cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anaerobic Respiration Using a Complete Oxidative TCA Cycle Drives Multicellular Swarming in Proteus mirabilis

Proteus mirabilis rapidly migrates across surfaces using a periodic developmental process of differentiation alternating between short swimmer cells and elongated hyperflagellated swarmer cells. To undergo this vigorous flagellum-mediated motility, bacteria must generate a substantial proton gradient across their cytoplasmic membranes by using available energy pathways. We sought to identify the link between energy pathways and swarming differentiation by examining the behavior of defined central metabolism mutants. Mutations in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle (fumC and sdhB mutants) caused altered patterns of swarming periodicity, suggesting an aerobic pathway. Surprisingly, the wild-type strain swarmed on agar containing sodium azide, which poisons aerobic respiration; the fumC TCA cycle mutant, however, was unable to swarm on azide. To identify other contributing energy pathways, we screened transposon mutants for loss of swarming on sodium azide and found insertions in the following genes that involved fumarate metabolism or respiration: hybB, encoding hydrogenase; fumC, encoding fumarase; argH, encoding argininosuccinate lyase (generates fumarate); and a quinone hydroxylase gene. These findings validated the screen and suggested involvement of anaerobic electron transport chain components. Abnormal swarming periodicity of fumC and sdhB mutants was associated with the excretion of reduced acidic fermentation end products. Bacteria lacking SdhB were rescued to wild-type pH and periodicity by providing fumarate, independent of carbon source but dependent on oxygen, while fumC mutants were rescued by glycerol, independent of fumarate only under anaerobic conditions. These findings link multicellular swarming patterns with fumarate metabolism and membrane electron transport using a previously unappreciated configuration of both aerobic and anaerobic respiratory chain components. Bacterial locomotion and the existence of microbes were the first scientific observations that followed the invention of the microscope. A bacterium can swim through a fluid environment or coordinate motion with a group of bacteria and swarm across a surface. The flagellar motor, which propels the bacterium, is fueled by proton motive force. In contrast to the physiology that governs swimming motility, much less is known about the energy sources required for multicellular swarming on surfaces. In this study, we used Proteus mirabilis as a model organism to study vigorous swarming behavior and genetic and biochemical approaches to define energy pathways and central metabolism that contribute to multicellular motility. We found that swarming bacteria use a complete aerobic tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle but do not respire oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor, suggesting that multicellular cooperation during swarming reduces the amount of energy required by individual bacteria to achieve rapid motility.
mGluR5 Positive and Negative Allosteric Modulators Differentially Affect Dendritic Spine Density and Morphology in the Prefrontal Cortex.

Positive and negative allosteric modulators (PAMs and NAMs, respectively) of type 5 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR5) are currently being investigated as novel treatments for neuropsychiatric diseases including drug addiction, schizophrenia, and Fragile X syndrome. However, only a handful of studies have examined the effects of mGluR5 PAMs or NAMs on the structural plasticity of dendritic spines in otherwise naive animals, particularly in brain regions mediating executive function. In the present study, we assessed dendritic spine density and morphology in pyramidal cells of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) after repeated administration of either the prototypical mGluR5 PAM 3-cyano-N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5- yl)benzamide (CDPPB, 20 mg/kg), the clinically utilized mGluR5 NAM 1-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-(3-methyl-5-oxo-4Himidazol- 2-yl)urea (fenobam, 20 mg/kg), or vehicle in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Following once daily treatment for 10 consecutive days, coronal brain sections containing the mPFC underwent diolistic labeling and 3D image analysis of dendritic spines. Compared to vehicle treated animals, rats administered fenobam exhibited significant increases in dendritic spine density and the overall frequency of spines with small ( 0.4 μm). Administration of CDPPB had no discernable effects on dendritic spine density or morphology, and neither CDPPB nor fenobam had any effect on spine length or volume. We conclude that mGluR5 PAMs and NAMs differentially affect mPFC dendritic spine structural plasticity in otherwise naive animals, and additional studies assessing their effects in combination with cognitive or behavioral tasks are needed.
Partisanship and Procedural Choice: Institutional Change in the Early Congress, 1789-1823

Conventional accounts of institutional change in the early House of Representatives suggest that increases in the size and workload of the chamber led members to adopt rules restricting the procedural rights of its members. In this article, I argue that this conventional explanation understates the influence of partisanship in dictating early procedural choice. Specifically, I use the House's adoption of the previous question rule in 1811 to test competing workload and partisan explanations of institutional change. Analyzing changes in congressional workload and partisanship from 1789 to 1823, I find that the polarization of partisan preferences strongly directed procedural choices in the early House. Moreover, I argue that procedural choices in both the House and Senate outlasted the voting alignments that first shaped them. The findings suggest the power of a partisan theory of institutional change to account for the timing and direction of congressional development and interchamber differences.
Consumer attitude and behaviour towards tomatoes after 10 years of Flandria quality labelling

In recent years, trust in food safety and food quality has decreased as a result of consecutive food crises. Consequently, numerous quality labels signalling process-related credence characteristics have been established. One of these labels is the Belgian Flandria quality label for fresh fruit and vegetables. Based on cross-sectional data collected through a self-administered consumer survey (n = 373), this paper addresses consumer attitudes, behaviour and perception towards tomatoes in general, and the Flandria tomato label in particular. Buyers, who constitute 26.8% of the sample, perceive Flandria tomatoes as superior to other tomatoes because of their guarantee of origin, better taste and stricter production control. However, they also report the strongest perception of Flandria as an ordinary tomato as compared to non-buyer segments. Overall, findings indicate that the Flandria label - after being intensively used for 10 years for a wide range of other fruits and vegetables besides tomatoes - has become fairly standard for tomatoes with little perceived differentiation apart from its certified production and origin.
Transmission of cutaneous infections in athletes.

Myriad dermatoses can affect athletes. One of the most common cutaneous manifestations of athletic activity are skin infections. Bacteria,1–4 viruses,1,2,4–8 and fungi1,2,4,9–11 cause these infections. Many are contagious and may have serious ramifications for team practices and competitions. Knowledge of these infections facilitates implementation of rapid treatment and preventive measures to ensure the least disruption in daily team activities. Several specific sports related dermatological conditions are caused by bacterial infection. Staphylococcal infection is the most common but streptococcal infection also commonly occurs.1–4 Both organisms may present as varying clinical entities including impetigo, erysipelas, folliculitis,1,2,4 and furunculosis.3 In general, they are probably contagious to some degree. Impetigo, characterised by well defined, erythematous, yellow crusted, scaling plaques, and erysipelas, characterised by well defined, advancing, erythematous plaques, can be treated with topical warm soaks and oral antibiotics.1,4 Folliculitis presents as small follicular pustules that can be treated with topical or oral antibiotics.1 These bacterial infections occur in sports in which close personal contact occurs, including rugby, judo, and wrestling.2,4 Furunculosis outbreaks, however, have been noted also in football and basketball athletes. One study showed that 25% of high school athletes in these sports developed furunculosis.3 …
Bioconversion of wheat straw to ethanol: Chemical modification, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation

Native wheat straw (WS) was pretreated with various concentrations of H2SO4 and NaOH followed by secondary treatments with ethylene diamine (EDA) and NH4OH prior to enzymatic saccharification. Conversion of the cellulosic component to sugar varied with the chemical modification steps. Treatment solely with alkali yield 51–75% conversion, depending on temperature. Acid treatment at elevated tempeatures showed a substantial decrease in the hemicellulose component, whereas EDA-treated WS (acid pretreated) showed a 69–75% decrease in the lignin component. Acid-pretreated EDA-treated straw yielded a 98% conversion rate, followed by 83% for alkali–NH4OH treated straws. In other experiments, WS was pretreated with varying concentration of H2SO4 or NaOh followed by NH4OH treatment prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. Pretreatment of straw with 2% NaOH for 4 h coupled to enzymatic hydrolysis yield a 76% conversion of the cellulosic component. Acid–base combination pretreatment yielded only 43% conversions. A reactor column was subsequently used to measure modification–saccharification–fermentation for wheat straw conversion on a larger scale. Thirty percent conversions of wheat straw cellulosics to sugar were observed with subsequent fermentation to alcohol. The crude cellulase preparation yielded considerable quantities of xylose in addition to the glucose. Saccharified materials were fermented directly with actively proliferating proliferating yeast cells without concentration of the sugars.
Reduced Plasma Cholesterol and Lipoprotein in Laying Hens Without Concomitant Reduction of Egg Cholesterol in Response to Dietary Sorbose

Abstract Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of sorbose on feed consumption, egg production and size, and cholesterol metabolism of laying hens. In Experiment 1, 87-wk-old laying hens (10 per treatment) were fed diets containing 0, 10, or 20% sorbose for 4 wk. In a second experiment, 108-wk-old laying hens (eight per treatment) were fed a control diet, a diet with 10% added sorbose, or the control diet with intake restricted to the level of sorbose-treated hens for 4 wk. Feed consumption and egg production were recorded daily. Plasma and egg cholesterol levels were determined at 0, 2, and 4 wk. Plasma and egg very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) concentrations were determined after 4 wk. Egg production, feed intake, and body weight gain were significantly reduced by dietary sorbose. Egg and yolk weight and percentage yolk decreased in response to sorbose. Sorbose significantly reduced plasma cholesterol and VLDL by approximately 50%, compared with the hens fed a control diet. Egg cholesterol concentration (milligrams per gram of yolk) was significantly increased, although the reduction in yolk size resulted in similar total egg cholesterol (milligrams per egg). Restricting feed intake of laying hens significantly lowered plasma cholesterol, but not to levels comparable to that of sorbose-treated hens. The data indicate that substantial reduction of plasma cholesterol and VLDL by dietary sorbose was not accompanied by reduced egg cholesterol.
Community transcriptomics reveals universal patterns of protein sequence conservation in natural microbial communities

Background: Combined metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets make it possible to study the molecular evolution of diverse microbial species recovered from their native habitats. The link between gene expression level and sequence conservation was examined using shotgun pyrosequencing of microbial community DNA and RNA from diverse marine environments, and from forest soil. Results: Across all samples, expressed genes with transcripts in the RNA sample were significantly more conserved than non-expressed gene sets relative to best matches in reference databases. This discrepancy, observed for many diverse individual genomes and across entire communities, coincided with a shift in amino acid usage between these gene fractions. Expressed genes trended toward GC-enriched amino acids, consistent with a hypothesis of higher levels of functional constraint in this gene pool. Highly expressed genes were significantly more likely to fall within an orthologous gene set shared between closely related taxa (core genes). However, non-core genes, when expressed above the level of detection, were, on average, significantly more highly expressed than core genes based on transcript abundance normalized to gene abundance. Finally, expressed genes showed broad similarities in function across samples, being relatively enriched in genes of energy metabolism and underrepresented by genes of cell growth. Conclusions: These patterns support the hypothesis, predicated on studies of model organisms, that gene expression level is a primary correlate of evolutionary rate across diverse microbial taxa from natural environments. Despite their complexity, meta-omic datasets can reveal broad evolutionary patterns across taxonomically, functionally, and environmentally diverse communities.
Lady in Red Hormonal Predictors of Women’s Clothing Choices

Recent evidence supports the idea that women use red clothing as a courtship tactic, and results from one study further suggested that women were more likely to wear red on days of high fertility in their menstrual cycles. Subsequent studies provided mixed support for the cycle-phase effect, although all such studies relied on counting methods of cycle-phase estimation and used between-subjects designs. By comparison, in the study reported here, we employed frequent hormone sampling to more accurately assess ovulatory timing and used a within-subjects design. We found that women were more likely to wear red during the fertile window than on other cycle days. Furthermore, within-subjects fluctuations in the ratio of estradiol to progesterone statistically mediated the within-subjects shifts in red-clothing choices. Our results appear to represent the first direct demonstration of specific hormone measurements predicting observable changes in women's courtship-related behaviors. We also demonstrate the advantages of hormonal determination of ovulatory timing for tests of cycle-phase shifts in psychology or behavior.
Heparan sulfate proteoglycans are required for mesoderm formation in xenopus embryos

Mesoderm forms in the vertebrate embryo as a result of inductive interactions involving secreted growth factors and cell surface molecules. Proteoglycans have recently been implicated in the control of cell adhesion, migration and growth factor responsiveness. We have found that removal of glycosaminoglycan chains of proteoglycans from Xenopus ectodermal explants by heparinase, but not by chondroitinase, results in inhibition of elongation and mesodermal differentiation in response to signaling factors: activin, FGF and Wnt. Heparinase treatment differentially affected expression of early general and region-specific mesodermal markers, suggesting that mesodermal cell fates become specified in the early embryo via at least two signaling pathways which differ in their requirements for heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Addition of soluble heparan sulfate restored activin-mediated induction of muscle-specific actin gene in heparinase-treated explants. Finally, heparinase inhibited autonomous morphogenetic movements and mesodermal, but not neural, differentiation in dorsal marginal zone explants, which normally give rise to mesoderm in the embryo. These results directly demonstrate that heparan sulfate proteoglycans participate in gastrulation and mesoderm formation in the early embryo.
The Relationship Between Mentally Unhealthy Days and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults Over Time

This article sought to determine the extent to which the number of self-reported mentally unhealthy days (MUDs) in the past 30 days estimates depressive symptoms in older adults. The sample of 4,321 community-dwelling residents aged 65 and above originated from an ongoing population-based study of older Blacks and Whites. Participants’ data from 1993 through 2005 included the single MUD question and questions from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale (CES-D). Fourteen percent of participants had four or more depressive symptoms at baseline; of these, only 52% reported one or more MUD. Thirty-eight percent of those with one or more MUDs had four or more depressive symptoms. The results illustrate an interesting association regarding the measurements of two distinct, but related, mental health constructs. Although the number of MUDs was associated with having more depressive symptoms over time, the single-question MUD measure does not fully capture depressive symptomatology.
Multisensor Estimation of Mixing Heights over a Coastal City

An airborne microwave temperature profiler (MTP) was deployed during the Texas 2000 Air Quality Study (TexAQS-2000) to make measurements of boundary layer thermal structure. An objective technique was developed and tested for estimating the mixed layer (ML) height from the MTP vertical temperature profiles. The technique identifies the ML height as a threshold increase of potential temperature from its minimum value within the boundary layer. To calibrate the technique and evaluate the usefulness of this approach, coincident estimates from radiosondes, radar wind profilers, an aerosol backscatter lidar, and in situ aircraft measurements were compared with each other and with the MTP. Relative biases among all instruments were generally less than 50 m, and the agreement between MTP ML height estimates and other estimates was at least as good as the agreement among the other estimates. The ML height estimates from the MTP and other instruments are utilized to determine the spatial and temporal evolution of ML height in the Houston, Texas, area on 1 September 2000. An elevated temperature inversion was present, so ML growth was inhibited until early afternoon. In the afternoon, large spatial variations in ML height developed across the Houston area. The highest ML heights, well over 2 km, were observed to the north of Houston, while downwind of Galveston Bay and within the late afternoon sea breeze ML heights were much lower. The spatial variations that were found away from the immediate influence of coastal circulations were unexpected, and multiple independent ML height estimates were essential for documenting this feature.
Procedures for Identifying Infectious Prions After Passage Through the Digestive System of an Avian Species

Infectious prion (PrPRes) material is likely the cause of fatal, neurodegenerative transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) diseases1. Transmission of TSE diseases, such as chronic wasting disease (CWD), is presumed to be from animal to animal2,3 as well as from environmental sources4-6. Scavengers and carnivores have potential to translocate PrPRes material through consumption and excretion of CWD-contaminated carrion. Recent work has documented passage of PrPRes material through the digestive system of American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), a common North American scavenger7. We describe procedures used to document passage of PrPRes material through American crows. Crows were gavaged with RML-strain mouse-adapted scrapie and their feces were collected 4 hr post gavage. Crow feces were then pooled and injected intraperitoneally into C57BL/6 mice. Mice were monitored daily until they expressed clinical signs of mouse scrapie and were thereafter euthanized. Asymptomatic mice were monitored until 365 days post inoculation. Western blot analysis was conducted to confirm disease status. Results revealed that prions remain infectious after traveling through the digestive system of crows and are present in the feces, causing disease in test mice.
TOWARD A THEORY OF EMPIRICAL NATURAL RIGHTS

With the publication of Anarchy, State, and Utopia in 1974, Robert Nozick breathed new life into the natural rights tradition of political philosophy. By opening his book with the statement “Individuals have rights, and there are things no person or group may do to them (without violating their rights),” Nozick stimulated two distinct lines of philosophical investigation: a future-oriented inquiry into the implications that the existence of fundamental individual rights holds for morally acceptable public policy, and a backward-looking inquiry into the sources of and foundations for these rights. In this essay, I propose to pursue the latter line of inquiry. To this end, I will begin with a brief overview of natural rights political philosophy in Section II. Because Nozick explicitly adopts John Locke's conception of natural rights as his own, I will first survey both Locke's and Nozick's rights-based arguments for limited government. I will then suggest that although both arguments are quite powerful, their persuasive force can be no greater than that of the underlying arguments for the existence of the natural rights upon which they rest. I will conclude Section II by suggesting that neither Locke nor Nozick has supplied an adequate version of the necessary underlying arguments. Rather than attempting to supply this lack myself, I will offer in Section III an alternative conception of natural rights as rights that naturally evolve in the state of nature. I will then argue that these “empirical natural rights” form a good approximation of the negative rights to life, liberty, and property on which both Locke and Nozick rest their arguments and that such rights are normatively well grounded.
Global Householding amid Global Crises

Households are an enduring feature of human history. They are the building blocks of social formations in every era and at all scales: from small communities to the global economy. Like families, they “order” social relations in particular ways. But households differ from families by allowing for nonkinship members and by not presuming shared group residence. The emphasis lies, rather, in the pooling of diverse (material and nonmaterial) resources with the purpose of ensuring the continuity of the collective unit. Michael Douglass (2006, 423) deploys the term householding to underscore how “creating and sustaining a household is a continuous process of social reproduction that covers all life-cycle stages and extends beyond the family.” Global householding references the many ways in which these processes increasingly occur across national boundaries, for example, through transborder marriages, overseas education, labor migration, and war displacements. The psychological, sociocultural, economic, and political implications of these processes are extraordinarily complex and arguably involve as much as one-quarter of the world's population.
Automated time study of skidders using global positioning system data

Time study is an important research tool used in comparing productivity of forest harvesting systems across varying conditions. Unfortunately, it has been an expensive tool to apply, involving travel and fieldwork by a crew of technicians plus time in the office to reduce raw data to usable information. In the interests of safety and cost reduction, it would be preferable to have a means of performing autonomous time study that did not involve fieldwork and that produced detailed summaries of machine or system performance over long periods of time. Automated tracking of machine productivity is currently possible on advanced harvesting equipment, notably cut-to-length harvesters, but is not for the predominant tree-length logging systems used in the US south. This paper reports on a data acquisition system used to convert movement and positional data collected using a GPS receiver mounted on tree-length harvesting equipment, primarily skidders, into time study information. The conversion was performed in two stages: reduction of raw position data to a set of measurable, simple events; interpretation of sequences of simple events as machine functions. Simple events were extracted from the raw position data along with time and distance accumulated since the previously occurring event, then passed to the interpretive stage of processing. The stream of simple events was evaluated using a pattern-matching system that combined events into machine functions. Patterns were rules specified using a regular expression syntax that defined machine-specific operational characteristics. Field trials with the data acquisition system on skidders showed it was capable of reproducing measurements obtained from field crews. In two tests measuring total skid cycle time (46 cycles), the automated time study system missed identifying fewer than 10% of the cycles, and of those identified, the difference in cycle time averaged less than 2% (5s). Although small, the bias was consistent (automated system shorter) and significantly different from 0. Elemental time study was also possible. A three-element cycle (travel empty, grapple, and travel loaded) was identified in 33 of the 36 cycles with differences in element times between clock and automated system measurements being generally less than 10%.
Two-layer modeling of smoke movement in building fires

A description is given of a model which predicts the motion of combustion products and fresh air caused by a fire located in one room of a two-room structure. The gas in each room is assumed to be divided into two homogeneous layers, a layer next to the ceiling which contains hot combustion products and one next to the floor which contains fresh air. The model predicts the motion of the interface separating these layers and the density of the hot layers as a function of time and an arbitrarily specified fire heat release rate.
Quickprop algorithm for transfer capability calculations

The problem of real power transfer capability, under multi-area interchange schedules, is approached by a neural network solution methodology in this paper. Generator status, line status and load status serve as the inputs for the neural network and the output is the transfer capability as determined by OPF. The Quickprop algorithm, which is faster than the standard BP algorithm, is used to train the neural network. Having trained the neural network, the solution for a given power system condition can be determined very quickly. A case study is presented demonstrating the feasibility of this approach. The new method will be useful for reliability assessment in the new utility environment.
SEASONAL PREVALENCE OF A HAEMATOZOAN PARASITE OF RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS (MELANERPES CAROLINUS) AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH HOST CONDITION AND OVERWINTER SURVIVAL

Abstract We examined seasonal prevalence of a haematozoan parasite (Haemoproteus velans) of the Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) in the Apalachicola National Forest, northern Florida. We also investigated how infection with H. velans was associated with host mass, body condition, and overwinter survival. Analysis of blood smears taken from individual woodpeckers between May 2000 and July 2001 indicated that prevalence of H. velans peaked in July 2000, at ∼80% of individuals sampled, decreased to 0% in January and February 2001, and peaked again in July 2001, at ∼50% of individuals. Infection with H. velans was associated with low mass and poor body condition in males. Infection showed no association with female mass. In addition, infection with H. velans showed no relationship with overwinter survival. Our data reemphasize the importance of considering seasonal variation in parasite prevalence during testing for haematozoa. In addition, our data suggest that, although infection with H. velans...
Design of reconfigurable multi-mode RF circuits

Wireless communication systems and devices have been developing at a much faster pace in the past few years. With the introduction of new applications and services and the increasing demand for higher data rate comes the need for new frequency bands and new standards. One critical issue for next generation wireless devices is how to support all of the existing and emerging bands while not increasing the cost and power consumption. A feasible solution is the concept of the software-defined radio where a single receiver can be reconfigured to operate in different modes, each of which supports one or several bands and/or standards. To implement such a reconfigurable receiver, reconfigurable RF building blocks, such as the LNA, mixer, VCO, etc., are required. This dissertation focuses on two key blocks: the low noise amplifier (LNA) and the voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). First the design, modeling and characterization of a multi-tap transformer are discussed. Simple mathematical calculations are utilized to estimate the inductances and coupling coefficients from the physical parameters of a multi-tap transformer. The design method is verified with several designed multi-tap transformers that are characterized up to 10 GHz using Momentum simulation results. The effect of switch loss on a switched multitap transformer is explored and a broadband lumped-element model of the multi-tap transformer is also proposed. Next a reconfigurable multimode LNA capable of single-band, concurrent dual-band, and ultra-wideband operation is presented. The multimode operation is realized by incorporating a switched multi-tap transformer into the input matching network of an inductively degenerated common source amplifier. The proposed LNA achieves single band
A survey of the phenomenology and pharmacotherapy of compulsive and impulsive-aggressive symptoms in Prader-Willi syndrome.

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a congenital disorder characterized by hyperphagia as well as by other behavioral disturbances such as self-mutilation and temper outbursts. Some of these symptoms have been reported to respond to psychotropic medications. A systematic survey was conducted to gather information on the phenomenology and pharmacotherapy of compulsive and impulsive-aggressive symptoms in PWS. Both compulsive and impulsive-aggressive symptoms are frequent in this population. Pharmacotherapeutic intervention may have a role in the management of these symptoms. Rigorous diagnostic and treatment studies should be undertaken in this population. Language: en
The Site-2 Protease at Ten

The site-2 protease (S2P) is a highly hydrophobic integral membrane protean required for cleavage of various mambrane-bound transcription factors within a membrane-spanning helix. S2P was the first intramembrane-cleaving protease to be recognized but more has been learned about other such proteins. Fundamental questions about the role and function of S2P remain unanswered. S2P plays a crucial role in mammalian lipid metabolism and the unfolded protein response. Thus, finding the answers has implications for our understanding of human health and disease. Recent advances with rhomboid proteins and gamma secretase indicate that the technical challenges to getting the answers can be overcome
Pheeno, A Versatile Swarm Robotic Research and Education Platform

Swarms of low-cost autonomous robots can potentially be used to collectively perform tasks over very large domains and time scales. Novel robots for swarm applications are currently being developed as a result of recent advances in sensing, actuation, processing, power, and manufacturing. These platforms can be used by researchers to conduct experiments with robot collectives and by educators to include robotic hardware in their curricula. However, existing low-cost robots are specialized and can lack desired sensing, navigation, control, and manipulation capabilities. This letter presents a new mobile robot platform, Pheeno, that is affordable, versatile, and suitable for multirobot research, education, and outreach activities. Users can modify Pheeno for their applications by designing custom modules that attach to its core module. We describe the design of the Pheeno core and a three degree-of-freedom gripper module, which enables unprecedented manipulation capabilities for a robot of Pheeno's size and cost. We experimentally demonstrate Pheeno's ability to fuse measurements from its onboard odometry for global position estimation and use its camera for object identification in real time. We also show that groups of two and three Pheenos can act on commands from a central controller and consistently transport a payload in a desired direction.
Humoral effect of norepinephrine on renin release in humans.

We compared the effects of infused norepinephrine (NE) to another alpha-adrenergic agonist, phenylephrine, in order to understand better the influence of circulating NE on plasma renin activity (PRA) in man. In matched groups of normotensive men, NE (80 ng/min/kg) or phenylephrine (800 ng/min/kg) raised blood pressure by 15 to 20 mm Hg and caused reflex decreases in heart rate of 8 to 10 beats per minute. Infused phenylephrine suppressed PRA by about 15%, whereas NE increased PRA by about 40% (P less than .02). This differential effect of alpha-agonists on PRA defines an important humoral effect of NE, which should be considered to be a "cardiovascular hormone."
Adsorption to Clostridium botulinum Cultures of Phage Controlling Type C Botulinum Toxin Production

SummaryC-st phage which governs production of type C botulinum toxin was mixed at 4° with cells of C. botulinum type C and D cultures and nontoxigenics derived from them. The phage adsorbed to all three cultures producing type C toxin, the one type D toxin producer, 2 of 4 nontoxigenics from type C parents and the three nontoxigenics originating from type D toxin producers. The phage adsorbed to some cultures without converting to toxigenicity. The two nontoxigenic which could be converted to toxigenicity differed in degrees of phage adsorption and conversion rates.Research was supported by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, by NIH Grant No. FD00712, and contributions from food companies.
Variability of flowering and 2n pollen production in diploid potatoes under high temperatures

Nine clones from a heat tolerant PHU-STN hybrid population were evaluated for flower production and percent normal, 2n and non-viable pollen under three temperature regimes at the Southeastern Plant Environmental Laboratories: 30/26, 26/22 and 22/18 C. No flowering was observed at 30/26 C. Flowering was irregular among seven of the clones at 26/22 C and 22/18 C. One clone produced numerous flowers at 26/22 C and 22/18 C. The plot of percent 2n pollen against time for this one clone under 22/18 C revealed a slope which was statistically different from zero but too small to be of practical value. The same plot of this clone under 26/22 C revealed a slope which was not statistically different from zero. Percent 2n pollen was statistically greater (at the 10% level of significance) in the 26/22 C chamber than the 22/18 C chamber.
Differences among modes for portraying stimulus information in concept identification

Six ways of presenting stimulus information, i. e., variations in relevant and irrelevant stimulus dimensions, in concept identification problems were compared. It was found that stimulus displays wherein all the information is embodied in a single, compact figure result in faster problem solving than do those which distribute the same information across a set of discrete figures. The inferiority of distributed displays is enhanced if all discrete figures vary randomly in location from trial-to-trial.
Assays to Study Mitotic Centrosome and Spindle Pole Assembly and Regulation

Faithful chromosome segregation during cell division requires proper bipolar spindle assembly and critically depends on spindle pole integrity. In most animal cells, spindle poles form as the result of the concerted action of various factors operating in two independent pathways of microtubule assembly mediated by chromatin/RanGTP and by centrosomes. Mutation or deregulation of a number of spindle pole-organizing proteins has been linked to human diseases, including cancer and microcephaly. Our knowledge on how the spindle pole-organizing factors function at the molecular level and cooperate with one another is still quite limited. As the list of these factors expands, so does the need for the development of experimental approaches to study their function. Cell-free extracts from Xenopus laevis eggs have played an instrumental role in the dissection of the mechanisms of bipolar spindle assembly and have recently allowed the reconstitution of the key steps of the centrosome-driven microtubule nucleation pathway (Joukov et al., Mol Cell 55:578-591, 2014). Here we describe assays to study both centrosome-dependent and centrosome-independent spindle pole formation in Xenopus egg extracts. We also provide experimental procedures for the use of artificial centrosomes, such as microbeads coated with an anti-Aurora A antibody or a recombinant fragment of the Cep192 protein, to model and study centrosome maturation in egg extract. In addition, we detail the protocol for a microtubule regrowth assay that allows assessment of the centrosome-driven spindle microtubule assembly in mammalian cells.
Clinical significance of noncalcified lung nodules in patients with breast cancer.

Patients with breast cancer are increasingly likely to have chest computed tomography (CT) performed. In many cases, small lung nodules will be detected, raising concern for metastases and causing considerable patient anxiety. The majority of these nodules, however, are benign, though the specific probability of malignancy is uncertain in any given case. Therefore, we analyzed the results of chest CT scans of a large number of patients with breast cancer, to determine characteristics and clinical significance of noncalcified lung nodules. 3313 patients were investigated, and 4889 CT scans from 1325 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Among the 1325 patients, 812 (59 %) had at least one noncalcified lung nodule, of which 330 (41 %) had malignant nodules, 197 (24 %) had large (≥10 mm) nodules, and 586 (72 %) had multiple nodules. Large nodules were more often malignant than benign (P < 0.001). In patients with multiple large nodules, the rate of malignancy rate was 83 %, and most of these were metastases. In the case of very small (2–4 mm) nodules, the malignancy rates for solitary and multiple nodules were 8 and 20 %, respectively. Lung metastases were more likely with breast cancer cell grade 3 (22 %) than grade 1–2 (10 %) (P < 0.001) and when patients were clinical stage 2–3 (14 %) than stage 0–1 (7.9 %) (P = 0.03). Lung metastases are highly likely in patients with multiple nodules greater than 10 mm. Higher cancer cell grades and clinical stage are also related to an increased likelihood of lung metastases. The great majority of small lung nodules in breast cancer patients are benign.
Mouse Embryonic Fibroblast Cell Culture and Stimulation

Culture of mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells represents a powerful system to test gene function due to their easy accessibility, rapid growth rates, and the possibility of a large number of experiments. Fibroblasts are a group of heterogeneous resident cells of mesenchymal origin that have various locations, diverse appearances and distinctive activities. Because of their ubiquitous distribution as tissue cells, these cells are poised to respond to factors released by newly activated innate immune cells, thus becoming a useful tool to study inflammation and immunity. Here, we describe procedures for mouse embryonic fibroblast cell isolation, primary culture, and stimulation. Specifically, we have optimized a step of serum starvation prior to stimulation. This step is necessary to maintain the quiescent status of these cells before they are exposed to pro-inflammatory stimuli for optimal responses. As shown in our previous studies, these mouse fibroblasts do not express Tnf, Csf2, or Il2 mRNAs at levels readily detectable by routine northern blotting techniques (Lai WS et al., 2006).
Observations on Economic Reform in the Successor States

A prominent Western expert on economic affairs of the former Soviet Union provides an overview of the current state of economic reform in the area. The survey covers each of the 15 new states that emerged in 1991 after the disintegration of the old regime, emphasizing accomplishments and progress in 1992 and 1993 rather than problems that impede transition to market-oriented economies. Based on systematic perusal of the available local and Western data, as well as on other sources of information, the author identifies the basic similarities and differences in the reform process among the individual republics as well as their relevant geographic aggregations (e.g., Baltics, Western states, Transcaucasia, Central Asia). The overview embraces developments in late 1993. 23 references.
LOS and NLOS millimeter-wave MIMO measurements at 24 GHz in a hallway environment

Indoor 4×4 MIMO measurements in a hallway environment at 24 GHz for both LOS and non-LOS (NLOS) conditions are presented. Initial characterizations of the measured channels include receive power, delay spread, and wideband channel capacity.
Clear Cell Type A and B Molecular Subtypes in Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: Tumor Heterogeneity and Aggressiveness

Abstract Background Intratumor molecular heterogeneity has been reported for primary clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) tumors; however, heterogeneity in metastatic ccRCC tumors has not been explored. Objective To evaluate intra- and intertumor molecular heterogeneity in resected metastatic ccRCC tumors. Design, setting, and participants We identified 111 patients who had tissue available from their primary tumor and at least one metastasis. ClearCode34 genes were analyzed for all tumors. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Primary and metastatic tumors were classified as clear cell type A (ccA) or B (ccB) subtypes. Logistic and Cox regression were used to evaluate associations with pathologic features and survival. Results and limitations Intratumor heterogeneity of ccA/ccB subtypes was observed in 22% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3–60%) of metastatic tumors. Subtype differed across longitudinal metastatic tumors from the same patient in 23% (95% CI 10–42%) of patients and across patient-matched primary and metastatic tumors in 43% (95% CI 32–55%) of patients. Association of subtype with survival was validated in primary ccRCC tumors. The ccA/ccB subtype in metastatic tumors was significantly associated with metastatic tumor location, metastatic tumor grade, and presence of tumor necrosis. A limitation of this study is that we only analyzed patients who had both a nephrectomy and metastasectomy. Conclusions Approximately one quarter of metastatic tumors displayed intratumor heterogeneity; a similar rate of heterogeneity was observed across longitudinal metastatic tumors. Thus, for biomarker studies it is likely adequate to analyze a single sample per metastatic tumor provided that pathologic review is incorporated into the study design. Subtypes across patient-matched primary and metastatic tumors differed 43% of the time, suggesting that the primary tumor is not a good surrogate for the metastatic tumor. Patient summary Primary and secondary/metastatic cancers of the kidney differed in nearly one half of ccRCC patients. The pattern of this relationship may affect tumor growth and the most suitable treatment.
Design and Implementation of a Biologically Inspired Optimal Control Strategy for Chemical Process Control

In this paper, a biologically inspired optimal control strategy, denoted as BIO-CS, is proposed for nonlinear chemical processes with constraints. This approach combines the ants’ rule of pursuit idea with multiagent and optimal control concepts. In this agent-based framework, starting from an initially feasible trajectory for the leader agent, each follower agent improves its path toward the set point by employing optimal control laws. As the number of agents progresses, the trajectories converge to an optimal solution. The developed algorithm employs gradient-based optimal control solvers for the intermediate problems associated with the leader–follower local interactions. The effectiveness of the developed approach is illustrated by addressing the nonlinear dynamic model of a fermentation process to produce ethanol, whose challenges in process dynamics include oscillations and steady-state multiplicity. The proposed method is successfully implemented for this system considering set point tracking, dist...
Chapter 16.6 - Chemical and Combustion Kinetics: 16.6 Particulate Formation and Analysis

This chapter discusses the methods and results of particulate formation in shock tubes. The reaction of gaseous mixtures following shock heating often results in the production of condensed-phase materials. In most cases, these materials are produced in the form of particulate matter which is typically found during the pyrolysis of hydrocarbons. Although these compounds tend to decompose to small fragments following shock heating, under almost all conditions the fragmentation process is accompanied with the production of carbon or soot particulate. In addition to soot formation, the shock tube technique is applied to a variety of particulate formation problems. It was used to understand the chemical processes relevant to the synthesis of nano-powder from gases. The shock tube technique is widely used to study heterogeneous reaction kinetics. In this case, the initial reactant mixture contains small particles suspended in an inert diluent or a reactive gas-diluent mixture. The chapter also examines particle size distribution function with particle analysis techniques.
The devil’s in the g-tails: Deficient letter-shape knowledge and awareness despite massive visual experience.

Knowledge of letter shapes is central to reading. In experiments focusing primarily on a single letter shape-the "looptail" lowercase print G-we found surprising gaps in skilled readers' knowledge. In Experiment 1 most participants failed to recall the existence of looptail g when asked if G has two lowercase print forms, and almost none were able to write looptail g accurately. In Experiment 2 participants searched for Gs in text with multiple looptail gs. Asked immediately thereafter to write the g form they had seen, half the participants produced an "opentail" g (the typical handwritten form), and only one wrote looptail g accurately. In Experiment 3 participants performed poorly in discriminating looptail g from distractors with important features mislocated or misoriented. These results have implications for understanding types of knowledge about letters, and how this knowledge is acquired. For example, our findings speak to hypotheses concerning the role of writing in learning letter shapes. More generally, our findings raise questions about the conditions under which massive exposure does, and does not, yield detailed, accurate, accessible knowledge. In this context we relate our findings to studies showing poor knowledge or memory for various types of stimuli despite extensive exposure. (PsycINFO Database Record
Policies and Practices Supporting LGBTQ Students in Indiana’s Middle Schools:

Principals should lead for social justice, particularly in support of marginalized and vulnerable students like lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) adolescents. This quanti...