cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
End-to-End Diffusion and Distance Distributions of Flexible Donor-Acceptor Systems Observed by Intramolecular Energy Transfer and Frequency-Domain Fluorometry; Enhanced Resolution by Global Analysis of Externally Quenched and Nonquenched Samples.

We used time-dependent fluorescence energy transfer of externally quenched and nonquenched samples, and global analysis of the data, to recover the end-to-end distance distributions and diffusion coefficients of flexible fluorescent molecules in low-viscosity solution. The fluorescence decays of tryptamine covalently linked to a dansyl acceptor by a polyethylene chain of 22 methylene groups were measured by the frequency-domain method. The data were fitted using numerical solutions of the diffusion equation which predicts the time- and distance-dependent population of the excited-state donors in the presence of energy transfer, followed by transformation to the frequency domain for nonlinear least-squares fitting to the experimental data. From the simulation study we found that the time- and distance-dependent population of the excited-state donors are significantly different for nonquenched and quenched samples and that the effects of end-to-end diffusion on the donor decay is decreased by collisional quenching. Importantly, the resolution is dramatically improved by the use of simultaneous analysis of quenched and nonquenched samples. This method was applied to the tryptamine-dansyl system using acrylamide as an external quencher. The recovered initial (t = 0) distance distribution, Rav = 18.9 A, hw = 17.1 A, is very similar to that obtained for diffusion-free conditions. The end-to-end diffusion coefficient of D = 1.26 × 10-5 cm2/s is comparable to that expected for molecules the size of indole and dansyl. This value is about twice smaller than that obtained from diffusion-dependent intermolecular energy transfer using unlinked indole and dansylamide as the donor and acceptor, respectively, which may reflect the effects of the linker on diffusion of the chromophores.
Peripheral synapses in Limulus chemoreceptors.

Abstract 1. 1. Contact chemoreceptors on spines of Limulus prosomal appendages responded to stimulation by amino acid solutions with slowly adapting activity. 2. 2. Mixtures of amino acids elicited stronger responses than equal concentrations of single amino acids. 3. 3. Single unit responses consisted of irregularly timed, intermittent, bursts of action potentials recorded from the axons of the primary chemoreceptor neurons. 4. 4. These axons send collateral branches to neural plexuses located at points peripheral to the recording sites. 5. 5. Putative chemical synapses among the collaterals are seen and suggested as the site for implementing the second order nature of the responses.
A pulsed beam time of flight technique for studying ion-atom scattering

Abstract A 10 ns wide pulsed He+ beam is scattered at grazing incidence from a solid A1 target and light from the 3889 A 2s 3S-3p 3p transition in HeI emitted in a narrow angular sector centered upon the scattering region is detected. By measuring time resolved decay of this intensity as a function of the scattering angle θ, information concerning both the angular dependence of the velocities of the scattered ions as well as concerning the overall angular distribution of the scattered particles can be obtained - all for the selected case of ions which have captured an electron into the 3p 3P state.
Earth science: Sea change for the rise of oxygen.

A model proposes that falling sea levels shifted the make-up of volcanic gases on the early Earth, triggering a chain of events that may have allowed photosynthesis in the ocean to oxygenate the atmosphere. See Letter p.229 Around two and a half billion years ago (following the end of the Archaean eon), the atmosphere turned from anoxic to weakly oxic in what is known as the Great Oxidation Event. Using a model of volcanic degassing, Gaillard et al. demonstrate that a preceding period of continental crust formation may have been the trigger. They propose that as continents emerged and volcanoes became increasingly subaerial rather than submarine, magmatic volatiles were degassed at lower pressures, leading to a progressive oxidation of the gases released. This shift to a release of sulphur as sulphur dioxide rather than as hydrogen sulphide could then have fed marine sulphate reduction and the eventual oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere.
Multiple global affine motion model for H.264 video coding with low bit rate

A multiple global affine motion model is proposed for low bit rate video compression. Block-wise motion segmentation is first performed with the number of motion objects L predefined. The affine motion models for multiple MOs are estimated and coded in the frame header. The scaling parameters a1, a2, a4 and a5 are coded with a 4-dimensional vector-quantizer (VQ), whose 16 most recently used code words are maintained on line and searched for VQ match, and the 300-word long main code book stored offline. The translational parameters a3 and a6 are coded predicatively as a classical motion vector. L new macro-block modes are added to the standard’s list of 7 intra and inter modes. No segmentation information is transmitted, for the mode already indicates that if one of the affine modes is selected by Lagrange rate-distortion optimization. A metric S is defined to measure locality of the motion and will disable use of affine models when a threshold is surpassed. Simulation shows that more than 50% of the MB’s choose one of the affine modes. When 100kbps or lower bandwidths are available, the proposed codec not only saves 1~18% bit rate, but also enhances error-resilience in multiple slice frames and reduces blocking artifacts notably.
Force Recovery After Activated Stretching in Whole Skeletal Muscle: Transient Aspects of Force Enhancement

The enhancement of isometric force after active stretching is a well-accepted and demonstrated characteristic of skeletal muscle in both whole muscle [1,2] and single-fiber preparations [1,3], but its mechanisms remain unknown. Although traditionally analyzed at steady-state, transient phenomena caused, at least in part, by cross-bridge kinetics may provide novel insight into the mechanisms associated with force enhancement (FE). In order to identify the transient aspects of FE and its relation to stretching speed, stretching amplitude, and muscle mechanical work, a post hoc analysis of in situ experiments in soleus muscle tendon units of anesthetized cats [2] was conducted. The period immediately following stretching, at which the force returns to steady-state, was fit using an exponential decay function. The aims of this study were to analyze and quantify the effects of stretching amplitude, stretching speed, and muscle mechanical work on steady-state force enhancement (FEss) and transient force relaxation rate after active stretching. The results of this study were interpreted with respect to prior force depression (FD) experiments [4], to identify if the two phenomena exhibited similar transient and steady-state behaviors, and thus could be described by the same underlying mechanism(s).Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Mutations induced by substituted quinolines in ultraviolet-irradiated bacteria

The drugs griseofulvin (10 μg/ml), nalidixic acid (0.05 μg/ml), quinine dihydrochloride (50 μg/ml), quinine ethylcarbonate (50 μg/ml), quinine urea hydrochloride (50 μg/ml), quinine lactate (50 μg/ml), and pamaquine (50 μg/ml) were chosen for laboratory studies. The minimal inhibitory concentration of the drug was used for determining the range of drug concentration needed to produce “mutational synergism” with ultraviolet radiation. Forward mutation from streptomycin sensitivity to resistance was used as a marker for mutagenicity. No stimulatory or inhibitory effects were noted on viable counts and mutation frequency, when the drugs were added (20–60 μg/ml) to the growth medium of unirradiatedEscherichia coli HCR+, HCR−, and irradiated HCR− strains. These drugs increased mutation frequency and lethality of irradiated HCR+ bacteria. Incorporation of adenine (6 μm) into the minimal expression medium reverses the mutagenic effect of chloroquine. Chloroquine (50 μg/ml) did not interfere with the photoactivation of irradiated HCR+ cells. Our findings suggest that these chemicals selectively interfere with excision-repair.
Free-Energy Density of the Shape-Memory Alloy AuZn

The shape-memory alloy AuZn transforms martensitically (T M = 65 K) from a cubic B2 (Pm3m) to a rhombohedral R-phase (P3) through softening of the TA 2 [110] phonon branch. We report elastic constants, specific heat, and thermal expansivity measurements through the transition. A large elastic anisotropy, A = 9 at T M , associated with softening of the TA 2 [110] phonon branch accompanied with a volume change ΔV/V of 0.25% characterize the transition. We find that specific heat and thermal expansion are well represented by adding low-energy Einstein modes to the harmonic lattice. On the basis of these measurements, combined with established group-theoretical symmetry criteria, the free-energy density is presented with atomic shuffle displacements as the primary order parameter, Q. We use this free-energy model to explain the atomic displacements in the R-phase.
Tissue Specificity of Porcine Zona Pellucida Antigen(s) Tested by Radioimmunoassay

The tissue specificity of porcine zona pellucida antigen(s) and the monospccificity of antibodies to isolated porcine zonac pcllucidae were examined by radioimmunoassay. No zona immunoreactivity was detected in 22 porcine tissues and fluids examined with the exception of ovary. These data strongly indicate that porcine zonae pellucidae contain a specific antigen(s).
Centrally and peripherally induced anosmia: influences on maternal behavior in lactating female rats.

Abstract Bilateral removal of the olfactory bulbs was found to produce deficits in several components of the maternal behavior of lactating, primiparous female rats. More dead pups were found in the cages of bilaterally bulbectomized females shortly after parturition than in the cages of unilaterally bulbectomized, sham operated, or unoperated females. Futhermore, bilaterally bulbectomized females showed deficits in pup retrieval relative to females in the other surgical conditions, and pups reared by bilaterally bulbectomized females weighed less at weaning than pups reared by females in the other surgical conditions. In contrast to bilateral bulbecomy, zinc sulphate treatments had no influence on pup mortality at parturition. However, zinc sulphate treated females did exhibit deficits in pup retrieval relative to saline treated females.
Doctoral Counselor Education Students' Levels of Research Self-Efficacy, Perceptions of the Research Training Environment, and Interest in Research

Counselor educators are called to be effective researchers; however, limited study has investigated research constructs within counselor educators-in-training. This study investigated the levels of research self-efficacy (Greeley et al., 1989), perceptions of the research training environment (Gelso, Mallinckrodt, & Judge, 1996), and interest in research (Bishop & Bieschke, 1994) within a sample of counselor education doctoral students (N = 89). Doctoral students in their 3rd year of preparation had higher research self-efficacy scores than did 1st- and 2nd-year students. Additionally, higher research self-efficacy was associated with higher interest in research and scholarly publication experience. Implications for counselor education are discussed.
Fluticasone propionate (FP) was superior to montelukast (MON) in producing at least a 2-step improvement in asthma severity in children 6-12 years of age

Abstract Rationale Asthma is characterized by symptoms that vary in severity from patient to patient and within a patient over time. As such, the NHLBI guidelines recommend a stepwise approach for the diagnosis and management of asthma in children, with the goal of pharmacotherapy to reduce symptoms and achieve near normal lung function. Patients may be classified according to severity based on their lung function, symptoms, and rescue albuterol use. An analysis was conducted to evaluate the step change in asthma severity from baseline to endpoint following treatment with FP or MON in children 6-12 years of age. Methods This was a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel group, 12-week study comparing FP (50μg BID; n=172) with MON (5mg QD; n=170) in symptomatic children using PRN albuterol. Asthma severity classification was defined according to the NHLBI guidelines and was based on % predicted FEV 1 , daytime and nighttime symptoms, and albuterol use. Results At baseline, most patients (96%) in each treatment group met the classification criteria for moderate persistent asthma. At endpoint, significantly more patients (p=0.001) treated with FP (37.6%) demonstrated at least a 2-step improvement in asthma severity or improvement to mild intermittent asthma compared with patients who received MON 5 mg (21.1%). Conclusion FP is more effective in producing a ≥2-step improvement in asthma severity than MON in children 6-12 years of age with persistent asthma resulting in more children with an improvement to mild intermittent asthma.
The Camino Real Story: Shifting an Urban School’s Community of Practice

Research has revealed that the adult culture in a school can undermine most school reform efforts (Sarason in Revisiting “The culture of the school and the problem of change”. Teachers College Press, New York, NY, 1996; Payne in So much reform, so little change: the persistence of failure in urban schools. Harvard Education Press, Cambridge, MA, 2008). However, little research examines how to systematically confront this challenge. This case study presents findings of how a strategic focus on the adult culture in the building can result in dramatic school changes. It reveals how a change towards working with the most effective teachers in a school can transform the adult community of practice (Wenger 1998). Such a transformation is a necessary precursor to implementing any instructional reforms. This article offers ideas for shifting the teachers’ community of practice.
Exploring Silicon Nanophotonics in Throughput Architecture

In high-performance throughput processors, the interconnect experiences power and energy bottlenecks due to massive parallelism and ever-increasing memory accesses in emerging workloads. Also, high-performance throughput processors have exposed bandwidth and latency bottlenecks in on-chip interconnect and off-chip memory access. To eliminate such bottlenecks, we propose silicon nanophotonics and 3-D stacking technologies in throughput architecture. It provides higher communication bandwidth and lower latency signaling mechanisms at reduced power. We evaluate a 3-D stacked GPU with 2048 SIMD cores having photonic interconnect. The photonic multiple-writer–single-reader crossbar network with 32-B channel bandwidth on average achieves 91% network power reduction. In addition, it improves average core-to-memory access latency by 59% and 87% for northbound and southbound traffic, respectively. We anticipate that for emerging workloads and microarchitectures the implications of the proposed ideas are far reaching.
Programmable spectral phase coding of an amplified spontaneous emission light source

The use of a programmable pulse shaper for spectral phase coding of broadband incoherent light is discussed. Our experiments result in tailoring of the electric field cross-correlation function between the shaped and the original unshaped light. This technique is illustrated through several examples, including binary spectral phase filtering, gray-level spectral phase filtering using quadratic-residue codes, generation of coherence functions consisting of trains of coherence peaks via periodic gray-level phase coding, and dispersion compensation for broadband incoherent light. Spectral interferometry measurements of phase coded incoherent light are also presented. Based upon careful alignment of the pulse shaper, we were able to obtain excellent agreement between the experiments and theoretical simulations. In some cases we found that the usual assumption of a linear spectral dispersion at the masking plane of the pulse shaper led to distortion in the shaped correlation functions. Here we demonstrate the ability to measure the exact spectral dispersion, which is then taken into account when programming the spectral phase modulation. This removes the observed distortion, leading once again to excellent agreement between theory and experiment.
A single-institution case series of patients with cutaneous melanoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Abstract Background: Over the past two decades, cutaneous melanoma (CM) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) have both experienced unabated increases in incidence. Population-based studies have documented an elevated risk of subsequent NHL among patients with CM and vice versa. Methods: To better characterize the clinical features of patients who have had both malignancies, we retrospectively identified all patients with CM at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) who subsequently had NHL and all NHL patients who later developed CM. Results: A total of 2461 CM and 2708 NHL patients were registered at MGH between 1973 and 1998. Out of these groups, 10 CM patients (0.4%) eventually developed NHL and 11 NHL patients (0.4%) subsequently had CM. The mean age at the first CM diagnosis was 56 years, wheras the mean age at the first NHL diagnosis was 67 years. The mean interval to NHL among the CM group was 119 months, whereas the mean interval to CM among the NHL patients was 36 months. All primary CMs were relatively thin (0.95 mm, first diagnosis; 1.07 mm, second diagnosis), and most NHL subtypes were indolent in nature. Conclusion: The rates of developing a second NHL among CM patients and vice versa are low. Any interactions between CM and NHL may be due to factors such as detection bias, shared environmental ultraviolet carcinogenesis, or possibly, posttreatment effects. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2002;46:55-61.)
Romantic Social Work

Social work practice persists by virtue of a crucial alternative function: it is one of the culture’s practices of romanticism, glorifying national values in its insistence on individual initiative and responsibility through its services and providing easy status positions for America’s mediocracy. The field is not held accountable to effective social services nor even the provision of intelligent, responsive, productive and capable practitioners and intellectuals. Rather, social work performs civic sacraments—baptisms of the heroic individual will—in affirming the romantic ideals that are cherished pillars of America’s political and social choices.
Modified background calculations for high-energy peripheral interactions

Abstract Background distributions for a final state of four or five particles are calculated for reactions in which a resonance production reduces the final state effectively to a three-body state. The failure of the phase-space distribution to account for background contributions to reaction characterized by small momentum transfers is demonstrate. Kinematical mass enhancements arising from various one-particle-exchange mechanisms are calculated in detail, with special attention to the reported A 1 and B peaks. Possible criteria for distinguishing a kinematical mass peak from a genuine resonance are discussed, and difficulties in such an analysis are pointed out.
Extracellular ATP and cAMP as Paracrine and Interorgan Regulators of Renal Function Renal Microvascular Effects of P2 Receptor Stimulation

SUMMARY 1. The field of extracellular nucleotides and purinoceptors has undergone a resurgence of interest and enthusiasm in the past decade. More and more investigators are probing the physiological and pathophysiological roles of P2 receptors in virtually every organ system, including the kidney. 2. With this renewed interest has come a new appreciation for the roles extracellular adenine nucleotides can play in regulating or modulating renal function. In the past 5 years, investigators have provided compelling evidence that extracellular nucleotides, working through activation of P2 purinoceptors, have a significant impact on renal microvascular function, mesangial cell function and on renal epithelial transport. 3. Evidence has been uncovered that implicates P2 receptor activation in mediating renal microvascular autoregulatory behaviour. Locally released ATP has a direct paracrine and/or autocrine effect modulating renal epithelial transporters and tubular epithelial channels to influence tubular fluid composition. 4. While the specific roles of extracellular nucleotides and their receptors in the kidney have not been absolutely identified, it now appears clear that endogenously released ATP may play a significant role in regulating kidney function. 5. The purpose of the present review is to update our current understanding of the effect of P2 receptor activation on renal microvascular function and to detail the signal transduction mechanisms known to be involved.
Spalling of Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements

Field investigation of continuously reinforced concrete pavements indicate the presence of delaminations at a depth of approximately 2.5 cm (1 in.) below the concrete pavement slab surface. These delaminations originate at the transverse cracks/joints and extend into the pavement from 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 in.) and vary in width along the transverse crack. Coring of sample pavement sections indicates that spalling distress is an advanced state of these delaminations. It is assumed, given these delaminations, that spalling occurs due to stresses in the delaminated concrete layer that may be caused by wheel loads, temperature change, and the presence of moisture in the delamination. Strong evidence suggests the presence of more spalling on the downstream side (with regard to traffic flow) of the transverse cracks/joints, and that this mode of spalling is generated from shear stresses caused by a vehicle tire on the pavement. Static finite‐element analysis of the delaminated portion of a pavement slab indicates...
Overproduction of insulin in the chromium-deficient rat.

The hypothesis that the insulin secretory hyperresponsiveness observed in rats with diet-induced insulin resistance may be a basic characteristic of dietary chromium (Cr) deficiency was evaluated. Two groups of weanling rats were fed ad libitum a purified diet containing 64% sucrose, 20% casein, 5% corn oil, and the recommended levels of vitamins and minerals without added Cr. Cr-deficient (−Cr) rats were provided with distilled drinking water only, while Cr-supplemented (+Cr) rats received water containing 5 ppm Cr as CrCl3. A third group of rats fed a commercial chow diet served as sucrose controls. Effects of Cr deficiency were assessed by comparing fasting levels of glucose, insulin, and plasma lipids in blood samples collected biweekly from the −Cr and +Cr groups over a 3-month period. Both groups of rats fed the low-Cr sucrose diet developed a transient hyperinsulinemia and hyperlipidemia relative to the chow-fed control rats. There were significant effects of Cr supplementation on plasma triglycerides during the initial 2 weeks of dietary adaptation. Effects of the low-Cr diet were evaluated after the 12-week period by comparing the insulin response area and glucose clearance during a 40-minute intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT). The rates of glucose clearance (KG) in −Cr and +Cr rats were similar (4.2 ± 1.0 and 4.3 ± 0.8 %/min, respectively) and were comparable to the KG in chow-fed rats (4.6 ± 0.8). In contrast, insulin secretory responses in −Cr rats were exaggerated (area, 14,083 ± 3,399 μU/mL · min), being twofold greater (P < .05) relative to the +Cr group (6,183 ± 864). The insulin secretory response area in chow-fed rats (7,081 ± 408 μU/mL · min) was similar to the value in the +Cr group. These observations provide support for the hypothesis that Cr deficiency can lead to elevated insulin secretory responses to glucose.
The Use of Indigo Carmine for Dye Dilution Curves

Investigation of the properties of indigo carmine reveals that it may be more suitable than the dye, T-1824, for circulatory studies that are now commonly carried out using the dye dilution principle of Stewart and Hamilton. Comparison is made of simultaneous dilution curves of indigo carmine and radioactive iodinated serum albumin. Apparently, indigo carmine is bound to protein firmly enough to remain the plasma in one passage through the heart and lungs, but not too firmly to be extracted rapidly from the plasma by excretory systems in the kidney and liver. This allows repeated injections without accumulation.
Birth of mucus.

the birth of mucus is one of the most dramatic events in physiology. Fetal mucin develops inside its intracellular membrane-bound womb by polymerization of subunits of protein cores densely decorated with negatively charged oligosaccharides into polymers of as much as 108 Daltons. During gestation,
Three-Dimensional Images For Robot Vision

Robots are attracting increased attention in the industrial productivity crisis. As one significant approach for this nation to maintain technological leadership, the need for robot vision has become critical. The "blind" robot, while occupying an economical niche at present is severely limited and job specific, being only one step up from the numerical controlled machines. To successfully satisfy robot vision requirements a three dimensional representation of a real scene must be provided. Several image acquistion techniques are discussed with more emphasis on the laser radar type instruments. The autonomous vehicle is also discussed as a robot form, and the requirements for these applications are considered. The total computer vision system requirement is reviewed with some discussion of the major techniques in the literature for three dimensional scene analysis.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Challenges for "Intelligent" Systems in the Power Industry

Intelligent system (IS) techniques have evolved over the past 20 years. While R&D, primarily academic, of these techniques have progressed very well, practical applications in the power industry still remain a challenge. Few areas, e.g. load forecasting, alarm analysis, distribution automation have been field tested. Why are electric utilities acceptance and use of IS techniques so limited? What can be done to bridge the gap between research and practical applications? The power industry is facing the problem of an aging work force. While the industry will be recruiting new workers, many utilities are beginning to incorporate knowledge management as part of their corporate strategy. Industry restructuring has resulted in larger grids, new business practices, and stronger interdependencies between various networked systems, e.g. IT, telecommunications. In this complex environment, the role of knowledge is increasingly important. To what extent are these factors creating the catalyst for wide-scale applications of IS techniques? This talk discussed these questions and proposed strategies that could help increase industry interest and acceptance of IS. Examples of applications areas that are more feasible were examined
Testosterone Heptafluorobutyrates: Derivatives for Gas Chromatography

Abstract The reaction of testosterone with heptafluorobutyric anhydride, in the presence of pyridine or collidine, leads to two diheptafluorobutyrate (HFB) derivatives. These compounds are believed to be the di-HFB esters of 2,4-androstadien-3, 17β-diol (A) and 3, 5-androstadien-3, 17β-diol (B), with A as the major product. This is similar to the reaction with silylating reagents which leads to two isomeric enol ethers. In benzene or acetone solution, and in the absence of an organic base, the same two isomers are formed, but with B as the major product. Although the latter reaction has been recommended for quantitative work, the formation of isomeric enol esters has not been noted. Since the products are not stable in the reaction medium, the method is not entirely satisfactory. The reaction in pyridine solution should be suitable for quantitative work; the products are stable in solution and can be detected in subnanogram amounts.
When do transient double peaks occur in pH gradient electrophoresis

Abstract Several investigators have observed the occurrence of two transient peaks in isoelectric focusing and gradient electrophoresis experiments. Let v(x) be the dimensionless mobility in the presence of a gradient, and let x = x0 > 0 be the isoelectric point of a molecule initially at x = 0. If x(t) is that molecule's position at time t, we show that a transient peak will arise whenever dv dx is an increasing function of x when x dv dx is a decreasing function of x for x > x0.
Lacritin-mediated regeneration of the corneal epithelia by protein polymer nanoparticles

The avascular corneal epithelium plays an important role in maintaining normal vision and protecting the corneal interior from environmental infections. Delayed recovery of ocular wounds caused by trauma or refractive surgery strengthens the need to accelerate corneal wound healing and better restore the ocular surface. To address this need, we fused elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) based nanoparticles SI with a model mitogenic protein called lacritin. Lacritin fused at the N-terminus of the SI diblock copolymer is called LSI. This LSI fusion protein undergoes thermo-responsive assembly of nanoparticles at physiologically relevant temperatures. In comparison to ELP nanoparticles without lacritin, LSI showed potent signs of lacritin specific effects on a human corneal epithelial cell line (HCE-T), which included enhancement of cellular uptake, calcium-mediated signaling, and closure of a scratch. In vivo, the corneas of non-obese diabetic mice (NOD) were found to be highly responsive to LSI. Fluorescein imaging and corneal histology suggested that topical administration of LSI onto the ocular surface significantly promoted corneal wound healing and epithelial integrity compared to mice treated with or without plain ELP. Most interestingly, it appears that ELP-mediated assembly of LSI is essential to produce this potent activity. This was confirmed by comparison to a control lacritin ELP fusion called LS96, which does not undergo thermally-mediated assembly at relevant temperatures. In summary, fusion of a mitogenic protein to ELP nanoparticles appears to be a promising new strategy to bioengineer more potent biopharmaceuticals with potential applications in corneal wound healing.
New Therapeutic Strategies in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

While cure rates of over 80% are achieved in contemporary pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) protocols, most adults with ALL succumb to their disease, and little progress has been made in the treatment of refractory and relapsed ALL. Moreover, the burden of therapy is high in a significant number of newly diagnosed patients, and in all those with relapse. Early response to therapy measured by minimal residual disease evaluation has proven the single most important prognostic factor and is increasingly used in risk stratification. However, as the benefit from intensification of frontline therapy becomes limiting, it becomes increasingly challenging to rescue patients who fail on contemporary risk-adapted protocols. New therapeutic strategies are needed, not only in salvage regimens but also in frontline protocols for patients who are at high risk of relapse. Current novel approaches include new formulations of existing chemotherapeutic agents, new antimetabolites and nucleoside analogs, monoclonal antibodies against leukemic-associated antigens, cellular immunotherapy, and molecular therapeutics. Some have already been adopted into standard regimens, while others remain in early stages of development. This review summarizes the current status of these novel therapies as they get integrated into ALL regimens.
A Functional Interaction between Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Glycoprotein gH/gL Domains I and II and gD Is Defined by Using Alphaherpesvirus gH and gL Chimeras

ABSTRACT Whereas most viruses require only a single protein to bind to and fuse with cells, herpesviruses use multiple glycoproteins to mediate virus entry, and thus communication among these proteins is required. For most alphaherpesviruses, the minimal set of viral proteins required for fusion with the host cell includes glycoproteins gD, gB, and a gH/gL heterodimer. In the current model of entry, gD binds to a cellular receptor and transmits a signal to gH/gL. This signal then triggers gB, the conserved fusion protein, to insert into the target membrane and refold to merge the viral and cellular membranes. We previously demonstrated that gB homologs from two alphaherpesviruses, herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and saimiriine herpesvirus 1 (SaHV-1), were interchangeable. In contrast, neither gD nor gH/gL functioned with heterotypic entry glycoproteins, indicating that gD and gH/gL exhibit an essential type-specific functional interaction. To map this homotypic interaction site on gH/gL, we generated HSV-1/SaHV-1 gH and gL chimeras. The functional interaction with HSV-1 gD mapped to the N-terminal domains I and II of the HSV-1 gH ectodomain. The core of HSV-1 gL that interacts with gH also was required for functional homotypic interaction. The N-terminal gH/gL domains I and II are the least conserved and may have evolved to support species-specific glycoprotein interactions. IMPORTANCE The first step of the herpesvirus life cycle is entry into a host cell. A coordinated interaction among multiple viral glycoproteins is required to mediate fusion of the viral envelope with the cell membrane. The details of how these glycoproteins interact to trigger fusion are unclear. By swapping the entry glycoproteins of two alphaherpesviruses (HSV-1 and SaHV-1), we previously demonstrated a functional homotypic interaction between gD and gH/gL. To define the gH and gL requirements for homotypic interaction, we evaluated the function of a panel of HSV-1/SaHV-1 gH and gL chimeras. We demonstrate that domains I and II of HSV-1 gH are sufficient to promote a functional, albeit reduced, interaction with HSV-1 gD. These findings contribute to our model of how the entry glycoproteins cooperate to mediate herpesvirus entry into the cell.
Acculturation and Intention to Breastfeed among a Population of Predominantly Puerto Rican Women

Background Latinas have high overall breastfeeding initiation rates, yet Puerto Ricans have among the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rates. This study sought to determine if acculturation was associated with intent to breastfeed in a predominantly Puerto Rican population. Methods A cohort of Latina women were enrolled in Proyecto Buena Salud, and provided information on infant feeding intent (n = 1,323). Acculturation was assessed via the Psychological Acculturation Scale (PAS), language preference, and generation in the United States. Results Increasing acculturation as measured by English language preference (aOR 0.61 [95% CI 0.42–0.88]) and second or third generation in the United States (aOR 0.70 [95% CI 0.52–0.95)] was inversely associated with odds of intending to exclusively breastfeed. Similarly, women with higher levels of acculturation as measured by the PAS (aOR 0.67 [95% CI 0.45–0.99]), English language preference (aOR 0.48 [95% CI 0.33–0.70]) and second or third generation in the United States (aOR 0.42 [95% CI 0.31–0.58]) were less likely to report intent to combination feed as compared with women with lower acculturation. Conclusions Acculturation was inversely associated with intent to exclusively breastfeed and intent to combination feed in this predominantly Puerto Rican sample.
Consolidating the set of known human protein-protein interactions in preparation for large-scale mapping of the human interactome

Background: Extensive protein interaction maps are being constructed for yeast, worm, and fly to ask how the proteins organize into pathways and systems, but no such genome-wide interaction map yet exists for the set of human proteins. To prepare for studies in humans, we wished to establish tests for the accuracy of future interaction assays and to consolidate the known interactions among human proteins. Results: We established two tests of the accuracy of human protein interaction datasets and measured the relative accuracy of the available data. We then developed and applied natural language processing and literature-mining algorithms to recover from Medline abstracts 6,580 interactions among 3,737 human proteins. A three-part algorithm was used: first, human protein names were identified in Medline abstracts using a discriminator based on conditional random fields, then interactions were identified by the co-occurrence of protein names across the set of Medline abstracts, filtering the interactions with a Bayesian classifier to enrich for legitimate physical interactions. These mined interactions were combined with existing interaction data to obtain a network of 31,609 interactions among 7,748 human proteins, accurate to the same degree as the existing datasets. Conclusion: These interactions and the accuracy benchmarks will aid interpretation of current functional genomics data and provide a basis for determining the quality of future large-scale human protein interaction assays. Projecting from the approximately 15 interactions per protein in the best-sampled interaction set to the estimated 25,000 human genes implies more than 375,000 interactions in the complete human protein interaction network. This set therefore represents no more than 10% of the complete network.
A Review on Benefits and Disadvantages of Tree Diversity

This paper presents the benefits and disadvantages of tree diversity in forestation. Maintaining diversity of trees in forestation enhances the conservation of trees and other organisms, decreases production risks and increases the possi- bility of natural regeneration. The value of forest products may be increased or decreased, but increasing diversity always complicates forest management. Species diversity could be increased by encouraging forest owners and managers to mix species; in order to achieve this, scientific information on lesser-known species and silviculture of mixtures must be com- piled and disseminated.
Synthesis and Electrochemical Performance of a Lithium Titanium Phosphate Anode for Aqueous Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries that use aqueous electrolytes offer safety and cost advantages when compared to today’s commercial cells that use organic electrolytes. The equilibrium reaction potential of lithium titanium phosphate is �0.5 V with respect to the standard hydrogen electrode, which makes this material attractive for use as a negative electrode in aqueous electrolytes. This material was synthesized using a Pechini type method. Galvanostatic cycling of the resulting lithium titanium phosphate showed an initial discharge capacity of 115 mAh/g and quite good capacity retention during cycling, 84% after 100 cycles, and 70% after 160 cycles at a 1 C cycling rate in an organic electrolyte. An initial discharge capacity of 113 mAh/g and capacity retention of 89% after 100 cycles with a coulombic efficiency above 98% was observed at a C/5 rate in pH-neutral 2 M Li2SO4. The good cycle life and high efficiency in an aqueous electrolyte demonstrate that lithium titanium phosphate is an excellent candidate negative electrode material for use in aqueous lithium-ion batteries. The high power output and energy density of lithium-ion batteries have led to their widespread use as power sources for portable electronics. Most commercial lithium-ion cells rely on a highly flammable organic electrolyte. Concerns about the safety of these cells have largely precluded their adoption on larger scales. Improvement of the safety of lithium-ion batteries must occur if they are to be utilized for applications such as electric vehicles and industrial-scale energy storage. The replacement of the organic electrolytes found in commercial lithium-ion cells with an aqueous electrolyte would resolve the safety concerns surrounding these devices. Aqueous lithium-ion batteries could therefore be used for applications that require excellent safety.
Islet lymphocyte subsets in male and female NOD mice are qualitatively similar but quantitatively distinct.

Islet-infiltrating lymphocytes of individual male and female non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice were examined with the purpose of determining the differences that lead to a predominance of diabetes in female versus males NOD mice. When normalized for the amount of islet lymphocytes recovered, the infiltrating lymphocytes of female NOD mice were indistinguishable from those of male NOD mice. The only observed difference was that islet inflammation progressed at an increased rate in female compared to male NOD mice. There was no difference in the composition of islet infiltrates in male and female NOD mice. Unexpectedly, the ratio of CD4(+):CD8(+) T cells was tightly controlled in the islets throughout diabetogenesis. The frequency of IL-4(+) CD4(+) T cells started high but quickly fell to 3% of the population that was maintained with increasing inflammation. A significant portion of the CD8(+) T cells were islet-specific glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit-related protein specific in both male and female NOD mice and this population was antigen experienced and increased at high levels of islet inflammation. Surprisingly, a large pool of antigen inexperienced naive T cells was detected in the islets. We conclude the underlying immunological processes in both male and female NOD mice are similar while the rates differ and the presence of naive T cell in the islets may contribute to epitope spreading.
Large predators and biogeochemical hotspots: brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) predation on salmon alters nitrogen cycling in riparian soils

Two important themes in ecology include the understanding of how interactions among species control ecosystem processes, and how habitats can be connected through transfers of nutrients and energy by mobile organisms. An impressive example of both is the large influx of nutrients and organic matter that anadromous salmon supply to inland aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and the role of predation by brown bears (Ursus arctos) in transferring these marine-derived nutrients (MDN) from freshwater to riparian habitats. In spite of the recognition that salmon-bear interactions likely play an important role in controlling the flux of MDN from aquatic to riparian habitats, few studies have linked bear predation on salmon to processes such as nitrogen (N) or carbon (C) cycling. We combine landscape-level survey data and a replicated bear-exclosure experiment to test how bear foraging on salmon affects nitrous oxide (N2O) flux, carbon dioxide (CO2) flux, and nutrient concentrations of riparian soils. Our results show that bears feeding on salmon increased soil ammonium (NH4 +) concentrations three-fold and N2O flux by 32-fold. Soil CO2 flux, nitrate (NO3 −), and N transformation differences were negligible in areas where bears fed on salmon. Reference areas without concentrated bear activity showed no detectable change in soil N cycling after the arrival of salmon to streams. Exclosure experiments showed that bear effects on soil nutrient cycles were transient, and soil N processing returned to background conditions within 1 year after bears were removed from the system. These results suggest that recipient ecosystems do not show uniform responses to MDN inputs and highlight the importance of large mobile consumers in generating landscape heterogeneity in nutrient cycles.
A compact self-packaged patch antenna with non-planar complimentary split ring resonator loading

A self-packaged folded patch antenna in a rectangular waveguide shape is greatly reduced in size by loading a complimentary split ring resonator (CSRR) on the edge of its ground plane. The dimensions of the proposed antenna are 15mm×15mm×20mm, showing 72% volume reduction compared to one without CSRR loading at the same radiation frequency of 2.4GHz. Impedance matching between the patch and the feeding line is obtained by adjusting the gap between two edges of the folded patch not necessitating an additional impedance matching circuit. Also, the inside cavity surrounded and packaged by the folded patch is electromagnetically well shielded from the external circuit. This antenna offers a quasi-omni-directional radiation pattern. All those features make the proposed antenna very suitable for a compact sensor network application. To our knowledge, this is the first report a non-planar CSRR applied to antenna size reduction.
The functional relationship between ectodermal and mesodermal segmentation in the crustacean, Parhyale hawaiensis

In arthropods, annelids and chordates, segmentation of the body axis encompasses both ectodermal and mesodermal derivatives. In vertebrates, trunk mesoderm segments autonomously and induces segmental arrangement of the ectoderm-derived nervous system. In contrast, in the arthropod Drosophila melanogaster, the ectoderm segments autonomously and mesoderm segmentation is at least partially dependent on the ectoderm. While segmentation has been proposed to be a feature of the common ancestor of vertebrates and arthropods, considering vertebrates and Drosophila alone, it is impossible to conclude whether the ancestral primary segmented tissue was the ectoderm or the mesoderm. Furthermore, much of Drosophila segmentation occurs before gastrulation and thus may not accurately represent the mechanisms of segmentation in all arthropods. To better understand the relationship between segmented germ layers in arthropods, we asked whether segmentation is an intrinsic property of the ectoderm and/or the mesoderm in the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis by ablating either the ectoderm or the mesoderm and then assaying for segmentation in the remaining tissue layer. We found that the ectoderm segments autonomously. However, mesoderm segmentation requires at least a permissive signal from the ectoderm. Although mesodermal stem cells undergo normal rounds of division in the absence of ectoderm, they do not migrate properly in respect to migration direction and distance. In addition, their progeny neither divide nor express the mesoderm segmentation markers Ph-twist and Ph-Even-skipped. As segmentation is ectoderm-dependent in both Parhyale and holometabola insects, we hypothesize that segmentation is primarily a property of the ectoderm in pancrustacea.