cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theme and Variation in the Development of Insect Mouthparts

Insect mouthparts are serially homologous appendages. As such, their development and evolution are nonindependent. Arthropod appendages share similarities in their developmental origins and underlying genetics. Here, we review the development, specification, and patterning of insect mouthparts, with comparisons to the legs of Drosophila melanogaster. The expression and function of genes in the arthropod head give clues as to the homology of the labrum. The activity of Hox genes establishes appendage-specific gene expression and interactions allowing for the development of unique appendage types. Many similarities exist in the patterning of gnathal appendages and legs; however, unique variations in gene function in each appendage type provide clues to the developmental origins of mouthpart morphologies. We examine what is known about mouthpart patterning in mandibulates, as exemplified from several beetle species, as well as in the proboscis of Drosophila melanogaster and in the hemipteran rostrum of Oncopeltus fasciatus. With these findings in mind, we reflect on the evolution of serially homologous structures.
The development of effortful control from late childhood to young adulthood.

The present study investigated the developmental precursors of effortful control, a temperament trait that involves the propensity to regulate one’s impulses and behaviors, to motivate the self toward a goal when there are conflicting desires, and to focus and shift attention easily. Data came from the California Families Project, a multimethod longitudinal study of 674 Mexican-origin youth (and their parents), who were assessed at ages 10, 12, 14, 16, and 19. Effortful control (measured via self- and parent-reports) was moderately stable over time (r = .47 from age 10 to 19), and its developmental trajectory followed a u-shaped pattern (decreasing from age 10 to 14, before increasing from age 14 to 19). Findings from latent growth curve models showed that youth who experience more hostility from their parents, associate more with deviant peers, attend more violent schools, live in more violent neighborhoods, and experience more ethnic discrimination tend to exhibit an exacerbated dip in effortful control. In contrast, youth with parents who closely monitor their behavior and whereabouts exhibited a shallower dip in effortful control. Analyses of the facets of effortful control revealed important disparities in their trajectories; specifically inhibitory control showed linear increases, attention control showed linear decreases, and activation control showed the same u-shaped trajectory as overall effortful control. Moreover, most of the precursors of effortful control replicated for inhibitory control and attention control, but not for activation control. We discuss the broader implications of the findings for adolescent personality development and self-regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
Why a pluralist economics education is important for incarcerated individuals

An economics education provides students with the tools necessary to solve today's complex problems and additionally, is desirable among employers. This is true for both traditional college students and incarcerated individuals enrolled in college courses in the USA. This article reviews the literature on the benefits of correctional education, arguing explicitly for the inclusion of economics in college-in-prison programs. Using the experience of teaching economics in a state prison, I extrapolate on how key economic principles can be made relevant in incarcerated lives. The necessity for diversity in economic content, especially within the limitations of a college-in-prison economics course, is also explored. A pluralist approach to economics encourages students to think critically about economic theory and allows for the incorporation of work by a diverse set of scholars that may more closely resemble the incarcerated population. Additional pedagogical considerations to contemplate when teaching in correctional education programs are briefly highlighted.
An Evidence-Based Review of Fremanezumab for the Treatment of Migraine

Migraine headache is a common, chronic, debilitating disease with a complex etiology. Current therapy for migraine headache comprises either treatments targeting acute migraine pain or prophylactic therapy aimed at increasing the length of time between migraine episodes. Recent evidence suggests that calcium gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a critical component in the pathogenesis of migraines. Fremanezumab, a monoclonal antibody against CGRP, was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after multiple studies showed that it was well-tolerated, safe, and effective in the treatment of migraines. Further research is needed to elucidate the long-term effects of fremanezumab and CGRP-antagonists in general, and additional data is required in less healthy patients to estimate its effects in these populations and potentially increase the eligible group of recipients. This is a comprehensive review of the current literature on the efficacy and safety of fremanezumab for the treatment of chronic migraine. In this review we provide an update on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and current treatment of migraine, and summarize the evidence for fremanezumab as a treatment for migraine.
Atomic Layer Deposition and Patterning of 15–185 nm Thick Al2O3 Films with Microplasma Arrays for Low-Temperature Growth and Sub-300 nm Lateral Feature Resolution

Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) films 15-185 nm in thickness have been grown on Si(100) by a modified atomic layer deposition (ALD) process in which the oxygen precursor is dissociated by a 50 × 20 array of...
Synergistically enhanced tumor uptake via dual-targeting of CD105 and EGFR using a “click” heterodimer

1 Objectives Dual-targeting can give higher targeting efficacy/specificity. Our aim was to design and synthesize a heterodimer using 2 antibody Fab fragments (i.e. Cetuximab Fab & TRC105 Fab) for dual-targeting of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and CD105. The synergistic dual-targeting effect of Cetuximab Fab-TRC105 Fab vs. single-targeting Fab was compared in vitro/in vivo. Methods Cetuximab Fab-TRC105 Fab (i.e. heterodimer) was synthesized by mixing Cetuximab Fab-tetrazines and TRC105 Fab-trans-cyclooctenes ("Click" chemistry). It was purified by HPLC, conjugated to NOTA, and labeled with 64Cu. Dual-receptor binding studies were performed in U87MG cells (expressing both EGFR and CD105) and tumor-bearing mice. Blocking experiments and ex vivo histology studies were performed to confirm the in vivo results. Results Purified Cetuximab Fab-TRC105 Fab was confirmed by SDS-PAGE (~100 kDa band, >90% pure), whereas the 2 Fab fragments were each at ~50 kDa. Flow cytometry studies showed much higher fluorescence signal for the hetorodimeer when compared with either Fab. In U87MG mice, 64Cu-NOTA-Cetuximab Fab-TRC105 Fab had significantly higher tumor uptake (32.0±6.9, 47.5±6.7, 46.0±3.3 and 44.1±9.4 %ID/g at 3, 15, 24, and 36 h post-injection, respectively; n=3) than that of 64Cu-NOTA-Cetuximab Fab and 64Cu-NOTA-TRC105 Fab ( Conclusions We report the first successful dual-targeting of EGFR and CD105, via a “click” heterodimer of 2 antibody Fab fragments, which led to synergistic enhancement of tumor uptake over either Fab alone. This result may improve future cancer diagnosis and therapeutic efficacy.
New insights on cellular structures strengthening mechanisms and thermal stability of an austenitic stainless steel fabricated by laser powder-bed-fusion

Abstract Rapid solidification cellular structures are known to play a crucial role in helping achieve high strength and high ductility in 316L austenitic stainless steels fabricated by laser powder-bed-fusion (L-PBF). Despite this, the understanding of their intrinsic characteristics (e.g., crystallographic orientations, dislocations, precipitates, elemental segregations) and the respective impacts on the material's strength and thermal stability remains nebulous. We conduct several dedicated transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies to investigate these strengthening mechanisms and identified that cell walls follow specific crystallographic orientations. The high density of tangled dislocations inside cell walls are found to have a higher tendency to dissociate, forming wider stacking faults while oxide precipitates are confined inside cell walls. These features act as barriers to moving dislocations upon plastic deformation and contribute to the high strength. Our dislocation dynamic simulations indicate that segregated particles are effective in blocking dislocations locally, helping the formation of dislocation cells and participating to the material strengthening. To study the thermal stability of L-PBF 316L SS, we perform systematic post-processing heat treatments from 400-1200°C. Microstructure characterizations using electron backscatter diffraction, TEM, and synchrotron X-ray diffraction coupled with dislocation dynamics and CALPHAD simulations and tensile testing reveal three heat treatment zones where the structure-property relationship can be tuned. After annealing up to 600°C, the microstructure remains stable; but the work hardening behavior is altered with a material that retains high strength and high ductility. Annealing between 600-1000°C activates elemental diffusion and gradual disappearance of cell walls, leading to a sharp drop in yield strength and a tradeoff between strength and ductility. Low-angle grain boundaries remain stable up to 1000°C while the average grain size defined by high angle grain boundaries is near constant at annealing temperatures up to 800°C. Annealing above 1100°C removes all L-PBF microstructure footprints and renders a conventional-like microstructure. Compared to conventional materials, L-PBF 316LSS displays substantially higher thermal stability and superior performance at elevated temperatures.
A novel role of the mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster assembly protein ISCU-1/ISCU in longevity and stress response

As an ancient cellular co-factor ubiquitously present in all domains of life, nearly all iron-sulfur ([Fe-S]) clusters are assembled in the mitochondrion. Although multiple mitochondrion-derived signalings are known to be key players in longevity regulation, whether the mitochondrial [Fe-S] cluster assembly machinery modulates lifespan is previously unknown. Here, we find that ISCU-1, the C. elegans ortholog of the evolutionarily conserved iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) assembly machinery central protein ISCU, regulates longevity and stress response. Specifically, ISCU-1 accelerates aging in the intestine. Moreover, we identify the Nrf2 transcription factor SKN-1 and a nuclear hormone receptor NHR-49 as the downstream factors of ISCU-1. Lastly, a mitochondrial outer membrane protein phosphatase PGAM-5 appears to link ISCU-1 to SKN-1 and NHR-49 in lifespan regulation. Together, we have identified a novel function of mitochondrial ISC assembly machinery in longevity modulation and stress response.
Stimulated Rayleigh–Bragg scattering study in a two-photon absorbing liquid and a solid

Stimulated Rayleigh–Bragg scattering (SRBS) in highly two-photon active chromophores’ solutions and in a doped polymer rod has been investigated. Under optimized experimental conditions, the energy conversion efficiency from the input 816-nm and ∼10-ns pump pulses to the backward SRBS pulses was up to η=58% in the solution of AF450 chromophore in methyl methacrylate (MMA) liquid of 0.001 M concentration, while for the AF450 doped poly(methyl methacrylate) rod of the same concentration the measured value was only η=0.16%. Considering that the two-photon absorption properties of the chromophore molecules are basically the same in both cases, the above-mentioned results strongly suggested that the formation of the induced Bragg grating in a solution is mainly due to spatial redistribution of the dopant molecules driven by two-photon resonance enhanced gradient force. In contrast, the same dopant molecules are “frozen” in a solid matrix which prohibits the spatial redistribution of these molecules from forming an effective Bragg grating. Based on the high efficiency of backward SRBS generation as well as the coexisting two-photon absorption, the intense input laser beam will undergo a much stronger nonlinear attenuation. For the tested AF450/MMA solution sample of 0.004 M concentration, when the input laser pulse energy changed from 0.06 mJ to 3.7 mJ, the measured nonlinear transmissivity decreased from 0.82 to 0.11, showing a superior nonlinear attenuation performance with regard to the input pump laser beam.
Mechanically active integrins direct cytotoxic secretion at the immune synapse

The secretory output of cell-cell interfaces must be tightly controlled in space and time to ensure functional efficacy. This is particularly true for the cytotoxic immune synapse (IS), the stereotyped junction formed between a cytotoxic lymphocyte and the infected or transformed target cell it aims to destroy1. Cytotoxic lymphocytes kill their targets by channeling a mixture of granzyme proteases and the pore forming protein perforin directly into the IS2, 3. The synaptic secretion of these toxic molecules constrains their deleterious effects to the target cell alone, thereby protecting innocent bystander cells in the surrounding tissue from collateral damage. Despite the importance of this process for immune specificity, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that establish secretory sites within the IS remain poorly understood. Here, we identified an essential role for integrin mechanotransduction in cytotoxic secretion using a combination of single cell biophysical measurements, ligand micropatterning, and functional assays. Upon ligand-binding, the L{beta}2 integrin LFA-1 functioned as a spatial cue, attracting lytic granules containing perforin and granzyme and inducing their fusion at closely adjacent sites within the synaptic membrane. LFA-1 molecules were subjected to pulling forces within these secretory domains, and genetic or pharmacological suppression of these forces abrogated cytotoxicity. We conclude that lymphocytes employ an integrin-dependent mechanical checkpoint to enhance both the potency and the security of their cytotoxic output.
Wear Attitude Inventory Applied to Junior High School Boys

Abstract Form A of the Wear Attitude Inventory was administered to one randomly selected physical education class of seventh grade boys, one class of eighth grade boys, and one class of ninth grade boys in each of five junior high schools. The mean Inventory score for each grade was found to be equal to or superior to the mean reported in Wear's validation study. A significant X2 value was found for the distribution of Inventory scores of the three junior high school grades. A biserial coefficient of correlation item analysis which was computed for each of the three grades established that the 30 items correlated significantly with the total score and that the item score also had a significant correlation with the Inventory category score. On the basis of these results, the conclusion was advanced that the Wear Attitude Inventory was an appropriate instrument to measure attitudes of junior high school boys toward physical education.
Estimation of hospital emergency room data using OTC pharmaceutical sales and normalized LMS filters

We address the problem of surveillance of over-the-counter pharmaceutical (OTC) sales as a potential early indicator of developing public health conditions from the viewpoint of linear adaptive filter theory: the clinical data is the primary channel to be estimated from the OTC data that form the reference channels. The estimation is performed using an FIR filter and the normalized LMS algorithm. Our results indicate that multichannel adaptive FIR least square filtering is a viable means of estimating public health conditions from OTC sales, and provide quantitative measures of time dependent correlations between the clinical data and the OTC data channels.
Venus: Cloud level circulation during 1982 as determined from Pioneer cloud photopolarimeter images: II. Solar longitude dependent circulation

Pioneer Venus Orbiter images obtained in 1982 indicate a marked solar-locked dependence of cloud level circulation in both averaged cloud motions and cloud layer UV reflectivity. An apparent relationship is noted between horizontal divergence and UV reflectivity: the highest reflectivities are associated with regions of convergence at high latitudes, while lower values are associated with equatorial latitude regions where the motions are divergent. In solar-locked coordinates, the rms deviation of normalized UV brightness is higher at 45-deg latitudes than in equatorial regions.
The mediator of cellular immunity: XI. Origin and development of MIF producing lymphocytes

Abstract Thoracic duct lymphocytes obtained from rats infected with Listeria monocytogenes were characterized with respect to size, turnover and their capacity to release macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). Cells responsive to Listerial antigens (LMA) in the MIF assay were identified in lymph during the first week of an immunizing infection. These were immunoblasts or large lymphocytes, as evidenced by their sedimentation with S phase lymphocytes at unit gravity. When labeled cells from the lymph of Listeria-infected donors were infused into similarly infected recipients, donor S phase lymphocytes localized rapidly, and in substantial numbers, in peritoneal exudates induced by the unrelated organism, F. tularensis. Within this immigrant population were cells which conferred immunity against L. monocytogenes and released MIF in cultures containing LMA. Exudates harvested 36 hr or 61 hr after stimulation contained labeled lymphocytes that were smaller than the S phase cells recovered during the early post-induction period. The observed shift of radioactivity from large to smaller lymphocytes was parallelled by a shift MIF production to exudate fractions containing smaller cells. The MIF producing cells in exudates of advancing age also exhibited increasing resistance to inhibition by vinblastine. These findings suggest that MIF is released by a family of lymphocytes—large, medium and small. LMA-responsive lymphocytes are delivered to the thoracic duct soon after their formation, at a stage in development when they can be stimulated to release only low levels of MIF. These mediator producing cells circulate briefly in the blood and differentiate fully only after they extravasate into inflammatory foci.
Mentoring Within a Community of Practice for Faculty Development: Adding Value to a CTL Role

E. R. Smith, P. E. Calderwood, F. Dohm, and P. Gill Lopez's (2013) model of integrated mentoring within a community of practice framework draws attention to how mentoring as practice, identity, and process gives shape and character to a community of practice for higher education faculty and alerts us to several challenges such a framework makes visible. In this exploratory study, we apply the model, and the consideration of the challenges it highlights, to consider how mentoring might figure in and configure a community of practice for faculty development localized in a university Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTL) for teaching and learning.
Manifold-valued Dirichlet Processes

Statistical models for manifold-valued data permit capturing the intrinsic nature of the curved spaces in which the data lie and have been a topic of research for several decades. Typically, these formulations use geodesic curves and distances defined locally for most cases -- this makes it hard to design parametric models globally on smooth manifolds. Thus, most (manifold specific) parametric models available today assume that the data lie in a small neighborhood on the manifold. To address this 'locality' problem, we propose a novel nonparametric model which unifies multivariate general linear models (MGLMs) using multiple tangent spaces. Our framework generalizes existing work on (both Euclidean and non-Euclidean) general linear models providing a recipe to globally extend the locallydefined parametric models (using a mixture of local models). By grouping observations into sub-populations at multiple tangent spaces, our method provides insights into the hidden structure (geodesic relationships) in the data. This yields a framework to group observations and discover geodesic relationships between covariates X and manifold-valued responses Y , which we call Dirichlet process mixtures of multivariate general linear models (DP-MGLM) on Riemannian manifolds. Finally, we present proof of concept experiments to validate our model.
The Great Industrial War: Framing Class Conflict in the Media, 1865–1950 – By Troy Rondinone

This study addresses a complex question: how did Americans perceive the evolution of capitalism and the disagreements it produced? For an answer, the author considers writings from the media, influ...
Dense plasma and Kelvin-Helmholtz waves at Earth's dayside magnetopause

Spacecraft observations of boundary waves at the dayside terrestrial magnetopause and their ground-based signatures are presented. Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) spacecraft measured boundary waves at the magnetopause while ground-based HF radar measured corresponding signatures in the ionosphere indicating a large-scale response and tailward propagating waves. The properties of the oscillations are consistent with linear phase Kelvin-Helmholtz waves along the magnetopause boundary. During this time period multiple THEMIS spacecraft also measured a plasmaspheric plume contacting the local magnetopause and mass loading the boundary. Previous work has demonstrated that increasing the density at the magnetopause can lower the efficiency of reconnection. Extending this further, present observations suggest that a plume can modulate instability processes such as the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and allow them to form closer to the subsolar point along the magnetopause than without a plume. The current THEMIS observations from 21 September 2010 are consistent with a theory which predicts that increasing the density at the boundary will lower the Kelvin-Helmholtz threshold and allow waves to form for a lower velocity shear.
Combined Jonker and Ioffe Analysis of Oxide Conductors and Semiconductors

Jonker plots (Seebeck coefficient versus logarithm of conductivity) have been utilized to obtain the product of the density of states (DOS) and mobility (μ) in oxide semiconductors, from which the maximum electrical conductivity can be estimated for degenerate transparent conducting oxide (TCO) applications. In addition, the DOS–μ product can be utilized to predict the maximum achievable “power factor” (PF, Seebeck coefficient squared times conductivity) for oxide semiconductors. The PF is an important parameter governing the figure of merit for thermoelectric oxide (TEO) applications. The procedure employs an analysis developed by Ioffe, and provides an important screening tool for oxide (and other) thermoelectric materials, based upon data from polycrystalline ceramic specimens. Several oxides, including known transparent conductors, are considered as TCO and TEO case studies in the present work.
NORADRENERGIC INNERVATION OF THE RAT SPINAL CORD CAUDAL TO A COMPLETE SPINAL CORD TRANSECTION: EFFECTS OF OLFACTORY ENSHEATHING GLIA

Transplantation of olfactory bulb-derived olfactory ensheathing glia (OEG) combined with step training improves hindlimb locomotion in adult rats with a complete spinal cord transection. Spinal cord injury studies use the presence of noradrenergic (NA) axons caudal to the injury site as evidence of axonal regeneration and we previously found more NA axons just caudal to the transection in OEG- than media-injected spinal rats. We therefore hypothesized that OEG transplantation promotes descending coeruleospinal regeneration that contributes to the recovery of hindlimb locomotion. Now we report that NA axons are present throughout the caudal stump of both media- and OEG-injected spinal rats and they enter the spinal cord from the periphery via dorsal and ventral roots and along large penetrating blood vessels. These results indicate that the presence of NA fibers in the caudal spinal cord is not a reliable indicator of coeruleospinal regeneration. We then asked if NA axons appose cholinergic neurons associated with motor functions, i.e., central canal cluster and partition cells (active during fictive locomotion) and somatic motor neurons (SMNs). We found more NA varicosities adjacent to central canal cluster cells, partition cells, and SMNs in the lumbar enlargement of OEG- than media-injected rats. As non-synaptic release of NA is common in the spinal cord, more associations between NA varicosities and motor-associated cholinergic neurons in the lumbar spinal cord may contribute to the improved treadmill stepping observed in OEG-injected spinal rats. This effect could be mediated through direct association with SMNs and/or indirectly via cholinergic interneurons.
'Peripheral' benzodiazepine receptor ligands stimulate prolactin release in the rat.

High concentrations of ‘peripheral’ benzodiazepine binding sites have been described in the pituitary gland and in several other endocrine glands, such as the adrenal glands and the testes. The role played by these receptors on the regulation of the endocrine system is largely unknown. In this study, we report the effects of two ligands of the ‘peripheral’ benzodiazepine receptor, Ro5-4864 and PK 11195, on prolactin (PRL) release in the adult male rat. Ro5-4864 stimulated PRL release with half maximal and maximal stimulatory doses of about 0.6 and 1.2 mg/kg, respectively. Pretreatment with the ‘peripheral’ benzodiazepine receptor antagonist PK 11195 did not have any effect on Ro5-4864-induced PRL release. Accordingly, PK 11195, given alone, stimulated PRL release in a dose-dependent fashion. To examine whether the stimulatory effect of Ro5-4864 and PK 11195 on PRL release was due to a direct effect of these compounds at the pituitary gland, we used primary cultures of anterior pituicytes. Neither Ro5-4864 nor PK 11 195 had an effect on basal PRL release nor were these agents capable of modulating thyrotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated or dopamine-inhibited PRL release. These findings suggest that administration of agents that interact with the ’peripheral’ benzodiazepine binding receptor cause PRL release without directly stimulating the pituitary gland. We speculate that Ro5-4864 and PK 11195 increase plasma PRL levels by modulating brain release of neurotransmitters andlor neuropeptides involved in the regulation of PRL release. The effects of benzodiazepines (BZD) are mediated by specific receptors in the CNS (1,2). These receptors, named ‘central’ BZD receptors, are linked to the y-aminobutyric acid A (GABA,) receptor complex, a supramolecular structure comprising the chloride channel and GABA and barbiturate recognition sites (3). Different BZD binding sites have been identified in several peripheral tissues, such as the kidney, liver, testis, lung, heart, and pituitary gland, as well as in the CNS (4-14). These binding sites, named ‘peripheral’ BZD (pBZD) binding sites, are not associated with the GABA, receptor complex and have high affinity for the non-anxiolytic BZD 4-chloro-diazepam (Ro5-4864), and low affinity for clonazepam, flunitrazepam and other BZDs active on the pBZD receptor (2, 9, 10, 13, 14). Recently, a compound chemically unrelated to the BZD, the isoquinoline carboxamide derivative PK 11 195, has been shown to bind the pBZD receptor with an affinity which in many tissues is similar to that of Ro54864 (15, 16). Thermodynamic analysis of Ro5-4864 and PK 11 195 binding on rat cardiac membranes indicates that [3H]PK 11 195 binding is entropy-driven whereas t3H]Ro5-4864 binding is enthalpy-driven, consequently, the former may be an antagonist of and the latter an agonist or partial agonist of the pBZD
The anti-viral effect of sorafenib in hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background and Aim Sorafenib is currently the only approved systemic therapy shown to have efficacy in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent studies suggest that hepatitis C (HCV)-related HCC patients derive more clinical benefit from sorafenib than other subgroups, but the mechanism for this effect is unknown. In-vitro data suggest that sorafenib may exert antiviral properties and thus our aim in this study, was to evaluate potential antiviral activity of sorafenib in patients with HCV-related HCC.
HPLC determination of benzthiazide in biologic material

An assay was developed for benzthiazide in plasma, urine and feces, using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A reverse-phase column was employed, with quantitation af 280 nm, using polythiazide as an internal standard. In three of four human subjects who received a 50 mg benzthiazide tablet the plasma concentrations were below the 10 ng ml-1 sensitivity limit of the assay, and the urinary recovery averaged less than one per cent of the dose. One subject received a 50 mg dose as both a tablet and a solution; the urinary recoveries for these two doses were 1.7 and 10.4 per cent, respectively. Fecal samples, obtained from two subjects who received 50 mg tablets, were estimated to contain approximately 80 per cent of the administered dose.
New Ligands of the Conserved Steroid Binding Site of Cytochrome c Oxidase

Cytochrome c oxidase (CcO), the terminal enzyme in the electron transfer chain of mitochondria and many bacteria, requires the uptake of protons for activity via two pathways, the D-path and the K-path. Among the mutants of Rhodobacter sphaeroides (Rs) CcO that inhibit proton uptake in the K-path is E101A in subunit II, which removes a key carboxyl at the entrance to the pathway and decreases the activity of the purified enzyme over 20-fold. Micromolar levels of the bile acids cholate or deoxycholate were shown to stimulate E101A activity 10-fold, and crystals of wildtype RsCcO grown in the presence of deoxycholate (Qin et al., Biochemistry 47:9931-9933, 2008) showed a single deoxycholate molecule bound close to E101 in the same location as a cholate molecule observed in bovine CcO crystal structure (PDB 1OCC). Evidence of protective effects of steroids against CcO inhibition in bilirubin neurotoxicity and in Alzheimers (Vaz et al., J. Neurochem. 112:56-65, 2010; Tillement et al., Steroids 71:725-735, 2006) suggest that this site could be physiologically relevant to regulation of CcO.Here we use the RsCcO mutant E101A as a sensitive assay to further investigate the nature of this conserved site. Activity assays show that certain other steroids (cholesterol hemisuccinate) and lipidic molecules (phytanic acid, arachidonic acid) and some detergents affect RsCcO in a manner that indicates that these ligands also bind at the same site. The studies reveal a high degree of specificity and suggest possible physiological regulators. Crystallographic and computational approaches are underway to identify additional potential ligands and to determine the physiological significance of this conserved binding site. (NIH GM26916)
West Nile virus envelope protein glycosylation is required for efficient viral transmission by Culex vectors

Many, but not all, strains of West Nile virus (WNV) contain a single N-linked glycosylation site on their envelope (E) proteins. Previous studies have shown that E-glycosylated strains are more neuroinvasive in mice than non-glycosylated strains. E protein glycosylation also appears to play a role in attachment and entry of WNV into host cells in vitro; however, studies examining how E protein glycosylation affects the interactions of WNV with its mosquito vectors in vivo have not yet been performed. We mutated the E protein glycosylation site from NYS to IYS in a previously described full-length clone of the NY99 genotype of WNV (WT), resulting in a virus that lacked the glycan at aa154. WNV-N154I replicated less efficiently than WNV-WT in Culex mosquito tissues, although the extent of the decrease was greater in Cx. pipiens than in Cx. tarsalis. Following peroral infection, mosquitoes infected with WNV-N154I were less likely to transmit virus than those infected with WNV-WT. Interestingly, all but one of the mosquitoes infected with WNV-N154I transmitted a revertant virus, suggesting that there is strong selective pressure toward E protein glycosylation. Together these data suggest that loss of the glycan at aa154 on the WNV E protein can severely restrict viral spread in the mosquito vector.
Biomass and species richness of aquatic macrophytes in four Maine (U.S.A.) lakes of different acidity

Macrophyte communities of 2 pairs of oligotrophic head-water lakes of different acidity were described. The acidic lakes had fewer species of macrophytes than the circumneutral lakes. Biomass in the circumneutral lakes ranged from 14.0 to 157.86 g m−2; values for the acidic lakes were intermediate (33.8 and 74.6 g m−2).
Approaching intraband relaxation rates in the high-speed modulation of semiconductor lasers

This paper uses a nonequilibrium semiconductor laser model to investigate high-modulation bandwidth operation in semiconductor lasers. In particular, limitations to /spl gsim/100GHz modulation response, which approaches the carrier-phonon scattering rate, are analyzed. It is found that plasma heating leads to a dynamic carrier population bottleneck, which limits scaling of modulation bandwidth. An optical injection scheme is proposed to verify this phenomenon experimentally.
Nanofluid Pendant Droplet Evaporation

Nanofluids, stable colloidal suspensions of nanoparticles in a base fluid, have potential applications in the heat transfer, combustion and propulsion, manufacturing, and medical fields. Experiments were conducted to determine the evaporation rate of room temperature, millimeter-sized pendant droplets of ethanol laden with varying (0–3%) weight percentages of 40–60 nm aluminum nanoparticles (nAl). High-resolution droplet images were collected as a function of time for the determination of D-square law evaporation rates. Results show an asymptotic decrease in droplet evaporation rate with increasing nAl loading. The evaporation rate decreases by approximately 15% at around 1% to 3% nAl loading relative to the evaporation rate of pure ethanol, a reduction greater than can be explained by reduction in the vapor pressure of an ideal nanofluid mixture by Raoult’s law. It is hypothesized that the reduction in evaporation rate could be due to two phenomena: 1) the reduction in the ethanol volume fraction available for evaporation due to an interfacial layer on the immersed nanoparticle surface and 2) the aggregation of nanoparticles within the droplet and at the droplet surface, reducing the liquid diffusion rate to the surface and the liquid volume fraction at the surface available for evaporation.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Puzzles or Pieces: Competition in Nascent System Industries

Firms in nascent system industries rely on one another to create value, and compete with one another to capture value. In order to manage this tension, firms can choose to compete either individually at the component level or collectively at the system level. Although the level at which firms compete is critical to firm performance, extant literature has yet to comprehensively explore the factors governing this decision. I address this gap using a formal analytical model to explore the expected performance of each strategy within the context of a nascent industry characterized by substantial technological and competitive uncertainty. Analysis reveals that while component competition generally affords firms higher performance, it is often optimal for firms to form ecosystems and compete at the system level. This result is driven by the ability of the system strategy to reduce competitive uncertainty and favorably alter the competitive environment by co-opting potential competitors. I highlight contribution...
Effects of improved technologies on gender productivity in cassava production

The main objective of this paper is to find out the effect of improved technologies on gender productivity in cassava production. Data on 80 farmers selected through a multistage random sampling and made of 40 males and 40 females were collected from four communities in Owerri West Local Government of Imo State and analysed using the ordinary least squares multiple regression fitted into linear , semi-log, double-log and exponential forms. The result for the models used for the analysis revealed that the linear form provided the best fit and the selected technologies accounted for 58 percent variations in male cassava output and 67 percent for female cassava output. The result also showed that the three selected technologies i.e. fertilizer, grinding machine and improved variety of cassava had positive effect on the male and female farm output. Improved agricultural technologies are important in improving cassava output. Research should be geared towards introducing simple, less expensive and appropriate technologies to serve farmers particularly for increased cassava production. (Journal of Agriculture and Social Research: 2003 3(1): 78-89)
A piconewton force transducer and its application to measurement of the bending stiffness of phospholipid membranes

The bending stiffness of a phospholipid bilayer (kc) was measured by forming thin bilayer cylinders (tethers) from giant phospholipid vesicles. Based on the balance of forces, the tether force was expeeted to be proportional to the square root of the membrane tension, with a constant of proportionality containingk>c. The membrane tension was controlled via the aspiration pressure in a micropipette used to hold the vesicle. The force on the tether was generated by an electromagnet acting on a paramagnetic bead attached to the vesicle surface. The magnitude of the force was determined from measurements on the magnet current which was adjusted to maintain the position of the bead. Measurements were performed on vesicles composed of stearoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine plus 5% (by mole) biotinylated phosphatidylethanolamine to mediate adhesion to streptavidin-coated beads. From each vesicle, tethers were formed repeatedly at different values of the membrane tension. The expected relationship between membrane tension and tether force was observed. The mean value ofkc for 10 different vesicles was 1.17×10−19 J (SD=0.08×10−19 J). The precision of these data demonstrates the reliability of this approach, which avoids uncertainties of interpretation and measurement that may be associated with other methods for determiningkc.
Steady motion of a crack parallel to a bond-plane

Abstract The combined effects of high crack-tip speed and the proximity of a bond-plane on the elastodynamic stress-intensity factor are investigated in this paper. The model-problem that is considered concerns the steady propagation of a crack of length 2a, parallel to a bond-plane with a half-plane of different material properties. By using a moving coordinate system and applying Fourier transform techniques and superposition methods, the mixed boundary-value problem is reduced to a dual singular integral equation with Cauchy-type kernels, which is solved numerically. Stress intensity factors and cleavage angles are computed with the material constants, crack-interface distance and the crack-tip speed as variables. It is found that the effect of the bond-plane is more intense for smaller crack-interface distance and larger crack-tip speed. The propagation speed is subsonic for both materials.
Delivering patients to sacré coeur: collective intelligence in digital volunteer communities

This study examines the information-processing activities of digital volunteers and other connected ICT users in the wake of crisis events. Synthesizing findings from several previous research studies of digital volunteerism, this paper offers a new approach for conceptualizing the activities of digital volunteers, shifting from a focus on organizing to a focus on information movement. Using the lens of distributed cognition, this research describes collective intelligence as transformations of information within a system where cognition is distributed socially across individuals as well as through their tools and resources. This paper demonstrates how digital volunteers, through activities such as relaying, amplifying, verifying, and structuring information, function as a collectively intelligent cognitive system in the wake of disaster events.
Free-sliding ligands: an alternative model of DNA-protein interactions.

We present an alternative to the common lattice model for nonspecific DNA–protein interactions by using ligands that translate freely along the polynucleotide instead of binding to distinct lattice sites along the polynucleotide chain. The general model we present corresponds to a one-dimensional continuum gas and is referred to as the “continuum model” to distinguish it from the general lattice model. Explicit expressions are obtained for the binding isotherm equation for two version of the continuum model, including the effects of binding-site exclusion and attractions between bound ligands. Theoretical results are compared to those obtained from the McGhee-von Hippel (1974) analysis of the lattice model with cooperative interactions between ligands occupying more than one lattice site. Practical applications of the continuum model are illustrated by analyzing (i) the noncooperative binding to single-stranded DNA by RNase (Jensen and von Hippel, 1976), and (ii) the highly cooperative binding to poly(rA) by a proteolyzed fragment of the gene 32 protein of phage T4 (Lonberg et al., 1981).
Study of a Magnetically Stabilized Porous Structure for Thermochemical Water Splitting via TGA, High-Temperature-XRD, and SEM Analyses

Sintering of metal particles at high temperature in thermochemical looping processes, such as the iron-based looping process, dramatically reduces their reactivity. During the sintering process, metal particles lose their chemically active surface area, typically within only a few oxidation and reduction cycles. To cope with this problem, a uniform external magnetic field is applied to a fluidized mixture of iron and silica particles to form an organized structure of magnetic iron chains. In this study, reaction kinetics of the magnetically stabilized porous structure during oxidation has been examined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). High temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) has been performed in situ to determine at which temperatures structural changes occur. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been performed on samples, both before and after many cycles, to show the morphological changes that occur within the sample. TGA results demonstrate that the magnetically stabilized porous structure...
Primary care for patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the impact of a teaching intervention and to compare process and outcomes of care for HIV-infected patients randomly assigned to a general medicine clinic (GMC) or an infectious disease clinic (IDC) for primary care.
The synthesis of radioactive L-glutamic acid.

Abstract 1. 1. The synthesis of radioactive l -glutamic acid is described. 2. 2. The optical activity and positions of labeled carbons have been verified.
Quantum simulation and many-body physics with hundreds of trapped ions

By employing forces that depend on the internal electronic state (or spin) of an atomic ion, the Coulomb potential energy of a trapped ion crystal can be modified in a spin-dependent way to mimic effective quantum spin Hamiltonians. We use simple models to explain how effective Ising interactions are engineered with trapped-ion crystals. We discuss the range of interactions that can be readily generated and an experimental implementation using single-plane ion crystals in a Penning trap.
Subdiffraction-resolution fluorescence microscopy reveals a domain of the centrosome critical for pericentriolar material organization

Centrosomes, the microtubule nucleation centre of most cells, consist of two centrioles surrounded by pericentriolar material (PCM). The PCM has been considered as amorphous but, using subdiffraction fluorescence microscopy approaches, Agard and colleagues now reveal the organized structure of the PCM of Drosophila centrosomes.
A pragmatic view of accuracy measurement in forecasting

Abstract Accuracy measurement in forecasting is always a subject of debate because of its importance. An adequate metric is necessary to properly select a forecasting method for a specific application. Competitions to determine the best method have helped the practitioner. The criteria for selection have not received as much attention. Of the two kinds of measurement statistics—relative and absolute—the former may present problems for the user if zeros or near zero values appear. This is more a practitioner problem because artificially generated time series do not usually have zeros. The relative and absolute measures are discussed and a solution for the existence of zeros in the data is given. If symmetry of the errors is a problem solutions are discussed. Managers will select the metric depending on the application and their management style. Once the metric has been selected the decision as to which forecasting method to select in a given situation becomes a less difficult problem.
Successful initiation of weight loss with fenfluramine and phentermine in a patient on hemodialysis

Abstract This case study highlights several issues in the care of obese patients with chronic renal failure who may be disqualified from kidney transplantation on the basis of being overweight. The elimination of fenfluramine, dexfenfluramine, and phentermine may be markedly delayed because of reduced glomerular filtration. In the event that these drugs are prescribed to patients on dialysis, guidelines for monitoring of therapeutic response and toxicity are provided.
Limitations of paternity testing calculations

A total of 252 black and white trios (mother, child, and putative father) in which the alleged father was known not to be the biological father (BF) were generated from paternity studies. The likelihood of paternity (W) and the paternity index (P) were calculated on the basis of ABO, Rh, MNS, and HLA phenotyping. The results were then reviewed to evaluate the arbitrary limits proposed by a number of states in recent paternity legislation. Two hundred forty-four of 252 non-fathers (NFs) (96.8%) were excluded. Of the 152 white NFs, 147 (96.7%) were excluded; 97 of the 100 blacks (97%) were excluded. Eight NFs could not be excluded by the routinely performed tests. The W value for those eight trios ranged from 1.2 to 98.8 percent. Based on limits proposed in legislation, had the NFs actually been alleged fathers, as many as four of the eight of these men could have had the burden of proving that they were not the BFs.
Testing an optimizing model of the current account via the consumption function

Abstract As the intertemporal allocation of consumption lies at the heart of the optimizing approach to current account determination, we assess the validity of this new view by testing an open economy consumption function. This method avoids some interpretation difficulties in previous studies. For the four countries examined, we generally could not reject the overidentifying restrictions imposed by the specification of our model. An extended version of the model does not find any clear evidence of substitution between private and public consumption. All our results are robust to two different measures of the external asset stock.
Understanding atrial fibrillation and new therapeutic advances to improve its management: introduction.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice, and it has become a major public health problem in the United States.[1][1] The prevalence of this age-related disorder is increasing because of the graying of the American population and improved survival in patients with