cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coordination of cellular differentiation, polarity, mitosis and meiosis – New findings from early vertebrate oogenesis

A mechanistic dissection of early oocyte differentiation in vertebrates is key to advancing our knowledge of germline development, reproductive biology, the regulation of meiosis, and all of their associated disorders. Recent advances in the field include breakthroughs in the identification of germline stem cells in Medaka, in the cellular architecture of the germline cyst in mice, in a mechanistic dissection of chromosomal pairing and bouquet formation in meiosis in mice, in tracing oocyte symmetry breaking to the chromosomal bouquet of meiosis in zebrafish, and in the biology of the Balbiani body, a universal oocyte granule. Many of the major events in early oogenesis are universally conserved, and some are co-opted for species-specific needs. The chromosomal events of meiosis are of tremendous consequence to gamete formation and have been extensively studied. New light is now being shed on other aspects of early oocyte differentiation, which were traditionally considered outside the scope of meiosis, and their coordination with meiotic events. The emerging theme is of meiosis as a common groundwork for coordinating multifaceted processes of oocyte differentiation. In an accompanying manuscript we describe methods that allowed for investigations in the zebrafish ovary to contribute to these breakthroughs. Here, we review these advances mostly from the zebrafish and mouse. We discuss oogenesis concepts across established model organisms, and construct an inclusive paradigm for early oocyte differentiation in vertebrates.
Genetic Manipulation of the Mammalian Genome

Over the last decade methods have been developed that allow us to precisely alter genetically the germ line of mice, permitting the generation of mouse models for human diseases. In this talk I will first review the technology of gene targeting. I will then illustrate the application of this technology for studying the role of DNA methylation in embryonic development and genomic imprinting. DNA methylation is the most important epigenetic change because DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification: that is, it is altered during normal development as well as during various diseases such as cancer. The implications of DNA methylation for biomedical research will be discussed.
Serotonin and Human Violence

The purpose of this chapter is to review evolving evidence for the possibility of environmental mediators of relationships between serotonin and violence in human children and adolescents. This chapter does not ask whether there are environmental mediators of violence - a variety of evidence suggests that environmental mediation of violence occurs (Tolan & Guerra 1994) and that interactions between biology and environmental events increase the risk of crime (Raine et al., 1994, 1996). Rather this paper focuses upon the possibility of environmental mediators of the relationship between serotonin and violence.
Chronic Kidney Disease and the Cardiovascular Connection

The heart and the kidneys are linked and work in concert to manage blood pressure, salt and water balance, neurohormonal systems, and cell signaling systems. The presence of chronic kidney disease has consistently predicted the development and worsening of cardiovascular disease in human studies. The most prominent feature of atherosclerosis in patients with kidney disease is accelerated calcification as a manifestation of mineral and bone disorder. The development of effort intolerance, dyspnea, and peripheral edema commonly heralds the presence of heart failure but can also be attributed to some forms of chronic kidney disease, particularly nephrotic syndrome. Hospitalization for heart failure is the most frequent manifestation of cardiovascular disease in patients with kidney disease. The most common forms of valvular disease are aortic valve calcification resulting in sclerosis and/or stenosis and/or mitral annular calcification. Because of myocardial disease, electrolyte imbalance, and acid-base disturbances, all forms of arrhythmias are more frequent in patients with kidney disease, particularly those patients receiving dialysis therapy. In summary, there is a very strong link between heart and kidney disease, and hence, they can be viewed as a “cardiorenal” system at risk for disease in both organs.
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism improves parenchymal arteriole dilation via a TRPV4-dependent mechanism and prevents cognitive dysfunction in hypertension.

Vascular dementia is a growing public health issue that lacks effective treatments. Transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV)4 channels are important regulators of parenchymal arteriole dilatio...
Engaging support staff to redesign and improve the process to communicate with outside physicians.

280Background: Communicating with a patient’s primary care physician and other specialists is a key component of collaborative patient care across organizations. This includes identifying and maint...
A Multi-input DC-DC Converter with AC-DC PFC Buck-boost Stage for Hybrid Energy storage Systems

In this paper, a multi-input converter is presented which integrates actively controlled Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) with a front-end AC-DC Power Factor Correction (PFC) converter. The PFC stage is implemented using a bridgeless buck-boost converter. The other DC-DC conversion stages are based on inverting buck-boost topology that uses the same inductors for all modes, namely AC-DC charging, discharging, and regenerative braking. An averaged current mode control algorithm is utilized to manage the input current of the PFC converter and also to control the DC-DC converters. Simulation results validate the converter operation in different modes with a relatively low number of elements.
A Comprehensive Training Initiative for Educators to Develop and Implement Effective Anti-Bullying Policies in K–12 Schools

Although most states across the United States have enacted anti-bullying legislation, state laws vary greatly in detail and direction, leaving many school districts wondering how to best address th...
Feasibility and safety of lumbar puncture in the Parkinson's disease research participants: Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI)

Abstract Objective To determine the feasibility, safety and tolerability of lumbar punctures (LPs) in research participants with early Parkinson disease (PD), subjects without evidence of dopaminergic deficiency (SWEDDs) and healthy volunteers (HC). Background Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is becoming an essential part of the biomarkers discovery effort in PD with still limited data on safety and feasibility of serial LPs in PD participants. DESIGN/METHODS: Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI) is a longitudinal observation study designed to identify PD progression biomarkers. All PPMI participants undergo LP at baseline, 6, 12 months and yearly thereafter. CSF collection is performed by a trained investigator using predominantly atraumatic needles. Adverse events (AEs) are monitored by phone one week after LP completion. We analyzed safety data from baseline LPs. Results PPMI enrolled 683 participants (423 PD/196 HC/64 SWEDDs) from 23 study sites. CSF was collected at baseline in 97.5% of participants, of whom 5.4% underwent collection under fluoroscopy. 23% participants reported any related AEs, 68% of all AE were mild while 5.6% were severe. The most common AEs were headaches (13%) and low back pain (6.5%) and both occurred more commonly in HC and SWEDDs compared to PD participants. Factors associated with higher incidence of AEs across the cohorts included female gender, younger age and use of traumatic needles with larger diameter. AEs largely did not impact compliance with the future LPs. Conclusions LPs are safe and feasible in PD research participants. Specific LP techniques (needle type and gauge) may reduce the overall incidence of AEs.
Topology-optimized design, construction and experimental evaluation of concrete beams

Abstract This work presents topology-optimized design of plain concrete beams using a density-based approach and subsequent construction and experimental evaluation. Three elastic design cases are considered to allow investigation of the effect of using different topology optimization problem formulations and different safety factors on the material strengths. Specifically (i) the compliance is minimized under a limit on the material use, and (ii) stress limits are imposed with a Drucker-Prager criteria while the material use is minimized. Imposing stress limits on the design problem considered in this work is found to create solutions that require significant levels of post-processing prior to construction. This heuristic post-processing is demonstrated to have had a significant effect on the behavior of one of the design cases; leading to large variations in the experimental observations. In line with common design engineering practices, the most robust experimental behavior is found in the design with the highest safety factor on the concrete's tensile strength.
Temporal correlations in human locomotion: Recommendations for sampling rate and foot strike detection

Abstract Human stride intervals exhibit statistically persistent fluctuations over a wide range of timescales. Numerous studies have examined stride interval correlations during overground and treadmill walking. However, the practices and procedures for pre-preprocessing gait data vary considerably. This paper examined how differences in sampling rate and gait event detection affected stride interval correlations measured using detrended fluctuation analysis. Sampling rates ranged from 30–360 Hz. Three common kinematic event detection algorithms were compared to a force-based reference. Lower sampling frequencies failed to capture subtle variations in gait cycle timing, which reduced the strength of stride interval correlations. The kinematic event detection algorithms produced slightly higher, but comparable, estimates of stride interval correlations relative to the force-based reference. Guidelines and considerations for assessing stride interval correlations and the implications of these findings are discussed.
Fast Evaluation of Two-Center Integrals over Gaussian Charge Distributions and Gaussian Orbitals with General Interaction Kernels.

We present efficient algorithms for computing two-center integrals and integral derivatives, with general interaction kernels K(r12), over Gaussian charge distributions of general angular momenta l. While formulated in terms of traditional ab initio integration techniques, full derivations and required secondary information, as well as a reference implementation, are provided to make the content accessible to other fields. Concretely, the presented algorithms are based on an adaption of the McMurchie-Davidson Recurrence Relation (MDRR) combined with analytical properties of the solid harmonic transformation; this obviates all intermediate recurrences except the adapted MDRR itself, and allows it to be applied to fully contracted auxiliary kernel integrals. The technique is particularly well-suited for semiempirical molecular orbital methods, where it can serve as a more general and efficient replacement of Slater-Koster tables, and for first-principles quantum chemistry methods employing density fitting. But the formalism's high efficiency and ability of handling general interaction kernels K(r12) and multipolar Gaussian charge distributions may also be of interest for modeling electrostatic interactions and short-range exchange and charge penetration effects in classical force fields and model potentials. With the presented technique, a 4894 × 4894 univ-JKFIT Coulomb matrix JAB = (A|1/r12|B) (183 MiB) can be computed in 50 ms on a Q2'2018 notebook CPU, without any screening or approximations.
Patterns of gene evolution following duplications and speciations in vertebrates

Background Eukaryotic genes typically form independent evolutionary lineages through either speciation or gene duplication events. Generally, gene copies resulting from speciation events (orthologs) are expected to maintain similarity over time with regard to sequence, structure and function. After a duplication event, however, resulting gene copies (paralogs) may experience a broader set of possible fates, including partial (subfunctionalization) or complete loss of function, as well as gain of new function (neofunctionalization). This assumption, known as the Ortholog Conjecture, is prevalent throughout molecular biology and notably plays an important role in many functional annotation methods. Unfortunately, studies that explicitly compare evolutionary processes between speciation and duplication events are rare and conflicting. Methods To provide an empirical assessment of ortholog/paralog evolution, we estimated ratios of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions (ω = dN/dS) for 251,044 lineages in 6,244 gene trees across 77 vertebrate taxa. Results Overall, we found ω to be more similar between lineages descended from speciation events (p < 0.001) than lineages descended from duplication events, providing strong support for the Ortholog Conjecture. The asymmetry in ω following duplication events appears to be largely driven by an increase along one of the paralogous lineages, while the other remains similar to the parent. This trend is commonly associated with neofunctionalization, suggesting that gene duplication is a significant mechanism for generating novel gene functions.
Adherence to screening and referral guidelines for autism spectrum disorder in toddlers in pediatric primary care.

Objectives Although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for all young children, disparities in ASD diagnosis and intervention in minority children persist. One potential contributor to disparities could be whether physicians take different actions after an initial positive screen based on patient demographics. This study estimated factors associated with physicians completing the follow-up interview for the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers with Follow-up (M-CHAT-F), and referring children to diagnostic services, audiology, and Early Intervention (EI) immediately after a positive screen. Methods Children seen in a large primary care network that has implemented universal ASD screening were included if they screened positive on the M-CHAT parent questionnaire during a 16-30 month well child visit (N = 2882). Demographics, screening results, and referrals were extracted from the electronic health record. Results Children from lower-income families or on public insurance were more likely to have been administered the follow-up interview. Among children who screened positive, 26% were already in EI, 31% were newly referred to EI, 11% were referred each to audiology and for comprehensive ASD evaluation. 40.2% received at least one recommended referral; 3.7% received all recommended referrals. In adjusted multivariable models, male sex, white versus black race, living in an English-speaking household, and having public insurance were associated with new EI referral. Male sex, black versus white race, and lower household income were associated with referral to audiology. Being from an English-speaking family, white versus Asian race, and lower household income were associated with referral for ASD evaluation. A concurrent positive screen for general developmental concerns was associated with each referral. Conclusions We found low rates of follow-up interview completion and referral after positive ASD screen, with variations in referral by sex, language, socio-economic status, and race. Understanding pediatrician decision-making about ASD screening is critical to improving care and reducing disparities.
A Discussion of “Accompaniment in Jazz and Psychoanalysis”

The author discusses the contributions of Markman’s text (this issue) focusing on similarities and differences in how he and this author use rhythm as a musical metaphor for the interactional proce...
Pathophysiology of Rosacea

The pathophysiology underlying rosacea is an active area of investigation. A variety of mediators and mechanisms that trigger disease onset and progression have been implicated in this phenotypically heterogenous and clinically diverse condition. The frequent occurrence of rosacea in people with Celtic ancestry is consistent with a genetic predisposition in certain skin types. In addition to or in combination with genetic factors, the involvement of and connections between the immune, neuronal, and vascular systems are thought to contribute to the dysfunctional responses that lead to the clinical presentation of rosacea. Trigger factors may induce the release of inflammatory and neurogenic mediators from skin, neuronal, and immune cells. The multitude of responses results in the erythema and lesions of rosacea. An improved understanding of the underlying pathophysiology has the potential to lead to effective management.
Stability of the Retinoid X Receptor-alpha Homodimer in the Presence and Absence of Rexinoid and Coactivator Peptide

Differential scanning calorimetry and differential scanning fluorimetry were used to measure the thermal stability of human retinoid X receptor-alpha ligand binding domain (RXR LBD) homodimer in the absence or presence of rexinoid and coactivator peptide, GRIP-1. The apo-RXR LBD homodimer displayed a single thermal unfolding transition with a Tm of 58.7 {degrees}C and an unfolding enthalpy ({Delta}H) of 673 kJ/mol (12.5 J/g), much lower than average value (35 J/g) of small globular proteins. Using a heat capacity change ({Delta}Cp) of 15 kJ/(mol{middle dot}K) determined by measurements at different pH values, the free energy of unfolding ({Delta}G) of the native state was 33 kJ/mol at 37 {degrees}C. Rexinoid binding to the apo-homodimer increased Tm by 5 to 9 {degrees}C, and increased the {Delta}G of the native homodimer by 12 to 20 kJ/mol at 37 {degrees}C, consistent with the nanomolar dissociation constant (Kd) of the rexinoids. The increase in {Delta}G was the result of a more favorable entropic change due to interactions between the rexinoid and hydrophobic residues in the binding pocket, with the larger increases caused by rexinoids containing larger hydrophobic end groups. GRIP-1 binding to holo-homodimers containing rexinoid resulted in additional increases in {Delta}G of 14 kJ/mol, a value same for all three rexinoids. Binding of rexinoid and GRIP-1 resulted in a combined 50% increase in unfolding enthalpy, consistent with reduced structural fluidity and more compact folding observed in other published structural studies. Thermodynamic analysis thus provided a quantitative evaluation of the interactions between RXR and its agonist and coactivator.
Pain and medication adherence in adult cigarette smokers living with HIV: a cross-sectional observational study.

The present study examines relationships between pain, mental health symptoms, and medication adherence in adult smokers living with HIV. Sixty-eight adult HIV-positive smokers taking antiretrovira...
TREM2 Mediates Microglial Anti-Inflammatory Activations in Alzheimer's Disease: Lessons Learned from Transcriptomics.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a lethal neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting the aged population. The etiopathogenesis of AD, especially that of the sporadic type, remains elusive. The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), a member of TREM immunoglobulin superfamily, plays a critical role in microglial physiology. Missense mutations in human TREM2 are determined as genetic risk factors associated with the development of sporadic AD. However, the roles of TREM2 in the pathogenesis of AD are still to be established. In this review, we outlined the influence of Trem2 on balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory microglial activations from a perspective of AD mouse model transcriptomics. On this basis, we further speculated the roles of TREM2 in different stages of AD, which may shed light to the development of TREM2-targeted strategy for the prevention and treatment of this neurodegenerative disorder.
Deletion of Intestinal SHP Impairs Short-term Response to Cholic Acid Challenge in Male Mice

Small heterodimer partner (SHP) is a crucial regulator of bile acid (BA) transport and synthesis; however, its intestine-specific role is not fully understood. Here, we report that male intestine-specific Shp knockout (IShpKO) mice exhibit higher intestinal BA but not hepatic or serum BA levels compared with the f/f Shp animals when challenged with an acute (5-day) 1% cholic acid (CA) diet. We also found that BA synthetic genes Cyp7a1 and Cyp8b1 are not repressed to the same extent in IShpKO compared with control mice post-CA challenge. Loss of intestinal SHP did not alter Fxrα messenger RNA (mRNA) but increased Asbt (BA ileal uptake transporter) and Ostα (BA ileal efflux transporter) expression even under chow-fed conditions. Surprisingly, the acute CA diet in IShpKO did not elicit the expected induction of Fgf15 but was able to maintain the suppression of Asbt, and Ostα/β mRNA levels. At the protein level, apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) was downregulated, while organic solute transporter-α/β (OSTα/β) expression was induced and maintained regardless of diet. Examination of ileal histology in IShpKO mice challenged with acute CA diet revealed reduced villi length and goblet cell numbers. However, no difference in villi length, and the expression of BA regulator and transporter genes, was seen between f/f Shp and IShpKO animals after a chronic (14-day) CA diet, suggesting a potential adaptive response. We found the upregulation of the Pparα-Ugt axis after 14 days of CA diet may reduce the BA burden and compensate for the ileal SHP function. Thus, our study reveals that ileal SHP expression contributes to both overall intestinal structure and BA homeostasis.
Diverse changes in microglia morphology and axonal pathology during the course of 1 year after mild traumatic brain injury in pigs.

Over 2.8 million people experience mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the United States each year, which may lead to long-term neurological dysfunction. The mechanical forces that are caused by TBI propagate through the brain to produce diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and trigger secondary neuroinflammatory cascades. The cascades may persist from acute to chronic time points after injury, altering the homeostasis of the brain. However, the relationship between the hallmark axonal pathology of diffuse TBI and potential changes in glial cell activation or morphology have not been established in a clinically relevant large animal model at chronic time points. In this study, we assessed the tissue from pigs subjected to rapid head rotation in the coronal plane to generate mild TBI. Neuropathological assessments for axonal pathology, microglial morphological changes, and astrocyte reactivity were conducted in specimens out to 1-year post-injury. We detected an increase in overall amyloid precursor protein pathology, as well as periventricular white matter and fimbria/fornix pathology after a single mild TBI. We did not detect the changes in corpus callosum integrity or astrocyte reactivity. However, detailed microglial skeletal analysis revealed changes in morphology, most notably increases in the number of microglial branches, junctions, and endpoints. These subtle changes were most evident in periventricular white matter and certain hippocampal subfields, and were observed out to 1-year post-injury in some cases. These ongoing morphological alterations suggest persistent change in neuroimmune homeostasis. Additional studies are needed to characterize the underlying molecular and neurophysiological alterations, as well as potential contributions to neurological deficits.
Systematic review of depression and suicidality in child and adolescent (CAP) refugees.

Abstract Child adversity and trauma has been shown to have incredible detrimental effects physically and mentally in the subsequent adult life. Importantly, refugee minors are especially vulnerable to trauma. Thus far there are numerous studies examining cohorts of child and adolescent refugees and their impact on mental health in general and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but none have focused specifically on depression and suicide. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed for the current systematic review. 25 articles out of 2660 queried were identified to be included in the review. Overall, CAP refugees have increased risk for major depressive disorder and suicidality compared to the general population to which they have immigrated, regardless of origin. Due to the differences in the assessment tools used, it is hard to parse out if mood disturbance was secondary to major depressive disorder (MDD) or PTSD, or that suicidality is independent or a sequela of MDD/PTSD. Given the vulnerability of CAP refugees after trauma future studies are needed to further elucidate their risk of concurrent depression and suicidality, so as to facilitate appropriate treatment.
Something old, something new, a DNA preparation procedure for long-read genomic sequencing.

Extracting high-molecular-weight DNA is critical for successful long-read DNA sequencing. Here, we present a DNA preparation procedure combining the CTAB DNA extraction protocol and a short-read el...
Experimental Realization of Topologically Protected Surface Magnon Polaritons on Ceramic YIG Ferrites

When biased with an external magnetic field, time reversal symmetry in the material response of ceramic YIG ferrites is broken along the bias direction which alters the dispersion of electromagnetic (EM) waves propagating within. When the propagation direction is along an axis perpendicular to the bias, the EM field can be decomposed into transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic modes where transverse is defined with respect to the propagation direction. Of particular interest are the TE modes, for which a band gap is opened in the dispersion over a frequency range where the effective permeability seen by the mode is negative. Similar to Surface Plasmon Polaritons guided by the surface of materials having a negative effective permittivity along the propagation direction, surface magnon polaritons (SMPs) are guided by the surface of materials having an effective negative permeability. The existence of a uni-directional SMP in the TE band gap of a biased ferrite has been known for some time now. However, more recently the connection to momentum space topology has been made for electromagnetic continua, giving a much deeper insight into its unique properties.
Total aortic arch replacement: A comparative study of zone 0 hybrid arch exclusion versus traditional open repair

Abstract Objective We attempted to identify predictors of adverse outcomes after traditional open and hybrid zone 0 total aortic arch replacement. Methods We performed multivariable analysis using 16 variables to identify predictors of adverse outcomes (mortality, permanent neurologic events, and permanent renal failure necessitating hemodialysis) in 319 consecutive patients who underwent total aortic arch replacement in the past 8.5 years and a subgroup analysis in 25 propensity-matched pairs. A total of 274 patients (85.9%) had traditional open repair, and 45 patients (14.1%) had hybrid zone 0 total arch exclusion. Results Operative mortality was 10.3% (n = 33): 11.1% (n = 5) in the hybrid group and 10.2% (n = 28) in the traditional group ( P = .79). A total of 19 patients (5.9%) had permanent stroke (15 traditional [5.5%] vs 4 hybrid [8.9%]; P = .32), and 2 patients (both traditional) had permanent paraplegia ( P = 1.00). The hybrid group had more total neurologic events ( P = .051) but not more permanent strokes ( P = .32). Prior cardiac disease unrelated to the aorta ( P = .0033) and congestive heart failure ( P = .0053) independently predicted permanent adverse outcome (operative mortality, permanent neurologic event, or permanent renal failure). Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting independently predicted permanent stroke ( P = .032), as did previous cerebrovascular disease ( P = .032). In multivariable analysis, procedure type (hybrid or traditional) was not an independent predictor of stroke ( P = .09). During a median follow-up of 4.5 years (95% confidence interval, 3.9-4.9), survival was 78.7%, with no intergroup difference ( P = .14). Conclusions Among contemporary cases, both traditional and hybrid total aortic arch replacement had acceptable results. Comparing these 2 different surgical treatment options is challenging, and an individualized approach offers the best results. Permanent adverse outcome was not significantly different between the 2 groups. Procedure type is not an independent predictor of permanent stroke. Prior cardiac disease, past or current smoking, and congestive heart failure predict adverse outcomes for total aortic arch replacement.
Obtaining maximum confidence from unrevealing tests (software testing)

Software testing cannot guarantee that a program is at least correct with respect to the inputs over which the program was tested. This is a problem when testing concurrent programs, or could also be due to the possibility of a mistake in evaluating the results of a test of a sequential program. It is shown that, even if such evaluation mistakes are eliminated, testing still cannot normally guarantee program correctness, even with respect to a single input, given most programming language implementations. Reasonably unrestrictive conditions on the language implementation are proposed to resolve this problem. >
A Guide to Building Good Sentence Structure

The article identifies techniques for writing and structuring sentences in legal memoranda and briefs to maximize effective advocacy and persuasion.
Potassium t‐Butoxide

[865-47-4] C4H9KO (MW 112.23) (strong alkoxide base capable of deprotonating many carbon and other Brϕnsted acids; relatively poor nucleophile1) Physical Data: mp 256–258 °C (dec). Solubility: sol/100g solvent at 25–26 °C: hexane 0.27 g, toluene 2.27 g, ether 4.34 g, t-BuOH 17.80 g, THF 25.00 g. Form Supplied in: white, hygroscopic powder; widely available commercially; also available as a 1.0 M solution in THF. Preparative Methods: sublimation (220 °C/1 mmHg; 180 °C/0.05 mmHg) of the commercial material prior to use is recommended. For critical experiments, the reagent should be freshly prepared prior to use. Solutions of the reagent in t-BuOH may be prepared by reaction of the anhydrous alcohol with Potassium under nitrogen,2 or the solvent may be removed (finally at 150 °C/0.1–1.0 mmHg for 2 h) and solutions prepared using other solvents.3 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: do not breathe dust; avoid contact with eyes, skin, and clothing. Reacts with water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, and may ignite on exposure to air at elevated temperatures. Handle in an inert atmosphere box or bag and conduct reactions under an inert atmosphere in a fume hood. Store in small lots in sealed containers under nitrogen.
Combined CDMA with TDMA increases the capacity of a cellular communication system

The authors present a novel cell structure that combines the qualities of code division multiple access (CDMA) and time division multiple access (TDMA) to reduce cochannel interferences. The cell consists of a centrally located base station with eight surrounding corner antennas. The mobiles and antennas operate in a TDMA mode and the communication channels employ spread spectrum direct sequence modulation. TDMA combined with the spatial separation of the cell antennas reduces the carrier-to-interference ratio and thereby increases the cell capacity. The capability and cochannel interference for both forward and reverse link of the proposed system are computed and compared with that of the traditional CDMA cellular system. The results show that the capacity of the proposed system in the forward link is increased by an average factor of three over the traditional CDMA cellular system. For the reverse link the capacities of the systems are comparable. >
Moving the mountain: analysis of the effort required to transform comparative anatomy into computable anatomy

The diverse phenotypes of living organisms have been described for centuries, and though they may be digitized, they are not readily available in a computable form. Using over 100 morphological studies, the Phenoscape project has demonstrated that by annotating characters with community ontology terms, links between novel species anatomy and the genes that may underlie them can be made. But given the enormity of the legacy literature, how can this largely unexploited wealth of descriptive data be rendered amenable to large-scale computation? To identify the bottlenecks, we quantified the time involved in the major aspects of phenotype curation as we annotated characters from the vertebrate phylogenetic systematics literature. This involves attaching fully computable logical expressions consisting of ontology terms to the descriptions in character-bytaxon matrices. The workflow consists of: (i) data preparation, (ii) phenotype annotation, (iii) ontology development and (iv) curation team discussions and software development feedback. Our results showed that the completion of this work required two person-years by a team of two post-docs, a lead data curator, and students. Manual data preparation required close to 13% of the effort. This part in particular could be reduced substantially with better community data practices, such as depositing fully populated matrices in public repositories. Phenotype annotation required � 40% of the effort. We are working to make this more efficient with Natural Language Processing tools. Ontology development (40%), however, remains a highly manual task requiring domain (anatomical) expertise and use of specialized software. The large overhead required for data preparation and ontology development contributed to a low annotation rate of approximately two characters per hour, compared with 14 characters per hour when activity was restricted
Pseudomonas aeruginosa fur Overlaps with a Gene Encoding a Novel Outer Membrane Lipoprotein, OmlA

A novel outer membrane lipoprotein in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is encoded by the omlA gene, which was identified immediately upstream of the fur (ferric uptake regulator) gene. The omlA and fur genes were divergently transcribed and had overlapping promoter regions. The proximal fur P2 promoter and the omlA promoter shared a 5-bp DNA motif for their −10 promoter elements. The distal fur P1 promoter was located within the omlA coding sequence, and the omlA and fur T1 mRNAs overlapped by 154 nucleotides. Optimal expression of both fur and omlA required roughly 200 bp of DNA upstream of the promoter regions, suggesting the presence of cis-acting transcriptional activation elements located within the omlA and fur genes, respectively. The levels of Fur and OmlA proteins had no influence on omlA or fur expression, excluding any trans-acting cross-regulation between fur and omlA. Expression of omlA was constitutive regardless of growth phase, oxygen tension, iron concentration, pH, and temperature. OmlA contained a signal sequence typical of bacterial lipoproteins, with a cysteine as a putative cleavage and lipid attachment site. Inhibition of signal peptidase II by globomycin resulted in failure to process OmlA, thus giving strong evidence that OmlA is a lipoprotein. Cell fractionation followed by Western blot analysis indicated that all OmlA protein is localized in the outer membrane. Mature OmlA was an acidic (pI = 4.5) protein of 17.3 kDa and had close to 40% amino acid sequence identity to SmpA (small protein A) of Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, and Haemophilus influenzae, a protein of unknown function. All P. aeruginosa strains tested as well as Pseudomonas fluorescens were found to produce OmlA. A mutant strain with impaired production of OmlA but no change in the expression of the overlapping fur gene was constructed. The omlA mutant was hypersusceptible to anionic detergents such as sodium dodecyl sulfate and deoxycholate, and it showed increased susceptibility to various antibiotics, including nalidixic acid, rifampin, novobiocin, and chloramphenicol. A structural role of OmlA in maintaining the cell envelope integrity is proposed.
The Retinal Energy Landscape as a Function of the Rhodopsin Photocycle

Retinal is the covalently bound inverse-agonist of the prototypical G protein-coupled receptor, rhodopsin. It comprises a β-ionone ring and polyene chain covalently bound to Lys296 of rhodopsin by a protonated Schiff base (PSB). During the course of rhodopsin activation, retinal initially undergoes an 11-cis → all-trans isomerization, followed by a deprotonation of the Schiff base. Using quantum chemical calculations at the MP2 level of theory and solid state NMR spectroscopy we demonstrate substantial differences in retinal structure and dynamics between the protonated and deprotonated species. The delocalization of positive charge from the PSB results in perturbations of the entire retinal moiety upon deprotonation. For example, methyl rotation barriers are shifted as much as 200% [1]. Surprisingly, deprotonation of retinal drastically affects the energetics of β-ionone ring rotation, producing an extra minimum in the C5=C6-C7=C8 torsional energy surface. This results in a proton affinity (PA), and hence pKa, that depends on β-ionone ring orientation. Specifically, the PA of retinal is lowered for non-planar conformations of the β-ionone ring, in turn lowering the pKa and facilitating the deprotonation required for formation of the Meta I pre-activated state of rhodopsin. In order to extend these calculations to account for interactions within the rhodopsin binding pocket we have used the QM data, including MP2 level torsion scans of every dihedral angle, to refine new retinal force fields for both protonation. This data opens the door to future molecular dynamics studies of retinal proteins that include the activated Meta II state. [1] B. Mertz et al. (2011) Biophys. J. 101: L17.
Engineering the global ecosystem

In 1952, Isaac Asimov wrote a vivid tale about human explorers engineering the ecosystem of Mars to make it habitable for humans (Asimov 1952). In science fiction, engineers use terraforming machines to modify the atmosphere, landscape, and hydrology of Mars to create ecosystems that sustain earth-based life-forms. Since that time, rapid advances in population density, combined with ideas concerning engineering and finance, have allowed us to recreate the ecosystem of our home planet. However, our Earth-based ‘‘terraforming’’ efforts have not sufficiently included ecosystem function in our engineering designs and, as a result, a number of negative consequences are occurring. Engineering has had a great history of achievement in designing and building hydrologic structures and actualizing fantastic ideas, such as the Roman aqueducts, the canals of Angkor Wat, or the Bhakra Nangal dam. Engineering over the ages has transitioned from a focus on structural greatness to engineering the manipulation of natural cycles and systems, including the hydrologic cycle. These designs and manipulations typically regard only the immediate application (e.g., flood control, water supply), not the needs of the regional and global ecosystem, and therefore impart unintended consequences as a result of this oversight. In the last 50 years, the world population has more than doubled, from less than 3 billion people to an estimated 6.8 billion people today (United States Census Bureau 2010). Current projections are for the world population to reach nine billion within the next generation. Despite the potential for disaster, arguably the human condition has improved as population density increased. The Human Development Index (HDI), a measurement that incorporates life expectancy, access to education, and standard of living, has risen for all of the 82 UN member states for which there is comparative data between 1980 and 2007 (United Nations Development Programs, 2009). The average increase for states ranked as having low development (scores less than 0.50) in 1980 was almost 140%, with ten out of 21 states moving from the low development to medium development categories. The HDI also increased in countries ranked in 1980 as medium development (120%) and high or very high development (110% of the 1980 values). Other measurements of the human condition, such as access to drinking water, undernourishment, and poverty rates, show trends that indicate the human condition is improving (United Nations 2008; United Nations Environmental Programs 2010). The human condition has been uplifted in large part due to engineering that has transformed our landscape and hydrology on a local, regional, and global scale. W. T. Stringfellow (&) R. Jain Ecological Engineering Research Program, School of Engineering and Computer Science, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA 95211, USA e-mail: wstringfellow@pacific.edu
Decay of 1.9 h 198mTl and 5.3 h 198gTl to levels in 198Hg

Abstract The decay of 1.9 h 198m T1 and 5.3 h 198g T1 was investigated using Ge(Li), NaI(Tl) and plastic detectors and a Ge(Li)-Ge(Li) coincidence spectrometer. In addition to known excited states at 412, 1049, 1636, 1684, 1910 and 2125 keV, the levels at 1816, 2059, 2203 and 2516 keV in 198 Hg are found to be populated in the decay of 198m T1. The observed delay of 6.6±0.5 ns between K X-rays and γ-rays has been attributed to the E2 transition between the states at 1684 keV (6 − or 7 − ) and 1636 keV (5 − ). In the decay of 198g Tl, 55 levels below 3.2 MeV are populated. In contrast to 200 Hg, no low-lying 0 + state could be established in 198 Hg. However, the results of angular correlation measurements cannot exclude the 0 + assignment for a weakly populated level at 1402 keV. Comparisons with the neihgbouring even Hg isotopes and some theoretical calculations have been made.
The National Animal Health Monitoring System in Michigan. I. Design, data and frequencies of selected dairy cattle diseases.

Abstract A National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) in Michigan was started in 1986 to develop statistically valid data for use in estimating disease frequencies in dairy cattle, and the associated costs. The objectives of this paper are to: (1) describe what was done to implement and maintain the system in Michigan; (2) present selected disease frequencies; (3) discuss the epidemiological considerations of what was done and implications for the results obtained. Veterinary medical officers (VMOs — veterinarians from the university, state and federal governments) served as data collectors. After several sessions of training in current disease and management problems of dairy cattle, interview techniques, sampling methods, and data collection instruments, the VMOs participated in selection of the sample herds and data gathering. Sixty ( n =60) of 6012 dairy herds were selected randomly and the VMOs visited the farms once a month for 12 months to collect management, disease, inventory, production, preventive treatment, financial and any other relevant data. Strict data quality control devices were used. Specific feedback and morale-boosting techniques were developed for the producers and data collectors. Of the three age groups studied, cows had the greatest number of disease problems. The six disorders found most frequently were (from highest to lowest) breeding problems, clinical mastitis, birth problems, metabolic problems, gastrointestinal problems, and lameness. In young stock, respiratory, multiple system, breeding, gastrointestinal, lameness, and birth problems were predominant, whereas in calves, gastrointestinal, respiratory, multiple system, lameness, metabolic/nutritional, and urogenital disorders were the major problems.
Comparison of Methods for the Determination of Aalicylic Acid in Buffered Aspirin Tablets

New procedures are described for the determination of the free salicylic acid content and the total nonaspirin salicylate content of buffered aspirin tablets. Free salicylic acid and total nonaspirin salicylate contents of a number of tablet samples were determined. The new procedure for nonaspirin salicylates yielded results which were in close agreement with those found using the Levine and Weber method. No relationship was found between the free salicylic acid content and the total nonaspirin salicylate content of buffered tablets. The USP XVII test method for free salicylic acid yielded results which were consistently and significantly lower than those found with the other methods studied.
Particle Flow Simulation of Slope Instability and Failure

The instability and deformation process of an example of slope is simulated using PFC here. The relationship between macro and micro mechanics parameters is established in the numerical simulation, which determines the calculating parameters.The results of simulation and the example are consistent assessment, which illustrates the effectiveness of calculation, indicates that the PFC method can search the instability and sliding surface and shows the development process of performance failure. During the process, the chain of parallel bond force fractures gradually, but the range where parallel bond fractures is larger than the instable area because of the sliding friction, which improves our understanding of slope instability.
Psychophysiological Responses of Parents to Pediatric Critical Care Stress

Psychological factors are associated with how parents cope during a child's intensive care hospitalization. However, little is known about the role of physiological-stress responses in parents' coping and adaptation to such situations. This study investigates the relationship between parents' psychophysiological-stress responses, as measured by urine catecholamine excretion, and their coping and activities during a child's intensive care experience. Parents who appraised the situation as one that is amenable to change and who used more problem-focused strategies, such as seeking social support, had lower anxiety and lower catecholamine levels. Further, parents who were more problem focused performed more child care activities during the experience. The results of this study provide information for planning interventions to promote parental coping and adjustment to the child's critical care situation.
High-Temperature Chromophores and Perfluorocyclobutyl Copolymers for Electro-optic Applications†

The synthesis and hyperpolarizabilities of a series of push−pull chromophores containing a bis-(4-methoxyphenyl) amine donor and efficient acceptor bridges with thiophene and ring-locked polyene are presented. The chromophores are readily soluble in common organic solvents and exhibit high thermal decomposition temperatures (highest Td was 358 °C). Molecular hyperpolarizabilities (β) of the chromophores were measured by hyper-Raleigh scattering at 1604 nm (highest β was 20 000 × 10−30 esu). The electrochemical behavior of the chromophores was studied by cyclic voltammetry and agreed well with the observed intrinsic nonlinearities. In addition, preliminary results of conjugated polyene chromophores containing aryl trifluorovinyl ether monomers were synthesized and copolymerized via thermal cyclodimerization, affording perfluorocyclobutyl aryl ether polymers with high glass transitions (highest Tg was 224 °C) and a good thermal stability (typical Td was >350 °C). These chromophores can be used to develop el...
An investigation of Li− photodetachment in the vicinity of the 22 + ϵs threshold

Abstract A crossed laser-ion beam apparatus has been used to determine the electron affinity of Li and to measure cross sections for single photon-single electron detachment from Li − . Photoelectron production via the resolved 2 Sϵp and 2 Pϵs channels has been studied in detail in the vicinity of the 2 2 P+ϵs threshold. The electron affinity of Li − was found to be 617.6 ± 0.2 meV by threshold-photodetachment spectroscopy. Absolute cross sections and asymmetry parameters are also measured at discrete wavelengths in the spectral range of 1.78–2.50 eV.