cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of intraspecific hybridization in the evolution of invasiveness: a case study of the ornamental pear tree Pyrus calleryana

Hybridization between genetically distinct populations of a single species can serve as an important stimulus for the evolution of invasiveness. Such intraspecific hybridization was examined in Pyrus calleryana, a Chinese tree species commonly planted as an ornamental in residential and commercial areas throughout the United States. This self-incompatible species is now escaping cultivation and appearing in disturbed habitats, where it has the potential to form dense thickets. Using genetic techniques incorporating nine microsatellite markers, we show that abundant fruit set on cultivated trees as well as the subsequent appearance of wild individuals result from crossing between genetically distinct horticultural cultivars of the same species that originated from different areas of China. We conclude that intraspecific hybridization can be a potent but little recognized process impacting the evolution of invasiveness in certain species.
Electron Transfer Tunneling Pathways in Bovine Heart Cytochrome c Oxidase

Results of a study of internal electron transfer in bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase with the method of tunneling currents are presented. Electronic structure of the protein complex is treated at the semiempirical extended Huckel level. Two distinct pathways connecting CuA and heme a are found, one of them is similar to proposed earlier in the literature, the other is new. The pathway connecting heme a and heme a3 is also identified. This pathway differs from those proposed before. The calculated reaction rates between CuA and Fea and between Fea and Fea3 are in reasonable agreement with experimental data. The tunneling matrix element for electron transfer from CuA to the binuclear site is found to be very small, which is consistent with experimental evidence of the absence of this reaction. With the assumption that evolution places constraints on functionally important amino acids, we suggest that amino acids implicated in the electron-transfer pathways will show a high degree of conservation in differe...
sel-11 and cdc-42, two negative modulators of LIN-12/Notch activity in C. elegans.

Background LIN-12/Notch signaling is important for cell-cell interactions during development, and mutations resulting in constitutive LIN-12/Notch signaling can cause cancer. Loss of negative regulators of lin-12/Notch activity has the potential for influencing cell fate decisions during development and the genesis or aggressiveness of cancer. Methodology/Principal Findings We describe two negative modulators of lin-12 activity in C. elegans. One gene, sel-11, was initially defined as a suppressor of a lin-12 hypomorphic allele; the other gene, cdc-42, is a well-studied Rho GTPase. Here, we show that SEL-11 corresponds to yeast Hrd1p and mammalian Synoviolin. We also show that cdc-42 has the genetic properties consistent with negative regulation of lin-12 activity during vulval precursor cell fate specification. Conclusions/Significance Our results underscore the multiplicity of negative regulatory mechanisms that impact on lin-12/Notch activity and suggest novel mechanisms by which constitutive lin-12/Notch activity might be exacerbated in cancer.
Three Conceptions of Ethics for Teacher Educators

Applied ethics courses in education emphasize an analytical or rules/principles ap proach to resolving ethical dilemmas. Two other fruitful approaches, character/struc ture and background beliefs/i...
A comparative analysis of performance improvement schemes for cache memories

There have been numerous techniques proposed in the literature that aim to improve the performance of cache memories by reducing cache conflicts. These techniques were proposed over the past decade and each proposal independently claimed to reduce conflict misses. However, because the published results used different benchmarks and different experimental setups, it is not easy to compare them. In this paper we report a side-by-side comparison of these techniques. We also evaluate the suitability of some of these techniques for caches with higher set associativities. In addition to evaluating techniques for their impact on cache misses and average memory access times, we also evaluate the techniques for their ability in reducing the non-uniformity of cache accesses. The conclusion of our work is that, each application may benefit from a different technique and no single scheme works universally well for all applications. We also observe that, for the majority of applications, XORing (XOR) and Odd-multiplier indexing schemes perform reasonably well. Among programmable associativity techniques, B-cache performs better than column-associative and adaptive-caches, but column-associative caches require very minimal extensions to hardware. Uniformity of cache accesses is improved most by B-cache technique while column-associative cache also improves cache access uniformities. Based on the observation that different techniques benefit different applications, we explored the use of multiple, programmable addressing mechanisms, each addressing scheme designed for a specific application. We include some preliminary data using multiple addressing schemes.
A macro economy as an ecology of plans

Abstract Standard macro theories reflect a choice-theoretic orientation wherein aggregate variables are treated as acting directly on one another. Macro phenomena are thus reduced to the same order of simplicity as micro phenomena; macro variables differ from micro variables only by their larger size. In contrast, this paper treats the relationship between micro and macro as non-scalable. Macro phenomena emerge through micro interaction and are of a higher order of complexity than micro phenomena. Rather than reducing macro to micro through scalar multiplication, macro phenomena supervene on micro interaction and are not themselves objects of direct action. A macro economy is treated as a complex ecology of plans that constitute a non-equilibrium process of spontaneous ordering.
Purification and properties of a triacylglycerol lipase from Mycobacterium phlei.

Abstract In order to study the metabolism of triacylglycerol in mycobacteria, an intracellular particulate triacylglycerol lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) was purified 800-fold from stationary phase cells of Mycobacterium phlei . Extraction of whole cell suspensions with 5% Triton X-100, followed by ion-exchange chromatography of the extract on two successive DEAE-cellulose columns produced a preparation which was nearly homogeneous by the criterion of analytical isoelectric focusing in acrylamide gels (one band, pI. 3.8) and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis resolved the preparation into six protein bands. Lipase activity stable to electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate was extracted from the 40 000 molecular weight region of the gels. With phosphate or maleate buffer the enzyme exhibits a broad pH optimum around 6.0 with sigmoid saturation kinetics (Hill number 2), and an apparent K m of 8.8 mM for tripalmitoylglycerol. Citrate and other carboxylic acids increase the apparent V up to 3-fold with the Hill number approaching 1.0. In a series of p -nitrophenyl esters tested ( C 2 – C 18 ), p -nitrophenylmyristate was hydrolyzed most rapidly. The saturation curve for p -nitrophenylmyristate was sigmoid and unaffected by citrate. The role of this activity in the metabolism of triacylglycerols by Mycobacteria is discussed.
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Prevents Binge Ethanol-Dependent Aquaporin-4 Elevations While Inhibiting Neurodegeneration: Experiments in Rat Adult-Age Entorhino-Hippocampal Slice Cultures

Repetitive binge intoxication with ethanol (alcohol) in adult rats, mimicking chronic ethanol abuse in alcoholics, causes trauma-like brain edema and relatively selective neurodegeneration of hippocampal dentate granule cells and pyramidal neurons in the temporal cortex (especially entorhinal cortex). We have now modeled the aspects of this type of acquired brain damage in vitro with rat entorhino-hippocampal slice cultures of adult brain age (62 ± 3 days). When sequentially treated (four 16-h overnight exposures) with 100 mM ethanol, the slices display elevated levels of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channels accompanied by significant neurodegeneration. Increased AQP4 has been associated with neuroinflammatory responses including edema, pro-inflammatory cytokine elevations, arachidonic acid release, and oxidative stress. Co-treatment of ethanol-binged slice cultures with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid known to suppress brain damage from other insults, prevents both the AQP4 elevations and the neurodamage. Surmising that AQP4 augmentation is a causative neuroinflammatory component in this model, we are investigating several possibilities to explain the protective actions of the omega-3 fatty acid. Since the worldwide incidence of cognitive dysfunction and dementia from ethanol abuse and alcoholism is not inconsequential, DHA supplementation with chronic alcoholics could emerge to be a rational approach to potentially lessening brain disabilities.
Using 15 fs, LINAC-generated electron bunches for naturally synchronized infrared pump x-ray probe experiments with coherent synchrotron radiation

It is proposed to use highly compressed 15 fs bunches from a linear accelerator, such as the Stanford Linear Accelerator, for the production of both ultrashort x rays and mid-infrared coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR). The two types of radiation are synchronized with each other on the femtosecond time scale and can be used for pump–probe experiments in the study of ultrafast phenomena. A possible extension to 3 fs bunches is discussed, where the CSR serves both, as a source of pump radiation and as an indicator for those bunches that are perfectly compressed.
Effects of dietary fat and crude protein on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality in finishing steers fed differing levels of dried distillers grains with solubles.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of dietary protein and fat from distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality in finishing steers. Angus-cross steers (n = 105; 443 ± 20 kg of BW) were blocked by BW and randomly as- signed to 1 of 5 dietary treatments: 1) corn-based diet with DDGS included at 25% of DM (CON), 2) CON with DDGS included at twice the amount of CON (50% of DM; 50DDGS), 3) CON with added corn protein to equal the CP in the 50DDGS diet (CON+CP), 4) CON with added vegetable oil to equal the fat in the 50DDGS diet (CON+VO), and 5) CON with protein and fat added to equal the CP and fat in the 50DDGS diet (CON+CPVO). Steers were fed to a common 12th-rib fat depth endpoint (1.3 ± 0.2 cm; 68 to 125 d on trial). Loins and rounds were collected from 44 car- casses for Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), ether extract, and case-life analyses. Data were analyzed us- ing the MIXED procedure of SAS. Contrasts between 1) CON vs. elevated CP diets (50DDGS, CON+CP, and CON+CPVO; EP), 2) CON vs. elevated fat diets (50DDGS, CON+VO, and CON+CPVO; EF) and 3) CON vs. diets with elevated CP and fat (50DDGS and CON+CPVO; EPF) were analyzed. There were no dif- ferences in days on feed or DMI among treatments. Steers fed CON had greater ADG (P ≤ 0.03) than EP, EF, and EPF diets. Steers fed CON also had greater G:F (P ≤ 0.04) than EP and EPF steers. Final BW was greater for CON than EP and EPF diets (P ≤ 0.03). Likewise, CON steers had heavier HCW than EPF steers (P = 0.04). Dressing percent, 12th-rib fat depth, LM area, KPH, and yield grade were not af- fected by treatment (P ≥ 0.06). Steers fed the CON diet had greater marbling scores (P ≤ 0.03) and quality grades (P ≤ 0.02) compared with those fed EP, EF, and EPF diets. There were no differences in WBSF, ether extract, or lipid oxidation due to treatment (P ≥ 0.44). However, CON steers had greater (P = 0.02) L* val- ues than EF-fed steers and greater b* values than EP, EF, and EPF steers (P ≤ 0.02) during retail display of ground product. Data from this study illustrate that live animal performance, marbling and quality grade, and color stability of ground product during retail dis- play are negatively affected when DDGS are increased from 25 to 50% of the diet DM. This response appears to be due to elevated dietary fat, elevated CP, and a combination of elevated fat and protein within in the diet.
Dynamic subaortic obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Criteria and controversy

Concept of subaortic obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This concept had its origin in two observations: 1) the anatomic restriction of the left ventricular outflow tract related to hypertrophy of the interventricular septum (1-4), and 2) the pressure gradient measurable across the outflow tract and varying in response to physiologic interventions (5,6). In particular, the presence of this gradient hits been generally considered the criterion for obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Early concerns (7) that the gradient reflected catheter entrapment between hypertrophied trabeclllations were addressed by demonstrating that a pressure difference could be measured with a catheter located in the left ventricular inflow tract and freely mobile in a blood-filled portion of the chamber (8,9). The hypothesis that the gradient was not a primary phenomenon, but rather secondary to the rapid and unimpeded ejection of blood from the ventricle early in systole, was proposed in 1964 by Hernandez et al. (10). In this formulation, the gradient would relate to cavity obliteration, with contraction of the ventricular walls around a virtually empty chamber after the bulk of ejection had occurred. This concept was based on the observation that aortic blood flow abruptly decreased in mid-systole in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a pressure gradient, and that 80% of ejection was accomplished during the first half of systole in that group. . Murgo et al. (11), using an intraaortic electromagnetIc flow probe, later demonstrated a similarly abnormal pattern of ejection in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with or without a subaortic gradient. They concluded that the presence of a gradient is not an impediment to left
Humean explanations in the moral sciences

There is an essential tension in Hume's account of explanation in the moral sciences. He holds the familiar (though problematic) view that explanations of action are causal explanations backed by the laws of human nature. But he also tenders a rational and historical model of explanation which has been neglected in Hume studies. Developed primarily in the Essays and put into practice in the History of England, this model holds that explanations in the moral sciences cite agents’ reasons for acting in definite historical situations. Such explanations are context‐dependent, social (not psychological) in content, essentially post hoc, and provide insufficient grounds for prediction. The tension between Hume's two models is considerable, not to say inconsistent. We would best understand him as trying to reconcile the two. Each provides different and equally important kinds of intelligibility. Until this is appreciated, the one‐sided interpretation of Hume as a psychological reductionist and a covering‐law the...
Knowledge of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Adolescents in the Houston Area Presenting for Reproductive Healthcare at Texas Children's Hospital

Abstract Objective Studies indicate a deficiency in knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adolescents, yet adolescents comprise 25% of the sexually active (SA) population and account for 48% of STIs acquired annually. This survey assesses knowledge of STIs among adolescent females. The goal of this study was to assess knowledge of STIs and how it relates to safe sex behaviors and educational access. Design A confidential 10-question STI survey was administered to a convenience sample of female adolescents. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, and linear regression analysis. Setting Texas Children’s Hospital Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Clinic. Interventions None. Participants Seventy-five female participants between the ages of 10–21 years. Main Outcome Measures Age, sexual activity, educational access, preferred methods of risk reduction and questions answered correctly on the STI survey. Results The mean age of participants was 14.9 ± 2.4 years; mean age of menarche was 10.9 ± 2.9 years. Based on survey responses, all adolescents demonstrated similar knowledge of specific STIs regardless of demographic factors. However, middle and late adolescent groups had increased awareness of STIs. SA participants (36%) were more likely to choose 2 or more methods of risk reduction compared to non-SA participants (P = 0.014). There was no correlation between educational access and preferred methods of risk reduction even though 92% of respondents reported receiving STI education from school, parents, or peers. Conclusions Current efforts at STI education are not effective. Different approaches to STI education are necessary to increase knowledge and motivate adolescents to reduce high risk behaviors.
Study of Micro Vibration Measurement Using the Model of STM

Scanning tunneling microscopy is one of the surface measurement instruments in nanotechnology field, and the vertical resolution is about 0.01nm. So it is easily affected by the external micro vibration, conversely, we can measure the micro vibration using the working principle of STM. As we all know, the tunneling effect is the negative index relation between the tunneling current and the tunneling gap. On the other hand, the vibration measurement results can be used to offer the foundation in order to reduce the influence of micro random vibration for STM, it is necessary to measure the external vibration to compensate the experiment results of scanning tunneling microscoy. So the experimental device is developed and experiment of vibration detection is made. The experiment results show that results have high sensitivity, good frequency characteristic and the same vibratory response characteristic consistent with scanning tunneling microscopy.
MBE grown high quality GaN films and devices

Abstract GaN films with much improved structural, transport, and optical properties have been prepared by molecular beam epitaxy using NH3 as a nitrogen source. Films with a wide range of resistivity, including highly resistive ones, were grown with a chosen growth rate of 1.2 μm/h. The electron mobility in modulation doped structures is about 450 and 850 cm2/Vs at 300 and 77 K, respectively, with an areal carrier concentration of about 1013 cm−2. Low temperature luminescence shows A- and B-free-excitons as well as the excited state of the A- and B-excitons, the first known observation, attesting to the quality of the samples. These transition energies are consistent with the best MOCVD samples and represent a sizable reduction of the pandemic zincblende phase in MBE grown films. The high quality of films was demonstrated by the realization of high performance MODFETs and Schottky diodes.
Potential Vorticity Asymmetries and Tropical Cyclone Motion

Abstract A set of nine synoptic-flow cases, incorporating Omega dropwindsonde observations for six tropical storms and hurricanes, is used to deduce the three-dimensional distribution of potential vorticity (PV) that contributed to the deep-layer mean (DLM) wind that steered the cyclones. A piecewise inversion technique, the same as that previously applied by Shapiro to Hurricane Gloria of 1985, is used to derive the DLM wind induced by pieces of anomalous PV restricted to cylinders of different radii centered on each cyclone. The cylinder of PV that induces a DLM wind that best matches the observed DLM wind near the center of each cyclone is evaluated. It is found that the results can be loosely placed into two categories describing the spatial scale of the PV anomalies that influenced the cyclone’s motion. Four of the cases, including Hurricane Gloria, had “local” control, with a good match (to within ∼40%) between the observed DLM wind near the cyclone center and the DLM wind attributable to a cylinder...
Roles of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in pain

Peroxynitrite (PN; ONOO⁻) and its reactive oxygen precursor superoxide (SO; O₂•⁻) are critically important in the development of pain of several etiologies including pain associated with chronic use of opiates such as morphine (also known as opiate-induced hyperalgesia and antinociceptive tolerance). This is now an emerging field in which considerable progress has been made in terms of understanding the relative contributions of SO, PN, and nitroxidative stress in pain signaling at the molecular and biochemical levels. Aggressive research in this area is poised to provide the pharmacological basis for development of novel nonnarcotic analgesics that are based upon the unique ability to selectively eliminate SO and/or PN. As we have a better understanding of the roles of SO and PN in pathophysiological settings, targeting PN may be a better therapeutic strategy than targeting SO. This is because, unlike PN, which has no currently known beneficial role, SO may play a significant role in learning and memory. Thus, the best approach may be to spare SO while directly targeting its downstream product, PN. Over the past 15 years, our team has spearheaded research concerning the roles of SO and PN in pain and these results are currently leading to the development of solid therapeutic strategies in this important area.
Blood uric acid levels during hyperthermic stress.

Abstract Non-diabetic and streptozotocin diabetic adult male Sprague-Dawley derived rats were divided into normothermic and hyperthermic groups. Hyperthermia was achieved in an environmental chamber. Blood uric acid and lactate levels were performed on all animals. Significant increases in blood uric acid levels were found in all animals during hyperthermia. Blood lactic acid was also increased during hyperthermia indicating tissue hypoxia. It has been shown that increases in the breakdown of purine nucleotides occurs during hypoxia. This study indicates that increases in blood uric acid levels is an expected response to hyperthermic stress and is probably due to tissue hypoxia.
A Comparison of Survey Methods for Detecting Bobcats

Population trends in bobcats (Lynx rufus) have been difficult to monitor because traditional field survey methods usually produce very low detection rates. However, new methods of detecting bobcats have been developed. I compared the rate of detection, cost, and time required for automatic cameras, hair-snares, scent stations, and a detector dog trained to find bobcat scats. The detector dog produced nearly 10 times the number of bobcat detections as the other methods combined. The detector dog was the most expensive method and, depending upon weather and number of scats required, required more field time than the other methods. However, use of detector dogs requires only one visit to each survey site. Hair-snares and scent stations were the cheapest methods but produced the least detections. Field time for hair-snares, cameras, and scent stations was similar. Use of detector dogs has the potential to consistently achieve sufficient detection rates to provide useful indices for population monitoring of bobcats.
The effect of polycarbophil gel (Replens) on bacterial vaginosis: a pilot study.

Abstract Objective To determine if use of intravaginal polycarbophil gel (Replens™) for 1 month will: (1) lower vaginal pH; (2) improve signs of bacterial vaginosis (BV). Study design Seventeen women with BV self-administered polycarbophil gel every third day for 4 weeks in an open-label, prospective pilot study. Primary outcome measures included vaginal pH, presence of amines and Nugent scores. Results At week 4, there was improvement in Nugent scores, vaginal odor and clue cell count (p Conclusions Polycarbophil gel is associated with improved signs of BV, although not vaginal pH.
VARIABILITY IN URINARY FLOW RATE AND PROSTATE VOLUME: AN INVESTIGATION USING THE PLACEBO ARM OF A DRUG TRIAL

AbstractPurpose: We analyzed a large data set to study reproducibility of peak urinary flow rates and prostate volumes in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients.Materials and Methods: Longitudinal data were analyzed from 284 placebo treated patients in a double-blind, placebo controlled benign prostatic hyperplasia drug trial.Results: A statistically significant increase in mean maximum flow rate was seen in the initial 3 measurements, as well as after adjusting for voided volume and time between uroflows. The mean maximum flow rate increased from 8.61 to 9.36 ml. per second at measurement 4 (8.7%). Of the patients 43% had 2 consecutive prostate volume determinations within +/− 10%. Within patient variability accounted for 7% of total prostate volume variability.Conclusions: With subsequent voidings maximum flow rate increases in a large group of patients. At least 4 uroflows must be performed to reach a plateau for maximum flow rate. Explanations for this finding may be the increasing experience of the pa...
Visual data mining.

Data mining strategies are usually applied to opportunistically collected data and frequently focus on the discovery of structure such as clusters, bumps, trends, periodicities, associations and correlations, quantization and granularity, and other structures for which a visual data analysis is very appropriate and quite likely to yield insight. However, data mining strategies are often applied to massive data sets where visualization may not be very successful because of the limits of both screen resolution, human visual system resolution as well as the limits of available computational resources. In this paper I suggest some strategies for overcoming such limitations and illustrate visual data mining with some examples of successful attacks on high-dimensional and large data sets.
Entropy production at RHIC

Abstract For central heavy ion collisions at the RHIC energy, the entropy per unit rapidity dS / dy at freeze-out is extracted with minimal model dependence from available experimental measurements of particle yields, spectra, and source sizes estimated from two-particle interferometry. The extracted entropy rapidity density is consistent with lattice gauge theory results for a thermalized quark–gluon plasma with an energy density estimated from transverse energy production at RHIC.
A bond-pad structure for reducing effects of substrate resistance on LNA performance in a silicon bipolar technology

At high frequencies, substrate effects significantly degrade gain and noise figure of LNAs. A new bond-pad structure presented here significantly reduces substrate effects in a 4.4 GHz LNA resulting in a 10 dB increase in gain and a better than 2 dB improvement in noise figure. The inter-pad isolation of the new bond-pad structure is as much as 30 dB better than that of the conventional bond-pads.
A new look at transient versions of Little's law, and M/G/1 preemptive Last-Come-First-Served queues

We take a new look at transient, or time-dependent Little laws for queueing systems. Through the use of Palm measures, we show that previous laws (see Bertsimas and Mourtzinou (1997)) can be generalized. Furthermore, within this framework, a new law can be derived as well, which gives higher-moment expressions for very general types of queueing system; in particular, the laws hold for systems that allow customers to overtake one another. What is especially novel about our approach is the use of Palm measures that are induced by nonstationary point processes, as these measures are not commonly found in the queueing literature. This new higher-moment law is then used to provide expressions for all moments of the number of customers in the system in an M/G/1 preemptive last-come-first-served queue at a time t > 0, for any initial condition and any of the more famous preemptive disciplines (i.e. preemptive-resume, and preemptive-repeat with and without resampling) that are analogous to the special cases found in Abate and Whitt (1987c), (1988). These expressions are then used to derive a nice structural form for all of the time-dependent moments of a regulated Brownian motion (see Abate and Whitt (1987a), (1987b)).
FLAME-1, a Novel FADD-like Anti-apoptotic Molecule That Regulates Fas/TNFR1-induced Apoptosis

We identified and cloned a novel human protein that contains FADD/Mort1 death effector domain homology regions, designated FLAME-1. FLAME-1, although most similar in structure to Mch4 and Mch5, does not possess caspase activity but can interact specifically with FADD, Mch4, and Mch5. Interestingly, FLAME-1 is recruited to the Fas receptor complex and can abrogate Fas/TNFR-induced apoptosis upon expression in FasL/tumor necrosis factor-sensitive MCF-7 cells, possibly by acting as a dominant-negative inhibitor. These findings identify a novel endogenous control point that regulates Fas/TNFR1-mediated apoptosis.
Parsimonious binary-encoding in integer programming

We describe an effective method for doing binary-encoded modeling, in the context of 0/1 linear programming, when the number of feasible configurations is not a power of two. Our motivation comes from modeling all-different restrictions.
APETALA2 negatively regulates multiple floral organ identity genes in Arabidopsis by recruiting the co-repressor TOPLESS and the histone deacetylase HDA19

The development and coordination of complex tissues in eukaryotes requires precise spatial control of fate-specifying genes. Although investigations of such control have traditionally focused on mechanisms of transcriptional activation, transcriptional repression has emerged as being equally important in the establishment of gene expression territories. In the angiosperm flower, specification of lateral organ fate relies on the spatial regulation of the ABC floral organ identity genes. Our understanding of how the boundaries of these expression domains are controlled is not complete. Here, we report that the A-class organ identity gene APETALA2 (AP2), which is known to repress the C-class gene AGAMOUS, also regulates the expression borders of the B-class genes APETALA3 and PISTILLATA, and the E-class gene SEPALLATA3. We show that AP2 represses its target genes by physically recruiting the co-repressor TOPLESS and the histone deacetylase HDA19. These results demonstrate that AP2 plays a broad role in flower development by controlling the expression domains of numerous floral organ identity genes.
Energy profiling for mPlatform

The ability to accurately profile energy consumption is of great importance for energy management in low-power devices. This work presents a novel energy profiling architecture by combining the high-speed CPLD bus signaling capability of mPlatform with the smart TwinStar power board. By running mPlatform under different modes, we are able to utilize an MMSE estimator to analyze per-component energy consumption rates with sufficient accuracy. In our experiment, we use the profiling results to determine the working condition of individual components, as well as the hardware configuration of the sensor node.
Privacy-preserving event detection in pervasive spaces

In this paper, we consider privacy challenges in event-driven pervasive spaces where multimedia streams captured by sensors embedded in the infrastructure are used to detect a variety of application-specific media events. In particular, we develop techniques to detect events without disclosing any identifying information unless necessary. We characterize the nature of inference channels that arise and model privacy preserving event detection as an optimization problem that attempts to balance disclosure with performance. We design and test efficient communication protocols that realize this tradeoff.
Physics, control, and Kolmogorov complexity

The paper addresses a new possible approach to interrelations between physics, control, and mathematics. The approach is based on a principally new mathematical theory: Kolmogorov complexity that rejects infinite precision in numbers and algorithms. In the paper this principle is taken as a necessary condition for physically meaningful interrelations between indicated above sciences. To satisfy this condition the paper starts with (physical) definitions of K-numbers and K-observables. On this basis the corresponding notions of Kontrol, Kaos, K-systems, and K-gauge are introduced. This permits to establish a bridge between control and dynamical systems that traditionally are considered as different objects. One of results of this approach: K-equivalence of optimal control and optimal gauge (interrelation: control-gauge). Algorithmic efficiency of the approach is demonstrated by examples.
Formation of the BMP Activity Gradient in the Drosophila Embryo

The dorsoventral axis of the Drosophila embryo is patterned by a gradient of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) ligands. In a process requiring at least three additional extracellular proteins, a broad domain of weak signaling forms and then abruptly sharpens into a narrow dorsal midline peak. Using experimental and computational approaches, we investigate how the interactions of a multiprotein network create the unusual shape and dynamics of formation of this gradient. Starting from observations suggesting that receptor-mediated BMP degradation is an important driving force in gradient dynamics, we develop a general model that is capable of capturing both subtle aspects of gradient behavior and a level of robustness that agrees with in vivo results.
Activation of Rat Choline Acetyltransferase by Limited Proteolysis

In the past, purification of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT, EC 2.3.1.6), the enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, has yielded fragmented species of the enzyme. The nature and possible function of these forms of ChAT are not well understood. Using a bacterial expression system, recombinant rat ChAT in its active form has been purified to homogeneity. The purified enzyme was found to be activated to >25-fold when assayed at low ionic strength and >5-fold when assayed at high ionic strength by limited proteolysis with either trypsin or chymotrypsin, but not with proteinase K. The activated ChAT shows an increased Km for both substrates, diminished sensitivity to salt activation and a pH optimum that is shifted approximately 1 pH unit. On a denaturing SDS-polyacrylamide gel, the activated ChAT is composed of three to four polypeptides; however, it migrates as an intact 68-kDa protein species on gel filtration. In order to delineate the site of cleavage by proteolysis, the newly generated fragments have been subjected to N-terminal sequencing. By comparing cleavage sites between trypsin and chymotrypsin, the putative activation sites were identified.
Endotoxin and Particle Concentrations in Subsidized Households with Asthmatic Children in Philadelphia: A Pilot Study

This study seeks to identify the home and behavior characteristics that may affect indoor exposures to endotoxin and particles in subsidized housing of asthmatic children in Philadelphia, PA. Sixty seven endotoxin samples were collected from children’s usual sleeping surfaces, and 97 airborne indoor particle measurements were made. The geometric mean (GM) endotoxin concentration was 1933 EUm−2; the total particle count (≥0.3 µm) was 9.72 × 107 (ptm−3). Between-home variability of endotoxin measurements (geometric standard deviation, GSD, 6.3) was greater than that of particle counts (GSD 2.2-3.2). Endotoxin concentrations were negatively associated with the presence of upholstered furniture and stuffed toys, evidence of mold and increased ventilation in the home. The smoking status of the household was a significant determinant of concentrations of particles smaller than 2.0 µm. None of these determinants explained more than 11% of exposure variability. Endotoxin and particle concentrations were not corre...
A Bioengineered Hydrogel System Enables Targeted and Sustained Intramyocardial Delivery of Neuregulin, Activating the Cardiomyocyte Cell Cycle and Enhancing Ventricular Function in a Murine Model of Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Background—Neuregulin-1β (NRG) is a member of the epidermal growth factor family possessing a critical role in cardiomyocyte development and proliferation. Systemic administration of NRG demonstrated efficacy in cardiomyopathy animal models, leading to clinical trials using daily NRG infusions. This approach is hindered by requiring daily infusions and off-target exposure. Therefore, this study aimed to encapsulate NRG in a hydrogel to be directly delivered to the myocardium, accomplishing sustained localized NRG delivery. Methods and Results—NRG was encapsulated in hydrogel, and release over 14 days was confirmed by ELISA in vitro. Sprague-Dawley rats were used for cardiomyocyte isolation. Cells were stimulated by PBS, NRG, hydrogel, or NRG-hydrogel (NRG-HG) and evaluated for proliferation. Cardiomyocytes demonstrated EdU (5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine) and phosphorylated histone H3 positivity in the NRG-HG group only. For in vivo studies, 2-month-old mice (n=60) underwent left anterior descending coronary a...
Cerebromeningeal haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

We describe 3 children with a progressive encephalopathy that was characterised by irritability, convulsions, cranial nerve palsies, ataxia, nystagmus, walking difficulties, delayed psychomotor development, hemiplegia/tetraplegia, visual disturbance, vomiting, neck stiffness, and non-specific signs of raised intracranial pressure. A final diagnosis was made in all 3 patients from necropsy material. The clinical features were ascribed to multiple inflammatory, predominantly lymphocytic, reactions and raised intracranial pressure. This condition is an atypical form of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, which normally presents with fever, hepatosplenomegaly, and cytopenias. By contrast, the disease pattern in our 3 children was dominated by cerebromeningeal involvement, which can precede the typical systemic symptoms of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. An awareness of this condition is important because treatments are available.
Geometric Decoding Of PAM and QAM Lattices

A geometric decoding technique for finite lattices was presented by Seethaler et al. for flat-fading multiple-input multiple-output channels in the case of linear modulations with constant amplitude (PSK). In this paper, geometric decoding is extended to square PAM and QAM constellations. Geometric decoding is suboptimal but has the advantage that the search is done in the vicinity of a X-dimensional affine set. Therefore, a very small subset of the whole lattice is considered in decoding. This makes the worst case complexity very low. For a MIMO channel with Lt transmit antennas and M-QAM constellation, the complexity is about O ((radicMLt)K). Simulation results show that geometric decoding performs very close to maximum likelihood in many practical scenarios.
FEDOROV'S COMPLEX METHOD IN CLIMATOLOGY

A recent article in the Annals has reminded American climatologists of the existence of a contemporary Soviet school of climatology that stands apart from most of the climatological thinking in other countries, that is, E. E. Fedorov's "Complex Method in Climatology."2 But the fact that most articles on the nature of climatology ignore this Soviet school of thought makes it evident that the so-called "complex climatology" is little known and little understood in the United States. Surely it should be worthwhile for American climatologists to be versed in the development of the complex method, not only because it represents a separate school of thought that must be taken into account in any total picture of the field of climatology today, but also because it provides the prime example for the case study of an actual attempt to grasp somehow the immeasurable "Gestalt" of the instantaneous weather of a place and to work this nebulous and undefined unit into a quantitative system of classification. This desire, to more truly depict weather conditions than is done by traditional use of statistics of individual elements, is not a new desire among climatologists, but no one before has gone so far in the attempt to devise an elaborate system for handling basically incommensurable, unprecise quanta objectively. Fedorov was an idea man, a philosopher, who was always groping into the unknown. His thoughts constantly carried him beyond the realm of the practicable, so that his concepts were frequently impossible of complete communication. Therefore, his writing is somewhat fragmentary, often only shallow expressions, in terms of the real aspects of climate that do occur, rather than expressions encompassing his entire thought and leading to the ideal that he sought. His students have acknowledged his originality of thought and
Does Public Financing Chill Political Speech? Exploiting a Court Injunction as a Natural Experiment

Abstract In 2011, the Supreme Court struck down the matching provisions in Arizona's campaign finance law on the grounds that they violate free speech by chilling private spending. In this article, we explicitly test the effects of Arizona's matching provisions in two ways. First, we find that privately funded state legislative candidates do not strategically cluster their spending below the threshold that would trigger money to their opponents. Second, we exploit a 2010 Court injunction as a natural experiment. When Arizona's matching provisions were removed, private spending did not increase relative to other states. Contrary to the view of the Court, we find no empirical evidence that campaign finance laws chill private political speech. More generally, our analysis demonstrates the value of exploiting court injunctions as natural experiments to assess the causal effects of laws.
GENERIC UTILITY: MEASUREMENTS OF RISK FUNCTIONS AND THEIR ROBUSTNESS

The generic utility theory axiomatizes the strength-of-preference relation on the space of simple gambles X × P. A simple gamble, offering outcome x e X with probability p e P and a status quo otherwise, has a cardinal utility u(x,p) = v(ξ(x,p)) derived from measurements of a cardinal value function v, which represents the strength-of-preference relation on X, and a certainty equivalent function ξonX×P. The original intent of the theory was to supply a general operational model for an empirical inquiry into the nature of preferences expressed by an individual for the purpose of normative decision analysis.
Possible Nonlocal Effects in μ Decay

Possible nonlocal effects in $\ensuremath{\mu}$ decay are investigated phenomenologically. It is shown that the possible difference between the experimental $\ensuremath{\rho}$ value from $\frac{3}{4}$ can be attributed to such nonlocal phenomena.
On the Time Required for Conception

We omit the appendix, and sections of the paper discussing correlations between two successive conception delays and numerical results. (The maximum likelihood estimates for the mean and variance of fecundability, developed in the appendix, are the \(\bar{p}(1+c^{2})\)and VP given in our introduction to Henry, paper 41 above.)
Nonlinear Observability for Relative Orbit Determination with Angles-Only Measurements

This paper presents nonlinear observability criteria for the relative orbital dynamics represented by the solutions of the two-body problem. It is assumed that a chief is on a circular orbit with a prescribed orbital radius, and it measures lines-of-sight toward a deputy only. A differential geometric method, based on the Lie derivatives, is used to derive sufficient conditions for observability of the orbital properties of the deputy. It is shown that under certain geometric conditions on the relative configuration between the chief and the deputy, the nonlinear relative motion is observable from angles-only measurements. The second part of this paper presents a quantitative measure of observability for the relative orbits, and it is formulated by generalizing the observability Gramian of linear dynamic systems. An extended Kalman filter is also developed to numerically illustrate the observability of nonlinear relative orbits with angles-only measurements and to show correspondence between the proposed observability measure and filtered solution accuracy.
Sodium-potassium activated G-strophanthin sensitive ATPase in cardiac muscle.

SummaryAn ATPase has been demonstrated in water extracts and microsomal suspensions prepared from rabbit ventricles. It has an absolute requirement for Mg and it can be further stimulated by Na and K. The Na + K active component is susceptible to inhibition by G-Strophanthin. Ageing increases the Mg + Na + K/Mg ATPase ratio.
Measuring Sedentariness and Settlement Population: Accumulations Research in the Middle Atlantic Region

Archaeologists have long sought to understand the relationships between the quantity and diversity of material that accumulates at a site and the variables of community size and occupation duration. This paper examines these relationships through an analysis of mobility and settlement population in the late precontact and early colonial Chesapeake region of the eastern U.S. Drawing on previous accumulations research and two “strong” archaeological cases that provide critical values, the study develops measures of relative sedentariness and ceramic-discard behavior that can be used to model behavior at sites without stratified deposits or well-preserved architecture. Application of this model to the James River Valley of Virginia produces more reliable dates for the inception of village communities, several centuries following the adoption of maize-based horticulture in the region. The analysis also suggests that the fundamental nature of residential settlement changed dramatically in the study area after A.D. 1200 with the emergence of a settlement hierarchy including relatively large communities with lengthy occupation durations. The creation of a new cultural landscape containing substantial villages, combined with related changes in household and community organization, is central to the origins and development of the Powhatan paramountcy, one of North America's archetypal complex chiefdoms.
High-strain-rate superplasticity in aluminum-matrix composites

Recent progress in high-strain-rate superplastic forming of aluminum metal-matrix composites has highlighted the potential of these materials for the mass production of complex shapes. This article reviews the current scientific understanding of this subject and identifies the areas where future work is needed to develop the technology to the manufacturing stage.
Transverse Ureteral Advancement Technique of Ureteroneocystostomy (Cohen Reimplant) and a Modification for Difficult Cases (Experience with 121 Ureters)

We reimplanted 121 ureters by the Cohen technique. A modification is introduced for difficult cases, making the Cohen technique more adaptable for dilated ureters and small bladders. Radiographic studies obtained at least 6 months after reimplantation revealed only 1 case of persistent reflux (grade I), no case of contralateral reflux and no obstruction. Even though the series included 35 ureters with grade V primary reflux and 7 primary obstructive megaureters, only 7 ureters were tapered. This finding suggests that the Cohen method might require tapering in a smaller percentage of cases compared to other reimplantation techniques.