cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of serotonergic drugs to treat obesity - Is there any hope?

Surgical interventional strategies for the treatment of obesity are being implemented at an increasing rate. The safety and feasibility of these procedures are questionable for most overweight or obese individuals. The use of long-term pharmacotherapy options, on the other hand, can target a greater portion of the obese population and provide early intervention to help individuals maintain a healthy lifestyle to promote weight loss. Medications that act on the central serotonergic pathways have been a relative mainstay for the treatment of obesity for the last 35 years. The clinical efficacy of these drugs, however, has been encumbered by the potential for drug-associated complications. Two drugs that act, albeit by different mechanisms, on the central serotonergic system to reduce food intake and decrease body weight are sibutramine and lorcaserin. Sibutramine is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, whereas lorcaserin is a selective 5HT(2C) receptor agonist. The recent worldwide withdrawal of sibutramine and FDA rejection of lorcaserin has changed the landscape not only for serotonin-based therapeutics specifically, but for obesity pharmacotherapy in general. The purpose of this review is to focus on the importance of the serotonergic system in the control of feeding and its potential as a target for obesity pharmacotherapy. Advances in refining and screening more selective receptor agonists and a better understanding of the potential off-target effects of serotonergic drugs are needed to produce beneficial pharmacotherapy.
Thyroxine‐Induced Changes in the Development of Neutral α‐Amino Acid Transport Systems of Rat Brain

Transport of representative neutral alpha-amino acids was measured in brain slices after injecting thyroxine into donor rats of various ages from 1 to 23 days old. The hormone did not alter uptake in slices from 1-day-old rats even when treatment was begun on pregnant rats as much as 10 days before delivery. Injecting thyroxine until age 6 days, however, decreased the activity of transport system A (the major sodium-dependent system in most mammalian cells) and caused appearance of a new transport system used by the model amino acids, 2-aminoisobutyric acid and 2-(methylamino)isobutyric acid. Uptake at 6 days was similar to that found in slices from older, untreated rats (e.g., those 14 days old). These results strongly suggest that one action of thyroxine is to accelerate the development of neutral alpha-amino acid transport systems of brain over the first six days after birth. Thyroxine treatment of rats from birth to age 14 days also appears to increase the activities of both system A and the second transport system used by the two model amino acids in brains from 14-day-old rats.
Quantum transport in a single layered structure for impurity scattering

In this letter we present results for the mobility of electrons confined in a layered structure when the scattering of the confined carriers is dominated by ionized impurity scattering. In the size quantum limit, the mobility is found to decrease with the layer thickness in contrast to the situation where acoustic phonon scattering is dominant. In the latter case, the mobility is found to increase with the layer thickness. We have considered the effects of both background and remote impurities on the mobility of the confined carriers. The results which we have obtained are considerably different from those currently available in the literature.
Notification and multicast networks for synchronization and coherence

Abstract This paper presents two different multistage interconnection network designs for shared-memory multiprocessors that provide unrestricted multicast and notification capabilities. The networks allow efficient synchronization and communication because they conserve network bandwidth by eliminating polling and by performing multicast to multiple recipient processors, as opposed to broadcast or individual messages per recipient processor. Simulation results show that the use of these networks not only decreases synchronization overhead, but also increases network performance for nonsynchronization traffic. The hardware complexity of these schemes is reasonable, making them practical for real systems. Their use in supporting efficient directory-based update or invalidate cache coherence is also discussed.
Development of grafts from mouse embryos to the wing bud of the chick embryo

Abstract The apical zone of embryonic mouse limb buds when transplanted to the dorsal surface of 3-day chick wing buds develops into well-formed toes. These are about the size of normal mouse toes of the same chronological age and are small in proportion to 10–15 day chick host wings. Chick cartilage and connective tissue are included in the proximal part of the toes. Mesoderm from young mouse limb buds (equivalent to chick wing buds of stages 18–24) when inserted between the ectodermal ridge and apical mesoderm of chick wing buds remains in the apex of the outgrowing bud, grows rapidly, and differentiates into cartilages and other connective tissues associated with the digital structures of the host manus. The location, size, and number of elements, and occasional toelike outgrowths, indicate that the mouse implants differentiate as toes. Mesoderm from older mouse limbs or from the maxillary process when similarly implanted in the chick wing bud interferes with distal elongation of the host bud. Mitotic activity occurs in the implant, but the amount of growth is markedly less than that observed when limb bud mesoderm is implanted. These observations demonstrate that grafts from mouse embryos to the chick wing bud develop in the same manner as corresponding grafts from various regions of chick embryos, and exhibit the same sharp distinction between the behavior of limb bud mesoderm and other mesoderm. Mouse limb bud development thus requires the same interaction between the ectodermal apical ridge and the limb bud mesoderm that occurs in the chick. The increased size which results from growth in the implanted mouse mesoderm can be observed directly during the limb bud stages. The finding that a large increase occurs without intermingling of chick cells with the mouse cells demonstrates that migration from proximal levels is not a necessary factor in distal elongation.
An online learning approach for trend recognition

This work assesses the performance of the Gradient Descent and Exponentiated Gradient online learning algorithms on the Wikipedia Page Traffic Statistics Dataset. The two algorithms are trained to predict future Wikipedia page traffic during a 7-month period. Predictions are a weighted combination of feature attributes, which are various measurements of page traffic change. The algorithms improve their predictions as they learn patterns from the data sequence by updating a weight distribution over the features. Cumulative loss for predictions during the 7-month sequence is used as an evaluation metric. The cumulative loss measurements demonstrate that the Exponentiated Gradient algorithm predicts future Wikipedia page traffic more accurately Gradient Descent does with the computed features. The cumulative loss measurements also suggest that the Exponentiated Gradient algorithm becomes less confused than the Gradient Descent algorithm becomes when irrelevant features are present among relevant features.
Mammography in developing countries: the risks associated with globalizing the experiences of the Western world.

Mammography in developing countries: the risks associated with globalizing the experiences of the Western world
Mitochondrial Superoxide Dismutase SOD2, but not Cytosolic SOD1, Plays a Critical Role in Protection against Glutamate-Induced Oxidative Stress and Cell Death in HT22 Neuronal Cells

Oxidative cell death is an important contributing factor in neurodegenerative diseases. Using HT22 mouse hippocampal neuronal cells as a model, we sought to demonstrate that mitochondria are crucial early targets of glutamate-induced oxidative cell death. We show that when HT22 cells were transfected with shRNA for knockdown of the mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2), these cells became more susceptible to glutamate-induced oxidative cell death. The increased susceptibility was accompanied by increased accumulation of mitochondrial superoxide and loss of normal mitochondrial morphology and function at early time points after glutamate exposure. However, overexpression of SOD2 in these cells reduced the mitochondrial superoxide level, protected mitochondrial morphology and functions, and provided resistance against glutamate-induced oxidative cytotoxicity. The change in the sensitivity of these SOD2-altered HT22 cells was neurotoxicant-specific, because the cytotoxicity of hydrogen peroxide was not altered in these cells. In addition, selective knockdown of the cytosolic SOD1 in cultured HT22 cells did not appreciably alter their susceptibility to either glutamate or hydrogen peroxide. These findings show that the mitochondrial SOD2 plays a critical role in protecting neuronal cells from glutamate-induced oxidative stress and cytotoxicity. These data also indicate that mitochondria are important early targets of glutamate-induced oxidative neurotoxicity.
Ezrin, radixin, and moesin are components of Schwann cell microvilli.

Ezrin, radixin, and moesin (ERM proteins), as well as the neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) tumor suppressor merlin/ schwannomin, all belong to the protein 4.1 family, yet only merlin is a tumor suppressor in Schwann cells. To gain insight into the possible functions of ERM proteins in Schwann cells, we examined their localization in peripheral nerve, because we have previously shown that merlin is found in paranodes and in Schmidt-Lanterman incisures. All three ERM proteins were highly expressed in the microvilli of myelinating Schwann cells that surround the nodal axolemma as well as in incisures and cytoplasmic puncta in the vicinity of the node. In all of these locations, ERM proteins were colocalized with actin filaments. In contrast, ERM proteins did not surround nodes in the CNS. The colocalization of ERM proteins with actin indicates that they have functions different from those of merlin in myelinating Schwann cells. J. Neurosci. Res. 65:150 ‐164, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Long-term radiation of bone following administration of C14-bicarbonate.

SummaryStudies have been carried out on retention of C14 from labeled bicarbonate in the bones of mice. A single dose of 100 μc per mouse (a 280 millicurie man-equivalent) provided daily radiation of the most active areas of the long bones of above 0.05 rep/ day for a period of approximately one year.
Spinal Aspergillus Osteomyelitis

Aspergillus species are uncommon etiologic agents of vertebral osteomyelitis. We describe two patients with lumbar vertebral aspergillosis precipitated by the use of corticosteroids and review 39 cases in the literature. The mean age of the population was 40.04 years. There was male predominance (78% of cases), mainly lumbar involvement (53.7%), and monomicrobial nature of infection; 65.8% of the patients had predisposing factors, while 34.1% had none. Back pain (53.6% of cases) was the predominant symptom, while neurological deficits were present in 29.2% of the patients. White blood cell counts were elevated in 12.2% of the patients, and erythrocyte sedimentation rates were >40 mm/h in 39%. The overall recovery rate was 68.3%, and the mortality rate was 26.8%. Although aspergillus osteomyelitis is primarily treated medically, certain cases may require surgical intervention.
WE-C-103-04: The Optimization of CT Protocols Using Plots of CTDIvol and of Max and Min MA Versus Patient Size for Actual Clinical Scans Using Automatic Exposure Control (AEC)

Purpose: To determine the usefulness of the knowledge of CTDIvol and mA variations as a function of patient size for optimizing scan parameters in CT imaging using AEC. Methods: Data was collected from actual patient scans for a number of different CT protocols such as standard chest, body, head, vascular imaging, and pediatric body. A GE LightSpeed VCT scanner was used in Smart mA mode in which the user can select the Noise Index, and the maximum and minimum mA allowed during mA modulation. For each different protocol the CTDIvol, minimum mA, maximum mA and patient size where determined for at least 40 patients, along with information on when the mA had reached its specified minimum or maximum value. Plots were made of the CTDIvol versus patient size and of the maximum and minimum mA versus patient size. Results: Initial results demonstrated a significant variation in CTDIvol over the range of adult patient sizes of more than a factor of ten for abdominal imaging. The observation that clinical scans frequently reached the minimum allowed mA indicated that reduction of the rotation time and lowering of the minimum mA parameter would allow lower patient dose and better operation of the AEC system. These results also led us to create separate protocols for small, medium, and large patients, each with a different optimized Noise Index, kV, rotation time, and mA range. These were created in consultation with our radiologists in determining the lowest dose that would provide a clinically acceptable image after the AEC was deemed to be operating optimally. Conclusion: The above analysis can provide significant help in improving CT protocols and lowering patient dose. The plots of CTDIvol versus patient size also helped to educate radiologists in the dose variations to be expected for a range of patient sizes. Equipment grant from GE healthcare.
Effect of Cetane Improver on Autoignition Characteristics of Low Cetane Sasol IPK Using Ignition Quality Tester

This paper investigates the effect of a cetane improver on the autoignition characteristics of Sasol IPK in the combustion chamber of the Ignition Quality Tester (IQT). The fuel tested was Sasol IPK with a Derived Cetane Number (DCN) of 31, treated with different percentages of Lubrizol 8090 cetane improver ranging from 0.1% to 0.4%. Tests were conducted under steady state conditions at a constant charging pressure of 21 bar. The charge air temperature before fuel injection varied from 778 to 848 K. Accordingly, all the tests were conducted under a constant charge density. The rate of heat release was calculated and analyzed in details, particularly during the autoignition period.In addition, the physical and chemical delay periods were determined by comparing the results of two tests. The first was conducted with fuel injection into air according to ASTM standards where combustion occurred. In the second test, the fuel was injected into the chamber charged with nitrogen. The physical delay is defined as the period of time from start of injection (SOI) to point of inflection (POI), and the chemical delay is defined as the period of time from POI to start of combustion (SOC). Both the physical and chemical delay periods were determined under different charge temperatures. The cetane improver was found to have an effect only on the chemical ID period. In addition, the effect of the cetane improver on the apparent activation energy of the global combustion reactions was determined. The results showed a linear drop in the apparent activation energy with the increase in the percentage of the cetane improver. Moreover, the low temperature (LT) regimes were investigated and found to be presented in base fuel, as well as cetane improver treated fuels.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Interneuronal transfer of axonally transported proteins: studies with HRP and HRP conjugates of wheat germ agglutinin, cholera toxin and the B subunit of cholera toxin ☆

Experiments in the visual system and the tongue-hypoglossal nucleus pathway of the rat with HRP and HRP conjugates of wheat germ agglutinin (WGHRP), cholera toxin (CTHRP) and the B subunit of cholera toxin (BHRP) were conducted to study the interneuronal transfer of proteins. Native HRP did not undergo such transfer. Intravitreal injections of WGHRP, CTHRP or BHRP all resulted in interneuronal transfer in the visual system, but there was no evidence for this in the tongue-hypoglossal nucleus pathway. Interneuronal transfer may: (1) require a ligand-cell surface interaction; and (2) occur only after the endocytosis and/or exocytosis of these conjugates at specific sites along the neuronal plasma membrane.
Autohesion of crosslinked polyethylene

Thin strips of crosslinked linear high-density polyethylene were melted and then crystallized in contact by cooling to room temperature. The work required to peel the strips apart by pulling one strip away from the other at 90° was found to be remarkably high, 5 to 30 kJ/m 2 , and in some cases the strips could not be separated in this way. However, adhesion measured in T-peeling was much lower, about one-tenth as large. Adhesion was also fairly small, 200 to 600 J/m 2 , using other test methods designed to minimize bending strains. Thus, most of the work of separation is normally expended in bending, probably in plastic yielding of the outer layers of bent strips. However, even when bending energy losses were minimized, the residual adhesion was much greater than expected for Van der Waals bonding ( about 0.05 J/m 2 ). Apparently, cocrystallization of molecular strands lying on either side of the interface greatly enhances the intrinsically low level of autohesion of amorphous polyethylene, probably by local yielding processes around the line of separation. Some effects of test temperature were also examined in T-peeling. Adhesion passed through a pronounced maximum at temperatures of 75-100°C before reducing to very low values in the melted state. This maximum was absent in tests with reduced bending. It is, therefore, attributed to extra work expended in plastic bending over a narrow range of temperature, probably due to a lower yield stress at these temperatures and not to an increase in the actual adhesion.
Dark mysteries of the Universe

Reviews of Dark Energy: Theory and Observations, by L. Amendola and S. Tsujikawa, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2010, xiv + 491 pp., £45.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-0-521-51600-6. Scope: monog...
Cognitive Conflict and Consensus Building in the National Estuary Program

The consensus-building processes that characterize many environmental partnerships are often thwarted by cognitive conflict, which occurs when stakeholders have conflicting beliefs about the parameters of environmental problems and institutional performance. The author argues cognitive conflict results from stakeholders behaving like intuitive lawyers, who interpret uncertain situations in ways consistent with their self-interest. The implications of this argument are tested using survey data from stakeholders in the Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary Program. The findings suggest cognitive conflict is a significant source of transaction costs for consensus-building processes, a barrier that should be directly addressed within partnership decision-making structures.
Differentiating benign from malignant lung lesions using "quantitative" parameters of FDG PET images.

Fluorine-18 labeled deoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET) applications in oncology include the differential diagnosis of chest masses and single pulmonary nodules. However, FDG is not tumor-specific; rather, it also accumulates in inflammatory processes. This study was performed to ide
High Expression of CAI2, a 9p21-Embedded Long Noncoding RNA, Contributes to Advanced-Stage Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is a pediatric cancer with significant genomic and biologic heterogeneity. p16 and ARF, two important tumor-suppressor genes on chromosome 9p21, are inactivated commonly in most cancers, but paradoxically overexpressed in neuroblastoma. Here, we report that exon γ in p16 is also part of an undescribed long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) that we have termed CAI2 (CDKN2A/ARF Intron 2 lncRNA). CAI2 is a single-exon gene with a poly A signal located in but independent of the p16/ARF exon 3. CAI2 is expressed at very low levels in normal tissue, but is highly expressed in most tumor cell lines with an intact 9p21 locus. Concordant expression of CAI2 with p16 and ARF in normal tissue along with the ability of CAI2 to induce p16 expression suggested that CAI2 may regulate p16 and/or ARF. In neuroblastoma cells transformed by serial passage in vitro, leading to more rapid proliferation, CAI2, p16, and ARF expression all increased dramatically. A similar relationship was also observed in primary neuroblastomas where CAI2 expression was significantly higher in advanced-stage neuroblastoma, independently of MYCN amplification. Consistent with its association with high-risk disease, CAI2 expression was also significantly associated with poor clinical outcomes, although this effect was reduced when adjusted for MYCN amplification. Taken together, our findings suggested that CAI2 contributes to the paradoxical overexpression of p16 in neuroblastoma, where CAI2 may offer a useful biomarker of high-risk disease.
The role of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in Alzheimer's disease.

Given the critical role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in regulating cellular processes that are affected in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the importance of MAPKs in disease pathogene
The preparation and characterization of mono- and binuclear cationic iron complexes of η2-cyclobutadiene

Abstract The preparation of the first η 2 -cyclobutadiene complexes is reported. Treatment of the 3-chlorocyclobutenyl complex Fp CHCHCHC HCl (Fpη 5 -C 5 H 5 (CO) 2 Fe) with Ag + generates the highly reactive η 2 -cyclobutadiene complex Fp(C 4 H 4 ) + , which was trapped by dienes to afford Diels-Alder adducts. The oxidation of Fp CHCHCHC HFp with Ph 3 C + or Ag + gave Fp 2 (C 4 H 4 ) 2+ which possesses a bridging cyclobutadiene ligand.
Simulataneous and independent versus antagonistic inhibition of muscle carbonic anhydrase (CA III) by acetazolamide and cyanate

Abstract The inhibition by cyanate and acetazolamide of pig muscle carbonic anhydrase III (CA III) CO 2 hydratase activity was studied in order to explore mechanistic features possibly unique to the muscle isoenzyme. The turnover number for CO 2 hydration was found to be 6000 sec −1 with a K m of 83 mM for CO 2 . Cyanate inhibition ( K i , 3 μM) and acetazolamide inhibition ( K i , 44 μM) were both found to be noncompetitive with respect to CO 2 . Significantly, acetazolamide and cyanate displayed non-exclusive binding to pig muscle carbonic anhydrase. The similarity of mode and degree of inhibition of muscle carbonic anhydrase by cyanate as compared with the inhibition of the erythrocyte isoenzymes suggests the existence of a similar metal environment. However, the observation that cyanate and acetazolamide bind simultaneously to CA III and the comparatively large K i for acetazolamide per se appear to be more compatible with a different mode of coordination of the zinc with the sulfonamide, thus supporting a five-coordinant zinc in the catalytic mechanism of CO 2 hydration for CA III.
Wireless personal communications: what is it?

This article attempts to identify different issues and to put many of the activities in wireless into a framework that can provide perspective on what is driving them, and perhaps even yield some indication of where they appear to be going in the future. The technologies and systems that are currently providing, or are proposed to provide, wireless communications services can be grouped into about seven relatively distinct groups. All of the technologies and systems are evolving as technology advances and perceived needs change. Some trends are becoming evident in the evolutions. The different groups and evolutionary trends are explored along with factors that influence the characteristics of members of the groups. The grouping is generally with respect to scale of mobility and communications applications or modes. Different design compromises are evident in the different technologies and systems. The evidence suggests that the evolutionary trajectories are aimed toward at least three large groups of applications or services, namely, high-tier PCS (current cellular radio), high-speed wireless local-area networks (WLANS), and low-tier PCS (an evolution from several of the current groups). It is not clear to what extent several groups, e.g., cordless telephones, paging, and wide area data, will remain after some merging with the three large groups. >
Design, Synthesis, Docking, and Biological Evaluation of Novel Diazide-containing Isoxazole- and Pyrazole-based Histone Deacetylase Probes

The design, synthesis, docking, and biological evaluation of novel potent HDAC3 and HDAC8 isoxazole- and pyrazole-based diazide probes suitable for Binding Ensemble Profiling with Photoaffinity Labeling (BEProFL) experiments in cells is described. Both the isoxazole- and pyrazole-based probes exhibit low nanomolar inhibitory activity against HDAC3 and HDAC8, respectively. The pyrazole-based probe 3f appears to be one of the most active HDAC8 inhibitors reported in the literature with an IC50 of 17 nM. Our docking studies suggest that unlike the isoxazole-based ligands the pyrazole-based ligands are flexible enough to occupy the second binding site of HDAC8. Probes/inhibitors 2b, 3a, 3c, and 3f exerted the anti-proliferative and neuroprotective activities at micromolar concentrations through inhibition of nuclear HDACs, indicating that they are cell permeable and the presence of an azide or a diazide group does not interfere with the neuroprotection properties, or enhance cellular cytotoxicity, or affect cell permeability.
Illuminating the calcium sensor for exocytosis in a flash

A new paper quantifies the dependence of synaptic transmission on transient local changes in internal calcium, examining the equilibrium dynamics of the calcium sensor for exocytosis and its contribution to short-term changes in synaptic strength.
Spatio-temporal changes of benthic macroinvertebrates in a cold Arkansas tailwater

This paper investigates spatial, seasonal and long-term changes in benthic macroinvertebrates in riffles of a cold tailwater. Cold tailwaters initially disrupt previously existing macroinvertebrate assemblages, but little is known about the long-term biological effects of a stable cold thermal regime. Assemblages at an upstream and downstream site of the Little Red River, Arkansas were investigated almost 30 years apart (1971 and 1999). Based upon published literature demonstrating the stability of benthic assemblages within unaltered environments, we predicted that the assemblages would be similar for each variable investigated. The benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages can be characterized as low diversity, with a total of 17 taxa identified. Isopods and Diptera comprised ~80% of all individuals. Other than chironomids, insects and particularly EPT taxa were poorly represented. Recent macroinvertebrate densities were significantly greater compared to the historical study period for the downstream site. Assemblage comparisons revealed moderate differences between study periods. Macroinvertebrate density was significantly greater upstream than downstream in the 1971 study period, yet taxa richness was significantly greater downstream for both study periods. Faunal composition was significantly different for upstream and downstream sites. Seasonal differences in numerical standing crop were identified for the 1971 upstream and 1999 downstream data sets. Low to moderate levels of seasonal, spatial and historical variation among benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages were attributed to environmental (temperature and flow) stability. The lack of aquatic insects other than chironomids over a 30-year period is indicative of the extreme constraints placed upon insect development within this cold regulated river.
Frequency Response of the Renal Vasculature in Congestive Heart Failure

Background— The renal vasoconstrictor response to renal nerve stimulation is greater in congestive heart failure (CHF) rats than in control rats. This study tested the hypothesis that the enhanced renal vasoconstrictor response to renal nerve stimulation in CHF is a result of an impairment in the low-pass filter function of the renal vasculature. Methods and Results— In response to conventional graded-frequency renal nerve stimulation, the reductions in renal blood flow at each stimulation frequency were greater in CHF rats than control rats. A pseudorandom binary sequence pattern of renal nerve stimulation was used to examine the frequency response of the renal vasculature. Although this did not affect the renal blood flow power spectrum in control rats, there was a 10-fold increase in renal blood flow power over the frequency range of 0.01 to 1.0 Hz in CHF rats. On analysis of transfer function gain, attenuation of the renal nerve stimulation input signal was similar in control and CHF rats over the fre...
Results from PHENIX: Year-1 and outlook

The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory had its first physics run Summer 2000 colliding Au+Au ions at √sNN=130 GeV energy. The PHENIX experiment measured global observables of the collision, spectra of electrons and identified hadrons as well as pair correlations. This talk gives an overview of the PHENIX results as presented at the Budapest'02 Workshop on Quark and Hadron Dynamics, Budapest, Hungary, March 3–7, 2002.
Nucleocytoplasmic O-glycosylation: O-GlcNAc and functional proteomics

The molecular complexity that defines different cell types and their biological responses occurs at the level of the cell's proteome. The recent increase in availability of genomic sequence information is a valuable tool for the field of proteomics. While most proteomic studies focus on differential expression levels, post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, glycosylation, and acetylation, provide additional levels of functional complexity to the cell's proteome. The reversible post-translational modification O-linked beta-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is found on serines and threonines of nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. It appears to be as widespread as phosphorylation. While phosphorylation is recognized as a fundamental mechanism for controlling protein function, less is known about the specific roles of O-GlcNAc modification. However, evidence is building that O-GlcNAc may compete with phosphate at some sites of attachment. Aberrant O-GlcNAc modification has been linked to several disease states, including diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Regulated enzymes catalyzing the addition (O-GlcNAc transferase, OGT) and removal (O-GlcNAcase) of the modification have been cloned and OGT is required for life at the single cell level. Here we review the properties of O-GlcNAc that suggest it is a regulatory modification analogous to phosphorylation. We also discuss the use of comparative functional proteomics to elucidate functions for this ubiquitous intracellular carbohydrate modification.
Floating-zone crystal growth with a heated and immersed shaper : computer simulation

Abstract In floating-zone crystal growth under microgravity the melt zone, though free from gravity-induced natural convection, can still be subjected to strong, oscillatory thermocapillary convection. In addition, the resultant crystals can exhibit poor diameter control and surface quality. In view of these problems a modified floating-zone process has been developed recently, in which a heated shaper in the form of a step is immersed in the melt zone. The purpose of the present work is to simulate heat transfer and fluid flow during crystal growth, so that this modified process can be better understood. The flow patterns, temperature fields and melt/solid interfaces were calculated for the growth of 6 mm diameter crystals of NaNO3. It was demonstrated that thermocapillary convection is reduced significantly in this modified process. The computer model was checked against the observed lengths of the free surface near the growth front and the measured axial temperature distribution in one growing crystal, and the agreement was good. A simple physical simulation experiment was also conducted to help illustrate the reduction in thermocapillary convection in the modified process.
Thoracoscopic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis: indications and results.

Abstract Background Hyperhidrosis can cause significant professional and social handicaps. Although treatments such as oral medication, botox, and iontophoresis are available, surgical sympathectomy is being increasingly utilized. Methods Between January 1997 and December 2002, 180 patients with palmar, axillary, facial, or plantar hyperhidrosis underwent a thoracoscopic sympathectomy. Surgical technique evolved during our study period and included excision of the sympathetic ganglia at T 2 , T 3 , or T 4 depending on the location of the sweating using monopolar cautery. Results Patient demographics included 33% males (59/180) and 67% females (121/180), with a mean age of 29.2 years old (range 12 to 76 years old). Ethnic origin was 67% white (122/180), 19% Asian (34/180), 8% Black (14/180), and 6% Hispanic (10/180). Positive family history of hyperhidrosis was noted in 57%. Preoperatively, 49% patients (86/180) had palmar sweating only, 7% patients (12/180) axillary only, 24% patients (43/180) palmar and axillary, 16% patients (28/180) face/scalp only, and 7% patients (11/180) all of the above; additionally 69% patients (125/180) had plantar hyperhidrosis. All procedures were performed through 3-mm and 5-mm ports, and 98% (177/180) were completed as an outpatient procedure. Complications included a mild temporary Horner's Syndrome (n = 1; 0.5%), air leak requiring chest drainage (n = 9; 5%), and bleeding (n = 3; 1.6%) requiring thoracoscopic reexploration (n = 1) and chest drainage (n = 2). Success rates were palmar 100% (109/109), axillary 98% (48/49), and face/scalp 93% (26/28). Plantar hyperhidrosis responded with improvement in 82% (72/88) of all patients. Seventy-eight percent patients (96/123) experienced compensatory hyperhidrosis, usually affecting the stomach, chest, back, and neck. Overall satisfaction was 94% (139/148). Conclusions Thoracoscopic sympathectomy is a safe and effective outpatient method for managing hyperhidrosis. Although overall satisfaction is high, patients should be fully informed about the potential for compensatory sweating.
Renal function and genetic variation in dopamine D1 receptor: is the case strong enough?

Polymorphisms in the genes involved in the dopaminergic system have been implicated in susceptibility to hypertension. A new study by Fung et al. takes a closer look at the association of genetic variants in the dopamine D 1 receptor gene ( DRD1 ) with blood pressure and renal parameters. Although the study does not confirm an association with blood pressure, it suggests a new link between a common variant in the 5′-untranslated region of the DRD1 gene and low glomerular filtration rate.
INTRAUTERINE SOUNDS IN SHEEP

The present experiment was designed to examine in detail the contribution of sound and infrasound of maternal and environmenetal origin to the intrauterine acoustic environment of the sheep fetus in utero
Regeneration and remyelination of Xenopus tadpole optic nerve fibres following transection or crush.

Optic nerves of stage 54–56Xenopus laevis tadpoles were either transected or crushed, and subsequent Wallerian degeneration, regeneration, and remyelination were examined. After 4 days, normal myelinated fibres were no longer present in the distal stump, and only a few unmyelinated fibres remained. After 10–13 days, the distal nerve consisted mainly of a core of reactive astrocytes with enlarged processes and scattered oligodendrocytes which persisted throughout the degenerative period. Regenerating axons traversed the site of the lesion and extended into the distal stump within 13–15 days.
Searches for dibaryons of strangeness —1

Abstract Recent AGS experiment searching for strange dibaryon resonances near ΣN mass is described. The reaction d(K − , π − )X induced by 870 MeV/c kaons was studied using the missing mass spectrometer. The mass X was identified as a Λp event using a range hodoscope which surrounded closely a liquid deuterium target. Based on preliminary results, a maximum observed at 2139 MeV is discussed as a candidate for the first strange dibaryon resonance D 1 (2139).
Time-stepping algorithms for semidiscretized linear parabolic PDEs based on rational approximants with distinct real poles

Time dependent problems in Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) are often solved by the Method Of Lines (MOL). For linear parabolic PDEs, the exact solution of the resulting system of first order Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) satisfies a recurrence relation involving the matrix exponential function. In this paper, we consider the development of a fourth order rational approximant to the matrix exponential function possessing real and distinct poles which, consequently, readily admits a partial fraction expansion, thereby allowing the distribution of the work in solving the corresponding linear algebraic systems in essentially Backward Euler-like solves on concurrent processors. The resulting parallel algorithm possesses appropriate stability properties, and is implemented on various parabolic PDEs from the literature including the forced heat equation and the advection-diffusion equation.
Creating a Philosophy of Supervision Through Personal Narrative

Abstract A teaching philosophy is described as “a vivid portrait of a person who is intentional about teaching practices and committed to his/her career” (Ohio State University Faculty & TA Develop...
Null anaphora in Spanish second language acquisition: probabilistic versus generative approaches

The acquisition of Spanish null pronouns is an optimal domain for comparing the predictions of generativist vs. probabilistic approaches to language acquisition. This paper presents two studies on ...
The Blood-Brain Barrier: Bottleneck in Brain Drug Development

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is formed by the brain capillary endothelium and excludes from the brain ∼100% of large-molecule neurotherapeutics and more than 98% of all small-molecule drugs. Despite the importance of the BBB to the neurotherapeutics mission, the BBB receives insufficient attention in either academic neuroscience or industry programs. The combination of so little effort in developing solutions to the BBB problem, and the minimal BBB transport of the majority of all potential CNS drugs, leads predictably to the present situation in neurotherapeutics, which is that there are few effective treatments for the majority of CNS disorders. This situation can be reversed by an accelerated effort to develop a knowledge base in the fundamental transport properties of the BBB, and the molecular and cellular biology of the brain capillary endothelium. This provides the platform for CNS drug delivery programs, which should be developed in parallel with traditional CNS drug discovery efforts in the molecular neurosciences.
Caffeine intake, toxicity and dependence and lifetime risk for psychiatric and substance use disorders: an epidemiologic and co-twin control analysis.

Background. Although caffeine is the most commonly used psychoactive substance and often produces symptoms of toxicity and dependence, little is known, especially in community samples, about the association between caffeine use, toxicity and dependence and risk for common psychiatric and substance use disorders. Method. Assessments of lifetime maximal caffeine use and symptoms of caffeine toxicity and dependence were available on over 3600 adult twins ascertained from the population-based Virginia Twin Registry. Lifetime histories of major depression (MD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder, alcohol dependence, adult antisocial behavior and cannabis and cocaine abuse/ dependence were obtained at personal interview. Logistic regression analyses in the entire sample and within monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs were conducted in SAS. Results. In the entire sample, measures of maximal caffeine use, heavy caffeine use, and caffeine-related toxicity and dependence were significantly and positively associated with all seven psychiatric and substance use disorders. However, within MZ twin pairs, controlling for genetic and family environmental factors, these associations, while positive, were all non-significant. These results were similar when excluding twins who denied regular caffeine use. Conclusions. Maximal lifetime caffeine intake and caffeine-associated toxicity and dependence are moderately associated with risk for a wide range of psychiatric and substance use disorders. Analyses of these relationships within MZ twin pairs suggest that most of the observed associations are not causal. Rather, familial factors, which are probably in part genetic, predispose to both caffeine intake, toxicity and dependence and the risk for a broad array of internalizing and externalizing disorders.
Evaluation of Three Methods of Rendering Upholstery Fabrics Smolder Resistant

Three methods of rendering upholstery fabrics smolder resistant were evaluated by determining the rate and extent of percent weight loss of a small scale mock-up system when the fabrics, with and without treatment, were tested in combination with F.R. cotton batting, F.R. polyurethane foam and resinated polyester fiber batting. A lit cigarette was placed in the crevice formed by the abutment of vertical and horizontal panels. The three methods of treatment in cluded two types of backcoating and a methyl borate vapor phase treatment of the entire fabric.
Divergence of conditioned eyeblink and conditioned fear in backward Pavlovian training

Two experiments of Pavlovian conditioning with rabbits evaluated the effects of initiating or continuing a conditioned stimulus (CS) after a paraorbital unconditioned stimulus (US). In Experiment 1, backward pairings, in which a CS came on after the US, produced a CS that appeared inhibitory on a measure of eyeblink conditioning but excitatory on a potentiated-startle measure of conditioned fear. In Experiment 2, extending the duration of a CS that came on prior to the US, so that it continued after the US, decreased eyeblink conditioned responses, whereas it increased conditioned fear. The data from the two experiments confirm and extend those of Tait and Saladin (1986), supporting the suppositions of AESOP (Wagner & Brandon, 1989) that conditioned eyeblink and conditioned fear can be dissociated under various temporal relationships between the CS and US.
Analysis of shuffled gene libraries

In vitro recombination of homologous genes (family shuffling) has been proposed as an effective search strategy for laboratory evolution of genes and proteins. Few data are available, however, on the composition of shuffled gene libraries, from which one could assess the efficiency of recombination and optimize protocols. Here, probe hybridization is used in a macroarray format to analyze chimeric DNA libraries created by DNA shuffling. Characterization of hundreds of shuffled genes encoding dioxygenases has elucidated important biases in the shuffling reaction. As expected, crossovers are favored in regions of high sequence identity. A sequence-based model of homologous recombination that captures this observed bias was formulated using the experimental results. The chimeric genes were found to show biases in the incorporation of sequences from certain parents, even before selection. Statistically different patterns of parental incorporation in genes expressing functional proteins can help to identify key sequence-function relationships.
In vivo function and comparative genomic analyses of the Drosophila gut microbiota identify candidate symbiosis factors

Symbiosis is often characterized by co-evolutionary changes in the genomes of the partners involved. An understanding of these changes can provide insight into the nature of the relationship, including the mechanisms that initiate and maintain an association between organisms. In this study we examined the genome sequences of bacteria isolated from the Drosophila melanogaster gut with the objective of identifying genes that are important for function in the host. We compared microbiota isolates with con-specific or closely related bacterial species isolated from non-fly environments. First the phenotype of germ-free Drosophila (axenic flies) was compared to that of flies colonized with specific bacteria (gnotobiotic flies) as a measure of symbiotic function. Non-fly isolates were functionally distinct from bacteria isolated from flies, conferring slower development and an altered nutrient profile in the host, traits known to be microbiota-dependent. Comparative genomic methods were next employed to identify putative symbiosis factors: genes found in bacteria that restore microbiota-dependent traits to gnotobiotic flies, but absent from those that do not. Factors identified include riboflavin synthesis and stress resistance. We also used a phylogenomic approach to identify protein coding genes for which fly-isolate sequences were more similar to each other than to other sequences, reasoning that these genes may have a shared function unique to the fly environment. This method identified genes in Acetobacter species that cluster in two distinct genomic loci: one predicted to be involved in oxidative stress detoxification and another encoding an efflux pump. In summary, we leveraged genomic and in vivo functional comparisons to identify candidate traits that distinguish symbiotic bacteria. These candidates can serve as the basis for further work investigating the genetic requirements of bacteria for function and persistence in the Drosophila gut.
Electron transport in ultraintense laser interactions with electric inhibition

Summary form only given. The interaction of petawatt-class lasers with solid targets provides a unique environment for studying electron transport in materials. For initially cold targets, the intense laser heats the material and launches hot electrons into a near solid density plasma and induces a corresponding cold return current. For current experimental conditions, the return current samples the material resistivity for temperatures well below the Spitzer regime. We describe results from recent petawatt experiments utilizing Cu Kalpha X-ray imaging and XUV optical imaging. In addition to confirming the role of electric inhibition in slowing the hot electron transport, these experiments indicate anomalous electron stopping near the target surface. These experiments provide a test-bed for studying processes relevant to fast ignition
Impact of lot-sizing on the financial performance of dispatching techniques in an MRP-planned fabrication and assembly environment

Abstract By simulation analysis of a hypothetical MRP-controlled fabrication and assembly shop, the financial performance of six dispatching techniques are compared under four lot-sizing techniques, two levels of demand and two levels of nervousness. For each lot-sizing technique under low nervousness and low demand the choice of dispatching technique did not substantially affect financial performance. The choice of lot-sizing technique was much more critical. Under increased nervousness, period order quantity and least total cost generated enough setups to deplete excess capacity at the most heavily loaded workcentre. The choice of dispatching technique became critical.