cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unique form of tool-using in two gastropod molluscs (Trochidae).

TOOL-USING, the ability to manipulate an object as a functional extension of the body, has been described in a number of vertebrate and invertebrate species1. Although earlier workers regarded it as an indication of insight learning, its significance as a behavioural adaptation2,3, possibly arising through the novel use of a pre-existing behaviour pattern4, has been stressed in recent studies.
Planning and providing care at the end of life.

Palliative and curative care are not mutually exclusive approaches to patients at the end of life. Rather, the two need to be integrated to form a plan that focuses on the overall quality of life. Providing such care requires physicians with specific skills and training.
Tandem Gait Performance in Essential Tremor: Clinical Correlates and Association with Midline Tremors

Gait difficulty has been reported in essential tremor (ET) although it has been the subject of a limited number of studies. We broadly assessed these clinical correlates, including the association of gait difficulty with a variety of midline tremors (jaw, voice, neck). Tandem gait (10 steps) was assessed in 122 ET cases. Cranial tremor score (0-3) was the number of locations (neck, jaw, voice) in which tremor was present. Number of tandem mis-steps positively correlated with age (P < 0.001), age of tremor onset (P = 0.001), and presence of neck (P < 0.001), jaw (P = 0.001), and voice tremors (P = 0.047). Number of tandem mis-steps increased markedly with cranial tremor score: 0 (0.8 +/- 1.2), 1 (1.1 +/- 1.6), 2 (2.3 +/- 3.0), 3 (3.7 +/- 1.6) (P < 0.001). It was not correlated with severity of arm or leg tremors. ET patients with cranial tremors (neck, jaw, voice), those with older age of onset, and those of current older age are more likely to manifest tandem gait difficulty. Tandem gait difficulty was not correlated with severity of limb tremors. Tandem gait difficulty and cranial tremors in ET may both be symptomatic of the same underlying pathophysiology, a disturbance of cerebellar regulation of the midline, which is distinct from its regulation of the limbs.
Interdomain Linkers of Homologous Response Regulators Determine Their Mechanism of Action

OmpR and PhoB are response regulators that contain an N-terminal phosphorylation domain and a C-terminal DNA binding effector domain connected by a flexible interdomain linker. Phosphorylation of the N terminus results in an increase in affinity for specific DNA and the subsequent regulation of gene expression. Despite their sequence and structural similarity, OmpR and PhoB employ different mechanisms to regulate their effector domains. Phosphorylation of OmpR in the N terminus stimulates the DNA binding affinity of the C terminus, whereas phosphorylation of the PhoB N terminus relieves inhibition of the C terminus, enabling it to bind to DNA. Chimeras between OmpR and PhoB containing either interdomain linker were constructed to explore the basis of the differences in their activation mechanisms. Our results indicate that effector domain regulation by either N terminus requires its cognate interdomain linker. In addition, our findings suggest that the isolated C terminus of OmpR is not sufficient for a productive interaction with RNA polymerase.
How to read neuron-dropping curves?

Methods for decoding information from neuronal signals (Kim et al., 2006; Quiroga and Panzeri, 2009) have attracted much interest in recent years, in a large part due to the rapid development of brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) (Lebedev and Nicolelis, 2006; Lebedev, 2014). BMIs strive to restore brain function to disabled patients or even augment function to healthy individuals by establishing direct communications between the brain and external devices, such as computers and robotic limbs. Accordingly, BMI decoders convert neuronal activity into font characters (Birbaumer et al., 1999), position and velocity of a robot (Carmena et al., 2003; Velliste et al., 2008), sound (Guenther et al., 2009), etc. Large-scale recordings, i.e., simultaneous recordings from as many neurons and as many brain areas as possible, have been suggested as a fundamental approach to improve BMI decoding (Chapin, 2004; Nicolelis and Lebedev, 2009; Schwarz et al., 2014). To this end, the dependency of decoding accuracy on the number of recorded neurons is often quantified as a neuronal dropping curve (NDC) (Wessberg et al., 2000). The term “neuron dropping” refers to the procedure, where neurons are randomly removed from the sample until there is only one neuron left. In this analysis, large neuronal populations usually outperform small ones, the result that accords with the theories of distributed neural processing (Rumelhart et al., 1986). In addition to BMIs based on large-scale recordings, several studies have adapted an alternative approach, where a BMI is driven by a small neuronal population or even a single neuron that plastically adapts to improve BMI performance (Ganguly and Carmena, 2009; Moritz and Fetz, 2011). In such BMIs, a small number of neurons serve as a final common path (Sherrington, 1906) to which inputs from a vast brain network converge. While the utility of large-scale BMIs vs. small-scale BMIs has not been thoroughly investigated, several studies reported that information transfer by BMIs starts to saturate after the population size reaches approximately 50 neurons (Sanchez et al., 2004; Batista et al., 2008; Cunningham et al., 2008; Tehovnik et al., 2013). In one paper, this result was interpreted as mass effect principle, i.e., stabilization of BMI performance after neuronal sample reaches a critical mass (Nicolelis and Lebedev, 2009). However, another recent paper claimed that large-scale recordings cannot improve BMI performance because of the saturation (Tehovnik et al., 2013). This controversy prompted me to clarify here what NDCs show, whether or not they saturate, and how they can be applied to analyze BMI performance.
Reactivity Studies of Cationic Palladium(II) Phosphine Carboxylate Complexes with Lewis Bases: Substitution versus Cyclometalation

Two classes of cationic palladium(II) phosphine carboxylate complexes were isolated and characterized. Reactions of trans-[(R3P)2Pd(O2CR‘)2] (1) with [Li(OEt2)2.5][B(C6F5)4] in MeCN led to carboxylate abstraction and formation of trans-[(R3P)2Pd(O2CR‘)(MeCN)][B(C6F5)4] (2) in good to excellent yields. On the other hand, carboxylate abstraction reactions of 1 with [Me2(H)NPh][B(C6F5)4] or p-toluenesulfonic acid (HOTs·H2O) in CH2Cl2 furnished the palladium cations [(R3P)2Pd(κ2-O,O-O2CR‘)]+ (3). The reactions of 2 and 3 with Lewis bases were found to be different in some cases. For example, reactions of 2 with pyridine furnished the simple products of acetonitrile substitution, trans-[(R3P)2Pd(O2CR‘)(py)][B(C6F5)4]. In contrast, the reaction of 3e (R = iPr, R‘ = CH3) with CD3CN in the presence of excess sodium carbonate yielded a material derived from cyclometalation of one of the iPr arms of a iPr3P ligand. New complexes were characterized by elemental analyses and NMR (1H, 13C, and 31P) spectroscopic metho...
Beam-induced tensor pressure tokamak equilibria

D-shaped tensor pressure tokamak equilibria induced by neutral-beam injection are computed. The beam pressure components are evaluated from the moments of a distribution function that is a solution of the Fokker-Planck equation in which the pitch-angle scattering operator is ignored. The level-p⊥ contours undergo a significant shift away from the outer edge of the device with respect to the flux surfaces for perpendicular beam injection into broad-pressure-profile equilibria. The p∥ contours undergo a somewhat smaller inward shift with respect to the flux surfaces for both parallel and perpendicular injection into broad-pressure-profile equilibria. For peaked-pressure-profile equilibria, the level pressure contours nearly co-incide with the flux surfaces.
Development of reactively sputtered metal oxide films for hydrogen-producing hybrid multijunction photoelectrodes

The multijunction hybrid photoelectrode for hydrogen production developed at UH incorporates a metal-oxide photoelectrochemical top junction which is deposited onto an underlying solid state junction which generates additional voltage bias for efficient water splitting. Initial attempts to fabricate hybrid photoelectrodes using nano-structured iron-oxide films deposited by spray pyrolysis were largely unsuccessful because the pyrolysis temperatures of approximately 400 °C were high enough to cause significant damage to the underlying amorphous-silicon-based solid state junctions. This paper describes the development of low temperature (<200°C) reactively sputtered metal oxide films with properties specifically optimized for use in hybrid photoelectrode applications. The primary materials investigated include iron oxide, for use in alkaline photoelectrolysis, and tungsten trioxide, for use in acid photoelectrolysis. To date, the sputtered tungsten trioxide materials have demonstrated higher levels of photo-generated current compared with sputtered iron-oxide films. Initial hybrid photoelectrode devices fabricated using tungsten-trioxide films sputter deposited onto tandem amorphous-silicon junctions are described which exhibited stable solar-to-hydrogen conversion in acidic media at efficiencies up to 1% in outdoor tests. Plans to enhance efficiency by further oxide film optimizations, for example using surface texturing and possible doping, are also discussed.
Le syndrome pulmonaire à hantavirus et les hantavirus nord-américains

En mai 1993, un syndrome pulmonaire grave fut identifie dans le Sud-Ouest des Etats-Unis. L'adjonction des techniques modernes de biologie moleculaire aux techniques classiques de serologie a permis de mettre en evidence un nouvel hantavirus, le virus Sin Nombre et son reservoir, la souris Peromyscus maniculatus . Depuis cette date, plusieurs autres hantavirus ont ete isoles. Une surveillance a l'echelle nationale pour determiner l'incidence de cette nouvelle maladie et des enquetes longitudinales pour comprendre les relations virus—vecteurs dans les populations de rongeurs ont ete mises en place.
Engaging the p53 metabolic brake drives senescence

Emerging evidence suggests that the ability of p53 to regulate metabolism is important for its tumor suppressor activity. A recent study published in Nature reveals a novel connection between p53 and metabolism: p53 transcriptionally represses the expression of malic enzymes and associated NADPH production, which in turn triggers a positive feedback loop resulting in sustained p53 activation, cellular senescence, and tumor suppression.
Suitability of a Solid Amine Sorbent for CO2 Capture by Pressure Swing Adsorption

This study showed that a solid amine, composed of poly(ethylenimine) immobilized into a CARiACT G10 silica substrate, is a feasible sorbent for applications in a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process for postcombustion CO2 capture. This deduction materialized from an extensive study of the behavior of this material over a wide range of industrially relevant conditions using thermogravimetric analysis. The temperature ranged from 40 to 100 °C, the CO2 partial pressure ranged from 1.2 to 100 vol % with the total pressure fixed at 1 atm, the relative humidity ranged from dry conditions to 2 vol %, and the number of consecutive adsorption and desorption cycles ranged from 4 to 76. The results revealed that this solid amine sorbent was very stable under the conditions investigated. Water vapor at a low relative humidity exhibited only a minor and reversible effect on both the thermodynamics and kinetics of the CO2 uptake and release. The isothermal CO2 working capacity ranged between 0.25 and 2.8 mol/kg, inc...
Regulation of mouse choroid plexus apical Cl- and K+ channels by serotonin.

Abstract Using patch-clamp techniques, we have characterized ion channels in the apical membrane of the mouse choroid plexus epithelium and have examined the effect of serotonin on these channels. When the pipette contained 140 mM KCl and the bath contained NaCl Ringer solution, cell-attached patches revealed both Cl− and K+ channels. The Cl− channel was activated by hyperpolarizing membrane potentials, and 70% were also activated by large depolarizing potentials (pipette potential, Vp, more than negative than −40 mV). The channel exhibited linear current-voltage (I–V) relations with a conductance of 4±1pS(n=30), and a reversal potential at Vp=−14±1mV(n=30). The majority of the K+ channels (84%) were activated by depolarizing membrane potentials. These exhibited linear I-V relations with a conductanc of18±1 pS(n=10) and a reversal potential atVp=−51±8mV(n=10). Serotonin (10−6 M) increased the open probability (Po) of active Cl− channels (n=20) by an order of magnitude at the resting potential (Vp=0mV) as well as activating previously silent Cl− channels. In In contrast, complete inhibition of K+ channel activity was observed in the majority of experiments. There was a 30 s delay after exposure of the tissue to serotonin, thereafter the K+ channel was rapidly inhibited (within 1 min) prior to the stimulation of the Cl− channel. Stimulation of the Cl− channel by serotonin was abolished by mianserin (10−3 M). We conclude that serotonin exerts its effect on apical Cl− channels via the 5-HT1c receptor. The modulation of these channels by serotonin may be important to CSF secretion and its regulation.
The effect of phosphate on cream xanthine oxidase

Die Einwirkung von Orthophosphat auf die Milch-Xanthinoxydase wurde unter verschiedenen experimentellen Bedingungen untersucht. Phosphat hemmt einerseits die Ubertragung des mobilisierten Wasserstoffes auf 2,6-Dichlorophenol-indophenol mit frischen Enzym-Praparaten und aktiviert andrerseits die Akzeptorfunktion des Sauerstoffes bei gealterten, oder anderweitig inaktivierten Praparaten.
Manufacturing Plant Closure Selections within Firms

Abstract This research focuses on the influence of location on the decision to close a manufacturing facility. Case studies of closures in the Cincinnati region, 1980–88, reveal that most closures are little affected directly by location, with corporate difficulties and plant characteristics being more significant. Approximately two-thirds of the closures were forced on the firm by severely inadequate profits. Analyses of selective closures within multiplant firms show that the most vulnerable are inappropriately sized and less technologically sophisticated plants. Regional variables such as taxes, business climate, and declines in local market demand or access to supplies are not often important. Relative location within the firm or within the metropolitan area also are not significant. The one regional exception is labor; plants deemed to be in areas of poorer labor relations and/or higher labor costs are more likely to be selected for closure. The appropriate locational model for plant closure is not t...
The Surface of Mars

Surface features revealed by the Viking Orbiter were 10 times smaller than those recorded by Mariner 9, 30 times smaller than those features seen from Mariners 6 and 7, 300 times smaller than those features in Mariner 4 images, and 15,000 times smaller than our best pre-1964 earth-based views. The book about Mars had to be rewritten following each increase in resolution. Mutch et al. (The Geology of Mars, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J., 1976) and W. K. Hartmann and O. Raper (The New Mars, NASA Spec. Publ. 337, 1974) provided us rewrites following Mariner 9. Carr provides us a comprehensive rewrite following the historic Viking missions.
Postnatal stress selectively upregulates striatal N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors in male rats

Early life events have been thought to contribute towards vulnerability to drug addiction later in life. In the present investigation, the effect of daily neonatal maternal isolation stress on NMDA channel activity was studied. [3H]MK-801 binding was measured in several brain regions from neonatally isolated (ISO) and nonhandled (NH) adult male and female rats. Maximal [3H]MK-801 binding in the caudate-putamen of male ISO rats was 58% higher compared to same sex NH rats. Unlike male rats, maximal [3H]MK-801 binding in the caudate-putamen of female ISO rats was lower than female NH rats. No other brain region showed any significant difference in maximal [3H]MK-801 binding between ISO and NH male and female rats, respectively. There was no effect of pup isolation on the binding affinity (K(d) value) in either sex. Repeated maternal isolation is associated with alterations in the NMDA channel activity in the caudate-putamen of adult rats, and may be responsible for the augmentation in the addictive behavior reported.
Maternal death associated with sickle cell trait.

Abstract A case report is presented of a patient with sickle cell trait who died an abrupt intrapartum death precipitated by probable peripartal cardiomyopathy and apparently aggravated by intravascular sickling. Notable autopsy findings included massive sicklemia in all organ systems.
Differential mRNA expression in circulating γδ T lymphocyte subsets defines unique tissue-specific functions

To elucidate the functions of circulating gammadelta T cells, in the absence of antigen stimulation, the differential gene expression of two circulating gammadelta T cell subsets was analyzed. The two subsets, with distinct trafficking phenotypes in young calves, were GD3.5(+), CD8(-), WC1(+) or GD3.5(-), CD2(+), WC1(-), and 90-100% CD8(+) and were sorted based on GD3.5 and gammadelta T cell receptor expression. Results from two different human arrays probed with cDNA from these gammadelta T cell subsets indicated that they have markedly different tissue-specific functions. The genes preferentially expressed by GD3.5(+) (CD8(-)) gammadelta T cells demonstrated that they were highly activated, proliferative, and inflammatory, whereas those expressed by GD3.5(-) (primarily CD8(+)) gammadelta T cells were involved in promoting quiescence, consistent with a role for gammadelta T cells as sentinel mucosal cells, and several were interferon-regulated genes. Gene expression and phenotypic assays indicated that CD8(+) gammadelta T cells were apoptotic, whereas CD8(-) gammadelta T cells were apoptosis-resistant. Differential expression of multiple genes was confirmed in both arrays: That of 14 genes was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and that of seven proteins was confirmed by flow cytometry. This novel, genomic analysis of circulating gammadelta T cell subsets, without confounding effects of the tissue microenvironment, offers new insight into the biology and development of neonatal gammadelta T cells.
Holeburning in rare earth doped nanoparticles of MgS

Abstract In this paper we report the optical holeburning in nanoparticles of Eu-doped in MgS. In the form of microparticles and thin films MgS:Eu is known to have very favorable characteristics for spectral holeburning-based memories. Nanoparticles of MgS:Eu have been produced by quench condensing the laser ablated vapors from a solid target. The pressure of the ambient gas in the chamber has been used to control the size of particles. Our experiments produced particles as small as 3 nm in diameter. Results are presented on holeburning characteristics of nanoparticles, especially, their thermal behavior. These results are discussed with reference to rare earth based high-density memories.
Volume change and the nonlinearly thermo‐viscoelastic constitution of polymers

The time-dependent behavior of linearly viscoelastic materials is known to be very sensitive to changes in temperature and in solvent (water) concentration. Following an investigation by the authors of this sensitivity in terms of the associated small volume changes, a nonlinearly viscoelastic model of constitutive behavior was formulated earlier in terms of the free volume concept and evaluated in terms of experiments on poly(vinyl acetate). Following a brief presentation of the earlier results these concepts are expanded and refined in the present paper to deal with transient deformation histories under pressure. In this connection, model computations explore the effect of simultaneous pressurization and straining. In addition the effect of “ageing” the polymer under pressures of various magnitudes and for different lengths of time are investigated. It becomes clear that the yield phenomenon depends sensitively on pressure and on the ageing time. In addition, the volume change under transient thermal histories in the glass transition range is explored, largely in terms of Kovacs' experimental data and attendant computations. These considerations are presented from a unified point of view of nonlinear thermoviscoelastic constitutive behavior, principally with phenomenological material description in mind. These computations provide guidance to the design of experiments for the proper determination of the relevant material functions and seem to indicate a need for the reevaluation of certain experimental procedures in the time histories of thermal material characterization.
The Digital Economy: Promise and Peril in the Age of Networked Intelligence

The article reviews the book ‘The Digital Economy: Promise and Peril in the Age of Networked Intelligence,’ by Don Tapscott.
Spiders at the cocktail party: An ancestral threat that surmounts inattentional blindness.

Abstract The human visual system may retain ancestral mechanisms uniquely dedicated to the rapid detection of immediate and specific threats (e.g. spiders and snakes) that persistently recurred throughout evolutionary time. We hypothesized that one such ancestral hazard, spiders, should be inherently prioritized for visual attention and awareness irrespective of their visual or personal salience. This hypothesis was tested using the inattentional blindness paradigm in which an unexpected and peripheral stimulus is presented coincidentally with a central task-relevant display. Despite their highly marginalized presentation, iconic spiders were nonetheless detected, localized, and identified by a very large proportion of observers. Observers were considerably less likely to perceive 1) different configurations of the same visual features which diverged from a spider prototype, or "template", 2) a modern threatening stimulus (hypodermic needle) comparable in emotional salience, or 3) a different fear-irrelevant animal (housefly). Spiders may be one of a very few evolutionarily-persistent threats that are inherently specified for visual detection and uniquely "prepared" to capture attention and awareness irrespective of any foreknowledge, personal importance, or task-relevance.
Microenvironments of pH in biofilms grown on dissolving silicate surfaces

Differences in pH between silicate–biofilm interfaces and bulk medium (ΔpH=pHinterface−pHbulk) were detectable with commercial microelectrodes in cultures grown in unbuffered medium (|ΔpH|=0.27–1.08) for an arthrobacter species, but were generally beneath detection (ΔpH<0.04) for a streptomyces species. Biofilm half-thicknesses developed by Arthrobacter ranged from 1.2 to 11.5 mm, and were highly variable even for replicates. In buffered medium, neither bacterium produced a measurable ΔpH across the biofilms grown on silicates. The silicates consisted of polished hornblende, synthetic Fe-rich glass similar to hornblende in bulk composition, and two commercially available “float glasses,” one low-Fe and one high-Fe. The two species of soil bacteria investigated are both known to accelerate release of Fe from hornblende. For the Arthrobacter, values of |ΔpH| developed on hornblende crystal or glass substrates were generally larger than those developed on either float glass. Differences in ΔpH developed on different substrates could not be related simply to relative rates of dissolution of substrates. Differences between the two bacterial species are probably related to differences in (1) rates of growth, (2) production of low-molecular-weight organic acids, (3) physical characteristics of polysaccharide slimes excreted and/or (4) production of siderophores. Although values of |ΔpH| developed at mineral–water interfaces in natural systems may not be as large as those measured here except for water-saturated systems, it is probable that significant values of ΔpH (≤pH unit) develop where fast-growing, acid-producing microbes colonize slow-dissolving phases in the presence of unbuffered solutions.
Booming territory size and mating success of the greater prairie chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus)

Summary Greater prairie chickens are social birds in which males gather and perform a group display on a mating area during the spring. On these mating areas (booming grounds) male birds establish territories. This study was initiated to determine the relationship between booming territory size and mating success of individual birds. Observations were made during fifty-three mornings at one booming ground in northeastern Kansas during 1964 and 1965. Exact locations for eight tagged males were determined at 15 min intervals during the period of study. From these location data, territories were determined for each marked male with concentric rings drawn to delineate areas of more intensive bird activity. Sixty-nine copulations were tabulated as a measure of mating success. Two males, both of which controlled large booming ground territories, accounted for 72·5 per cent of the matings observed during this study period. The size of the inner portion of the territory and the total territory size appear to be directly related to mating success in booming populations of greater prairie chickens.
Efficient compilation of CUDA kernels for high-performance computing on FPGAs

The rise of multicore architectures across all computing domains has opened the door to heterogeneous multiprocessors, where processors of different compute characteristics can be combined to effectively boost the performance per watt of different application kernels. GPUs, in particular, are becoming very popular for speeding up compute-intensive kernels of scientific, imaging, and simulation applications. New programming models that facilitate parallel processing on heterogeneous systems containing GPUs are spreading rapidly in the computing community. By leveraging these investments, the developers of other accelerators have an opportunity to significantly reduce the programming effort by supporting those accelerator models already gaining popularity. In this work, we adapt one such language, the CUDA programming model, into a new FPGA design flow called FCUDA, which efficiently maps the coarse- and fine-grained parallelism exposed in CUDA onto the reconfigurable fabric. Our CUDA-to-FPGA flow employs AutoPilot, an advanced high-level synthesis tool (available from Xilinx) which enables high-abstraction FPGA programming. FCUDA is based on a source-to-source compilation that transforms the SIMT (Single Instruction, Multiple Thread) CUDA code into task-level parallel C code for AutoPilot. We describe the details of our CUDA-to-FPGA flow and demonstrate the highly competitive performance of the resulting customized FPGA multicore accelerators. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first CUDA-to-FPGA flow to demonstrate the applicability and potential advantage of using the CUDA programming model for high-performance computing in FPGAs.
Expression of T Cell Antigen Receptor Heterodimers in a Lipid-Linked Form

The interaction of the T cell receptor for antigen (TCR) with its antigen-major histocompatibility complex ligand is difficult to study because both are cell surface multimers. The TCR consists of two chains (alpha and beta) that are complexed to the five or more nonpolymorphic CD3 polypeptides. A soluble form of the TCR was engineered by replacing the carboxyl termini of alpha and beta with signal sequences from lipid-linked proteins, making them susceptible to enzymatic cleavage. In this manner, TCR heterodimers can be expressed independently of the CD3 polypeptides and in significant quantities (0.5 milligram per week). This technique seems generalizable to biochemical and structural studies of many other cell surface molecules as well.
Back to the future with oral snuff

. The modern cigarette was introduced at the turn of the century and, in the absence of scientific evidence showing it to be harmful, it was exempt from virtually all health and safety laws that have been passed since that time. Laws and voluntary codes have been adopted in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) that restrict the advertising of tobacco products. Tobacco manufacturers have used the regulatory exemptions to introduce new or modified tobacco products when consumers became concerned about the safety of existing ones. This strategy has allowed manufacturers to maintain existing demand for tobacco products and create new demand among young people. The UK decision to ban oral snuff is a historic step and will deny tobacco companies the ability to create new demand for a harmful substance among children.
Soil hydraulic properties of cropland compared with reestablished and native grassland

Conversion of cropland to perennial grasses will, over time, produce changes in soil hydraulic properties. The objective of this study was to characterize and compare hydraulic properties of fine-textured soils on adjacent native grassland, recently tilled cropland, and reestablished grassland in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) at three locations in the Southern Great Plains. A tension infiltrometer was used to measure unconfined, unsaturated infiltration over a range of supply pressure heads (nominally, h=−150, −100, −50, and −5 mm H2O) at the soil surface. Intact soil cores were sampled within the Ap and Bt horizons to determine bulk density and water desorption curves, θ(h), at potentials ranging from −0.15 to −100 kPa. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity K(h) over the range in supply pressure heads was estimated using Wooding's equation for steady-state flow from a disc source. The van Genuchten water retention model was fitted to θ(h) data to estimate parameter values. Soils in CRP had greater surface bulk densities than their grassland and cropland counterparts. The shape of the soil water retention curve for grassland and CRP land were similar, suggesting that converted croplands had fully reconsolidated. Mean near-saturated hydraulic conductivities of cropland at h=−5 mm were not significantly different from grassland. However, at −150 mm supply pressure head, cropped soils had a mean unsaturated conductivity 2.3 and 4.1 times greater than CRP land and grassland, respectively. Sites in CRP had the lowest (P<0.05) near-saturated hydraulic conductivities (h=−5 mm), which suggest that after 10 years, grasses had not fully ameliorated changes in pore structure caused by tillage. Comparison of unsaturated conductivities for grassland and CRP land suggest that long-term structural development on native grasslands was principally confined to effective pore radii greater than 300 μm. Land use practices had a greater effect on water movement than did soil series, indicating that the modifying effects of tillage, reconsolidation, and pore structure evolution on hydraulic properties are important processes governing water movement in these fine-textured soils.
Immunome-derived vaccines

Immune response to a subset of antigens and epitopes derived from an infectious pathogen may be sufficient for competent protection; immune recognition of every potential epitope derived from the pathogen's genome does not appear to be required. The pneumococcal and hepatitis vaccines, both of which are subunit vaccines, illustrate this premise. Similarly, 'immunome-derived vaccines' are based on the concept that response to the subset of antigens and epitopes that interface with the host immune system (the immunome) and not the whole organism (represented by the proteome or genome) can be sufficient for protection. Competent immune responses to cancer are also probably restricted to the neoplasm's 'immunome', although the set of antigens that drive successful immune response to cancer cells has proven more difficult to uncover. Researchers are now using bioinformatics sequence analysis tools, epitope mapping tools, microarrays and high-throughput immunology assays to discover the components of the immunome, which are then used to compose these new vaccines. At least one immunome-derived vaccine is in clinical trials and many others are in the vaccine pipeline. Due to the rapid improvement of immunoinformatics tools and immunological assays, the era of immunome-derived vaccines has begun.
A new variant of the A*-algorithm which closes a node at most once

We describe a new variant of the well-known A*-algorithm which computes a shortest path from a start-nodes to a goal-nodeg in a state-graph. Two important features of the new algorithm are: (1) It closes a node only when a shortest path to that node is found; in particular, a node is closed at most once. (2) It combines an under-estimator together with an over-estimator to improve the efficiency of the search. IfΩ K is the set of nodes closed by the new algorithm, then $$\Omega _ * \subseteq \Omega _K \subseteq \Omega _D $$ , whereΩ * andΩ D are the sets of nodes closed by the A*-algorithm and Dijkstra's shortest-path algorithm, respectively. The new algorithm can be considered to be a generalization of the A*-algorithm in that it coincides with the A*-algorithm when the under-estimator satisfies the triangle inequality.
A new method for computing polynomial greatest common divisors and polynomial remainder sequences

A new method is presented for the computation of a greatest common divisor (gcd) of two polynomials, along with their polynomial remainder sequence (prs). This method is based on our generalization of a theorem by Van Vleck [12] and uniformly treats both normal and abnormal prs's, making use of Bareiss's [3] integer-preserving transformation algorithm for Gaussian elimination. Moreover, for the polynomials of the prs's, this method provides the smallest coefficients that can be expected without coefficient ged computations (as in Bareiss [3]) and it clearly demonstrates the divisibility properties; hence, it combines the best of both the reduced and the subresultant prs algorithms.
Identification of the binding site of two monoclonal antibodies to human protamine

Abstract We have previously developed a number of monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) that bind to protamine. One of these antibodies, Hup1N, binds to human protamine 1 but not to protamine 2. In contrast, Mab HupA binds both protamine 1 and protamine 2. The epitopes for these two Mabs were observed to overlap, and were localized to the evolutionarily conservative ammo-terminal region of protamine 1. This assignment is based ob antibody binding to protamine from different species in which the protamine sequence is known, as well as analysis of antibody binding to synthetic peptides and synthetic peptides with specific amino acid substitutions.
Transfection of heteroduplexes containing uracil.guanine or thymine.guanine mispairs into plant cells.

We have compared the fate of U · G mispairs or analogous T · G mispairs in DNA heteroduplexes transfected into tobacco protoplasts. The heteroduplex DNA consisted of tomato golden mosaic virus DNA sequences in theEscherichia coli vectors pUC118 or pUC119. After transfection, the mismatched U residues were lost with an efficiency of greater than 95%, probably as a result of the uracil-DNA glycosylase pathway for excision of U residues in any sequence context. In contrast to the preferential removal of the mispaired U residues, biased removal of T residues from analogous heteroduplexes was not seen in the transfected plant cells. Also, we investigated the effect of extensively methylating one strand of the heteroduplex DNA used for transfection. Surprisingly, such methylation resulted in highly biased loss of the mismatched base from the 5-methylcytosine-rich strand of T · G-containing heteroduplexes.
Three-dimensional, six-degrees-of-freedom kinematics of the human hindfoot during the stance phase of level walking

Abstract The goal of this study was to develop a technique to measure the unconstrained, six-degrees-of-freedom motion of the hindfoot during level walking and to apply this technique to characterize this motion in a young healthy population. The motion was described using a joint coordinate system which provided a description of motion in terms of three angular displacements and three linear displacements. The accuracy of the technique was first determined using a six-degrees-of-freedom linkage. The motion of the hindfoot was then measured during level walking on ten young healthy volunteers. For this purpose, a motion analysis system was used to record the motion of eight reflective skin markers attached over bony landmarks on the tibia-fibula and calcaneus. The results indicate that the baseline accuracy of the technique (not including skin motion) was 1 degree for rotations and 1.4 mm for translations. From the gait data it was concluded that the patterns of hindfoot motion are similar amongst individuals in some joint parameters but not in others. Specifically, dorsiflexion/plantarflexion had a very consistent pattern, followed by inversion/eversion and to a lesser extent by compression/distraction. The other parameters (axial rotation, anterior/posterior displacement and medial/lateral displacement) demonstrated a highly variable pattern amongst the individuals tested. In terms of the range of motion of the six joint parameters it was found that angular excursions were smaller than 20 ° and that linear displacements in both anterior/posterior direction and medial/lateral direction was smaller than 3.5 mm.
Pulmonary Delivery of Deslorelin: Large-Porous PLGA Particles and HPβCD Complexes

Purpose. To compare the systemic delivery of deslorelin following intratracheal administration of different deslorelin formulations. The formulations included dry powders of deslorelin, large-porous deslorelin-poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) particles, and small conventional deslorelin-PLGA particles. Also, solution formulations of deslorelin and deslorelin-hydroxy-propyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) complexes were tested.
Transient stability criteria

A survey of the criteria of stability used in the power system transient stability problem is made. The status of progress in the use of these methods is given, and the areas of difficulty are outlined.
Flavor, Viscosity, and Color Analyses of Hot and Cold Break Tomato Juices

ABSTRACT: Two methods are used commercially to produce tomato juice: hot break and cold break. Tomatoes were chopped and allowed to sit for various time intervals to simulate the cold break process. Zero was hot break, and 2 to 24 min represented cold break. Sensory, volatile, color, and viscosity analyses were conducted to determine which hold time produced the optimum juice. Sensory panelists rated 15 min cold break most fresh and liked over hot break. Lipoxygenase-initiated volatiles increased from hot to cold break. No overall color difference was found between hold times. Viscosity decreased from hot to cold break. The cold break process can be used to produce a premium flavored tomato juice.
STEROL CONTENT OF SEAFOOD AS A FUNCTION OF ANALYTICAL METHOD

The sterol content of a variety of seafoods was determined by an acid-ferric chloride method. Digitonides prepared from sterol obtained either after direct chloroform-methanol extraction or after saponification followed by petroleum ether extraction were used. The yield of sterol from haddock and oyster was greater in saponified samples. To assay total sterol, steryl digitonides prepared from saponified samples were assayed using an anthrone reagent which is specific for the carbohydrate moiety of digitonin. Results of this assay were compared with those obtained by the acid-ferric chloride method, whose chromogen is measured at the maximum wavelength for cholesterol and not all sterols give color maxima at this wavelength. Differences in sterol content obtained by the two methods may be attributed to the presence of sterols other than cholesterol. The use of anthrone reagent to assay seafood steryl digitonides may help to eliminate the variability in seafood sterol content reported in the literature.
The effect of provider-level ascertainment bias on profiling nursing homes

Profiling health care providers for the purpose of public reporting and quality improvement has become commonplace. Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began publishing measures of quality for every Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country. The facility-specific quality indicators (QIs) reported by CMS are based on quarterly measures from the minimum data set (MDS). However, some QIs from the MDS are potentially subject to ascertainment bias. Ascertainment bias would occur if there was variation in the way items that make up QIs are measured by nurses from each facility. This is potentially a problem for difficult-to-measure items such as pain and pressure ulcers. To assess the impact of ascertainment bias on profiling, we utilize data from a reliability study of nursing homes from six states. We develop methods for profiling providers in situations where the data consist of a response variable for each subject based on assessments from an internal rater, and, for a subset of subjects in each facility, a response variable based on assessments from an independent (external) rater. The internal assessments are potentially subject to provider-level ascertainment bias, whereas the independent assessments are considered the 'gold standard'. Our methods extend popular Bayesian approaches for profiling by using the paired observations from the subset of subjects with error-prone and error-free assessments to adjust for ascertainment bias. We apply the methods to MDS merged with the reliability data, and compare the bias-corrected profiles with those of standard approaches.
Electrochemical aspects of stress-corrosion cracking of sensitised stainless steels

Abstract The intergranular stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) of sensitised Type 304 stainless steel has been studied using sodium thiosulphate solutions at room temperature. Electrochemical aspects of the cracking have been examined using a potentiostatic scratching electrode technique applied to simulated grain boundary alloys. These results are compared with the current transients observed after intergranular fracture of embrittled specimens under the electrolyte. Dissolution kinetics within actual propagating cracks have been examined using load modulation. Rapid intergranular failure in a thiosulphate solution can be induced by successive load pulses of extremely short duration. Difficulties in accounting for the SCC velocities by an electrochemical mechanism are discussed.
Identification of an essential cis-acting element (TR2-PACE) in the 5' promoter of human TR2 orphan receptor gene.

The human TR2 orphan receptor (TR2) is a member of the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily. It has been shown to be expressed in a wide variety of tissues during development. Using deletion mutation analyses and transient transfection CAT assays, we demonstrated here that a DNA fragment of 103 bp, with a sequence from +65 to −38, containing an initiator is capable of serving as a core promoter to initiate basal level transcription; further extending of this core promoter sequence up to −441 maximizes the reporter gene expression. Within this positive regulatory region (−441/+65), we were able to narrow the regulation-responsible sequence down to a small 64-bp (−263/−201) DNA fragment named the TR2 promoter activating cis-element (TR2-PACE). Further deletion mutagenesis and shifting of the insert position followed by reporter assays demonstrated that this TR2-PACE is essential for high-level induction of a heterologous core promoter’s activity in a position-dependent nature. In addition, orientation tests indicated that the sense, but not antisense orientation increased the TR2 core promoter activity. Moreover, electrophoresis mobility shift assays and Southwestern analyses suggested that TR2-PACE may interact with unknown specific nuclear proteins for its enhancer activity. Together, our data suggest that TR2-PACE is a position-dependent and, in the case of TR2 core promoter (TATA-less), an orientation-dependent cis-activating element required for maximal expression of the TR2 gene.
A potential compensatory role for endogenous striatal tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in a nonhuman primate model of Parkinson's disease.

The possibility of enhancing endogenous brain repair following neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), is of considerable recent interest. One such mechanism may exist in the striatum as an upregulated population of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive neurons that appear after 1-methyl-4-phenyl1,2,3,6-tetra-hydropyridine (MPTP) lesions in nonhuman primates as well as in humans with PD. An intriguing possibility is that these endogenous neurons reflect a compensatory mechanism to mitigate the loss of striatal DA due to progressive destruction of the nigrostriatal pathway. The possibility of enhancing the number and function of this population is attractive; however, it is crucial to gain further information about these cells in order to comprehend more fully their possible therapeutic potential. The current research was designed to investigate the fate of this endogenous population in African green monkeys rendered parkinsonian by MPTP lesions. Specifically, we assessed changes in the numbers of striatal neurons expressing TH at differing stages of the toxin-induced behavioral disability and discovered a close relationship with symptom severity and striatal DA neuron numbers. Increased numbers of striatal TH-positive neurons were associated with MPTP treatment that produced parkinsonian symptoms compared to numbers of these neurons in MPTP-treated asymptomatic animals and untreated controls. Expression of striatal DA neurons peaked at the manifestation of symptoms in mild/moderate animals and remained stable in animals that were severely parkinsonian. Furthermore, in severely debilitated animals that improved after fetal dopaminergic grafts, we discovered a return to control levels of the endogenous population. Taken together, our results further support the concept that this population of DA neurons responds to variations in striatal DA tone and may serve as a compensatory mechanism to restore striatal DA levels in the context of significant depletion. Artificially manipulating this endogenous population could prove beneficial for PD treatment, especially for individuals in early disease stages.
Combined modality treatment of resectable and borderline resectable pancreas cancer: expert consensus statement.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA; Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York; Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Pancreaticobiliary Cancer, Digestive Diseases Institute, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA; Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX