cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Global chimeric exchanges within the intracellular face of the bradykinin B2 receptor with corresponding angiotensin II type Ia receptor regions: generation of fully functional hybrids showing characteristic signaling of the AT1a receptor.

The intracellular (IC) face of the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR), bradykinin (BK) B2 and angiotensin (AT) 1a, is similar in sequence homology and in size. Both receptors are known to link to Galphai and Galphaq but differ markedly in a number of physiologic actions, particularly with respect to their hemodynamic action. We made single as well as multiple, global replacements within the IC of BKB2R with the corresponding regions of the AT1aR. When stably transfected into Rat-1 cells, these hybrid receptors all bound BK with high affinity. Single replacement of the intracellular loop 2 (IC2) or the distal 34 residues of the C-terminus (dCt) with the corresponding regions of AT1aR resulted in chimera, which turned over phosphotidylinositol (PI) and released arachidonic acid (ARA) as WT BKB2R. In contrast, incorporation of the AT1aR IC3 in a single replacement abolished signal transduction. However, the simultaneous exchange of IC2 and IC3 of BKB2R with AT1aR resulted in a receptor responding to BK with PI turnover and ARA release approximately 4-fold greater than WT BKB2R. Likewise, the simultaneous replacement of IC2 and dCt resulted in a 2.8- and 1.6-fold increase in PI turnover and ARA release, respectively. In contrast, the dual replacement of IC3 and dCt could not overcome the deleterious effects of the IC3 replacement, resulting in very low PI activation and ARA release. Replacement of all three IC domains (IC2, IC3, and dCt) resulted in PI closer to that of AT1aR than BKB2R. The uptake of the receptor chimeras was similar to that of WT BKB2R with the exception of the IC3/dCt dual mutant, which exhibited very poor internalization (18% at 60'). When transfected into Rat-1 cells, the AT1aR markedly increased the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) mRNA, while BK slightly decreased it. The dual IC2/dCt and triple IC2/IC3/dCt hybrids both upregulated CTGF mRNA in response to BK. These results show that the IC face of the BKB2R can be exchanged with that of AT1aR, producing hybrid receptors, which take on the functional characteristics of AT1aR. The characterization of the chimera with stepwise replacement of the IC domains should allow for assignment of specific roles to the individual loops and C-terminus in the signaling and internalization of the BKB2R and facilitate the generation of a receptor with BKB2R binding and AT1aR function.
Experimental Acute Myocardial Infarction Characterization and Treatment of the Malignant Premature Ventricular Contraction

The majority of deaths from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occur prior to the arrival of medical aid and appear to be due to ventricular fibrillation (VF). Since the premature ventricular contraction and bradycardia are believed to predispose to VF, it has been suggested that administration of atropine or lidocaine during the prehospital phase of AMI may effectively reduce mortality in AMI. To test the efficacy of these drugs in treating arrhythmias during the acute phase of AMI we studied 72 closed-chest conscious dogs in which AMI was produced by inflating a balloon cuff previously implanted around the left anterior descending coronary artery. Ventricular arrhythmias developed in 52 dogs either during occlusion or within 2 min of release of occlusion. Arrhythmias were treated by (1) atropine, (2) atrial pacing, (3) lidocaine, or (4) atropine plus lidocaine. Of the 18 dogs that developed VF, all had ectopic ventricular beats that followed a preceding beat (R-R PVC interval) by ≤0.43 sec; no dog with a ventricular arrhythmia that exhibited only R-R PVC intervals >0.43 sec developed VF. On this basis arrhythmias were defined as "benign" (R-R PVC >0.43 sec) or "malignant" (R-R PVC ≤0.43 sec). Using this classification, we found that benign arrhythmias were successfully suppressed by atropine (10 of 13 arrhythmias), pacing (nine of 11), and lidocaine (three of five); however, atropine suppressed only two of 18, pacing two of 14, and lidocaine none of six malignant arrhythmias. We conclude that (1) not all ventricular arrhythmias are potentially lethal and (2) while atropine, pacing, and lidocaine successfully suppress most benign arrhythmias, they appear considerably less effective in suppressing those faster arrhythmias that frequently lead to the precipitation of VF.
Fatigue-life of two manual wheelchair cross-brace designs.

Abstract Objective: To compare the durability of two designs of cross-braces for folding manual wheelchairs and to determine the nature of wheelchair cross-brace failures. Design: Fatigue testing of two folding wheelchair cross-brace designs (one with a rectangular cross-section and the other with a circular cross-section). A total of 20 cross-brace pairs were tested. Results: The cross-braces with a circular cross-section endured a mean ± SD of 100,159 ± 45,814 cycles before experiencing a fatigue failure, whereas the cross-braces with a rectangular cross-section endured an average of 261,254 ± 160,741 cycles. At test showed significant differences ( p = .01) in fatigue-life between cross-braces with a circular cross-section versus cross-braces with a rectangular cross-section. All 20 cross-braces experienced similar fatigue failures that would develop at the bolt hole where the two cross-braces connect to form a hinge. Conclusion: The results suggest that the rectangular cross-brace design has a longer fatigue-life than the circular cross-brace design. People should regularly inspect the cross-brace for cracks. The area around the bolt forming the hinge should be inspected carefully. If a crack is observed, the cross-brace should be replaced immediately.
Formal Group-Theoretic Generalizations of the Necklace Algebra, Including aq-Deformation

Abstract N. Metropolis and G.-C. Rota (Adv. Math.50, 1983, 95–125) studied thenecklace polynomials, and were lead to define thenecklace algebraas a combinatorial model for the classical ring ofWitt vectors(which corresponds to the multiplicative formal group lawX + Y − XY). In this paper, we define and study a generalized necklace algebra, which is associated with an arbitrary formal group lawFover a torsion free ringA. The map from the ring of Witt vectors associated withFto the necklace algebra is constructed in terms of certain generalizations of the necklace polynomials. We present a combinatorial interpretation for these polynomials in terms of words on a given alphabet. The actions of theVerschiebungandFrobeniusoperators, as well as of thep-typification idempotentare described and interpreted combinatorially. Aq-analogue and other generalizations of thecyclotomic identityare also presented. In general, the necklace algebra can only be defined over the rationalizationA ⊗ Q . Nevertheless, we show that for the family of formal group laws over the integersFq(X, Y) = X + Y − qXY,q ∈ Z , we can define the corresponding necklace algebras over Z . We classify these algebras, and define isomorphic ring structures on the groups of Witt vectors and the groups of curves associated with the formal group lawsFq. Theq-necklace polynomials, which turn out to benumerical polynomialsin two variables, can be interpreted combinatorially in terms of so-calledq-words, and they satisfy an identity generalizing a classical one.
The A. tumefaciens transcriptional activator OccR causes a bend at a target promoter, which is partially relaxed by a plant tumor metabolite

Octopine is released from crown gall tumors as a nutrient source and a signal molecule for the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Some or all octopine-inducible genes are regulated by a protein called OccR. Primer extension analysis showed that OccR protein represses the occR gene and both represses and activates the occQ operon, which is divergently transcribed from occR. These promoters initiate transcription 46 bp apart. This regulatory system was reconstituted in vitro using purified OccR protein and Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. OccR binds with high affinity to a single site overlapping these promoters. Octopine shortens the DNAase I footprint of OccR and increases the gel mobility of OccR-DNA complexes by relaxing an OccR-incited DNA bend.
Energy dependence of quasifree scattering in deuteron breakup under α-particle bombardment from 30 to 80 MeV

$\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle-induced quasifree scattering in deuteron breakup exhibits no difference between kinematically equivalent $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}p$ and $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}n$ channels, in contrast to previously measured proton-induced breakup. This supports the hypothesis that spin and statistics play a dominant role in deuteron breakup reactions and that previously postulated charge and final-state effects cannot explain the proton data.
Second Language Instructors and CALL: A Multidisciplinary Research Framework

The increasing importance of computer assisted language learning (CALL) in second language (L2) classes has added a new dimension to L2 research, and it has challenged scholars to find valid research methods and theoretical frameworks that can be applied in the analysis of the linguistic and social aspects of the interaction among students and instructors in CALL. Even though researchers have proposed frameworks based on theories of discourse analysis for the investigation of student–computer interaction (Chapelle, 1990), instructors have been mostly disregarded. In order to fully understand the impact of CALL on L2 learning, it is important to investigate teachers’ interpretive and theoretical frameworks, and the institutional and pedagogical factors that might contribute to promote or hinder their implementation of CALL. This article proposes a multidisciplinary research framework – integrating three theories from cultural psychology, linguistics, and sociology – that allows researchers to address these issues. In addition, Markee’s (1997) model for analysis of curricular innovation is incorporated as a component to determine if the use of CALL in L2 classes truly constitutes a curricular innovation and the role that instructors may play in this outcome. A concrete example of an existing study based on the framework is also presented.
Complement-fixing murine typhus antibodies in vitamin deficiency states.

SummaryThese studies indicate that rats on a diet containing what is considered to be an optimum vit. B complex content have the ability to produce circulating complement fixing antibodies when immunized with relatively large amounts of the rickettsiae of murine typhus fever. Likewise, rats maintained on a diet containing only one-tenth of the presumed optimum also have the ability to produce these same antibodies to approximately the same titers. Pantothenic acid and thiamin deficiencies influenced the antibody response when a relatively small amount of immunizing material was injected. The influence is not as apparent when relatively large amounts of the antigenic material was employed.
Electrophysiologic and hemodynamic effects of chronic oral therapy with the α2‐agonists clonidine and tiamenidine in hypertensive volunteers

Clonidine can produce symptomatic sinus bradycardia or atrioventricular (AV) block in some patients. Electrophysiologic studies have been performed after intravenous clonidine in patients showing such side effects; these have demonstrated variable depression of sinus and AV nodal function. We have evaluated the electrophysiologic and hemodynamic effects of chronic oral treatment with either clonidine (0.2 to 0.5 mg every 12 hours; n = 7) or another centrally active α2-agonist, tiamenidine (0.5 to 1.5 mg every 12 hours; n = 7), in otherwise healthy hypertensive human volunteers. At dosages that modestly lowered diastolic blood pressure, both agents significantly slowed sinus rate and increased the atrial pacing rate producing AV nodal Wenckebach. Clonidine also significantly increased corrected sinus node recovery time and lowered cardiac output while similar (but statistically insignificant) trends were seen with tiamenidine. We conclude that chronic oral treatment with these α2-agonists depresses sinus and AV nodal function in virtually all subjects, including those without manifest conduction system disease. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1988) 43, 648–654; doi:10.1038/clpt.1988.90
Hydrochemical variations in a Spring-Fed River, Spring River, Arkansas

Streamwater chemistry of the Spring River, Arkansas, is explained as a mixture of ground water, overland/subsurface flow, and bank storage. These end-member components are considered to be invariant in space and time, with overland flow being chemically identical to subsurface flow. Binary mixing models were used to identify the end members, with solutes Ca2+, Na+, Si, NO3, PO43, and DOC having sufficient variation in the streamwaters. These end members were used in a ternary mixing model to assess the relative contributions of end-member components to streamwater chemistry. The percentage of variance explained by the end-member mixing analysis ranges from 38 to 99%, with the results of this model being reasonable in light of hydrograph separation and mass-balance calculations. Constraining the end-member compositions and allowing their composition to change over time will provide results that more accurately reflect streamwater chemistry.
The case for aggressivepartial preloadingin broadcasting protocols for video-on-demand

Broadcasting protocols for video-on-demand usually consume over fifty percent of their bandwidth to distribute the first ten to fifteen minutes of the videos they distribute. Since all these protocols require the user set-top box to include a disk drive, we propose to use this drive to store the first five to twenty minutes of the ten to twenty most popular videos. This will provide low-cost instant access to these videos.
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase Akt negatively regulates plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 expression in vascular endothelial cells

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) regulates fibrinolytic activity and mediates vascular atherothrombotic disease. Endothelial cells (ECs) synthesize and secrete PAI-1, but the intracellular signaling pathways that regulate PAI-1 expression are not entirely known. We hypothesize that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase Akt pathway, which regulates endothelial function, could modulate PAI-1 expression in ECs. Cultured bovine aortic and human saphenous vein ECs were stimulated with TNF-α, ANG II, insulin, or serum, and PAI-1 expression was determined by Northern and Western analyses. Inhibition of PI3K with wortmannin or LY-294002 enhanced PAI-1 expression induced by these extracellular stimuli. Similarly, overexpression of a dominant-negative mutant of PI3K or Akt increased TNF-α- and insulin-induced PAI-1 expression. The increase in PAI-1 was due to transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms as PI3K inhibitors increased PAI-1 promoter activity and mRNA stability. The induction of PAI-1 by TNF-α and insulin is mediated, in part, by ERK and p38 MAPK. PI3K inhibitors augmented TNF-α- and insulin-induced phosphorylation of these MAPKs. Simvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor, which is known to activate PI3K/Akt, blocks TNF-α- and insulin-induced PAI-1 expression. Treatment with PI3K inhibitors reversed the inhibitor effects of simvastatin on TNF-α- and insulin-induced PAI-1 expression. These findings indicate that the PI3K/Akt pathway acts as a negative regulator of PAI-1 expression in ECs, in part, through the downregulation of MAPK pathways. These results suggest that factors that activate the PI3K/Akt pathway in ECs may have therapeutic benefits for atherothrombotic vascular disease.
EMERGING NEW THERAPIES FOR CUTANEOUS T-CELL LYMPHOMA

Improved therapy for CTCL will depend on a better understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease at a molecular level. It is clear that the T cells in MF and CTCL do not undergo normal programmed cell death and have prolonged lifespans. Skin flora or other antigens may stimulate the initial proliferation, offering another approach to change the course of the disease. There has been tremendous interest in biological response modifiers, and the first targeted fusion toxin to activated T cells has been approved for CTCL. New retinoids with increased selectivity and decreased side effects are being tested for this disease. In summary, the treatment of CTCL should continue to improve and should be focused on strategies that preserve the immune function in these patients.
Partial database replication using epidemic communication

Data replication in distributed databases has been investigated extensively with the hope that it will improve performance, reliability, and availability. However the growth of the Internet has shown us that current replica management do not work well when the replicas are connected by an unreliable network, subject to congestion and dynamic topology changes. In this paper we present a replica update protocol that handles an adaptive partial replication scheme on such a network.
Sequential inductive learning

This article advocates a new model for inductive learning. Called sequential induction, it helps bridge classical fixed-sample learning techniques (which are efficient but difficult to formally characterize), and worst-case approaches (which provide strong statistical guarantees but are too inefficient for practical use). Learning proceeds as a sequence of decisions which are informed by training data. By analyzing induction at the level of these decisions, and by utilizing the only enough data to make each decision, sequential induction provides statistical guarantees but with substantially less data than worst-case methods require. The sequential inductive model is also useful as a method for determining a sufficient sample size for inductive learning and as such, is relevant to learning problems where the preponderance of data or the cost of gathering data precludes the use of traditional methods.
Vacuoles: a hollow threat?

In this issue of the Journal, Bawolak et al.1 focus their studies on a mechanism that provides a provocative insight into the complexity of systems that organize the intracellular environment. This mechanism may also serve to describe the effects produced by agents that are applied in high concentrations to the outer membrane of the cell… in this case, local anesthetics. As the authors note, aside from their block of sodium channels in excitable membranes, local anesthetics are known to have many “off target” effects. The authors discuss a mechanism that reflects upon the effect of local anesthetics, specifically procaine and lidocaine, in forming intracellular vacuoles and the role of a specific enzyme in vacuolar (V)–ATPase in producing this phenomena. I comment on this paper from the perspective of the potential significance of this vacuolar mechanism, not only from the perspective of the smooth muscle cell that they employ but from the point of view of the potential effects of this mechanism on issues resulting from the effects of local anesthetics on nerves, the typical intended target systems for which these agents are most commonly employed. The clinically relevant phenomenon of “conduction block” produced by cocaine was revealed in the late 19th century by the topical delivery of that agent to tissues such as the cornea or by delivery directly to the peripheral nerve or spinal cord using the hypodermic needle and syringe. Recognizing the limitations and side effects posed by the drug, early pharmaceutical chemistry led to the synthesis of a variety of analogues with an early appreciation that distinguishing elements of the structure activity relationship were the amino ester and amino amide linkages which form a weakly basic structure.2
Retinoid-mediated signaling pathways in CD38 antigen expression in myeloid leukemia cells.

The lymphocyte cell surface antigen CD38, which was originally described as a differentiation marker, has emerged as an important multifunctional protein. Its most intriguing and well characterized function is its ability to catalyze the synthesis of cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) from NAD. cADPR serves as an important second messenger in controlling the release of intracellular calcium from ryanodine-sensitive intracellular pools. By virtue of its ability to synthesize cADPR as well as to act as an adhesion and signal transduction molecule, CD38 may play a role in such diverse physiological processes as cell growth, apoptosis, differentiation, and inflammation. Equally interesting is the pattern of CD38 expression in hematopoeitic cells. In the bone marrow, early precursor cells predominantly express CD38 antigen, whereas mature circulating blood cells lack or express very low levels. The expression is also high on malignant hematopoeitic cells and thus may be of prognostic relevance in certain leu-kemias. Pr...
The Arabidopsis leaf provascular cell transcriptome is enriched in genes with roles in vein patterning

Several classes of genes have been associated, by mutant phenotypes or cell biology, with the formation of vein patterns during early leaf development, including genes for certain transcription factors, auxin transport and response factors, endomembrane traffic components and other signaling pathway components. The majority of these are expressed with spatial and temporal specificity that includes expression in the precursors of vascular cells - provascular (PV) and procambial (PC) cells - suggesting that other PV/PC-specific genes might have roles in vein patterning. We inventoried the PV/PC transcriptome of Arabidopsis leaves using a combination of laser microdissection and microarray expression profiling, and determined the phenotypes of knock-outs of previously uncharacterized PV/PC-specific genes. As examples, we observed vein pattern defects in knock-out lines of KEG and a CCCH zinc finger protein. This strategy of gene discovery, based on the identification of a gene set co-expressed in the same cells during the targeted developmental event, appears to be an efficient means of identifying genes functionally relevant to the event. In the case of vein patterning, this strategy would have identified many or most of the genes previously obtained by labor-intensive screening for pattern-defective mutants.
Tubular Transport Maxima of PAH and Diodrast Measured Individually in the Aglomerular Kidney of Lophius, and Simultaneously as Competitors Under Conditions of Equimolar Loading

The maximal tubular transfer rates (Tm) of both p-aminohippurate (PAH) and diodrast (3,5-diiodo-4-pyridone-N-acetic acid or iodopyracet) were found to be fixed and reproducible when measured separately in Lophius (goosefish) under standard laboratory conditions. Expressed on a molar basis TmPAH was four times TmD. However, when these transport competitors were presented simultaneously in equimolar concentrations with the plasma levels of each sufficiently high enough to saturate the carrier system, the relative rates of excretion were reversed with the diodrast transfer rate then four times that of PAH. The combined rate of excretion was far below TmPAH alone, and roughly equal to TmD. Interaction with a common carrier was indicated by the gradations in degree of inhibition which resulted when plasma concentration ratios of diodrast to PAH were extended from 0.1 to 3.2, and PAH transfer rates expressed as percentage of TmPAH were correspondingly depressed from 17 to 1.0 per cent respectively. These observations again point up the inverse relationship between transfer rate and competitive effectiveness which exists for members of a series of substances actively transported by a common mechanism. It appears that carrier affinity and dissociation characteristics may be quite different for various compounds in a series, and also that these parameters may vary significantly from species to species.
Symbolizing and Communicating in Mathematics Classrooms: Perspectives on Discourse, Tools, and Instructional Design:

Symbolizing and Communicating in Mathematics Classrooms: Perspectives on Discourse, Tools, and Instructional Design, is a collection of chapters by various researchers and theorists interested in mathematics education and specifically in thinking about how students become mathematical symbol users. Cobb, Yackel, and McClain, the editors of the book, assembled the various chapter authors together to participate in a symposium on discourse, tools, and instructional design as related to mathematics learning and teaching. Yackel explains in the introduction that, The discussions [at the symposium] were permeated by questions such as: How do symbols acquire meaning? How is meaning achieved? What do we mean by “meaning”? What role do symbols play in the [mathematician’s] development of mathematical concepts? What role do symbols play in students’ mathematical learning? (p. 1)
High-resolution structures of the oxidized and reduced states of cytochrome c554 from Nitrosomonas europaea.

Cytochrome c554 (cyt c554) is a tetra-heme cytochrome involved in the oxidation of NH3 by Nitrosomonas europaea. The X-ray crystal structures of both the oxidized and dithionite-reduced states of cyt c554 in a new, rhombohedral crystal form have been solved by molecular replacement, at 1.6 A and 1.8 A resolution, respectively. Upon reduction, the conformation of the polypeptide chain changes between residues 175 and 179, which are adjacent to hemes III and IV. Cyt c554 displays conserved heme-packing motifs that are present in other heme-containing proteins. Comparisons to hydroxylamine oxidoreductase, the electron donor to cyt c554, and cytochrome c nitrite reductase, an enzyme involved in nitrite ammonification, reveal substantial structural similarity in the polypeptide chain surrounding the heme core environment. The structural determinants of these heme-packing motifs extend to the buried water molecules that hydrogen bond to the histidine ligands to the heme iron. In the original structure determination of a tetragonal crystal form, a cis peptide bond between His129 and Phe130 was identified that appeared to be stabilized by crystal contacts. In the rhombohedral crystal form used in the present high-resolution structure determination, this peptide bond adopts the trans conformation, but with disallowed angles of φ and ψ.
Stability regions of non-hyperbolic dynamical systems: theory and optimal estimation

The concept of a stability region (region of attraction) of nonlinear dynamical systems is widely used in many fields such as engineering and the sciences. In this paper, we study the notion of stability regions for a class of non-hyperbolic dynamical systems. A complete characterization of the stability boundary is presented for a fairly large class of non-hyperbolic dynamical systems. Several necessary and sufficient conditions for an equilibrium manifold (the generalized concept of an equilibrium point) to lie on the stability boundary are derived. It is shown that the stability boundary of this class of systems consists of the union of the stable manifolds of the equilibrium manifolds on the stability boundary. In addition, an effective scheme to estimate stability regions by using an energy function is developed. It is shown that the scheme can optimally estimate stability regions for a class of non-hyperbolic dynamical systems. Two examples are given to illustrate the theoretical prediction.
The prospects for 10 nm III-V CMOS

The increasing difficulties for further scaling down of Si CMOS is bringing to the fore the investigation of alternative channel materials. Among these, III-V compound semiconductors are very attractive due to their outstanding electron transport properties. This paper briefly reviews the prospects and the challenges for a III-V CMOS technology with gate lengths in the 10 nm range.
Temperature as a control over ecosystem CO2 fluxes in a high-elevation, subalpine forest.

We evaluated the hypothesis that CO2 uptake by a subalpine, coniferous forest is limited by cool temperature during the growing season. Using the eddy covariance approach we conducted observations of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) across two growing seasons. When pooled for the entire growing season during both years, light-saturated net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEEsat) exhibited a temperature optimum within the range 7-12�C. Ecosystem respiration rate (Re), calculated as the y-intercept of the NEE versus photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) relationship, increased with increasing temperature, causing a 15% reduction in net CO2 uptake capacity for this ecosystem as temperatures increased from typical early season temper- atures of 7�C to typical mid-season temperatures of 18�C. The ecosystem quantum yield and the ecosystem PPFD compensation point, which are measures of light-utiliza- tion efficiency, were highest during the cool temperatures of the early season, and decreased later in the season at higher temperatures. Branch-level measurements revealed that net photosynthesis in all three of the dominant conifer tree species exhibited a temperature optimum near 10�C early in the season and 15�C later in the season. Using path analysis, we statistically isolated temperature as a seasonal variable, and identified the dynamic role that temperature exhibits in controlling ecosystem fluxes early and late in the season. During the spring, an increase in temperature has a positive effect on NEE, because daytime temperatures progress from near freezing to near the photosynthetic temperature optimum, and Re values remain low. During the middle of the summer an increase in temperature has a negative effect on NEE, because inhibition of net photosynthesis and increases in Re. When taken together, the results demonstrate that in this high- elevation forest ecosystem CO2 uptake is not limited by cool-temperature constraints on photosynthetic processes during the growing-season, as suggested by some previ- ous ecophysiological studies at the branch and needle levels. Rather, it is warm temperatures in the mid- summer, and their effect on ecosystem respiration, that cause the greatest reduction in the potential for forest carbon sequestration.
Phosphatidylinositol Phosphodiesterase (Phospholipase C) Activity in the Pineal Gland: Characterization and Photoneural Regulation

: Phosphatidylinositol phosphodiesterase (PL-C) appears to be a key element in the adrenergic regulation of pineal cyclic AMP levels. In the present study, the rat pineal enzyme was characterized using exogenous [3H]phosphati-dylinositol (0.5 mM) as substrate. Half the enzyme activity was found in the cytosolic fraction, but the highest specific concentration was associated with the membrane fraction. Two pH optima (5.5 and 7.5) of enzyme activity were observed for the membrane fraction but only one in the cyto-sol fraction (pH 5.5). Enzyme activity in both fractions was Ca2+ dependent. In the case of the membrane protein in pH 7.5, the enzyme activity was sensitive to changes in Ca2+ in the 10–100 nAf range. Addition of an equimolar concentration of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate nearly completely inhibited the hydrolysis of [3H]phosphatidylinositol; other phospholipids (1.0 mM) were less potent. This may reflect our present finding that [3H]phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate is a better substrate than [3H]phosphatidylinositol for the enzyme. Stimulus deprivation (2 weeks of constant light or superior cervical ganglionectomy) reduced the cytosolic activity by 30% and had no effect on the membrane-associated enzyme.
Speed and sensitivity limitations of optoelectronic receivers based on MSM photodiode and millimeter-wave HBTs on InP substrate

Heterostructure bipolar transistors and MSM photodetectors based on compound semiconductors have demonstrated high-frequency performance beyond 100 GHz. By combining these state-of-the-art devices in a realistic integrated optoelectronic receiver, this letter demonstrates that it is possible to achieve a receiver sensitivity of -19.04 dBm at 16 Gb/s at a bit-error-rate of 10/sup -9/. Further improvement of noise and bit-rate can be achieved by designing HBTs with lower junction capacitances. >
Phenotypic plasticity in sex allocation and body size leads to trade-offs between male function and growth in a simultaneously hermaphroditic fish

Phenotypic plasticity in sex allocation enables organisms to maximize reproductive success in variable environments, and thus may generate different sex allocation patterns among populations that experience different mating opportunities. In this experiment, I test whether sex allocation is phenotypically plastic in Serranus tortugarum, a simultaneously hermaphroditic fish, by using reciprocal transplants among four reef study sites with populations at high and low densities and significant differences in sex allocation. Fish transplanted across different densities were predicted to alter sex allocation and body size through trade-offs in investments to somatic growth and male and/or female reproduction. As a control for effects of transplanting, I also transplanted fish across study sites with the same densities and marked and returned fish to their original study sites. As predicted, sex allocation and body size shifted significantly for fish transplanted across different densities but not for those transplanted across the same densities. Separate analyses revealed that the treatment effect on sex allocation was driven strongly by a reduction in male investment by fish transplanted from high to low density, and this reduction in male investment was accompanied by an increase in body size. Fish transplanted from low to high density did not appear to change either male or female investments, but they were smaller than transplants from low to low density. A trade-off between male and female function was not evident, but phenotypic plasticity in body size suggested a trade-off between growth and male function when sex allocation is adjusted. Large-scale empirical tests of sex allocation in the field are relatively rare, and the results of this experiment give novel insights into how animals respond to a change in mating opportunities under natural conditions. The effects of logistical problems associated with fieldwork, such as mortality of experimental animals, are considered in the discussion.
Reinforced Random Walk

One of the distinguishing properties of the present scientific method is reproducibility. In one of its guises, probability theory is based on statistical reproduction, near certainty being obtained of truth of statements by averaging over long term to remove randomness occurring in individual experiments. When one assumes, as is often the case, that events farther and farther in the past have less and less influence on the present, the probabilistic paradigm is currently well understood and is successful in many scientific and technological applications. Recently, however, we have come to realize that precisely in these applications important stocahstic processes occur whose present outcomes are significantly influenced by events in the remote past. This behaviour is not at all well understood and some of the simplest questions remain today irritatingly beyond reach. A salient example occurs in the theory of random walks, where there is a dichotomy between recurrent and transient behaviour. After explaining this classical dichotomy, we present a very simple example with infinite memory which is neither known to be transient nor recurrent. Then, using a reinforcement mechanism due to Polya, we explain the nature of a particular infinite memory process in terms of spontaneous emergence of opinions. Finally we would like to discuss briefly some of our recent results towards understanding the recurrence-transience dichotomy for reinforced random walks.
Excision of a discontinuous-frequency interference signal with harmonic structure

We consider the problem of excising a sinusoidal signal which is piecewise constant in frequency with random transition times, and which is duplicated at fixed frequency offsets. This signal interferes with a signal of interest. To remove this interfering signal, the most likely interfering frequencies at each point in time are estimated using a pair of sliding estimation windows obtained using compressed likelihood techniques, which account for all shifted versions of the interfering signals. This two-window approach avoids line broadening. The exact transition times are then estimated using median filtering, a sliding two-window scan of changes in frequency, and fine-tuning by comparison with the original signal. After identifying frequency transition times and the local interfering frequency, the interference is excised from the band of interest.
Inpatient rehabilitation challenges in a quadrimembral amputee after bilateral hand transplantation

Bilateral forearm and hand transplantation poses unique challenges especially in the setting of bilateral lower limb amputations. A 57-yr-old man with bilateral transradial amputations and bilateral transtibial amputations after remote streptococcal sepsis was admitted for inpatient rehabilitation because of severe debilitation after forearm/hand transplantations. He required 6 wks of bed rest to allow the healing of the allografts but developed profound deconditioning. Because of weight-bearing precautions and other complications such as femoral neurapraxia, he required the use of body weight-support apparatus to ambulate with lower limb prostheses, keeping weight off the allografts. He progressed to walking 600 ft using a platform-wheeled walker at a modified independent level, to climbing four stairs with minimal assistance, and to being able to toss a small football using his right hand, indicating improved flexor function in this hand. Tacrolimus levels were maintained without clinical evidence of acute rejection. Through an individualized therapy regimen, careful monitoring of the allografts and dedicated support staff, rehabilitation training of a previous quadrimembral amputee after bilateral hand transplantations can be successful.
Role of Charged Particle Inertia in Pulsed Electrical Discharges

In order to investigate the role of inertia in pulsed electrical discharges, this paper compares a ve-moment model (continuity, momentum, and energy equations) to a two-moment model (continuity and energy equations) for charged particle motion. Three species were considered: ions, electrons, and neutrals. Either the two- or ve-moment model was used for the ions and electrons, but the ve-moment model was always employed for the neutrals. Ionization and excitation reactions were included in each model. Two glow discharge test cases in 107 Pa (0.8 Torr) argon were examined. A steady-state, one-dimensional discharge was considered rst. For this case, relatively subtle dierences in the velocities and temperatures in the cathode sheath led to signicant dierences between the predictions of the two models for ionization rates and number densities. A two-dimensional, transient discharge problem with an elliptical cathode was studied next. Relative to the two-moment model, the ve-moment model predicted a slower response to the activation of the cathode, and lower electron velocities and temperatures in the later stages of the simulation. These dierences can be attributed to particle inertia and to dierences in the boundary conditions for the two models. Both models predicted that neutral gas velocities on the order of 1.3 m/s occurred within 1000 ns, with a negligible rise in neutral temperature ( 0:3 K). More rapid heating is expected to occur in molecular gases, which will be the subject of future work.
Application of the variational asymptotic method for unit cell homogenization in the prediction of mechanical properties for microcellular plastics

This study presents the application of the micromechanical variational asymptotic method for unit cell homogenization (VAMUCH) with a three-dimensional unit cell structure and a coupled, macroscaled finite element analysis for analyzing and predicting the effective elastic properties of microcellular injection-molded plastics. A series of injection-molded plastic samples, which include polylactic acid, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and thermoplastic polyurethane, with microcellular-foamed structures were produced and their mechanical properties were compared with predicted values. The results showed that, for most material samples, the numerical prediction was in fairly good agreement with experimental results, which suggests the applicability and reliability of VAMUCH in analyzing the mechanical properties of porous materials. Other findings were that the material characteristics (e.g. brittleness and ductility) influenced the predicted results and that VAMUCH prediction could be ...
AIM and NPA Studies of the Role of Polarization in Electronic Structures

Atomic charges, as measured by Atoms in Molecule (AIM) or Natural Population Analyses (NPA), of the enolate anions of acetaldehyde and crotonaldehyde and of pentadienyl anion and cation show both charge transfer and polarization effects. In general, normal resonance structures and “curved arrow” symbolism give good representations of π-electron distributions, but back-polarizations in the σ-system complicate these electronic structures and can obscure the correspondence to resonance symbols. Twisting a vinyl group to orthogonality disrupts the π-system, but the vinyl group retains significant charge transfers and polarizations. The role of polarization is also demonstrated by the effect of external positive and negative charges on the electronic structure of ethylene. The π-electronic changes again are straightforward but are changed significantly by σ-polarizations. The polarizability of ethane is about half that of ethylene.
The Role of Public Libraries in Self-Publishing: Investigating Author and Librarian Perspectives

Little is known about self-publishing authors and about the concerns of public librarians regarding how best to support library self-publishing initiatives. This article presents and analyzes a survey of authors participating in programming at the Woodneath Library Center/Woodneath Press. It also presents and analyzes the results of a survey of public librarians. Findings suggest that self-publishing authors in this case study would benefit from author services support, and that librarians require targeted training to provide such support. As libraries explore this potential new role, more needs to be done to support author services in public libraries appropriately.
Abstract 4243: Regulation of H3K9 methylation by the demethyltransferase gene JMJD1C in multiple myeloma.

Increasing evidence points towards the importance of epigenetic changes in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM). The biochemical modifications that govern epigenetics are DNA methylation, and post-translational modifications of histone proteins. Histone methylation is catalyzed by histone methyltransferases (HMT) and histone demethylases (HDMT). The purpose of our study was to interrogate genomics data to identify HMT or HDMT genes that are altered in MM. We mined copy number, gene expression and whole genome sequencing data generated as part of the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium Genomics Initiative. Collectively, the datasets converged on numerous alterations involving histone methylation of lysine 9 (H3K9). One of these genes, the HDMT JMJD1C, was over-expressed in approximately 15% of MM samples examined. We validated over-expression of JMJD1C expression by RT-PCR in over 50 clinical MM samples and 10 human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs). We also confirmed over-expression of JMJD1C by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in a tissue microarray (TMA) consisting of over 60 MM samples. Next we demonstrated a negative correlation between JMJD1C expression and H3K9 methylation by IHC and western blot in 6/10 HMCL and in over 60% of clinical samples examined on the TMA. This validates the H3K9 demethylase activity of JMJD1C. Furthermore, we demonstrated that, in general, H3K9 methylation, a repressive mark associated with heterochromatin, is low in a large percentage of samples. To study the functional significance, we generated a double knockout isogenic cell line pair in U266 cells using zinc finger nuclease technology. We performed ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analyses to identify genes affected by JMJD1C binding to H3K9. Our data indicate that loss of JMJD1C expression alleviates the repression conferred by H3K9 methylation in MM. Studies are ongoing to realize JMJD1C as a potential and novel therapeutic target in MM. Citation Format: Janine LoBello, Danielle DiPerna, Moly Gale, Aprill Watanabe, Galen Hostetter, Rafael Fonseca, Bodour Salhia. Regulation of H3K9 methylation by the demethyltransferase gene JMJD1C in multiple myeloma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4243. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4243
Dimensionless Models for Predicting the Effective Area, Liquid-Film, and Gas-Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients of Packing

A total of 11 structured packings with surface areas (ap) from 125 to 500 m2/m3 and corrugation angles (θ) from 45 to 70° were studied to explore the effects of the packing geometry on mass transfer. A new concept, the mixing point density, was proposed to represent the effects of ap and θ. A generalized method to calculate the mixing point density from aP and θ was developed. Dimensionless mass-transfer models are developed to predict the effective area, liquid-film, and gas-film mass-transfer coefficients, with the mixing and Reynolds numbers imbedded into the correlations. Compared with literature models, the models developed in this work capture the effects of the packing geometry and predict the mass-transfer properties in aqueous systems.
KIR3DL1 Allelic Polymorphism and HLA-B Epitopes Modulate Response to Anti-GD2 Monoclonal Antibody in Patients With Neuroblastoma

PurposeIn patients with neuroblastoma (NB), treatment with anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) directs natural killer (NK) cell–mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against tumor cells. However, tumor cytotoxicity is attenuated by ligation of inhibitory killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) by HLA class I molecules. KIR3DL1 polymorphism influences its ability to engage HLA-Bw4 ligands. We tested the hypothesis that poorly interacting combinations of KIR3DL1 and HLA ligands are more permissive of mAb-mediated antitumor effect.MethodsKIR3DL1 and HLA-B subtyping were performed with a multiplex intermediate-resolution polymerase chain reaction assay for a cohort of 245 patients who were treated with antibody 3F8 for high-risk NB. Patient outcomes were analyzed according to expected degree of interaction between KIR3DL1 and HLA-B subtypes and grouped as strong, weak, or noninteractors. A comparison of NK response to 3F8 mAb opsonized NB cells between strong- and noninteracting donors w...