cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid method for the detection of genetically engineered microorganisms by polymerase chain reaction from soil and sediments

A rapid and sensitive method for the detection of genetically engineered microorganisms in soil and sediments has been devised by in vitro amplification of the target DNAs by a polymerase chain reaction. A cloned catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene located on the recombinant plasmid pOH101 was transferred to Pseudomonas putida MMB2442 by triparental crossing and used as a target organism. For the polymerase chain reaction from soil and sediment samples, the template DNA was released from a 100-mg soil sample. Bacterial seeded soil samples were washed with Tris-EDTA buffer (pH 8.0) and treated with a detergent lysis solution at 100 degrees C. After addition of 1% polyvinylpolypyrrolidine solution, the samples were boiled for 5 min. Supernatant containing nucleic acid was purified with a PCR purification kit. The purified DNA was subjected to polymerase chain reaction, using two specific primers designed for the amplification of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene sequences. The detection limit was 10(2) cells per gram of soil. This method is rapid and obviates the need for lengthy DNA purification from soil samples.
Olefin dimerization over cobalt-oxide-on-carbon catalysts: II. Butene and hexene dimerization

Abstract Butene and hexene dimerizations over cobalt-oxide-on-carbon catalysts have been studied and the structures of the products determined. Dimerization of internal olefins has been demonstrated using catalysts containing both dimerization and isomerization functions. A mechanism for the reaction is proposed.
Oxygen-induced reactions at 60 A GeV and 200 A GeV studied by calorimetry

Results based on calorimetric measurements are presented from reactions of 60 A GeV and 200 A GeV 16O projectiles with C, Cu, Ag, and Au nuclei. Minimum-bias cross sections are discussed. Energy spectra measured at zero degrees and transverse-energy distributions for the pseudorapidity range 2.4 ≦η≤ 5.5 are shown. An analysis of the average transverse energy in terms of the number of participating nucleons and the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions is presented. Estimates of nuclear stopping and of attained energy densities are made.
IgH sequences in common variable immune deficiency reveal altered B cell development and selection

Common variable immune deficiency (CVID) is the most common symptomatic primary immune deficiency, affecting ~1 in 25,000 persons. These patients suffer from impaired antibody responses, autoimmunity, and susceptibility to lymphoid cancers. To explore the cellular basis for these clinical phenotypes, we conducted high-throughput DNA sequencing of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements from 93 CVID patients and 105 control subjects and sorted naive and memory B cells from 13 of the CVID patients and 10 of the control subjects. The CVID patients showed abnormal VDJ rearrangement and abnormal formation of complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3). We observed a decreased selection against antibodies with long CDR3s in memory repertoires and decreased variable gene replacement, offering possible mechanisms for increased patient autoreactivity. Our data indicate that patient immunodeficiency might derive from both decreased diversity of the naive B cell pool and decreased somatic hypermutation in memory repertoires. The CVID patients also exhibited an abnormal clonal expansion of unmutated B cells relative to the controls. Although impaired B cell germinal center activation is commonly viewed as causative in CVID, these data indicate that CVID B cells diverge from controls as early as the pro-B stage, cell and suggest possible explanations for the increased incidence of autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, and lymphoma CVID patients.
Review of medical image retrieval systems and future directions

This paper presents a review of online systems for content-based medical image retrieval (CBIR). The objective of this review is to evaluate the capabilities and gaps in these systems and to determine ways of improving relevance of multi-modal (text and image) information retrieval in the iMedline system, being developed at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Seven medical information retrieval systems: Figuresearch, BioText, GoldMiner, Yale Image Finder, Yottalook, Image Retrieval for Medical Applications (IRMA), and iMedline have been evaluated here using the system of gaps defined in [1]. Not all of these systems take advantage of the visual information contained in biomedical literature as figures and illustrations. However, all attempt to extract metadata about the image from the full-text of the articles and retrieve figures/images in response to a query. iMedline aims to advance the state-of-the-art in multimodal information retrieval by unifying image and text features in computing relevance. We discuss the shortcomings of these current systems and discuss future directions and next steps in iMedline toward context-based medical image retrieval.
Use of 2'-fluoro-5-methyl-beta-L-arabinofuranosyluracil as a novel antiviral agent for hepatitis B virus and Epstein-Barr virus.

A novel anti-hepatitis B virus (anti-HBV) agent, 29-fluoro-5-methyl-beta-L-arabinofuranosyluracil (L-FMAU), was synthesized and found to be a potent anti-HBV and anti-Epstein-Barr virus agent. Its in vitro potency was evaluated in 2.2.15 and H1 cells for anti-HBV and anti-Epstein-Barr virus activities, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity in MT2, CEM, 2.2.15, and H1 cells was also assessed, and the results indicated high antiviral selectivities of L-FMAU in these cells.
Failure analysis of rapid prototyped tooling in sheet metal forming-V-die bending

The demand for rapid, low-cost die fabrication and modification technology is greater than ever in the sheet metal forming industry. One category of rapid tooling technology involves the use of advanced polymers and composite materials to fabricate metal forming dies. However, due to their lack of strength as compared to conventional metal dies, the use of polymer dies is often limited to prototype or short-run production. In addition, because the mechanisms by which they fail are not fully understood, the dies are designed on the basis of experience and intuition. This study investigates the failure of V-bending dies fabricated from an easy-to-machine, polyurethane-based, composite board stock. Based on the mechanical behavior of the die material, several failure criteria are proposed to predict die failure mode and the corresponding die life. Both computational and experimental methods are employed to assess the accuracy of the criteria and to identify the dominant process parameters in V-die bending.
Bmi-1 Cooperates with H-Ras to Transform Human Mammary Epithelial Cells via Dysregulation of Multiple Growth-Regulatory Pathways

Elevated expression of Bmi-1 is associated with many cancers, including breast cancer. Here, we examined the oncogenic potential of Bmi-1 in MCF10A cells, a spontaneously immortalized, nontransformed strain of human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC). Bmi-1 overexpression alone in MCF10A cells did not result in oncogenic transformation. However, Bmi-1 co-overexpression with activated H-Ras (RasG12V) resulted in efficient transformation of MCF10A cells in vitro. Although early-passage H-Ras-expressing MCF10A cells were not transformed, late-passage H-Ras-expressing cells exhibited features of transformation in vitro. Early- and late-passage H-Ras-expressing cells also differed in levels of expression of H-Ras and Ki-67, a marker of proliferation. Subsets of early-passage H-Ras-expressing cells exhibited high Ras expression and were negative for Ki-67, whereas most late-passage H-Ras-expressing cells expressed low levels of Ras and were Ki-67 positive. Injection of late-passage H-Ras-expressing cells in severe combined immunodeficient mice formed carcinomas with leiomatous, hemangiomatous, and mast cell components; these tumors were quite distinct from those induced by late-passage cells co-overexpressing Bmi-1 and H-Ras, which formed poorly differentiated carcinomas with spindle cell features. Bmi-1 and H-Ras co-overexpression in MCF10A cells also induced features of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Importantly, Bmi-1 inhibited senescence and permitted proliferation of cells expressing high levels of Ras. Examination of various growth-regulatory pathways suggested that Bmi-1 overexpression together with H-Ras promotes HMEC transformation and breast oncogenesis by deregulation of multiple growth-regulatory pathways by p16(INK4a)-independent mechanisms.
Isolation and Chronobiological Analysis of a Neuropeptide Pigment-Dispersing Factor Gene in Drosophila melanogaster

In this article, the authors isolate a gene encoding a neuropeptide in Drosophila melanogaster. The substance is called pigment-dispersing factor (PDF), based on one of the roles it plays in crustaceans (the arthropods in which this factor was initially discovered). The PDF-encoding Drosophila gene (pdf) is intronless and present in a single copy per haploid genome. The cytological location of pdf is 97B on the third chromosome. The putative 102-amino-acid precursor (prepro-PDF) consists of a signal peptide and a PDF-associated peptide, followed by the mature PDF. The PDF-associated peptide region of the precursor is highly diverged from those of the crustacean precursors, whereas the primary structure of the mature PDF is conserved in other members of the pigment-dispersing hormone family. A single pdf transcript (ca. 0.8 kb) is expressed predominantly in the head; the expression levels of pdf mRNA are consistently higher in males than in females. Putative pdf homologous transcripts are present in other ...
Routing in a three-dimensional chip

As the very large scale integration (VLSI) technology approaches its fundamental scaling limit at about 0.2 /spl mu/m, it is reasonable to consider three-dimensional (3-D) integration to enhance packing density and speed performance. With additional functional units packed into one chip in a 3-D space, computer-aided design (CAD) tools are demanded to ease the complicated design work. This paper presents a 100% completion achievable routing methodology. The routing methodology is based on the two-dimensional (2D) channel routing methodology; thus, it is called a 3-D channel routing methodology. With the routing methodology, a 3-D routing problem is decomposed into two 2D routing subproblems: intra-layer routing that interconnects terminals on the same layer, which can be done by using a 2-D channel router, and inter-layer routing that interconnects terminals on different layers. The inter-layer routing problem is transformed into a 2-D channel routing problem and the transformation is made in some 3-D channels. Detailed discussions are given for the 3-D to 2-D transformation. Optimization of the transformation is shown to be NP-complete. Thus, simulated annealing is used to optimize the transformation. >
IEEE 802.11N WLAN migration - Impact on system capacity & terminal design

The next generation of wireless LAN standard, IEEE 802.11N (“11N”), is expected to undergo final ratification in 2010. Leveraging numerous technological advances including MIMO/diversity-gain and 77 modulation-&-coding configurations, 11N promises increased coverage and up to 300Mbps burst data rates. Although “Greenfield” installations (no legacy networks) with laptop or larger class devices may achieve these benefits, the experience using smaller mobile devices in a system mixed with 802.11ABG legacy nodes may differ considerably. In this presentation we discuss the limitations of 11N in the context of an evolutionary system consisting of both 11N and legacy IEEE802.11ABG devices. We then discuss the implications of 11N on smaller mobile platforms and provisions/options within 11N to facilitate such devices.
Innocent III, Hungary and the Bulgarian Coronation: A Study in Medieval Papal Diplomacy

During the twelfth century the papacy in the interest of peace within the Christian community gradually took a more active part in the mediation and settlement of secular disputes. Innocent III regarded such mediation as an obligation of his office, and throughout his pontificate he sought to promote more harmonious relations among Christian princes. In his correspondence he referred on several occasions to the words of the Psalmist, “…seek peace, and pursue it.” He often cited Christ's counsels of peace as in the Gospel of John, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” At the beginning of the thirteenth century peace was not only a worthy end in itself; it could have the additional advantage of freeing the European princes to fight as crusaders in a cause which Innocent zealously fostered.
An approach to morphological analysis of design/manufacturing problems

Identification and systematic analysis of managerial problems related to both product design and manufacturing are considered. A four-dimensional problem space is constructed in accordance with principles of morphological analysis. The basic parameters are: hierarchy, function, product structure, and criteria. The identification system works by understanding that every problem occupies a four-dimensional subspace and that a solution to the problem can be facilitated by locating a resolution process used to solve a similar problem that might have been reported elsewhere. A six-dimensional decision space, spanning structural, technological, and infrastructural dimensions, is also constructed to illustrate mapping between the morphological problem space and the decision space. >
U.S. Public Views of International Involvement from 1964 to 1993 Time-Series Analyses of General and Militant Internationalism

Differing views about the nature of public opinion are central to the debate concerning public influence on foreign policy. This study examines U.S. public opinion on the fundamental issue of the extent to which the nation should be involved in activity beyond its borders. The author develops annual time-series measures of two distinct views of internationalism—general internationalism and militant internationalism—in the period from 1964 to 1993. Time-series regression analyses indicate that changes in public support for general and militant internationalism correspond to changes in public views of the important issues of the day. The analyses reveal less support for militant internationalism associated with a higher percentage of liberal ideological identification in the years from 1964 to 1989. Overall, this research supports the view that aggregate changes in public support for internationalism are consistent and predictable.
Authentic 17 kDa tumour necrosis factor alpha is synthesized and released by canine mast cells and up-regulated by stem cell factor.

Summary Background Previous studies have suggested varying molecular weights for mast cell derived tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) and little data exist upon the factors which may regulate the control of this cytokine in these cells. Objective To determine the molecular weight of canine mastocytoma-derived TNFrt. to determine whether it is pre-formed within the granule and whether its expression could be up-regulated by stem cell factor (SCF). Methods Molecular sizing was assessed by immunoblot. The cellular localization of the TNFα was determined by immunocytochemistry before and after stimulation by A23187 and passive sensitization. Subcellular localization was performed by immuno-gold immunocytochemistry. Changes in the level of mastocytoma mRNA for TNFα in response to stimulation with SCF or fibroblast conditioned media for up to 12 weeks were studied using Northern analysis and changes in the level of TNFα protein expression on immunoblot and immunocytochemistry. Results Mast cells contained authentic 17 kDa TNFα as identified by immunoblotting. Immunocytochemical studies demonstrated preformed TNFα which was released by stimulation with antigen after passive sensitization. or by the calcium ionophore A23187. Further confirmation of the preformed nature of this TNFa was provided by immunogold electron microscopy which localized this cytokine to the granule of the inactive mast cell. Northern blotting revealed a constitutive message for TNFα. which increased in response to fibroblast conditioned media (FCM) and to recombinant human SCF. Immunocytochemical studies of mast cells cultured long-term with FCM or with recombinant SCF showed increased expression of TNFa over the course of 12 weeks incubation with these stimuli. Conclusion Mastocytoma derived—TNFα is a preformed, granule—associated 17 kDa cytokine which is released on stimulation with A23187 or passive sensitization. It is up-regulated by stem cell factor and by FCM over the course of 12 weeks.
On the Maximum Entropy Properties of the Binomial Distribution

It is shown that the Binomial(n,p) distribution maximizes the entropy in the class of ultra-log-concave distributions of order n with fixed mean np. This result, which extends a theorem of Shepp and Olkin (1981), is analogous to that of Johnson (2007), who considers the Poisson case. The proof constructs a Markov chain whose limiting distribution is Binomial(n,p) and shows that the entropy never decreases along the iterations of this Markov chain.
A Remarkable Ring Contraction En Route to the Chartelline Alkaloids

General procedures. All reactions were carried out under an inert nitrogen atmosphere with dry solvents under anhydrous conditions unless otherwise stated. Dry tetrahydrofuran (THF), toluene, benzene, dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), methanol (MeOH), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and triethylamine (Et3N) were obtained by passing these previously degassed solvents through activated alumina columns. Reagents were purchased at the highest commercial quality and used without further purification, unless otherwise stated. Copper(I) iodide was freshly purified from refluxing saturated aqueous NaI solution (aqueous). Yields refer to chromatographically and spectroscopically (H NMR) homogeneous materials, unless otherwise stated. Reactions were monitored by thin layer chromatography (TLC) carried out on 0.25 mm E. Merck silica gel plates (60F-254) using UV light as the visualizing agent and an acidic mixture of anisaldehyde or phosphomolybdic acid or basic aqueous potassium permangante (KMnO4) and heat as developing agents. E. Merck silica gel (60, particle size 0.043–0.063 mm) was used for flash column chromatography. Preparative thin layer chromatography (PTLC) separations were carried out on 0.25 or 0.5 mm E. Merck silica gel plates (60F-254). NMR spectra were recorded on Bruker DRX-600, DRX-500, and AMX-400 or Varian Inova-400 instruments and calibrated using residual undeuterated solvent as an internal reference. The following abbreviations were used to explain the multiplicities: s = singlet, d = doublet, t = triplet, q = quartet, m = multiplet, b = broad. High-resolution mass spectra (HRMS) were recorded on Agilent LC/MSD TOF time-of-flight mass spectrometer by electrospray ionization time of flight reflectron experiments. IR spectra were recorded on a Perkin Elmer Spectrum BX FTIR spectrometer. Melting points were recorded on a Fisher-Johns 12-144 melting point apparatus.
The Implicit Hitting Set Approach to Solve Combinatorial Optimization Problems with an Application to Multigenome Alignment

We develop a novel framework, the implicit hitting set approach, for solving a class of combinatorial optimization problems. The explicit hitting set problem is as follows: given a set U and a family S of subsets of U, find a minimum-cardinality set that intersects (hits) every set in S. In the implicit hitting set problem (IHSP), the family of subsets S is not explicitly listed (its size is, generally, exponential in terms of the size of U); instead, it is given via a polynomial-time oracle that verifies if a given set H is a hitting set or returns a set in S that is not hit by H. Many NP-hard problems can be straightforwardly formulated as implicit hitting set problems. We show that the implicit hitting set approach is valuable in developing exact and heuristic algorithms for solving this class of combinatorial optimization problems. Specifically, we provide a generic algorithmic strategy, which combines efficient heuristics and exact methods, to solve any IHSP. Given an instance of an IHSP, the propose...
Arrested succession in pastures hinders regeneration of Tropandean forests and shreds mountain landscapes

Arrested succession is conspicuous in the abandoned pastures of the Andean piedmont that have encroached upon the tropical montane forests toward higher limits and steeper slopes. Habitat 'shredding' is analysed to depict the current spatial configuration of tropical Andean landscapes, based on fragmentation patterns prompted by seed dispersal ecology and pasture encroachment.Seed dispersal was studied to address the hypo-thesis that seed input constrains the recruitment of montane forest seedlings, thus impeding pasture conversion to forest. It turns out that a better competitor, the tussock grass Setaria sphacelata, is limiting dispersal success due to its bioarchitecture and planting patterns. Because of the variegation of fragments, the area is in danger of landscape homogeneity within a matrix of degraded pasture. Currently, protection of fragmented remnants and restoration of original landscape structure and function are urgent needs for land-use planning toward sustainable development in the region.Restoration ecology is plausible as a means of conservation for degraded Tropandean forests, since human impacts have shredded landscapes entirely. Dispersal ecology may be used to facilitate pasture conversion to forest in equatorial landscapes, but the proactive approach of pasture removal or planting strategy should differ from that for lowland Amazonia, where abandoned pastures are different from those of montane environs. However, the region may be proactively managed only if political decisions include conservation as a goal of development.
The Political Mobilization of Firms and Industries

Corporate political activity is both a long-standing preoccupation and an area of innovation for sociologists. We examine the limitations of investigating business unity without focusing directly on processes and outcomes and then review studies of five types of business political action that offer lenses into corporate power in the United States: engagement in electoral politics, direct corporate lobbying, collective action through associations and coalitions, business campaigns in civil society, and political aspects of corporate responsibility. Through these avenues, we highlight four shifts since the 1970s: (a) increasing fragmentation of capitalist interests, (b) closer attention to links between business lobbying and firms' social embeddedness, (c) a turn away from the assumption that money buys political victories, and (d) new avenues of covert corporate influence. This body of research has reinvigorated the classic elitist/pluralist debate while also raising novel questions about how business acto...
Prescription Drug Advertising and Promotion: Learnings from Recent Food and Drug Administration Warning Letters:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulatory authority over advertising and promotion for prescription drug products in the United States. Professionals in the pharmaceutical industry can learn from FDA's enforcement efforts against violative activities. Thirty warning letters (WLs) issued by FDA's Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communication for violative advertising and promotion from January 2001 through June 2005 were analyzed for themes and trends. The findings are consistent with messages FDA has conveyed at recent public meetings. In particular, a clear theme was insufficient prominence of risk information and other information needed to appropriately balance claims. The WLs provide contemporary examples of FDA's operational interpretation of the requirements for prescription drug advertising to be truthful, fair, balanced, and not misleading. The WLs underscore FDA's concerns with violative promotional practices that may have public health implications.
Hypertrophic Neuropathies and Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors in Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Glial Growth Factor β3 in Myelinating Schwann Cells

The neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) family of growth and differentiation factors exerts a variety of effects on Schwann cells and their precursors during nervous system development; however, NRG-1 effects on adult Schwann cells are poorly defined. Several lines of evidence suggest that NRG-1 actions on adult Schwann cells are distinct from those observed during development. To test this hypothesis, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing the NRG-1 isoform glial growth factor β3 (GGFβ3) in myelinating Schwann cells [protein zero (P)GGFβ3 mice]. P-GGFβ3 mice develop resting tremors, gait abnormalities, decreased hindlimb strength, and paralysis by ∼7 months of age. Sciatic nerves from these animals show a hypertrophic neuropathy characterized by demyelination, remyelination, and “onion bulb” formation. Development of this hypertrophic neuropathy is preceded by Schwann cell hyperplasia that is prominent in 1-month-old mice and present but decreased in 2- and 4-month-old animals. P-GGFβ3 mice also develop peripheral ganglion-associated malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Motor, sensory, and sympathetic ganglia from 1-, 2-, and 4-month-old P-GGFβ3 mice uniformly contain intraganglionic, likely preneoplastic, Schwann cell proliferations. Examination of bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and caspase-3 activation in sciatic nerves and trigeminal ganglia indicates that Schwann cell hyperplasia in P-GGFβ3 mice reflects increased proliferation rather than decreased apoptosis. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that GGFβ3 induces proliferation of adult Schwann cells and demyelination of peripheral nerve axons. Furthermore, overexpression of this NRG-1 isoform frequently induces neoplastic Schwann cell proliferation within PNS ganglia, suggesting that NRG-1 may contribute to human Schwann cell neoplasia.
Refractory thyroid cancer: a paradigm shift in treatment is not far off.

Oncology 1,2 is noteworthy, even without further elaboration. Why has there been limited interest in developmental therapeutics for thyroid malignancies in the past? Much has to do with the natural history of thyroid carcinomas, traditional management paradigms, and the limitations of available chemotherapies. More than 90% of thyroid malignancies are derived from the thyroid follicular cell. The vast majority are differentiated tumors, with the papillary subtype predominating (approximately 80%); most of the remainder are follicular carcinomas and related variants. For these differentiated tumors, standard treatment with primary surgery and thyroidstimulating hormone (TSH) suppression with supraphysiologic thyroid hormone administration often suffices. Depending on disease stage, patient age, and a variety of histopathologic factors, ablation of the thyroid remnant with radioactive iodine 131 (RAI) is added. 3 This collective strategy is associated with an overall survival rate of approximately 90% at 20 years. 4 The prognosis remains relatively favorable even among patients who experience relapse, as the annual mortality rate is far less than the annual rate of recurrence. 5 Indeed, many patients with recurrent disease, even when incurable, will have an indolent course over months to years, with few or no symptoms without active anticancer therapy beyond TSH suppression. At relapse, further surgery, repeat RAI, external-beam radiation, or even observation with continued TSH suppression have all been commonly prioritized before chemotherapy. Drugs such as doxorubicin (the only United States Food and Drug Administration–approved agent), cisplatin, or bleomycin—administered as single agents or as part of some combination regimen— benefit a minority of patients, and related toxicities may be significant. 6-8
Promoting nationhood through television in Africa

The following pages contain the opinions of leading officials of a number of African nations, each of whom maintains that television will be of tremendous use to his emerging country. It will take some time to determine whether their wishes have become reality. Abraham Z. Bass is a lecturer in journalism at the University of Minnesota, where he is completing his doctorate in mass communications.
Identification of Two Protein Kinases Required for Abscisic Acid Regulation of Seed Germination, Root Growth, and Gene Expression in Arabidopsis

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important phytohormone regulating various plant processes, including seed germination. Although phosphorylation has been suggested to be important, the protein kinases required for ABA signaling during seed germination and seedling growth remain elusive. Here, we show that two protein kinases, SNF1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE2.2 (SnRK2.2) and SnRK2.3, control responses to ABA in seed germination, dormancy, and seedling growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. A snrk2.2 snrk2.3 double mutant, but not snrk2.2 or snrk2.3 single mutants, showed strong ABA-insensitive phenotypes in seed germination and root growth inhibition. Changes in seed dormancy and ABA-induced Pro accumulation consistent with ABA insensitivity were also observed. The snrk2.2 snrk2.3 double mutant had a greatly reduced level of a 42-kD kinase activity capable of phosphorylating peptides from ABF (for ABA Response Element Binding Factor) transcription factors. ABA-induced expression of several genes whose promoters contain an ABA response element (ABRE) was reduced in snrk2.2 snrk2.3, suggesting that the mechanism of SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3 action in ABA signaling involves the activation of ABRE-driven gene expression through the phosphorylation of ABFs. Together, these results demonstrate that SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3 are redundant but key protein kinases that mediate a major part of ABA signaling in Arabidopsis.
Marine protected areas and ocean basin management

1. All reserve designs must be guided by an understanding of natural history and habitat variability. 2. Differences in scale and predictability set aside highly dynamic pelagic systems from terrestrial and nearshore ecosystems, where wildlife reserves were first implemented. Yet, as in static systems, many pelagic species use predictable habitats to breed and forage. Marine protected areas (MPAs) could be designed to protect these foraging and breeding aggregations. 3. Understanding the physical mechanisms that influence the formation and persistence of these aggregations is essential in order to define and implement pelagic protected areas. We classify pelagic habitats according to their dynamics and predictability into three categories: static, persistent and ephemeral features. 4. While traditional designs are effective in static habitats, many important pelagic habitats are neither fixed nor predictable. Thus, pelagic protected areas will require dynamic boundaries and extensive buffers. 5. In addition, the protection of far-ranging pelagic vertebrates will require dynamic MPAs defined by the extent and location of large-scale oceanographic features. 6. Recent technological advances and our ability to implement large-scale conservation actions will facilitate the implementation of pelagic protected areas. 7. The establishment of pelagic MPAs should include enforcement, research and monitoring programmes to evaluate design effectiveness. 8. Ultimately, society will need a holistic management scheme for entire ocean basins. Such overarching management will rely on many innovative tools, including the judicious use of pelagic MPAs. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Drug discovery for neglected tropical diseases at the Sandler Center

The Sandler Center’s approach to target-based drug discovery for neglected tropical diseases is to focus on parasite targets that are homologous to human targets being actively investigated in the pharmaceutical industry. In this way we attempt to use both the know-how and actual chemical matter from other drug-development efforts to jump start the discovery process for neglected tropical diseases. Our approach is akin to drug repurposing, except that we seek to repurpose leads rather than drugs. Medicinal chemistry can then be applied to optimize the leads specifically for the desired antiparasitic indication.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal represents 1.5% ofall malignancies affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Over the past 20 years dramatic changes have been seen in both the epidemiological distribution of the disease and in the therapeutic modalities utilised to manage it. Clinical management: Historically abdominoperineal resection had been the treatment of choice with local resection reserved for early stage disease. Work by Nigro et al. has revolutionised how we currently manage carcinoma of the anal canal, demonstrating combined modality chemoradiotherapy as an appropriate alternative to surgical resection with the benefit of preserving sphincter function. Surgery is then reserved for recurrent disease with salvage abdominoperineal resection. This article reviews current literature and highlights the changing therapeutic modalities with selected clinical cases
Establishing Real Global Connections

When I typed “global connections” as a search term in Google, I got 52,900,000 results (July 6, 2011). Even an inquiry in Google Scholar yielded 1,390,000 results. It's rare for undergraduate students not to have some sort of international experience, and many physical therapist professional education programs in the United States send students for an international service learning experience. But the larger meaning of global connections for the physical therapy community and our potential impact on promoting world health became crystal clear at the 16th International World Confederation for Physical Therapy Congress (WCPT) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in June. At last count, about 5,300 clinicians traveled from 115 countries for this event. I was struck by the fact that speakers emphasized principles for intervention rather than clinical context (eg, acute care facility, rehabilitation setting). Two of the focused symposia—one related to …
Cluster analysis of seismic moment tensor orientations

SUMMARY This paper demonstrates that well-known methods of cluster analysis and multivariate data analysis are useful for geodynamic interpretation of seismic moment tensors. To use these methods, moment tensors are expressed as vectors in a 6-D space. These are vectors in a rigorous sense, rather than an arbitrary set of ordered numbers, because a dot product can be defined that is independent of the coordinate system. In this vector space, non-isotropic moment tensors are a 5-D linear subspace and normalized moment tensors are unit vectors, or points on a unit sphere. Distance along a great circle of the unit sphere satisfies reasonable requirements for any measure of the difference between normalized moment tensors. In regions with a few isolated sets of orientations, cluster analysis based on the great circle distance identifies the same groups of earthquakes that a seismologist would. Figures based on principal component analysis and discriminant analysis illustrate orientation clustering better than equal area projections of moment tensor principal axes. In one case where clusters have been claimed to exist, orientations appear to be continuously distributed and no evidence is found for separate populations of moment tensors.
Lipids of human leukocytes: relation to cell type

Significant differences in lipid composition have been found between normal human lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (isolated from blood by means of glass-bead columns), abnormal leukocytes from patients with acute and chronic leukemia, and leukocytes from peritoneal exudates. Lipid extracts of isolated leukocytes were analyzed for total lipid, phosphorus, cholesterol, and plasmalogens. Individual phospholipids and neutral lipids were separated by thin-layer chromatography. The major phospholipids were phosphatidyl choline, ethanolamine glycerophosphatides, sphingomyelin, phosphatidyl serine, and phosphatidyl inositol. Plasmalogen was found mainly as phosphatidal ethanolamine. The neutral lipid fractions contained free cholesterol and various amounts of triglyceride, but little esterified cholesterol. Normal lymphocytes contained about half as much total lipid per cell as normal polymorphonuclear leukocytes, with a similar cholesterol:-lipid-P ratio but relatively more lecithin and less ethanolamine glycerophosphatide. Normal mature leukocytes, compared with immature cells of the same morphological series, had a higher total lipid content per cell, more cholesterol, and a higher ratio of cholesterol to lipid-P. Little difference was found in total lipid-P per cell, but mature cells contained relatively less lecithin and more sphingomyelin. These findings may reflect differences in the relative content of various intracellular organelles as well as possible differences in the quantity and composition of the plasma membrane.
Cutting Edge: Nonobese Diabetic Mice Deficient in Chromogranin A Are Protected from Autoimmune Diabetes

T cells reactive to β cell Ags are critical players in the development of autoimmune type 1 diabetes. Using a panel of diabetogenic CD4 T cell clones derived from the NOD mouse, we recently identified the β cell secretory granule protein, chromogranin A (ChgA), as a new autoantigen in type 1 diabetes. CD4 T cells reactive to ChgA are pathogenic and rapidly transfer diabetes into young NOD recipients. We report in this article that NOD.ChgA(-/-) mice do not develop diabetes and show little evidence of autoimmunity in the pancreatic islets. Using tetramer analysis, we demonstrate that ChgA-reactive T cells are present in these mice but remain naive. In contrast, in NOD.ChgA(+/+) mice, a majority of the ChgA-reactive T cells are Ag experienced. Our results suggest that the presence of ChgA and subsequent activation of ChgA-reactive T cells are essential for the initiation and development of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice.
Antigenic variation of a relapsing fever Borrelia species.

INTRODUCTION . . . 155 IMMUNOLOGY OF RELAPSING FEVER . . . 156 THE VARIABLE ANTIGENS ARE OUTER MEMBRANE PROTEINS . . . . . .. . . . .. .. . . . 161 ANTIGENIC V ARIA TION IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF DNA REARRANGEMENTS 162 Vrnp GENES ARE ON LINEAR PLASMIDS 163 RECOMBINATION BETWEEN LINEAR PLASMIDS 164 CONCLUDING REMARKS 168
A Robust Test for OLS Trends in Daily Temperature Data

Trends in time series data estimated with OLS linear regression may be tested with a robust procedure that is less sensitive to influential observations and violations of regression assumptions. The test consists of comparing the average age of data tritiles. If the higher tritiles are newer a rising trend is indicated for the sample period. If the higher tritiles are older a declining trend is indicated. If neither of these conditions is met, no sustained trend in the sample period may be inferred from the data. Daily temperature data from selected USHCN and USCRN stations are used to demonstrate the utility of the proposed methodology.
Parallelizing security checks on commodity hardware

Speck (Speculative Parallel Check) is a system thataccelerates powerful security checks on commodity hardware by executing them in parallel on multiple cores. Speck provides an infrastructure that allows sequential invocations of a particular security check to run in parallel without sacrificing the safety of the system. Speck creates parallelism in two ways. First, Speck decouples a security check from an application by continuing the application, using speculative execution, while the security check executes in parallel on another core. Second, Speck creates parallelism between sequential invocations of a security check by running later checks in parallel with earlier ones. Speck provides a process-level replay system to deterministically and efficiently synchronize state between a security check and the original process.We use Speck to parallelize three security checks: sensitive data analysis, on-access virus scanning, and taint propagation. Running on a 4-core and an 8-core computer, Speck improves performance 4x and 7.5x for the sensitive data analysis check, 3.3x and 2.8x for theon-access virus scanning check, and 1.6x and 2x for the taint propagation check.
Role and Importance of Functional Assessment in Infections

Functional assessment identifies older patients with infections who are at risk for functional decline, it provides clues that infection is worsening, and it predicts outcomes of mortality and discharge location.
Ultrafast Optically Activated Switching in Semiconducting Materials

Within the past decade a virtual explosion in integrated optics has assured optical microcircuits a place of importance in future communication applications. For reasons which are mostly connected with the ready availability of highly transparent optical materials in the 1 μm wavelength region, relatively little attention has been directed at the longer infrared wavelengths in this connection. Yet given the posibilities of infrared optical radar and satellite communication, based, e.g., on CO2 laser sources, it would seem that wide bandwidth infrared optical microcircuits will have a not insignificant future role to play in i. r. signal processing. As evidenced by two articles in this volume, we are beginning to see results of recent efforts, directed at the development of infrared fibers.
7.7 A 768Gb 3b/cell 3D-floating-gate NAND flash memory

A planar floating-gate NAND technology has previously realized a 0.87Gb/mm2 memory density using 3b/cell [1] and achieved a minimum feature size for 16nm [2]. However, the development of planar NAND flash is expected to reach the scaling limit in a few technology generations. To break though this limit, a significant shift to 3D NAND flash has begun and several types of 3D memory cell structures have been proposed and discussed [3–5]. Recently a 3D V-NAND technology achieved 1.86Gb/mm2 using charge-trap cells and 3b/cell [6]. This paper presents a 3b/cell NAND flash memory utilizing a 3D floating gate (FG) technology that achieves 4.29Gb/mm2.
Numerical Analysis of Phase Change and Dynamics Associated with Bubbles and Droplets

*† ‡ ** A general formula for the second-order projection method combined with the level set method is developed to simulate unsteady, incompressible multiphase flow with phase change. The ghost fluid method (GFM) idea is used to calculate the interface temperature gradient. . The third-order ENO scheme and second-order semi-implicit Crank-Nicholson scheme is employed to update the convective and diffusion terms respectively. The projection method has second-order temporal accuracy for variable-density unsteady incompressible flows as well. The level set approach is employed to implicitly capture the interface for multiphase flows. Continuum surface force (CSF) tension model is used in the present cases. Phase change and dynamics associated with a single bubble and multi-bubbles in two-and three-dimension during the nucleate boiling are studied numerically via the present modeling. The numerical results show this method can handle complex deformation of the interface and account for the effect of liquid-vapor phase change. Nomenclature l ρ = liquid density g ρ = gas density l µ = liquid viscosity g µ = gas viscosity pl C = liquid specific heat pg C = gas specific heat K = thermal conductivity β = expansion coefficient fg h = heat of vaporization
CONTROL IN A SAFE SET: ADDRESSING SAFETY IN HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTIONS

Human-robot interactions (HRI) happen in a wide range of situations. Safety is one of the biggest concerns in HRI. This paper proposes a safe set method for designing the robot controller and offers theoretical guarantees of safety. The interactions are modeled in a multi-agent system framework. To deal with humans in the loop, we design a parameter adaptation algorithm (PAA) to learn the closed loop behavior of humans online. Then a safe set (a subset of the state space) is constructed and the optimal control law is mapped to the set of control which can make the safe set invariant. This algorithm is applied with different safety constraints to both mobile robots and robot arms. The simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the algorithm.
Role of effective tensile strain in electromechanical response of helical graphene nanoribbons with open and closed armchair edges

There is a growing need to understand the mechanical and electronic properties of nonideal graphene nanoribbons. Using objective molecular dynamics and a density-functional-based tight-binding model, we investigate the effects of torsion on the electromechanical properties of graphene nanoribbons with armchair edges. We propose to characterize with an effective tensile strain scalar the torsional mechanical response, including a reverse Poynting effect, and the fundamental band-gap modulations. The demonstrated utility of this concept in both the mechanical and electrical domains provides a perspective for understanding the electromechanical response in a unified way and for designing nanoelectromechanical devices with graphene components.
Analog Meter Image Preprocessing Based on Improved Adaptive Threshold Algorithm

Based on the characteristics of analog meter images,this paper proposes an improved adaptive threshold method based on improved adaptive threshold algorithm.After the sharpening and histogram equalization,this paper makes the binarization using adaptive threshold algorithm to highlight the feature details.Experimental results show that the method can eliminate the instrument image uneven illumination and noise signal interference factors in contrasted to the global threshold algorithm and adaptive threshold algorithm.The method of research was simple and easy to implement,which has a pretty good promotional value.
Effects of counterpulsation on body fluid compartments, plasma hemoglobin, and hematocrit.

Summary 1. Counterpulsation was carried out in two groups of animals, one properly synchronized and one improperly synchronized. Body fluid compartment changes, hematocrit, and plasma hemoglobin formation were measured. In the improperly synchronized group, there was a severe decrease in extracellular fluid and all animals died. Both groups suffered a decrease in red cell mass. 2. Plasma hemoglobin formation in the properly synchronized group was much lower than in the improperly synchronized group. Neither group showed dangerously high levels. 3. Hematocrits decreased in both groups, but somewhat more in the improperly synchronized group. 4. It is concluded that this form of assistance, when properly used, is safe with respect to fluid compartment changes and blood cell destruction.
Feasibility and Efficacy of a Self-Management Intervention for Insomnia in Stable Heart Failure

Background:Chronic insomnia is common among patients with heart failure (HF) and may contribute to fatigue and poor function. However, to date there have been no randomized controlled trials focuse...
Intrarenal Pressure and Exaggerated Natriuresis in Essential Hypertension

1. Intrarenal pressure, estimated by measurement of wedged renal vein pressure, was elevated in patients with essential hypertension. Despite increased afferent arteriolar resistance, glomerular pressure was elevated indicating that the higher systemic pressure in essential hypertension is transmitted beyond the arterioles and accounts for elevation of intrarenal pressure. 2. During hypertonic saline loading in hypertensives, renal arteriolar resistance falls, resulting in further increase in intrarenal pressure. Increments in intrarenal pressure paralleled increases in sodium excretion in patients with essential hypertension during the exaggerated natriuresis and in normotensive subjects after the prolonged infusion of hypertonic saline. 3. The marked increase in intrarenal pressure which appears to be responsible for exaggerated natriuresis in essential hypertension is attributable to an altered (exaggerated) response of the renal arterioles. The data suggest that elevated intrarenal pressure may play a role in the regulation of sodium balance in patients with essential hypertension.