Search

This paper provides an econometric analysis of the matriculation decisions made by students accepted to Williams College, one of the nation's most highly selective colleges and universities. Using data for the Williams classes of 2008 through 2012 to estimate a yield model, we find that--conditional on the student applying to and being accepted by Williams--applicant quality as measured by standardized tests, high school GPA and the like, the net price a particular student faces (the sticker price minus institutional financial aid), the applicant's race and geographic origin, plus the student's artistic, athletic and academic interests, are strong predictors of whether or not the student will matriculate. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)

A genomewide linkage scan is conducted on patients with anonychia, an autosomal recessive disorder, and the R-spondin 4 (RSPO4) gene is analyzed. The results have indicated that mesenchymal-epithelial interactions are crucial in nail development and anonychia is put on the growing list of congenital malformation syndromes caused by Wnt-signaling-pathway defects.

Byline: C. M. Pusch (1), B. Meyer (2), S. Kupka (1,3), R. J. Smith (4), A. K. Lalwani (5), H.-P. Zenner (3), N. Blin (1), P. Nurnberg (2,6), M. Pfister (3) Keywords: Audiogram; Autosomal dominant mode of inheritance; Candidate gene; Deafness; DFNA4; Hearing impairment Abstract: Many forms of autosomal dominant non-syndromic hearing impairment are known. While the underlying gene defects and causative mutations have been discovered for some forms, the gene responsible for DFNA4 has remained elusive to date. Examination of a German four-generation kindred led to the identification of a 1.44 Mb map segment in contig NT_011109 as being the most likely DFNA4 candidate region in 19q13.33. The recombination breakpoints in this family and the intervals of two previously reported DFNA4 families allowed us to delineate a minimum consensus region between the markers D19S879 and D19S246. In our family, a maximum two-point LOD score of 4.5 was obtained at theta =0 for the marker D19S867. Within the refined DFNA4 interval the public databases list more than 50 genes, from which several appear to be promising DFNA4 candidates due to similarities with animal models and with other causative genes involved in hearing disability. Author Affiliation: (1) Institute of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Division of Molecular Genetics, University of Tubingen, 72074 , Tubingen, Germany (2) Gene Mapping Center, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany (3) Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital Tubingen, Tubingen, Germany (4) Department of Otolaryngology, Molecular Otolaryngology Research Labs, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA (5) Department of Otolaryngology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA (6) Institute of Medical Genetics, Charite, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany Article History: Registration Date: 02/03/2004 Received Date: 16/12/2003 Accepted Date: 20/02/2004 Online Date: 24/03/2004

Chlorine dioxide (ClO2), a relative new addition to the oil and gas fracturing industry (especially for production-water treatment for reuse), has superior microbial efficacy compared with currently used nonoxidizing biocides at their lowest and mid-range US Environmental Protection Agency approved concentrations. ClO2 is the only antimicrobial treatment to exhibit complete kill of any of the bacterial populations [except tetrakishydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfate (THPS) at 208 ppm (commodity basis) in 100% Marcellus shale production water], and demonstrated greater than 5.16 log10 reduction even at the lowest ClO2 residual tested (i.e., 1.19 ppm residual; 9 ppm dose). As a result, ClO2 should be considered a potentially viable option when selecting a biocide for treating fracturing production waters for reuse in the Marcellus shale play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia and cyanobacteria still occur occasionally in large, mesotrophic Lake Simcoe, and total phosphorus (TP) concentration has remained relatively constant despite external nutrient load reduction. This may indicate a potential internal P source. Internal load as redox-dependent P release from bottom sediments is hard to determine in such a relatively shallow and mostly mixed lake. This study represents the first attempt to quantify internal P loading over many years for the three main sections of Lake Simcoe. Internal load was determined (a) as in situ estimate based on TP increases between July and October and (b) as gross estimate from the product of experimentally determined P release rates and hypoxic extent of sediment surfaces in space and time. Hypoxic extent was quantified (1) as the hypoxic factor determined from dissolved oxygen profiles below the level of 3.5 mg/L, and (2) as active sediment area release factor (AA) modeled from summer euphotic TP concentration, which is especially useful in the mixed sections. Annual internal load for the whole lake was determined as a near constant 62.2 metric tonnes/yr (86 mg/m2/yr) for 1980-2011 using the gross estimates of the AA approach and 88 t/yr before and 53 t/yr after external load abatement and zebra mussel invasion using in situ estimates. Means of in situ and AA-based estimates for 2000-2011 are in close agreement except for polymictic Cook's Bay. These estimates are 45 to 89% of external load, which suggests that internal loading is an important source of P in Lake Simcoe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia and cyanobacterial blooms were extensive in Lake Simcoe during the 1980s and are still a problem to a lesser degree despite extensive nutrient load reduction from the catchment basin. The continuing signs of productivity indicate a potential internal phosphorus (P) source. Internal P load, as a redox-dependent release from bottom sediments, is hard to determine in a large, relatively shallow and partially unstratified lake such as Lake Simcoe. Of the lake's three major basins, only Kempenfelt Bay stratifies long enough to develop hypoxia in the stagnant summer hypolimnion. The following indications of sediment P release are available from historic data: 1) hypolimnetic hypoxia still occurs in Kempenfelt Bay although the hypoxic factor (number of days that an area equal to the bay's surface area is overlain by water of ⩽2 mg/L dissolved oxygen, DO) has decreased substantially and significantly from 15.8 d/yr (1980-1994) to 4.0 d/yr (1995-2011); 2) hypoxic factors for other lake sections and at different DO levels also indicate widespread hypoxia; 3) concentrations of redox dependent metals, Fe and Mn, increase with depth; and 4) euphotic zone P and chlorophyll concentrations increase and water clarity decreases during fall turnover. Cyanobacterial blooms appear to occur in response to internal load as supported by occasional cyanobacteria counts. These indicators provide evidence that internal loading is likely occurring and affecting the water quality in Lake Simcoe. We expect that further monitoring, specific for internal load, will corroborate these results [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recessive hairless mutation arose spontaneously in a congenic line of spontaneously hypertensive rats SHR.BN-(D1Mit3-Igf2)/Ipcv. The mutant rats develop generalized alopecia except for partial hair growth on their heads. Affected animals of the congenic line were crossed with LEW rats and randomly bred for several generations. A genome scan in 74 affected and 75 unaffected offspring localized the mutant gene on rat chromosome 18p12, near the marker D18Rat107, which is closely linked to the desmosomal cadherin gene cluster, syntenic to mouse chromosome 18 and human chromosome 18q12. Recently, the mouse and rat phenotypeslah/lah(lanceolate hair) andlahJ/lahJ(lanceolate hair-J) were found to be caused by mutations in the desmoglein 4 (Dsg4) gene. Direct sequencing of theDsg4gene in the SHR revealed a homozygous C-to-T transition generating a premature termination codon within exon 8 in the affected animals. Further studies on the skin histology in affected rats demonstrated features consistent with alanceolate hairmutation, providing further support for the crucial role of desmoglein 4 in hair shaft differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chagas' disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and commonly modelled in inbred mice. Susceptibility of mouse strains to experimental infection varies considerably. We quantified parasite tissue burdens in resistant and susceptible strains by real time PCR and applied a backcross strategy to map the genomic loci linked to susceptibility in inbred mice. Resistant B6D2F1 mice were backcrossed with susceptible C57BL/6 mice, and 46 of a total 192 offspring died after infection. Their genomes were scanned with microsatellite markers. One region on chromosome 17 was significantly linked to susceptibility, while another on chromosome 5 was suggestive of linkage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study to characterize the neuroprotective activity of the novel glycine[subΒ] site N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist 8-chloro-4-hydroxy-1-oxo-1,2-dihydropyridazino [4,5-b]quinolin-5-oxide choline salt, CAS 202807-805, or MRZ 2/576, in a rodent model of focal cerebral ischiaemia. Methods; Results; Conclusion that prolonged administration of MRZ 2/576 ameliorates ischaemic damage.

The article discusses about the two same pharmacotherapy studies that test olanzapine as a borderline personality disorder treatment. The trials were similar to the early randomized placebo-controlled test, which provided olanzapine dosages of 2.5 milligrams and 5 to 10 milligrams to random patients, although the 2 trials differ on fixed-dose and flexible-dose medications. Results recommend that pharmacotherapy using olanzapine should focus on particular disorder symptoms.

The article discusses microsatellites in rhesus macaque using amplification methods perfected with human DNA. It mentions the distance genetically between rhesus monkeys and humans, and lists several primer loci that specifically identify heterozygous or homogenous paternity throughout their generations. Using these loci combined with data collected from chimpanzee and ape DNA samplings, cross species amplification is shown to further identify alleles that can be used in DNA and mtDNA testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Frank-ter Haar syndrome is a rare disorder associated with skeletal, cardiac, ocular and craniofacial features including hypertelorism and brachycephaly. The most common underlying genetic defect in Frank-ter Haar syndrome appears to be a mutation in the SH3PXD2B gene on chromosome 5q35.1. Craniosynostosis, or premature fusion of the calvarial sutures, has not previously been described in Frank-ter Haar syndrome. Case presentation We present a family of three affected siblings born to consanguineous parents with clinical features in keeping with a diagnosis of Frank-ter Haar syndrome. All three siblings have a novel mutation caused by the deletion of exon 13 of the SH3PXD2B gene. Two of the three siblings also have non-scaphocephalic sagittal synostosis associated with raised intracranial pressure. Conclusion The clinical features of craniosynostosis and raised intracranial pressure in this family with a confirmed diagnosis of Frank-ter Haar syndrome expand the clinical spectrum of the disease. The abnormal cranial proportions in a mouse model of the disease suggests that the association is not coincidental. The possibility of craniosynostosis should be considered in individuals with a suspected diagnosis of Frank-ter Haar syndrome.