cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radioisotope dating with a cyclotron.

By considering radioisotope dating as a problem in trace element detection, and by using the cyclotron as a high-energy mass spectrometer for this purpose, we have shown that one can greatly increase the maximum age that can be determined while simultaneously reducing the size of the sample required. The cyclotron can be used to detect atoms or simple molecules that are present at the 10-16 level or greater. For 14C dating one should be able to go back 40,000 to 100,000 years with 1- to 100-mg carbon samples; for 10Be dating, 10 to 30 million years with 1-mm3 to 10-cm3 rock samples; for tritium dating, 160 years with a 1-liter water sample. The feasibility of the technique has been demonstrated experimentally by measuring the tritium/deuterium ratio in a sample 24 years old. For samples many half-lives old, the fractional error in the age is small even if rates of production or deposition of the isotopes. Although cyclotrons are expensive to build, their operating costs are relatively low. If several samples are dated per hour the cost per date may not be substantially higher than it is today for decay dating. There are already more than 50 cyclotrons in operation which have the potential to do radioisotope dating, and their application to important problems of dating and trace element analysis should prove very fruitful.
Why CD8+ T Cells Need Diversity When Growing Up

A thymus-specific subunit of the proteasome, β5t, was previously described and shown to be essential for positive selection of CD8+ T cells. In this issue of Immunity, Nitta et al. (2010) suggest that β5t is essential because it alters the specific peptide-MHC complexes displayed by cortical epithelial cells.
Influence of Ochratoxin A and Diacetoxyscirpenol Singly and in Combination on Broiler Chickens

The effects of feeding 2 mg ochratoxin A (OA) and 6 mg 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS)/kg of diet singly and in combination were characterized in male broiler chicks from 1 to 19 d of age. Body weights were depressed by OA, DAS, and the OA-DAS combination. There was a significant antagonistic interaction between OA and DAS for uric acid and cholesterol. The efficiency of feed utilization was reduced by DAS alone and by the OA-DAS combination. When compared with controls, additive toxicity was exhibited for reduced efficiency of feed utilization, increased relative weights of the liver and gizzard, and decreased concentration of serum total protein, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin. All chicks were scored for oral lesions using a scale of 1 to 4 (0 = no visible lesions; 3 = severe lesions). Oral lesions (average score = 2.6) were present in over 90% of the chicks receiving the DAS diet with or without OA. These data demonstrate that both OA and DAS alone and the OA-DAS combination can adversely affect broiler performance and health.
Parasiticidal effect of δ‐aminolevulinic acid‐based photodynamic therapy for cutaneous leishmaniasis is indirect and mediated through the killing of the host cells

Several clinical reports have shown promising, but not optimal, results from photodynamic therapy with delta-aminolevulinic acid-derived protoporphyrin IX, termed ALA-PDT, as a treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Therefore, understanding the basis of the phototoxic response of Leishmania parasites to ALA-PDT may be critical for optimization. We report here both in vitro and in vivo mechanistic studies of ALA-PDT against CL. Following in vitro co-incubation of Leishmania major with 0.1 microM ALA, the PpIX concentration remained at the basal level, whereas after co-incubation with 0.1 microM exogenous PpIX, the PpIX level was 100-fold higher. No differences in ALA-derived PpIX levels were detected between Leishmania-infected and non-infected J774.2 cells, and PDT did not demonstrate any parasiticidal effects on amastigotes. In contrast, in vivo topical ALA-PDT, performed on a murine CL model, resulted in significant reductions of the parasite loads and vigorous tissue destruction. After ALA-PDT, a dramatically decreased percentage of macrophages and increased levels of interleukin-6 were observed in the infected skin. The clinical outcome observed with ALA-PDT is likely the result of unspecific tissue destruction accompanied by depopulation of macrophages rather than direct killing of parasites.
Wind reduction by aerosol particles

[1] Aerosol particles are known to affect radiation, temperatures, stability, clouds, and precipitation, but their effects on spatially-distributed wind speed have not been examined to date. Here, it is found that aerosol particles, directly and through their enhancement of clouds, may reduce near-surface wind speeds below them by up to 8% locally. This reduction may explain a portion of observed “disappearing winds” in China, and it decreases the energy available for wind-turbine electricity. In California, slower winds reduce emissions of wind-driven soil dust and sea spray. Slower winds and cooler surface temperatures also reduce moisture advection and evaporation. These factors, along with the second indirect aerosol effect, may reduce California precipitation by 2–5%, contributing to a strain on water supply.
Comparative effects of chlorpromazine and its free radical on membrane functions

Abstract Chlorpromazine, chlorpromazine free radical and a sulfhydryl inhibitor, p -hydroxymercuribenzoate, were compared for their effects on several biochemical phenomena associated with membrane function. Chlorpromazine free radical was slightly more potent than chlorpromazine in inhibiting calcium accumulation by rat brain microsomes, but less potent in protecting synaptosomes from osmotic shock, and in inhibiting synaptosomal uptake of dopamine and norepinephrine. p -Hydroxymercuribenzoate failed to protect synaptosomes from osmotic shock. It was less effective than chlorpromazine and chlorpromazine free radical in inhibiting synaptosomal uptake of catecholamines. The present data indicate that biochemical effects of chlorpromazine such as the protection of synaptosomal membrane from osmotic shock and the inhibition of synaptosomal uptake of dopamine and norepinephrine are caused by chlorpromazine itself but not by chlorpromazine free radical. Although chlorpromazine free radical was a more potent inhibitor of synaptosomal calcium uptake than chlorpromazine, the free radical was a more potent inhibitor of synaptosomal calcium uptake than chlorpromazine, the differences in potency were markedly smaller than those on microsomal Na + , K + -ATPase previously reported from this laboratory.
Woman’s Milk in Anglo-Saxon and Later Medieval Medical Texts

Women’s early history provides a long tradition of attested textual evidence associating female bodily secretions with impurity, particularly in relation to menstruation, childbirth, and sexual intercourse. But we notice among early medical texts the mention of another female secretion, woman’s milk, and its use as a healing ingredient in medical recipes. This paper argues that textual sources of woman’s milk as a female secretion in this early tradition demonstrate a complex mixture of sometimes conflicting values, not all of which were unpleasant, nor irrational. The paper first describes how woman’s milk as a healing ingredient is presented in Anglo-Saxon medical texts and compares that presentation to the description and treatment of woman’s milk in a sampling of later English medieval medical texts. The texts themselves are rich in their demonstration of the use of women’s bodies for the preparation of medicinal products, and for this reason, the descriptive aspects of this paper are meant to offer one aspect of women’s history that is still widely unknown.
Movement strategies for head stabilization during incline walking

Changes in body orientation with respect to space during incline walking can alter vestibular information requiring a different solution to the problem of head stabilization. Eleven young adults walked along a level walkway, and ascended and descended an inclined surface. Head, neck and trunk angular positions in space were collected. Changes in the gravitoinertial vector imposed by the inclined surface, produced concomitant changes in body segment orientation that decreased head stability during the inclined walking tasks. Head, neck and trunk segments were least stable while ascending the incline creating the greatest challenge to head stability during this task. Movement strategies reflected adjustments of head-neck and neck-trunk patterns to accommodate changes in the gravitoinertial vector and insure balance of the head over the trunk.
Decision-making and risk management in a globalised knowledge economy

This paper presents an exposition of the role of knowledge, empiricism within the domain of knowledge, and the role of judgment in decision-making and risk management. The concept of risk management is explained with an example of programme management for infrastructure project delivery. Drawing upon the lessons from economics, cognitive neuroscience, the history of management, and education, this paper presents a framework of theory, empirical evidence, and judgment to understand decision-making in the face of uncertainty. The author notes that decision makers must utilize knowledge and clearly identify the threshold between the use of knowledge and the exercise of judgment in decision-making. Further, knowledge comprises theoretical coherence and empirical evidence along with an awareness of the context in which coherence and empiricism apply. The paper concludes that understanding the role of theory, empirical evidence, and judgment in their proper context is necessary for risk management in the competitive global landscape because the consequences of many decisions materialise well into the future or in far corners of the world. A discussion of the nuanced nature of knowledge and the interplay between incomplete knowledge and judgment in the face of uncertainty is the main contribution of this paper to the literature.
Green emitting Zn-diffused LPE GaP diodes

The growth of liquid phase epitaxial (LPE) layers of n-type GaP on GaP substrates was investigated using a multi-wafer growth system constructed of fused quartz which had provisions for gas phase saturation and doping of the gallium melt. The effect of growth temperature, substrate orientation, doping level, and repeated use of the same melt on the properties of zinc diffused electroluminescent diodes fabricated from these epitaxial layers were investigated. After an initial increase, the carrier concentration remained relatively constant (1.7 × 1017/cc) throughout a series of eighteen runs from the same melt. Using conventional commercial techniques, zinc diffused diodes with efficiencies of 0.05% at 30A/cm2 and a brightness of 1200 fL at 10A/cm2 were produced. These diodes had a limited area n and p-type contact and had an epoxy dome. Layers grown on the 〈 111 〉P orientation had the best surface quality whereas those grown on the 〈 100 〉 plane incorporated less background impurities. The use of relatively low growth starting temperatures (∼ 920°C) was found to minimize the background impurity of the layers and the substrate surface deterioration due to the reaction with ammonia.
Effect of Ligand Density Gradient on the Adhesion Kinetics of Biological Membranes

An analytical model is developed for the effect of surface gradient in ligand density on the adhesion kinetics of a curved elastic membrane with mobile receptors. The displacement and speed of spreading at the edge of the adhesion zone as well as the density profile of receptors along the membrane are predicted as a function of time. According to results, in the diffusion-controlled regime, the front edge displacement of adhesion zone and the rate of membrane spreading decreased with increasing ligand density in a certain direction. Furthermore, the displacement of the edge of the adhesion zone did not scale with the square root of time, as observed on substrates with uniform ligand density.
Interruption of Escherichia coli Heat-stable Enterotoxin-induced Guanylyl Cyclase Signaling and Associated Chloride Current in Human Intestinal Cells by 2-Chloroadenosine

Diarrhea induced by Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) is mediated by a receptor guanylyl cyclase cascade. The present study establishes that an intracellular nucleotide-dependent pathway disrupts toxin-induced cyclic GMP (cGMP) production and the associated chloride (Cl-) flux that underlie intestinal secretion. Incubation of Caco 2 human intestinal epithelial cells with the nucleoside analog 2-chloroadenosine (2ClAdo) resulted in a concentration- and time-dependent inhibition of toxin-induced cGMP production. Inhibition of cGMP production correlated with the metabolic conversion of 2ClAdo to 2-chloroadenosine triphosphate. The effect of 2ClAdo did not reflect activation of adenosine receptors, inhibition of adenosine deaminase, or modification of the binding or distribution of STa receptors. Guanylyl cyclase activity in membranes prepared from 2ClAdo-treated cells was inhibited, in contrast to membranes from cells not exposed to 2ClAdo, demonstrating that inhibition of guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) was mediated by a noncompetitive mechanism. Treatment of Caco 2 cells with 2ClAdo also prevented STa-induced Cl- current. Application of 8-bromo-cGMP, the cell-permeant analog of cGMP, to 2ClAdo-treated cells reconstituted the Cl- current, demonstrating that inhibition of Cl- flux reflected selective disruption of ligand stimulation of GCC rather than the chloride channel itself. Thus, the components required for adenine nucleotide inhibition of GCC signaling are present in intact mammalian cells, establishing the utility of this pathway to elucidate the mechanisms regulating ST-dependent guanylyl cyclase signaling and intestinal fluid homeostasis. In addition, these data suggest that the adenine nucleotide inhibitory pathway may be a novel target to develop antisecretory therapy for enterotoxigenic diarrhea.
Species-specific charge forms of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase

Isoelectric points (pI) of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) from two species, cow and rat, were determined by chromatofocusing. Bovine PNMT has 5 different charge isozymes ranging from 5.4 to 6.2. In contrast, rat PNMT has only a single charge form of pI 4.8. There is no common isoelectric point of PNMT from both species and there is no tissue variation in the isoelectric point.
A caspase cleaved form of tau is preferentially degraded through the autophagy pathway

The microtubule-associated protein tau plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD) and abnormally accumulates as neurofibrillary tangles; therefore, the pathways by which tau is degraded have been examined extensively. In AD brain tau is abnormally truncated at Asp421 (tauΔC), which increases its fibrillogenic properties and results in compromised neuronal function. Given the fact that the accumulation of tauΔC is a pathogenic process in AD, in this study we examined whether full-length tau and tauΔC are degraded through similar or different mechanisms. To this end a tetracycline-inducible model was used to show that tauΔC was degraded significantly faster than full-length tau (FL-tau). Pharmacological inhibition of the proteasome or autophagy pathways demonstrated that although FL-tau is degraded by the proteasome, tauΔC is cleared predominantly by macroautophagy. We also found that tauΔC binds C terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein more efficiently than tau. This interaction leads to an increased ubiquitylation of tauΔC in a reconstituted in vitro assay, but surprisingly, tau (full-length or truncated) was not ubiquitylated in situ. The finding that tauΔC and FL-tau are differentially processed by these degradation systems provides important insights for the development of therapeutic strategies, which are focused on modulating degradation systems to preferentially clear pathological forms of the proteins.
Non-parametric Bayesian dictionary learning for image super resolution

This paper addresses the problem of generating a super-resolution (SR) image from a single low-resolution input image. A non-parametric Bayesian method is implemented to train the over-complete dictionary. The first advantage of using non-parametric Bayesian approach is the number of dictionary atoms and their relative importance may be inferred non-parametrically. In addition, sparsity level of the coefficients may be inferred automatically. Finally, the non-parametric Bayesian approach may learn the dictionary in situ. Two previous state-of-the-art methods including the efficient l1 method and the (K-SVD) are implemented for comparison. Although the efficient l1 method overall produces the best quality super-resolution images, the 837-atom dictionary trained by non-parametric Bayesian method produces super-resolution images that very close to quality of images produced by the 1024-atom efficient l1 dictionary. Finally, the non-parametric Bayesian method has the fastest speed in training the over-complete dictionary.
Modeling Dynamic Agricultural Production Response: The Case of Swine Production

Crop and livestock production processes are typically dynamic and involve growing biological assets which are eventually marketed. This study presents a production model of biological growth based on a differential equation specification. Economic implications for optimal input use and optimal replacement policy are discussed in this context. The approach is applied to the growing-finishing phase of a swine production enterprise. The results demonstrate that the knowledge of the growth function is crucial in evaluating dynamic production decisions.
A simple correction for cell autofluorescence for multiparameter cell-based analysis of human solid tumors.

Background: Corrections that have been proposed to minimize the unwanted contribution of cell autofluorescence to the total fluorescence signal often require either specialized instrumentation or the sacrifice of a data channel so as to perform a measurement that can be used to correct for autofluorescence in individual cells. Here we propose a simple cell by cell correction for autofluorescence that is suitable for multiparameter laser scanning cytometry (LSC) studies in human solid tumors that relies on the ratio of mean autofluorescence to mean total cell fluorescence (mean Flauto/mean Fltotal). This approach assumes a correlation between the autofluorescence component and the total signal in individual cells. This correction does not require specialized instrumentation, and does not sacrifice a data channel in multiparameter studies. A potential disadvantage is that errors may be introduced by the assumption of a correlation between the two components of the total fluorescence signal in individual cells in samples in which no such correlation exists. Methods: Distributions of cell autofluorescence and total Her-2/neu cell fluorescence were obtained separately by LSC in three human breast cancer cell lines and in three samples of primary human lung cancer. In the breast cancer cell lines, autofluorescence measurements and Her-2/neu measurements were also obtained on the same cells. Results: We show that there is a partial correlation between autofluorescence and total Her-2/neu/FITC fluorescence in individual cells in the three breast cancer cell lines. We also show that the results of a ratio-based autofluorescence correction agree with those based on a true cell by cell correction. Computer simulation studies suggest that in samples with no correlation between the autofluorescence component and the true probe/dye fluorescence component, the ratio correction produces robust estimates of the mean true fluorescence signal, with relatively small but systematic underestimates of the coefficient of variation of such measurements under conditions commonly encountered in the measurement of human solid tumors. Conclusions: A simple cell by cell correction for autofluorescence based on the ratio of mean Flauto to mean Fltotal can be applied in cell samples in which there is a correlation between cell autofluorescence and true probe/dye fluorescence in individual cells. In cell samples that lack this correlation, or in which it is not known whether such a correlation exists, this correction can be used with the reservation that there is a systematic but relatively small underestimation of the degree of variability of the measurements. © 2005 International Society for Analytical Cytology
Effect of Acoustic Conditions on Microbubble-Mediated Microvascular Sonothrombolysis

Abstract Ultrasound (US) mediated microbubble (MB) destruction facilitates thrombolysis of the epicardial coronary artery in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) but its effect on microvascular thromboemboli remains largely unexplored. We sought to define the acoustic requirements for effective microvascular sonothrombolysis. To model microembolization, microthrombi were injected and entrapped in a 40 μm pore mesh, increasing upstream pressure, which was measured as an index of thrombus burden. MBs (2.0 × 10 6 MBs/mL) were then infused while pulsed US (1 MHz) was delivered to induce MB destruction immediately adjacent to the thrombus. Upstream pressure decreased progressively during US delivery, indicating a reduction in thrombus burden. More rapid and complete lysis occurred with increasing peak negative acoustic pressure (1.5 MPa > 0.6 MPa) and increasing pulse length (5000 cycles > 100 cycles). Additionally, similar lytic efficacy was achieved at 1.5 MPa without tPA as was at 1.0 MPa with tPA. This model uniquely provides a means to systematically evaluate multiple acoustic and microbubble parameters for the optimization of microvascular sonothrombolysis. This treatment approach for thrombotic microvascular obstruction may obviate the need for adjunctive rt-PA and could have important clinical cost and safety benefits.
Influence of aspect ratio on the dynamics of a freely moving circular disk

The influence of aspect ratio (χ = diameter/thickness) on the vortex shedding behaviour of fixed, and freely moving, circular disk has been investigated numerically. The aspect ratio significantly changes the structure of the vortices shed from the disk, thus altering the fluid induced forces. Disks of χ = 2 and 4 were selected, and by choosing Re = 240 periodic behaviour was observed for both the ‘fixed’ and ‘freely’ moving disks. First, the vortex structures shed from a ‘fixed’ circular disk of χ = 2 and 4 were computed for Re = 240. This was followed by a computation of their trajectories falling ‘freely’ under the action of gravity at Re = 240. For the ‘fixed’ disk of χ = 2, periodic shedding of one-sided hairpin-shaped vortex loops was observed. The flow field had a spatial planar symmetry and the vortices were shed from the same location, resulting in an asymmetric lateral force on the disk. The Strouhal number (St), calculated using the fluctuation in the axial velocity in the far-wake, was 0.122. This vortex shedding behaviour is referred to as the ‘single-sided’ vortex shedding mode. For the ‘fixed’ disk of χ = 4, periodic shedding of hairpin-shaped vortex loops was observed from the diametrically opposite location of the disk. The flow field had a spatial planar symmetry, and also a spatio-temporal one, with respect to a plane orthogonal to the spatial symmetry plane. The shed vortices induced a symmetric lateral force on the disk with a zero mean. The computed Strouhal number, was equal 0.122, same as that for χ = 2. This vortex shedding behaviour is referred as the ‘double-sided’ vortex shedding mode. For the ‘freely falling’ disk of χ = 2, an oscillatory motion was observed in a plane with a 83° phase lag between the lateral and angular velocity. The Strouhal number (Stb), calculated using the oscillation frequency of the ‘freely’ falling disk was equal to 0.116, which is comparable to the St of the fixed disk. For a ‘freely falling’ disk of χ = 4, oscillatory motion was observed in a plane with a 21° phase lag between the lateral and angular velocity. The Strouhal number (Stb) was equal to 0.171, which differs from the St observed in the wake of the fixed disk.
Routing Challenges for Designs With Super High Pin Density

Footprint scaling may reduce wire lengths when more metal layers are available for routing. To achieve optimal wire length, footprint should be very small in which case pin density will be extremely high. However, high pin density may lead to detailed routing failure. We demonstrate that there is a threshold pin density beyond which standard routing heuristics fail to access pins on the bottom layer, even with unlimited number of metal layers available for routing. Future technologies, such as vertical slit field-effect transistor (VeSFET), may have layouts with pin density exceeding the threshold. We show that VeSFET layouts are still routable within footprint using two-sided routing. Compared to one-sided routing, two-sided routing achieves shorter wire lengths and fewer vias, hence lower interconnect capacitance and better performance.
Glutaric acidemia Type 1: Outcomes before and after expanded newborn screening

Abstract Glutaric acidemia type 1 (GA-1) is an autosomal recessive disorder of lysine, hydroxylysine, and tryptophan metabolism. Patients may present with brain atrophy, macrocephaly, and acute dystonia secondary to striatal degeneration typically triggered by an infection, fever, and/or dehydration. This disorder is identified on expanded newborn screening by increased glutarylcarnitine. We evaluated the outcome of 19 patients with GA-1. Ten patients were diagnosed by newborn screening and 9 were diagnosed clinically. DNA testing in 12 patients identified 15 different mutations in the glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase gene. Plasma glutarylcarnitine and urinary 3-hydroxyglutaric acid were elevated in all patients. However, only 10 of 17 patients who underwent urine organic acid analysis were high excretors of glutaric acid. Levels of glutarylcarnitine in plasma correlated with the urinary excretion of glutaric and 3-hydroxyglutaric acid, but not with clinical outcome. Plasma lysine was also significantly correlated with urinary glutaric acid, but not with urinary 3-hydroxyglutaric acid. Brain magnetic resonance imaging in all patients showed wide Sylvian fissures before treatment, which normalized by 4 years of age in treated patients. The occurrence of three adverse outcomes (oral motor function, ambulatory capability, and dystonic movements) was on average reduced by 75% (relative risk 0.25 to 0.28) in patients identified by newborn screening compared to patients diagnosed before newborn screening (Fisher's exact test; p = 0.0055 for oral motor function and ambulatory capability; p = 0.023 for dystonic movements). Newborn screening is effective in the prevention of complications in patients with GA-1 when coupled with treatment strategies.
Precision aided inertial navigation using SAR and digital map data

The authors describe a novel scheme for obtaining position update information for an inertial navigation system through the use of imagery from a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor and an onboard digital map database. Updated information is obtained through comparison of the locations of terrain features extracted from the SAR imagery with locations predicted using the digital map and current navigation estimates. The authors also discuss the overall system concept along with experimental and analytical results obtained to date. Analytical results include a preliminary error analysis which treats SAR image distortions introduced through navigation errors and the consequent effects on update accuracies. A description of the terrain feature extraction Algorithms is presented along with experimental results. >
Genetic background impacts soluble and cell wall-bound aromatics in brown midrib mutants of sorghum

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.). Moench) BMR-6 and BMR-12 encode cinnamylalcohol dehydrogenase and caffeic acid-O-methyltransferase, respectively. We have evaluated the impact of two bmr alleles, bmr-6 and bmr-12, respectively, on soluble and wall-bound aromatics in near isogenic, wild-type (WT), bmr-6, bmr-12 and double-mutant (DM; bmr-6 and bmr-12) plants in two genetic backgrounds, RTx430 and Wheatland. Immunoblots confirmed that COMT protein was essentially absent in bmr-12 and DM plants, but was present in bmr-6 and WT plants. In contrast, although CAD activity was not detected in bmr-6 and DM plants, proteins crossreacting to anti-CAD sera were found in stem extracts from all genotypes. In both sorghum backgrounds, WT plants had lowest amounts of free aromatics, higher levels of cell wall-bound pCA and FA esters and guaiacyl (G), syringyl (S), and p-hydroxyphenyl (H) lignins. Soluble aromatics and cell wall phenolic ester content in Wheatland DM plants resembled that of Wheatland bmr-6 plants, whereas in the RTx430 background, levels of these components in the DM plants more closely resembled those observed in bmr-12 plants. In both backgrounds, bmr-6 plants exhibited reduced levels of G, S, and H lignins relative to WT, and increased incorporation of G-indene into lignin. In bmr-12 plants, there was greater incorporation of G- and 5-hydroxyguaiacyl (5-OHG) lignin into cell walls. Histochemical staining of internode sections from Wheatland plants indicated that apparent lignification of cortical sclerenchyma and vascular bundle fibers was greatest and most uniform in WT plants. Relative staining intensity of these tissues was decreased in bmr-6, followed by bmr-12 plants. DM plants exhibited poor staining of cortical sclerenchyma and vascular bundle fibers.
Catalysis of lysine 48-specific ubiquitin chain assembly by residues in E2 and ubiquitin

Protein ubiquitination is catalyzed by ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) in collaboration with ubiquitin-protein ligases (E3s). This process depends on nucleophilic attack by a substrate lysine on a thioester bond linking the C terminus of ubiquitin to a cysteine in the E2 active site. Different E2 family members display specificity for lysines in distinct contexts. We addressed the mechanistic basis for this lysine selectivity in Ubc1, an E2 that catalyzes the ubiquitination of lysine 48 (K48) in ubiquitin, leading to the formation of K48-linked polyubiquitin chains. We identified a cluster of polar residues near the Ubc1 active site, as well as a residue in ubiquitin itself, that are required for catalysis of K48-specific ubiquitin ligation, but not for general activity toward other lysines. Our results suggest that the active site of Ubc1, as well as the surface of ubiquitin, contains specificity determinants that channel specific lysines to the central residues involved directly in catalysis.
Nonparametric factor analysis with beta process priors

We propose a nonparametric extension to the factor analysis problem using a beta process prior. This beta process factor analysis (BP-FA) model allows for a dataset to be decomposed into a linear combination of a sparse set of factors, providing information on the underlying structure of the observations. As with the Dirichlet process, the beta process is a fully Bayesian conjugate prior, which allows for analytical posterior calculation and straightforward inference. We derive a varia-tional Bayes inference algorithm and demonstrate the model on the MNIST digits and HGDP-CEPH cell line panel datasets.
Patterns and Predictors of Paternal Involvement in Early Adolescents’ Type 1 Diabetes Management Over 3 Years

Objective To document trajectories of paternal involvement in diabetes management and examine bidirectional associations with diabetes outcomes across early adolescence. Methods 3-year prospective assessment of paternal involvement, diabetes self-management, and glycemic control among 136 youth (age 9–12 at baseline) and their mothers and fathers. Results Unconditional growth curves demonstrated decreasing amount (maternal report: F(1,128) ¼14.79; paternal report: F(1,111) ¼12.95, ps<0.01) and level of contribution (maternal report: F(1,131) ¼23.6, p<.01) of paternal involvement. Controlling for covariates, lower youth self-management predicted an increasing slope in fathers’ self-reported amount of involvement (b ¼� 0.15 to � 0.22, p<.05), and higher levels of fathers’ self-reported level of contribution predicted a decreasing slope in youths’ self-reported self-management (b ¼� 0.01, p<.05). Conclusions Like mothers, fathers’ involvement declines modestly during early adolescence. Different aspects of paternal involvement influence or are influenced by youths’ self-management. Communication about ways to enhance fathers’ involvement before this transition may help prevent or reduce declining diabetes management and control common in adolescence.
A Novel Improvement on a Crypto-System Based on a Chaotic Map in WSNs

Chaotic encryption algorithm is simple, fast speed, no more memory, and suitable for using in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). This paper points out the defect of the iteration encryption and the fact that it’s vulnerable to chosen-plaintext attack. In this paper, a feedback chaotic encryption algorithm is proposed to improve the program that not only effectively avoid the defects, but maintain all the advantages of chaotic encryption algorithm. The improved algorithm is more suitable for small data encryption used in WSNs.
Transesophageal echocardiography in monitoring of intrapulmonary embolism during inferior vena cava tumor resection

T HE EFFECTIVE management of intraoperative pulmonary embolism depends on its early recognition and the type of embolic material.l,2 Early detection of embolism can be achieved by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)) Surgery for the removal of renal cell carcinoma extending into the inferior vena cava (IVC) and right atrium has been associated with pulmonary emholization. 4 In an attempt to prevent tumor embolization, intraoperative delineation of the tumor extension into the IVC with TEE has been advocated as an adjunct to the surgical technique. 5 In the present report, two patients are described who underwent resections of renal tumor with extension into the IVC and had pulmonary emboli. Although TEE represents a sensitive diagnostic tool for the detection of pulmonary embolism, in both patients, the embolism could not be visualized with TEE after it reached the peripheral pulmonary circulation. This indicates that for the accurate diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, continuous and uninterrupted TEE monitoring may be required because, once the embolus reaches the peripheral segments of the pulmonary circulation, diagnosis can be established either only clinically or based on indirect TEE signs.
Education and changes in residential nonpoint source pollution

Urban areas contribute pollutants such as excess nitrogen and bacteria to receiving water bodies. The objective of this project was to determine if stormwater quality could be improved by educating homeowners and implementing best management practices (BMPs) in a suburban neighborhood. The paired watershed design was used, where a control and treatment watershed are monitored during a calibration and treatment period. Treatment consisted of the education of homeowners and structural changes designed to minimize nonpoint pollution. Some changes in measured behavior were reported. According to the treatment period survey, 11% of respondents in the treatment watershed began fertilizing their lawn based on the results of a soil test, whereas none had done so previously. In addition, 82% of respondents in the treatment watershed stated that they left clippings on the lawn compared to 62% from the initial survey. Twelve of 34 lots (35%) adopted some BMPs following education efforts, indicating a significant (P = 0.001) increase in BMP use overall. However, a χ2 analysis of survey data indicated no significant changes in measured behavior with regard to specific questions. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) results indicated that a 75% reduction in nitrite + nitrate - N (change in intercept, P = 0.001) and a 127% reduction in fecal coliform bacteria (change in slope, P = 0.05) concentrations occurred. However, the treatment period regression was nonsignificant for bacteria. Total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and ammonia-N concentrations did not change significantly. Intensive education efforts produced BMP implementation and measurable water quality improvements.
Molecular subtypes of breast cancer in relation to paclitaxel response and outcomes in women with metastatic disease: results from CALGB 9342

The response to paclitaxel varies widely in metastatic breast cancer. We analyzed data from CALGB 9342, which tested three doses of paclitaxel in women with advanced disease, to determine whether response and outcomes differed according to HER2, hormone receptor, and p53 status. Among 474 women randomly assigned to paclitaxel at a dose of 175, 210, or 250 mg/m2, adequate primary tumor tissue was available from 175. Immunohistochemistry with two antibodies and fluorescence in situ hybridization were performed to evaluate HER2 status; p53 status was determined by immunohistochemistry and sequencing. Hormone receptor status was obtained from pathology reports. Objective response rate was not associated with HER2 or p53 status. There was a trend toward a shorter median time to treatment failure among women with HER2-positive tumors (2.3 versus 4.2 months; P = 0.067). HER2 status was not related to overall survival (OS). Hormone receptor expression was not associated with differences in response but was associated with longer OS (P = 0.003). In contrast, women with p53 over-expression had significantly shorter OS than those without p53 over-expression (11.5 versus 14.4 months; P = 0.002). In addition, triple negative tumors were more frequent in African-American than in Caucasian patients, and were associated with a significant reduction in OS (8.7 versus 12.9 months; P = 0.008). None of the biomarkers was predictive of treatment response in women with metastatic breast cancer; however, survival differed according to hormone receptor and p53 status. Triple negative tumors were more frequent in African-American patients and were associated with a shorter survival.
Sliding model control for a flexible robot arm

The sliding model control problem of distributed parameter system is investigated with frequency domain approach in this paper. Under the conditions more general than in [3] and [4], an equivalent control theorem is proposed and proved. Finally, we apply the equivalent control theorem to a flexible robot system so that the robot arm can be exponentially stable under the sliding model control.
Anomalous Origin of the Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery Associated with Ventricular Septal Defect and Mitral Stenosis

We report a case of a child with ventricular septal defect, mitral stenosis, and patent ductus arteriosus, who was also found to have anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. Preoperative diagnosis allowed successful surgical correction.
An Efficient and Scalable Implementation of SNP-Pair Interaction Testing for Genetic Association Studies

This paper describes a scalable approach to one of the most computationally intensive problems in molecular plant breeding, that of associating quantitative traits with genetic markers. The fundamental problem is to build statistical correlations between particular loci in the genome of an individual plant and the expressed characteristics of that individual. While applied to plants in this paper, the problem generalizes to mapping genotypes to phenotypes across all biology. In this work, a formulation of a statistical approach for identifying pair wise interactions is presented. The implementation, optimization and parallelization of this approach are then presented, with scalability results.
Kernel support for open QoS-aware computing

Most research on QoS-aware computing considers systems where code is generally partitioned into separately schedulable tasks with associated timing constraints. In sharp contrast to such systems is a myriad of mainstream off-the-shelf applications and services such as Web servers, caches, mail servers, and content distribution proxies where QoS guarantees may be needed, yet the software follows a best-effort one-size-serves-all model. In this model, different traffic classes are not mapped to different schedulable entities (tasks), making it impossible to use real-time scheduling meaningfully to satisfy application QoS. This paper presents a kernel-level solution to the problem of retrofitting such best-effort systems with QoS support without changing application code. The solution has been implemented in Linux. By downloading a few kernel patches and configuring the patched kernel appropriately, a system administrator can endow a best-effort service with QoS assurances transparently to the legacy server. An extensible library is provided in a separate QoS manager that allows implementing different types of QoS guarantees within the extended service. The performance of the resulting system is evaluated on the implemented Linux-based prototype. It is shown that QoS-sensitive behavior is successfully achieved.
Nonprofit Sector Growth and Density: Testing Theories of Government Support

Theories of nonprofit density have assumed a variety of dispositions toward the state, including opposition, suspicion, indifference, and mutual dependence. In this article, we conduct the first large-scale simultaneous empirical test of the two most prominent nonprofit theories: government failure theory and interdependence theory. The former characterizes nonprofit activities as substitute or oppositional to state programs, accounting for the limitations and failures of government-provided services and more reflective of the heterogeneity of demand for services. The latter emphasizes the more complementary and collaborative nature of nonprofit activities, focusing on the overlapping agendas of nonprofits and the state and the mutual dependency that arises from partnership. The theories are difficult to test empirically because both predict the same relationship between state capacity and the size of the nonprofit sector, albeit for theoretically distinct reasons. A true joint test requires the separation of government support from private support for nonprofits. Using a newly constructed panel dataset in which we separate out nonprofit revenue sources normally agglomerated in the Internal Revenue Service 990 data, we examine the empirical merits of both theories to answer the question of whether human service nonprofit organizations thrive when government fails or when government collaborates. Our findings suggest that government funding has a more favorable effect on nonprofit density than private donations. The findings raise several policy and management implications that need evaluation.
The one drop rule & the one hate rule

Daedalus Winter 2005 Two portentous practices within the public discussion of ‘race’ in the United States since the late 1960s are rarely analyzed together. One is the method by which we decide which individuals are ‘black.’ The other is our habit of conflating the mistreatment of blacks with that of nonblack minorities. Both practices compress a great range of phenomena into ostensibly manageable containers. Both function to keep the concept of race current amid mounting pressures that threaten to render it anachronistic. Both invite reassessment at the start of the twenty-1⁄2rst century. The prevailing criterion for deciding who is black is of course the principle of hypodescent. This ‘one drop rule’ has meant that anyone with a visually discernable trace of African, or what used to be called ‘Negro,’ ancestry is, simply, black. Comparativists have long noted the peculiar ordinance this mixturedenying principle has exercised over the history of the United States. Although it no longer has the legal status it held in many states during the Jim Crow era, this principle was reinforced in the civil rights era as a basis for antidiscrimination remedies. Today it remains in place as a formidable convention in many settings and dominates debates about the categories appropriate for the federal census. The movement for recognition of ‘mixed race’ identity has made some headway, including for people with a fraction of African ancestry, but most governments, private agencies, educational institutions, and advocacy organizations that classify and count people by ethnoracial categories at all continue to perpetuate hypodescent racialization when they talk about African Americans.1 This practice makes the most sense when antidiscrimination remedies are in view. If discrimination has proceeded on David A. Hollinger
Sex-Based Harassment: An Essay on U.S. and Indian Responses

This Essay examines particular laws of India and the United States (U.S.) that prohibit sexual harassment and champion the dignity and equality of not only females, but also gender nonconforming and LGBTI people. Both India and the U.S. have constitutional provisions that guarantee the equality of citizens. Both have provisions that protect life, a term that courts interpret to include dignity and privacy. Implementation of relevant laws remains a problem in both countries. Additionally, the narrow definition of sexual harassment in India and the limited understanding of the definition of "sex" in both the U.S. and India impede reform where it is needed. This Essay offers suggestions for such reform and perhaps greater changes.
The Rhizosphere: A Synchrotron-Based View of Nutrient Flow in the Root Zone

Abstract Synchrotron radiation in the thermal IR (3-18 μm wavelength) and soft X-ray (3-10 nm wavelength) regions provides complementary information on the processes and chemistry associated with actively growing plant roots, and allows the direct assay of trophic interactions among microorganisms found within the rhizosphere, the region of the soil immediately affected by the physical and chemical characteristics of roots. The ecological roles of the compounds exuded by plants vary, and imaging methods provided by highly collimated synchrotron beams permit experiments to test basic ecological theory. Using synchrotron IR microscopy (SIRM) and nonmodel system plants (legumes, mustards and tropical ferns), we observe an important fraction of the fixed carbon entering the rhizosphere as polyuronic acids, and the degree to which it imparts a characteristic physical coherence to the soil. Finally, we discuss recent experiments using soft X-ray microscopy to study nutrient relations within soil food webs.
Prediction of the effects of vortex shedding on UV disinfection efficiency

An assessment is made of the importance of vortex shedding which occurs from UV lamps on the efficacy of disinfection in UV channels. The focus is on the high Reynolds-number regime where turbulent flow conditions prevail and where there exists a strong interaction between the periodic mean-flow unsteadiness and the random turbulent motions. Simulations are performed of the flow around four circular lamps with axes perpendicular to the flow and which are arranged in a diamond configuration. Turbulence closure is achieved using a modified version of the k − ɛ model which takes into account the modification of the turbulence energy spectrum due to vortex shedding. The disinfection efficiency is estimated using a Lagrangian approach in which the trajectories of massless particles are tracked to estimate their residence time and the dose received. The modified turbulence model shows that the occurrence of vortex shedding produces wide variation in the particles trajectories and, consequently, in the UV dose received. These and other results strongly suggest that the effects of vortex shedding on disinfection are very important and thus must be accounted for if the uncertainties inherent in the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for the design of UV treatment channels are to be reduced.