cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Critical Role of Diacylglycerol- and Phospholipid-Regulated Protein Kinase Cε in Induction of Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor Transcription in Response to Depletion of Cholesterol

Induction of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor transcription in response to depletion of cellular sterols in animal cells is well established. The intracellular signal or signals involved in regulating this process, however, remain unknown. Using a specific inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC), calphostin C, we show the requirement of this kinase in the induction process in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Overexpression of PKCɛ, but not PKCα, -γ, -δ, or -ζ was found to dramatically induce (approximately 18-fold) LDL receptor promoter activity. Interestingly, PKCɛ-mediated induction was found to be sterol resistant. To further establish that PKCɛ is involved in the sterol regulation of LDL receptor gene transcription, endogenous PKCɛ was specifically inhibited by transfection with antisense PKCɛ phosphorothionate oligonucleotides. Antisense treatment decreased endogenous PKCɛ protein levels and completely blocked induction of LDL receptor transcription following sterol depletion. PKCɛ-induced LDL receptor transcription is independent of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (p42/44MAPK) cascade, because the MEK-1/2 inhibitor, PD98059 did not inhibit, even though it blocked p42/44MAPK activation. Finally, photoaffinity labeling studies showed an isoform-specific interaction between PKCɛ and sterols, suggesting that sterols may directly modulate its function by hampering binding of activators. This was confirmed by PKC activity assays. Altogether, these results define a novel signaling pathway leading to induction of LDL receptor transcription following sterol depletion, and a model is proposed to account for a new function for PKCɛ as part of a sterol-sensitive signal transduction pathway in hepatic cells.
Mathematical biophysics of color vision II: Theory of color changes induced by the alternation of colors at various frequencies.

A model previously introduced to account for a number of phenomena of color vision is studied for the conditions in which the alternation of colors is periodic. The case of three primary receptors having no differences in their time constants is considered for the situations such as the temporal alternation of two primaries, a primary and a neighboring binary, a primary and white, a binary and white, etc. Using the same mathematical model which was used to account for the enhancement effect of interrupted illumination, it is found possible to account for observed changes in hue in a qualitative manner. A method is suggested for measuring the color changes quantitatively. This method is readily adapted for demonstration purposes. The model shows that there should be differences between “primaries” and “binaries” with respect to change in hue. In principle, therefore, comparison between theory and experiment should yield information regarding the physiological primaries.
Metabolites from soil bacteria affect plant water relations

Water-soluble compounds move naturally in soil moisture toward roots of transpiring plants. To test for effects of rhizosphere food-web molecules on plants, low concentrations of common microbial products were supplied to bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) roots. Stomatal conductance and transpiration increased significantly (+20 to +30%, P ≤ 0.05) 42 h after 10 nM homoserine lactone (HL) was supplied to roots. Because transpiration helps both a plant and its root-colonizing bacteria obtain diffusion-limited mineral nutrients, such as phosphorus, any increase triggered by a degradation product of N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) regulatory signals commonly used among plant-associated bacteria may represent a mutualistic plant-microbe interaction. Results from these initial physiological tests justify further screening to identify other rhizosphere compounds that control plant functions important for root-colonizing microorganisms.
Overcoming the structural versus energy dissipation trade-off in highly crosslinked polymer networks: Ultrahigh strain rate response in polydicyclopentadiene

Abstract Ballistic performance, at effective strain rates of (10 4 –10 5 s −1 ), for polymeric dicyclopentadiene (pDCPD) was compared with two epoxy resin/diamine systems with comparable glass transition temperatures. The high rate response was characterized in terms of a projectile penetration kinetic energy, KE 50 , which describes the projectile kinetic energy at a velocity with a 50% probability of sample penetration. pDCPD showed superior penetration resistance, with a 300–400% improvement in ballistic energy dissipation, when compared with the structural epoxy resins. In addition, unlike typical highly crosslinked networks that become brittle at low temperatures, the improved pDCPD performance occurred over a very broad temperature range (−55 to 75 °C), despite exhibiting a glass transition temperature characteristic of structural resins (∼142 °C). In addition to the high T g , pDCPD exhibited a room temperature glassy storage modulus of 1.7 GPa, offering the potential to circumvent the common structural versus energy dissipation trade-off encountered with conventional crosslinked polymers. Quasi-static measurements suggested that the performance of pDCPD is phenomenologically related to higher fracture toughness and lower yield stress relative to typical epoxies, while molecular dynamics simulations suggest the origin is the lack of strong non-covalent interactions and the facile formation of nanoscale voids to accommodate strain in pDCPD.
Predator-prey interactions among fish and larval amphibians: use of chemical cues to detect predatory fish

Abstract Gravitational flow-through systems were used to determine whether larvae of two-lined salamanders, Eurycea bislineata , and Cope's grey treefrog, Hyla chrysoscelis , use chemical cues to detect predatory fish. Eurycea larvae were attracted to water conditioned with food, showed no response to water conditioned with green frog, Rana clamitans , tadpoles, and avoided water conditioned with a dangerous predator, the green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus. Hyla tadpoles exposed to water conditioned with green sunfish spent significantly more time in refuges than did controls exposed only to water. In a comparable experiment performed at a natural breeding site, Hyla tadpoles significantly increased refuge use when exposed to water conditioned with fish. These data suggest that amphibian larvae use chemical cues in their natural habitats to minimize predation risk from fish.
Care of the Elderly as a Global Nursing Issue

The size of the world's elderly population is growing at a rapid rate, with the 60 and older population of Europe and North America outpacing total population growth in recent decades. As life expectancy lengthens, the quality of that life becomes an issue of importance to nursing practitioners and nursing educators. Developed countries and developing countries will be faced with different challenges when determining service delivery models for their aging populations. Innovation in delivery models and comprehensive and longitudinal data are needed if the goal of aging in place is to be achieved.
Lead poisoning as a result of infertility treatment using herbal remedies

Lead poisoning remains a major problem in our society due to the lack of awareness of its ill effects among the clinical community. The non-availability of blood lead levels at primary health centers results in many lead-poisoned cases being treated symptomatically, without the diagnosis being sought. We report a case here, presenting with colicky abdominal pain receiving symptomatic treatment initially; lead poisoning was confirmed following the estimation of blood lead levels. The consumption of unbranded herbal medicines as a causative factor for lead poisoning was confirmed by high lead content in the medicines. Surely, this demands public health programs to disseminate strategies to the medical personnel about the clinical implication of lead poisoning, as well as the general public for awareness and to prevent lead poisoning.
α-Lactalbumin−AOT Charge Interactions Tune Phase Structures in Isooctane/Brine Mixtures

Self-assembly of the anionic surfactant AOT with the protein alpha-lactalbumin in isooctane/brine mixtures results in phase structures whose type, size, and shape differ considerably from those formed by the surfactant alone. Small-angle X-ray scattering was used to determine the size and shape of these structures for 5.4 < pH < 11.2 and 0.25, 0.33, and 0.4 wt % NaCl. All pH values were above the reported isoelectric point for the protein. The composition of the system (except for salt) was fixed, with 2.5 wt % surfactant in equivolume mixtures of oil and water and either 0 or 0.4 wt % protein. Under these conditions, AOT in the absence of protein always formed spherical, water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion droplets in the organic phase with no self-assembly in the aqueous phase. In the presence of alpha-lactalbumin, self-assembled structures were formed in both aqueous and organic phases, and the size and shape of these was tuned by both pH and [NaCl]. Protein-surfactant interaction was weakest at the most alkaline pH, with protein-free, spherical droplets forming in the organic phase and surfactant-decorated soluble protein clusters forming in the aqueous phase. As pH was decreased, protein increasingly partitioned to the organic phase and droplets became ellipsoidal and much larger in volume, with these effects enhanced at lower salt concentration. Aqueous structures were also strongly affected by pH, shifting from prolate protein/surfactant aggregates at alkaline pH to oil-in-water, oblate microemulsion droplets at neutral pH. At acidic pH and higher salt concentration, self-assembly shifted toward a third, anisotropic aqueous phase, which contained discoid bilayer structures. It is proposed that hydrophobic attraction causes association of the protein with the surfactant monolayer, and pH and [salt] tune the system via the protein by modifying electrostatic repulsion and monolayer curvature.
Bruchid egg mortality on Acacia farnesiana caused by ants and abiotic factors.

. 1. This study investigated the effect of arboreal ants on the bruchid beetles that prey upon the seeds of Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd., a common shrub in the savannas of Santa Rosa National Park, in northwestern Costa Rica. 2. Experiments demonstrated that ants removed an average of about 50% of unhatched bruchid eggs that had been laid on the pods of this leguminous plant. Ants also removed shells of hatched eggs. 3. In addition to the mortality caused by ant predation, about 30% of the eggs disappeared before hatching, presumably due to the combined effects of temperature and wind. 4. The orientation of the branch on which a pod was located did not affect the proportion of eggs lost from that pod.
Omnitrode: A simple cannula for chemical and bipolar electrical stimulation☆

Abstract A compact and easily built cannula that can be used for both chemical and bipolar electrical stimulation at the same brain site is described. This reusable cannula is made from inexpensive biologically inactive materials. It is small in size and requires no machining yet provides gold-plated contacts for good electrical connections. It is useful for both dry and liquid microinjection of chemicals. The cannula is also recommended for multiple implantations.
Energy correlations in electron-positron annihilation: Sensitivity of quantum-chromodynamics tests to gluon spin

Various energy-weighted measures in electron-positron annihilation have recently been proposed as precise tests of quantum chromodynamics. In order to analyze the dependence of these measures on the spin of the gluon, we reconsider them in a theory with massless scalar ''gluons'' replacing the vector gluons. We find that these tests are indeed quite sensitive to the gluon spin.
Increasing Student Participation in Case Discussions: Using the MICA Method in Strategic Management Courses

The traditional approach to case discussion relies primarily on the students' responses to the professor's questions. However, even experienced teachers often have problems with the lack of active, intelligent, in-depth student participation. In the context of a strategic management course, this article describes the MICA method, an alternative means of analyzing cases, designed to encourage and increase student participation. Student teams administrate the flow of the discussion while the professor grades student participants on the relevance, value, and originality of their verbal arguments.
Growing season ecosystem and leaf-level gas exchange of an exotic and native semiarid bunchgrass

The South African grass, Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana), may alter ecosystem processes across extensive semiarid grasslands and savannahs of western North America. We compared volumetric soil moisture (θ), total and green tissue leaf area index (LAI), ecosystem (i.e. whole-plant and soil), and leaf-level gas exchange of Lehmann lovegrass and the native bush muhly (Muhlenbergia porteri) over the 2008 monsoon season in a semiarid savanna in southern Arizona, USA, to see if these were consistent with high productivity associated with lovegrass invasive success. θ across 0–5 and 0–25 cm was higher while evapotranspiration (ET) was similar between lovegrass and bush muhly plots, except shortly after rainfall, when ET was 32–81% higher in lovegrass plots. Lehmann lovegrass had lower, quickly developing LAI with greater leaf proportions than bush muhly. When early season θ was high, net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) was similar, but as storm frequency and θ declined, NEE was more negative in lovegrass (−0.69 to −3.00 µmol m−2 s−1) than bush muhly (+1.75 to −1.55 µmol m−2 s−1). Ecosystem respiration (R eco) responded quickly to monsoon onset and late-season rains, and was lower in lovegrass (2.44–3.74 µmol m−2 s−1) than bush muhly (3.60–5.3 µmol m−2 s−1) across the season. Gross ecosystem photosynthesis (GEP) was greater in Lehmann lovegrass, concurrent with higher leaf-level photosynthesis and stomatal conductance. We conclude that canopy structure facilitates higher θ under Lehmann lovegrass, reducing phenological constraints and stomatal limitations to whole-plant carbon uptake through the short summer monsoon growing season.
Giant Eustachian valve and left ventricular systolic dysfunction in a patient with non-dilated amyloid cardiomyopathy

Amyloid cardiomyopathy is characterized by non-dilated thick-walled left ventricular, thickening of interventricular septum and right ventricular free wall, biatrial enlargement associated with granular ‘sparkling’ appearance of the myocardium. Typically, decreased left ventricular compliance results in abnormal diastolic functions but left ventricular systolic functions are preserved until late in the course of the illness when left ventricle starts to dilate culminating into dilated cardiomyopathy. We present a 77-year-old patient who had typical echocardiographic features of amyloid heart disease, a giant Eustachian valve resembling cor triatriatum dexter and left ventricular systolic dysfunction without associated left ventricular dilatation.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Catalytic Subunit of Protein Kinase a Reveal New Insight into the Catalytic Process

Protein kinases chemically add phosphate groups to target proteins. Phosphorylation usually results in a functional change of the target protein, and serves as a regulatory mechanism to elicit a response to a stimulus at the cellular or organism level. Protein kinase A (PKA) was first characterized in 1968 and is considered to be the prototype for the entire kinome. The inactive form of PKA is a heterotetramer of two catalytic subunits (PKAc) that are bound to each member of a regulatory subunit (PKAr) dimer. PKA activates when two cyclic-AMPs bind to each of the PKAr, which releases the PKAc to perform the phosphorylation reaction on a polypeptide substrate. PKAc has two lobes that flank the active site: a small N-terminal lobe that is primarily associated with binding and positioning ATP, and a large lobe that provides a docking surface for substrates or inhibitor proteins. PKAc has three major conformational states: open, intermediate and closed. Despite its early discovery, its activation and deactivation is still not fully understood. Although NMR spin relaxation experiments have probed local dynamics, the movements of the PKAc domains, that may be related to its biological activity, have not been directly examined. To gain new insight into the role that PKAc dynamics plays in the phosphotransfer reaction, we performed microsecond long molecular dynamics simulations of apo-PKAc, PKAc-ATP (intermediate) and PKAc-ATP-substrate peptide (closed, reactive) and PKAc-ATP-inhibitor peptide (closed, nonreactive) complexes. By applying a network-based analysis method, we found conformational communities for PKAc in the various states that made it possible to identify critical residues and structural transitions involved in the catalytic process.
An Ontology-Based Model Management Architecture for Service Innovation

Organizations have indicated renewed interest in service innovation, design and management, given the growth of service sector. Decision support systems (DSS) play an important role in supporting this endeavor, through management of organizational resources such as data and models. Given the global nature of service value chains, there have been ever increasing demands on managing, sharing, and reusing these heterogeneous and distributed resources, both within and across organizational boundaries, through DSS consisting of database management systems (DBMS) and model management systems (MMS). Analogous to DBMS, model management systems focus on the management of decision models, dealing with representation, storage, and retrieval of models as well as a variety of applications such as analysis, reuse, sharing, and composition of models. Recent developments in the areas of semantic web and ontologies have provided a rich tool set for computational reasoning about these resources in an intelligent manner. In this chapter, we leverage these advances and apply service-oriented design principles to propose an ontology-based model management architecture supporting service innovation. The architecture is illustrated with case study scenarios and current state of implementation. The role of potential information technologies in supporting the architecture is also discussed. We then provide a roadmap to make advancements in research in this direction.
In vitro biomechanical comparison of 3.5 mm LC-DCP/intramedullary rod and 5 mm clamp-rod internal fixator (CRIF)/intramedullary rod fixation in a canine femoral gap model.

Objective To compare the biomechanical properties of clamp rod internal fixation (CRIF)/rod and LC-DCP/rod constructs in a canine femoral gap model. Study Design Cadaveric biomechanical study. Sample Population Canine femora (n = 10 pair). Methods Femora with 40 mm ostectomies were assigned to LC-DCP/rod or CRIF/rod treatment groups. Five construct pairs had 4-point bending and 5 pairs had torsional loading. Construct stiffness, strength, and bending angle at failure or permanent angular deformation (torsional loading) were determined. Statistical comparisons were performed using Student t tests; significance was set at P ≤ .05. Results There was significantly greater permanent angular deformation, or residual twist, in the CRIF/rod constructs (23.1 ± 0.89°) compared with LC-DCP/rod constructs (7.47 ± 2.08°). Whereas there was no significant difference in torsional stiffness of these constructs at torsional loads 4.92 N m. Differences in stiffness and strength in 4-point bending were not statistically significant. Conclusions LC-DCP/rod constructs had significantly less permanent angular deformation than CRIF/rod constructs. CRIF/rod constructs became less stiff as torsional load was increased, thus the LC-DCP/rod constructs had significantly greater torsional stiffness and strength under high torsional loads. LC-DCP/rod and CRIF/rod constructs performed similarly under 4-point bend loading conditions.
An efficient approach to the computation of analytic, pseudo analytic sensitivities and noise in an APL general purpose CAD program

An approach to sensitivity computation has been implemented for IC circuits using gate arrays, where the design engineer needs only to alter parameters defining the horizontal geometry of devices. An efficient technique has been used to transpose a pre-ordered sparsely-stored circuit matrix, leaving the program's optimal ordering strategy invariant. As a consequence, only one solution of adjoint-type equations is needed at a DC point, or at a frequency (AC) or time point, to compute the sensitivities of an output variable with respect to any number of parameters. In noise computation, one AC solution is sufficient to compute the RMS noise at an output regardless of the number of noise expressions. Furthermore, unlike other programs, the Interactive Circuit Design Program used allows noise expressions that could be functions of an arbitrary set of parameters, voltages, currents, and frequency and therefore, the most commonly used noise sources are covered. Examples show that lab measurement of noise agrees with simulation.
Successful identification of novel agents to control infectious diseases from screening mixture-based peptide combinatorial libraries in complex cell-based bioassays.

Mixture-based peptide synthetic combinatorial libraries (SCLs) represent a valuable source for the development of novel agents to control infectious diseases. Indeed, a number of studies have now proven the ability of identifying active peptides from libraries composed of thousands to millions of peptides in cell-based biosystems of varying complexity. Furthermore, progressing knowledge on the importance of endogenous peptides in various immune responses lead to a regain in importance for peptides as potential therapeutic agents. This article is aimed at providing recent studies in our laboratory for the development of antimicrobial or antiviral peptides derived from mixture-based SCLs using cell-based assays, as well as a short review of the importance of such peptides in the control of infectious diseases. Furthermore, the use of positional scanning (PS) SCL-based biometrical analyses for the identification of native optimal epitopes specific to HIV-1 proteins is also presented. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 71: 103–116, 2003
Approach to frontline therapy in elderly chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients

Although the majority of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients are diagnosed at an older age, most of our knowledge is based on data from clinical trials of young patients. Hence, not all the prognostic factors are valid in the elderly and no standard treatment has been established. Elderly patients are heterogeneous in their competency to tolerate treatment and most require treatment modifications. Recent studies are focusing on the incorporation of dose-attenuated regimens, less myelotoxic drugs and new therapies. Monoclonal antibodies, immunomodulatory drugs and small molecules, such as B-cell receptor pathway inhibitors, may dramatically change the treatment options for and outcome of elderly chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.
Modular Headache Theory

Many people experience headaches that do not fulfil the International Headache Society's criteria for a specific headache disorder yet behave biologically like that disorder. Others fulfil criteria for one headache disorder and yet have features of another disorder. To explain these observations, we propose that groups of neurones called modules become activated to produce each symptom of a primary headache disorder, and that each module is linked to other modules that together produce an individual's headache. This theory has implications for the classification, research and treatment of primary and secondary headache patients.
Grouping Contours by Iterated Pairing Network

We describe in this paper a network that performs grouping of image contours. The input to the net are fragments of image contours, and the output is the partitioning of the fragments into groups, together with a saliency measure for each group. The grouping is based on a measure of overall length and curvature. The network decomposes the overall optimization problem into independent optimal pairing problems performed at each node. The resulting computation maps into a uniform locally connected network of simple computing elements.
The design of a new system of PV-energy storage grid-connected generation

Photovoltaic generation was rapidly developed, The new experiment platform of PV-energy storage grid-connected generation is designed in this project, which includes solar cells, grid-connected inverter, energy store battery and PV controllers. This project mainly introduces principle and modeling of each part of PV grid-connected generation system.
Metatarsalgia: Treatment by Acupuncture:

Summary A course of acupuncture treatment was performed on fourteen consecutive patients with metatarsalgia. Thirteen (93%) patients responded to acupuncture treatment. The effect appeared long-lasting, as only two patients had a relapse of symptoms over a one year follow-up period.
Interpretive advantages of 90°-phase wavelets: Part 1 — Modeling

We discuss, in a two-part article, the benefits of 90°-phase wavelets in stratigraphic and lithologic interpretation of seismically thin beds. In Part 1, seismic models of Ricker wavelets with selected phases are constructed to assess interpretability of composite waveforms in increasingly complex geologic settings. Although superior for single surface and thick-layer interpretation, zero-phase seismic data are not optimal for interpreting beds thinner than a wavelength because their antisymmetric thin-bed responses tie to the reflectivity series rather than to impedance logs. Nonsymmetrical wavelets (e.g., minimum-phase wavelets) are generally not recommended for interpretation because their asymmetric composite waveforms have large side lobes. Integrated zero-phase traces are also less desirable because they lose high-frequency components in the integration process. However, the application of 90°-phase data consistently improves seismic interpretability. The unique symmetry of 90°-phase thin-bed response eliminates the dual polarity of thin-bed responses, resulting in better imagery of thin-bed geometry, impedance profiles, lithology, and stratigraphy. Less amplitude distortion and less stratigraphy-independent, thin-bed interference lead to more accurate acoustic impedance estimation from amplitude data and a better tie of seismic traces to lithology-indicative wireline logs. Field data applications are presented in part 2 of this article.
Collaborating with industry: strategies for an undergraduate software engineering program

Software engineering is prominent in the collection of undergraduate disciplines that benefit most from experiential learning. Despite an exhaustive classroom and laboratory curriculum, the obtainment of program outcomes cannot be achieved without the opportunity for the student to be exposed to commercial grade software development. Even the most complex academic software engineering exercise falls short in capturing the project dynamics of building a real world software application. The Software Engineering Department at the Rochester Institute of Technology initiated the first undergraduate degree program of its kind in the United States in 1996, graduating its first class in 2001 and was among the first to receive ABET accreditation in 2002. To address the outcomes of the program and expectations of industry, the Software Engineering Department has developed a set of related strategies that provides students and faculty the opportunity to actively collaborate with the commercial software development sector. This paper will discuss how the department has positioned itself to meet the challenges of collaborating with industry by incorporating cooperative education, commercially sponsored senior capstone projects and the development of research partnerships.
Dynamic codeword routing (DCR): a cross-layer approach for performance enhancement of general multi-hop wireless routing

In this paper a cross-layer design model - "codeword routing" with implementation example is presented. Given the fact that any two routes that are less than 3 hops away from each other will impose interference on each other due to the broadcast nature and four-way handshake scheme of widely used medium access control algorithm in wireless networks, the "codeword" conceptual model is proposed. The objective is to minimize the potential cross-layer interference among routes. The model and one implementation example - "distributed codeword routing" (DCR) algorithm is discussed in this paper and the performance (throughput) comparison of DCR and widely used AODV routing protocol is presented. Simulation results show that DCR improves the throughput significantly under specific traffic pattern and the overall performance is comparable to AODV for all cases.
Two differentially regulated mRNAs with different 5′ ends encode secreted and intracellular forms of yeast invertase

The SUC2 gene of yeast (Saccharomyces) encodes two forms of invertase: a secreted, glycosylated form, the synthesis of which is regulated by glucose repression, and an intracellular, nonglycosylated enzyme that is produced constitutively. The SUC2 gene has been cloned and shown to encode two RNAs (1.8 and 1.9 kb) that differ at their 5' ends. The stable level of the larger RNA is regulated by glucose; the level of the smaller RNA is not. A correspondence between the presence of the 1.9 kb RNA and the secreted invertase, and between the 1.8 kb RNA and the intracellular invertase, was observed in glucose-repressed and -derepressed wild-type cells. In addition, cells carrying a mutation at the SNF1 locus fail to derepress synthesis of the secreted invertase and also fail to produce stable 1.9 kb RNA during growth in low glucose. Glucose regulation of invertase synthesis thus is exerted, at least in part, at the RNA level. A naturally silent allele (suc2 degrees) of the SUC2 locus that does not direct the synthesis of active invertase was found to produce both the 1.8 and 1.9 kb RNAs under normal regulation by glucose. A model is proposed to account for the synthesis and regulation of the two forms of invertase: the larger, regulated mRNA contains the initiation codon for the signal sequence required for synthesis of the secreted, glycosylated form of invertase; the smaller, constitutively transcribed mRNA begins within the coding region of the signal sequence, resulting in synthesis of the intracellular enzyme.
Density Modification Methods

Macromolecular crystallography is growing rapidly as a tool to image the structure of proteins, nucleic acids and their interactions . In many of these projects, however, MIR (Multiple Isomorphous Replacement) phasing methods have not been successful in imaging macromolecules within their crystals. These problems have motivated efforts to supplement or replace MIR as a phasing technique. Various approaches have been tried, both in real and reciprocal space, and among them DM (density modification) methods have proven to be quite succesful in improving phases using real-space constraints.
Synthesis of porous ZnO based materials using an agarose gel template for H2S desulfurization

This work describes the synthesis and characterization of pure ZnO and Ni-doped ZnO materials using agarose gel as a template for H2S desulfurization. H2S gas is not only harmful to the environment, but also corrosive to metals and poisonous to fuel reformer and fuel cell catalysts. Removal of H2S is an important step in fuel processing technology. This synthetic approach resulted in highly porous network ZnO based sorbent materials. The phase structure and morphology of these two materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area measurements, and mercury porosimetry. The H2S desulfurization performance of the as-synthesized ZnO and Ni-doped ZnO materials versus commercial ZnO was studied in a simulated fuel processing operation at 400 °C with an initial H2S concentration of 400 ppmv. It is shown that the sulfur adsorption capacity is greatly affected by the size and morphology of the particles. Desulfurization analysis revealed that commercial ZnO exhibits a low saturation capacity of 245 mg S per g while as-synthesized ZnO has a capacity of 457 mg S per g. Notably, when ZnO was doped with 4 wt% Ni, the sorbent capacity increased still further to 730 mg S per g.
Radioactive Decay of Se 83

An experimental investigation, using scintillation techniques, has been made of the gamma radiation emitted by the 69-second isomer of ${\mathrm{Se}}^{83}$. The ${\mathrm{Se}}^{83}$ was produced by irradiating selenium, enriched in the isotope ${\mathrm{Se}}^{82}$, in the reactor neutron flux. Gamma rays of energy 2.02\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 Mev, 1.01\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02 Mev, 0.650\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005 Mev, and 0.350\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.006 Mev were found, each with a (70\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1)-second half-life. Of these, only the 0.350-Mev gamma ray was found in the 25-minute isomer. From these measurements, together with beta-gamma and gamma-gamma coincidence measurements and a rough beta-ray end-point determination, a decay scheme is proposed for the 69-second isomer of ${\mathrm{Se}}^{83}$.
In situ ESEM observations of spruce wood ( Picea abies Karst.) during heat treatment

An environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) equipped with a hot stage was used to investigate how the anatomical features of spruce wood respond to heating in vacuum conditions. The ESEM allowed for continuously observing the swelling, shrinkage, and other deformations of certain anatomical elements during heating. Observations showed that, as the temperature increases, there is a slight initial swelling due to thermal expansion of wood and steam and gas release from the cell wall, up to a threshold of 90–100 °C. Subsequently, the size of the various anatomical elements remained stable up to 200 °C, after which the cell walls withdrew and deformed. There were few significant differences between earlywood and latewood, while the deformation of cell lumen was strongly influenced by the dimension and the arrangement of the walls that surrounded them. None of the observed cracks was directly attributable to the impact of increased heat. Nevertheless, existing intercellular spaces strongly increased in size, arriving to grow up to 300 % of the initial dimension. These results emphasize the importance of sound starting materials to avoid defects in the treated samples.
Clinical research of infantile-onset autoimmune myasthenia gravis

Objective To summarize the clinical characteristics of infantile-onset autoimmune myasthenia gravis and improve diagnostic skills.Methods The investigation summarized retrospectively the features including clinical mani-festation,laboratory examination and the prognosis of infantile-onset autoimmune myasthenia gravis from June 2006 to February 2012 in 16 patients in Neurology Department of Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated to Capital University of Medicine,and analysed the difference of the clinical classification and myasthenia crisis incidence between infatile group and the more than 1 year group during the corresponding period.Results Sixteen cases were revolved,including 9 boys and 7 girls. The youngest was 4 months old,the average age was 7.6 months. The average course of disease was 1.8 months at first visiting. Main symptoms included ptosis,poor spirit and dysphagia.Among them 4 cases were misdiag-nosed as central nervous system infection and 1 as digestive system disease. Ocular and generalized type was respective-ly 4(25%)and 12(75%)cases;4(25%)cases underwent myasthenia crisis. Generalized myasthenia gravis component ratio and myasthenia crisis incidence rate of infantile-onset autoimmune myasthenia gravis was increasing significantly.Positive rate of Neostigmine test,acetylcholine receptor antibody and repetitive nerve stimulation was respectively 93.7%,57% and 50%,and no significance was found between ocular and generalized type. All 16 cases received pyr-idostigmine bromide therapy;15 cases received glucocorticoids therapy. Mean improvement time was(6.8±5.6)days after glucocorticoids therapy,but 1 of them deteriorate 6 days later;10 chlidren was follwed-up for 1 year and 1month to 5 years and 3 months,3 cases were with com-pletely stable remission(CSR),1 case pharmacologic remission(PR),4 cases were minimal manifestation(MM),1 case was improved(I)and 1 case was unchanged(U).Conclusion Infantile-onset autoimmune myasthenia gravis,mainly manifested as generalized type,cam be easily misdiag-nosed because of atypical onset-symptoms,and incidence rate of myasthenia crisis is high.
Confidence in Michigan's Direction Holds Steady Among State's Local Leaders

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the direction in which the state is headed, as well as their evaluations of the job performance of Governor Rick Snyder, the Michigan Legislature, and 14 individual state agencies or offices. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the Spring 2014 wave and comparisons to previous Spring waves of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS).
Are foundation species effects different than those of dominant species? A case study of ant assemblages in northeastern North American forests

Foundation species uniquely control associated biodiversity through non-trophic effects, whereas dominant species are locally abundant but are replaceable in ecological systems. Long-term data on ant assemblages at the Harvard Forest Hemlock Removal Experiment (HF-HeRE) and the Black Rock Future of Oak Forests Experiment (BRF-FOFE) provide insights into how ant assemblages change and reassemble following the loss of a foundation species (Tsuga canadensis) or a dominant genus (Quercus). At HF-HeRE, removal of T. canadensis trees resulted in taxonomic and functional shifts in ant assemblages relative to control stands. In contrast, ant assemblages at BRF-FOFE varied little regardless of whether oaks or non-oaks were removed from the canopy. Non-trophic effects of foundation species were stronger than indirect trophic effects on taxonomic and functional diversity of ant assemblages. In contrast, non-trophic effects of dominant species were weaker than indirect trophic effects on ant taxonomic diversity and some measures of ant functional diversity.
The Historical Roots of Japanese School-Work Institutions

“Some schools have a good understanding of our business, and we have a very significant trust relationship with them. For us, the key elements of recruitment are close ties and trust.” – Small manufacturing company in Tokyo, mid-1990s Along with high economic growth in much of the postwar period, Japan achieved a relatively high level of economic equality. One of the secrets to this achievement was a set of social institutions that helped even less-educated young men secure relatively stable positions in the workforce. These institutions developed under specific historical circumstances in Japan and were particularly effective during the decades of the 1960s through the 1980s. By the early twenty-first century, however, Japan was no longer a place where most young men, regardless of educational background, moved smoothly into their adult full-time work lives. This new reality can only be understood by looking at how key social institutions have changed. Both schools and workplaces helped the prior generation acquire and utilize their skills and abilities, or human capital in economists’ terms. But these institutions and the relationship between them changed during the 1990s in ways that are fundamentally disadvantageous to young people, especially the least educated. The institutional changes have not happened principally because of young people’s behaviors. Rather, they stem from employers’ and policymakers’ decisions about how risk should be distributed across different segments of the labor force.
Does Replica Exchange with Solute Tempering Efficiently Sample Aβ Peptide Conformational Ensembles

We have applied replica exchange with solute tempering (REST) molecular dynamics to study a short fragment of the Aβ peptide, Aβ25-35, in water and a much larger system incorporating two Aβ10-40 peptides binding to the zwitterionic dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) bilayer. As a control, we used traditional replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) applied to the same systems. Our objective was to assess the practical utility of REST simulations. Taken together, our results suggest four conclusions. First, compared to REMD, the number of replicas in REST simulations can be reduced four to five times without affecting the temperature range or compromising an efficient random walk of REST replicas over temperatures. Second, although overall REST produces much fewer conformational states than REMD, there is no substantial difference in the collection of unique states for the wild-type replica in REST and REMD, especially for the system featuring Aβ peptides binding to the lipid bilayer. Third, we perfor...
Optimal Multi-Way Number Partitioning

The NP-hard number-partitioning problem is to separate a multiset S of n positive integers into k subsets such that the largest sum of the integers assigned to any subset is minimized. The classic application is scheduling a set of n jobs with different runtimes on k identical machines such that the makespan, the elapsed time to complete the schedule, is minimized. The two-way number-partitioning decision problem is one of the original 21 problems that Richard Karp proved NP-complete. It is also one of Garey and Johnson’s six fundamental NP-complete problems and the only one based on numbers.This article explores algorithms for solving multi-way number-partitioning problems optimally. We explore previous algorithms as well as our own algorithms, which fall into three categories: sequential number partitioning (SNP), a branch-and-bound algorithm; binary-search improved bin completion (BSIBC), a bin-packing algorithm; and cached iterative weakening (CIW), an iterative weakening algorithm. We show experimentally that, for large random numbers, SNP and CIW are state-of-the-art algorithms depending on the values of n and k. Both algorithms outperform the previous state of the art by up to seven orders of magnitude in terms of runtime.
Soils of the Central Feed Grains and Livestock Region and Lake State Fruit, Truck Crop, and Dairy Region USA: LRRs M and L

Land Resource Regions (LRR) M and L occupy predominantly the northcentral part of USA with the exception of MLRA 101 (LRR L) located on the northeastern part bordering Lake Eire. Both regions have been influenced by several glaciations that occurred between 10,500 and 2,500,000 years ago. The geology is dominated by Devonian/Ordovician rocks, sedimentary and granitic, and to a lesser extent by Cambrian (9 %) and volcanic (8 %) rocks. Soils in the regions have developed mostly on loess, till, and outwash materials deposited after glacier melt. The predominant soils are Mollisols and Alfisols formed on loess followed by Spodosols, Entisols, and Inceptisols formed on outwash rmaterials on stream terraces and valleys. Histosols are limited in extend occurring throughout the region on localized depressions. The region that is also known as the “Bread Basket” of the USA is comprised of soils that are relatively young and among the most fertile in the world. The rolling hills, loess plains, and outwash valleys support a wide variety of crops. Soils are neutral to slightly alkaline for the most part and relatively high in organic matter due to favorite climate conditions and historical predominantly prairie vegetation. Intensive agricultural practices have caused extensive erosion and systematic depletions of fertility and organic matter and continue to remain major concerns for soil resource management and environment issues such as water quality.
Financial Capability and Asset Building: Building Evidence for Community Practice

Community practitioners have long been involved in helping clients manage their household finances and gain financial capability and build assets (Cruce, 2001; Stuart, 2013). Toward these ends, pra...
Applications of the first digit law to measure correlations

The quasiempirical Benford law predicts that the distribution of the first significant digit of random numbers obtained from mixed probability distributions is surprisingly meaningful and reveals some universal behavior. We generalize this finding to examine the joint first-digit probability of a pair of two random numbers and show that undetectable correlations by means of the usual covariance-based measure can be identified in the statistics of the corresponding first digits. We illustrate this new measure by analyzing the correlations and anticorrelations of the positions of two interacting particles in their quantum mechanical ground state. This suggests that by using this measure, the presence or absence of correlations can be determined even if only the first digit of noisy experimental data can be measured accurately.
Rac(e)ing from Death

In response to recent events that demonstrate the persistence of racial trauma, this essay revisits James Baldwin's claim that racism is a symptom of fundamental human tendencies and constraints. For Baldwin, we cannot understand the legacy of racism if we do not take seriously all too human attempts to evade, and deflect, death and its intimations. To flesh out this component of Baldwin's thought, I engage with the thought of Georges Bataille, an author who thinks generally about the fraught relationship between the preservation of life and our responsiveness to suffering. To test the insights that Baldwin provides on racial matters, this essay engages recent discussions in black studies and queer theory around futurity, racial difference, and the category of the human. I maintain that we must think “the human” and racial difference together, as a tension-filled relationship, in order to understand the limits and possibilities regarding our efforts to change the order of things.
Ion probe techniques to measure the distribution of substrate elements in coatings for copper alloys

Abstract Copper can have a beneficial or unfavorable effect on coating performance, depending on the additives present in the formulation. The distribution of copper was studied in acrylic coating formulations on brass substrates with and without benzotriazole to gain insights into the role of copper ions. Using depth profiling secondary ion mass spectrometry it was found that on ageing copper migrated from the coating towards the substrate in the presence of benzotriazole, possibly due to inhibition at the coating-metal interface. However, closer inspection by ToF-SIMS shows an even distribution of BTA in the coating and no evidence of inhibition via complexation or chemisorption on the metal surface.