cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
YknWXYZ Is an Unusual Four-Component Transporter with a Role in Protection against Sporulation-Delaying-Protein-Induced Killing of Bacillus subtilis

YknXYZ is the ATP-binding cassette export complex from Bacillus subtilis, where YknX is a membrane fusion protein, YknY is an ATPase, and YknZ is a permease. The yknXYZ genes are arranged into an operon that also includes yknW, encoding a membrane protein with four putative transmembrane segments. Previous studies suggested that the yknWXYZ operon belongs to the σw regulon and protects cells from the endogenous toxin SDP (sporulation-delaying protein) encoded by sdpC. In this study, we investigated the composition and function of YknW and YknXYZ. We report that the yknWXYZ operon is constitutively expressed in growing B. subtilis cells independently from sdpC. Chemical cross-linking in vivo and copurification approaches established that YknX interacts with YknYZ, whereas YknW binds YknXYZ, indicating that all four proteins form a complex in vivo. The complex assembly is modulated by YknW but proceeds in the absence of SdpC. When overproduced alone, YknW provides partial protection against SDP toxin, but all four Ykn proteins are required for full protection against both endogenous and exogenous SDP. We conclude that YknWXYZ is an unusual four-component transporter with a role in the starvation-induced killing of B. subtilis cells.
SOIL AND PLANT TESTS TO PREDICT OPTIMUM NITROGEN RATES FOR CORN

Optimum fertilizer nitrogen (N) rates are highly variable from one production corn (Zea mays L.) field to another, but producers usually use about the same N rate over their whole farm. Matching N application rates to actual crop need could have both economic and environmental benefits. The objectives of this research were to evaluate soil and plant tests for their ability to predict optimum N rates across a range of production cornfields in Missouri, and to evaluate the economic performance of recommendation systems based on these measurements. Yield response to N was measured in each experiment, along with soil mineral N measurements (planting and sidedress), tissue N at sidedress time, and chlorophyll meter reading at sidedress time. Optimum N fertilizer rates were fairly evenly spread from 0 to 235 kg N ha−1 in these sixteen experiments. Soil N measurements, tissue N at sidedress, and chlorophyll meter reading at sidedress were all clearly related to optimum N rate—the higher the test result, the lowe...
Electroneutral NaCl transport in the distal tubule

Cet article de synthese fait le point sur le mecanisme de cotransport du chlorure de sodium, le long du tube distal renal. Specificite, difference avec le cotransport identifie dans l'anse de Henle. Application therapeutique. Cotransport du NaCl dans d'autres tissus. Sensibilite aux inhibiteurs. Fonctions biologiques (Ca 2+ , K + , alcalose metabolique)
Genetic analysis of the coloured mutants of Aspergillus niger.

Seven different classes of coloured mutants were produced in anAspergillus niger strain: brown (B), cinnamon (C), dark brown (DB), fawn (F), green (G), yellow (Y) and white (W). A few of these recurrent colour mutants were allelic and the rest was non-allelic. These were tested by complementation test in heterocaryons. A few colour mutants failed to form heterocaryons. The incompatibility is suggested to be under genetic control. Conidial size of the heterocaryotic heads was measured and found to be significantly larger than that of their parental homocaryons. It is believed that the larger size is due to heterocaryotic vigor manifested in the conidia from heterocaryotic mycelium. It is termed haploid inherited vigor.
The interconversion of the retinenes and vitamins A in vitro.

Abstract The retinene1 which results from the bleaching of rhodopsin now appears to be vitamin A1 aldehyde. Morton et al. have given the best evidence for this, and have shown that retinene1 can be prepared by the mild oxidation of vitamin A1. A simple procedure is described for performing this process chromatographically on a column of manganese dioxide. In the retina, retinene1 is converted irreversibly to vitamin A1 by an enzyme system in which reduced cozymase (reduced Coenzyme I, DPNH2 serves as coenzyme. The essential process is the transfer of two hydrogen atoms from DPNH2 to retinene1, reducing its aldehyde group to the primary alcohol group of vitamin A1. The enzyme system which performs this reduction can be assembled in solution from the following components: the coenzyme, DPNH2; as substrate, synthetic retinene1; and the apoenzyme extracted with dilute salt solutions from homogenized frog or cattle retinas. The apoenzyme is non-dialysable, is precipitated by half-saturated ammonium sulphate, and is destroyed by heating at 100°C within 30 seconds. Its pH optimum lies at about 6.5. In the rods of freshwater fishes, a parallel enzyme system reduces retinene2 to vitamin A2. This can be assembled from the following components, all in true solution: the coenzyme, DPNH2; as substrate, synthetic retinene2, prepared by the chromatographic oxidation of vitamin A2 on manganese dioxide; and the apoenzyme extracted with dilute salt solutions from freshwater fish retinas (sunfish, yellow perch). The apoenzyme from frog retinas reduces retinene2 as effectively as retinene1. Similarly the fish apoenzyme acts equally well upon both retinenes. One need consider only one apoenzyme, retinene reductase, which together with one coenzyme, DPNH2, reduces either of the retinenes to the corresponding vitamin A. The retinene reductase system brings a second vitamin into the chemistry of rod vision. It presents the novel phenomenon of one vitamin regenerating another, for the central component of DPNH2 is nicotinamide, the anti-pellagra factor of the vitamin B complex. Rhodopsin solutions and retinal homogenates rapidly lose their power to reduce the retinenes, through destruction of their DPN by a nucleotidase. Rhodopsin solutions which have lost their activity in this way are re-activated by the addition of new DPNH2. The coenzyme can also be protected by the presence of free nicotinamide and of α-tocopheryl phosphate. On addition to the enzyme system, the synthetic retinenes rapidly couple with other molecules, and primarily with protein. The normal state of the retinenes in retinas and retinal extracts is a labile equilibrium between the free and the coupled condition. The retinenes couple with a variety of retinal molecules, and migrate freely from one to the other.
Magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity and third-law entropy of MgNi2∗†

Abstract A study of the heat capacity and magnetic susceptibility of MgNi2 was undertaken to evaluate the report by Voss that this compound is ferromagnetic at temperatures below 235°C. The results of the investigation reveal no evidence of ferromagnetism in this Laves phase. MgNi2 is found to be a moderately strongly paramagnetic material with a susceptibility which is practically constant between 25 and 450°C. Thermomagnetic analysis shows a very slight but abrupt drop in the susceptibility at 194°C, and heat-capacity measurements reveal a very small thermal anomaly at the same temperature. The effects are thought to be associated with some type of irregularity in the lattice, such as the defect structure which occurs when a nickel atom replaces a magnesium atom in the MgNi2 lattice. Third-Law entropies of MgNi2 at temperatures up to 555°K are also presented.
Pressure-Induced High-Spin to Low-Spin Transition in FeS Evidenced by X-Ray Emission Spectroscopy

We report the observation of the pressure-induced high-spin to low-spin transition in FeS using new high-pressure synchrotron x-ray emission spectroscopy techniques. The transition is evidenced by the disappearance of the low-energy satellite in the Fe Kb emission spectrum of FeS. Moreover, the phase transition is reversible and closely related to the structural phase transition from a manganese phosphidelike phase to a monoclinic phase. The study opens new opportunities for investigating the electronic properties of materials under pressure. [S0031-9007(99)08946-2]
Dispersal ability and host-plant characteristics influence spatial population structure of monophagous beetles

. 1. Dispersal plays an integral role in determining spatial population structure and, consequently, the long-term survival of many species. Theoretical studies indicate that dispersal increases with population density and decreasing habitat stability. In the case of monophagous insect herbivores, the stability of host-plant populations may influence their spatial population structure. 2. The tallgrass prairie in Iowa, U.S.A. is highly fragmented and most prairie insects face a landscape with fewer habitat patches and smaller host-plant populations than 150 years ago, potentially making dispersal between patches difficult. Some herbivores, however, use native plant species with weedy characteristics that have increased in abundance because of disturbances. 3. Mark–recapture data and presence–absence surveys were used to examine dispersal and spatial population structure of two monophagous beetles with host plants that exhibit different population stability and have responded differently to fragmentation of tallgrass prairie. 4. Chrysochus auratus Fabricius exhibits a patchy population structure and has relatively large dispersal distances and frequencies. Its host plant is variable locally in time and space, but is more abundant than 150 years ago. The other species, Anomoea laticlavia Forster, exhibits a metapopulation or non-equilibrium population structure and has relatively small dispersal distances and frequencies. Its host-plant populations are stable in time and space. 5. The results indicate that dispersal ability of monophagous beetles reflects the life-history dynamics of their host plants, but the spatial population structure exhibited today is strongly influenced by how the host plants have responded to the fragmentation process over both time and space.
Social service organizations in the era of evidence-based practice: The learning organization as a guiding framework for bridging science to service

• Summary: Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been gaining acceptance and momentum in the social services professions. As evidence related to specific programs and interventions mount, social service practitioners and organizations around the world have increasingly begun to implement evidence-based programs as a strategy for creating better outcomes for children, families, and adults. Unfortunately, the science of evaluating efficacious and effective programs and interventions has far outpaced the science of implementing them. A gap exists between what we know works and being able to utilize what works in practice. This article will examine the challenges facing social service organizations in implementing evidence-based programs and explore an organizational theory to address those challenges.• Findings: The implementation of EBPs has proven to be a complex and challenging process, with organizational factors coming to the forefront as important in bridging the gap between science and service. The comple...
Infection with Murine Retrovirus Confers Resistance to the Neurotoxin 1‐Methyl‐4‐Phenylpyridinium Ion in PC12 Cells

High concentrations of the dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) are toxic to the catecholaminergic cell line PC12, derived from rat phenochromocytoma. Prolonged exposure of wild-type PC12 cells to 500 microM MPP+ yields toxin-resistant colonies at a frequency of 2 X 10(-4). These spontaneously arising MPP(+)-resistant cells are morphologically quite distinct from wild-type PC12 cells, and are lacking in most of their characteristic catecholaminergic properties. In contrast, among PC12 cells infected with the murine retrovirus ZIPNEOSV(X), 20% are resistant to the toxin MPP+, a resistance frequency approximately 1,000 times higher than for uninfected cells. The morphology and catecholaminergic phenotype of the virus-infected MPP+ resistant cells are quite similar to those of wild-type PC12 cells. The results presented in this study suggest a unique mechanism of MPP+ resistance in the infected PC12 cells which may be conferred by the presence and/or expression of the retrovirus ZIPNEOSV(X).
Surviving hydrodynamic forces in a wave-swept environment: Consequences of morphology in the feather boa kelp, Egregia menziesii (Turner)

Abstract Organisms on wave-swept intertidal shores often must withstand water velocities of 10 to 20 m/s and accompanying accelerations of 400 m/s2. Because drag and accelerational forces increase with area and volume respectively, the bigger an individual is, the larger the forces on it become. This size-force relationship suggests that large intertidal algae must be particularly well designed if they are to survive. The feather boa kelp, Egregia menziesii (Turner), grows to a size that is unusually large for its wave-exposed habitat, leading us to inquire into the mechanisms that allow it to attain this stature. A hydro-mechanical computer model is used to predict the magnitude of the forces on E. menziesii in various wave conditions and for various plant sizes. Based on measurements of the strength of E. menziesii, an intact, average-sized plant's survivorship in the range of predicted wave forces is estimated to be nearly 100%. However, entanglement with other plants and damage from herbivory can substantially lower an individual's chances of surviving a severe storm. We speculate that E. menziesii's straplike shape may be an adaptation for accommodating the unpredictable distribution of tensions along the plant's stipe and for reducing drag.
Analyzing techniques for increasing power transfer in the electric grid

This paper explores various options for increasing power transfer in the electric grid, such as compact transmission lines, high phase order (6 phase) system and use of high temperature low sag (HTLS) conductors. These methods were selected as they could be readily employed without the need for additional right-of-way. Changes in the electric and magnetic field, fault current due to the new methods employed have been calculated and compared with a traditional 3 phase single and double circuit lines. It has been shown that the increase in power transfer ranges from 17–53% when compared with traditional line configurations.
Monogenic Autoimmune Diseases: Insights into Self-Tolerance

Autoimmune diseases affect a significant segment of the population and are typically thought to be multifactorial in etiology. Autoimmune diseases due to single gene defects are rare, but offer an invaluable window into understanding how defects in the immune system can lead to autoimmunity. In this review, we will focus on autoimmune polyendocrinopathy syndrome type 1 and recent advances in our understanding of this disease. We will also discuss two other monogenic autoimmune diseases: immunodysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, and enteropathy, X-linked and Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome. Importantly, the knowledge and principles gained from studying these diseases have been applicable to more common autoimmune diseases and have opened the door to better diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.
Osteoporosis and mandibular bone resorption: a prosthodontic perspective

Previous studies have examined the effects of osteoporosis on the vertebra, femur, and tibia. However, few studies have examined the effects on the mandible by using an animal model to quantify bone resorption. Osteoporosis was induced through pair feedings of a high protein, low calcium diet. Before this induction, experimental and control animals were injected subcutaneously with radioactive tritiated tetracycline. Bone resorption was quantified by measuring the amount of radioactivity present after the test diets were given for 90 days. Standard scintillation techniques were used for extracting the radioactivity from each half mandible. The following conclusions can be made from the results of this investigation: A significant difference in mandibular bone resorption was associated with an osteoporotic inducing diet high in protein and low in calcium. Bone resorption in the experimental group of animals was 17% greater than in the control group. Alkaline phosphatase may be an important indicator of osteoporosis in the Sprague-Dawley rat. Elevated levels were found in those with the osteoporotic diet. The animals in the control and experimental groups consumed similar amounts of their respective diets. No significant difference was found in the weight gains of either group. The histologic picture, although not pathognomonic for osteoporosis, was consistent with many findings in the literature describing osteoporosis. This study has shown that osteoporotic diets may increase the amount of bone resorption in the mandibles of Sprague-Dawley rats.
Seat Belt Law Enforcement and Racial Disparities in Seat Belt Use

Background Numerous reports have documented a lower prevalence of seat belt use among blacks in the United States, compared with whites. Limited data suggest that black–white disparities in states with primary seat belt laws (motorists can be stopped and cited solely for violating a seat belt law) are less marked than in states with secondary laws (motorists can be cited for violating a seat belt law only if stopped for another offense). Methods Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System were analyzed in 2005 to compare seat belt use among 11,574 blacks and 73,639 whites aged 16 or more years killed in crashes from 1999 to 2003 in 33 states with a primary or secondary adult seat belt law and annual reporting of race for 80% or more of decedents. After stratification of states by type of seat belt law, logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for seat belt use among blacks, relative to whites, with adjustment for age, gender, seat position, urban/rural region, and income. Results Odds ratios and 95% CIs for seat belt use among blacks were 1.05 (0.97–1.13) and 0.89 (0.83–0.95), in primary- and secondary-law states, respectively. Conclusions Black–white disparities in seat belt use were mitigated in states with primary seat belt laws. Only 24 states have primary laws. Enacting primary laws in other states might reduce or eliminate racial disparities in seat belt use.
On the derivation of a Golden Rule formula for photoemission in the quadratic response formalism

The photoelectron current at large distances from a probe irradiated by an external light source is investigated for an interacting many-body system. Within the quadratic response formalism the authors derive a Golden Rule formula for the photoelectron current discriminated with respect to the momentum of the detected, asymptotically free electron. This result establishes the general equivalence between the Golden Rule formulation of photoemission and corresponding results derived within the quadratic response formalism in the 'asymptotic limit'.
Minimizing the cost of surgical correction of stress urinary incontinence and prolapse.

OBJECTIVES To compare the operative costs associated with the use of incontinence kits, with or without biomaterials, with surgeon-tailored prolene mesh (STPM) in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) with or without pelvic organ prolapse. METHODS All operations for uncomplicated SUI with or without pelvic organ prolapse were reviewed from 2007-2008. Operative billing sheets including operative time, hospital cost, and the insurance billing statement were obtained and reviewed. Surgeon payment was not included in the analysis. Hospital stay was also compared. RESULTS For patients with SUI alone, there was a significant difference in the hospital cost and the insurance billing statement between STPM and commercial kits (CK). On average, the insurance billing statement for STPM was $2220 less per case as compared with CK. For patients with SUI and anterior compartment prolapse, there was a significant difference in the hospital cost and the insurance billing statement between STPM and CK. On average, the insurance billing statement for STPM was $4770 less per case as compared with CK. For patients with SUI and anterior and posterior compartment prolapse, the difference in hospital cost and insurance billing statement approached statistical significance. The insurance billing statement for STPM on an average was $5600 less per case as compared with CK. There was no significant difference in operative time or hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS The use of STPM for the treatment of incontinence with or without prolapse is significantly less costly for the hospital and the patient and/or insurance as compared with CK. The use of STPM did not increase operative time or postoperative hospital stay when compared with prefashioned kits.
Gas bubble nucleation during crystallization

Abstract Literature on gas bubble incorporation in growing crystals is reviewed. A theory for nucleation in dilute multicomponent gas solutions was derived. Combined with solute segregation equations, theories result for various forms of crystal growth. The tendency to form gas bubbles increases with increasing growth rate, decreasing stirring, increasing ambient gas pressure, and decreasing height of liquid over crystal. The liquid surface temperature is also an important variable. Homogeneous nucleation of bubbles was found to be possible for melt growth. Bubble formation in solution growth is most likely by heterogeneous nucleation on the crystal surface.
Analysis of Traffic Conflicts in a Mixed-Airspace Evaluation of Airborne Separation Assurance

A pair of human-in-the-loop simulation evaluations of a distributed air/ground separation assurance system have been conducted to investigate the function allocation between humans and automation systems as well as ground-based and airborne agents in the Next Generation Air Transportation System and beyond. This paper focuses on an analysis of certain critical conflicts observed between self-separating aircraft and ground-managed traffic in the same airspace. The principal cause of each conflict is identified and potential mitigations are discussed, such as: the sharing of trajectory intent information between the ground and the air; more cautious trajectory planning by the self-separating aircraft; and more equitable rules-of-the-road between the self-separating aircraft and ground-managed aircraft. This analysis will inform the ongoing design of an airborne separation assurance automation tool.
On the Power of Multiple Independent Tests When the Experimentwise Error Rate is Controlled

The problem of controlling the probability (EW) that at least one Type I Error occur in a family of N statistical tests, has received much attention in recent psychological literature. However, the related problem of assessing the loss of Power in the collection of N tests, resulting from keeping EW at a tolerably low level, has received relatively little attention. The present paper addresses itself to this problem in the case of a family of tests of N planned orthogonal contrasts. A method is described which allows the determination of the probability that, given the existence of any pre-specified number of Small, Medium, and Large Effect Sizes (as defined by Cohen, 1969), exactly x out of m true alternative hypotheses (where 0 ≤ x ≤ m) concerning pairwise contrasts will be accepted when the EW is controlled using a method advocated by Games (1971) and Schafer and Macready (1975). The method is then generalized to handle other Effect Sizes and to handle contrasts involving more than two means.
Power of a Choice

As I walked at the University of Pittsburgh's Commencement, I could not help thinking about those senior engineering students who died in Blacksburg who could not make that same walk. Some of the victims I personally knew while working in Norris Hall in the summer of 2005. Some worked closely with members of my family. This work is a reflection on how the courage of these victims continues to inspire me. This piece is dedicated to their memory and their loved ones who mourn them.
Spatial EEG Patterns, Non-linear Dynamics and Perception: the Neo-Sherringtonian View

Spatial analysis with preamplifier arrays and computers offers fresh perspectives on brain function. Realization of its potential depends on development of appropriate procedures for data processing and display, experimental paradigms to serve as benchmarks, and theories of brain function to predict what to look for and how to distinguish valid results from artifacts. Measurement of EEGs from arrays of 64 electrodes chronically implanted on the olfactory bulbs of rabbits that are trained to discriminate odorant conditioned stimuli show that the odorants induce spatially distinctive amplitude patterns of neural activity. The odor-specific information density is inferred to be uniform over the whole main bulb. The neural dynamics that produce these activity patterns emerge from the synaptically interactive sheet of excitatory mitral and inhibitory granule cells with distributed input and output tracts and with static non-linearities deriving from the nerve impulse mechanism. Excitatory synapses between mitral cells are subject to modification when odorants are paired with unconditioned stimuli, thus forming nerve cell assemblies. Odorant-specific information established by a stimulus locally in the bulbar unit activity is integrated with past experience by an assembly, disseminated over the entire bulb on the order of 100 mm2 in area in a time period of 2.5 ms, and sustained for a time period on the order of 0.1 s. An arbitrary spatial sample on the order of 20% of bulbar EEG activity captures the entire integrated information albeit at lesser resolution than the whole. This synaptic mechanism of local input and global output may be common to all of the cerebral cortex. The implications are discussed for neocortical sensory systems, motor pattern generators, and goal-directed behavior in the context of self-organizing non-linear dynamic systems.
Beyond nuclear transport. Ran-GTP as a determinant of spindle assembly.

It's not easy being a nuclear transport factor. During the G1, S, and G2 phases of the cell cycle, the nucleocytoplasmic transport machinery must tirelessly zigzag between the nucleus and cytoplasm while directing other proteins to the correct subcellular compartment. When M phase finally arrives,
The structure of the color space in naming and memory for two languages

Abstract Ss from two cultures with markedly different color terminologies were tested on two color-judgment tasks. One was a nonverbal task of color matching from memory, while the other was a verbal task of color-naming. Both tasks were performed by 41 American Ss and 40 New Guinea Dani (who have a basically two-term color language). Multidimensional scaling based upon the four resulting sets of data yielded structures that were more similar under the memory condition than under the naming condition. For neither culture were equally distant colors confused in memory more within than across name boundaries. Retention of color images in short-term memory appears to be unaffected by wide cultural differences in the semantic reference of color words.
Some finite quantum P3s that are infinite modules over their centers

Abstract A result of M. Artin, J. Tate and M. Van den Bergh asserts that a regular algebra of global dimension three is a finite module over its center if and only if the automorphism encoded in the point scheme has finite order. We prove that the analogous result for a regular algebra of global dimension four is false by presenting families of quadratic, noetherian regular algebras A of global dimension four such that (i) A is an infinite module over its center, (ii) A has a finite point scheme, which is the graph of an automorphism of finite order, and (iii) A has a one-parameter family of line modules. Such algebras are candidates for generic regular algebras of global dimension four. The methods used to construct the algebras provide new techniques for creating other potential candidates.
Review article : Aortic aneurysm repair with profound hypothermic circulatory arrest:

DeBakey et al. first reported the successful resection and repair of a fusiform aneurysm of the aortic arch with replacement graft in 1957.1 Crawford and his associates subsequently developed materials and techniques which have made this procedure, one which used generally to result in high morbidity and mortality, more viable, with decreased morbidity and mortality. Increasing numbers of patients are now undergoing this repair and are resuming normal healthy lives postoperatively. From January 1987 to December 1990, 358 patients underwent surgery using profound hypothermia and circulatory arrest, thus allowing for repairs that probably could not have been achieved successfully under any other condition. It is evident that a major determinant of success was the employment of profound hypothermia and circulatory arrest.
Understanding Medline indexing.

Editor, T hank you for the thoughtful editorial on ‘The ingredients of a good paper’ in the September issue of Acta Ophthalmologica (Stefansson & Kivela 2010). I particularly appreciate your words on choosing text for titles and abstracts. These sections of the article are incorporated verbatim into the Medline record and provide key access points for those searching Medline. However, I believe it is important to clarify the role of author-selected keywords in Medline indexing. The National Library of Medicine maintains a website with information on the indexing process. The page at http:// www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/disted/mesh/pro cess.html discusses the use of author keywords by the indexers as a guide to what concepts may be discussed in the article itself, but as the subsequent pages make clear, the indexer uses only terms found in MeSH, a controlled vocabulary or taxonomy, in selecting the subject indexing terms that appear in the Medline record. For instance, the recent article, ‘Ocular blood flow and oxygen delivery to the retina in primary open-angle glaucoma patients: the addition of dorzolamide to timolol monotherapy’ Siesky et al. (2010), has the following keywords in the text:
General plane elasticity solution for non-homogeneous materials

In this study, we consider the general plane elasticity problem for non-homogeneous materials subjected to mechanical and thermal loads. The general equations are derived in x–y coordinate system. It is shown that, if the non-homogeneity varies exponentially, then the governing equations are reduced to partial differential equations with constant coefficients. To illustrate the validity and usefulness of the formulation, problems involving both mechanical and thermal loads with the non-homogeneity varying in both directions are considered. As examples, infinite non-homogeneous beams subjected to axial load and bending moment are considered and the solutions obtained in closed form. Then an example illustrating the effect of temperature change is presented. Again a closed form solution is obtained for the stress distribution. Also for limiting values of the non-homogeneity parameter, extensive asymptotic analyses are presented. In addition two problems where the Young’s Modulus or the coefficient of thermal expansion coefficient varies in both directions are presented. From the examples solved, it is found that non-homogeneity affects the stress distribution significantly, and leads to counterintuitive results with serious implication to the study of fracture problems in functionally graded materials.
Professional competency attainment in a project based learning curriculum: A comparison of project based learning to traditional engineering education

An upper division undergraduate project-based learning (PBL) engineering program in the U.S. engineering educational system was started beginning January 2010. Students transfer into the program after completion of lower division coursework at community colleges and other universities. They do not take classes; instead learning activities are organized and indexed in industry projects where they are solving complex and ill-structured industry problems. Upon completion, students receive a B.S. in Engineering with an emphasis in mechanical, electrical, biomedicai, or process engineering. True to the ABET intent, graduates emerge with integrated technical/professional knowledge and competencies. The program has 50 graduates to date and has earned ABET-EAC accreditation. This, in progress, study looks specifically at the impact of this PBL curriculum on student attainment of the ABET-identified professional competencies. Trends of the initial study indicate a positive impact on student attainment of the professional competencies in comparison to students studying in a traditional curriculum.
A Density Functional Theory Study of Vibrational Coupling in the Amide I Band of β-Sheet Models

We report the first molecular orbital/density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the vibrational frequencies involved in the amide I band of completely geometrically optimized models for β-sheet peptides based upon (up to 16) glycine residues. These calculations use the B3LYP/D95** level of DFT. The primary means of vibrational coupling occurs through H bond, rather than through space, interactions, which is consistent with a previous report on α-helical polyalanines and H-bonding chains of both formamides and 4-pyridones. We decoupled the CO stretching vibrations using selected 14C substitutions to probe the coupling mechanism and to determine “natural” frequencies for individual 14COs. The intermolecular H-bonding interactions affect the geometries of the amide groups. Those near the center of H-bonding chains have long CO bonds. The CO bond lengths correlate with these “natural” frequencies, The frequencies obtained from the DFT calculations are generally more coupled, and the most intense are mor...
TG/DTA of hydrogen reduction kinetics of TiO2 supported PdO chemochromic pigments

Abstract Titania supported palladium oxide (PdO) chemochromic pigments have been used in various hydrogen sensing devices as a passive technique for detecting hydrogen leaks. Here, we present new data for the kinetics of titania-supported PdO reduction by hydrogen gas by means of thermogravimetric/differential thermal (TG/DTA) analysis. The TG/DTA thermograms show a two step process. The first step in the process is an induction period during which no color change occurs – having zero reaction order with respect to palladium oxide concentration [PdO]. A color change is associated with the second step during which the adsorbed hydrogen reacts with PdO⋯H species to form water. This step has fast kinetics with reaction order of 0.55 and zero with respect to [PdO⋯H] and [H 2 ], respectively.
Molecular cloning of a full-length cDNA for human alcohol dehydrogenase

Abstract We have cloned a full-length cDNA coding for human alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH; alcohol:NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.1) from a human liver cDNA library constructed in phage lambda gt11. The library was screened by using a rabbit antibody against human ADH as a first probe, by the modified method of Young and Davis [Young, R. A. & Davis, R. W. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80, 1194-1198]. Mixed 14-mer synthetic oligonucleotides encoding Asp-Asp-His-Val-Val and Gln-Cys-Gly-Lys-Cys were used as a second probe. These amino acid sequences are considered to be common in all three subunits (alpha, beta, and gamma) controlled by the ADH1, ADH2, and ADH3 loci. Ten lambda gt11 recombinants of 35 positive plaques obtained by antibody screening contained inserted cDNAs of 1.5-2.4 kilobase pairs and were found to exhibit positive signals by hybridization with synthetic probes. One of them, with an inserted cDNA of 1631 base pairs, contained a sequence that encodes 374 amino acid residues of the human beta 1 subunit, a chain initiation codon, a chain termination codon, and additional 3' and 5' untranslated regions. A complete amino acid sequence of the human beta 1 subunit was deduced from the cDNA.
A Weighted False Discovery Rate Control Procedure Reveals Alleles at FOXA2 that Influence Fasting Glucose Levels

Association signals in GWAS are usually prioritized solely by p values. Here, we attempt to improve the power of GWAS by using a weighted false discovery rate control procedure to detect associations of low-frequency variants with effect sizes similar to or even larger than those of common variants. We used the Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 6.0 to test for association with fasting glucose levels in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) population. In addition to finding several previously identified sequence variations, we identified a low-frequency variant (rs1209523; minor allele frequency = 0.043) near FOXA2 that was associated with fasting glucose levels in European Americans (EAs) (n = 7428, p value = 1.3 × 10−5). The association between rs1209523 and glucose levels was also significant in African Americans (AAs) (n = 2029, p value = 6.7 × 10−3) of the ARIC and was confirmed by replication in both EAs and AAs of the Dallas Heart Study (n = 963 and 1571, respectively; p values = 5.3 × 10−3 and 5.8 × 10−4, respectively) and in EAs of the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study (n = 2862; p value = 1.6 × 10−2). A meta-analysis of these five populations yielded an estimated effect size of −1.31 mg/dl per minor allele (p value = 2.2 × 10−11). This study reveals that there is a cache of less-frequent variants in GWAS arrays that can be identified via analytical approaches accounting for allele frequencies.
Strain comparisons and developmental profile of the delta subunit of the murine GABAA Receptor

Abstract GABAA receptors are multisubunit inhibitory chloride channels in the brain which open in response to binding of -γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and are thought to be involved in some forms of seizures. We compare the sequence and expression of the GABAA receptor δ subunit in audiogenic seizure prone (DBA/2J) and seizure resistant (C57BL/6J) inbred strains of mice and also report this subunit's postnatal developmental profile. We did not detect any unique features in the 6 subunits of DBA/2J mice which might explain their seizure susceptibility, but did detect in some clones from both DBA/2J mice and C57BL/6J mice an unusual substitution of His for a conserved Tyr in the δ subunit's first putative transmembrane region.
Darfur Refugees in Cairo: Mental Health and Interpersonal Conflict in the Aftermath of Genocide

Hundreds of thousands of Darfur people affected by the Sudanese genocide have fled to Cairo, Egypt, in search of assistance. Collaborating with Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance (AMERA), the authors conducted a mental health care needs assessment among Darfur refugees in Cairo. Information was collected using individual and focus group interviews to identify gaps in mental health care and develop understandings of emotional and relationship problems. The refugee mental health care system has a piecemeal structure with gaps in outpatient services. There is moderate to severe emotional distress among many Darfur refugees, including symptoms of depression and trauma, and interpersonal conflict, both domestic violence and broader community conflict, elevated relative to pregenocide levels. Given the established relationships between symptoms of depression/traumatic stress and interpersonal violence, improving mental health is important for both preventing mental health decompensation and stemming future cycles of intra- and intergroup conflict.
Direction of rotation of aucuba (TMV) angled-layer aggregates☆☆☆

Abstract The structure of angled-layer aggregates formed in host tissue by the aucuba strain of tobacco mosaic virus has been further analyzed. In order to determine the direction of the twist associated with these aggregates, thin serial sections were cut, and the peculiar three-way-cross hatched figures were examined under the electron microscope. As one cuts deeper into a block of embedded tissue, there is a shift in the angle of the particles in successive cross sections of the same aggregate in a counter-clockwise direction. This shift is approximately 6.5° from one section to the next and is interpreted as indicating the helix formed by these aggregates is constant in direction and left-handed.
Cardiac retractor for coronary bypass operations

The Thompson retractor, used mainly for abdominal procedures, has been used to retract the heart and facilitate exposure for the performance of inferior wall or posterolateral wall coronary anastomoses. It has been found to be very effective and can replace a second assistant to retract the heart or avoid other cumbersome methods of cardiac retraction.
Environmental and stomatal control of photosynthetic enhancement in the canopy of a sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) plantation during 3 years of CO2 enrichment

Light-saturated photosynthetic and stomatal responses to elevated CO 2 were measured in upper and mid-canopy foliage of a sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L) plantation exposed to free-air CO 2 enrichment (FACE) for 3 years, to characterize environmental interactions with the sustained CO 2 effects in an intact deciduous forest stand. Responses were evaluated in relation to one another, and to seasonal patterns and natural environmental stresses, including high temperatures, vapour pressure deficits (VPD), and drought. Photosynthetic CO 2 assimilation (A) averaged 46% higher in the +200 μmol mol -1 CO 2 treatment, in mid-and upper canopy foliage. Stomatal conductance (g s ) averaged 14% (mid-canopy) and 24% (upper canopy) lower under CO 2 enrichment. Variations in the relative responses of A and g s were linked, such that greater relative stimulation of A was observed on dates when relative reductions in g s were slight. Dry soils and high VPD reduced g, and A in both treatments, and tended to diminish treatment differences. The absolute effects of CO 2 on A and g, were minimized whenever g s was low (<0.15 mol m -2 s -1 ), but relative effects, as the ratio of elevated to ambient rates, varied greatly under those conditions. Both stomatal and non-stomatal limitations of A were involved during late season droughts. Leaf temperature had a limited influence on A and g s , and there was no detectable relationship between prevailing temperature and CO 2 effects on A or g s . The responsiveness of A and g s to elevated CO 2 , both absolute and relative, was maintained through time and within the canopy of this forest stand, subject to seasonal constraints and variability associated with limiting air and soil moisture.
Over-expression of the cercosporin facilitator protein, CFP, in Cercospora kikuchii up-regulates production and secretion of cercosporin.

CFP (cercosporin facilitator protein), a light-regulated gene from the soybean fungal pathogen Cercospora kikuchii, encodes the putative major facilitator transporter of the fungal polyketide cercosporin. Gene disruption of CFP in C. kikuchii strain Gus-3 resulted in dramatically reduced cercosporin production and virulence, and increased sensitivity to the toxin. Two C. kikuchii transformant strains (10-1 and 10-11) that over-produce cercosporin were recovered from the complementation of CFP gene-disrupted strain Gus-3. Southern analysis revealed that these strains contained multiple genomic copies of CFP and over-expressed CFP transcript and protein. Although 10-1 and 10-11 produce and secrete significantly elevated levels of cercosporin, they exhibit wild-type resistance to cercosporin, and maintain a wild-type pattern of light-regulated toxin accumulation. Restoration of wild-type cercosporin resistance in 10-1 and 10-11 suggests that CFP does contribute substantially to cercosporin resistance via toxin secretion. The three-fold increase in toxin accumulation, predominately associated with the mycelium fraction of these CFP multi-copy strains, suggests that CFP may also have a significant, but unknown, role in regulating toxin production.
The effect of electrode contamination, cleaning and conditioning on high-energy pulsed-power device performance

High-energy pulsed-power devices routinely use field strengths above those at which broad-area, cathode-initiated, HV vacuum-breakdown occur (>10/sup 7/ to 3/spl times/10/sup 7/ V/m). Examples include magnetically-insulated transmission lines and current convolutes, high-current-density electron and ion diodes, high-power microwave devices and cavities and other structures for electrostatic and RF accelerators. Energy deposited in anode surfaces may exceed anode plasma thermal-desorption creation thresholds on the time scale of the pulse. Stimulated desorption by electron or photon bombardment also can lead to plasma formation on electrode or insulator surfaces. Device performance is limited above these thresholds, particularly in pulse length and energy, by the formation and expansion of neutral and plasma layers formed primarily from electrode contaminants. In-situ conditioning techniques to modify and eliminate the contaminants through multiple HV pulses, low base pressures, RF discharge cleaning, heating, surface coatings and ion- and electron-beam surface treatment allow access to new regimes of performance through control of plasma formation and modification of the plasma properties. Experimental and theoretical progress from a variety of devices and small scale experiments with a variety of treatment methods are reviewed and recommendations given for future work.
8 Carbene and transition metal-mediated transformations

In this report are highlighted the latest advances in the use of N-heterocyclic carbenes with transition metals in catalysis and otherwise, and in the stabilization of otherwise highly reactive species.
Control of Acetyl-Coenzyme A Synthetase (AcsA) Activity by Acetylation/Deacetylation without NAD+ Involvement in Bacillus subtilis

Posttranslational modification is an efficient mechanism for controlling the activity of structural proteins, gene expression regulators, and enzymes in response to rapidly changing physiological conditions. Here we report in vitro and in vivo evidence that the acuABC operon of the gram-positive soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis encodes a protein acetyltransferase (AcuA) and a protein deacetylase (AcuC), which may control the activity of acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase (AMP-forming, AcsA) in this bacterium. Results from in vitro experiments using purified proteins show that AcsA is a substrate for the acetyl-CoA-dependent AcuA acetyltransferase. Mass spectrometry analysis of a tryptic digest of acetylated AcsA (AcsAAc) identified residue Lys549 as the sole modification site in the protein. Unlike sirtuins, the AcuC protein did not require NAD+ as cosubstrate to deacetylate AcsAAc. The function of the putative AcuB protein remains unknown.
On incremental rendering of silhouette maps of a polyhedral scene

We consider the problem of incrementally rendering a polyhedral scene while the viewpoint is moving. In practical situations the number of geometric primitives to be rendered can be as large as many millions. It is sometimes advantageous to render only the silhouettes of the objects, rather than the objects themselves. Such an approach is regularly used for example in the domain of non-photorealistic rendering, where the rendering of silhouette edges plays a key role. The difficult part in efficiently implementing a kinetic approach to this problem is to realize when the rendered silhouette undergoes a combinatorial change. In this paper, we obtain bounds on several problems involving the number of these events for a collection of k objects, with a total of n edges. We assume that our objects are convex polytopes, and that the viewpoint is moving along a straight line, or along an algebraic curve of bounded low degree. We also study the special case when the scene is a polyhedral terrain, and present improved bounds for this case. In addition to bounding the number events, we also obtain algorithms that compute all the changes occurring during a linear motion both for general scenes and for terrains.