases.
Celso Furtado and the Resumption of Construction in Brazil Structuralism as an Alternative to Neoliberalism

An analysis of Lula's economic and social policy during his first term (2003—2006) shows the degree to which Celso Furtado's predictions about the outcome of market fundamentalism in Latin America and the direction of the Lula government in Brazil have materialized. Faced with the daunting task of administering Cardoso's legacy of massive indebtedness, Lula's priority was to ensure debt-service payments and gain international credibility by strictly following the prescriptions of the old and the new or revised Washington Consensus, thus breaking his promise of a social transformation with a new development model. The central question now is whether a second Lula administration (2007—2010) will represent a transition to a national strategy capable of producing economic growth with social inclusion. Furtado's structuralist insights provide the basis for the elaboration and implementation of an alternative development project for the country and the region at large.
Four-Part Fractures Require Replacement: Once is Enough—Opposes

Complex fractures of the proximal humerus present a challenge to the orthopedic surgeon. There is little agreement regarding the optimal treatment for these fractures because complications occur with each of the many treatment options available. With hardware failure, osteonecrosis, malunion, and nonunion of concern with primary fixation, many believe arthroplasty to be the treatment of choice for these complex fractures. Certainly, humeral head replacement remains an acceptable option for some fracture patterns. Increasingly, good outcomes are obtained for complex fractures with the use of a variety of fixation techniques, particularly with minimally invasive approaches.