cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LncRNA directs cooperative epigenetic regulation downstream of chemokine signals

lncRNAs are known to regulate a number of different developmental and tumorigenic processes. Here, we report a role for lncRNA BCAR4 in breast cancer metastasis that is mediated by chemokine-induced binding of BCAR4 to two transcription factors with extended regulatory consequences. BCAR4 binding of SNIP1 and PNUTS in response to CCL21 releases the SNIP1's inhibition of p300-dependent histone acetylation, which in turn enables the BCAR4-recruited PNUTS to bind H3K18ac and relieve inhibition of RNA Pol II via activation of the PP1 phosphatase. This mechanism activates a noncanonical Hedgehog/GLI2 transcriptional program that promotes cell migration. BCAR4 expression correlates with advanced breast cancers, and therapeutic delivery of locked nucleic acids (LNAs) targeting BCAR4 strongly suppresses breast cancer metastasis in mouse models. The findings reveal a disease-relevant lncRNA mechanism consisting of both direct coordinated protein recruitment and indirect regulation of transcription factors.
Nonlinear dynamics by mode superposition

Abstract A mode superposition technique for approximately solving nonlinear initial-boundary-value problems of structural dynamics is discussed, and results for examples involving large deformation are compared to those obtained with implicit direct integration methods such as the Newmark generalized acceleration and Houbolt backward-difference operators. The initial natural frequencies and mode shapes are found by inverse power iteration with the trial vectors for successively higher modes being swept by Gram—Schmidt orthonormalization at each iteration. The subsequent modal spectrum for nonlinear states is based upon the tangent stiffness of the structure and is calculated by a subspace iteration procedure that involves matrix multiplication only, using the most recently computed spectrum as an initial estimate. Then, a precise time integration algorithm that has no artificial damping or phase velocity error for linear problems is applied to the uncoupled modal equations of motion. Squared-frequency extrapolation is examined for nonlinear problems as a means by which these qualities of accuracy and precision can be maintained when the state of the system (and, thus, the modal spectrum) is changing rapidly. The results indicate that a number of important advantages accrue to nonlinear mode superposition: (a) there is no significant difference in total solution time between mode superposition and implicit direct integration analyses for problems having narrow matrix half-bandwidth (in fact, as bandwidth increases, mode superposition becomes more economical), (b) solution accuracy is under better control since the analyst has ready access to modal participation factors and the ratios of time step size to modal period, and (c) physical understanding of nonlinear dynamic response is improved since the analyst is able to observe the changes in the modal spectrum as deformation proceeds.
Generating MgO bicrystal templates using a two-step ion-beam assisted texturing process

A two-step ion-beam assisted texturing process has been developed to generate 10 nm thick MgO bicrystal templates on technical important substrates. The in-plane tilt grain boundary angle can be selected from nearly the whole range of few to 45° by simply rotating the sample azimuthally with respect to the incident ion beam. Using this process, 10 nm thick, 45-degree in-plane-tilt MgO bicrystal templates and microarrays have been obtained on Si substrates. By choosing appropriate masks, this process may be applied for generating bicrystal arrays of sophisticated geometry and multiple-scale dimension, which are desired for various thin-film electronic device applications.
The Effect of Visual and Sensory Performance on Head Impact Biomechanics in College Football Players

The development of prevention strategies is critical to address the rising prevalence of sport-related concussions. Visual and sensory performance may influence an individual's ability to interpret environmental cues, anticipate opponents' actions, and create appropriate motor responses limiting the severity of an impending head impact. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between traditional and visual sensory reaction time measures, and the association between visual and sensory performance and head impact severity in college football players. Thirty-eight collegiate football players participated in the study. We used real-time data collection instrumentation to record head impact biomechanics during games and practices. Our findings reveal no significant correlations between reaction time on traditional and visual sensory measures. We found a significant association between head impact severity and level of visual and sensory performance for multiple assessments, with low visual and sensory performers sustaining a higher number of severe head impacts. Our findings reveal a link between level of visual and sensory performance and head impact biomechanics. Future research will allow clinicians to have the most appropriate testing batteries to identify at-risk athletes and create interventions to decrease their risk of injurious head impacts.
Effects of Visible and Ultraviolet Light on Carotene-deficient Mutants of Crypthecodinium cohnii

Synopsis. The ability of carotenoids to protect a heterotrophic dinoflagellate, Crypthecodinium cohnii, from photodynamic damage by sunlight in the presence of an exogenous dye was demonstrated. Wild-type C. cohnii and 2 carotcnoid-deficient mutants were plated on agar-solidified media and exposed to natural sunlight. The wild-type strain, which synthesizes γ–carotene and β–carotene, had the lowest mortality. Mutant car 17 which accumulates mainly §–carotene had an intermediate mortality rate while the albino mutant, car 3, which contains only phytoene, lost viability most rapidly. Wild-type cells treated with diphenylaminc, a carotenogenic inhibitor, were killed at the same rate as mutant car 3. The survival rate of mutants on exposure to sunlight was dependent upon the chromophore length of the accumulated carotenoids. The 3 strains showed no difference in rate of mortality when exposed to ultraviolet light. Protection from sunlight by accumulation of carotenes may be an important ecological factor for this species whose natural habitat is tidepools.
Feeding Behavior of Lambs in Relation to Kinetics of 1,8-cineole Dosed Intravenously or into the Rumen

The monoterpene 1,8-cineole is a major constituent of the essential oils that adversely influence intake of sagebrush by herbivores, but little is known about the mechanisms of its action. We investigated the influence of 1,8-cineole on the feeding behavior of two groups of sheep, one group dosed intravenously and the other intraruminally. In the first study, we infused 40 mg/kg BW of 1,8-cineole intravenously into four lambs on wk 1, 2, and 4. In the second, we administered 125 mg/kg BW of 1,8-cineole into the rumen of four lambs as a single-bolus dose in wk 1 and 2. Lambs dosed intravenously spent less time feeding than controls (28 vs. 60 min; P < 0.05), as did lambs dosed intraruminally (35 vs. 60 min; P < 0.05). Dosed lambs ate less than controls during rumen dosing studies (P < 0.05). For the intravenous infusion studies, rates of elimination did not differ among weeks (P < 0.05). For the rumen infusion studies, however, the absorption rate constant increased from 0.035/min to 0.076/min from wk 1 to 2, while the absorption half-life declined from 24 to 10 min (P < 0.05). Maximum plasma concentrations and time to reach maximum plasma concentrations were no faster in wk 2 than wk 1, but the primary elimination rate constant was 2.3 times higher in wk 2 (0.058/min) than in wk 1 (0.025/min) (P < 0.05). Dosed lambs exhibited clinical effects-licking of lips, drowsiness, staggering, and 1,8-cineole-smelling breath-that were much more pronounced with intravenous than rumen infusions. Dosing did not affect the acid-base balance. Collectively, these data suggest 1) rapid absorption and distribution of 1,8-cineole was responsible for initiating satiety, while more prolonged excretion was responsible for the duration of the satiety effect, and 2) lambs more readily adapted to 1,8-cineole in the rumen-dose study than in the intravenous-dose study.
Photoactivated miR-148b–nanoparticle conjugates improve closure of critical size mouse calvarial defects

Inducible systems providing temporal control of differentiation have the potential to improve outcomes in surgical reconstruction and regenerative medicine by precise modulation of wound healing and tissue repair processes. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that nanoformulated microRNA (miRNA) conjugates activated via photo exposure can lead to the induced osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (hASCs) in vivo. The conjugate PC-miR-148b–SNP, a mimic of miRNA-148b tethered to silver nanoparticles (SNPs) via a photolabile linker, was used to modulate gene expression for improved closure of a critical size defect drilled on the right parietal bone of male CD-1 nude homozygous mice. The PC-miR-148b–SNP conjugates added to hASCs and loaded to either Matrigel or polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds resulted in different levels of healing of the defect. After 4 and 12 weeks, 3-D micro-computed tomography reconstructed images indicate statistically significant defect closure from 3.83 ± 1.19% to 5.46 ± 2.01% and 6.54 ± 4.28% to 32.53 ± 8.3% for non-photoactivated and photoactivated conjugates, respectively, in the PCL scaffolds. The results were confirmed with H&E and Masson’s Trichrome stains in the transverse sections of photoactivated conjugates. Collagen fiber staining was greatest at 12 weeks when it reached approximately the same density and thickness as the native calvarium. This technology provides a platform that can be used with other miRNAs that actively govern the pathways responsible for regenerative and wound healing processes.
Parallels and Nonparallels between Language and Music

THE PARALLELS BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND MUSIC CAN BE explored only in the context of (a) the differences between them, and (b) those parallels that are also shared with other cognitive capacities. The two differ in many aspects of structure and function, and, with the exception of the metrical grid, all aspects they share appear to be instances of more general capacities.
Initiating communication: What do you say when you say hello?

This study sought to answer the following questions: (1) What specific verbal and nonverbal behaviors are associated with the initiation of communicative interactions; and (2) Do these verbal and nonverbal behaviors vary according to the degree of acquaintanceship of the participants in the greeting situation.
Speckle-Tracking Strain Imaging Identifies Alterations in Left Atrial Mechanics With General Anesthesia and Positive-Pressure Ventilation.

Objectives The primary aim of this study was to use speckle-tracking strain imaging to evaluate the effect of general anesthesia (GA) and positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) on left atrial (LA) mechanics. The authors hypothesized that GA and PPV would be associated with a decrease in LA strain. The secondary aims were to investigate the effects of GA and PPV on traditional Doppler-derived measures of LA function and Doppler echocardiographic grade of diastolic function. Design A prospective observational study. Setting A university hospital. Participants Adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Interventions Transthoracic echocardiography was performed at baseline and under GA with PPV. Measurements and Main Results Changes in LA function associated with GA and PPV were assessed using LA speckle-tracking strain imaging. A reduction was observed in LA peak longitudinal strain (24% v 18%, p Conclusions Speckle-tracking strain imaging of the left atrium demonstrated that GA and PPV had a significant impact on LA mechanics by decreasing strain measures of LA preload, with a lesser effect on LA contractility.
Mobile Learning and Digital Libraries

With the recent advancement of mobile technologies, such as smart phones, digital cameras and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), and tablet PCs mobile learning provides opportunities for formal and informal education in a wide range of settings. In particular, the use of mobile technologies to access digital libraries opens up doors for providing unique learning experiences, both inside and outside of the classroom. This paper presents the design and implementation of a mobile learning digital library infrastructure and test applications. We first conducted a user needs analysis of students, educators, and parents in order to understand desirable functional attributes and challenges associated with mobile learning. We translated this needs assessment into a list of twelve functional attributes for digital library infrastructures and mobile device applications that will facilitate informal learning. In order to test out the recommendations, a conceptual design was developed as a lesson plan that uses mobile devices and digital libraries to teach the concept of simple machines. This lesson was implemented during a workshop conducted with students in the TechBridge program, an after school program that introduces girls to technology. The students that participated in this workshop were from less affluent schools and were all members of ethnic groups that are typically underrepresented in the field of engineering. This paper summarizes the needs assessment research, implementation, testing and recommendations for future work. Our goal is to provide recommendations for mobile learning technologies that will increase access and enhance mobile learning experiences for students of all backgrounds.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Quantum magnetic disk

A quantum magnetic disk (QMD) - a new paradigm for magnetic recording - is proposed and fabricated. Tile QMD consists of pre-fabricated single-domain magnetic structures that have an identical shape and are uniformly embedded in a nonmagnetic disk. Each single-domain structure has a quantized magnetic moment and can store one bit of information. The QMD has a number of advantages over the conventional disk and is suitable for ultra-high density recording. Two processes based on electron beam nanolithography and other nanofabrication technologies have been developed to fabricate QMDs. QMDs with a density of 65 Gbits/in 2 - over two orders of magnitude greater than the state-of-the-art magnetic storage density - have been demonstrated. A method for mass production of QMD without employing lithography is discussed.
Studies on fluorescein—III: The acid strengths of fluorescein as shown by potentiometric titration

Potentiometric back-titration of yellow solid fluorescein (H(2)Fl) and of red solid fluorescein in alkali with acid yielded titration curves that were practically identical in shape and position. The end-points at pH 8.5, 5.40 and 3.3 corresponded, respectively, to titration of the excess of standard alkali, and the successive protonations Fl(2-) + H(+) = HFl(-) and HFl(-) + H(+) = H(2)Fl. The pH at the mid-point of the first protonation yielded a value of 6.36 for pK(HFl) (ionic strength 0.10). Because of precipitation of yellow fluorescein during the second protonation step, a value for pK(H(2)Fl) could not be obtained. The total concentration of fluorescein at the first appearance of the precipitate fell on the curve for the solubility of yellow fluorescein as a function of pH. The titrations and the pK values found for the three acid groups of protonated fluorescein (H(3)Fl(+)) have been interpreted on the basis that in water fluorescein exists in only one structural form the yellow zwitterion. Similar back-titrations of alkalinized solutions of yellow or red fluorescein in 50% aqueous ethanol showed that in this medium fluorescein is present in only one form, presumably the quinonoid structure, with much weaker apparent acid functions, pK'(1) = 6.38 and PK'(2) = 7.16 (ionic strength 0.10).
Functional Chimeras of GLIC Obtained by Adding the Intracellular Domain of Anion- and Cation-Conducting Cys-Loop Receptors.

Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs), also called Cys-loop receptors in eukaryotic superfamily members, play diverse roles in neurotransmission and serve as primary targets for many therapeutic drugs. Structural studies of full-length eukaryotic pLGICs have been challenging because of glycosylation, large size, pentameric assembly, and hydrophobicity. X-ray structures of prokaryotic pLGICs, including the Gloeobacter violaceus LGIC (GLIC) and the Erwinia chrysanthemi LGIC (ELIC), and truncated eukaryotic pLGICs have significantly improved and complemented the understanding of structural details previously obtained with acetylcholine-binding protein and Torpedo nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Prokaryotic pLGICs share their overall structural features with eukaryotic pLGICs for the ligand-binding extracellular and channel-lining transmembrane domains. The large intracellular domain (ICD) is present only in eukaryotic members and is characterized by a low level of sequence conservation and signifi...
Conceptual conditional discrimination inSaimiri sciureus

The present work introduced a task which superimposed a tray brightness, stimulus-response contingency on previously acquired, highly successful, one-trial oddity performance. Continuing with new one-trial oddity problems, the new contingency was that responses to the odd objects were rewarded on a white tray and responses to the nonodd objects were rewarded on the black tray. Since there is no opportunity to learn specific stimuli or stimulus patterns, successful performance may be interpreted as having a conceptual basis. All monkeys achieved criterion (90% based on 18/20) and statistically significant performances (p<.001). Discussion considered the appropriate nomenclature to describe a conceptual conditional discrimination task and the necessary evidence to justify a conceptual interpretation of conditional discrimination behavior.
Impact of Food Availability, Pathogen Exposure, and Genetic Diversity on Thermoregulation in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

Accurate thermoregulation in honey bees is crucial for colony survival. Multiple factors influence how colonies manage in-hive temperature, including genetic diversity. We explored the influence of genetic diversity on thermoregulatory behavior under three conditions: natural foraging, supplemental feeding, and exposure to the fungal pathogen shown to induce a social fever in honey bees. Our data suggest that (1) the degree of genetic diversity expected under normal conditions is not predictive of thermoregulatory stability, (2) the social fever response of honey bees is not a simple stimulus–response mechanism but appears to be influenced by ambient temperature conditions, and (3) a temperature-based circadian rhythm emerges under high nectar flow conditions. Taken together, these data suggest that a richer, context-dependent thermoregulatory system exists in honey bees than previously understood.
Clinical Biomechanics of the Subtalar Joint

Summary The purpose of this paper is to show how the effects of subtalar workings produce clinical symptoms. A musculoskeletal symptom at any level in the limb may be mediated by the subtalar joint, with the original cause being at some distance from the symptom. Here the effects of subtalar motion are linked to functional anatomy, starting from the presenting problem. Clinical examples are used to show the way that problems present, and some examination methods used to find the causes are explained. A short section describes the problems of deciding what is ‘normal’. The main sources of material are the ‘sport-mad’, but the paper has an application wider than the narrow field of sports medicine.
Antibodies to pancreatic hormones in diabetics treated before 1964 and after 1974.

Abstract The prevalence and titer of antibodies to pancreatic hormones in 21 diabetics treated with USP insulin preparations before 1964 (Group 1) and in another 21 diabetics treated with more highly purified insulin preparations after 1974 (Group 2) were determined. All subjects in Group 1 had antibodies to insulin, 11 had antibodies to pancreatic polypeptide (PP) and 3 to glucagon. In Group 2, 17 had antibodies to insulin, 5 to PP, and 1 to glucagon. Antibodies to somatostatin (SR1F) were not detectable in either group. Group 1 subjects had higher titers of antibodies to insulin, glucagon, and PP than Group 2 subjects. Of note, the Group 1 subjects with the highest insulin antibodies also had the greatest prevalence and highest titers of antibodies to glucagon and PP. In order to address the question of possible differences in immune responsivity between Group 1 and 2 subjects, antibody titers to 4 ubiquitous viral agents were determined. There was no significant difference in viral antibody titers between the groups.
Animal models for breast cancer

Rodent mammary tumors induced by chemical carcinogens have proven to be very useful in the genetic analysis of initiation, promotion and progression of mammary carcinogenesis. We are studying rat mammary carcinomas induced by the chemical carcinogen, N-nitroso-N-methylurea. The earliest genetic event observed in the mammary gland is the activation of Ha-ras oncogenes, which is followed by promotion of the initiated cells by hormones involved in puberty. Preferential amplification of the mutated Ha-ras allele, of PRAD-1 and IGF2, loss of expression of the mitogenic growth factor gene, MK, and mutation in the tumor suppressor gene, p53, are seen in the mammary tumors during tumor progression.
The structure of 11,12-bis[spiro(cyclopropyl)]-1,4,4a,5,8,8a,9a,10a-octahydro-1,4:5,8-dimethano-9,10-anthraquinone

In the solid state the 2∶1 Diels-Alder adduct between spiro[4.2]hepta-1,3-diene and p-benzoquinone has a planar cyclohexadione ring with a center of symmetry. Both planar and boat conformations have been observed in similar systems, and the relative stability of the two conformers is of interest. The adduct in the gas phase should contain a mirror plane perpendicular to the cyclohexadione ring; however, a data set collected on a crystal in a capillary resulted in a structure where some bond lengths related by this mirror plane differed by more than 4σ in the solid state. Molecular mechanics, MOPAC, and the Cambridge Structural Data Base were used to investigate the factors influencing the conformation of the cyclohexadione ring and the asymmetry across the noncrystallographic mirror plane. The energy differences between the planar and nonplanar ring system is small, and the conformation is determined by crystal packing. No reason for the bond length asymmetry could be found, and a recollection of data on a crystal exposed to the environment led to a structure with statistically equivalent bond lengths.
Origin and structure of the New England seamount chain

Abstract The New England Seamount Chain is located along a fracture zone formed by a discontinuity in sea-floor spreading pattern. This discontinuity resulted from either a simple transform fault which opened progressively along its length as it was formed, or the entire fault line opened at one time due to a later change in spreading direction. The opening of the fault may have been initiated during earliest Mesozoic and probably continued to the Cretaceous. Differences in rates and/or duration of spreading on either side of the fault may have caused the offset of a previous continuous basin and ridge system beneath the shelf.
Congenital microgastria in a premature infant

The authors report the case of a 1,500-g baby boy with microgastria, vascular ring, tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), and the VATER association. Despite repair of the TEF and placement of a gastrostomy tube, he failed to thrive and had recurrent bouts of aspiration pneumonia. Gastric augmentation at 8 months of age resolved the feeding problems, and he now has a normal diet.
The interdependence of spray characteristics and evaporation history of fuel sprays

Previously developed calculation procedures based on evaporation analysis are used to predict the variation of JP-5 fuel spray characteristics (mean drop diameter, D /SUB m/, and drop-size distribution parameter, n) with time during evaporation in hot air. The method takes full account of transient effects occuring during the heat-up period. The results show that both D /SUB m/ and n increase with time, but the changes are more significant for sprays having small initial values of n. The time to vaporize a certain percentage of spray mass is proportional to the square of the initial mean diameter, D /SUB mQ/. The effect of the initial value of n, is that a spray having a larger value of n /SUB o/ will reach its 90 percent evaporation point faster, but a smaller value of n /SUB o/ will give a shorter 20 percent evaporation time. Based on these calculations, a general method for estimating the time required for any liquid fuel to attain any given percentage of spray mass evaporation is proposed. Although the method was developed for quiescent mixtures of fuel drops and air, it can be applied to many practical combustion devices (for example, as gas turbine combustor fitted more » with airblast atomizers) where it is reasonable and sufficiently accurate to assume a low relative velocity between the fuel drops and the surrounding air or gas. « less
Chemical Characterisation of Natural Ilmenite: A Possible New Reference Material

Seven ilmenite (FeTiO3) megacrysts derived from alnoite pipes (Island of Malaita, Solomon Islands) were characterised for their major and trace element compositions in relation to their potential use as secondary reference materials for in situ microanalysis. Abundances of thirteen trace elements obtained by laser ablation ICP-MS analyses (using the NIST SRM 610 glass reference material) were compared with those determined by solution-mode ICP-MS measurements, and these indicated good agreement for most elements. The accuracy of the LA-ICP-MS protocol employed here was also assessed by repeated analysis of MPI-DING international glass reference materials ML3B-G and KL2-G. Several of the Malaitan ilmenite megacrysts exhibited discrepancies between laser ablation and solution-mode ICP-MS analyses, primarily attributed to the presence of a titano-magnetite exsolution phase (at the grain boundaries), which were incorporated solely in the solution-mode runs. Element abundances obtained by LA-ICP-MS for three of the ilmenite megacrysts (CRN63E, CRN63H and CRN63K) investigated here had RSD (2s) values of < 20% and therefore can be considered as working values for reference purposes during routine LA-ICP-MS analyses of ilmenite.
Serum 11-deoxycorticosterone levels in adrenal-regeneration hypertension under conditions of quiescence and stress.

Abstract A time course study to measure adrenal cortical function was undertaken for the period prior to the development of hypertension until the onset of hypertension in the adrenal-regeneration hypertension (ARH) model. Quiescent rat kills were used so that all adrenal cortical parameters investigated would reflect basal or resting levels for controls. Thus a more accurate determination of the differences between control and experimental animals could be made. A radioimmunoassay procedure for deoxycorticosterone was developed to measure this steroid in individual rat serum samples. Elevated serum deoxycorticosterone levels were observed in rats with regenerating adrenals when they were killed under quiescent conditions. This agreed with our recently reported in vitro finding of restoration of cholesterol side chain cleavage activity while 11β-hydroxylase activity remained impaired 25 days after adrenal enucleation. When rats were killed after ether stress, deoxycorti-costerone levels were elevated in both control rats and in rats with regenerating adrenals but the difference was not significant. In contrast, after ether stress serum corticosterone levels were lower in rats with regenerating adrenals than in controls. These studies, in conjunction with our previous in vitro findings, point to the importance of deoxycorticosterone in the pathogenesis of adrenal regeneration hypertension and help to explain the anomalous corticosteroid secretion rate data found in this experimental hypertension model.
Optimal fusion of alarm sets from multiple detectors using dynamic programming

In a standard target detection approach, data is collected, points of interest called alarms are identified, and detection algorithms determine the confidence that a target is present at each point. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves can be used to evaluate the performance of each detector and choose operating thresholds. The use of multiple sensors can improve the probability of detection of a diverse set of targets. It is difficult to properly assess the performance of a system of detectors and choose the best joint set of operating thresholds if confidence values from different detectors do not compare meaningfully. Fusion methods can be used to improve the joint performance of a set of detectors. However, in the case where different detectors do not operate on the same points of interest, typical fusion methods cannot be used to improve the binary decisions on individual alarms. In this paper, we propose a new fusion method that maps the confidence outputs from different detectors to a shared range where they compare meaningfully, and optimizes the joint performance of multiple detectors even when their alarm sets are disjoint. Our method uses dynamic programming to monotonically map the confidence output from each detector onto a shared range in such a way that we maximize the area-under-the-curve (AUC) of the ROC curve corresponding to the joint set of alarms. This joint ROC curve can be used to determine the operational thresholds for each individual detector to maximize their joint performance.
Synthesis of 11-Hydroxyl O-Methylsterigmatocystin and the Role of a Cytochrome P-450 in the Final Step of Aflatoxin Biosynthesis

The major skeletal rearrangements (anthraquinone → xanthone → coumarin) that occur in the complex biosynthesis of aflatoxin B1 are mediated by cytochromes P-450. Previous experiments have suggested that two successive monooxygenase reactions are required to convert the xanthone O-methylsterigmatocystin (OMST) to aflatoxin, a process we demonstrate is mediated by a single P-450, OrdA, in Aspergillus parasiticus in accord with findings in A. flavus. The first oxidative cycle is proposed to result in the formation of 11-hydroxy O-methylsterigmatocystin (HOMST), while the second entails aryl ring cleavage, demethylation, dehydration, decarboxylation, and rearrangement to give aflatoxin − a remarkable sequence of transformations. To test this hypothesis, HOMST has been synthesized by an alkylnitrilium variant of the Houben−Hoesch reaction. The troublesome xanthone carbonyl was protected as a butylene to allow further elaboration of the molecule, and then the product xanthone was restored in a uniquely facile p...
Modeling Local Via Structures Using Innovative PEEC Formulation Based on Cavity Green's Functions With Wave Port Excitation

Complex via structures such as noncircular antipads are rigorously studied, in the local region close to vias, using an innovative partial-element equivalent-circuit (PEEC) formulation based on the cavity Green's functions. The problem under study is an essential building block that can be used to model complex multilayer structures. With the usage of the cavity Green's functions, the number of unknowns is significantly reduced. Further, nonorthogonal quadrilateral mesh is used to better accommodate the complex shape of the antipads in practical designs. A novel wave port excitation method is proposed, which is new for the PEEC formulations. Singularity extraction in self element calculations involving the nonorthogonal cell and the cavity Green's functions is studied. The impedance parameters of several via structures are obtained using the proposed method, and the results are validated with the finite-element solution from a commercial tool.
Ejecta correlations with spatial crater density and Venus resurfacing history

We examine the alternative hypotheses that on Venus (i) the spatial randomness of the crater population reflects predominantly the spatially stochastic nature of impact crater formation or (ii) a significant amount of spatial variation in crater density is due to variations in the geological rate of crater removal. Three endmember models of resurfacing are formulated: Case I assumes that a single-age production surface accounts for the spatial distribution of craters. Case II assumes that variations in spatial crater density reflect local production surface ages, while Case III assumes that individual craters are removed regionally, so that variations in spatial crater density reflect local retention ages. These endmember models are tested by examining correlations of crater properties with crater spatial density, ρ. We analyze the distribution of embayed and tectonized craters and the relative abundances of extended ejecta deposits (termed “halos”). The three endmembers provide specific predictions as to the occurrence of halos as a function of ρ. For ρ ≲ 1.5 craters per 106 km², Case III provides the best explanation for the deficiency of halos as well as the relative abundances of modified craters. For the interval 1.5 ≲ ρ ≲ 2.5, Case II is applicable but with only a modest spread in production ages. For densities ≳2.5, Case II is the only endmember model that matches the global observations, suggesting that regions with these high densities represent a series of distinct production surfaces with ages increasing from the planetary mean retention age.
Security of Electrostatic Field Persistent Routing: Attacks and Defense Mechanisms

Electrostatic Field-based Routing (EFR) is a form of geographical multi-path routing where packets are routed along a collection of electrostatic field lines, defined by electrostatic charges associated with source and sink nodes. EFR provides an efficient and scalable solution to the workload balancing problem. However, it assumes that nodes behave in a cooperative manner making EFR-based routing protocols vulnerable to various attacks. We investigate the security aspects of EFR-based routing protocols. We focus on an instance of EFR, called Multi-Pole Field Persistent Routing (MP-FPR), for which we identify attacks that can target different components of the protocol, and propose a set of corresponding defense mechanisms. We present extensive experimental evaluations of the impact of the different attacks and the effectiveness of the proposed defense mechanisms.
Whole genome mapping in a wheat doubled haploid population using SSRs and TRAPs and the identification of QTL for agronomic traits

Genetic maps are useful for detecting quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with quantitative traits and for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in breeding. In this research, we used the wheat × maize method to develop a doubled haploid (DH) population derived from the synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW) line TA4152-60 and the North Dakota hard red spring wheat line ND495. The population consisted of 213 lines, of which a subset of 120 lines was randomly selected and used to construct linkage maps of all 21 chromosomes and for QTL detection. The whole genome maps consisted of 632 markers including 410 SSRs, 218 TRAPs, 1 RFLP, and 3 phenotypic markers, and spanned 3,811.5 cM with an average density of one marker per 6.03 cM. Telomere sequence-based TRAPs allowed us to define the ends of seven linkage groups. Analysis revealed major QTLs associated with the traits of days to heading on chromosomes 5A and 5B, plant height on chromosomes 4D and 5A, and spike characteristics on chromosomes 3D, 4A, 4D, 5A and 5B. The DH population and genetic map will be a useful tool for the identification of disease resistance QTL and agronomically important loci, and will aid in the identification and development of markers for MAS.
Collapsed athlete – atraumatic

There are several potential causes for an athlete to collapse without trauma on the playing or practice field. Fortunately, most of the time the etiology is benign and recovery is rapid and uneventful. However, when faced with a collapsed athlete, medical personnel need to be prepared for life-threatening conditions until these conditions are ruled out. The most common cause of atraumatic sudden death in athletes is cardiac arrest, usually because of a variety of underlying cardiac conditions. Immediate initiation of CPR with rapid AED use can be the key to survival. Rectal temperature can detect possible heat stroke with need for immediate cooling instituted prior to athlete transport. Exertional hyponatremia is another cause of life-threatening collapse in prolonged endurance events such as marathons and triathlons.
The Contours of Color at the World Social Forum: Reflections on Racialized Politics, Representation, and the Global Justice Movement

This essay critically reflects on our experiences and observations, as a multi-racial research team from the USA, of the politics of race and racism at the 2005 meeting of the World Social Forum which took place in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The challenges of discussing issues of race, ethnicity, and racism at the WSF are considerable given (1) the over-representation of whites and the wide variety of racial and ethnic groups participating in the WSF, (2) national differences in race and ethnic relations and the discourses used to discuss such relations, and (3) the political silences about racism that pervade Brazil and many other countries. Overcoming such challenges is crucial to making the WSF and the global justice movement more inclusive of people of color, raising consciousness about racial and ethnic oppression and its role in the current global economy among political activists, building effective transnational coalitions among anti-racist groups, and envisioning a truly just and democratic world.
Prevention of experimental allergic neuritis in the lewis rat with bovine P2 protein

Abstract Protective doses of bovine P 2 protein (5, 15 or 50 μg) in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) were administered to Lewis rats and were followed 2,4 or 10 weeks later by challenging doses of either 250 μg bovine P 2 or 2.5 mg bovine PNS myelin in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Protection from experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) could be achieved with a single dose of 5 μg of P 2 in IFA. There was little difference between prophylactic 5 μg and 15 μg doses of P 2 . The degree of protection depended upon the interval between protective innoculation and challenge. Protection was partial at 2 weeks and maximal at 4 weeks at which time there was complete protection against P 2 -induced EAN and less complete protection from myelin-induced disease. Complete protection at 4 weeks from myelin-induced EAN was achieved with a 50 μg dose. Protection lasted for at least 10 weeks (the longest interval assessed) and was complete with respect to P 2 -induced EAN. Partial protection was observed in myelin-challenged animals after 10 weeks with the level of protection greater than that observed after 2 weeks.
Direct transfer of preformed patterned bio-nanocomposite films on polyelectrolyte multilayer templates

where an elastomericpolydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamp having the desiredtopographic pattern is coated with a molecular ink andthen brought into contact with the surface. Removal of thestamp leaves behind a thin layer of ink having the samepattern as the stamp. Based on the chemical contrastbetween the inked features and the ink-free background,additional layers can then be selectively deposited oneither the features or the background using thin ﬁlmdeposition methods such as layer-by-layer (LBL) assem-bly.
Gene expression. The odd coupling.

Gene expression requires several complex biochemical reactions to be carried out precisely. These reactions must also be coordinated, and molecular biologists now have a better handle on how that happens.
Engineering and quality control

Quality control, a technique based on a study of variations in process, utilizes statistical methods for detecting defects in quantity manufacture. However, it is a theory founded on the elementary laws of chance and thus a knowledge of these laws is of invaluable aid to the engineer who must specify the required tests, adapt his designs to the tools available, and adjust his tolerances correctly.
1719 RACIAL DISPARITIES IN THE TREATMENT OF BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA

Medi-Cal is the largest of the state Medicaid programs in the US and provides care to over 7 million indigent and disabled persons every year. Males 40 years and older enrolled in Medi-Cal with an incident diagnosis of BPH and at least 12 months follow-up were studied to evaluate patterns of care for this condition. All comparisons were adjusted for age at study entry. Logistical regression was used to calculate the OR and 95% CI. RESULTS
Promoter hypermethylation of CIDEA, HAAO and RXFP3 associated with microsatellite instability in endometrial carcinomas

Objective DNA promoter methylation is an epigenetic phenomenon for long-term gene silencing during tumorigenesis. The purpose of this study is to identify novel hypermethylated loci associated with clinicopathologic variables in endometrioid endometrial carcinomas.
Incorporating vibrational excitation in a hybrid particle-continuum method

A modular particle-continuum (MPC) method is extended to model vibrational excitation to simulate hypersonic steady-state ows that exhibit regions of collisional nonequilibrium in a mainly continuum ow eld. This method loosely couples a DSMC code to an implicit Navier-Stokes solver. By limiting our study to steady-state ows, both time-step and cell size are decoupled between methods. Control of statistical scatter and information transfer between modules is described. Hypersonic ow over a 2-D cylinder is simulated with di erent physical models. Results from DSMC, CFD, and the MPC method are presented and compared. The agreement in vibrational temperature between DSMC and the MPC method decreases as the size of the continuum domain increases, which may be due to the di erence in macroscopic relaxation rates computed in DSMC and CFD. Other ow variables and surface properties remain in excellent agreement between DSMC and the MPC method. The MPC simulation results are obtained using less than half the computational time compared to full DSMC while also decreasing the memory requirements.
Teaching All Learners As If They Are Special

This chapter considers special learning needs that adult learners may bring, along with effective strategies and accommodations that can make the difference between success and failure for many learners.
Tunable diode laser measurements of linestrengths and line positions in the HNO3 v3 band near 1335 cm-1

Abstract Absolute linestrengths and line positions for selected lines in the HNO 3 v 3 band near 1335 cm -1 have been measured using a tunable diode laser spectrometer. An iterative deconvolution procedure was utilized to facilitate the location of line positions, which are reported with an experimental uncertainty of -1 . The uncertainty in the absolute linestrengths is estimated to be 3%.
Regulation of matrix metalloproteinase expression by dynamic tensile strain in rat fibrochondrocytes.

Summary Objective We sought to determine the molecular basis for the anticatabolic effects of mechanical signals on fibrocartilage cells by studying the expression of a variety of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Furthermore, we examined whether the effects of biomechanical strain on MMP gene expression are sustained. Methods Fibrochondrocytes from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discs were exposed to dynamic tensile strain for various time intervals in the presence of interleukin (IL)-1β. The regulation of the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and synthesis of MMPs and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) were examined by end-point and real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) as well as Western blot analysis. Results Fibrochondrocytes expressed mRNA for MMP-2, -3, -7, -8, -9, -11, -13, -14, -16, -17, and -19 as well as TIMP-1, -2, and -3, IL-1β induced a significant ( P P Conclusions The data provide evidence that biomechanical signals can downregulate the catabolic activity of fibrocartilage cells in an inflammatory environment by inhibiting the expression of a variety of MMPs. Furthermore, the matrix-protective effects of biomechanical signals are sustained even in an inflammatory environment.
Subsonic semi-infinite crack with a finite friction zone in a bimaterial

Abstract Propagation of a semi-infinite crack along the interface between an elastic half-plane and a rigid half-plane is analyzed. The crack advances at constant subsonic speed. It is assumed that, ahead of the crack, there is a finite segment where the conditions of Coulomb friction law are satisfied. The contact zone of unknown a priori length propagates with the same speed as the crack. The problem reduces to a vector Riemann–Hilbert problem with a piece-wise constant matrix coefficient discontinuous at three points, 0, 1, and ∞ . The problem is solved exactly in terms of Kummer's solutions of the associated hypergeometric differential equation. Numerical results are reported for the length of the contact friction zone, the stress singularity factor, the normal displacement u 2 , and the dynamic energy release rate G. It is found that in the case of frictionless contact for both the sub-Rayleigh and super-Rayleigh regimes, G is positive and the stress intensity factor K II does not vanish. In the sub-Rayleigh case, the normal displacement is positive everywhere in the opening zone. In the super-Rayleigh regime, there is a small neighborhood of the ending point of the open zone where the normal displacement is negative.
Charge rearrangement deduced from nearby electric field measurements of an intracloud flash with K‒changes

[1] An intracloud flash near Langmuir Laboratory is analyzed to determine the net rearrangement of charge. The analysis employed data from a balloon borne electric field sensor, or Esonde, that was within a few hundred meters of the lightning channel, data from a similar Esonde on a mountain about 6.4 km from the balloon, and data from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Lightning Mapping Array (LMA). The recovery of the charge transport required the solution of Poisson's equation over the mountainous terrain surrounding Langmuir Laboratory and the solution of a vastly under‒determined system of equations. The charge movement is analyzed using a new smooth charge transport model that incorporates constraints in the least squares fitting process through the use of penalty terms to smooth the charge movement and prevent data overfitting. The electric field measurements were consistent with about 26% of the negative charge being transported to the end of the channel, 36% deposited along the channel in the positive region, 8% deposited near the start of the channel in the positive region, and 30% deposited in another positive region several kilometers beneath the main channel. The transport of negative charge to a lower positive region occurred during the K‒processes when some negative charge was also deposited along the main channel in the upper positive region. Hence, the charge transport process during the K‒processes amounted to a tripolar charge rearrangement where the charge from the negative region was transported to two distinct positive regions, the positive region along the main channel and a lower positive region beneath the main channel. High altitude, widely scattered LMA sources beyond the end of the main channel could indicate the existence of streamers which transported the end‒of‒channel charge into the surrounding volume. Although the LMA showed the development of two upper channels, the charge transport analysis showed that measurable charge transport only occurred on one of the channels. The channel that did not transport charge was missing the high altitude, widely scattered LMA sources seen at the end of the channel that carried charge.