cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of lateral, medial, or complete septal lesions on positive conditioned suppression in rats

This study investigated the effects of lateral, medial, or complete septal lesions in rats on lever pressing and US-approach behaviors during the presentation of a light followed by two free food pellets. Ten days after surgery, groups of rats received 20 sessions of a random interval (RI) 60-s schedule of food reinforcement. The positive conditioned suppression paradigm consisted of 20 sessions of a 10-s light paired with free food while the rats were responding on the RI 60-s schedule. All groups of rats significantly suppressed lever pressing during the 10-s light presentation. During the last four sessions of the 10-s light condition, rats with lateral septal lesions had a significant increase in food-tray entries during the light presentation, while the other groups decreased lever pressing without a change in food-tray entries during the 10-s light presentation. Although rats with septal damage generally have difficulty inhibiting responses in a variety of operant situations, rats with lateral, medial, or complete septal lesions showed no impairment in positive conditioned suppression. This study also suggests that when the spatial arrangement of the CS and the type of US were manipulated to minimize sign-tracking and goal-tracking behaviors, emotional reactions during the presentation of the CS must be considered a factor influencing positive conditioned suppression.
Inhibition of CCR5-mediated infection by diverse R5 and R5X4 HIV and SIV isolates using novel small molecule inhibitors of CCR5: Effects of viral diversity, target cell and receptor density

Highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) has been very effective in reducing viral loads in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 patients. However, current therapies carry detrimental side effects, require complex drug regimes and are threatened by the emergence of drug-resistant variants. There is an urgent need for new anti-HIV drugs that target different stages of the replication cycle. Several synthetic small organic molecules that inhibit HIV infection by binding to the CCR5 coreceptor without causing cell activation have already been reported. Here, we have exploited a series of CCR5 antagonists to investigate their effects on diverse HIV and the simian counterpart (SIV) isolates for infection of a variety of cell types via different concentrations of cell surface CCR5. These inhibitors show no cross-reactivity against alternative HIV coreceptors including CCR3, CCR8, GPR1, APJ, CXCR4 and CXCR6. They are able to inhibit a diverse range of R5 and R5X4 HIV-1 isolates as well as HIV-2 and SIV strains. Inhibition was observed in cell lines as well as primary PBMCs and macrophages. The extent of inhibition was dependent on cell type and on cell surface CCR5 concentration. Our results underscore the potential of CCR5 inhibitors for clinical development.
On spectral properties of positive operators

This thesis deals with the spectral behavior of positive operators and related ones on Banach lattices. We first study the spectral properties of those positive operators that satisfy the so-called condition (c). A bounded linear operator T on a Banach space is said to satisfy the condition (c) if it is invertible and if the number 0 is in the unbounded connected component of its resolvent set p(T). By using techniques in complex analysis and in operator theory, we prove that if T is a positive operator satisfying the condition (c) on a Banach lattice E then there exists a positive number a and a positive integer k such that T^k ≥ a•I, where I is the identity operator on E. As consequences of this result, we deduce some theorems concerning the behavior of the peripheral spectrum of positive operators satisfying the condition (c). In particular, we prove that if T is a positive operator with its spectrum contained in the unit circle Γ then either σ(T) = Γ or σ(T) is finite and cyclic and consists of k-th roots of unity for some k. We also prove that under certain additional conditions a positive operator with its spectrum contained in the unit circle will become an isometry. Another main result of this thesis is the decomposition theorem for disjointness preserving operators. We prove that under some natural conditions if T is a disjointness preserving operator on an order complete Banach lattice E such that its adjoint T' is also a disjointness preserving operator then there exists a family of T-reducing bands {E_n : ≥ 1} U {E_∞} of E such that T|E_n has strict period n and that T|E_∞ is aperiodic. We also prove that any disjointness preserving operator with its spectrum contained in a sector of angle less than π can be decomposed into a sum of a central operator and a quasi-nilpotent operator. Among other things we give some conditions under which an operator T lies in the center of the Banach lattice. Also discussed in this thesis are certain conditions under which a positive operator T with σ(T) = {1} is greater than or equal to the identity operator I.
Adaptive vibrational control of rotating helicopter blades carrying a tip mass

An integrated distributed actuator design methodology based upon the converse piezoelectric effect and aimed at actively controlling the in-vacuo flapping and lagging eigenvibration characteristics of rotating blades carrying a tip mass is presented. The system of piezoelectric actuators bonded or embedded into the structure produces a localized strain field in response to an applied voltage, and as a result, an adaptive change of dynamic response characteristics is generated. The helicopter blade is modeled as a thin/thick-walled closed cross- section untwisted cantilevered beam rotating with constant angular velocity. The considered numerical illustrations reveal the power of the adaptive technology to control the dynamic characteristics of rotating blade structures and, as a result, to avoid their structural resonance as well as any of their dynamic instabilities.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Simultaneous inference of population proportions and its applications in machine learning

In this paper, we develop an exact computational approach for simultaneous inference of population proportions. The main idea of this computational approach is to use branch and bound technique for rigorous checking of coverage probabilities and the probabilities of making wrong decisions. Applications of the proposed method can be found in machine learning and other areas.
The Beleaguered Virtue: Robert Wilson’s The Three Ladies of London and the Problem of Conscience

Taking as its focal point Conscience and her downfall, this essay argues that Robert Wilson’s late morality play The Three Ladies of London (performed 1581, printed 1592) depicts conscience as a social virtue, only to subvert such a conception at the moment of her corruption. In so doing, it departs from earlier Tudor moral literature, including social satire and morality drama, by depicting social virtues not merely as powerless, absent, or led astray, but as subject to erosion and agents of social destruction. By depicting Conscience as a social virtue, the play brings to the fore the tension between the personal and consensual motives that have always characterized conscience in order to plumb it. The play’s representation of Conscience demonstrates the reciprocity between the personal and social aspects of conscience, even as it confuses them. This essay puts the play in dialogue with other late-sixteenth-century texts and ultimately contends that Conscience was socially and morally charged, and to li...
Ab initio studies of the conformations of ethynyl formate, cyano formate and related ethynyl and cyano compounds

Abstract The optimized geometries, relative free energies and related thermodynamic properties, harmonic frequencies, and dipole moments have been calculated at the HF and MP2 levels for ethynyl formate ( 1a ), ethynyl acetate ( 1b ), cyano formate, HCO 2 CN ( 1c ), cyano acetate ( 1d ), S-ethynyl thioformate ( 2a ), S-ethynyl thioacetate ( 2b ), S-cyano thioformate ( 2c ), S-cyano thioacetate ( 2d ), N-ethynylformamide ( 3a ), N-ethynylacetamide ( 3b ), N-cyanoformamide ( 3c ), and N-cyanoacetamide ( 3d ) with the gaussian 98 program. For ethynyl formate, the calculation for 25 °C at the MP2/6-311++G(df,pd) level predicts that the Z isomer is more stable by 1.23 kcal/mol. For S-ethynyl thioformate, calculations at the MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p) level predict that the E isomer is favored by 0.71 kcal/mol at 25 °C. The E isomers of N-ethynylformamide and N-ethynylacetamide were found at all levels to be more stable than the Z isomers at 25 °C. For cyano formate and cyano acetate, calculations at the MP2/6-311++G(df,pd) level predict that the Z isomers are more stable at 25 °C by 1.50 and 2.72 kcal/mol, respectively. At this level and temperature, the Z isomers of 2c , 2d , 3c , and 3d are predicted to have free energies of 0.46, −0.07, 1.22, and 2.28 kcal/mol, respectively, relative to the E conformations. Z to E free-energy barriers at 25 °C of 8.63, 10.64, 17.63, 7.39, and 14.03 kcal/mol were calculated for 1a , 2a , 3a , 1c , and 3c at the HF/6-311G(d,p) level, and at the HF/6-311+G(d,p) level, the free-energy barrier for 2c was 7.08 kcal/mol.
The Role of the Oocyte in Folliculogenesis

Abstract Novel regulatory proteins have been identified within oocytes that are crucially involved in folliculogenesis. One of the most exciting oocyte signaling molecules is a novel member of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily, growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF-9). Loss-of-function studies have established that GDF-9 is obligatory for proper folliculogenesis and fertility in female mice. The current challenges are to understand how oocyte morphogens regulate folliculogenesis and how their actions and interactions are integrated into the overall processes of physiology and pathophysiology. Who would have thought that oocyte morphogens would be so crucial for reproduction?
Low power for extended current meter deployments

Current measurements, the recording of which was once powered by the current itself, is now electronic nearly everywhere. Batteries provide the energy for the electronic systems when the instrument is autonomous and the power required limits the deployment duration more seriously than the data capacity of the logger. There are several strategies that can be used to extend deployment of autonomous current meters starting with low power processors, and concluding with sophisticated sampling schemes.
Rate Constant for the Ring Opening of the 2,2-Difluorocyclopropylcarbinyl Radical

The rate constant for the unimolecular ring opening of the 2,2-difluorocyclopropylcarbinyl radical was determined via its competitive bimolecular trapping by TEMPO. The value of this rate constant (3.4 x 10(11) s(-)(1) at 99.3 degrees C) is about 500 times larger than that of the parent, unfluorinated radical and about 5 times smaller than that of the trans-2-phenylcyclopropylcarbinyl radical.
The Paradoxes of Kozheozero

The Kozheozero Monastery of the Epiphany was founded by the monk Nifont in the mid-16th century. Located in the impenetrable swamps west of the Onega River, it was one of the most remote religious houses in the Russian North and should have remained small in size and insignificant in cultural history. Yet it came to exemplify the complex and seemingly contradictory character of Muscovite religious life in the 17th century, when it attracted about a hundred seekers after solitude to a wilderness community where they found wooden churches surrounded by huts but also a rich sacristy, an extensive library, and an icon collection that reflected the fashions of the capital. Thanks to the support of the new Romanov dynasty, the long residence of the noted ascetic Nikodim, the brief abbacy of the future Patriarch Nikon, and the Moscow connections of the community’s most well-known monk Bogolep L’vov, Kozheozero surprisingly grew into a significant literary and artistic center. The spread of Western cultural influence in court circles and major provincial centers has received considerable attention, but the achievements of Kozheozero demonstrate that the new trends also penetrated the most isolated areas of the Muscovite state.
Memory: modification of anisomycin-induced amnesia by stimulants and depressants

Mice were trained in a passive (foot shock)avoidance task. When administered after training, the stimulants caffeine or nicotine blocked amnesia for the task that had been produced by injections of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin given prior to training. With foot shock at a higher intensity, anisomycin did not produce amnesia by itself, but the administration of the depressants chloral hydrate or sodium phenobarbital after training did cause amnesia. Stimulants and depressants did not have an appreciable influence on the overall degree of protein synthesis inhibition produced by anisomycin. The results support the hypothesis that arousal after training is an important factor in the conversion of short-term to long-term memory.
Magnetorheological elastomers in tunable vibration absorbers

Filling an elastomeric material with magnetizable particles leads to mechanical properties -shear moduli, tensile moduli, and magnetostriction coefficients - that are reversibly and rapidly controllable by an applied magnetic field. The origin of the field dependence of these properties is the existence of field-induced dipole magnetic forces between the particles. These 'smart' composites, which are sometimes termed magnetorheological (MR) elastomers, have been explored for use in a number of components, including automotive suspension bushings. In these and other applications, the tunability of the stiffness can enhance the compliance-control or vibration-transfer performance of the complex mechanical systems in which they are used. In the present study, we have constructed a simple one-degree-of-freedom mass-spring system - an adaptive tuned vibration absorber - that utilizes MR elastomers as variable-spring-rate elements. This device was used not only to explore the performance of such tunable components, but also to extend measurements of the shear moduli of these materials to higher frequencies than has previously been reported. We find that the field-induced increase in moduli of these materials is effective to mechanical frequencies well above 1 kHz, and that the moduli are consistent with the behavior expected for filled elastomers.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
DEPENDENCE ON TEMPERATURE OF THE COPPER (II) CATALYSED HYDROLYSIS OF ETHYL GLYCINATE.

SEVERAL investigators1–3 have examined the rate of hydrolysis of amino-acid esters in aqueous solutions using metal ions as catalysts, but have failed to report any information on the temperature dependence of the rate constant.
IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF THE 5-HT1A RECEPTOR IN VENTRAL MEDULLARY NEURONS THAT PROJECT TO THE INTERMEDIOLATERAL CELL COLUMN AND CONTAIN SEROTONIN OR TYROSINE HYDROXYLASE IMMUNOREACTIVITY

Activation of serotonin-1A receptors (5-HT(1A)R) in the medulla oblongata lowers sympathetic nerve discharge and blood pressure. Binding sites for 5-HT(1A)R ligands are present in ventral medullary nuclei [e.g., rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), raphe pallidus (RPa), and parapyramidal region (PPR)] that project to sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the intermediolateral cell column (IML). However, the projections and the neurochemical contents of the ventral medullary neurons that are likely to be involved in the hypotensive actions of 5-HT(1A) agonists are unclear. Using a sheep antibody to a fragment of the third intracellular loop of the 5-HT(1A)R, we localized 5-HT(1A)R immunoreactivity (ir) to IML-projecting neurons that were retrogradely labeled with rhodamine beads injected into the IML of adult male rats. The percentages of IML-projecting neurons containing 5-HT(1A)R-ir were 49% in RPa, 34% in PPR, and 44% in RVLM. Using multiple-immunofluorescence labeling, we also demonstrated 5-HT(1A)R-ir in serotonergic (5-HT) and in catecholaminergic (tyrosine hydroxylase; TH-ir) neurons of the ventral medulla. The percentages of 5-HT-ir neurons containing 5-HT(1A)R-ir were 28% in RPa, 18% in PPR, and 31% in raphe obscurus. In addition, 5-HT(1A)R-ir was present in 14% of TH-ir neurons of the RVLM. Moreover, some IML-projecting neurons in the PPR and RPa were doubly immunolabeled for 5-HT(1A)R-ir and 5-HT, and some IML-projecting neurons in the RVLM were doubly immunolabeled for 5-HT(1A)R-ir and TH-ir. These data provide anatomical evidence for the presence of 5-HT(1A)R on serotonergic and catecholaminergic bulbospinal neurons and for their potential role in directly modifying the activity of these ventral medullary neurons.
Public privacy and politics

Invasion of privacy is a serious, and sometimes frightening, concept for many people. It can evoke images of big brother, in the form of big business, knowing your most intimate secrets and even selling those secrets to others. Laws to guard against these personal violations have been slow in coming from the US government. A combination of consumer fears and sluggish federal response is nothing particularly new, but as with other such situations it has provided state and local officials a lever with which to pry public attention out of the hands of their federal counterparts.
Vertical heterojunction of MoS 2 and WSe 2

The development of experimental methods 1 to create stacked structures of layered 2D materials with atomic-plane precision provides opportunities to study a variety of van der Waals heterojunctions that is difficult to fabricate with traditional growth methods. Here, we report the vertical integration of two 2D TMD materials, MoS 2 and WSe 2 , to form van der Waals heterojunction. We show that the electrical properties of the heterojunction are controlled by gate voltage and rectification is observed with forward/reverse current ratio ~ 100.
Fishers' Knowledge of Marine Species Assemblages: Bridging between Scientific and Local Ecological Knowledge in Southeastern Puerto Rico

Increasingly, local ecological knowledge (LEK) held by groups of people engaging directly with their ecosystems for food production is recognized as a valuable tool for understanding environmental change, as well as for ecosystem management and conservation. However, the acceptance of LEK for resource management has been partly hindered by difficulties in translating local knowledge into a form that can be applied directly to Western scientific endeavors. Anthropology's focus on cultural meaning makes its practitioners uniquely qualified to find common ground between different systems of knowledge. Here, I report the use of ethnographic methods to represent Puerto Rican small-scale fishers' knowledge about tropical coastal habitat connectivity and the composition of species assemblages by underwater habitats. These two topics are of current interest for tropical fishery science and their study can benefit from fishers' extensive experience with the coastal environments on which they depend.
REACTION MECHANISM OF FRUCTOSE-2,6-BISPHOSPHATASE : A MUTATION OF NUCLEOPHILIC CATALYST, HISTIDINE 256, INDUCES AN ALTERATION IN THE REACTION PATHWAY

A bifunctional enzyme, fructose-6-phosphate,2-kinase/fructose 2, 6-bisphosphatase (Fru-6-P,2-kinase/Fru-2,6-Pase), catalyzes synthesis and degradation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (Fru-2,6-P2). Previously, the rat liver Fru-2,6-Pase reaction (Fru-2,6-P2 --> Fru-6-P + Pi) has been shown to proceed via a phosphoenzyme intermediate with His258 phosphorylated, and mutation of the histidine to alanine resulted in complete loss of activity (Tauler, A., Lin, K., and Pilkis, S. J. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 15617-15622). In the present study, it is shown that mutation of the corresponding histidine (His256) of the rat testis enzyme decreases activity by less than a factor of 10 with a kcat of 17% compared with the wild type enzyme. Mutation of His390 (in close proximity to His256) to Ala results in a kcat of 12.5% compared with the wild type enzyme. Attempts to detect a phosphohistidine intermediate with the H256A mutant enzyme were unsuccessful, but the phosphoenzyme is detected in the wild type, H390A, R255A, R305S, and E325A mutant enzymes. Data demonstrate that the mutation of His256 induces a change in the phosphatase hydrolytic reaction mechanism. Elimination of the nucleophilic catalyst, H256A, results in a change in mechanism. In the H256A mutant enzyme, His390 likely acts as a general base to activate water for direct hydrolysis of the 2-phosphate of Fru-2,6-P2. Mutation of Arg255 and Arg305 suggests that the arginines probably have a role in neutralizing excess charge on the 2-phosphate and polarizing the phosphoryl for subsequent transfer to either His256 or water. The role of Glu325 is less certain, but it may serve as a general acid, protonating the leaving 2-hydroxyl of Fru-2,6-P2.
Wing-body carryover for noncircular missiles

)9 the wing-body carryover factor due to body upwash on an undeflected wing, and wing center of pressure (CP) are investigated for unbanked, supersonic missiles with square and triangular fuselage cross sections at low angles of attack. The parametric effects of Mach number, wing leading-edge sweep back angle, angle of attack, and body cross-sectional shape on Kw(B) and wing CP were numerically examined. The calculations were performed using a spatial marching Euler code ZEUS. Predicted KW(B) results were compared to slender-body theory values historically used for preliminary missile design. Computed KW(B) and wing CP results were found to exhibit sensitivity to Mach number, wing leading-edge sweep angle, and body cross-sectional shape. Euler Kw(B) and wing CP values generally compare favorably to slender-body theory predictions in trend, but differ in magnitude by up to 15%. ZEUS predictions of kw(B)> the wing-body interference factor for an all-moving control surface, are also presented for square fuselage cross sections. All computed results are valid for missiles in the "+" orientation at small angles of attack and Mach numbers from 2 to 4. Data are presented to extend the missile preliminary design data base for arbitrary cross-sectional bodies.
Perineal sigmoidopexy utilizing transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) to treat full thickness rectal prolapse: a feasibility trial in porcine and human cadaver models

Perineal approaches for rectal prolapse repair have low complication rates but high recurrence rates, while abdominal approaches that include sigmoidopexy have lower recurrence rates but higher complication rates. To optimize both recurrence and complication rates, we developed a novel procedure that uses transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) to perform a sigmoidopexy via a perineal approach. We created a rectal prolapse model in six swine and two human cadavers using a previously published technique. The rectum was mobilized and eviscerated transanally. After marking the planned point of sigmoid transection, the rectum was returned to the peritoneal cavity. A TEM proctoscope was inserted transanally alongside the rectum, and the lateral sigmoid colon walls were sutured to the sacrum. The sigmoid colon was then transected where previously planned, and a primary sigmoid anastomosis was performed. Total operative time, sigmoidopexy operative time, and suture security were measured and compared to standard rectosigmoidectomy and abdominal sigmoidopexy times. No sigmoid colon, iliac vessel, bladder, or ureteral injuries occurred. At least two sigmoidopexy sutures were secure on inspection in all animals and human cadavers, with increasing success of secure suture placement as experience increased. Operative length was similar to traditional abdominal sigmoidopexy. TEM sigmoidopexy is technically feasible. This approach has the potential to reduce the recurrence rate associated with perineal approaches alone, but further study is needed to confirm this hypothesis.
A pharmacokinetic evaluation of 14C-labeled afovirsen sodium in patients with genital warts

Afovirsen sodium is a 20-mer phosphorothioate oligonucleotide designed to be complementary to the messenger ribonucleic acid sequence for the translation initiation codon of the E2 protein vital to replication of human papillomaviruses types 6 and 11. 14C-Labeled afovirsen was given as a single-dose intradermal injection in each of four warts of five patients to determine the time-dependent changes in concentration of intact afovirsen in genital warts and to determine the systemic absorption and elimination of radiolabeled compound. Intact afovirsen in genital warts was determined by high pressure liquid chromatography analysis of protease K digested extracts. Intact afovirsen was present in wart tissue for at least 72 hours at concentrations several times in excess of the estimated minimal inhibitory concentration of 1 mumol/L. Absorption of radiolabeled afovirsen from the injection site was rapid, with a peak plasma concentration achieved within 1 hour. Clearance of afovirsen was primarily attributable to slow metabolism, with about 30% of the radiolabel eliminated as 14C-CO2 in expired air over a 6-day period after dosing. Radioactivity eliminated in urine represented metabolites of afovirsen. From the clinical pharmacokinetic data presented here and from previously published pharmacokinetic data in rats, the disposition of afovirsen in humans appears to be relatively similar to that in rats. These data suggest that once or twice weekly dosing regimen in the clinic may be appropriate.
Limnological Features of a Tropical Meromictic Lake

Studies of a man-made tropical lake bordering the Pacific Ocean revealed a case of thermal inversion caused by the superposition of brackish water upon more saline water. An interesting biological community was observed characterized by sparse plankton and abundant organisms attached to vertical basaltic walls. This unique environment supported a thriving population of mangrove oysters.
Curare-induced transformation of myosin pattern in developing skeletal muscle fibers.

Abstract The effects of neuromuscular block on the pattern of distribution of myosin isozymes in developing skeletal muscle fibers was examined by immunocytochemistry. The homogeneous population of fibers in the anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD) of the 18-day chick embryo was converted by curare to a mosaic of at least two categories of fibers. Normally all fibers in this slow muscle reacted with antibodies against slow myosin (anti-ALD). They also reacted with an antibody specific for the alkali 1 light chain (anti-Δ1) but not the alkali 2 light chain (anti-Δ2) of fast myosin. After treatment with curare, which inhibits neuronal cell death and increases the number of axonal endings, ALD muscle fibers continued to react with anti-Δ1, but many now reacted with anti-Δ2 as well. The same fibers failed to react with anti-ALD. From this it can be concluded that the myosin in this population was converted to a type not normally present. The changes, therefore, are not merely a result of the preferential loss of a slow type of fiber, nor are they a result of delayed maturation. In contrast, curare had no apparent effect on the fast posterior latissimus dorsi (PLD). As in the normal muscle at 18 days, all fibers reacted strongly with anti-Δ1 and to variable degrees with anti-Δ2, and very few fibers reacted with anti-ALD. Our observations suggest that the dual response to antibodies against fast and slow myosin during development is not a necessary consequence of multiple axon terminals. We present evidence that curare induces the expression of a different myosin in the embryonic ALD, and we suggest that the selective transformation of the fiber population may be a manifestation of a change in composition of the motoneuron pool.
Incidence of p14ARF gene deletion in high-grade adult and pediatric astrocytomas

The INK4a-ARF locus encodes 2 separate proteins through differential splicing of alternative first exons to produce p16 INK4a (exon 1α) and p14 ARF (exon 1β) products in human cells. The p16 INK4a protein inhibits the cyclin D-dependent kinases (CDK) that control the phosphorylation of the Rb protein and cell proliferation. The p14 ARF gene product can complex with and sequester the MDM2 protein within the nucleus, thus modulating the activity of the p53 protein. Loss of p16 INK4a expression would disrupt the retinoblastoma (Rb)/p16 INK4a /cyclin D-dependent kinase (CDK4) pathway, whereas loss of p14 ARF expression would inactivate both the Rb and p53/MDM2/p14ARF pathways through MDM2, which can complex with either Rb or p53. Loss of the p16 INK4a gene on 9p21 has been documented in a wide range of human tumors, including one third of glioblastomas. However, in tumors showing homozygous loss of exon 2 of the p16 INK4a gene, loss of exon 1β of the p14 ARF gene has not been established. In this study, we have assessed deletion of the p14 ARF gene in 29 pediatric and 107 adult high-grade astrocytomas and 9 glioma cell lines, using multiplex PCR analysis for exon 1β. We found homozygous deletions for exon 1α and exon 1β in 3 of 29 (10%) of the pediatric cases (2 grade III, 1 grade IV), 25 of 107 (23%) of the adult cases (6 grade III and 19 grade IV), and 8 of 9 (89%) of the glioma cell lines. Therefore, loss of the INK4a-ARF locus in high-grade astrocytomas may contribute to the highly malignant behavior and treatment resistance of these tumors through elimination of multiple checkpoint cell cycle control proteins.
IC-P3-223: Automated longitudinal 3D mapping of hippocampal ADASCPG delayed recall effects in 293 normal elderly, MCI and AD subjects

Background: The Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive Subscale (ADAScog) is a primary outcome measure in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) clinical trials. Hippocampal atrophy has recently been proposed as a sensitive biomarker in AD and MCI. Methods: We applied a previously validated automated machine learning algorithm based on adaptive boosting (Morra et al., 2008) to segment the hippocampi in baseline and 12-month follow-up 3D T1-weighted brain MRIs of 109 cognitively normal elderly (NC), 133 MCI and 51 AD subjects from the ADNI study. We then applied the radial distance atrophy mapping approach to examine in 3D the structural hippocampal correlates of ADAScog delayed recall (ADAScog-DR). 3D statistical maps were corrected for multiple comparisons using permutation testing thresholded at p 0.01. Results: The groups were well balanced with regard to age, race and education. The MCI group had significantly more men (71%) relative to the NC (52%) and the AD group (51%). The MCI and AD groups showed a significant decline in ADAScog-DR over 12 months (MCI 0.42, p 0.012; AD 0.49, p 0.005). At baseline ADAScog-DR showed significant correlations with atrophy of CA1 and subicular hippocampal subregions in MCI (r 0.2-0.3, left pcorrected 0.03; right pcorrected 0.04) and the right mid/posterior CA1, CA2-3 and subiculum in AD (r 0.35-0.55, pcorrected 0.0004). At followup, ADAScog-DR correlated with atrophy of the left more then right CA1 and subiculum in MCI (r 0.2-0.3, pcorrected 0.003) and the right anterior CA1 and subiculum in AD (r 0.25-0.45; pcorrected 0.017). Correlations between baseline ADAScog-DR and posterior right hippocampal atrophy were observed at trend level in NC (r 0.2-0.4; pcorrected 0.07). Correlations with the global ADAScog ratings (ADAScog11 and ADAScog-modified) were generally less significant than those observed with ADAScog-DR. Conclusions: We demonstrated regionally specific correlations between ADAScog-DR and hippocampal atrophy in MCI and AD. The MCI 3D maps revealed correlations with hippocampal subregions known to be affected early in MCI. Our high throughput automated segmentation approach is a promising technique for analyzing large epidemiological and clinical trial datasets. IC-P3-224 REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN AGE DEPENDENCE OF P-GP MEDIATED TRANSPORT ACROSS THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER MEASURED USING (R)[C]VERAPAMIL AND POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY
The Classic Maya Ceremonial Bar

En el articulo se describen las variedades basicas de las representaciones del baston ceremonial de los mayas del Clasico, se indican sus historias formales y se senalan sus potencialidades iconograficas. El significado de los gestos usados para sostener el baston ceremonial es rastreado desde el Preclasico medio entre los olmecas. Con esta genealogia, las diferencias regionales durante el Clasico, asi como con algunas reflexiones iconograficas, el baston ceremonial aparece como una representacion alegorica, en la que varios “mitos de origen” fueron reinterpretados para explicar, y racionalizar, el poder y la accion reales
Brief food restriction increases FA oxidation and glycogen synthesis under insulin-stimulated conditions

To determine the effects of brief food restriction on fatty acid (FA) metabolism, hindlimbs of F344/BN rats fed either ad libitum (AL) or food restricted (FR) to 60% of baseline food intake for 28 ...
Orthogonal ligation of free peptides

Over past eight years, our laboratory has focused on developing new methodologies for ligating free peptide segments to form complex proteins and biopolymers in aqueous or organic solutions. Recently, we and others have developed a novel segment ligation strategy [l-3] in which an amide bond is formed regiospecifically to the desired Nterminal amine between unprotected peptide segments containing more than one free Nterminal amine. This strategy represents a significant methodological advance. We refer it as “orthogonal ligation strategy” in accordance with other orthogonal concepts in chemistry, including orthogonal protection schemes [4], orthogonal activation [5] and coupling [6] in organic chemistry that distinguish two functional sites based on chemoselectivity. The orthogonal ligation is a cascade consisting of two reactions of capture and activation. The capture step utilizes the principle of chemoselective ligation to form a covalent intermediate between two peptide segments. Then, an amide bond is formed via an intramolecular acyl transfer through entropic activation (fig. 1). The intramolecular acylation rate, which is first order and often spontaneous, minimizes side reactions associated with enthalpic activation methods.
Rapid light‐induced shifts in opsin expression: finding new opsins, discerning mechanisms of change, and implications for visual sensitivity

Light-induced shifts in cone frequency and opsin expression occur in many aquatic species. Yet little is known about how quickly animals can alter opsin expression and, thereby, track their visual environments. Similarly, little is known about whether adult animals can alter opsin expression or whether shifts in opsin expression are limited to critical developmental windows. We took adult wild-caught bluefin killifish (Lucania goodei) from three different lighting environments (spring, swamp and variable), placed them under two different lighting treatments (clear vs. tea-stained water) and monitored opsin expression over 4 weeks. We measured opsin expression for five previously described opsins (SWS1, SWS2B, SWS2A, RH2-1 and LWS) as well as RH2-2 which we discovered via 454 sequencing. We used two different metrics of opsin expression. We measured expression of each opsin relative to a housekeeping gene and the proportional expression of each opsin relative to the total pool of opsins. Population and lighting environment had large effects on opsin expression which were present at the earliest time points indicating rapid shifts in expression. The two measures of expression produced radically different patterns. Proportional measures indicated large effects of light on SWS1 expression, whereas relative measures indicated no such effect. Instead, light had large effects on the relative expression of SWS2B, RH2-2, RH2-1 and LWS. We suggest that proportional measures of opsin expression are best for making inferences about colour vision, but that measures relative to a housekeeping gene are better for making conclusions about which opsins are differentially regulated.
Editing Soft Shadows in a Digital Photograph

In this article, we develop tools for shadow modification in images where a shadowed region is characterized by soft boundaries with varying sharpness along the shadow edges. Modeling shadow edges presents an interesting challenge because they can vary from infinitely sharp edges for shadows produced by a point light source to extremely soft edges for shadows produced by large area light sources. We propose an entirely image-based shadow editing tool for a single-input image. This technique for modeling, editing, and rendering shadow edges in a photograph or a synthetic image lets users separate the shadow from the rest of the image and make arbitrary adjustments to its position, sharpness, and intensity. These machine-adjustable photographs can offer interactivity that might improve images' expressiveness and help us investigate the influence of boundary sharpness on the perception of object-to-object contact, as well as understand how humans assess shadows to estimate object height above a ground plane
An Economic Model for Maximizing Profit of a Cloud Service Provider

For Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Cloud service providers, such as Amazon EC2 and Rackspace, allow users to lease their computing resources over the Internet, and invest their money into developing and maintaining the infrastructure. Hence, maximizing profit, right pricing, and rightsizing are vital elements to their business. To address these issues, we propose in this article an economic model for cloud service providers that can be used to maximize profit based on right pricing and rightsizing in the Cloud data centre. Total cost is a key element in the model and it is analyzed by considering the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of the Cloud.
Biochemical Characterization of Cottonseed Microsomal N -Acylphosphatidylethanolamine Synthase

N-Acylphosphatidylethanolamine (NAPE) is an unusual derivative of the common membrane phospholipid, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), with a third fatty acyl group attached through an amide linkage to the amino group of ethanolamine. NAPE has been reported to occur in various amounts in lipid extracts from a variety of seeds (Schmid et al., 1990). In reports where isolated NAPE was subjected to rigorous chemical analyses (analyses of degradative products and IR spectroscopy), it was estimated to account for approximately 4 mol% of lipid P in wheat (Bomstein 1969), 5% in pea, 3.5% in soybean, and 13.3% in oat (Dawson et al., 1969). Recent data with different tissues and organs of cotton seedlings and cotyledons at several different developmental stages indicated the NAPE was present in all parts of cotton plants at concentrations between 1.9 and 3.2 mol% of the total phospholipids (Chapman and Sprinkle, 1996). Cottonseed NAPE was characterized structurally by FAB-MS/MS analyses (Chapman and Moore, 1993a; Sandoval et al., 1995), and the major molecular species were identified as 16:0/18:2 PE (N-palmitoyl), 16:0/18:2 PE (N-linoleoyl), and 18:2/18:2 PE (N-palmitoyl).
Jetlet Formation from Diabatic Forcing with Applications to the 1994 Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak

Abstract The three-dimensional responses of simple stably stratified barotropic and baroclinic flows to prescribed diabatic forcing are investigated using a dry, hydrostatic, primitive equation numerical model (the North Carolina State University Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Model). A time-dependent diabatic forcing is utilized to isolate the effects of latent heat release in a midlatitude convective system. Examination of the mass-momentum adjustments to the diabatic forcing is performed with a focus on the development of an isolated midlevel wind maximum. The results of both cases suggest the formation of a midlevel wind maximum in the form of a perturbation meso-β-scale cyclone, which later propagates downstream as the heating is decreased. The scale of the perturbation cyclone remains at a sub-Rossby radius of deformation length scale. Therefore, the mass perturbations adjust to the wind perturbations as the mesocyclone propagates downstream. Transverse vertical circulations, which favor ascent on the r...
Outcome of the distal ureteric stump after (hemi)nephrectomy and subtotal ureterectomy for reflux or obstruction.

Objective To assess the outcome of the distal ureteric stump (DUS) after (hemi)nephrectomy with subtotal ureterectomy. Patients and methods The records of 89 patients (median age 2.7 years, range 0.25–12) who underwent nephrectomy (24) or heminephrectomy (65) with subtotal ureterectomy between 1982 and 1996 were reviewed retrospectively for symptoms caused by the DUS. The mean follow-up was 9.8 years. Nephrectomy was undertaken for a poorly functioning dysplastic (in nine), scarred (in 10) or hydronephrotic (in five) kidney, and heminephrectomy for a poorly functioning upper moiety associated with ectopic ureterocele (in 26) or stenotic hydroureter (in 15), or for a poorly functioning lower moiety associated with reflux (in 24). There were 38 refluxing and 51 non-refluxing ureteric stumps. Two additional patients primarily operated elsewhere were referred with DUS symptoms. Results Only one patient had a symptomatic DUS, with recurrent haematuria and bacteriuria. The two patients referred from elsewhere presented with febrile UTIs. The first had been left with a long refluxing stump opening ectopically into the urethra, and the second with a long stump which was converted from nonrefluxing to a refluxing stump when he developed dysfunctional voiding. Surgical excision of the distal stump was curative in each case. Conclusions The risk of a symptomatic DUS in patients who undergo subtotal ureterectomy in conjunction with (hemi)nephrectomy is very low, with no difference between refluxing and nonrefluxing stumps. Long ureteric stumps and dysfunctional voiding may cause symptoms. Because of the low morbidity associated with a short ureteric stump, we recommend subtotal ureterectomy in children who undergo (hemi)nephrectomy for reflux, vesico-ureteric obstruction or ectopic ureterocele associated with a poorly functioning kidney or kidney moiety.
Envelope protein Us9 is required for the anterograde transport of bovine herpesvirus type 1 from trigeminal ganglia to nose and eye upon reactivation

In this study, the authors examined the role of bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1) Us9 in the anterograde transport of the virus from trigeminal ganglia (TG) to nose and eye upon reactivation from latency. During primary infection, both BHV-1 Us9-deleted and BHV-1 Us9-rescued viruses replicated efficiently in the nasal and ocular epithelium. However, upon reactivation from latency, only the BHV-1 Us9-rescued virus could be isolated in the nasal and ocular shedding. By real-time polymerase chain reaction, comparable DNA copy numbers were detected in the TGs during latency and reactivation for both the viruses. Therefore, Us9 is essential for reactivation of the virus in the TG and anterograde axonal transport from TG to nose and eye.
Intervals between births in families containing one set of twins.

Data for 6910 families each containing one set of twins have been obtained from genealogical records in the Archives of the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City and analysed according to intervals between births. The findings indicate that intervals following singleton females are shorter than those following singleton males, particularly in sibships in which the sex ratio (excluding twins) is high. This relationship holds, with few exceptions, when sibship size is held constant and whatever the sex of the following child. There is no evidence in these data that the interval between births is shorter when the children are of the same sex. Our most striking finding is that twins tend to be preceded by an unusually long interval.
Torque ripple minimization in switched reluctance motors via bi-cubic spline interpolation

A method for minimizing the instantaneous torque ripple in switched reluctance (SR) machines is investigated and implemented. The method is based on estimating the instantaneous SR motor torque from the flux linkage versus current and rotor position characteristic curves via a bi-cubic spline interpolation. These coefficients are computed offline, stored in a given memory location of the control processor, and used by two routines that are capable of estimating the rotor position and electromagnetic torque from the phase voltages and currents. The estimated output torque is then compared to a constant reference value, and the result of this comparison drives a current regulator that generates the proper motor phase currents. The ripple minimization scheme is simple and does not require a very fast processor. Its feasibility is confirmed via simulation and some preliminary experimental results. >
NMR structure and dynamics of the RNA-binding site for the histone mRNA stem-loop binding protein.

The 3' end of replication-dependent histone mRNAs terminate in a conserved sequence containing a stem-loop. This 26-nt sequence is the binding site for a protein, stem-loop binding protein (SLBP), that is involved in multiple aspects of histone mRNA metabolism and regulation. We have determined the structure of the 26-nt sequence by multidimensional NMR spectroscopy. There is a 16-nt stem-loop motif, with a conserved 6-bp stem and a 4-nt loop. The loop is closed by a conserved U.A base pair that terminates the canonical A-form stem. The pyrimidine-rich 4-nt loop, UUUC, is well organized with the three uridines stacking on the helix, and the fourth base extending across the major groove into the solvent. The flanking nucleotides at the base of the hairpin stem do not assume a unique conformation, despite the fact that the 5' flanking nucleotides are a critical component of the SLBP binding site.
An optofluidic device for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

We have developed an optofluidic device that improves the sensitivity of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) when compared to other SERS approaches. This device has a pinched and step microchannel–nanochannel junction that can trap and assemble nanoparticles/target molecules into optically enhanced SERS active clusters by using capillary force. These SERS active clusters provide an electromagnetic enhancement factor of ∼108. In addition, due to the continuous capillary flow that can transport nanoparticles/target molecules into the junction sites, the numbers of nanoparticles/target molecules and SERS active sites are increased. As a result, the detection limit of SERS for adenine molecules was better than 10 pM.
Building on the International Polar Year: Discovering Interdisciplinary Data Through Federated Search

The legacy of the International Polar Year 2007–2008 (IPY) includes advances in open data and meaningful progress towards interoperability of data, systems, and standards. Enabled by metadata brokering technologies and by the growing adoption of international metadata standards, federated data search welcomes diversity in Arctic data and recognizes the value of expertise in community data repositories. Federated search enables specialized data holdings to be discovered by broader audiences and complements the role of metadata registries such as the Global Change Master Directory, providing interoperability across the Arctic web-of-repositories.