cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Properties of extrachromosomal covalently closed circular DNA isolated and cloned from aged human fibroblasts

Extrachromosomal molecules of covalently closed cirular DNA (cccDNAs) were isolated from human fibroblasts near the end of their in vitro replicative lifespan and cloned into plasmid pBR322. Uncloned cccDNAs varied from several hundred to several thousand base pairs in size and contained a higher proportion of sequences homologous to the interspersed repetitive sequences AluI (SINES) and Kpnl (LINES), than to human alphoid and satellite III sequences that are tandemly repeated in the genome. After molecular cloning into pBR322, cccDNA inserts also showed a 3 to 4 fold over-representation of sequences homologous to Kpnl. There was also a strong age-dependent decline in the number of fibroblast RNA transcripts homologous to one of the cccDNAs containing a Kpnl sequence. The average size of cloned fibroblast cccDNAs was 2.52 kilobase pairs (Kbp) which is several fold larger than that reported for permanent mammalian cell lines. This may reflect fundamental differences in the mechanisms of generation of cccDNAs between mortal and immortal cells.
Physiological Responses of Three Species of Antarctic Mixotrophic Phytoflagellates to Changes in Light and Dissolved Nutrients

Antarctic phototrophs are challenged by extreme temperatures, ice cover, nutrient limitation, and prolonged periods of darkness. Yet this environment may also provide niche opportunities for phytoplankton utilizing alternative nutritional modes. Mixotrophy, the combination of photosynthesis and particle ingestion, has been proposed as a mechanism for some phytoplankton to contend with the adverse conditions of the Antarctic. We conducted feeding experiments using fluorescent bacteria-sized tracers to compare the effects of light and nutrients on bacterivory rates in three Antarctic marine photosynthetic nanoflagellates representing two evolutionary lineages: Cryptophyceae (Geminigera cryophila) and Prasinophyceae (Pyramimonas tychotreta and Mantoniella antarctica). Only G. cryophila had previously been identified as mixotrophic. We also measured photoautotrophic abilities over a range of light intensities (P vs. I) and used dark survival experiments to assess cell population dynamics in the absence of light. Feeding behavior in these three nanoflagellates was affected by either light, nutrient levels, or a combination of both factors in a species-specific manner that was not conserved by evolutionary lineage. The different responses to environmental factors by these mixotrophs supported the idea of tradeoffs in the use of phagotrophy and phototrophy for growth.
The head genes of bacteriophage 21

Physical and genetic maps of the head genes of lambdoid phage 21 have been made and compared with the head gene map of lambda. Because 21 and lambda have partial sequence homology throughout the head genes it was expected that the head genes of 21 would be analogous to those of lambda. Eight head genes of 21 have been identified and it was found that each of the genes is analogous in position, structure, and/or function to a lambda head gene. Phage 21 genes analogous to the lambda D and FI genes were not identified by mutation. Complementation studies between phage 21 and lambda mutants indicate that only gpFII (the protein product of a gene is referred to as gp (gene product] is fully interchangeable, gpW and gpD are partially interchangeable, and the rest of the head morphogenetic proteins are phage specific. In analogy with phage lambda, it is found that the gpNu3 analog (gp6) of phage 21 is synthesized from the same reading frame as the gpC analog (gp5), resulting in a protein identical to the carboxy terminus of gp5.
Dynamics of Estrogen Receptor Turnover in Uterine Cells in Vitro and in Uteri in Vivo

The rate at which the estrogen receptor (ER) is synthesized and degraded (turns over) in target cells is a major factor regulating the levels of ER and cell sensitivity to estrogen. We have used the ability of tamoxifen aziridine [(TAZ)(Z)-l-[4-(2-[N-aziridinyl]ethoxy)phenyl]1,2-diphenyl-l-butene] to affinity label the ER in intact cells to study the dynamics of ER turnover in uterine cells in vitro and in intact rat uteri in vivo. In primary cultures of rat uterine cells (from 21-day-old rats), ER is degraded with a half-life of 3–4 h, as determined by pulse-chase experiments in which ER in cells are covalently labeled with [3H]TAZ (20 nm) and then exposed to a chase of 10−6 m estradiol. Density shift experiments, in which uterine cells are exposed for different time periods to medium containing dense (15N,13C,2H) amino acids and the shift of receptor from a normal density to a more dense species is analyzed on sucrose gradients, also confirm this rapid turnover for the uterine ER. A similar half-life is...
Toward Understanding Economic and Ecological Outcomes of Selection Silviculture of Northern Hardwoods in New England

Single-tree and small-group selection silviculture are widely used uneven-age management regimes in the northeastern United States to create structural diversity and provide high quality timber. However, analysis of long-term performance of these systems is uncommon, largely due to limited access to long-term data sets in the region. The Bartlett Experimental Forest, one of the few permanent experimental research sites in the region, offers a rare opportunity to investigate effects of management practices over 60 yr. Modern forestry seeks both economic and ecological goals, and typically entails harvesting to promote growth and regeneration of commercially valuable trees while creating structural and biological diversity. Comparatively little attention has been given to whether silvicultural treatments can sustainably achieve these goals over many harvests and rotations. We examined two selection silviculture techniques and an unmanaged site in New Hampshire to assess tree quality changes by comparing tre...
MRCQuant- an accurate LC-MS relative isotopic quantification algorithm on TOF instruments

Background Relative isotope abundance quantification, which can be used for peptide identification and differential peptide quantification, plays an important role in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based proteomics. However, several major issues exist in the relative isotopic quantification of peptides on time-of-flight (TOF) instruments: LC peak boundary detection, thermal noise suppression, interference removal and mass drift correction. We propose to use the Maximum Ratio Combining (MRC) method to extract MS signal templates for interference detection/removal and LC peak boundary detection. In our method, MRCQuant, MS templates are extracted directly from experimental values, and the mass drift in each LC-MS run is automatically captured and compensated. We compared the quantification accuracy of MRCQuant to that of another representative LC-MS quantification algorithm (msInspect) using datasets downloaded from a public data repository.
A novel MHC class II epitope expressed in thymic medulla but not cortex

THE repertoire of receptors expressed by peripheral T cells is the result of two selective events that occur during intrathymic development. Positive selection expands cells able to recognize foreign peptides presented by self MHC molecules, and negative selection eliminates cells reactive to self MHC molecules and associated self peptides1–4. Chimaera studies suggest that, at least in the case of T cells recognizing MHC class II, interaction with thymic cortical epithelial cells is responsible for the former5, whereas thymic medullary cells, of bone marrow origin, mediate the latter3, 6–8. This view of thymic development is supported by recent morphometric analyses9, showing that autoreactive cells are found in thymic cortex but not medulla. Although numerous1–3, 10–12 studies have shown that MHC class II molecules are expressed in both sites, none provides any explanation for the differential selection of T cells that is observed. Here, we describe a novel MHC class II epitope which is found on cells in thymic medulla but not cortex. The antibody to this epitope reacts with about 10% of class II molecules on B cells and may be recognizing a self peptide–MHC complex. These results provide the first evidence for differential expression of class II epitopes in different tissues and are compatible with the hypothesis that different ligands2, 13–16, rather than different affinity thresholds for the same ligand17, 18, are involved in positive and negative selection of the T-cell repertoire.
Vibration—Rotation Interaction in Symmetric‐Top Molecules and the Splitting between A1 and A2 Levels

The main purpose of this paper is to reformulate the theory of vibration—rotation interaction in symmetric‐top molecules in a way which is more accessible to practicing spectroscopists than the current contact transformation formalism. Also it is pointed out that the many accurately measured l‐type doubling constants can provide information on the cubic as well as the quadratic potential constants. In Sec. I, analytical expressions for the splitting between the A1 and the A2 rovibrational states are derived starting from the Wilson—Howard equation. Although the result agrees with Grenier—Besson's formula, the method of derivation is new in the following three points: (1) The scheme of orders of magnitude of the terms appearing in the rovibrational Hamiltonian has been made in a definite way. (2) Symmetry considerations and the relations between various rovibrational constants have been fully used in the derivation. (3) The standard perturbation method is used instead of the contact transformation. In orde...
The effects of cysteamine on thyrotropin and immunoreactive beta-endorphin secretion in the rat

We examined the effects of the thiol agent cysteamine (CSH), which is known to deplete the hypothalamus of immunoreactive somatostatin, on physiological TSH and beta- endorphin secretion in the adult male rat. CSH at doses of 90 and 300 mg/kg CSH produced a rapid decline in plasma TSH, whereas a dose of 30 mg/kg did not alter plasma TSH levels. After the higher doses of CSH, TSH levels in the blood remained lower than control values on day 2, but returned to normal by 1 week. This decrease in TSH within the plasma was not associated with a reduction in hypothalamic TRH concentrations. The TSH response to 500 ng/kg TRH was normal in CSH-treated animals. Blockade of norepinephrine synthesis with diethyldithiocarbamate (500 mg/kg) or fusaric acid (100 mg/kg) inhibited TSH secretion in a manner similar to that of CSH. beta-Endorphin-like immunoreactivity (bet-End-LI) was elevated in the plasma immediately after CSH (300 mg/kg) administration. This was associated with a 58% reduction in anterior pituitary beta-End-LI and no change in hypothalmic beta-End-LI. Plasma beta-End-LI returned to normal on day 2. The increase in plasma beta-End-LI induced by immobilization stress was not compromised by CSH treatment. The observed effects of CSH on both TSH and beta-End-LI are consistent with a reduction in central norepinephrine neurotransmission through the known actin of CSH to inhibit dopamine-beta-hydroxylase. Acute stress may play a role as well in the observed changes in TSH and beta-End-LI secretion.
On composition of a federated web search result page: using online users to provide pairwise preference for heterogeneous verticals

Modern web search engines are federated --- a user query is sent to the numerous specialized search engines called verticals like web (text documents), News, Image, Video, etc. and the results returned by these engines are then aggregated and composed into a search result page (SERP) and presented to the user. For a specific query, multiple verticals could be relevant, which makes the placement of these vertical results within blocks of textual web results challenging: how do we represent, assess, and compare the relevance of these heterogeneous entities?In this paper we present a machine-learning framework for SERP composition in the presence of multiple relevant verticals. First, instead of using the traditional label generation method of human judgment guidelines and trained judges, we use a randomized online auditioning system that allows us to evaluate triples of the form query, web block, vertical>. We use a pairwise click preference to evaluate whether the web block or the vertical block had a better users' engagement. Next, we use a hinged feature vector that contains features from the web block to create a common reference frame and augment it with features representing the specific vertical judged by the user. A gradient boosted decision tree is then learned from the training data. For the final composition of the SERP, we place a vertical result at a slot if the score is higher than a computed threshold. The thresholds are algorithmically determined to guarantee specific coverage for verticals at each slot.We use correlation of clicks as our offline metric and show that click-preference target has a better correlation than human judgments based models. Furthermore, on online tests for News and Image verticals we show higher user engagement for both head and tail queries.
Information and data handling in chemistry and chemical engineering: the state of the field from the perspective of chemometrics

The basic trends in current research in the field of chemometrics are reviewed from the perspective of soft modeling. The logical connections between efforts made to improve or extend chemometric methods and defects inherent in soft modeling are identified and briefly explored.
The promise and problems of the land remote sensing policy act of 1992

Abstract After nearly a decade of attempting to guide the complex process of land remote sensing in the US, the 1984 Land Remote Sensing Commercialization Act was repealed. In its place, Congress passed the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992. This action was prompted by what many observers consider a failed attempt at commercialization and the inability of the old law's provisions to meet the compelling needs of scientific research. The new law attempts to address these failures and, in many respects, is successful. Nonetheless it still embodies some of the problems associated with the earlier law. This article compares the provisions of the two laws and provides an analysis of the new law's strengths and weaknesses.
DNA antibodies in childhood scleroderma.

Seven of 18 children with focal scleroderma were found to have antibodies to DNA in the IgG or IgM fractions by immunofluorescent spot test, and 8 of the 18 had antibodies to HDNA in the same fractions. One of 6 children with progressive systemic sclerosis had antibody to HDNA in the IgG fraction. Four of 5 children with focal scleroderma were found to have precipitating antibody to DNA and HDNA on double diffusion in agarose. No antibodies to DNA or HDNA were demonstrated in 23 control children, nor in 24 children with dermatomyositis.
MENTAL HEALTH CHARACTERISTICS AND ACCEPTANCE-REJECTION OF OLD AGE

Self-report and observer ratings of acceptance of old age were compared to chronological age as correlates of 21 indicators of mental health for two samples of older adults. While chronological age was not well correlated with mental health indicators, both indexes of acceptance-rejection of old age were. Results suggest that acceptance of oneself as “old” is related to poorer cognition, functional health, self-esteem, attitudes toward others, ego strength, and morale, as well as to higher incidence of maladjustive behavior and passive mastery style.
Kinetic Modeling of Coke Formation and Deactivation in the Catalytic Cracking of Vacuum Gas Oil

The kinetics of coke formation in the catalytic cracking of vacuum gas oil are expressed in terms of elementary steps of carbocation chemistry, along the lines used for the main reactions of this p...
Neoliberalism and the Social Structure of Accumulation

Is neoliberalism a new social structure of accumulation (SSA)? The attempt to answer this question leads to possible reconceptualizations of SSA theory. These include alternating structures of regulation and the free market, and institutions created as a result of the temporary stabilization of class and intraclass conflicts among industry, finance, and labor. Thus neoliberalism is not a new SSA, but rather a stage of capitalism based upon the (temporary) dominance of capital over labor.
“In the Clique”: Popular Culture, Constructions of Place, and the Everyday Lives of Urban Youth

This study focuses on two teens, Tony and Rufus, and how they used key popular texts to construct a sense of place in the small city where this research was conducted. These two teens mobilized these popular texts in very specific ways, both finding specific thematic links between and across them and also using them to index their relationships with biological and extended family in this city and “down South.” This study highlights the complex, emergent, and messy relationships many young people have with popular culture.
Segment-specific Modifications of a Neuropeptide Phenotype in Embryonic Neurons of the Moth, Manduca Sexta

We have studied differences in the development of segmentally homologous neurons to identify factors that may regulate a neuropeptide phenotype. Bilaterally paired homologs of the peripheral neuron L1 were identified in the thoracic and abdominal segments in embryos of the moth Manduca: each bipolar neuron arises at a stereotyped location and, at 40% of embryogenesis, projects its major process within the transverse nerve of its own segment. Shortly after the initiation of axonogenesis (approximately 41%), L1 homologs in all but the prothoracic segment (T1) were labelled specifically by an antiserum to the molluscan neuropeptide Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2 (authentic FMRFamide). Levels of peptide-immunoreactivity (IR) were comparable in all such segmental homologs up to the approximately 60% stage of embryogenesis, whereupon two distinct levels of peptide IR were displayed: homologs in the three most rostral segments (T2, T3, and A1; [abdominal segment 1]) showed high levels and were called Type I L1 neurons; homologs in the more caudal segments (A2-A8) typically showed low levels of IR and were called Type II L1 neurons. This segment-specific difference represented mature differentiated states and was retained in postembryonic stages. Intracellular dye fills of embryonic L1 neurons revealed that the morphogenesis of the Type I and II L1 neuron homologs was similar until approximately 48% of embryogenesis; thereafter it differed in two salient ways: (1) the cell bodies of Type II L1 neurons migrated approximately 150 microns laterally from their point of origin, and (2) the distal processes of the Type II L1 neurons contacted the heart, whereas those of Type I L1 neurons did not. Ultrastructural studies of both mature and developing L1 homologs showed that the FMRFamide-like antigen(s) localized specifically to secretory granules. Further, whereas the secretory granules in segmental homologs appeared similar initially (i.e., at approximately 50% of development), following the establishment of segment-specific differences, secretory granules found in mature Type I and II L1 neurons were cell type-specific.
Relative androgenicity, blood pressure levels, and cardiovascular risk factors in young healthy women

To test the hypothesis that androgens may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and hypertension, we investigated the association of delta 5 dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate [DHEAS]) and delta 4 (free testosterone [FT]) androgens with the resting, seated blood pressure (BP) levels and cardiovascular risk factors in 280 young, healthy women 18 to 24 years of age. After application of multiple regression analysis, systolic BP was positively and independently correlated with the ratio of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate to free testosterone (DHEAS/FT), fasting insulin levels, and the diastolic BP with DHEAS/FT only. The DHEAS/FT ratio proved to be a stronger predictor of the BP levels than either hormone alone. Further, uric acid concentrations and HDL/total cholesterol ratio were independently correlated with both FT and body mass index in these young women. Serum triglycerides were independently correlated with FT and central body fat distribution. These data suggest that serum androgen concentrations are important independent predictors of cardiovascular risk factors and that the ratio of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate to free testosterone ratio is an independent predictor of blood pressure levels in young women.
Safety and efficacy of resistive training in patients with coronary heart disease.

In the past 10–15 years, there have been several studies on the acute and chronic responses to resistive training in patients with cardiovascular disease. As a result, the safety and efficacy of resistive exercise has become more evident. Resistive training appears to be safe and effective for promoting fitness and improving risk factors in patients with coronary heart disease. This review addresses the health and fitness benefits in these patients, the established guidelines regarding inclusion and exclusion into programs, guidelines for resistive training exercise prescriptions, and how these guidelines have evolved in recent years.
Reviews: The Role of Albumin in Human Physiology and Pathophysiology, Part III: Albumin and Disease States

The serum albumin level is one of several clinical parameters of the status of general health. There is a marked correlation between low albumin levels and the incidence of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that hypoalbuminemia is a common finding among hospitalized patients. This results from alterations in the catabolic or anabolic rates, losses of albumin, or redistribution between the various fluid compartments of the body. Somewhat less well defined than the role of albumin as a prognostic indicator is its role in compounding pathophysiology. Hypoalbuminemia is known to be associated with delayed wound healing. The hypoalbuminemic state interferes with the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Qualitative changes in the albumin molecule which occur in renal disease may damage the nephron. Low serum albumin levels may adversely affect the coagulation system. Further investigation into the role of albumin in pathophysiology is warranted.
Spectral theory of Wiener-Hopf type integral operators on generalized Sobolev spaces

has a unique solution @* ELI(R). S ince L1(R) functions can behave very badly, this gives us no information about the smoothness of @*. It would be desirable to know under what conditions is @* as smooth as Y*, if Y* belongs to a general class of functions, which have some smoothness restrictions. We shall consider the spectrum of the above operator on the spaces W2p(R), where s > 0, and 1 <p < co. The space W2P(R) consists of functions a*(~), u E (co, co), such that @p(x) = @* (log x) E W+p(R+), where R, = (0, co) and W+p(R+) are the generalized Sobolev spaces. The norm is given by
Hospice Attitudes of Physicians and Nurses: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this study was to gauge the attitudes of internal medicine (IM) physicians and hospice nurses on the hospice programs in a Southeastern US county. A postal survey sought views on the following issues: (1) the level of control that hospice affords dying patients; (2) health care professionals' education and communication involving the dying process; (3) the hospice referral process; (4) characteristics of a "good death"; and (5) gender versus professional role regarding hospice attitudes. The data revealed that occupational role in hospice care has a more significant function in the development of cognitive attitudes than of gender regarding hospice programs and that professional education needs more emphasis on the study of end-of-life issues, as well as open communication between health care professionals and patients during the dying process. Physicians were less likely than nurses to agree that patient control was important. Additionally, what constitutes a good death was similar to previous studies.
A Meta-Analysis of Periodized versus Nonperiodized Strength and Power Training Programs

Abstract The purpose of this study was to quantitatively combine and examine the results of studies examining the effectiveness of periodized (PER) compared to nonperiodized (Non-PER) training programs for strength and/or power development. Two analyses were conducted to (a) examine the magnitude of treatment effect elicited by PER strength training programs compared to Non-PER programs and (b) compare these effects after controlling for training volume, frequency, and intensity. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were coded based on characteristics that might moderate the overall effects (i.e., participant characteristics and characteristics related to the training program). Effect sizes (ESs) were calculated for each study, and an overall ES of 0.84 (± 1.41) favoring PER training was found. Further analyses identified the treatment effect specific to training variation to be ES = 0.25. Significant moderating variables included age, training status, and length of training program. As a result of this...
Coatomer Vesicles are not Required for Inhibition of Golgi Transport by G‐Protein Activators

The G-protein activators guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiodiphosphate) (GTP gamma S) and aluminum fluoride (AIF) are thought to inhibit transport between Golgi cisternae by causing the accumulation of nonfunctional coatomer-coated transport vesicles on the Golgi. Although GTP gamma S and AIF inhibit transport in cell-free intra-Golgi transport systems, blocking coatomer vesicle formation does not. We therefore determined whether inhibition of in vitro Golgi transport by these agents requires coatomer vesicle formation. Depletion of coatomer was found to completely block coated vesicle formation on Golgi cisternae without affecting inhibition of in vitro transport by either GTP gamma S or AIF. Depletion of ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) prevented inhibition of transport by GTP gamma S, but not by AIF, suggesting that the AIF-sensitive component in transport may not be a GTP-binding protein. Surprisingly, depletion of cytosolic ARF did not prevent the GTP gamma S-induced formation of Golgi-coated vesicles, whereas ARF was required for AIF-induced vesicle formation. Although ARF or coatomer depletion caused an increase in the fenestration of cisternae, no other ultrastructural changes were observed that might explain the inhibition of transport by GTP gamma S or AIF. These findings suggest that ARF-GTP gamma S and AIF act by distinct and coatomer-independent mechanisms to inhibit membrane fusion in cell-free intra-Golgi transport.
The role of arthrodesis of the wrist in spastic disorders

We investigated the functional and radiographic outcome of wrist arthrodesis in 11 adults with spastic wrist deformities, carried out by one surgeon between 2003 and 2012. The underlying cause of spasticity was a cerebrovascular insult in five, traumatic brain injury in four, and cerebral palsy in two patients. A dorsal plate and local bone graft was used in all patients. The mean radiographic flexion deformity significantly improved from 67° pre-operatively to 4° of dorsal angulation post-operatively. Thumb-in-palm deformity was more pronounced in three patients after the operation. The functional House score improved in all patients an average of two levels (range 1-3).
A performance evaluation of the operational Jet Propulsion Laboratory/University of Southern California Global Assimilation Ionospheric Model (JPL/USC GAIM)

[1] The Jet Propulsion Laboratory/University of Southern California Global Assimilation Ionospheric Model (JPL/USC GAIM) uses two data assimilation techniques to optimally combine ionospheric measurements with the physics model: a sparse, traditional Kalman filter to estimate the three-dimensional density state, and a four-dimensional variational approach (4DVAR) to estimate ionospheric drivers such as the equatorial E × B drift or neutral winds. In this paper we study a specific implementation of the JPL/USC GAIM Kalman filter (single ion, low-resolution, and input data from 200 ground GPS sites) and validate its global accuracy over 137 days by comparisons to independent GPS slant total electron content (TEC) observations (“missing site” tests) and independent JASON vertical TEC observations. The assimilation accuracy is robust with a slant TEC spatial prediction RMS error of 4 TECU (Total Electron Content Unit, 1 × 1016 e-/m2) on average and a vertical TEC JASON RMS error of 7 TECU. Removing what appears to be a positive ≈4.4 TECU bias from the JASON observations, we obtain an improved performance of 5.3 TECU over the oceans. Comparisons with a single, thin shell global ionospheric map model and the International Reference Ionosphere and Bent ionospheric models are also provided.
An advanced operating systems project using concurrency

Most courses in operating systems follow one of three patterns: high level discussion with most programming done in a high level language; building operating systems from device driver level up; and courses which use emulator programs which emulate special architectures. In this paper, we describe a course which emphasizes the strong points of these approaches. The course also emphasizes teaching concurrency, introducing networking, and developing a deeper understanding of many of the system calls and system commands of the UNIX operating system. The major course project is described in the paper.
CAPTAIN EXTENDED WELL TEST PROGRAM: PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTION

Extended Well Tests (EWTs) are gaining increasing recognition throughout the offshore industry as a useful tool for evaluation of field development prospects. These tests, which can range from a few weeks to several months in duration, provide valuable data for reservoir evaluation and design of field development facilities. This paper describes how a contractor serving as project manager supported a company in the planning, organization and execution of a fast-track EWT at the Captain field prospect offshore Scotland.
Inhibition of the attractant pheromone response inIps pini andI. paraconfusus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae): Field evaluation of ipsenol and linalool

Linalool, a compound from maleI. pini, previously suggested as an inhibitor forI. paraconfusus, has no obvious effect on the response ofI. paraconfusus to ponderosa pine bolts containing maleI. paraconfusus. I. pini from California and New York equally inhibit the response ofI. paraconfusus to maleI. paraconfusus. Ipsenol, one component of the attractant pheromone ofIps paraconfusus, inhibits attacks byIps pini on ponderosa pine logs baited with maleI. pini. The concentration of ipsenol used appears to be critical for effective suppression of attacks.
Homolopsis pikeae, new species (Decapoda), a crab from the Cretaceous of Texas.

ABSTRACT A single specimen representing a new species of a Cretaceous homolid crab occurs in the Notopocorystes Assemblage of the Cenomanian Britton Shale (Eagle Ford Group) at GarzaLittle Elm Reservoir, Denton County, Texas. Homolopsis pikeae is characterized by an ovate carapace with well-developed grooves, a raised cephalic arch surmounted by spinose areolations, and prominent tubercles on the lateral margins. The holotype is preserved as an internal carapace steinkern enclosed in an oxidized, phosphatic concretion and associated with abundant invertebrates. Review of the stratigraphic and geographic distribution of Homolopsis shows a pattern of development along the northern margin of the Tethys Seaway in western and northern Europe, and possibly in Australia, during the Early Cretaceous, and immigration into, and evolution in, the opening Atlantic and Western Interior Seaways of North America and northern Europe during the Late Cretaceous. Homolopsis pikeae extends the geographic range of Homolopsis into the Gulf Coastal Plain and its stratigraphic range lower into the Mid-Cretaceous in North America, patterns consistent with previously hypothesized evolutionary development in North America.
Determination of nitrolotriacetic, ethylenediaminetetraacetic and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acids in sewage treatment plant and paper mill effluents

A method for the determination of nitrilotriacetic (NTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic (EDTA) and diethylene-triaminepentaacetic (DTPA) acids in sewage treatment plant (STP) and paper mill effluents has been developed. The chelating acids were extracted by solid-phase extraction cartridges packed with strong anion-exchange resins and were eluted by a small volume of 16 M formic acid. After conversion into their 1-propyl esters, the acids were quantified by gas chromatography using a nitrogen-phosphorus-selective detector and confirmed by GC-MS with a mass selective detector. At a pH of 3.5, the recovery of these acids varied from 83 to 104% in water and STP effluent samples fortified to levels from 1 to 1000 μg/1. Based on a concentration factor of 100, the detection limit for these acids was 0.5 μg/1. All three acids were found in STP effluents, although the concentrations were relatively low for EDTA ( 1000 μg/1) of NTA were observed for nearly all primary STP effluents. A large variation in the levels of these acids was observed in the paper recycling mill effluents collected. Although their concentrations were mostly 2500 μg/1) in the effluents obtained from two mills that use this chelating agent to remove metal ions. DTPA was not detected and the concentrations for NTA and EDTA were <11 μg/1 in the effluents collected from the non-recylcing paper mills.
Effect of temperature on molecular mobility, oxygen permeability, and dynamic site heterogeneity in amorphous α-lactalbumin films

Abstract We investigated molecular mobility and oxygen diffusion in amorphous solid films of α-lactalbumin (α-La) using phosphorescence from the xanthene probe erythrosin B in order to elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) that control oxygen permeability in amorphous solid proteins. Emission peak energy and bandwidth were determined by fitting spectra to a lognormal bandwidth function; intensity decays were fit to a stretched exponential function to determine the lifetime and the stretching exponent. Peak emission energy decreased gradually over the range from −20 to over 120 °C, indicating a gradual increase in the matrix dipolar relaxation rate. Bandwidths were constant at low temperature but increased dramatically above ∼50 °C, indicating that the dynamic heterogeneity of the protein matrix increased at high temperature. Emission lifetimes decrease gradually at low and more steeply at high temperature, indicating that the rate of matrix collisional quenching increased with temperature. Arrhenius analysis of the rate constant for non-radiative decay showed a gradual increase in quenching indicative of matrix softening. Comparison of lifetimes in air and N 2 (±oxygen) monitored oxygen permeability. Oxygen permeability became detectable at about 0 °C and appeared to correlate with matrix mobility. The emission spectrum shifted to higher energy as a function of time following excitation, whereas the phosphorescence lifetime decreased with increasing emission wavelength; both behaviors provided strong evidence for distinct sites within the protein matrix varying in molecular mobility. Phosphorescence spectroscopy thus provides a simple tractable tool for monitoring conditions that activate oxygen diffusion in amorphous solid foods.
Standardlike models as type IIB flux vacua

We construct new semirealistic type IIB flux vacua on ${Z}_{2}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{Z}_{2}$ orientifolds with three- and four-standard model families and up to three units of quantized flux. The open string sector is comprised of magnetized D-branes and is T-dual to supersymmetric intersecting D6-brane constructions. The standard model sector contains magnetized D9-branes with negative D3-brane charge contribution. There are large classes of such models and we present explicit constructions for representative ones. In addition to models with one and two units of quantized flux, we also construct the first three- and four-family standard-like models with supersymmetric fluxes, i.e. comprising three units of quantized flux. Supergravity fluxes are due to the self-dual Neveu-Schwarz-Neveu-Schwarz and Ramond-Ramond three-form field strength and they fix the toroidal complex structure moduli and the dilaton. The supersymmetry conditions for the D-brane sector fix in some models all three toroidal K\"ahler moduli. We also provide examples where toroidal K\"ahler moduli are fixed by strong gauge dynamics on the ``hidden sector'' D7-brane. Most of the models possess Higgs doublet pairs with Yukawa couplings that can generate masses for quarks and leptons. The models have (mainly right-) chiral exotics.
Solution hybridization and enzyme immunoassay for biotinylated DNA-RNA hybrids to detect enteroviral RNA in cell culture

A non-isotopic hybridization assay is described for detection of enteroviral RNA in cell culture. Two biotin-labelled cDNA probes, corresponding to 1 kb from the 5' end and 3.5 kb from the 3' end of the coxsackievirus B3 genome, were hybridized in solution with protease and detergent-treated cell culture suspensions. Labelled DNA-RNA hybrids were captured on microtiter plates coated with anti-biotin antibody and bound hybrids were measured with a beta-galactosidase-labelled monoclonal antibody specific for DNA-RNA hybrids. Coxsackie B3 was detected at a concentration of 500 pfu ml-1. The limit of detection for other enteroviruses ranged from 10(3.3) to 10(5.8) pfu ml-1. The enteroviruses that could be detected included coxsackie B1 and 3, coxsackie A1-6 and 15, poliovirus types 1-3, and enteroviruses 7, 11, and 71. ECHO 22 was the only enterovirus, of those that were tested, that could not be detected. The solution hybridization reaction and enzyme immunoassay for DNA-RNA hybrids does not require the use of radiolabelled probes or extraction of RNA with phenol. The assay yields a quantitative endpoint, which avoids the subjectivity inherent in membrane-based methods. These features would make the assay more adaptable to clinical laboratories than other formats which have been devised for measurement of viral RNA.
Graphene radio frequency receiver integrated circuit

Graphene has attracted much interest as a future channel material in radio frequency electronics because of its superior electrical properties. Fabrication of a graphene integrated circuit without significantly degrading transistor performance has proven to be challenging, posing one of the major bottlenecks to compete with existing technologies. Here we present a fabrication method fully preserving graphene transistor quality, demonstrated with the implementation of a high-performance three-stage graphene integrated circuit. The circuit operates as a radio frequency receiver performing signal amplification, filtering and downconversion mixing. All circuit components are integrated into 0.6 mm2 area and fabricated on 200 mm silicon wafers, showing the unprecedented graphene circuit complexity and silicon complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor process compatibility. The demonstrated circuit performance allow us to use graphene integrated circuit to perform practical wireless communication functions, receiving and restoring digital text transmitted on a 4.3-GHz carrier signal. Graphene transistors are attractive for many applications but making integrated circuits without degrading their characteristics is proving challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate a radio frequency integrated receiver using a graphene-last approach compatible with conventional processing methods.
Student and Professor Similarity: Exploring the Effects of Gender and Relative Age

The authors examined student responses to faculty traits. Earlier findings revealing a preference for male instructors were obtained before female faculty and students were prevalent on college campuses and may have reflected a male demographic similarity effect. It was hypothesized that students would more favorably evaluate faculty who were similar in gender and in relative age (as reflected in faculty rank). As anticipated, female students evaluated female lower ranked faculty most favorably, and male higher ranked faculty least favorably. However, male students showed mixed effects. Although their evaluations were more favorable for lower ranked male faculty, they unexpectedly did not degrade higher ranked female faculty. Discussion focuses on gender-related causal factors and implications.
Qualitative assays for the protease activity of Lymantria dispar nuclear polyhedrosis virus

Abstract The protease activity of polyhedrin from Lymantria dispar nuclear polyhedrosis virus was measured using four substrates. Polyhedrin hydrolyzed three of these substrates: gelatin, azoalbumin, and α- N -benzoyl- dl -arginine- p -nitroanilide hydrochloride (DL-BAPA). The gelatin assay, the most sensitive, measured enzyme activity in as little as 0.21 μg polyhedrin. The protease was unable to hydrolyze the fourth substrate, succinyl- l -phenylalanine- p -nitroanilide (Suphepa). The results of the DL-BAPA and Suphepa assays demonstrate that the L. dispar NPV protease is capable of releasing p -nitroaniline from its bond with phenylalanine but not arginine. The advantages of using gelatin or azoalbumin rather than substrates referenced for proteolytic activity of Baculoviruses are discussed.
Colocalization of hyperpolarization‐activated, cyclic nucleotide‐gated channel subunits in rat retinal ganglion cells

The current-passing pore of mammalian hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels is formed by subunit isoforms denoted HCN1–4. In various brain areas, antibodies directed against multiple isoforms bind to single neurons, and the current (Ih) passed during hyperpolarizations differs from that of heterologously expressed homomeric channels. By contrast, retinal rod, cone, and bipolar cells appear to use homomeric HCN channels. Here, we assess the generality of this pattern by examining HCN1 and HCN4 immunoreactivity in rat retinal ganglion cells, measuring Ih in dissociated cells, and testing whether HCN1 and HCN4 proteins coimmunoprecipitate. Nearly half of the ganglion cells in whole-mounted retinae bound antibodies against both isoforms. Consistent with colocalization and physical association, 8-bromo-cAMP shifted the voltage sensitivity of Ih less than that of HCN4 channels and more than that of HCN1 channels, and HCN1 coimmunoprecipitated with HCN4 from membrane fraction proteins. Finally, the immunopositive somata ranged in diameter from the smallest to the largest in rat retina, the dendrites of immunopositive cells arborized at various levels of the inner plexiform layer and over fields of different diameters, and Ih activated with similar kinetics and proportions of fast and slow components in small, medium, and large somata. These results show that different HCN subunits colocalize in single retinal ganglion cells, identify a subunit that can reconcile native Ih properties with the previously reported presence of HCN4 in these cells, and indicate that Ih is biophysically similar in morphologically diverse retinal ganglion cells and differs from Ih in rods, cones, and bipolar cells. J. Comp. Neurol. 519:2546–2573, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cyclic AMP accumulation alters calmodulin localization in SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells.

In SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells, the muscarinic agonist carbachol l:romotes polyphosphoinositide (PPI) hydrolysis via M 3 receptors and increases cyclic AMP levels through an unidentified mechanism. Activation of PPI hydrolysis by carbachol elicits a robust translocation of CaM from membranes into cytosol which was previously shown to be mimicked by the addition of the calcium ionophore ionomycin and the phorbol ester TPA 2s. The effect of agonist-stimulated second messenger production on CaM localization was determined by activating receptors that increase and decrease adenylyi cyclase activity on SK-N-SH cells. VIP (10/~M), prostaglandin E1 (30/~M) and forskolin (10/~M) all increased adenylyl cyclase activity 8- to 10-fold above the activity with 1/~M GTP. Carbachol (100 #M) did not stimulate adenylyl cyclase activity. The a2-adrenergic agonis~t UK 14,304 (0.1/~M) and the 6 and/z opio!d DPDPE (10/~M) and DAMGO (10 /~M) inhibited forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP formation I:oy 27-32%. CaM did not stimulate adenylyl cyclase activity. Incubation of cells with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), dibutyryl cyclic Aivtt ~ and forskofin, resulted in 30% decrease in membrane CaM and an increase in cytosalic CaM of 40-50%. The CaM ttanslocafion with the combination of an agent that elevates cyclic AMP levels and a low dose of carbachoi was not different from that observed with either agent alone. UK 14,304, DPDPE and DAMGO potentiated carbachol-stimulated increases in cytosolie CaM. Upon the addition of carbachol, a 5-fold increase in intraceUular calcium concentration measured with fura-2 fluorescence was observed. VIP and UK 14,304 elevated intracellular calcium concentrations 2 to 3 fold, while forskolin (10/~M) had no effect. Thus, receptor-mediated cyclic AMP synthesis and Ca 2+ fluxes alter CaM localization, but ~vith a smaller magnitude than the CaM transiocation stimulated by PPI hydrolysis.
Prediction of Temperatures in Forced-Convection Cooled Electronic Equipment

In electronic equipment, the life, reliability, and operating characteristics of component parts (tubes, resistors, capacitors, motors, etc.) to a large extent are determined by temperature conditions within the parts. In practical cases, these internal conditions are best represented by one or more temperatures on the surface of each part. In special cases, with precautions, even large items such as pressurized equipment may be regarded as component parts, and their internal temperature conditions may be related to case temperatures. There is great need to be able to predict the surface temperatures of component parts without performing an endless series of tests, the results of which are ambiguous in many instances. The analysis presented is limited to prediction of surface temperatures of component parts which are cooled primarily by forced convection. In this case, conductive and radiative cooling would be relatively small. This limitation is not a major one, however, because it is expected that most electronic equipment, especially airborne equipment, will be forced-convection cooled. The heat dissipated by component parts by means other than convection will often appear at some other surface and be removed by con- vection.
Identification of shikimate kinase inhibitors among anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis compounds by LC-MS.

Increasing drug resistance has challenged the control and treatment of tuberculosis, sparking recent interest in finding new antitubercular agents with different chemical scaffolds and mechanisms of action. Mycobacterium tuberculosis shikimate kinase (MtSK), an enzyme present in the shikimate pathway in bacteria, is essential for the survival of the tubercle bacillus, representing an ideal target for therapeutic intervention given its absence in mammals. In this study, a small library of 404 synthetic antimycobacterial compounds identified and supplied through the NIH Tuberculosis Antimicrobial Acquisition and Coordinating Facility (TAACF) high throughput screening program against whole cell M. tuberculosis H37Rv was further screened using a mass spectrometry-based functional assay in order to identify a potential enzymatic target. Fourteen compounds containing an oxadiazole-amide or a 2-aminobenzothiazole core scaffold showed MtSK inhibitory activity at 50 μM, with the lowest giving an IC50 of 1.94 μM. Induced fit docking studies suggested that the scaffolds shared by these compounds fit well in the shikimate binding pocket of MtSK. In summary, we report new early discovery stage lead scaffolds targeting the essential protein MtSK that can be further pursued in a rational drug design program for the discovery of more selective antitubercular drugs.