cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic and Physical Mapping of the Treacher Collins Syndrome Locus with Respect to Loci in the Chromosome 5q3 Region

Treacher Collins syndrome is an autosomal dominant, craniofacial developmental disorder, and its locus (TCOF1) has been mapped to chromosome 5q3. To refine the location of the gene within this region, linkage analysis was performed among the TCOF1 locus and 12 loci (IL9, FGFA, GRL, D5S207, D5S210, D5S376, CSF1R, SPARC, D5S119, D5S209, D5S527, FGFR4) in 13 Treacher Collins syndrome families. The highest maximum lod score was obtained between loci TCOF1 and D5S210 (Z = 10.52; [theta] = 0.02 [+-] 0.07). The best order, IL9-GRL-D5S207/D5S210-CSF1R-SPARC-D5S119, and genetic distances among these loci were determined in the 40 CEPH families by multipoint linkage analysis. YAC clones were used to establish the order of loci, centromere-5[prime]GRL3[prime]-D5S207-D5S210-D5S376-CSF1R-SPARC-D5S119-telomere. By combining known physical mapping data with ours, the order of chromosome 5q3 markers is centomere-IL9-FGFA-5[prime]GRL3[prime]-D5s207-D5S210-D5S376-CSF1R-SPARC-D5S119-D5S209-FGFR4-telomere. Based on this order, haplotype analysis suggests that the TCOF1 locus resides distal CSF1R and proximal to SPARC within a region less than 1 Mb in size. 29 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.
Evidence for selective sulfhydryl reactivity in cytochalasin A — Mediated bacterial inhibitions

Abstract Cytochalasin A (CA) at 5 × 10 −5 M strongly inhibits glucose transport in Arthrobacter sialophilis . This effect and other bacteriostatic and metabolic inhibitions of gram-positive bacteria are not caused by the closely related congeners cytochalasin B or D. Inhibitions by CA are nullified by prior drug incubation with sulfhydryl compounds. It was also found that the characterized adduct of CA with β-mercaptoethanol is devoid of biological activity. N-ethylmaleimide, p-chloromercuribenzoate and ethacrynic acid (a known, liposoluble, sulfhydryl reactant) were each shown at 5 × 10 −5 M to be relatively ineffective in inhibiting D-glucose transport in A. sialophilus . These observations suggest that CA reacts at the molecular biological level in a site-specific manner.
Effect of Intermittent Cold Exposure on Brown Fat Activation, Obesity, and Energy Homeostasis in Mice

Homeotherms have specific mechanisms to maintain a constant core body temperature despite changes in thermal environment, food supply, and metabolic demand. Brown adipose tissue, the principal thermogenic organ, quickly and efficiently increases heat production by dissipating the mitochondrial proton motive force. It has been suggested that activation of brown fat, via either environmental (i.e. cold exposure) or pharmacologic means, could be used to increase metabolic rate and thus reduce body weight. Here we assess the effects of intermittent cold exposure (4°C for one to eight hours three times a week) on C57BL/6J mice fed a high fat diet. Cold exposure increased metabolic rate approximately two-fold during the challenge and activated brown fat. In response, food intake increased to compensate fully for the increased energy expenditure; thus, the mice showed no reduction in body weight or adiposity. Despite the unchanged adiposity, the cold-treated mice showed transient improvements in glucose homeostasis. Administration of the cannabinoid receptor-1 inverse agonist AM251 caused weight loss and improvements in glucose homeostasis, but showed no further improvements when combined with cold exposure. These data suggest that intermittent cold exposure causes transient, meaningful improvements in glucose homeostasis, but without synergy when combined with AM251. Since energy expenditure is significantly increased during cold exposure, a drug that dissociates food intake from metabolic demand during cold exposure may achieve weight loss and further metabolic improvements.
DUPAL anomaly in the Sea of Japan: Pb, Nd, and Sr isotopic variations at the eastern Eurasian continental margin

Abstract Volcanic rocks from the eastern Eurasian plate margin (southwestern Japan, the Sea of Japan, and northeastern China) show enriched (EMI) component signatures. Volcanic rocks from the Ulreung and Dog Islands in the Sea of Japan show typical DUPAL anomaly characteristics with extremely high Δ208/204 Pb (up to 143) and enriched Nd and Sr isotopic compositions (ϵNd = −3 to -5, 87 Sr 86 Sr = ~0.705 ). The Δ208/204 Pb values are similar to those associated with the DUPAL anomaly (up to 140) in the southern hemisphere. Because the EMI characteristics of basalts from the Sea of Japan are more extreme than those of southwestern Japan and inland China basalts, we propose that old mantle lithosphere was metasomatized early (prior to the Proterozoic) with subduction-related fluids (not present subduction system) so that it has been slightly enriched in incompatible elements and has had a high Th/U for a long time. The results of this study support the idea that the old subcontinental mantle lithosphere is the source for EMI of oceanic basalts, and that EMI does not need to be stored at the core/ mantle boundary layer for a long time. Dredged samples from seamounts and knolls from the Yamato Basin Ridge in the Sea of Japan show similar isotopic characteristics to basalts from the Mariana arc, supporting the idea that the Yamato Basin Ridge is a spreading center causing separation of the northeast Japan Arc from Eurasia.
Multiple malignant tumours in the elderly

Aging of the population and technical improvements may contribute to increase the possibility of multiple malignant tumours to be diagnosed. Over a period of 18 years, 2,749 consecutive autopsies of elderly patients were performed. In addition to macroscopic examination of every single organ, bone marrow and prostate were routinely stained and microscopically examined. One hundred and sixty-seven patients with multiple malignant tumours were found. Mean age was 81.1 years for females and 80.1 years for males. Mean interval between tumours was 2.4 years for females and 1.0 year for males. First tumours were most of the time diagnosed clinically (n = 121 vs. 46) whereas second tumours were diagnosed at autopsy (n = 121 vs. 46). Origin and metastastic sites of tumours were not different between the first and second tumour. Prostate and breast were the most frequent organs involved in males and females. Multiple malignant tumours in the elderly are not rare and the second tumour is frequently diagnosed after death despite occurring relatively soon after the diagnosis of the first tumour. Multiple malignant tumours may represent a significant clinical challenge leading to further diagnostic procedures and differentiated therapeutic approaches.
Standard Biological Parts Knowledgebase

We have created the Knowledgebase of Standard Biological Parts (SBPkb) as a publically accessible Semantic Web resource for synthetic biology (sbolstandard.org). The SBPkb allows researchers to query and retrieve standard biological parts for research and use in synthetic biology. Its initial version includes all of the information about parts stored in the Registry of Standard Biological Parts (partsregistry.org). SBPkb transforms this information so that it is computable, using our semantic framework for synthetic biology parts. This framework, known as SBOL-semantic, was built as part of the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL), a project of the Synthetic Biology Data Exchange Group. SBOL-semantic represents commonly used synthetic biology entities, and its purpose is to improve the distribution and exchange of descriptions of biological parts. In this paper, we describe the data, our methods for transformation to SBPkb, and finally, we demonstrate the value of our knowledgebase with a set of sample queries. We use RDF technology and SPARQL queries to retrieve candidate “promoter” parts that are known to be both negatively and positively regulated. This method provides new web based data access to perform searches for parts that are not currently possible.
Resting thallium-201 myocardial perfusion patterns in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction: differences between patients with primary cardiomyopathy, chronic coronary artery disease, or acute myocardial infarction

This study examined the value of resting thallium-201 imaging in differentiating patients with primary cardiomyopathy from those with ischemic cardiomyopathy. There were 15 patients with primary cardiomyopathy (group I); 20 with chronic CAD (group II); and 25 with acute Q wave myocardial infarction (group III). All patients had LVEF less than or equal to 35%. The thallium score was less than 50 (maximum 60) in one patient (7%) in group I, in 17 patients (85%) in group II, and in 25 patients (100%) in group III (p less than 0.0001, I vs II and III). The number of normal segments was 11.4 +/- 4.9 in group I, 6.9 +/- 2.9 in group II, and 7.0 +/- 2.2 in group III (p less than 0.0001, I vs II, III). Reversible defects were present in three patients in group II, three in group III, and none in group I. Abnormal right ventricular thallium uptake was observed in 27% of patients in group I, 25% in group II, and 40% in group III (p = NS). Abnormal lung thallium uptake was observed in 33% in group I, 20% in group II, and 20% in group III (p = NS). Thus, rest thallium imaging is useful in separating patients with primary cardiomyopathy from those with ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Preservation of infected and exposed vascular grafts using vacuum assisted closure without muscle flap coverage.

The most widely used techniques for graft preservation after localized graft infections are muscle flap closure or antibacterial dressings and irrigations after debridement. Vacuum assisted closure (VAC) has been increasingly used for complex wounds in vascular surgery, including groin infections, but not directly on exposed bypass grafts as a stand-alone technique. We used the VAC system after wound debridement in four patients with fully exposed synthetic bypass grafts who were too unstable or risky for further operative interventions. Mean duration of VAC use was 22.8 days (range, 6 to 53 days), with time to total wound closure of 30 to 63 days (mean, 41 days). There were no reinfections with 11 to 25 months' follow-up (mean, 18.3 months). For high-risk surgical patients with a fully exposed infected prosthetic vascular graft, VAC therapy along with aggressive debridement and antibiotic therapy may be an effective alternative to current management strategies.
Optimizing One-sided Operations in Open MPI

Open MPI is a widely used open-source implementation of the MPI-3.0 specification that is developed and maintained by collaborators from academia, industry, and national laboratories [1]. It supports a wide variety of high-performance APIs including verbs (Infiniband), Cray uGNI (Gemini/Aries) [2] [3], usNIC, and SCIF. It supports all functionality required by the MPI 3.0 specification including the updated Remote Memory Access (RMA) interfaces.
Involvement of calpain in diamide-induced cataract in cultured lenses.

Abstract Lenses cultured in diamide first developed outer cortical opacities followed by nuclear cataract. Lens hydration and total calcium were markedly increased by diamide. Proteolysis or crystallins were observed in nuclear cataract lenses. Calpain in the soluble fraction of lenses cultured with diamide was decreased, while calpain in the insoluble fraction was increased. Co-culture with E64d, an inhibitor of cysteine protease such as calpain, especially prevented nuclear opacities and proteolysis of crystallins, indicating that calpain was involved in cataract formation by diamide.
The strength of nanocrystalline metals with and without flaws

The expectation of large grain-boundary strengthening and extensive grain-boundary sliding has motivated a number of studies of the mechanical properties of nanocrystalline metals. However, poor sample quality frequently has led to results that are far removed from the actual mechanical behavior of the flaw-free material. Several examples, involving elastic moduli, hardness, and yield strength, are given. Recent tests in compression of high density nanocrystalline metals have shown high hardness and yield strength values that are compatible with extrapolation of coarse-grain Hall-Petch data to the nanocrystalline regime.
Effects of x-ray and CT image enhancements on the robustness and accuracy of a rigid 3D/2D image registration

A rigid body three-dimensional/two-dimensional (3D/2D) registration method has been implemented using mutual information, gradient ascent, and 3D texturemap-based digitally reconstructed radiographs. Nine combinations of commonly used x-ray and computed tomography (CT) image enhancement methods, including window leveling, histogram equalization, and adaptive histogram equalization, were examined to assess their effects on accuracy and robustness of the registration method. From a set of experiments using an anthropomorphic chest phantom, we were able to draw several conclusions. First, the CT and x-ray preprocessing combination with the widest attraction range was the one that linearly stretched the histograms onto the entire display range on both CT and x-ray images. The average attraction ranges of this combination were 71.3 mm and 61.3 deg in the translation and rotation dimensions, respectively, and the average errors were 0.12 deg and 0.47 mm. Second, the combination of the CT image with tissue and bone information and the x-ray images with adaptive histogram equalization also showed subvoxel accuracy, especially the best in the translation dimensions. However, its attraction ranges were the smallest among the examined combinations (on average 36 mm and 19 deg). Last the bone-only information on the CT image did not show convergency property to the correct registration.
Cardiac assistance with electrically stimulated skeletal muscle.

This study examined the ability of a skeletal muscle-powered assist ventricle (SMV) to augment cardiac output in ten dogs with pharmacologically induced heart failure under acute conditions. An SMV was surgically constructed in each dog by wrapping the untrained rectus abdominis muscle around a compressible pouch that was inserted into a left ventricular apex-to-aortic vascular conduit. The multiple motor nerves to the rectus muscle were then stimulated during ventricular diastole at a rate which equalled a ratio of 1∶2, 1∶3, or 1∶4 with the natural ventricular beat. There was an increased cardiac output during SMV assistance compared with preassistance values in all ten dogs at each stimulation ratio with a mean increase of 46±4 per cent with a ratio of 1∶2, 25±4 per cent with a ratio of 1∶3, and 31±7 per cent with a ratio of 1∶4 (p<0·01 for all values). The diastolic blood pressure and mean blood pressure were both increased (p<0·01 and p<0·05, respectively) during SMV stimulation at ratios of 1∶2 and 1∶3, but not 1∶4. We have shown that untrained rectus abdominis muscle, when used as the power supply for a SMV in an apico-aortic conduit, can temporarily augment cardiac output in dogs with pharmacologically induced heart failure.
Effects of continuous naloxone administration on ventral tegmental self-stimulation.

Abstract Continuous subcutaneous administration of naloxone (3 mg/kg/h), shifted ventral tegmental self-stimulation rate-frequency curves to the right, without suppressing behavioral performance. In addition this chronic blockade of opioid receptors altered μ binding parameters in the hippocampus and olfactory tubercle of naloxone-treated animals. These findings speak to the role opioid peptides play in the mediation of brain stimulation reward.
Pancreatitis associated with pancreatic carcinoma: Preoperative diagnosis: Role of CT imaging in detection and evaluation

The combined occurrence of pancreatic carcinoma with acute or chronic pancreatitis is seldom seen in medical practice, but when present it is a challenging dilemma, plagued by confusing overlapping clinical findings and pitfalls in diagnostic imaging tests. This article reviews the presumptive pathophysiological aspects of this relationship, the perplexing clinical presentations and the advantages and limitations of the noninvasive imaging examinations. The role of state-of-the-art CT imaging in screening patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis is emphasized and the impute of additional more invasive tests in detecting pancreatic tumors in this cohort of patients is reviewed. The habitual use of CT imaging, followed when needed by complementary examinations, can improve on previously reported low detection rates and hopefully decrease the number of exploratory laparatomies and unnecessary major pancreatic surgical resections.
New fiber optic sensor: application to refractive index sensing

Optical fibers are more and more used as chemical sensors. This is, mainly due to their low cost, and their high efficiency to work in harsh and remote environments. Many devices are based on thin film plasmon excitation where a metal coating is evaporated onto the core of an etched optical fiber. In this paper, a new sensor configuration is presented. Instead of exciting surface plasmon waves on a thin film, surface plasma waves are excited on metal islands. The fiber is coated with 3 layers of gold. Each layer is annealed before the next layer is evaporated onto it. this is done to avoid any light leakage, fact which was found on a prior version with only one gold coating. Different sets of fibers were tested and sensitive and reproducible results for liquid with refraction indices varying from 1.3 to 1.7 were obtained.
Intrauterine infection and preterm delivery: Evidence for activation of the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

Abstract Objective: We studied pregnant women in preterm labor with and without intrauterine infection to determine whether fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation occurs in the setting of infection-induced preterm parturition. Study Design: Amniotic fluid collected by amniocentesis and maternal blood from patients in preterm labor with intact membranes at 24 to 34 weeks' gestation were analyzed by radioimmunoassay for the steroid hormones estrone, estradiol, progesterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and cortisol. Amniotic fluid was also obtained for microbial culture and for interleukin 6 measurements by enzyme immunoassay. Results: Patients with intrauterine infection (n = 11) had significantly higher amniotic fluid concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone (539 ± 79 pg/mL) and of cortisol (5.28 ± 1.0 μg/dL) than did patients with preterm labor and preterm delivery without infection (n = 11; 273 ± 82 pg/mL and 1.61 ± 1.05 μg/dL, respectively) or patients with preterm labor and subsequent term delivery (n = 11; 202 ± 79 pg/mL and 1.82 ± 1.0 μg/dL, respectively). Furthermore those patients who were delivered within 7 days after enrollment (who were also more likely to have intrauterine infection) had higher amniotic fluid concentrations than did those who were not delivered within 7 days of both estrone (586 ± 101 pg/mL vs 314 ± 98 pg/mL) and estradiol (238 ± 44 pg/mL vs 91 ± 43 pg/mL). Conclusion: Intrauterine infection was associated with increased fetal adrenal androgen and cortisol biosynthesis, and delivery within 7 days after the onset of preterm labor was associated with increased placental estrogen synthesis. These data are consistent with fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation in the setting of infection-associated preterm delivery. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;182:1404-13.)
Structural glycoproteins of the embryonic cardiac extracellular matrix

Fucose containing structural glycoproteins of early embryonic chick hearts were shown to be only slightly solubilized (30% recovery) by LiCl, urea, ammonium acetate, SDS or reduction with dithiothreitol and alkylation with iodoacetamide. Solubilization is essentially complete (90% recovery) if reduction and alkylation takes place in the presence of SDS or if native material is digested with testicular hyaluronidase. These data suggest that newly synthesized embryonic cardiac structural glycoproteins become incorporated into the matrix complex with other components both covalently and non-covalently. By electrophoretic criteria there are seemingly relatively few molecular species of glycoproteins composed of glycopeptides that can be divided into four major groups on the basis of charge. Because of the interactions between matrix macromolecules the properties, hence biological function, may change as a result of changes in interactions as well as composition.
THE EFFECT OF MANGANESE ON OLIVINE-QUARTZ-ORTHOPYROXENE STABILITY

• • . opx-oliv microprobe analyses of run products indicate a small preference of Mn for pyroxene over olivine with K~ Mn-Fe = 1.2-1.5, similar to values observed for natural pairs. M6ssbauer spectra are consistent with a random distribution of Mn between the M1 and M2 sites in the orthopyroxene. These experimental data allow downward revision of pressure estimates based on the orthopyroxene barometer in areas where Mn is a significant component in orthopyroxene.
Modulation of DNA binding properties of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein epsilon by heterodimer formation and interactions with NFkappaB pathway

C/EBP epsilon is a transcription factor involved in myeloid cell differentiation. Along with C/EBP-α, -β, -γ, -δ, and -ζ, C/EBP-ϵ belongs to the family of CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins that are implicated in control of growth and differentiation of several cell lineages in inflammation and stress response. We have previously shown that C/EBP-ϵ preferentially binds DNA as a heterodimer with other C/EBP family members such as C/EBP-δ, CHOP (C/EBP-ζ), and the b-zip family protein ATF4. In this study, we define the consensus binding sites for C/EBP-ϵ dimers and C/EBP-ϵ–ATF4 heterodimers. We show that the activated NFkappaB pathway promotes interaction of the C/EBP-ϵ subunit with its cognate DNA binding site via interaction with RelA. RelA-C/EBP interaction is enhanced by phosphorylation of threonine at amino acid 75 and results in increased DNA binding compared with the wild-type nonphosphorylated C/EBP both in vitro and in vivo. We suggest that interaction of the activated NFkappaB pathway and C/EBP-ϵ may be important in selective activation of a subset of C/EBP-ϵ–responsive genes.
Language Mediation among Emergent Bilingual Children

Abstract Research into young children’s linguistic abilities shows that they are sensitive to the language skills of their peers and can adjust their language to facilitate comprehension and communication. This article examines the communicative strategies of a group of kindergarteners in a dual language classroom in order to understand their developing bilingualism. An important feature of the children’s classroom discourse is the way they collaborate with each other and serve as language mediators for their peers. Findings of this research suggest that even children as young as kindergarteners make judgments about the bilingual proficiency of their peers, monitor each other’s comprehension and production skills, and provide scaffolds to maximize the comprehension and communication of their classmates.
The polarization of immune cells in the tumour environment by TGFβ

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) is an immunosuppressive cytokine produced by tumour cells and immune cells that can polarize many components of the immune system. This Review covers the effects of TGFbeta on natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, neutrophils, CD8(+) and CD4(+) effector and regulatory T cells, and NKT cells in animal tumour models and in patients with cancer. Collectively, many recent studies favour the hypothesis that blocking TGFbeta-induced signalling in the tumour microenvironment enhances antitumour immunity and may be beneficial for cancer therapy. An overview of the current drugs and reagents available for inhibiting TGFbeta-induced signalling and their phase in clinical development is also provided.
Research Regarding Low-Income Single Mothers' Mental and Physical Health: A Decade in Review

This article reviews a decade of research and confirms that low-income single mothers with children remain vulnerable to multiple chronic risk factors, including financial and food insecurity, poor health care access, job insecurity, poor access to quality child care, and poor quality housing in unsafe neighborhoods. As a consequence, their health and mental health suffers, increasing the risks they and their children must face on a daily basis. Solutions to problems faced by single mothers and their families are dependent upon the development of short- and long-term policies and programs that address and reduce these risks.
Conversion from Corn to Grassland Provides Economic and Environmental Benefits to a Maryland Beef Farm

Beef producers must consider management strategies and technologies for reducing potential adverse environmental effects of their farms while maintaining or improving profit. One choice is between using perennial grassland or corn as the primary crop on the farm for feed production. Perennial grassland production systems are generally regarded as more favorable due to reduced nutrient losses to the environment and potential human health benefits through improvements in meat fatty acid composition. Simulation of an Angus cattle-producing farm of 325 acres in northeastern Maryland illustrated that the conversion of the farm from a corn and permanent pasture system to all perennial grassland with the use of more intensive rotational grazing has provided both environmental and economic benefits. Simulated nitrogen loss through ammonia volatilization was increased 21%, but nitrate leaching was reduced 56%, denitrification loss was reduced 50%, and surface runoff loss of P was reduced 75%. This conversion also increased the annual net return of the farm by $18,800 by eliminating the greater machinery, fuel, seed, fertilizer, and chemical costs incurred in corn production.
Kinetics of the gas‐phase reactions of NO3 radicals with a series of aromatics at 296 ± 2 K

Rate constants have been determined at 296 ± 2 K for the gas phase reaction of NO3 radicals with a series of aromatics using a relative rate technique. The rate constants obtained (in cm3 molecule−1 s−1 units) were: benzene, <2.3 × 10−17; toluene, (1.8 ± 1.0) × 10−17; oxylene, (1.1 ± 0.5) × 10−16; mxylene, (7.1 ± 3.4) × 10−17; pxylene, (1.4 ± 0.6) × 10−16; 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene, (5,6 ± 2.6) × 10−16; 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (5.4 - 2.5) × 10−16; 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, (2.4 ± 1.1) × 10−16; phenol, (2.1 ± 0.5) × 10−12; methoxybenzene, (5.0 ± 2.8) × 10−17; o-cresol, (1.20 ± 0.34) × 10−11; m-cresol, (9.2 ± 2.4) × 10−12; p-cresol, (1.27 ± 0.36) × 10−11; and benzaldehyde, (1.13 ± 0.25) × 10−15. These kinetic data, together with, in the case of phenol, product data, suggest that these reactions proceed via H-atom abstraction from the substituent groups. The magnitude of the rate constants for the hydroxy-substituted aromatics indicates that the nighttime reaction of NO3 radicals with these aromatics can be an important loss process for both NO3 radicals and these organics, as well as being a possible source of nitric acid, a key component of acid deposition.
Testing and evaluation of room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) membranes for gas dehumidification

Membranes studied for gas dehumidification, drying, or dehydration historically included polymers, triethylene glycol, and aqueous LiCl. RTILs are hydroscopic liquids with negligible vapor pressures that form stable supported liquid membranes. This work evaluated the potential of RTIL-membranes as dehumidification membranes. The work studied the dehumidification of both nitrogen and methane. It tested the role of diffusion (RTIL viscosity) and water solubility (RTIL-anion) in water vapor permeation. The procedures also evaluated the performance and stability of both water immiscible and water miscible RTILs from 0% to >90% relative humidity (rH). In contrast to polymer-based membranes that can have water permeabilites that increase with rH, RTIL-membrane water permeances do not change with rH. Water/methane selectivities are constant with rH for the water immiscible RTIL-membranes tested; however, for the water miscible RTIL-membrane the selectivity decreased with increasing rH from 8100 to 5800. Both water miscible and immiscible RTIL-membranes were stable when operated at rHs up to at least 90%. Taken together, this preliminary evaluation of RTIL-membranes for gas dehumidification encourages further research especially in those applications where they are competitive with existing membrane materials such as, the treatment of bio-methane from anaerobic digesters, flue gas dehydration, and building ventilation systems.
Anoxia-induced neuronal injury: Role of Na+ entry and Na+-dependent transport

An important cause of anoxia-induced nerve injury involves the disruption of the ionic balance that exists across the neuronal membrane. This loss of ionic homeostasis results in an increase in intracellular calcium, sodium, and hydrogen and is correlated with cell injury and death. Using time-lapse confocal microscopy, we have previously reported that nerve cell injury is mediated largely by sodium and that removing extracellular sodium prevents the anoxia-induced morphological changes. In this study, we hypothesized that sodium enters neurons via specific mechanisms and that the pharmacologic blockade of sodium entry would prevent nerve damage. In cultured neocortical neurons we demonstrate that replacing extracellular sodium with NMDG+prevents anoxia-induced morphological changes. With sodium in the extracellular fluid, various routes of sodium entry were examined, including voltage-sensitive sodium channels, glutamate receptor channels, and sodium-dependent chloride–bicarbonate exchange. Blockade of these routes had no effect. Amiloride, however, prevented the morphological changes induced by anoxia lasting 10, 15, or 20 min. At doses of 10 μM–1 mM, amiloride protected neurons in a dose-dependent fashion. We argue that amiloride acts on a Na+-dependent exchanger (e.g., Na+–Ca2+) and present a model to explain these findings in the context of the neuronal response to anoxia.
Digestive physiology of the pig symposium: intestinal bile acid sensing is linked to key endocrine and metabolic signaling pathways.

Bile acids have historically been considered to mainly function in cholesterol homeostasis and facilitate fat digestion in the gastrointestinal tract. Recent discoveries show that bile acids also function as signaling molecules that exert diverse endocrine and metabolic actions by activating G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 (GPBAR1/G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 or TGR5), a membrane G protein-coupled receptor, and farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. These bile acid sensing receptors are expressed in intestinal epithelial cells, TGR5 in enteroendocrine cells and FXR in enterocytes, which line the mucosa of gut lumen. A dominant effect of intestinal FXR activation by bile acids is secretion of fi broblast growth factor (FGF) 19, a novel enterokine that functions as a central enterohepatic signal to maintain bile acid homeostasis in the liver. Activation of TGR5 on enteroendocrine cells stimulates secretion of glucagon-like peptides (GLP)-1 and -2, which function, respectively, as the major incretin hormone involved in glucose homeostasis and key trophic hormone in intestinal adaptation and growth in response to food ingestion. The biological actions induced by bile acid activation of intestinal FXR and TGR5 have important therapeutic implications for the pathogenesis and treatment of several metabolic diseases, such as cholestasis and diabetes. This review highlights these new developments in the biology of intestinal bile acid sensing and metabolic function and discusses the potential implications for the health and agricultural production of domestic swine.
Spitzer warm mission: maximizing the science return in the extended mission phase

The Spitzer Space Telescope is executing the third observing cycle in the 'warm' extended phase of the mission. For the warm mission, the observatory was effectively reinvented as a new, scientifically productive mission operating at a substantially lower cost. In this paper we describe the ongoing implementation of improvements in science capabilities during the extended mission phase even as the project budget continues to shrink. Improvements in pointing stability, data compression and data analysis techniques allow for new science opportunities more than 8 years after launch. Engineering analyses have shown that the mission can operate with high reliability and minimal technical risk through at least January 2017.
Diversity of Endosymbionts in the Potato Psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae), Vector of Zebra Chip Disease of Potato

Zebra chip disease is an emerging, serious disease of solanaceous crops and the causal agent is a bacterium “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” (CLs), also known as “Candidatus Liberibacter psyllaurous”, which is transmitted by the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc). We performed bacterial tag-encoded FLX amplicon pyrosequencing (bTEFAP) of the 16S rDNA genes to determine the bacterial microbiota in adult insects from CLs-uninfected and CLs-infected strains of B. cockerelli and potato leaf samples. We obtained sequences from five bacterial species among the two psyllid strains, including “Candidatus Carsonella ruddii”, Wolbachia, CLs, and two transient bacteria, Acinetobacter and Methylibium. We did not detect any common bacteria between psyllids and potato leaf samples using pyrosequencing. We performed PCR analysis using species-specific 16S rDNA primers to confirm pyrosequencing results in individual psyllids including eggs, early-instars, late-instars, and adults of both sexes from both CLs-uninfected and CLs-infected psyllid strains. The primary endosymbiont, “Candidatus Carsonella ruddii” and Wolbachia were detected in all life-stages and sexes of both strains using PCR analyses. The percentage of CLs-infected individuals increased from early-instar (0%), late-instar (40%) until adulthood (60%) in the CLs-infected strain. We believe that CLs levels in early-instars are probably too low to be detected by standard PCR. Using PCR analyses, we confirmed the presence of Acinetobacter in CLs-uninfected and CLs-infected adults (75 and 25%, respectively) but not Methylibium. Further, we detected Acinetobacter in potato leaves using PCR indicating that the psyllids may have acquired this bacterium via feeding on the host plant.
Language identification from visual-only speech signals

Our goal in the present study was to examine how observers identify English and Spanish from visual-only displays of speech. First, we replicated the recent findings of Soto-Faraco et al. (2007) with Spanish and English bilingual and monolingual observers using different languages and a different experimental paradigm (identification). We found that prior linguistic experience affected response bias but not sensitivity (Experiment 1). In two additional experiments, we investigated the visual cues that observers use to complete the languageidentification task. The results of Experiment 2 indicate that some lexical information is available in the visual signal but that it is limited. Acoustic analyses confirmed that our Spanish and English stimuli differed acoustically with respect to linguistic rhythmic categories. In Experiment 3, we tested whether this rhythmic difference could be used by observers to identify the language when the visual stimuli is temporally reversed, thereby eliminating lexical information but retaining rhythmic differences. The participants performed above chance even in the backward condition, suggesting that the rhythmic differences between the two languages may aid language identification in visual-only speech signals. The results of Experiments 3A and 3B also confirm previous findings that increased stimulus length facilitates language identification. Taken together, the results of these three experiments replicate earlier findings and also show that prior linguistic experience, lexical information, rhythmic structure, and utterance length influence visual-only language identification.
Old wine in new bottles?: Defining electronic serials

(1996). Old wine in new bottles?: Defining electronic serials. Serials Review: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 69-79.
Multiscale models for Bayesian inverse problems

In this paper we introduce a Bayesian tomographic reconstruction technique employing a wavelet-based multiresolution prior model. While the image is modeled in the wavelet-domain, the actual tomographic reconstruction is performed in a fixed resolution pixel domain. In comparison to performing the reconstruction in the wavelet domain, the pixel based optimization facilitates enforcement of the positivity constraint and preserves the sparseness of the tomographic projection matrix. Thus our technique combines the advantages of multiresolution image modeling with those of performing the constrained optimization in the pixel domain. In addition to this reconstruction framework, we introduce a novel multiresolution prior model. This prior model attempts to capture the dependencies of wavelet coefficients across scales by using a Markov chain structure. Specifically, the model employs nonlinear predictors to locally estimate the prior distribution of wavelet coefficients from coarse scale information. We incorporate this prior into a coarse-to-fine scale tomographic reconstruction algorithm. Preliminary results indicate that this algorithm can potentially improve reconstruction quality over fix resolution Bayesian methods.
Exploiting Friendship Relations for Efficient Routing in Mobile Social Networks

Routing in delay tolerant networks is a challenging problem due to the intermittent connectivity between nodes resulting in the frequent absence of end-to-end path for any source-destination pair at any given time. Recently, this problem has attracted a great deal of interest and several approaches have been proposed. Since Mobile Social Networks (MSNs) are increasingly popular type of Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs), making accurate analysis of social network properties of these networks is essential for designing efficient routing protocols. In this paper, we introduce a new metric that detects the quality of friendships between nodes accurately. Utilizing this metric, we define the community of each node as the set of nodes having close friendship relations with this node either directly or indirectly. We also present Friendship-Based Routing in which periodically differentiated friendship relations are used in forwarding of messages. Extensive simulations on both real and synthetic traces show that the introduced algorithm is more efficient than the existing algorithms.
Microwave signal generation with injection-locked laser diodes

Heterodyne detection of the light from two slave lasers injection locked to FM sidebands of a modulated master laser is used to generate a narrowband microwave signal at 10.5 GHz.
Adolescent nicotine administration changes the responses to nicotine given subsequently in adulthood: adenylyl cyclase cell signaling in brain regions during nicotine administration and withdrawal, and lasting effects.

Abstract Neurodevelopmental vulnerability to nicotine extends into adolescence, the stage at which most smokers begin using tobacco. The “sensitization-homeostasis” model postulates that nicotine treatment permanently reprogrammes neural communication, so that underlying functional changes remain present despite the apparent restoration of behavioral normality. We administered nicotine to adolescent rats (postnatal days PN30–47) or adults (postnatal days PN90–107), using regimens that reproduce plasma levels in smokers, and assessed effects on the adenylyl cyclase (AC) signaling cascade, which is involved in nicotine dependence and withdrawal but also mediates numerous other neurotransmitter responses. Evaluations were made in the cerebral cortex, brainstem and cerebellum on PN105, PN110, PN120, PN130 and PN180. Adolescent nicotine exposure elicited persistent suppression of basal AC activity and eventual compromise of responses to β-adrenergic receptor stimulation, with effects emerging in late adulthood; maximal AC activity as monitored with forskolin was elevated and in general, all the effects were more notable in males. Nicotine treatment in adulthood produced an immediate increase in AC activity in males that disappeared upon withdrawal; there were late-emerging deficits similar to, but smaller in magnitude than those seen with adolescent nicotine exposure. Adolescent treatment greatly exacerbated the response to subsequent nicotine administration in adulthood, producing profound AC deficits during withdrawal that persisted through at least 6 months of age. Our results reinforce the concept that adolescence is a critical developmental period in which nicotine disrupts neural cell signaling in a lasting manner, and provide a mechanistic framework for understanding the biological substrates that determine the relationship between adolescent nicotine exposure and life-long susceptibility to nicotine addiction.
Lattice-discreteness corrections in the transfer-operator method for kink-bearing chains

Abstract Currie, Krumhansl, Bishop and Trullinger have studied the classical statistical mechanics of one-dimensional chains of harmonically coupled particles in an external kink-bearing potential of the nonlinear Klein-Gordon variety. We derive and examine first-order lattice-discreteness corrections to their “Schrodinger equation” (continuum limit) approximation of the transfer-integral operator equation. We find a simple formula for the lowest-order correction to the free energy which is valid for the entire class of such systems.
Nested polymerase chain reaction for detection of Ehrlichia risticii genomic DNA in infected horses

A nested polymerase chain reaction was developed for amplifying a 529-bp segment of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene of Ehrlichia risticii from equine buffy coat cells. Confirmation of identity of the amplified bands was accomplished by Southern hybridization and DNA sequencing. The study indicated a detection limit of > 10 copies of the target gene, and specificity for E. risticii as based on a panel of test rickettsiae. Ticks (Ixodes pacificus) collected in an area of northern California enzootic for equine monocytic ehrlichiosis were found to be negative for E. risticii DNA.
Effect of Ca2+ and Mg2+ upon the reassociation byEscherichia coli of material released by ethylenediaminetetraacetate

Parameters involved in reconstitution of the outer membrane permeability described by Brunner, Caputo, and Treick [3] were examined. The most efficient reconstitution was obtained when divalent cations accompanied the addition of exogenous outer membrane material. Studies indicated that the effectiveness of Ca2+ or Mg2+ to promote reassociation of outer membrane material, and subsequent protection against actinomycin D, was dependent upon the strain ofEscherichia coli. More specifically, the data suggest that the effectiveness of the different divalent cations in promoting reassociation was determined by the relative amounts of F1 and F2 fractions released by ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA). Reconstitution was shown by cell survival to be as high as 25% and dependent upon the total amount of material released from the outer membrane by EDTA. Between 50 and 80% of the bound material could be removed from the cells by subsequent EDTA treatment.
A manifestly gauge-invariant hamiltonian formulation of classical electrodynamics including magnetic monopoles

Abstract The formulation of classical electrodynamics of Balescu and Poulain [Physica 76 (1974) 421] is extended to include magnetic monopoles. It is found that this can be done consistently if we assume a magnetic charge and an electric charge never occupu the same space time point.
Plasma Cholesterol in Pregnant Rhesus Monkeys.

SummaryPlasma concentration of total cholesterol is decreased during pregnancy in rhesus monkeys. The decline is observed within one month following conception and continues until the 12th week of gestation. Plasma cholesterol does not change until one week following parturition when a return to nonpregnant levels is observed. At 3 weeks postpartum cholesterol concentrations are the same as those found prior to conception.
Novel ionic polymeric hydraulic actuators

It is now well recognized that a strip of ionic polymer- metal composite (IPMC) exhibits a spontaneous bending capability under the influence of an electric potential. A key observation is the appearance and disappearance of water on the expansion and contraction surfaces of the strip, respectively. Such water appearing/disappearing activities occur near the permeable metal electrodes. The imposition of en elctric field causes the mobile cations that are conjugated to the polymeric anions to undergo electrophoretic dynamic migration that can result in local deformation of the material. Such an electrophoretic behavior of the IPMC causes the water to leak out of the permeable electroded boundary so as to lower the actuation performance. This situation is similar to a leaking hydraulic actuator (hydraulic jack), which has the highest force density notwithstanding the compressor unit weight. Herein, a new category of actuators as ionic polymeric hydraulic actuators (IPHA's) is defined. The IPMC is a good example of such ionic polymeric hydraulic actuators. The advantage of ionic polymeric hydraulic actuators is their potential to generate substantially high force densities, theoretically better than current hydraulic actuators. Based upon this ionic polymer hydraulic actuator concept, a certain manufacturing technique was developed to increase the force density of the conventional IPMC's by a factor of two (100% improvement in force). This technology and associated experimental results are presented in this paper.
A Simple Cipher Governs DNA Recognition by TAL Effectors

TAL effectors of plant pathogenic bacteria in the genus Xanthomonas bind host DNA and activate genes that contribute to disease or turn on defense. Target specificity depends on an effector-variable number of typically 34 amino acid repeats, but the mechanism of recognition is not understood. We show that a repeat-variable pair of residues specifies the nucleotides in the target site, one pair to one nucleotide, with no apparent context dependence. Our finding represents a previously unknown mechanism for protein-DNA recognition that explains TAL effector specificity, enables target site prediction, and opens prospects for use of TAL effectors in research and biotechnology.