cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detection of relationships among microsporidan isolates by electrophoretic analysis: Hydrophilic extracts

Abstract Hydrophobic spore proteins were extracted from 11 microsporidan isolates obtained from 9 species of insects for which these microorganisms are pathogenic. Hydrophobic protein spectra were found to be stable when (1) two different genera of hosts were used for spore propagation, (2) hosts were reared at a variety of temperatures, or (3) protein was extracted from spores harvested at different stages of sporogenesis. Five consistent and distinct electrophoretic spectra were observed. Spectrum I was represented by 6 isolates including Nosema necatrix, Thelohania diazoma, Nosema plodiae , and Nosema sphingidis ; spectrum II by Pleistophora sp; Spectrum III by Nosema whitei ; spectrum IV by Thelohania legeri ; and spectrum V by Nosema trichoplusia . The highly reproducible nature of these analyses indicated polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis of hydrophobic extracts can be used for the identification of Microsporida. Moreover, these analyses do not support the present classification, based mainly on the number of spores in a pansporoblast, inasfar as (1) some species of Nosema have the same pattern (I) as a species of Thelohania and (2) two species of Nosema have different patterns (III and V) in contrast to the Nosema species showing pattern I.
Confocal optoelectronic holography microscope for materials and structural characterization of MEMS

In this paper, we describe confocal optoelectronic holography microscopy (COEHM) technique specifically being developed for characterizing the shape of MEMS and microelectronics. This is particularly important because shape is directly related to the functionality, performance, and integrity of the microstructures of interest. A specific feature of COEHM is that it allows characterization of high aspect ratio MEMS and microelectronics. Representative applications demonstrating the capabilities of COEHM are presented. It is shown that measurement resolution is highly dependent on the numerical aperture (NA) of the optical components comprising COEHM and on the quality of image digitization. By utilizing optical components characterized by a magnification factor of 50x and a NA of 0.45, measurement resolution of 25 nm is achieved. The resolution is increased to 8 nm when utilizing optical components characterized by a magnification factor of 100x and a NA of 0.73.
Modulation of Thermolysin Activity. Reversibility of Inactivation and Superactivation

Chemical studies on the mechanism of the action of thermolysin implicate a histidyl residue as essential for catalysis and reveal the existence of another residue which can undergo modification with a concomitant large increase in the activity of the enzyme towards a variety of substrates.
Covariant determination of mass scales in warped backgrounds

We propose a method of determining masses in brane scenarios which is independent of coordinate transformations. We apply our method to the scenario of Randall and Sundrum (RS) with two branes, which provides a solution to the hierarchy problem. The core of our proposal is the use of covariant equations and expressing all coordinate quantities in terms of invariant distances. In the RS model we find that massive brane fields propagate proper distances inversely proportional to masses that are not exponentially suppressed. The hierarchy between the gravitational and weak interactions is nevertheless preserved on the visible brane due to suppression of gravitational interactions on that brane. The towers of Kaluza-Klein states for bulk fields are observed to have different spacings on different branes when all masses are measured in units of the fundamental scale. Ratios of masses on each brane are the same in our covariant and the standard interpretations. Since masses of brane fields are not exponentiated, the fundamental scale of higher-dimensional gravity must be of the order of the weak scale.
Transfer of the sea anemone pheromone, anthopleurine, by the nudibranchAeolidia papillosa

After the nudibranchAeolidia papillosa eats the sea anemoneAnthopleura elegantissima, anthopleurine, an alarm pheromone from the sea anemone, persists in the tissues of the nudibranch. For at least five days following such a meal, nudibranchs are capable of evoking alarm responses in anemones without touching them, presumably by releasing anthopleurine into the water. The anemone's alarm response to anthopleurine is to withdraw the tentacles and oral disk, the preferred sites of attack forAeolidia. This leaves exposed to attack the anemone body regions with the highest anthopleurine concentrations. Specimens ofAeolidia collected near sources ofAnthopleura are more likely to contain detectable amounts of anthopleurine than those more distant; some nudibranchs collected 0.5 m fromAnthopleura contained enough anthopleurine to evoke alarm responses in anemones they approached. These findings suggest that the predator helps in the transmission of anthopleurine, which may reduce the severity of predation onAnthopleura.
Microstructure and hardness of spray-formed chromium-containing steel tooling

The microstructure and hardness of a spray-formed chromium-containing tool steel H13 were studied. There is very little porosity in both as-spray-formed samples and spray-formed samples following heat treatment. The microstructure in the as-spray-formed material is characterized by proeutectoid carbides, lower bainite, martensite, and retained austenite. Spray-formed H13 aged at a given temperature exhibits higher hardness than commercial H13 conventionally heat treated and tempered at the same temperature. The microstructures and hardness are rationalized on the basis of numerical analysis.
Fish growth responses to a changing environment: effects of aquatic nuisance species and environmental conditons in a shallow, eutrophic lake

Growth rates of fish may vary in response to changing environmental conditions and presence of aquatic nuisance species (ANS). Two ANS, common carp and zebra mussels, are present in Clear Lake, Iowa, and may affect growth rates of fish along with other environmental factors. We (1) documented annual growth rates of four fish species in their first year of life and at maturity in Clear Lake, (2) examined relationships of growth with environmental factors, and (3) compared contemporary growth to previous studies. Age-0 black bullhead, common carp, walleye and yellow bass showed a significant, positive relationship with common carp commercial harvest in the previous year and annual number of degree days where water was above 5 o C. Chlorophyll a concentration showed a positive relationship with age-0 growth of common carp and yellow bass. Age-0 black bullhead growth was positively related with zooplankton concentration and common carp and yellow bass were negatively related. We saw no significant relationships between environmental
Amyloid-Beta Heterogeneous Conformational Ensembles: Differences Between the 40- and 42-Residue Peptides and Implications for Dimer Polyamorphism

The presence of soluble Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in extra-cellular brain tissue correlates better with symptoms of Alzheimer's disease than the insoluble fibrils, but the structure of the neurotoxic Aβ oligomeric species is unknown. The monomeric form is an intrinsically disordered peptide (IDP), which does not adopt a unique folded conformation in solution. We have characterized the ensemble of structures sampled by Aβ in its monomeric form, using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to interpret Nuclear Overhauser Effect (NOE) NMR cross-peak data. This technique is sensitive to structural correlations that are long-range in peptide sequence, and can therefore report on the tertiary structure of the peptide.The NMR experimental observables, especially NOE contacts, that we calculated from our simulated peptide ensembles are in very good agreement with the experimental data. For both the Aβ42 and Aβ40 monomers, we find that the peptides sample conformations reflecting all possible secondary structure categories and span the range of IDP classifications from collapsed structured states to highly extended conformations. We also present several important differences in the Aβ40 and Aβ42 ensembles, which could be interpreted to help understand why the two similar peptides differ in behavior both in vivo and in vitro.The heterogeneous monomeric ensemble could allow for many different oligomers to form, depending on the starting conformation of the monomers. We present preliminary data on Aβ42 dimers formed from monomers present in our all-atom ensemble, using coarse-grained MD, and observe the variety of dimer conformations, dubbed polyamorphs, that arise from the diverse monomer population.
Parvovirus B19 as a possible causative agent of fulminant liver failure and associated aplastic anemia.

We recently observed that more than one third of pediatric patients who presented with non-A, non-B fulminant liver failure (FLF) also developed aplastic anemia (AA) either before or shortly after liver transplantation. Factors involved in the suppression of bone marrow could be the same as those causing hepatic failure. We considered parvovirus B19 a candidate etiologic agent because of the known tropism of B19 for erythroid precursors. Archived liver and serum from six patients undergoing liver transplantation for non-A, non-B, non-C FLF with associated AA were analyzed for the presence of B19 DNA and anti-B19 serology. An age- and gender-matched control group (N = 44) was analyzed in parallel. B19 DNA studies and anti-B19 serology were performed in a blinded fashion. B19 serologies were performed by antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). B19 DNA was detected after polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of target B19 DNA sequences in liver and serum. Liver tissue showed evidence of B19 DNA in four of six (66%) patients with FLF and associated AA. Two of 4 patients with cryptogenic FLF but without AA had B19 DNA detected in the liver tissue. Of the 34 remaining controls, only 5 (15%) showed evidence of B19 DNA in liver tissue (66% vs. 15%, P = .016). B19 DNA was not detected in any of the test or control sera. This study provides evidence to support the role of parvovirus B19 in the development of FLF and associated AA.
Lyapunov exponents of control flows

The use of Lyapunov exponents in the theory of dynamical systems or stochastic systems is often based on Oseledec's Multiplicative Ergodic Theorem. For control systems this is not possible, because each (sufficiently rich) control system contains dynamics that are not Lyapunov regular. In this paper we present an approach to study the Lyapunov spectrum of a nonlinear control system via ergodic theory of the associated control flow and its linearization. In particular, it turns out that all Lyapunov exponents are attained over so called chain control sets, and they are integrals of Lyapunov exponents on control sets with respect to flow invariant measures, whose support is contained in the lifts of control sets to U×M, where U is the space of admissible control functions and M is the state space of the system. For the linearization of control systems about rest points the extremal Lyapunov exponents are analyzed, which leads to precise criteria for the stabilization and destabilization of bilinear control systems, and to robustness results for linear systems. The last section is devoted to a nonlinear example, where we combine the analysis of the global controllability structure with local linearization results and Lyapunov exponents to obtain a complete picture of control, stabilization and robustness of the system.
Tribute to Roger Revelle and his contribution to studies of carbon dioxide and climate change

I first came to Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) in the summer of 1939, after completing my junior year at the California Institute of Technology. Roger Revelle was 30 years old, with the rank of instructor (long since abolished by the University of California), and a lieutenant junior grade in the Naval Reserve. Roger invited me to come along on an experiment to measure currents in the waters over the California borderland. The standard tool was an Ekman Current Meter; for every 100 revolutions of a propeller, a 2-mm ball is dropped into a compass box with 36 compartments, each corresponding to a 10° segment in current direction. The trouble was that the balls would not fall into the compartments. Roger was up all night doggedly fussing with the current meter until, at breakfast time, the release was functioning. This is my earliest memory of Roger. After taking up geology at Pomona College under the legendary teacher Alfred “Woody” Woodford, followed by a graduate year at University of California at Berkeley, Roger came to Scripps in 1931 to study deep-sea muds. By 1936 he had completed his thesis, “Marine Bottom Samples Collected in the Pacific Ocean by the Carnegie on Its Seventh Cruise,” and stayed on as an instructor (Fig. 1). During his year at Berkeley, Roger married Ellen Clark, a grandniece of E. W. Scripps and Ellen B. Scripps, after whom the Scripps Institution of Oceanography was named. Figure 1 Roger Revelle as an instructor at Scripps (circa 1936). Photo by Eugene LaFond. [Reproduced with the permission of the SIO Archives, UCSD.] After a year at the Geophysical Institute in Bergen, Norway, he returned to Scripps. Roger went on active naval duty 6 months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor and stayed in the Navy for 7 years. He was instrumental …
Minimum distance computation of LDPC codes using a branch and cut algorithm

We give a branch-and-cut algorithm for finding the minimum distance of a binary linear block code. We give two integer programming (IP) models and study the convex hull of the single constraint relaxation of these IP models. We use the new inequalities as cuts in a branch-and-cut scheme. Finally, we report computational results based on turbo and low density parity check (LDPC) codes that demonstrate the effectiveness of our cuts. We demonstrate that our IP formulation and specific cuts are efficient tools for determining the minimum distance of moderate size linear block codes, specifically, they are very efficient for LDPC codes, and provide us with an additional tool for solving this important problem.
A MAC protocol based on adaptive beamforming for ad hoc networks

This paper presents a novel slotted MAC (medium access control) protocol for nodes equipped with adaptive antenna array in ad hoc network. The protocol relies on the ability of antenna to uses DOA (direction-of-arrival) information to beamform by placing nulls in the direction of interferers thus maximize SINR (signal to interference and noise ratio) at the receiver. We studied the performance of the protocol using joint simulation in OPNET and Matlab. We studied the impact of variable number of antenna elements, DOA algorithm, and nulling. The performance of our new protocol is compared against one of the recent directional MAC protocols [R.R.N.H.V. Romit Roy Choudhury, Xue Yang, 2002]. We observe that despite the simplicity of our protocol it achieves high throughput.
On analog movements of visual attention.

On analog movements of visual attentionSTEVEN YANTISJohns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MarylandA great deal of evidence has accumulated over the last20 years or so suggesting that decisions concerning thecontents of a visual .scene can be enhanced with the as-sistance of advance information about the spatial locationor locations in the scene that are likely to contain task-relevant information. For example, Eriksen and his col-leagues have demonstrated that reaction time to identifya target letter in visual search is improved when a spatialcue is provided about 200 msec before the onset of thesearch display (Colegate, Hoffman, & Eriksen, 1973;Eriksen & Hoffman, 1972, 1973, 1974). Eriksen andHoffman (1972) suggested that the spatial extent of theenhancement is limited to about 1 o of visual angle (seealso Eriksen & St..lames, 1986). Posner and his col-leagues have also provided evidence that attention can bespatially directed in response to an appropriately timedcue. Reaction time in a dot-detection task is enhancedwhen the dot appears in an attended location and is slowedwhen it appears in an unattended location (e.g., Posner,1980; Posner, Snyder, & Davidson, 1980). Jonides (1981)demonstrated that the effectiveness of spatial cues in focus-ing attention varies ’with their location: Peripheral cuesapparently capture attention automatically, whereas cen-tral cues require effortful allocation procedures. LaBerge(1983) and Downing and Pinker (1985) showed that whensubjects focus attention on a restricted spatial location,reaction time to objects at unattended locations increaseswith their distance from the focus. There is also evidencethat attention is more efficiently applied to objects thatare physically proximal to one another (e.g., Hoffman N Kahneman & Henik, 1981; Podgorny S Posner et al., 1980).A quite natural heuristic for this body of results is thatthe application of spatial attention is analogous to shin-ing a spotlight on the visual field. Objects that fall underthe "spotlight of attention" can be identified or detectedmore rapidly than other objects. This sort of analogy hasbeen advocated by many writers (e.g., Broadbent, 1982,p. 271; Downing & Pinker, 1985; Eriksen & Hoffman,1973; Eriksen & St. James, 1986; Eriksen & Yeh, 1985;LaBerge, 1983; Posner, 1980; Posner, Cohen, & Rafal,1982, p. 188; Posner et al., 1980, p. 172; Shulman,Remington, & McLean, 1979; Tsal, 1983).1 Only a fewtheorists (e.g., Duncan, 1981) question the viability ofthe spotlight metaphor. Certainly the spotlight metaphoris held with varying degrees of concreteness and differ-
Nuclease P1-mediated enhancement of sensitivity of 32P-postlabeling test for structurally diverse DNA adducts.

Exceedingly sensitive procedures are required to detect the presence of covalent DNA adducts in humans exposed to environmental genotoxicants because of low levels of such derivatives (1 adduct in 10(8)-10(10) DNA nucleotides). A 32P-postlabeling assay for detection and quantitation of carcinogen--DNA adducts with a sensitivity limit of 1 adduct in 10(7)-10(8) nucleotides has been described previously. In the standard procedure, DNA is enzymatically digested to 3'-phosphorylated normal and adducted mononucleotides, which are quantitatively 32P-labeled at their 5'-hydroxyl groups by T4 polynucleotide kinase-catalyzed [32P]phosphate transfer from [gamma-32P]ATP. 32P-labeled derivatives are resolved by t.l.c., detected by autoradiography and quantitated by counting. We now report that a minor modification of this procedure, entailing the postincubation of DNA digests with Penicillium citrinum nuclease P1 before 32P-labeling, enhanced the technique's sensitivity to 1 adduct in approximately 10(10) nucleotides for a 10-micrograms DNA sample. Nuclease P1 cleaves deoxyribonucleoside 3'-monophosphates of normal nucleotides to deoxyribonucleosides which do not serve as substrates for polynucleotide kinase, while most adducted nucleotides were found to be totally or partially resistant to the 3'-dephosphorylating action of nuclease P1. The additional enzymatic step enabled specific labeling of adducts in up to 20 micrograms of DNA with excess carrier-free [gamma-32P]ATP. The enzymatic digestion conditions were standardized to afford optimal adduct recovery. The new procedure was found to be simple, highly reproducible, and applicable to the detection and measurement of aromatic or bulky non-aromatic DNA adducts formed with such structurally diverse carcinogens as benzo[a]pyrene, 7,12-dimethyl-benz[a]anthracene, dibenzo[c,g]carbazole, 4-aminobiphenyl, safrole and mitomycin C; most adducts were recovered quantitatively with a 500- to 1000-fold increase in 32P-count rates as compared with the standard procedure.
Parallel programming with MPI

Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 An Overview of Parallel Computing Chapter 3 Greetings! Chapter 4 An Application: Numerical Integration Chapter 5 Collective Communication Chapter 6 Grouping Data for Communication Chapter 7 Communicators and Topologies Chapter 8 Dealing with I/O Chapter 9 Debugging Your Program Chapter 10 Design and Coding of Parallel Programs Chapter 11 Performance Chapter 12 More on Performance Chapter 13 Advanced Point-to-Point Communication Chapter 14 Parallel Algorithms Chapter 15 Parallel Libraries Chapter 16 Wrapping Up Appendix A Summary of MPI Commands Appendix B MPI on the Internet
Lipids: Phase Transitions

Lipids constitute a diverse group of biomolecules of varied biologic roles. Their major function is to serve as building blocks of the biologic membranes. According to the fluid-mosaic model, the biomembranes are liquid-crystalline lipid bilayers with embedded proteins. This model includes two references to the lipid phase state—liquid crystalline and bilayer—both of which are of critical importance for the proper membrane functioning. The majority of lipids are amphiphilic compounds, which, similarly to other surfactants, also can form a large variety of other, non-liquid-crystalline and nonbilayer phases by transforming into each other via different kinds of phase transitions. In particular, the impressive variety of lipids in the biomembranes includes a large fraction of species that in isolation prefer to adopt curved, hexagonal, or cubic phases rather than the lamellar phase. The physiologic importance of the lipid diversity and mesomorphic behavior stems from the possibility of finely tuning and optimizing the properties of the biomembranes by regulating their lipid composition.
Altered Synthesis of Interleukin-12 and Type 1 and Type 2 Cytokinesin Rhesus Macaques during Measles and Atypical Measles

Immunosuppression during and after measles results in increased susceptibility to other infections and 1 million deaths annually. The mechanism by which measles virus (MV) induces immune suppression is incompletely understood, but a type 2 skewing of the cytokine response after infection has been documented. In vitro studies suggest that lack of interleukin (IL)-12 production by monocytes and dendritic cells plays an early role in the skewed response. In addition, immunization with an inactivated measles vaccine before measles develops appears to lead to an even stronger type 2 skewing of the cytokine response and atypical measles. In this study, the cytokine responses in rhesus macaques were compared after vaccination with live and formalin-inactivated vaccines and after challenge with MV. In vivo production of IL-12 was decreased during the viremic phase of the illness, and production of IL-4 was increased during and after atypical measles, compared with measles.
Health Promotion for People With Disabilities: The Emerging Paradigm Shift From Disability Prevention to Prevention of Secondary Conditions

The premise of this article is that, until recently, health promotion for people with disabilities has been a neglected area of interest on the part of the general health community. Today, researchers, funding agencies, and health care providers and consumers are leading an effort to establish higher-quality health care for the millions of Americans with disabilities. The aims of a health promotion program for people with disabilities are to reduce secondary conditions (eg, obesity, hypertension, pressure sores), to maintain functional independence, to provide an opportunity for leisure and enjoyment, and to enhance the overall quality of life by reducing environmental barriers to good health. A greater emphasis must be placed on community-based health promotion initiatives for people with disabilities in order to achieve these objectives.
On Taylor's Hypothesis and Dissipation in Rainfall

The role of dissipation in the cutoff in Taylor's hypothesis for rainfall correlations in space-time is generalized to a wide class of possible stochastic rainfall models. Some important implications of this generalization are discussed for the development of statistical rainfall theories, particularly as they pertain to scaling.
Paclitaxel in advanced non-small cell lung cancer : an alternative high-dose weekly schedule.

Study objectives Sequential phase I and phase IItrials of paclitaxel using an extended weekly schedule were performedto explore its effect on tolerance, limits of dose intensity, andactivity at maximum dose intensity in disseminated non-small cell lungcancer (NSCLC). Design Patients with stage IIIB/IVNSCLC were eligible if they had a performance status of 0 to 2, noprevious chemotherapy, and normal organ function. Paclitaxel wasadministered as a 3-h infusion weekly for 6 weeks of an 8-week cycle. Doses were modified for toxicity observed on the day of treatment. Measurements and results Paclitaxel, 100 to 200mg/m 2 /wk, was administered in the phase I trial. Doseescalation was limited primarily by neutropenia, and a relationshipbetween dose and response was noted. A phase II trial of paclitaxel,175 mg/m 2 /wk, the maximum tolerated dose, was initiated;data are available for the first 25 patients. Eighty-three, 75, 58, and50% of intended doses were delivered during cycles one to four, respectively. Grade 2 or 3 neuropathy occurred in nine patients, butimproved in all following dose reduction. Platelet counts rose by17,000/μL/wk. Partial responses occurred in 14 of 25 patients (56%;confidence interval, 46 to 66%). The duration of response was 6months, and 1-and 2-year survival rates were 53% and 18%,respectively. Conclusion Paclitaxel administered on aweekly schedule allows enhanced dose intensity, has a protective orstimulatory effect on platelets, and is active in NSCLC.
On the Status of Restoration Science: Obstacles and Opportunities

Terrestrial restoration ecology is not as well developed as aquatic and wetland restoration. There are several key obstacles to progress in restoration ecology, but these obstacles may also be viewed as opportunities to exploit. One obstacle is demonstration science, or an overreliance on simplistic experiments with few treatment factors and few levels of those factors. Complex, multivariate experiments yield greater insights, especially when teamed with sophisticated methods of data analysis. A second key obstacle is myopic scholarship that has led to little synthesis and weak conceptual theory. A greater awareness of and explicit references to ecological principles will help develop the conceptual basis of restoration science. Where should restoration ecology be headed? We should consider forming partnerships with developers, landscape artists, and industry to do complex, large-scale experiments and make restoration a more common part of everyday life.
Astrocytes play a key role in activation of microglia by persistent Borna disease virus infection

Neonatal Borna disease virus (BDV) infection of the rat brain is associated with microglial activation and damage to certain neuronal populations. Since persistent BDV infection of neurons is nonlytic in vitro, activated microglia have been suggested to be responsible for neuronal cell death in vivo. However, the mechanisms of activation of microglia in neonatally BDV-infected rat brains remain unclear. Our previous studies have shown that activation of microglia by BDV in culture requires the presence of astrocytes as neither the virus nor BDV-infected neurons alone activate microglia. Here, we evaluated the mechanisms whereby astrocytes can contribute to activation of microglia in neuron-glia-microglia mixed cultures. We found that persistent infection of neuronal cells leads to activation of uninfected astrocytes as measured by elevated expression of RANTES. Activation of astrocytes then produces activation of microglia as evidenced by increased formation of round-shaped, MHCI-, MHCII- and IL-6-positive microglia cells. Our analysis of possible molecular mechanisms of activation of astrocytes and/or microglia in culture indicates that the mediators of activation may be soluble heat-resistant, low molecular weight factors. The findings indicate that astrocytes may mediate activation of microglia by BDV-infected neurons. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that microglia activation in the absence of neuronal damage may represent initial steps in the gradual neurodegeneration observed in brains of neonatally BDV-infected rats.
SHANK3 Overexpression Causes Manic-like Behavior with Unique Pharmacogenetic Properties (I4-1.001)

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this work is to determine the phenotypic consequences of SHANK3 overexpression in humans and mice. BACKGROUND: Haploinsufficiency of SHANK3 causes Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (PMS), an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Most cases of PMS are due to deletions encompassing SHANK3 on 22q13. In contrast, few cases of duplications of SHANK3 are known, and the ones that have been reported include either large duplications or complex chromosomal rearrangements. Similarly, a mouse model of Shank3 overexpression has never been reported. Therefore, whether there are phenotypic consequences of SHANK3 overexpression is unclear. DESIGN/METHODS: We have interrogated the Baylor College of Medicine chromosome microarray database to identify the smallest 22q13 duplications encompassing SHANK3 ever reported. We have reviewed the medical history of these patients to determine the phenotypic consequences of SHANK3 overexpression. Similarly, we have created mice that overexpress Shank3 by bacterial artificial chromosome transgenesis. We have performed detailed behavioral analysis as well as neurophysiology to characterize these mice. We have also identified in vivo protein-protein interactions of Shank3 by immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry ( SHANK3 in vivo interactome). RESULTS: Compared with wild-type littermates, Shank3 overexpressing mice are hyperactive, have increased sensitivity to amphetamine, decreased despair, altered circadian rhythm and hyperexcitability discharges with spontaneous seizures. The behavioral phenotypes are reversed by acute valproate treatment but not by lithium treatment. Our interactome has revealed an abundance of proteins involved in actin polymerization. We have determined that elevated Shank3 levels results in increased actin polymerization. Our patients with SHANK3 duplications similarly have hyperkinetic disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder as well as epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS: SHANK3 overexpression results in a range of hyperkinetic disorders in humans. In mice, elevated Shank3 levels results in manic-like behavior and epilepsy. Together, this data provides the first evidence of phenotypic consequences of SHANK3 overexpression. Study Supported by: Thrasher Early Career Fund, Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation and HHMI Disclosure: Dr. Holder has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zoghbi has nothing to disclose.
Dielectric properties of dielectrophoretically assembled particulate-polymer composites

The dielectrophoretic effect is a phenomenon in which dipole-dipole interactions are induced between particles in a suspension by an electric field.1−5 This dipole interaction leads to the formation of chains or fibrils parallel to the applied electric field. Recently, the dielectrophoretic effect has been shown to be a possible composite assembly technique permitting property changes to be induced with the appropriate electric fields.6,7 The results presented in this paper show that the dielectrophoretic assembly process can be used to engineer anisotropy into composite materials. Various filler materials are aligned in a thermoset polyurethane matrix and the dielectric properties are measured. Comparisons are drawn between the dielectrophoretically assembled composites and those processed conventionally in the absence of an electric field. Dielectric properties are modeled with modified mixing laws and discussed in relation to the composite microstructure and the alpha relaxations of the polymer phase.
The Factor Structure of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia Among Probable Alzheimer's Disease Patients

The authors rated 137 outpatients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) on the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) as part of routine evaluation. Principal-factors analysis with varimax rotation resulted in a four-factor solution that accounted for 43.1% of the common variance. The four factors included general depression (lack of reactivity to pleasant events, poor self-esteem, pessimism, loss of interest, physical complaints, psychomotor retardation, sadness); rhythm disturbances (difficulty falling asleep, multiple night awakenings, early morning awakenings, weight loss, diurnal variation of mood); agitation/psychosis (agitation, mood-congruent delusions, suicide); and negative symptoms (appetite loss, weight loss, lack of energy, loss of interest, lack of reactivity to pleasant events). The observed factor structure showed moderate concordance with the five symptom clusters proposed in the original presentation of the CSDD.
A Study of Task-Goal Attributes, Higher Order Need Strength, and Performance

This study attempts to determine how six task-goal attributes are related to various effort and quantitative performance measures. The initial analyses found little consistent relationship between ...
Variable Life-history and Emergence Patterns of the Pipe-Organ Mud-daubing Wasp, Trypoxylon politum (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

Many insect species show intraspecific variation in their life-history patterns. Such variability may affect a wide range of traits including size, social behavior, sex ratios, mating tactics, and competition for resources; it may also affect population dynamics and interactions with parasites and prey. Trypoxylon politum has a seasonally variable, partially bivoltine life history (i.e., some wasps produce offspring that emerge before the end of June whereas others produce overwintering offspring) in the southern part of its range and a univoltine life history (one generation per year) north of central Virginia. Wasps from three partially bivoltine populations differ in the pattern of adult emergence, suggesting a latitudinal gradient in their responsiveness to photoperiod and other environmental cues affecting diapause. Wasp size, sex, the date on which the egg was laid, and rearing conditions also affect diapause and the timing of adult emergence. Few behavioral differences were found between wasps from Florida partially bivoltine populations and wasps from New Jersey univoltine populations, but their life histories and patterns of adult emergence differ markedly. When wasps from partially bivoltine populations are reared in the north (NJ), they emerge at the same time as local wasps. When wasps from univoltine populations are subjected to warm winter conditions (FL) they show a bimodal pattern of adult emergence: some emerge slightly later than wasps from partially bivoltine populations reared under the same conditions whereas others emerge at the same time as those developing in the north. This suggests variability in the effect of environmental cues on diapause and adaptation to local environmental conditions. The advantages of different emergence patterns are discussed in terms of their effect in avoiding unfavorable conditions such as freezing, and in taking advantage of favorable conditions such as synchronizing emergence with the occurrence of appropriate prey resources.
Adult-onset calorie restriction delays the accumulation of mitochondrial enzyme abnormalities in aging rat kidney tubular epithelial cells.

Adult-onset calorie restriction (A-CR) is an experimental model of life extension and healthy aging less explored, compared with calorie restriction begun at early ages, but one more realistic for ...
Acute pancreatitis after liver transplantation: incidence and contributing factors

In order to assess the incidence and possible predisposing and contributing factors in the development of acute pancreatitis after liver transplantation, we reviewed the medical records of all 1832 adult patients who underwent 2161 orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) procedures in our center between January 1987 and September 1992. Of these patients, 55 (3% incidence) developed clinical pancreatitis and 247 (13.4% incidence) developed hyperamylasemia (biochemical pancratitis). Overall mortality in cases of clinical pancreatitis was 63.6%. The mortality in cases of hyperamylasemia was similar to that found in the general liver transplant population (i.e., 23%). A strong correlation was found between pancreatitis after liver transplantation and end-stage liver disease due to hepatitis B (30% of the cases, P = 0.00001). Extensive surgical dissection around the pancreas (P < 0.05), the type of biliary reconstruction following liver transplantation (P < 0.05), and the number of liver grafts received by the same patient (P = 0.00001) appeared to be possible contributing factors as did the duration of venovenous bypass and the quantity of IV calcium chloride administered intraoperatively.
Bitvector: Fault Tolerant Aggregation Scheme for Monitoring in Nuclear Power Plants

Industrial wireless sensor networks (IWSNs) have become popular, given the lower cost of installation than wired networks and their flexibility. WSNs are applied in monitoring, measurement, and control. Nuclear power plants (NPPs), in particular, have not been eager to adopt WSNs due to reliability, electromagnetic and radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI) as well as security concerns. On the other hand, the two main benefits from adding WSNs to NPPs are increased reliability from using robust wireless monitoring as a backup network for the primary wired system and reduce costs from installation and maintenance (in comparison to wired networks). We propose a new fault model and a fault tolerant in-network aggregation scheme, bitvector. First, in order to mimic the interference environment in NPP, we define a new fault model with time-dependent faults. We propose the fault duration concept, a time span during which the link error rate is fixed, such as when EMI/RFI appears between nodes. Therefore, the fault duration is an indicator of the network stability. Second, based on the fault model, there are some network links whose quality are not good during a fault duration interval. Bitvector estimates neighbor link quality dynamically and orders primary and backup parents dynamically according to link quality estimation. In addition, since data rate is low in NPPs, bitvector is able to use redundancy to improve accuracy. In particular, for some faults, bitvector defers fault detection and fault recovery by one sensing interval. Experiments show that bitvector significantly improves performance in root mean square (RMS) error and correct message rate, benefits of bitvector are even larger for environments with high fault rates.
Planar and vertical signals in the induction and patterning of the Xenopus nervous system

The cellular mechanisms responsible for the formation of the Xenopus nervous system have been examined in total exogastrula embryos in which the axial mesoderm appears to remain segregated from prospective neural ectoderm and in recombinates of ectoderm and mesoderm. Posterior neural tissue displaying anteroposterior pattern develops in exogastrula ectoderm. This effect may be mediated by planar signals that occur in the absence of underlying mesoderm. The formation of a posterior neural tube may depend on the notoplate, a midline ectodermal cell group which extends along the anteroposterior axis. The induction of neural structures characteristic of the forebrain and of cell types normally found in the ventral region of the posterior neural tube requires additional vertical signals from underlying axial mesoderm. Thus, the formation of the embryonic Xenopus nervous system appears to involve the cooperation of distinct planar and vertical signals derived from midline cell groups.
Using Computer Simulations and Games to Prevent Student Plagiarism

In this increasingly digital age, student plagiarism is rampant. Roughly half of college students admit to plagiarizing using content found online, directly copying and pasting the work of others. ...
An Analytic and Empirical Evaluation of Return-on-Investment-Based Active Learning

Return-on-Investment (ROI) is a costconscious approach to active learning (AL) that considers both estimates of cost and of benefit in active sample selection. We investigate the theoretical conditions for successful cost-conscious AL using ROI by examining the conditions under which ROI would optimize the area under the cost/benefit curve. We then empirically measure the degree to which optimality is jeopardized in practice when the conditions are violated. The reported experiments involve an English part-of-speech annotation task. Our results show that ROI can indeed successfully reduce total annotation costs and should be considered as a viable option for machine-assisted annotation. On the basis of our experiments, we make recommendations for benefit estimators to be employed in ROI. In particular, we find that the more linearly related a benefit estimate is to the true benefit, the better the estimate performs when paired in ROI with an imperfect cost estimate. Lastly, we apply our analysis to help explain the mixed results of previous work on these questions.
Integration of Thiele Continued Fractions and the method of fundamental solutions for solving unconfined seepage problems

Unconfined seepage through an earth dam or a levee is recognized as a challenging problem. This complexity is mainly due to the fact that determination of the phreatic line through the dam/levee body is not straightforward. For simulation purposes, mesh generation as well as accurate and smooth alteration of the phreatic line at the junction with the downstream slope (referred to as exit point) for an unconfined seepage problem with complex geometry generally makes cumbersome numerical solutions. This study presents an innovative boundary-type meshfree method to determine the phreatic line location in unconfined seepage problems. The current study explicitly addresses the problem that alternative methods commonly face to deal with the exit point. The method is developed based upon integrating the Method of Fundamental Solutions (MFS), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, and Thiele Continued Fractions (TCF). To accurately estimate the phreatic line location, the proposed framework uses MFS to solve the flow continuity equation, TCF to generate the phreatic line and PSO to optimize the phreatic line location generated by TCF. As a boundary method, MFS only deals with the boundaries of the domain and consequently, it only takes the exact position of phreatic line as a variable boundary. The proposed approach employs TCF to guarantee that the phreatic line is tangent to the downstream slope at the exit point, a characteristics which is important especially for the cases where abrupt changes occur in the phreatic line near the exit point. For comparison and validation purposes, the phreatic lines determined by the proposed approach for two unconfined seepage problems are compared and verified against those obtained from alternative analytical and numerical methods as well as a set of experimental results. An excellent agreement is demonstrated upon comparison of the proposed method to the results attained from the analytical solutions and experimental tests.
NIMG-15EMPLOYING PRE-CLINICAL GLIOBLASTOMA MODEL AND MRI DERIVED TEXTURE FEATURES FOR FUNCTIONAL VALIDATION OF RADIOGENOMICS

A precise clinically relevant characterization of glioblastoma (GBM) heterogeneity and underlying genomic variability is urgently needed. To evaluate the true potential of radiogenomics, an emerging field for GBM research, we have tested its scope in a pre-clinical setting. First, glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) are altered to express decreased levels of Periostin (POSTN), previously identified in a radiogenomic screen as a key pro-invasive gene. Second, orthotopic tumors arising from these GSCs, were scanned and analyzed to identify gene specific MRI texture feature (MRTF) signatures, which can simultaneously predict POSTN status in GBM patients. Doxycycline inducible short hairpin RNA mediated knockdown of POSTN in GSC lines were established. 5X10^6 cells were stereotactically implanted in nude mice frontal cortex and randomized into POSTN knockdown and control groups. Monitored tumor growth longitudinally by MRI (n = 3-4 per group). Region of interest (ROI) methods were applied to the rigid registration images based on axial T1-weighted imaging and corresponding fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences. After pre-processing, gray level co-occurrence matrices (GLCMs) were generated in 4 angular directions and 3 invariant measures (mean, range and angular variance) of each texture feature is calculated. A matrix of 3x20 invariant features is generated for each gray level. Mean values of normalized MRTFs from edema T1 post and T2, subgroup tumors arising from independent GSCs (p <0.009- < 0.039) whereas, a distinct set of MRTFs correctly subgroup tumors arising from GSCs with POSTN knockdown and Control (p < 0.01- < 0.047). Additionally, these features are highly conserved in their respective groups between mouse and human MRI scans. In conclusion, our results provide one of the first pre-clinical validation for the field of radiogenomics, where a specific gene status can be recognized by a specific set of MRI texture features, which in turn can predict gene status in an individual GBM patient.
A NEW ADAPTIVE FILTERING ESTIMATOR AND ITS APPLICATION

According to the heat-wash practice of oil wells and on the basis of main relation of state space models and time series models, a new adaptive filtering estimator which can be applied to heat washing process is given in the paper. The estimator has great practical significance for determining heat-wash periods of wells in actual production.
Management options for early incomplete miscarriage.

For the management of incomplete miscarriage, limited-quality evidence shows that medical treatment with misoprostol (Cytotec), expectant care, and surgical evacuation have a completion of miscarriage success rate between 80 to 99 percent in pregnancies at less than 13 weeks' gestation.1 Evidence comparing mortality, morbidity, and patient satisfaction also is limited, but suggests that all three methods are similar.
Switching Dynamics and Hot Atom Damage in Landau Switches

Among the various sub-60 mV/decade transistors proposed to reduce the supply voltage (and thereby, power dissipation) of an integrated circuit, a Landau switch achieves this goal by amplifying the gate voltage by replacing the gate dielectric (DE) with a ferroelectric (FE) that exhibits negative capacitance. The subthreshold swing (S) and power dissipation are indeed reduced, but one wonders if switching speed would suffer at the low operating voltage, and if the reliability would degrade due to polarization switching. Based on the coupled kinetics of FE–DE switching, and using the existing experimental data for the FE properties in doped HfO2, we predict that an FE Landau transistor would switch as fast as and would be more robust to hot atom damage-induced ac reliability degradation observed in the FE memory. These results encourage sustained development of this technology option.