cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mild recessive epidermolytic hyperkeratosis associated with a novel keratin 10 donor splice-site mutation in a family of Norfolk terrier dogs

Summary Background Epidermolytic hyperkeratosis in humans is caused by dominant-negative mutations in suprabasal epidermal keratins 1 and 10. However, spontaneous keratin mutations have not been confirmed in a species other than human. Objectives To describe an autosomal recessive, mild, nonpalmar/plantar epidermolytic ichthyosis segregating in an extended pedigree of Norfolk terrier dogs due to a splice-site mutation in the gene encoding keratin 10 (KRT10). Methods Dogs were evaluated clinically, and skin samples were examined by light and electron microscopy. Genomic DNA samples and cDNA from skin RNA were sequenced and defined a mutation in KRT10. Consequences of the mutation were evaluated by assessing protein expression with immunohistochemistry and Western blotting and gene expression with real-time RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction). Results Adult dogs with the disease had generalized, pigmented hyperkeratosis with epidermal fragility. Light microscopic examination defined epidermolysis with hyperkeratosis; ultrastructural changes included a decrease in tonofilaments and abnormal filament aggregation in upper spinous and granular layer keratinocytes. Affected dogs were homozygous for a single base GTTT change in the consensus donor splice site of intron 5 in KRT10. Keratin 10 protein was not detected with immunoblotting in affected dogs. Heterozygous dogs were normal based on clinical and histological appearance and keratin 10 protein expression. The mutation caused activation of at least three cryptic or alternative splice sites. Use of the cryptic sites resulted in transcripts containing premature termination codons. One transcript could result in shortening of the proximal portion of the 2B domain before the stutter region. Quantitative real-time PCR indicated a significant decrease in KRT10 mRNA levels in affected dogs compared with wild-type dogs. Conclusions This disease is the first confirmed spontaneous keratin mutation in a nonhuman species and is the first reported recessive form of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis.
Tetrahymena pyriformis, Strain HS: Micronucleate or Amicronucleate?

SYNOPSIS. Some cultures of Tetrahymena pyriformis, strain HS, are amicronucleate; other cultures bearing the same designation are micronucleate. Investigation in cooperation with several workers indicates that the amicronucleate HS cultures are the same as the original. To avoid further confusion, we suggest that micronucleate HS cultures be designated “HSM” in the future.
A Polymeric Colorimetric Sensor with Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer for Anionic Species

A π-conjugated polymer with 2,5-bis(benzoxazol-2′-yl)benzene-1,4-diol fluorene units is synthesized by using a Suzuki−Miyaura coupling reaction (Mw = 1.3 × 104; PDI = 1.8). The polymer exhibits UV–vis absorption, λmax ≈ 421 nm, and fluorescence, λmax ≈ 616 nm. The observed large Stokes shift (∼200 nm) is attributed to an excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer process. The addition of anionic species (hydroxide, fluoride, and acetate) causes the absorption λmax to be red-shifted to 510–540 nm and the fluorescence quantum efficiency to be increased by a factor of ∼20. Through the study of a model compound, the structure of the anion complex is determined to be deprotonated monoanion, as evidenced from the Benesi−Hildebrand plot and electron-spray mass spectrometry. On the basis of a large spectral response in absorption and significant fluorescence enhancement, the material could be useful for dual-channel detection of anions.
Design Principles for Integration of Model-Driven Quality Assurance Tools

The engineering of software systems is supported by tools in different phases of the software development. The integration of these tools is crucial to assure the trace ability of existing models and artifacts, and to support the automation of critical software development phases such as software testing and validation. In particular, the integration of novel software quality assurance tools into existing environments must be performed in a way that minimizes its impact on existing software process, while the benefits of the tool are leveraged. This guarantees the adoption of new methodologies with minimal interference in existing production workflow. In this paper we discuss our experience in integrating a model-driven software testing tool developed within SIEMENS with a widely-adopted model-driven design tool. In particular, we establish a set of design principles from the lessons learned in this integration. We conclude showing a design that prioritizes data integration over control and presentation that achieves a high degree of tool integration while minimizing the integration development effort.
A nomenclature system for the isoprostanes

Abstract In 1990, prostaglandin (PG) F 2 -like compounds were discovered to be produced in abundance in vivo by a free radical mechanism independent of the cyclooxygenase enzyme. Because these compounds are isomeric to cyclooxygenase-derived PGF 2α , they were termed F 2 -isoprostanes (F 2 -ISOP's). Subsequently, it was also demonstrated that PGD 2 -like compounds (D 2 -IsoP'S) and PGE 2 -like compounds (E 2 -IsoP's) are also produced in vivo as products of this pathway. Four different regioisomers of each of these classes of ISOP'S are formed, each of which can be comprised of eight racemic diastereomers. Thus, 64 different F 2 -IsoP's, E 2 -IsoP's, and D 2 -IsoP's can be formed. Interest in these molecules stems not only from the fact that quantification of IsoP'S can provide a valuable index of free radical-induced lipid peroxidation in vivo but also from the fact that it has been shown that these compounds are capable of exerting potent biological activity. Because of this potential for exerting biological activity, the chemical syntheses of various IsoP compounds for biological testing has been initiated. As a result, a need for a systematic nomenclature for these compounds has evolved. A facile nomenclature that will allow rational differentiation and designation of each of the isomeric structures comprising the family of IsoP'S is presented.
An efficient parallel algorithm for shifting the root of a depth first spanning tree

Abstract Given a simple, connected, undirected graph G on n vertices and a depth first spanning tree (dfst) T of G with root t, the root-shifting problem is to find a dfst R of G with a specified root r. We present an O(log n) step algorithm for solving this problem using n3 processors on a parallel computer which does not permit concurrent writes but allows concurrent reads. We also discuss a processor allocation strategy for this algorithm which can be implemented without increasing the overall running time of the algorithm.
Solving Problems Together: A Psychoeducational Group Model for Victims of Bullies

Schools play a vital role in decreasing the occurrence of bullying among children. Victims of bullying behavior need guidance in developing the skills and strategies needed to effectively respond to bullying. Through small group work, the school counselor can help students develop the knowledge, attitude, and skills that will enable them to deal more effectively with bullying. This article describes an innovative psychoeducational group model, Solving Problems Together (SPT), which not only engages students in the discovery of knowledge and skills needed to deal effectively with bullying, but also demonstrates techniques for solving predicaments in the future.
Preparation of polymer-supported catalysts containing phosphorus palladium complexes and quaternary onium groups, and their application to the vinylation reaction

Abstract Micron-sized crosslinked polystyrene [poly(ST-DVB)] particles prepared by the concentrated emulsion polymerization method were coated with nonuniform layers of the following functionalized polymers: (I) poly(3- and 4-vinylbenzyl chloride) [poly(VBC)]; (II) a copolymer of VBC and 4-chlorosytrene [poly(VBC)-(CST)] and; (III) a composite of poly(VBC) and poly(3,4-dichloro-1-butene) [poly(VBC)-poly (DCB)]. A fine powder composed of small aggregates of such particles was obtained by grinding. The polymers thus prepared were converted to three types of reactive substrates containing both organophosphorus ligands and quaternary onium groups: (1) (m-sulfonate phenyl) diphenyl phosphine and poly(vinylbenzyl tributyl ammonium chloride) bound to poly(ST-DVB); (2) diphenyl ethylene phosphite and benzyl methyl diethanol ammonium groups bound to poly(ST-DVB); and (3) phosphine oxide and quaternary benzyl tributyl ammonium or phosphonium groups bound to poly(ST-DVB). The polymer-supported catalysts containing phosphorus palladium complexes and quaternary onium groups were then employed in the vinylation reaction of iodobenzene with methyl acrylate. These supported bicatalysts displayed a cooperative effect that increased the yield of vinylation by a factor greater than two when compared to its homogeneous counterpart. The relative locations of palladium complexes and quaternary onium groups are found to influence the yield.
Normalization Approaches for Removing Systematic Biases Associated with Mass Spectrometry and Label-Free Proteomics

Central tendency, linear regression, locally weighted regression, and quantile techniques were investigated for normalization of peptide abundance measurements obtained from high-throughput liquid chromatography-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (LC−FTICR MS). Arbitrary abundances of peptides were obtained from three sample sets, including a standard protein sample, two Deinococcus radiodurans samples taken from different growth phases, and two mouse striatum samples from control and methamphetamine-stressed mice (strain C57BL/6). The selected normalization techniques were evaluated in both the absence and presence of biological variability by estimating extraneous variability prior to and following normalization. Prior to normalization, replicate runs from each sample set were observed to be statistically different, while following normalization replicate runs were no longer statistically different. Although all techniques reduced systematic bias to some degree, assigned ranks a...
Improved imaginary-distance beam propagation method for full-vectorial eigenmode analysis of optical waveguides

Two schemes are developed to improve the computational accuracy of the full-vectorial imaginary-distance beam propagation method (FV-ID-BPM). In the first scheme, the cross-coupling terms (CCTs) demanded for the FV analysis are expressed in explicit forms, which are independent of specific types of waveguides, by using an improved finite-difference formula. In the second one, the generalized Douglas (GD) scheme is adopted for discretizing the second-order partial derivatives in the FV-ID-BPM equations. A detailed comparative study between the two schemes in improving the computational accuracy is performed by taking a strongly-guiding rib waveguide as a testing example. The highest accuracy is demonstrated in case of the combination of the two schemes. Nevertheless, the improved FD formula for the CCTs is proved to play a much more significant role than the GD scheme in improving the computational accuracy. Moreover, the effectiveness of the GD scheme diminishes as the FD grid is refined.
Selection for body weight at eight weeks of age. 9. Chicken spermatozoal respiration.

Abstract Endogenous and exogenous respiration of chicken spermatozoa from lines selected for high and low body weight was studied. No significant differences were observed between lines for either type of respiration. The linear response of spermatozoal cumulative oxygen consumption in time was highly significant in both lines. For endogenous respiration, regressions were significantly greater in the low line than in the high line.
Disulfide bond structure of the atrial natriuretic peptide receptor extracellular domain: Conserved disulfide bonds among guanylate cyclase-coupled receptors

The disulfide bond structure of the extracellular domain of rat atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) receptor (NPR-ECD) has been determined by mass spectrometry (MS) and Edman sequencing. Recombinant NPR-ECD expressed in COS-1 cells and purified from the culture medium binds ANP with as high affinity as the natural ANP receptor. Reaction with iodoacetic acid yielded no S-carboxymethylcysteine, indicating that all six Cys residues in NPR-ECD are involved in disulfide bonds. Electrospray ionization MS of NPR-ECD deglycosylated by peptide-N-glycosidase F gave a molecular mass of 48377.5+/-1.6 Da, which was consistent with the presence of three disulfide bonds. Liquid chromatography MS analysis of a lysylendopeptidase digest yielded three cystine-containing fragments with disulfide bonds Cys(60)-Cys(86), Cys(164)-Cys(213) and Cys(423)-Cys(432) based on their observed masses. These bonds were confirmed by Edman sequencing of each of the three fragments. No evidence for an inter-molecular disulfide bond was found. The six Cys residues in NPR-ECD, forming a 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 disulfide pairing pattern, are strictly conserved among A-type natriuretic peptide receptors and are similar in B-type receptors. We found that in other families of guanylate cyclase-coupled receptors, the Cys residues involved in 1-2 and 5-6 disulfide pairs are conserved in nearly all, suggesting an important contribution of these disulfide bonds to the receptor's structure and function.
Addressing the challenges to immunization practice with an economic algorithm for vaccine selection

The biotechnology revolution is producing a growing bounty of new vaccines which pose difficult choices in selecting among many products. Some major public and private purchasers of vaccine may offer individual physicians and clinics their choice in assembling vaccine inventories. Others might purchase only a limited stock of products that would satisfactorily immunize a typical child. In either case, current vaccine selection decisions are based principally on purchase price alone without systematic consideration of other factors of fiscal consequence. As a potential tool for decision making, we developed an economic algorithm for vaccine selection that would minimize the overall costs of disease control through immunization by considering: (1) purchase price, (2) number of doses needed, (3) preparation time, (4) route of administration, (5) cold storage needs, (6) shelf life, (7) earliest age of full immunity, (8) adverse events frequency, and (9) efficacy of protection. To demonstrate the algorithm, variables (1) to (4) above were incorporated into a pilot binary-integer linear programming model that satisfied the recommended immunization schedule for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae b, and hepatitis B, using eleven vaccines (DTaP, DTaP-Hib, Hib, HepB and Hib-HepB) from four manufacturers. Five (or six) opportunities to vaccinate were modeled at (1), 2, 4, 6, 12-18, and 60 months of life, assuming US$40 per clinic visit, $15 per injection, and $0.50 per minute of nurse preparation time. Vaccine costs were varied using actual March and September 1997 US Federal vaccine prices, as well as estimates for unpriced new vaccines. Over 16,000 distinct vaccine stocking lists by vaccine type and brand were possible. Including a 1-month visit, the lowest-cost 'solution' of the algorithm was $529.41 per child in the March cost-assumption case, and $490.32 in the September one (both included four doses of DTaP-Hib, three HepB, and one DTaP). Without a 1-month visit, the lowest-cost solution in the March case cost $486.67 (four DTaP, two Hib-HepB, one DTaP-Hib, and one HepB), while the September case cost $450.32 (four DTaP-Hib, three HepB, and one DTaP). Ensuring at least one product was selected from each of the four manufacturers increased costs about $13.00, and the needed injections rose from eight to nine. The most economical selection of vaccines to use cannot be intuitively predicted, as permutations are large and solutions are sensitive to minor changes in costs and constraints. A transparent, objective selection method that weighs the economic value of distinguishing features among competing vaccines might offer the 'best value' to vaccine purchasers, while also creating strong market incentives for continuing innovation and competition in the vaccine industry.
Current concepts: I. Liquid chromatography with pre-column sample enrichment and electrochemical detection. Regional determination of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in brain tissue.

Abstract A highly selective and sensitive method for the measurement of serotonin and its metabolites in brain tissue has been developed, based on reverse-phase liquid chromatography. The method combines a clean-up step on small, gravity-fed isolation columns with a liquid chromatograph utilizing an on-line sample enrichment procedure. This procedure significantly increases the sensitivity available, allowing determination of picomolar concentrations. Application of this technology is made to the determination of serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in cerebrospinal fluid and small regions of the mammalian brain. As little as 1 mg. of tissue can be studied with a RSD of 4.46% for 5-HT and 5.98% for 5-HIAA.
Dependency and World System Theory: a Critique and New Directions

World system theory (so designated by one of its major practitioners, Immanuel Wallerstein, 1975) is derived from the intellectual heritage found in the critique of the developmentalist perspective of liberal political economy. This critique was articulated in the work of Paul Baran (1957), A. G. Frank (1967, 1969), Theot6nio Dos Santos (1971), and other dependency theorists (for a recent review and effort to defend the dependency perspective, see Cardoso, 1977). Recently, dependency has achieved a new status in the attention given to the "unequal exchange" theses of Arghiri Emmanuel (1972), Samir Amin's discussion (1974) of the "accumulation of world capital," and Immanuel Wallerstein's historical interpretation (1974, 1976) of the rise of a ''single capitalist world economy." The basic framework of a world systems theorist is strikingly elementary. The problematic to be explained is the fact that there exist different stages or levels of national development within what appears to be a unified global economy. The key to explaining this phenomenon, it is argued, is to specify the different political and economic roles which a state or geographic area plays within the overall system. This notion gives rise to the basic categories of analysis: core, semiperiphery and periphery; core and periphery; metropole and satellite. The real innovation of the world systems approach lies in the choice of the primary unit of analysis the capitalist world economy. All phenomena are to be explained in terms of their consequence for both the whole of the system and its parts. It is asserted that the internal class contradictions and political struggles of a particular state, like Rhodesia for example, can be explained as "efforts to alter or preserve a position within the world economy which is to the advantage or disadvantage of particular groups located within a particular state" (Wallerstein, 1975: 16). What is important to notice is the direction of generalization in world systems theory, for that is the key to understanding the approach. Specific events within the world system are to be explained in terms of the demands of the system as a whole. Actors are acting, not for their immediate concrete interests, but because the system dictates that they act. As Wallerstein (1975: *The author is a Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York, Binghamton.
Novel perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) polymers containing isophorone-derived chromophore for electro-optic [EO] applications

Perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) polymers and copolymers have a unique combination of properties well suited for optical applications such as high temperature stability, precisely controlled refractive index, low moisture absorption, excellent melt and solution processability, a variable thermo-optic coefficient, and low transmission loss at 1300 and 1550 nm. Electro-optical devices from polymers of ring locked polyene chromophores are attractive due to their thermal, mechanical, optical and dielectric properties. Polyene chromophores with highest hyperpolarizability are covalently attached to trifluorovinyl aryl ether containing moieties and copolymerized with other monomers. The resulting polymers display imrpoved thermal stability, solubility and good film forming capabilities.
Dansyl hydrazine as a fluorimetric reagent for thin-layer chromatographic analysis of reducing sugars

Reducing sugars, particularly aldoses, react readily with dansyl hydrazine. The fluorescent hydrazones produced can be separated by thin-layer chromatography and determined quantitatively by spectrofluorimetry after elution from the chromatograms.
Water avoidance stress results in an altered voiding phenotype in male mice.

Aims We set out to characterize the voiding phenotypes of male mice to a water avoidance stress (WAS) protocol and compare the molecular changes with those induced by surgically induced partial bladder outlet obstruction (pBOO). Methods Six-week-old male Swiss Webster mice housed with sibling littermates were individually placed on a platform centered in the middle of a water filled basin for 1 hr daily for 4 weeks. A non stressed cohort of sibling littermates served as controls. Measured end points included voiding frequency, voided volume, bladder mass, and in vivo cystometry. Molecular end points included myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform distribution by PCR, and nuclear translocation of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF1α) and the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) by gel shift assay. These molecular endpoints were compared with samples from male mice undergoing anatomic pBOO. Results WAS resulted in increased average voided volumes and bladder mass, and a decrease in voiding frequency (P < 0.05). The slower MHC A isoform was only expressed in the pBOO group that developed severe hypertrophy. Gel shift assays revealed substantial increases in HIF1-α nuclear translocation in the group subjected to pBOO that developed severe hypertrophy but minimal changes in the pBOO group that developed minimal hypertrophy and the swim stress groups. Conclusions The WAS model induces moderate bladder wall hypertrophy in the absence of any surgical manipulation. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:1185–1189, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Halomethyl-metal compounds XVIII. Insertion of halocarbenes into the mercury-halogen bond

Abstract A study of the PhHgCCl2Br/PhHgCl, PhHgCCl2Br/p-CH3C6H4HgCl, PhHgCCl2Br/HgCl2 and the PhHgCHClBr/PhHgCl systems (in benzene at reflux) has established that dichloro- and monochlorocarbene insert into the HgCl bond under these conditions to give HgCCl3 and HgCHCl2 compounds, respectively. The reaction with p-tolylmercuric chloride, which gave only p-tolyl(trichloromethyl)mercuric chloride, showed that CCl2 transfer into the HgCl linkage is involved. Indirect evidence was also obtained for the insertion of CBrCl and CBr2 into the mercury-chlorine bond.
Effects of curriculum alignment versus direct instruction on urban children

Abstract The city of Camden, New Jersey, received a Follow Through grant to implement the direct-instruction model in one of its elementary schools. The standardized achievement test scores of Grade 2 pupils who experienced the direct-instruction model were compared with the scores of pupils who experienced traditional basal programs. The traditional programs were aligned with the standardized Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) used by the district. An additional factor included in the evaluation was the effect of student mobility on achievement. The achievement of mobile students was compared with the achievement of stable students. Finally, stable students were given an additional standardized test, the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT), to assess the effects of the programs independent of the aligned curriculum. The results indicated that (a) the direct-instruction students did as well as the aligned students on the CTBS, (b) the achievement of stable students was generally higher than that of...
Production of magnetically soft materials by mechanical milling

Abstract It may be possible to produce a useful magnetically soft material for industrial applications such as high-temperature motors by means of mechanical milling. The complexity of the micromagnetics involved makes it difficult to come to a theoretical conclusions concerning the potential for creating soft magnetic materials with high saturation magnetization and low hysteresis loss from materials with substantial crystalline anisotropy by using the exchange interaction to couple many grains with different anisotropy axes. This should be a tractable experimental problem starting with supermendur (49Fe49Co2V) which has very small anisotropy and then working with less and less Co which increases the saturation magnetization, the magnetic anisotropy and the electrical resistivity while lowering the magnetostriction and the cost. It is argued that this is an interesting problem.
On the processes that influence the transport and fate of Mississippi waters under flooding outflow conditions

The Mississippi River (MR) freshwater outflow is a major circulation forcing mechanism for the Northern Gulf of Mexico. We investigate the transport and fate of the brackish waters under flood conditions. The largest outflow in history (45,000 m3/s in 2011) is compared with the second largest outflow in the last 8 years (41,000 m3/s in 2008). Realistically forced simulations reveal the synergistic effect of enhanced discharge, winds, stratification of ambient shelf waters, and offshore circulation over the transport of plume waters. The strongest impact is attributed to the evolution of the Loop Current (LC) and associated frontal cyclonic eddies and anticyclonic rings, which exhibited distinctly different influence during the two study periods. The northward LC intrusion in the summer of 2011 weakened and blocked the buoyancy-driven downstream (westward) transport of brackish waters. The 2011 flood was thus characterized by upstream (eastward) flow and an extensive coverage of the Mississippi–Alabama–Florida shelf. An immediate response between the LC and the brackish offshore eastward spreading is computed during and after this historic event. The absence of a LC northward intrusion during the 2008 flood, in combination with wind effects, promotes downstream advection of MR waters towards the Louisiana–Texas shelf; large amounts of buoyant waters are also retained near the Delta, subject to local offshore advection under the synergistic action of LC-associated counter-rotating eddies.
Guanosine triphosphate and colchicine affect the activity and the polymeric state of acetyl-CoA carboxylase☆

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase was purified 300-fold from rat liver, in the absence of added citrate, by precipitation from an 18,000g supernatant in the presence of Triton X-100 at 105,000g and 20 degrees C, followed by chromatography on phosphocellulose. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity in this preparation was activated by preincubation with GTP (0.1-2.0 mM) and with citrate (20 mM). Colchicine (10(-6)-10(-3) M) inhibited enzyme activity and counteracted the effects of GTP and citrate. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation demonstrated that GTP and citrate preincubation promoted the formation of the polymeric, active enzyme, while colchicine engendered disassembly. Preincubation of the purified acetyl-CoA carboxylase at 4 degrees C caused inactivation and disassembly, which was countered by preincubation at 37 degrees C in the presence of GTP or citrate. These results suggest that GTP, like citrate, activates acetyl-CoA carboxylase by enhancing the conversion of the protomeric form of the enzyme to its more active, polymeric state.
Estimates of biomass yield for perennial bioenergy grasses in the USA.

Perennial grasses, such as switchgrass (Panicum viragatum) and Miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus), are potential choices for biomass feedstocks with low-input and high dry matter yield per hectare in the USA and Europe. However, the biophysical potential to grow bioenergy grasses varies with time and space due to changes in environmental conditions. Here, we integrate the dynamic crop growth processes for Miscanthus and two different cultivars of switchgrass, Cave-in-Rock and Alamo, into a land surface model, the Integrated Science Assessment Model (ISAM), to estimate the spatial and temporal variations of biomass yields over the period 2001–2012 in the eastern USA. The validation with observed data from sites across diverse environmental conditions suggests that the model is able to simulate the dynamic response of bioenergy grass growth to changes in environmental conditions in the central and south of the USA. The model is applied to identify four spatial zones characterized by their average yield amplitude and temporal yield variance (or stability) over 2001–2012 in the USA: a high and stable yield zone (HS), a high and unstable yield zone (HU), a low and stable yield zone (LS), and a low and unstable yield zone (LU). The HS zones are mainly distributed in the regions with precipitation larger than 600 mm, and mean temperature range 292–294 K during the growing season, including southern Missouri, northwestern Arkansas, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, southern Ohio, western Kentucky, and parts of northern Virginia. The LU yield zones are distributed in southern parts of Great Plains with water stress conditions and higher temporal variances in precipitation, such as Oklahoma and Kansas. Three bioenergy grasses may not grow in the LS yield zones, including western parts of Great Plains due to extreme low precipitation and poor soil texture, and upper part of north central, northeastern, and northern New England due to extreme cold conditions.
Detection of dopamine-tissue adducts

Incubation of tritium labeled dopamine (3HDA) with a preparation of rat heart or bovine serum albumin in vitro, or the intravenous injection of 3HDA to rats, gives acid insoluble, tritium labeled material that is slowly converted to soluble labeled material (SLM) by heating in dilute perchloric acid. Determination of SLM may be useful in investigations of DA-tissue adducts formed when the catecholamine is delivered by intravenous infusion.
Kimberlites: Strange bodies?

Several years ago I asked a well-known mantle petrologist why kimberlites had been studied relatively little in comparison with kimberlite-transported xenoliths from the upper mantle and lower crust. He replied, ‘When I see a bus full of people travel by, I'm more interested in the passengers than in the bus.’ For many years kimberlites were relegated to the status of the vehicle for a petrologically intriguing load of xenoliths. There are several reasons for the initial lack of attention to kimberlites. (1) They are highly brecciated and inclusion-rich. Many petrologists viewed them as a confusing potpourri of exogenous and endogenous fragments. In fact, some were uncertain whether kimberlites had any primary magmatic/liquid component. (2) Kimberlites usually have undergone a high degree of alteration, principally serpentinization and carbonation, but in some cases localized phlogopitization. Initially, most of the alteration was viewed as very late-stage, probably post-magmatic, and some of it perhaps due to weathering. (3) Because of their brecciated, altered condition, kimberlites often are porous, friable, and difficult to make into thin sections.
Inflammation persistently enhances nocifensive behaviors mediated by spinal group I mGluRs through sustained ERK activation

Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) and their downstream signaling pathways, which involve the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), have been implicated as mediators of plasticity in several pain models. In this study, we report that inflammation leads to a long-lasting enhancement of behavioral responses induced by activation of spinal group I mGluRs. Thus, the nocifensive response to intrathecal injection of the group I mGluR agonist (RS)-3,5-Dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) is significantly potentiated seven days following Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammation of the hind paw. This potentiation is not associated with increased mGlu1 or mGlu5 receptor expression but is associated with increased levels of phosphorylated ERK in dorsal horn neurons. We also tested whether the increased behavioral response to DHPG following inflammation may be explained by enhanced coupling of the group I mGluRs to ERK activation. DHPG-induced ERK phosphorylation in the dorsal horn is not potentiated following inflammation. However, inhibiting ERK activation using a MEK inhibitor, U0126, following inflammation attenuates the intrathecal DHPG-induced behavioral responses to a greater extent than in control animals. The results from this study indicate that persistent ERK activation is required for the enhanced behavioral responses to spinal group I mGluR activation following inflammation and suggest that tonic modulation of ERK activity may underlie a component of central sensitization in dorsal horn neurons.
Combining Genomic Information with Molecular Dynamics Simulation to Model Two-Component Signal-Transduction Systems

Bacteria, archaea and some Eukaryotes employ so-called two-component signal transduction systems (TCS) as a means of adaptation to cellular and environmental stimuli. Typically, these systems feature a membrane bound sensor histidine kinase (SK), which modulates its autokinase activity in response to the stimulus and a transcription factor/response regulator (RR), which accepts a phosphoryl group from the SK and in turn mediates a cellular response. The phosphoryl-transfer requires the formation of a SK/RR complex ruled by transient interaction. This and other transient protein complexes involved in signal transduction are difficult to resolve by experimental means, such as X-ray crystallography or NMR, as evidenced by a lack of structural representatives for many such systems in the protein database PDB. The presented work demonstrates how theoretical methods can close this gap. A genomic direct coupling analysis extracts protein-protein interaction contacts from protein sequence databases. This information is integrated with experimentally determined structures of the unbound proteins in molecular dynamical simulation to understand protein docking and predict the structure of the protein complex. The reliability of this approach is demonstrated by achieving crystal resolution accuracy when reconstituting the known sporulation phosphotransferase complex between Spo0B and Spo0F, which is related to the TCS phsphotransfer complex. We introduce a structural model for the complex of TCS proteins TM0853 with TM0468, consistent with all available experimental data.
FINITE ELEMENT MODELING CRITERIA FOR UNDERGROUND OPENINGS IN ROCK

Abstract Modeling criteria for plane strain finite element analyses of underground openings in homogeneous, linear elastic rock are presented. The studies show that: (1) arbitrary, linear strain quadrilateral elements are most appropriate; (2) incremental excavation should be modeled using the techniques presented; (3) a minimum of 125–150 elements should suffice for simple opening systems; and (4) finite element mesh boundaries should be at 6 radii away from the opening center to insure reasonable accuracy. The basic ideas presented can be readily extrapolated to more complex systems.
Calcium Deficiency Alters Chorda Tympani Nerve Responses to Oral Calcium Chloride

As a preliminary examination of the influence of calcium deficiency on gustatory sensitivity to calcium, we recorded electrophysiological responses of the chorda tympani nerve of calcium-replete and calcium-deprived rats. Relative to rats fed calcium-replete diet, rats fed low calcium diet had lower electrophysiological response thresholds to CaCl2 (300 vs. 30 microM) and calcium lactate (300 vs. 100 microM) but not NaCl. The calcium-deprived animals had a greater chorda tympani response to 30, 100 and 300 microM CaCl2 and 30 and 100 microM calcium lactate but a smaller chorda tympani response to 30, 100 and 300 mM CaCl2 and to 100 mM MgCl2. A behavioral study using an ascending series of 48-h two-bottle preference tests showed that the threshold for acceptance of CaCl2 was similar to the electrophysiological threshold (310 microM in replete rats, 100 microM in calcium-deprived rats). These findings raise the possibility that changes in calcium status influence the perception of calcium, which, in turn, influences calcium intake.
On relations between moment properties and almost sure Lyapunov stability for linear stochastic systems

In this paper we shall be concerned with the implications of almost sure asymptotic Lyapunov stability in the large that are contained in properties of the moments of the system. Definitions for Lyapunov stability relative to the three common modes of convergence of probability theory can be found, for example, in Bertram and Sarachik [l], who were the first in this country to apply the second method of Lyapunov to study stability in the mean of stochastic systems. A somewhat more comprehensive study of this nature can be found in a later paper by Kats and Krasovskii [2]. They were concerned primarily with systems whose parameters are finite state Markov processes. Almost sure Lyapunov stability is certainly the desirable property to ascertain and establish when studying real systems that are subjected to random variations in their parameter values, or are operating within randomly perturbed environmental conditions. However, almost sure properties of random systems are not as immediately obtainable as are mean properties of the system. A few results for almost sure stability of continuous parameter systems have already appeared in the literature. Bogdanoff [3] studies systems whose coefficients are finite sums of sinusoidal terms with incommensurable frequencies and random phases; Khas’minskii [4] studies diffusion processes by Lyapunov’s second method using a clever combination of first passage time probabilities and the maximum principle for elliptic operators; Bharucha [5] studies linear systems whose coefficient processes are piecewise constant, independent or Markovian, and applies the Borel-Cantelli lemma to show that mean square asymptotic stability implies almost sure asymptotic stability for these systems; Kozin [6] studies linear systems with continuous, stationary, ergodic coefficient processes and obtains a sufficient condition in terms of the expected value of the norm of the random coefficient matrix.
CUDA optimization strategies for compute- and memory-bound neuroimaging algorithms

As neuroimaging algorithms and technology continue to grow faster than CPU performance in complexity and image resolution, data-parallel computing methods will be increasingly important. The high performance, data-parallel architecture of modern graphical processing units (GPUs) can reduce computational times by orders of magnitude. However, its massively threaded architecture introduces challenges when GPU resources are exceeded. This paper presents optimization strategies for compute- and memory-bound algorithms for the CUDA architecture. For compute-bound algorithms, the registers are reduced through variable reuse via shared memory and the data throughput is increased through heavier thread workloads and maximizing the thread configuration for a single thread block per multiprocessor. For memory-bound algorithms, fitting the data into the fast but limited GPU resources is achieved through reorganizing the data into self-contained structures and employing a multi-pass approach. Memory latencies are reduced by selecting memory resources whose cache performance are optimized for the algorithm's access patterns. We demonstrate the strategies on two computationally expensive algorithms and achieve optimized GPU implementations that perform up to 6i? faster than unoptimized ones. Compared to CPU implementations, we achieve peak GPU speedups of 129i? for the 3D unbiased nonlinear image registration technique and 93i? for the non-local means surface denoising algorithm.
Sequential detection of targets in distributed systems

It is supposed that there is a multisensor system in which each sensor performs sequential detection of a target. Then the binary decisions on target presence and absence are transmitted to a fusion center, which combines them to improve the performance of the system. We assume that sensors represent multichannel systems with possibly each one having different number of channels. Sequential detection of a target in each sensor is done by implementing a generalized Wald's sequential probability ratio test which is based on the maximum likelihood ratio statistic and allows one to fix the false alarm rate and the mis-detection rate at specified levels. We first show that this sequential detection procedure is asymptotically optimal for general statistical models in the sense of minimizing the expected sample size when the probabilities of errors vanish. We then construct the optimal non-sequential fusion rule that waits until all the local decisions in all sensors are made and then fuses them. It is optimal in the sense of maximizing the probability of target detection for a fixed probability of a false alarm or minimizing the maximal probability of error (minimax criterion). An analysis shows that the final decision can be made substantially more reliable even for a small number of sensors (3-5). The performance of the system is illustrated by the example of detecting a deterministic signal in correlated (color) Gaussian noise. In this example, we provide both the results of theoretical analysis and the results of Monte Carlo experiment. These results allow us to conclude that the use of the sequential detection algorithm substantially reduces the required resources of the system compared to the best non-sequential algorithm.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Direct observation of enzyme activity with the atomic force microscope

The height fluctuations on top of the protein lysozyme adsorbed on mica were measured locally with an atomic force microscope operated in tapping mode in liquid. Height fluctuations of an apparent size of 1 nanometer that lasted for about 50 milliseconds were observed over lysozyme molecules when a substrate (oligoglycoside) was present. In the presence of the inhibitor chitobiose, these height fluctuations decreased to the level without the oligoglycoside. The most straightforward interpretation of these results is that the height fluctuations correspond to the conformational changes of lysozyme during hydrolysis. It is also possible, however, that the height fluctuations are, at least in part, the result of a different height or elasticity of the transient complex of lysozyme plus the substrate.
Silicon CMOS-based vertical multimode interference optical taps

A compact, low loss, optical tap technology is critical for the incorporation of optical interconnects into mainstream CMOS processes. A recently introduced multimode interference effect based device has the potential for very high speed performance in a compact geometry and in a CMOS compatible process. For this work, 2-D and 3-D device simulations confirm a low excess optical loss on order of 0.1 dB, and a nominal 40% (2.2 dB) optical coupling into the CMOS circuitry over a wide range of guide to substrate distances. Simulated devices are on the order of 25micrometers in length and as narrow as 1 um. High temperature, hybrid polymer materials used for commercial CMOS inter-metal dielectric layers are targeted for tap fabrication and are incorporated into the models. Low cost, silicon CMOS based processing makes the new tap technology especially suitable for computer multi-chip module and board level interconnects, as well as for metro fiber to the home and desk telecommunications applications.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
T cell recognition of ragweed allergen Ra3: localization of the full T cell recognition profile by synthetic overlapping peptides representing the entire protein chain

In the preceding report, we described the systematic localization of the full profile of the continuous antigenic sites on ragweed allergen, Ra3, with antibodies from three different host species using a comprehensive strategy, previously introduced by this laboratory. The strategy consists of studying the immunochemical activity of a series of consecutive synthetic overlapping peptides, of uniform size and overlaps, which encompass the entire protein chain. This study reports the localization of the continuous regions on Ra3 that are recognized by T cells from mice immunized with Ra3. The 10 overlapping peptides encompassing the entire Ra3 molecule were examined in vitro for their ability to stimulate lymph node cells from Ra3-primed BALB/c (H-2d), C3H/He (H-2k) SWR (H-2q) and SJL (H-2s) mice. Several regions of the molecule (T sites) were found to stimulate Ra3-primed lymph node cells. This strategy has enabled the localization of the full submolecular profile of T cell recognition of the Ra3 molecule by these mouse strains. Three of the regions recognized by T cells coincided with regions recognized by antibodies (i.e. B cells). It is noteworthy that in addition to sites recognized by both T and B cells the protein has at least one site which is recognized exclusively by T cells and to which no detectable antibody response is directed.
Developing and Testing the CHORDS: Characteristics of Responsible Drinking Survey

Abstract Purpose. Report on the development and psychometric testing of a theoretically and evidence-grounded instrument, the Characteristics of Responsible Drinking Survey (CHORDS). Design. Instrument subjected to four phases of pretesting (cognitive validity, cognitive and motivational qualities, pilot test, and item evaluation) and a final posttest implementation. Setting. Large public university in Texas. Subjects Randomly selected convenience sample (n = 729) of currently enrolled students. Measures. This 78-item questionnaire measures individuals' responsible drinking beliefs, motivations, intentions, and behaviors. Cronbach α, split-half reliability, principal components analysis and Spearman ρ were conducted to investigate reliability, stability, and validity. Results. Measures in the CHORDS exhibited high internal consistency reliability and strong correlations of split-half reliability. Factor analyses indicated five distinct scales were present, as proposed in the theoretical model. Subscale ...
Providing College Readiness Counseling for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Delphi Study to Guide School Counselors

This study used the Delphi method to examine school counselors' roles for providing equitable college readiness counseling for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Participants included an expert panel of 19 individuals with experience and knowledge in postsecondary transition for students with ASD. Expert participants identified 29 tasks of school counselors for providing equitable college readiness counseling to students with ASD, such as encourage student involvement in the transition planning process, collaborate with parents, and conduct workshops for students with ASD and their parents about college transition. This article provides practical implications and recommendations based on the study results.
Sex and basic science. A Title IX position

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance . Section 901(a) of the Title IX of the Education Amendments of