cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic Analysis Reveals a Role for the C Terminus of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae GTPase Snu114 During Spliceosome Activation

Snu114 is the only GTPase required for mRNA splicing. As a homolog of elongation factor G, it contains three domains (III–V) predicted to undergo a large rearrangement following GTP hydrolysis. To assess the functional importance of the domains of Snu114, we used random mutagenesis to create conditionally lethal alleles. We identified three main classes: (1) mutations that are predicted to affect GTP binding and hydrolysis, (2) mutations that are clustered in 10- to 20-amino-acid stretches in each of domains III–V, and (3) mutations that result in deletion of up to 70 amino acids from the C terminus. Representative mutations from each of these classes blocked the first step of splicing in vivo and in vitro. The growth defects caused by most alleles were synthetically exacerbated by mutations in PRP8, a U5 snRNP protein that physically interacts with Snu114, as well as in genes involved in snRNP biogenesis, including SAD1 and BRR1. The allele snu114-60, which truncates the C terminus, was synthetically lethal with factors required for activation of the spliceosome, including the DExD/H-box ATPases BRR2 and PRP28. We propose that GTP hydrolysis results in a rearrangement between Prp8 and the C terminus of Snu114 that leads to release of U1 and U4, thus activating the spliceosome for catalysis.
Expression of interleukin-8 in human metastatic endometrial carcinoma cells and its regulation by inflammatory cytokines.

In the present study, we analyzed the expression of a multifunctional cytokine, interleukin-8 (IL-8), in metastatic endometrial carcinoma cells. Our data demonstrate that human serous papillary endometrial adenocarcinoma (SPEC) and human endometrial adenocarcinoma (HEC) cells expressed steady-state IL-8-specific mRNA transcript and secreted IL-8 protein. The levels of IL-8 mRNA in SPEC-2 cells established from stage IV serous papillary adenocarcinoma were three-fold higher as compared to endometrial adenocarcinoma cells, HEC-1 A, established from stage IA endometrial cancer. Further, we observed higher levels of IL-8 mRNA and protein expression in the metastatic variants of SPEC-2 and HEC-1A cells as compared to the parent cell lines, demonstrating that IL-8 expression was associated with metastatic potential. Further, the treatment of endometrial carcinoma cells with inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), demonstrated that IL-1β and TNF-α induced IL-8 expression in endometrial cancer cells. IL-1β was a more potent inducer of IL-8 expression than TNF-α in our studies. These data demonstrate that constitutive and induced IL-8 expression in endometrial carcinoma cells might be an important regulatory mechanism of tumor growth and metastasis.
The H385N mutant of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase: kinetics, fluorescence, and nuclear magnetic resonance studies.

Abstract The site-directed mutagenesis of histidine-385 of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase is reported. The H385N mutant is compared with wild type by a number of methods. H385N was found to retain 6% activity. Kinetic parameters, including K m values for the natural substrates and K i and K d values for the inhibitor glyphosate, were found to be similar to wild type. Unlike wild-type enzyme, H385N EPSP synthase does not show accumulation of enzyme-bound product (EPSP) in the 13 C NMR spectrum under equilibrium conditions. These results suggest that this H385N mutant is less catalytically competent than the previously studied H385Q mutant and that the N ϵ H of histidine may be involved in hydrogen bonding to another residue involved in complexing the substrates/products.
Working Memory constrains Abstraction in schizophrenia

Abstract Background: Abstraction has long been considered an area of differential cognitive deficit in schizophrenia, primarily because of patients’ poor performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Yet, the complexity and multidimensional nature of the WCST increases the likelihood that several different cognitive processes, perhaps mediated by different neural systems, are being tapped. Methods: In the current study, the Abstraction and Working Memory (AIM) task was designed to disentangle abstraction and working memory so that the effects of each cognitive domain could be independently analyzed. The AIM task and a battery of neuropsychological tests were administered to 62 patients with schizophrenia and 62 matched healthy volunteers. Results: Whereas patients with schizophrenia demonstrated deficits in simple abstraction, they were disproportionately impaired with the addition of a minimal memory requirement. Conclusions: Group differences on WCST performance appear to be attributable to patients’ inability to maintain information over a short delay, before that information is used for more complex cognitive operations.
Diffraction of a plane pulse by a closed crack at the interface of elastic solids

Transient diffraction of a plane dilatational pulse is studied. The diffracting surface is a semi-infinite closed crack at the interface of two elastic solids of different material properties. The problem is solved by application of Laplace transform methods and the Wiener-Hopf technique. The inverse transforms are evaluated by means of Cagniard's method. The displacement potentials in each solid are obtained in the form of real integrals. For an incident dilatational impulse, closed form expressions are derived for the displacement field. For this case the displacements at the interface are shown in graphs, and they are compared with the corresponding displacements when the two solids are of equal material properties. Es wird die unstetige Beugung eines ebenen longitudinalen Impulses behandelt. Der Beugungsschirm ist ein halb-unendlicher geschlossener Schnitt an der Beruhrungsflache zweier elastischer Festkorper mit verschiedenen Materialeigenschaften. Das Problem wird durch Anwendung der Laplacetransformation und der Wiener-Hopf Methode gelost. Die Rucktransformation wird mit Hilfe der Methode von Cagniard ausgewertet. Die Verschiebungspotentiale werden durch reelle Integrale dargestellt. Fur einen einfallenden longitudinalen Impuls werden geschlossene Ausdrucke fur das Verschiebungsfeld abgeleitet. Fur diesen Fall werden die Verschiebungen an der Beruhrungsflache bildlich dargestellt und mit dem Spezialfall verglichen, wenn die beiden Korper gleiche Eigenschaften aufweisen.
Anisotropic Thermal Expansion of Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystals

Thermal expansion coefficients ([alpha][sub a] and [alpha][sub c]) in two crystallographic axes (a and c) of the tetragonal phase are measured at 25 - 1,200C in ZrO[sub 2]-M[sub 2]O[sub 3] (M = Sc, In, Yb) and in ZrO[sub 2]-YTaO[sub 4]. The difference between these two thermal expansion coefficients, [alpha][sub c] [minus] [alpha][sub a], decreases with M[sub 2]O[sub 3] or YTaO[sub 4] composition even though the tetragonality (c/a) behaves differently in these two systems. The locus of [alpha][sub c] = [alpha][sub a] represents a maximum tetragonality for the tetragonal phase, but not the phase boundary for the cubic phase. The relationships among thermal expansion, temperature, and composition are discussed.
Generation of Process Plans for Laser Chemical Vapor Deposition

Rapid Prototyping (RP) technology refers to the fabrication of an arbitrary three-dimensional part layer-by-layer. Laser Chemical Vapor Deposition (LCVD) is a promising RP and manufacturing process that deposits metals and ceramics by local heating of a substrate with a laser. Even though many LCVD process planning characteristics are shared with those of more common RP technologies, LCVD process planning requires new efforts due to its unique characteristics. Unlike a conventional RP technology that only builds horizontal planar layers, LCVD can build conformal layers (conform to nonplanar substrates), thin walls, and fibers (rod-shape) as build primitives. Based on these unique characteristics, we have developed the overall approach for LCVD process planning and developed several of the main methods in this approach. In this paper, we report on the overall approach, the conformal slicing algorithm, and two different 1D path generation algorithms. Two examples are presented to illustrate the application of the process planning methods.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Application of Three Dimensions of Vocational Interests to the Strong Interest Inventory

Abstract The present study evaluated whether three dimensions underlie responses to the Strong Interest Inventory (SII; Hansen & Campbell, 1985). A multidimensional scaling analysis was applied to the responses of college students (404 women and 244 men) to 110 occupational title items in the SII. The results supported a three-dimensional structure of vocational interests. In both the male and female samples the dimensions of Data/Ideas and People/Things emerged. The third dimension was interpreted as Sex-type. We discuss the implications of this conclusion for the use of the SII, especially how the third dimension may influence the interpretation of inventory results.
A parallel MSF algorithm for planar graphs on a mesh and applications to image processing

The author presents an efficient O(n) parallel algorithm for finding a minimum-cost spanning forest (MSF) of a weighted undirected planar graph with n/sup 2/ edges, on an n*n mesh-connected computer. He also obtains efficient MSF-based O(n) algorithms for several application problems in image processing. In particular, he shows that an MSF can be used to obtain more efficient and elegant O(n) algorithms for the 'k-width connectivity' problem and the 'optical clustering' problem. >
Effect of Thread and Bearing Friction Coefficients on the Vibration-Induced Loosening of Threaded Fasteners

This study provides a theoretical and experimental investigation of the effect of the thread and bearing friction coefficients on the self-loosening of threaded fasteners that are subjected to cyclic transverse loads. The friction coefficients are varied by using different types of coating and lubrication. A phosphate and oil coating and an olefin and moly-disulfide solid film lubricant are used on the bolts tested. A mathematical model is developed to evaluate the self-loosening behavior in threaded fasteners when subjected to cyclic transverse loads. An experimental procedure and test setup are proposed in order to collect real-time data on the loosening rate (rate of clamp load loss per cycle) as well as the rotational angle of the bolt head during its gradual loosening. The experimental values of the friction coefficients are used in the mathematical model to monitor their effect on the theoretical results for the loosening rate. Experimentally, the friction coefficients are modified by changing the coating or the lubrication applied to the fasteners. The theoretical and experimental results are presented and discussed.
Gamma-rays as probes for the multi-dimensionality of type Ia supernovae

Abstract We present γ-ray spectra for a set of Type Ia supernovae. Our study is based on a detailed Monte Carlo transport scheme for both spherical and full 3-D geometries. Classical and new challenges of the γ-ray astronomy are addressed. We find that γ-rays are very suitable to reveal the structure of the envelope and, thus, they allow to probe properties of the nuclear burning front and the progenitor, namely its central density and global asphericities. The potential problems are discussed for the quantitative comparison between theoretical and observed line fluxes during the first few months after the explosion.
Engineering Exchange Interaction in Coupled Elongated Quantum Dots

Coupled elongated quantum dots containing up to two electrons are studied with a model potential in magnetic fields. Single and two particle Schrodinger equations are solved using numerical exact diagonolization to obtain the exchange energy and chemical potentials. Special emphasis is placed on the variation of the exchange interaction between the two electrons as the dot shape is modified. As the aspect ratio between the directions perpendicular and parallel to the coupling direction of the double dots increases, the exchange energy at zero magnetic field increases, while the magnetic field at the singlet-triplet transition decreases. By investigating the charge stability diagram, we obtain the inter-dot coupling strength for various configurations. We also show the onset of electron localization into one dot due to inter-dot detuning and increasing magnetic fields.
The past achievements and future promises of developmental psychopathology: the coming of age of a discipline

Over the past decades, developmental psychopathology has coalesced into a discipline that has made significant contributions toward the understanding of risk, psychopathology, and resilience in individuals across the life course. The overarching goal of the discipline has been to elucidate the interplay among biological, psychological, and social-contextual aspects of normal and abnormal development. In addition to directing efforts toward bridging fields of study and aiding in elucidating important truths about the processes underlying adaptation and maladaptation, investigators in developmental psychopathology have been equally devoted to developing and evaluating methods for preventing and ameliorating maladaptive and psychopathological outcomes. Increasingly, efforts are being made to conduct investigations at multiple levels of analysis and to translate basic research knowledge into real-world contexts. In this article, the contributions, challenges, and future directions of the field are highlighted.
The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism

If someone abstains from meat-eating for reasons of taste or personal economics, no moral or philosophical question arises. But when a vegetarian attempts to persuade others that they, too, should adopt his diet, then what he says requires philosophical attention. While a vegetarian might argue in any number of ways, this essay will be concerned only with the argument for a vegetarian diet resting on a moral objection to the rearing and killing of animals for the human table. The vegetarian, in this laense, does not merely require us to change or justify our eating habits, but to reconsider our attitudes and behaviour towards members of other species across a wide range of practices.
Wind-Driven Rivulet Breakoff and Droplet Flows in Microgravity and Terrestrial-Gravity Conditions

A study is reported of the wind-driven breakoff of rivulets and subsequent droplet flows on a horizontal plate subject to different normal gravitational states, ranging from zero-to terrestrial-gravity conditions (I g), and including some data for partial gravity conditions (between 0.1 g and 0.38 g). The study entailed experiments conducted in the authors' laboratory at the University of Iowa and onboard the NASA KC-135, parabolic-flight aircraft. The wind-driven rivulets exhibited a breakoff phenomenon over a broad range of flow rates, in which a head at the tip of the rivulet broke off periodically to form a droplet that advected down the plate. The rivulet breakoff phenomena was sensitive to the normal gravitational force acting on the plate
Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms and Externalizing Behaviors across Adolescence: Associations with Histories of Suicide Attempt and Ideation in Early Adulthood.

We examined associations between adolescent problem trajectories and suicide risk outcomes in 361 community participants. Depressive symptoms (self-report) and externalizing behaviors (parent report) were assessed six times from grades 5 to 10. Parallel process linear growth curves indicated that lifetime suicide attempt history assessed to age 25 was associated with higher intercept (grade 5) and slope (increases from grades 5 to 10) of depressive symptoms and higher slope of externalizing behaviors. Both problem intercepts predicted suicidal ideation at ages 18 to 25 years. Adolescent depressive and externalizing symptom trajectories showed independent associations with suicide risk. Preventive intervention that occurs prior to the developmental period in which suicidal thoughts and behaviors show peak prevalence is expected to prevent suicide.
Role of the urologist in metastatic testicular cancer.

Testicular cancer is the quintessential disease for a multidisciplinary approach. Skilled radiologic assessment and pathologic diagnosis are necessary before initiation of any therapeutic strategy. Therapeutically, there are three excellent options for clinical stage I nonseminomatous disease: surveillance; retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND), usually nerve sparing; and primary chemotherapy. Stage II disease, with normal postorchiectomy tumor markers (serum human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein) and a less than 3-cm maximal dimension of a nodal metastasis, is usually managed with RPLND. The cure rate for node-positive testis cancer with surgery alone is higher than with surgical treatment of nodal metastases from any other type of cancer. Other stage II, and all stage III, patients are treated initially withcisplatin-basedcombinationchemotherapy.Thereareclearly patients who would be incurable with chemotherapy or surgery alone, but who are cured with chemotherapy followed by RPLND or thoracotomy. The very experienced investigators from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC; New York, NY) report on 210 such patients in this issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. 1 All patients received chemotherapy followed by postchemotherapyRPLNDforresectionofteratoma.Thisgroupof210 teratoma patients was obtained from a larger group of 532 men who underwent postchemotherapy (PC) RPLND at MSKCC from 1989 to 2003. The presence of teratoma in the orchiectomy specimen is a strong determinant of teratoma in a persistent PC retroperitoneal nodalmass.InaretrospectivereviewfromIndianaUniversityfrom 1987 to 2000, 644 patients were identified who had been treated with induction chemotherapy and PC RPLND. Three hundred seventy-five (58.2%) of 644 had teratomas in the orchiectomy specimen. Of those 375 patients, 321 (85.6%) had teratomas in the PC RPLND. In contrast, of the 269 patients without teratomas in the orchiectomy specimen, 130 patients (48%) had teratomas in the PC RPLND specimen. 2 One hundred eleven of these 375 patientshadPCretroperitonealmasses10cmorlargeronabdominal
The Consortium on the Genetics of Schizophrenia: Neurocognitive Endophenotypes

The Consortium on the Genetics of Schizophrenia (COGS) is a 7-site collaboration that examines the genetic architecture of quantitative endophenotypes in families with schizophrenia. Here we review the background and rationale for selecting neurocognitive tasks as endophenotypic measures in genetic studies. Criteria are outlined for the potential of measures as endophenotypic vulnerability markers. These include association with illness, state independence (ie, adequate test-retest stability, adequate between-site reliability, impairments in patients not due to medications, impairments observed regardless of illness state), heritability, findings of higher rates in relatives of probands than in the general population, and cosegregation within families. The COGS required that, in addition, the measures be “neurocognitive” and thus linked to neurobiology and that they be feasible in multisite studies. The COGS neurocognitive assessment includes measures of attention, verbal memory, working memory, and a computerized neurocognitive battery that also includes facial processing tasks. Here we describe data demonstrating that these neurobehavioral measures meet criteria for endophenotypic candidacy. We conclude that quantitative neurocognitive endophenotypes need further evidence for efficacy in identifying genetic effects but have the potential of providing unprecedented insight into gene-environment interaction related to dimensions of brain and behavior in health and disease.
Ultrathin Films of NiO on MgO(100): Studies of the Oxide-Oxide Interface

A NiO-MgO layered, binary thin oxide film has been prepared on a Mo(100) surface and characterized by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS or EELS). NiO grows epitaxially on a 20-monolayer (ML) Mgo(100) film supported on the Mo(100) surface. At a NiO coverage of 15 ML) is thermally stable up to 1000 K, whereas interdiffusion of NiO with MgO occurs at the NiO/MgO interface at a considerably lower temperature ( <600 K).
Aggregation Status and Cue Type Modify Tadpole Response to Chemical Cues

Abstract Many anuran larvae exhibit an antipredator response to chemical cues released by potential predators. The genus Bufo is no exception, as many bufonids exhibit an antipredator response (e.g., reduction in activity) to the presence (recent and current) of predators. Using a mesocosm experiment in a field laboratory setting, we tested solo and groups of Bufo (Incilius) nebulifer tadpoles for an antipredator response to chemical cues produced by 1) the presence of anisopteran nymphs (kairomone cue) and 2) the predation of conspecifics by anisopteran nymphs (a combination of diet and alarm cues, which we termed predation cue). We quantified the magnitude of the response by calculating response strength. We analyzed data with a blocked ANOVA followed by a Tukey's honestly significant difference analysis. We found that chemical cue type (kairomone vs. predation) affected response strength, but aggregation status (solo vs. group) did not. Furthermore, solo tadpoles and groups of tadpoles reduced their ac...
Enzyme-Responsive Nanomaterials for Controlled Drug Delivery

Enzymes underpin physiological function and exhibit dysregulation in many disease-associated microenvironments and aberrant cell processes. Exploiting altered enzyme activity and expression for diagnostics, drug targeting, and drug release is tremendously promising. When combined with booming research in nanobiotechnology, enzyme-responsive nanomaterials used for controlled drug release have achieved significant development and have been studied as an important class of drug delivery strategies in nanomedicine. In this review, we describe enzymes such as proteases, phospholipases and oxidoreductases that serve as delivery triggers. Subsequently, we explore recently developed enzyme-responsive nanomaterials with versatile applications for extracellular and intracellular drug delivery. We conclude by discussing future opportunities and challenges in this area.
Testing a simple field method for assessing nitrate removal in riparian zones

Being able to identify riparian sites that function better for nitrate removal from groundwater is critical to using efficiently the riparian zones for water quality management. For this purpose, managers need a method that is quick, inexpensive, and accurate enough to enable effective management decisions. This study assesses the precision and accuracy of a simple method using three ground water wells and one measurement date for determining nitrate removal characteristics of riparian buffer zones. The method is a scaled-down version of a complex field research method that consists of a large network of wells and piezometers monitored monthly for over two years. Results using the simplified method were compared to those from the reference research method on a date-by-date basis on eight sites covering a wide range of hydrogeomorphic settings. The accuracy of the three-well, 1 day measurement method was relatively good for assessing nitrate concentration depletion across riparian zones, but poor for assessing the distance necessary to achieve a 90% nitrate removal and for estimating water and nitrate fluxes compared to the reference method. The simplified three-well method provides relatively better estimates of water and nitrate fluxes on sites where ground-water flow is parallel to the water table through homogeneous aquifer material, but such conditions may not be geographically widespread. Despite limited overall accuracy, some parameters that are estimated using the simplified method may be useful to water resource managers. Nitrate depletion information may be used to assess the adequacy of existing buffers to achieve nitrate concentration goals for runoff. Estimates of field nitrate runoff and buffer removal fluxes may be adequate for prioritizing management toward sites where riparian buffers are likely to have greater impact on stream water quality.
Projectile Fin Damage from Propellant Combustion

Thermal ablation of anodized (hard coated) aluminum fins on high-velocity , gun-launched kinetic energy penetrators is a serious problem at long ranges. It degrades flight performance by reducing stability and roll. Additionally, uneven ablation creates aerodynamic asymmetries that further increase projectile dispersion. The problem is known to begin in-bore. A fin-testing procedure is used to create in-bore heating conditions similar to those of a normal launch, without actually launching the fin. Postfired examination of the fins is then used to ascertain the fin damage mechanism for the nonlaunched fins as well as to infer the fin damage mechanism for normally launched fins. A two-phase flow interior ballistic code is also used to model the fin temperature profile for both the nonlaunch and the normal launch configuration. Qualitative comparison is made between the effects expected from modeling and those actually observed. Experimentally, the nonlaunched fins sustained mostly leading-edge damage, entailing loss of hard coat followed by the uneven downstream ablation. Modeling appears to underpredict the observed effects, but this is thought to be a consequence of neglecting, a priori, the possibility of rapid fin surface oxidation (burning). Nomenclature H = q82/l2, solution to the given heat conduction equation h = heat transfer coefficient ^con = convective film coefficient /irad = radiative film coefficient k = thermal conductivity of fin material
Power supply noise aware workload assignment for multi-core systems

As the industry moves from single- to multi-core processors, the challenges of how to reliably design and analyze power delivery for such systems also arise. We study various workload assignments to cores and their impact on the global power grid noise. We develop metrics to estimate the amount of noise propagated from core to core and propose a power supply noise aware workload assignment method. In our experiments, we show that performance loss can be significant if workload assignment is not properly made.
Dislocations, twins, and grain boundaries in CVD diamond thin films: Atomic structure and properties

We have used transmission electron microscopy techniques to study the nature of dislocations, stacking faults, twins, and grain boundaries in CVD (chemical-vapor-deposition) diamond thin films. Perfect a/2〈110〉 and partial a/6〈112〉 and a/3〈111〉 type dislocations are observed; the partial dislocations are also associated with twins and stacking faults. The most common defect in diamond thin films, particularly in 〈110〉 textured films, is Σ = 3 grain boundary or the primary twin. These twins in 〈110〉 textured films can lead to formation of fivefold microcrystallites. We have also investigated the splitting of Σ = 9 grain boundary (second order twin) into two Σ = 3 boundaries or primary twins via reaction Σ9 = 2Σ3. A rapid thermal annealing treatment has been shown to result in annealing of Σ = 3 boundaries and produce “defect-free” regions in thin films. A mechanism of annealing (removal) of Σ = 3 boundaries is discussed. Atomic structure and energetics of dislocations, twins, and grain boundaries are calculated using Tersoff potentials. The calculated atomic structure for Σ = 3 boundary is compared with high-resolution TEM images and a good agreement is obtained. These boundaries consist of periodic units of 5–7 rings which are similar to the core structure of 90° a/2〈110〉{001} dislocations. The energy of the 5–7 rings in the grain boundaries is considerably lower, due to overlapping and strain cancellation effects, than that associated with single dislocations. The 5–7 ring energy and consequently the boundary energy increases as the overlapping effects decrease. An interesting analogy between the diamond and silicon results is drawn.
Simulation of Life Testing Procedures for Estimating Long-Term Degradation and Lifetime of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

Finite element 3-D thermal simulations of long-term degradation in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs for high-power applications are reported on, in which temperature evolves over time as the local degradation rate varies within the modeled device based on the local temperature of the degrading region (i.e., the channel). Specifically, hotter regions within a device are modeled as degrading faster due to a thermal component to the degradation rate equation. This allows self-consistent simulation of life testing, commonly used to estimate long-term reliability by extrapolating failure times seen at elevated channel temperatures to a lower "use" temperature. We find that it is necessary to consider the entire distribution of temperatures within the device instead of at one characteristic location to get the most accurate estimates for long-term device life. The effect of device geometry, assumed degradation mode, incorrect thermal resistance data, and dissipated power level on this lifetime estimation error is investigated. It is found that the error in the extrapolated failure time is greatly increased when both the thermal resistance is in error and the dissipated power of the life test does not match the expected power during operation, compared to when only one of these is off.
Microgeographical diversification of threespine stickleback: body shape-habitat correlations in a small, ecologically diverse Alaskan drainage

Adaptive radiations are a major source of evolutionary diversity in nature, and understanding how they originate and how organisms diversify during the early stages of adaptive radiation is a major problem in evolutionary biology. The relationship between habitat type and body shape variation was investigated in a postglacial radiation of threespine stickleback in the upper Fish Creek drainage of Cook Inlet, Alaska. Although small, the upper Fish Creek drainage includes ecologically diverse lakes and streams in close proximity to one another that harbour abundant stickleback. Specimens from ancestral anadromous and derived resident freshwater populations differed substantially and could be distinguished by body shape alone, suggesting that the initial stages of adaptation contribute disproportionately to evolutionary divergence. Body shape divergence among resident freshwater populations was also considerable, and phenotypic distances among samples from freshwater populations were associated with habitat type but not geographical distance. As expected, stream stickleback from slow-moving, structurally complex environments tended to have the deepest bodies, stickleback from lakes with a mostly benthic habitat were similar but less extreme, and stickleback from lakes with a mostly limnetic habitat were the most shallow-bodied, elongate fish. Beyond adapting rapidly to conditions in freshwater environments, stickleback can diversify rapidly over small geographical scales in freshwater systems despite opportunities for gene flow. This study highlights the importance of ecological heterogeneity over small geographical scales for evolutionary diversification during the early stages of adaptive radiation, and lays the foundation for future research on this ecologically diverse, postglacial system. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 98, 139‐151.
Microbial metabolism of pyridine, quinoline, acridine, and their derivatives under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Our review of the metabolic pathways of pyridines and aza-arenes showed that biodegradation of heterocyclic aromatic compounds occurs under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Depending upon the environmental conditions, different types of bacteria, fungi, and enzymes are involved in the degradation process of these compounds. Our review indicated that different organisms are using different pathways to biotransform a substrate. Our review also showed that the transformation rate of the pyridine derivatives is dependent on the substituents. For example, pyridine carboxylic acids have the highest transformation rate followed by mono-hydroxypyridines, methylpyridines, aminopyridines, and halogenated pyridines. Through the isolation of metabolites, it was possible to demonstrate the mineralization pathway of various heterocyclic aromatic compounds. By using 14C-labeled substrates, it was possible to show that ring fission of a specific heterocyclic compound occurs at a specific position of the ring. Furthermore, many researchers have been able to isolate and characterize the microorganisms or even the enzymes involved in the transformation of these compounds or their derivatives. In studies involving 18O labeling as well as the use of cofactors and coenzymes, it was possible to prove that specific enzymes (e.g., mono- or dioxygenases) are involved in a particular degradation step. By using H2 18O, it could be shown that in certain transformation reactions, the oxygen was derived from water and that therefore these reactions might also occur under anaerobic conditions.
Surface reconstruction from photometric stereo images

In previous research (Tech. Rep. 172, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif., 1991) we developed an iterative shape-from-shading (SFS) algorithm that uses a single image, by combining a triangular-element surface model with a linearized reflectance map. In the current research we generalize the single-image SFS algorithm to the photometric stereo SFS algorithm, which uses multiple images taken under different lighting condition for more-accurate surface reconstruction. An explicit surface model based on nodal basis-function representation is used so that the integrability problem that arises in conventional photometric stereo SFS algorithms can be solved easily. It is also shown that single-image SFS algorithms have an inherent problem; i.e., the accuracy of the reconstructed surface height is related to the slope of the reflectance-map function defined on the gradient space. The accuracy can be greatly improved by combining two photometric images properly, and the optimal illumination condition that leads to the best shape reconstruction is examined. Simulation results for several test images are given to demonstrate the performance of our new algorithm.
Binding of Lanthanides and Actinides by Polyelectrolytes

The complexation of lanthanide and actinide cations by polyelectrolyte ligands is reported. A synthetic carboxylic acid resin, BioRex-70, and a natural polyelectrolyte, humic acid, were studied. A tracer method was used to avoid perturbation of the polyelectrolyte structure by metal loading. The binding constants for the metal-polyelectrolyte interaction are a function of the degree of ionization of the polyelectrolyte. Comparison of the analogous monomer ligand complexes show a considerable ‘polyelectrolyte enhancement’ which is discussed in relation to the enthalpy and entropy of complexation.
Political ecologies of resource extraction: Agendas pendientes

Research related to extractive industries has grown significantly over the last decade. As the commodities boom appears to be winding down, this essay outlines areas for potential future research. Emphasis is placed on the need for research on: the relationships among extractivism, climate change and societal transitions; the aggregate effects of the commodity boom on the environment, on societal structures, on elite formation and on cultural politics; the implications of resource extraction on the couplings of space and power at different scales and with particular reference to the Colombian peace process; and the gendered and generation dimensions of the effects of extractivism on rights and citizenship. The paper calls for on-going collaborations among scholars and activists, for greater collaboration among social and bio-physical scientists, for comparative analysis with regions beyond Latin America and for innovative ways of bridging research and the public sphere. Resumen: Ecologias politicas de la extraccion de recursos: Agendas pendientes Las investigaciones relacionadas con las industrias extractivas han aumentado considerablemente durante la ultima decada. Como el boom de las materias primas esta tocando su fin, este ensayo senala areas que se prestan a posibles investigaciones en el futuro. Se pone el enfasis en la necesidad de investigar: las relaciones entre el extractivismo, el cambio climatico y las transiciones sociales; los efectos agregados del boom de las materias primas en el medio ambiente, en las estructuras sociales, en la formacion de elites y en las politicas culturales; las implicaciones de la extraccion de recursos en las relaciones entre espacio y poder a distintas escalas y refiriendose especialmente al proceso de paz colombiano; y las dimensiones generizadas y generacionales de los efectos del extractivismo en los derechos y en la ciudadania. Este articulo hace un llamamiento a colaboraciones continuadas entre investigadores y activistas, una mayor colaboracion entre cientificos sociales y biofisicos, un analisis comparativo con regiones mas alla de Latinoamerica y maneras innovadoras de tender puentes entre la investigacion y la esfera publica.
MyD88 Mediates Instructive Signaling in Dendritic Cells and Protective Inflammatory Response during Rickettsial Infection

Spotted fever group rickettsiae cause potentially life-threatening infections throughout the world. Several members of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family are involved in host response to rickettsiae, and yet the mechanisms by which these TLRs mediate host immunity remain incompletely understood. In the present study, we found that host susceptibility of MyD88(-/-)mice to infection with Rickettsia conorii or Rickettsia australis was significantly greater than in wild-type (WT) mice, in association with severely impaired bacterial clearance in vivo R. australis-infected MyD88(-/-)mice showed significantly lower expression levels of gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β, accompanied by significantly fewer inflammatory infiltrates of macrophages and neutrophils in infected tissues, than WT mice. The serum levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-6, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor were significantly reduced, while monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, macrophage inflammatory protein 1α, and RANTES were significantly increased in infected MyD88(-/-)mice compared to WT mice. Strikingly, R. australis infection was incapable of promoting increased expression of MHC-II(high)and production of IL-12p40 in MyD88(-/-)bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) compared to WT BMDCs, although costimulatory molecules were upregulated in both types of BMDCs. Furthermore, the secretion levels of IL-1β by Rickettsia-infected BMDCs and in the sera of infected mice were significantly reduced in MyD88(-/-)mice compared to WT controls, suggesting that in vitro and in vivo production of IL-1β is MyD88 dependent. Taken together, our results suggest that MyD88 signaling mediates instructive signals in DCs and secretion of IL-1β and type 1 immune cytokines, which may account for the protective inflammatory response during rickettsial infection.
Creativity: Who, How, Where?

Human creativity is both individual and collective. As symbols, signs, brands, and other intangibles grow in importance, the search for creativity and how to manage it has increased in importance. Organizations such as corporations and research institutions try to enhance and manage the collective creativity of their employees, but creativity remains to a large degree both unpredictable and unmanageable. The location of creativity is mainly urban, as people interact within cities to generate creative places and urban creative scenes. Just as creativity cannot be managed completely, it cannot be fully planned.
Technic of repeated partial hepatectomy in the rat.

SummaryDetails of a technic for repeated partial hepatectomy in the rat are presented. Up to 80% of the liver can be excised and aspirated at the first stage. Any one of the 3 principal lobes (right or left lateral or the median) will supported life after removal of all other remaining hepatic tissue. The caudate lobe will not support life if all other parts of liver are removed at the first stage. Following the restoration of liver additional partial removal of liver can be done by excision at the second and third stages. At all later stages the method of removing liver is that of aspiration. Careful attention to prevention of hypoglycemia, hemorrhage and infection insures uniform success of the procedure.
Contribution of Antarctica to past and future sea-level rise

Polar temperatures over the last several million years have, at times, been slightly warmer than today, yet global mean sea level has been 6-9 metres higher as recently as the Last Interglacial (130,000 to 115,000 years ago) and possibly higher during the Pliocene epoch (about three million years ago). In both cases the Antarctic ice sheet has been implicated as the primary contributor, hinting at its future vulnerability. Here we use a model coupling ice sheet and climate dynamics-including previously underappreciated processes linking atmospheric warming with hydrofracturing of buttressing ice shelves and structural collapse of marine-terminating ice cliffs-that is calibrated against Pliocene and Last Interglacial sea-level estimates and applied to future greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Antarctica has the potential to contribute more than a metre of sea-level rise by 2100 and more than 15 metres by 2500, if emissions continue unabated. In this case atmospheric warming will soon become the dominant driver of ice loss, but prolonged ocean warming will delay its recovery for thousands of years.
A Framework for Scalable Cognition

The human brain is still the most competent problem solving system we know. However, as a biological construct, it is impossible to expand because of many developmental constraints such as its confinement to the cranium. How can we create a general problem solving system inspired by the brain but not so constrained? In functional terms, how can we scale up cognition? We introduce a framework for scalable cognition, where complex cognitive functions emerge from coordinated coalitions of simple cognitive agents. This is a step towards the Global Brain, a scalable intelligent system with the potential ability to tackle planetary level challenges and beyond.
Stuck in the Middle With You: The Intimate Labours of Mobility and Smuggling along Mexico’s Migrant Route

ABSTRACTThis paper examines some of the intimate, embodied and affective dimensions of mobility for unauthorised Central American migrants in Mexico. While in transit, migrants become implicated within the violence of local and transnational economies of smuggling, organised crime, kidnapping and securitisation. At the same time, migrants engage intimate economies of exchange, kinship and care as they negotiate their movements and their lives. Bringing together ethnographic research and transnational feminist scholarship, this paper reconceptualises human smuggling as a form of intimate labour along migrant routes. I pay particular attention to the ways human smuggling becomes a point of closeness and intimate exchange as migrants and their smugglers strategically re-imagine the borders of kinship. While the types of social relations forged along the journey may defy traditional understandings of smuggling as inherently exploitative, I also examine how such arrangements contribute to new forms of inequali...
Prognosis of Cryptogenic Partial Seizures

Factors that influence the prognosis of cryptogenic partial seizures were determined in 233 patients (136 male, 97 female) followed at the outpatient clinic of Shanghai Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai, China.
The Rhetoric of Atonement

This book has stated many times that the priestly writers of Leviticus give virtually no interpretations of the rituals they describe and prescribe. There is, however, an exception to this generalization. The P writers offer one explanation, or rather one word of explanation, rather frequently. That word is kipper , and it appears forty-nine times in Leviticus. It has traditionally been translated “to atone” and its prominence in P has led many ancient and modern interpreters to expound on P's theology of atonement. Any analysis of P's rhetoric would therefore be incomplete without attention to the meaning and uses of this word. Usage in context must play the key role in any rhetorical analysis of kipper in Leviticus. Does this one word explain the meaning of the offerings? Is that its purpose, or does it play other rhetorical roles? The meaning of Kipper Modern scholars have argued extensively about kipper's meaning. Older scholarship derived it from an Arabic cognate with the basic meaning “to cover.” Though translators have applied that meaning literally in some cases (such as Noah's “covering” the ark with pitch, Gen 6:14), they found in P a metaphorical usage referring to “covering” sins and impurities, hence “atone.” The derivation from Arabic “cover,” however, has been discredited over the last few decades in favor of one from an Akkadian cognate term meaning “to wipe off.”
Reforming Paragraph 175

The Adenauer era officially came to an end on October 16, 1963 when Adenauer was pressured to resign. His reputation had been tarnished during the last years of his office by his weak reaction to the building of the Berlin Wall, the infamous Spiegel Affair that raised the issue of state censorship once again, and growing diplomatic problems created by his unwillingness to officially recognize East Germany. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU)-led coalition stayed in power, but now under the leadership of Ludwig Erhard, the new Chancellor of West Germany. Erhard would steer his party successfully through the election year of 1965, winning just short of 50 percent of the votes, but across the country there was mounting evidence that the social and political situation was rapidly changing.1
Peripheral Vision in Dyslexics

Scientists from the Research Laboratory of Electronics and the Departments of Biology, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science at M.I.T. Cambridge, Mass. have collaborated in an investigation of the peripheral and foveal (central) vision of 5 dyslexic adult subjects compared to 5 normal readers.
Introduction to the MGH Handbook of Behavioral Medicine

Over the last few decades, a large body of research has clearly demonstrated that the traditional disease-focused, biomedical approach to illness management is less effective than a biopsychosocial, evidence-based, patient-centered approach. The utility of this more comprehensive approach has been evident for both a variety of chronic illnesses and, more recently, acute medical conditions. In contrast to the traditional biomedical model of illness, which typically reduces illness to a pathophysiologic disease process, a biopsychosocial approach accounts for the complex interaction among biologic, psychological, social, and behavioral factors [1].