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Design of experiments is a branch of applied statistics that deals with the preparation, undertaking, and analysis of experiments used to investigate the effect of parameters or factors on response variables. Under the appropriate assumptions, design of experiments can enable information to be obtained more efficiently than conventional "one factor at a time" approaches. This study shows how design of experiments can be used for product development in agricultural applications, as demonstrated by the optimisation of a grass cutting blade. Particular attention is given to the collection of valid, reliable, and reproducible quantitative and qualitative results, which can be challenging in the field of agricultural engineering due to the influence of variation from the experimental environment. Significant improvement in performance is obtained when compared to a pre-existing product. • Design of experiments applied to multiobjective optimisation of a cutting blade. • Qualitative measures of performance converted to quantitative data to compute variance. • Geometry of upturn and rake angle of the blade most affect cutting performance. • Significant performance improvement is obtained by the optimised cutting blade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Individuals remain poorly predictable from population-level analyses of the brain. • The fidelity limits data scale, compute, and model flexibility impose are unknown. • We quantify these limits in multimodal, multitarget analyses across 23810 people. • We show a radical change in modelling regimes is needed for individual prediction. Our knowledge of the organisation of the human brain at the population-level is yet to translate into power to predict functional differences at the individual-level, limiting clinical applications and casting doubt on the generalisability of inferred mechanisms. It remains unknown whether the difficulty arises from the absence of individuating biological patterns within the brain, or from limited power to access them with the models and compute at our disposal. Here we comprehensively investigate the resolvability of such patterns with data and compute at unprecedented scale. Across 23 810 unique participants from UK Biobank, we systematically evaluate the predictability of 25 individual biological characteristics, from all available combinations of structural and functional neuroimaging data. Over 4526 GPU*hours of computation, we train, optimize, and evaluate out-of-sample 700 individual predictive models, including fully-connected feed-forward neural networks of demographic, psychological, serological, chronic disease, and functional connectivity characteristics, and both uni- and multi-modal 3D convolutional neural network models of macro- and micro-structural brain imaging. We find a marked discrepancy between the high predictability of sex (balanced accuracy 99.7%), age (mean absolute error 2.048 years, R2 0.859), and weight (mean absolute error 2.609Kg, R2 0.625), for which we set new state-of-the-art performance, and the surprisingly low predictability of other characteristics. Neither structural nor functional imaging predicted an individual's psychology better than the coincidence of common chronic disease (p < 0.05). Serology predicted chronic disease (p < 0.05) and was best predicted by it (p < 0.001), followed by structural neuroimaging (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest either more informative imaging or more powerful models will be needed to decipher individual level characteristics from the human brain. We make our models and code openly available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer is uncommon in relation to other women's cancer, however, it is associated with a disproportionate number of deaths due to women's cancer. According to the National Institute of Health, only 1.2% of new cancer diagnoses in the United States are attributed to ovarian cancer, yet it is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women and is responsible for 2.3% of all female cancer deaths. Ovarian cancer deaths are largely due to widely metastatic and chemoresistant disease that often presents at a late stage. The omentum is one of the most common sites for ovarian cancer metastasis. Recent research findings have highlighted the specific tumor microenvironment of the omentum and how it can be manipulated to prevent ovarian cancer proliferation, metastasis and chemoresistance. Debulking surgery has been the mainstay in the treatment for ovarian cancer. Total omentectomy is classically described as essential to this procedure. This article explores the known benefits of total omentectomy in the surgical treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer as well as the potential benefit contained within the omental tumor microenvironment when the omentum is macroscopically free of disease at the time of initial surgery. • Ovarian cancer exploits the omental tumor microenvironment in its own propagation. • Conversely this rich cellular infiltrate can be harnessed to fight ovarian cancer. • With targeted therapy, the omentum may present a new frontier in ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Calosoma beetles were introduced to Hawaii 13 times for biological control since 1897. • All purposeful introductions of Calosoma beetles to Hawaii have failed. • The single currently resident Calosoma beetle in Hawaii was accidentally introduced. • Contrary to all failed introductions, the successful colonist lacks flight wings. • Understanding the ecology of candidate biological control agents is essential. From 1897 until 1957, beetles of the genus Calosoma L. (Coleoptera: Carabidae) were repeatedly introduced to the Hawaiian Islands as predators of nutgrass armyworm, Spodoptera exempta (Walker), armyworm, Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth), and lawn armyworm, Spodoptera mauritia (Boisduval). Through examination of institutional voucher specimens, archival field notes, and the literature, we document failed biological control introductions of eight flight-capable Calosoma species: C. calidum (F.), C. frigidum Kirby, C. marginale Casey, C. peregrinator Guérin-Méneville, C. prominens LeConte, C. protractum LeConte, C. semilaeve LeConte, and C. senegalense Dejean. In contrast, the vestigially-winged C. anthracinum Dejean, a rarely collected Mexican species never intentionally introduced, is the only Calosoma currently resident in Hawaiʻi. Calosoma anthracinum was misidentified initially as C. semilaeve , and thereafter misidentified as Calosoma blaptoides tehuanacum Lapouge. Both C. anthracinum and C. protractum were collected sympatrically at Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico during Hawaiʻi-based explorations, and we hypothesize that they were introduced together as a species mixture in a 1923 release made at Waikiʻi, Parker Ranch, Hawaiʻi Island. Calosoma anthracinum was little known to taxonomists at that time due to its limited native distribution, rarity in institutional collections, and absence from taxonomic keys, leading to repeated misidentifications. Calosoma peregrinator and C. prominens , two abundant, sympatric species from the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts, were also taxonomically confused over this period, resulting in mixed-species Hawaiian introductions. Three species that failed to establish upon introduction— C. marginale , C. peregrinator and C. semilaeve —have been intercepted as singletons or pairs of individuals decades later, without apparent establishment. Calosoma beetles' ecological requirements, dispersal abilities, introduction histories, and native ranges and associated climate are compared among species, the only unique characteristic of the successful colonist being flightlessness. The history of Hawaiian Calosoma introductions illustrates the need for robust and accessible classifications based on accurately determined specimens as well as comprehensive understanding of the biological attributes and habitat requirements of candidate biological control agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the traditional approach to Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA), the determination of surface tension or interfacial tension is constrained by computational speed and image quality. By implementing a machine learning-based approach, particularly using a convolutional neural network (CNN), it is posited that analysis of pendant drop images can be both faster and more accurate. A CNN model was trained and used to predict the surface tension of drop images. The performance of our CNN model was compared to the traditional ADSA, i.e. direct numerical integration, in terms of precision, computational speed, and robustness in dealing with images of varying quality. Additionally, the ability of the CNN model to predict other drop properties such as Volume and Surface Area was evaluated. Our CNN demonstrated a significant enhancement in experimental fit precision, predicting surface tension with an accuracy of (+/-) 1.22 × 10 − 1 mN/m and at a speed of 1.50 ms − 1 , outpacing the traditional method by more than 5 × 10 3 times. The model maintained an average surface tension error of 2.42 × 10 − 1 mN/m even for experimental images with challenges such as misalignment and poor focus. The CNN model also demonstrated showcased a high degree of accuracy in determining other drop properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract When attempting to resolve relationship problems, individuals in close relationships sometimes challenge their partners with statements that oppose their partners' point of view. Such oppositional behaviors may undermine those partners' relational value and threaten their status within the relationship. We examined whether perceptions of opposition from a partner during a series of problem-solving interactions were associated with reactivity in testosterone levels and whether those associations were different for men and women. Fifty newlywed couples discussed four marital problems. Each member of the couple reported how much oppositional behavior they perceived from their partner during the discussions. Pre- and post-discussion saliva samples were assayed for testosterone. For men, but not for women, perceptions of oppositional behavior were associated with heightened testosterone reactivity, and this result replicated across three different measures of testosterone reactivity. Findings were specific to men's perceptions of oppositional behavior, and held controlling for objective measures of oppositional behavior coded from videos of the conversations. Results highlight the benefits of considering pair-bonded relationships as a novel context for investigating associations involving hormones and behavior. Findings also raise the possibility that sex differentiated hormonal reactions to opposition partly explain why conflict among heterosexual partners can be so divisive. Highlights • Links between partner behavior and testosterone reactivity differ for men and women. • Perceiving partner opposition is associated with heightened T reactivity in men. • Perceiving partner opposition is unassociated with T reactivity in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intraepithelial corneal nerves (ICNs) help protect the cornea as part of the blink reflex and by modulating tear production. ICNs are also thought to regulate the health and homeostasis of the cornea through the release of trophic factors. Disruption to these nerves can lead to vision loss. Despite their importance little is known about how corneal nerves function and even less is known about how the cornea is initially innervated during its embryonic development. Here, we investigated the innervation of the embryonic chicken cornea. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to characterize the localization of the synaptic vesicle marker SV2, a molecule thought to be involved in the release of trophic factors from sensory nerves. The data show that both SV2 and synaptotagmin co-localize to ICNs. Nerves in the conjunctiva also contained SV2 and synaptotagmin, but these were localized to below the basal layers of the conjunctiva epithelium. SV2 isolated from corneal epithelium migrates in western blot at a heavier weight than SV2 isolated from brain, which suggests a role in vesicle targeting, as the deglycosylating enzyme PnGase does not affect corneal SV2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop validity tests for application to stated-preference estimates of WTP to reduce mortality risk, i.e., value per statistical life (VSL), and apply these to data obtained by surveying a representative sample of French adults over the internet. These tests (WTP nearly proportional to risk reduction, insensitive to small differences in baseline risk, increasing in income, and consistent with budget constraints) are satisfied by a conventional single-regression analysis of our data. Using latent class analysis (LCA), we identify important differences between respondents in their consistency with the validity tests and control for much of this heterogeneity. Estimates of VSL from the latent class that is consistent with the validity tests are smaller than estimates from the standard analysis. We estimate mean VSL for adults of about 2 million € and for children (based on parents' WTP) of about 6 million €. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambystoma tigrinum virus (ATV) (family Iridoviridae , genus Ranavirus ) was isolated from diseased tiger salamanders ( Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi ) from the San Rafael Valley in southern Arizona, USA in 1996. Genomic sequencing of ATV, as well as other members of the genus, identified an open reading frame that has homology to the eukaryotic translation initiation factor, eIF2α (ATV eIF2α homologue, vIF2αH). Therefore, we asked if the ATV vIF2αH could also inhibit PKR. To test this hypothesis, the ATV vIF2αH was cloned into vaccinia virus (VACV) in place of the well-characterized VACV PKR inhibitor, E3L. Recombinant VACV expressing ATV vIF2αH partially rescued deletion of the VACV E3L gene. Rescue coincided with rapid degradation of PKR in infected cells. These data suggest that the salamander virus, ATV, contains a novel gene that may counteract host defenses, and this gene product may be involved in the presentation of disease caused by this environmentally important pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Development of V. adaliae -infected larvae decreased when fed 5 % manuka honey. • Manuka honey had no effect on larval mortality or beetle sex ratios. • Beetles fed 15 % honey had fewer spores than the control, but not significantly. Honey is known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Manuka honey was examined for its potential to manage the microsporidium Vairimorpha (Nosema) adaliae infecting Adalia bipunctata larvae. Development time for uninfected larvae fed aphids and water was 13.0 ± 0.2 days, which did not differ significantly from larvae fed aphids and manuka honey. Development of V. adaliae -infected larvae fed aphids and water was 16.3 ± 0.5 days, compared to 15.0 ± 0.2, 15.2 ± 0.3, and 15.6 ± 0.2 days for larvae fed aphids and 5 %, 10 %, or 15 % manuka honey, respectively. Development time was shorter for all honey treatments, but only those fed 5 % manuka differed significantly from the control. Control adults had 19.4 ± 3.0 spores/120 µm2, compared to 19.0 ± 2.0, 19.1 ± 2.1, and 14.3 ± 2.2, for adults provided with 5 %, 10 %, and 15 % honey, respectively. Although spore loads did not differ significantly (p > 0.05), lighter infections were observed in the group fed 15 % manuka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Stress exposure and depletion of microglial BDNF altered microglial phenotype. • Microglial BDNF depletion lowered baseline GluN2B expression in the PFC. • 7 days of stress reduced PFC levels of GluN2A, but only in mice lacking microglial BDNF. • Loss of microglial BDNF did not cause baseline deficits in working memory. • Depletion of microglial BDNF exacerbated stress effects on working memory by about twofold. In the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), chronic stress reduces synaptic expression of glutamate receptors, leading to decreased excitatory signaling from layer V pyramidal neurons and working memory deficits. One key element driving these changes is a reduction in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling. BDNF is a potent mediator of synaptic growth and deficient BDNF signaling has been linked to stress susceptibility. Prior studies indicated that neurons are the primary source of BDNF, but more recent work suggests that microglia are also an important source of BDNF. Adding to this, our work showed that 14 days of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) reduced Bdnf transcript in PFC microglia, evincing its relevance in the effects of stress. To explore this further, we utilized transgenic mice with microglia-specific depletion of BDNF (Cx3cr1Cre/+:Bdnffl/fl) and genotype controls (Cx3cr1Cre/+:Bdnf+/+). In the following experiments, mice were exposed to a shortened CUS paradigm (7 days) to determine if microglial Bdnf depletion promotes stress susceptibility. Analyses of PFC microglia revealed that Cx3cr1Cre/+:Bdnffl/fl mice had shifts in phenotypic markers and gene expression. In a separate cohort, synaptoneurosomes were collected from the PFC and western blotting was performed for synaptic markers. These experiments showed that Cx3cr1Cre/+:Bdnffl/fl mice had baseline deficits in GluN2B, and that 7 days of CUS additionally reduced GluN2A levels in Cx3cr1Cre/+:Bdnffl/fl mice, but not genotype controls. Behavioral and cognitive testing showed that this coincided with exacerbated stress effects on temporal object recognition in Cx3cr1Cre/+:Bdnffl/fl mice. These results indicate that microglial BDNF promotes glutamate receptor expression in the PFC. As such, mice with deficient microglial BDNF had increased susceptibility to the behavioral and cognitive consequences of stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Intraperitoneal local anesthetic (IPLA) reduces postoperative pain as shown by previous systematic reviews. The purpose of this review was to compare the efficacy of IPLA between different types of procedure and to formulate GRADE recommendations for the use of IPLA. Materials and methods A systematic search for systematic reviews of the effect of IPLA, versus no IPLA or placebo, on pain after any surgical procedure. Databases included in the study were MEDLINE, EMBASE, CDSR, and DARE. Two reviewers independently undertook searches, selected studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. Meta-analysis was by random effects. Recommendation was by GRADE. The main outcome measure was self-reported early postoperative pain scores. Results Searches uncovered nine systematic reviews. This study included randomized trials numbered 76, representing 4000 participants, 2022 in IPLA and 1978 in control groups. Six reviews scored at low risk of bias and three at high risk. Meta-analysis demonstrated that IPLA reduced the mean pain score (0-10 scale) by 0.95 point (95% confidence interval: 0.73-1.17). Excluding laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the effect size increased to 1.52 (95% confidence interval: 1.15-1.88). Heterogeneity was high overall at I 2 = 91.7% but on excluding laparoscopic cholecystectomy trials reduced to I 2 = 31.3%. Conclusions IPLA could be considered a viable option for early postoperative analgesia in certain laparoscopic operations. Further research on the effect of IPLA on procedures other than laparoscopic cholecystectomy would help clarify its place in a postoperative analgesia protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimate willingness to pay for small reductions in the risk of suffering nonfatal health conditions using a stated-preference survey fielded to an internet panel that is representative of the adult US population. Health conditions are described using a generic health utility system (EQ-5D). Estimated WTP is proportional to the stated reduction in probability of illness and independent of small differences in baseline risk, consistent with conventional economic theory, and is an increasing but highly concave function of the severity and duration of the illness. WTP to reduce nonfatal health risks can be estimated as a function of the severity and duration of the effect, but the relationship is not linear as assumed by the common practice of multiplying the expected QALY gain by a constant monetary value per QALY. WTP to reduce risk to another person in the household is significantly larger than to reduce risk to oneself, approximately 150 percent larger for an adult and 200 percent larger for a child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research has been somewhat inconsistent in demonstrating links between personality and sexual functioning. We pooled the data from three independent daily-diary studies of newlywed couples to examine the association between individuals’ Big Five traits and the probability of sex on a given day; we also pooled the data from the two studies that assessed satisfaction with sex to examine the association between these traits and individuals’ satisfaction with sex when it occurred. Couples with wives high in agreeableness engaged in more frequent sex. Husbands low in openness or neuroticism and wives low in neuroticism reported increased satisfaction with sex when it occurred. Partner personality was unrelated to satisfaction with sex when it occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ab initio methods for predicting NMR parameters in the solid state are an essential tool for assigning experimental spectra and play an increasingly important role in structural characterizations. Recently, a molecular correction (MC) technique has been developed which combines the strengths of plane-wave methods (GIPAW) with single molecule calculations employing Gaussian basis sets. The GIPAW + MC method relies on a periodic calculation performed at a lower level of theory to model the crystalline environment. The GIPAW result is then corrected using a single molecule calculation performed at a higher level of theory. The success of the GIPAW + MC method in predicting a range of NMR parameters is a result of the highly local character of the tensors underlying the NMR observable. However, in applications involving strong intermolecular interactions we find that expanding the region treated at the higher level of theory more accurately captures local many-body contributions to the N 15 NMR chemical shielding (CS) tensor. We propose alternative corrections to GIPAW which capture interactions between adjacent molecules at a higher level of theory using either fragment or cluster-based calculations. Benchmark calculations performed on N 15 and C 13 data sets show that these advanced GIPAW-corrected calculations improve the accuracy of chemical shielding tensor predictions relative to existing methods. Specifically, cluster-based N 15 corrections show a 24% and 17% reduction in RMS error relative to GIPAW and GIPAW + MC calculations, respectively. Comparing the benchmark data sets using multiple computational models demonstrates that N 15 CS tensor calculations are significantly more sensitive to intermolecular interactions relative to C 13. However, fragment and cluster-based corrections that include direct hydrogen bond partners are sufficient for optimizing the accuracy of GIPAW-corrected methods. Finally, GIPAW-corrected methods are applied to the particularly challenging NMR spectral assignment of guanosine dihydrate which contains two guanosine molecules in the asymmetric unit. [Display omitted] • Combining GIPAW with cluster or fragment calculations improves the accuracy of 15N chemical shielding calculations relative to both GIPAW and existing molecular correction techniques. • Fragment-corrected GIPAW calculations employing electrostatic embedding match the accuracy of computationally demanding cluster-correction methods in the prediction of 15N CSA tensor elements. • On the basis of fragment-corrected GIPAW calculations we assign all six experimentally resolved 13C resonances and six of the ten 15N resonances for guanosine dihydrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climatic transition zones are characterized by large annual variation in environmental conditions which heavily influence seasonal abundance of organisms and their assemblage patterns. With climate change altering phenology and distribution of species globally, establishing baseline biological patterns allows us to understand trends and challenges local communities might face in adverse conditions. We surveyed the seasonal biomass and cover of subtidal macroalgal and sessile invertebrate communities at 12 rocky subtidal habitats in Hong Kong to establish the first baseline for these communities. Overall productivity and composition of shallow (∼1 m depth) assemblages were prone to dynamic influences from environmental drivers and exhibited seasonal patterns, while those of deeper (∼5 m) communities had less biomass but were more stable across seasons. Abundance of fleshy macroalgae was greatest during winter, dominated by canopy forming Sargassum hemiphyllum , low-laying turfs, and encrusting algae. S. hemiphyllum had the greatest seasonal productivity on shallow substrate, reaching up to 33.8 kg m−2 in winter. In contrast, macroalgae were almost absent in the hot and rainy season, with encrusting algae defining benthic communities. Sessile invertebrate communities were generally dominated by oysters, barnacles, and live corals at both depths, characterized by a shift towards oyster-dominant during summer in the shallow. With the temperature of coastal waters increasing under climate change and winter algal growing seasons shortening, this study forms a baseline from which to assess any changes in algal productivity and community composition in the future. [Display omitted] • Marine ecosystems in tropical-temperature transition zones are highly seasonal. • Shallow and deep subtidal communities respond differently to environmental influences. • Fleshy macroalgae dominated ecosystem productivity during cool conditions. • Current and future ocean warming may shorten the highly productive winter season. Summary:Marine ecosystems in climatic transition zones often persist under extreme conditions. We investigated how seasonality and environmental conditions affect local algal assemblage structure and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corneal epithelial (CE) cells are exposed to environmental insults (e.g., UV-irradiation), yet they suffer little damage. Our previous studies suggest that chicken CE cells have a novel form of protection involving having ferritin in a nuclear location where it can bind to DNA and sequester free iron. Here we describe another potential nuclear ferritin-mediated protective mechanism: the down-regulation of the JNK signaling pathway. The JNK pathway has been shown by others to promote apoptosis in response to cell damage and also to be activated in CE cell lines following exposure to UV radiation. Here we show in COS7 reporter cell lines that the expression of ferritin in a nuclear localization significantly down-regulates the JNK pathway (p = 5.7 × 10 −6 ), but has no effect on the NFkB or the Erk pathways. In organ cultures of embryonic chicken corneas, we observed that inhibiting the synthesis of nuclear ferritin in CE cells, using the iron-chelating molecule deferoxamine, led to an increase in JNK signaling, as measured by phospho-JNK levels compared to CE cells with nuclear ferritin. Furthermore, the chemical inhibition of the JNK pathway using the molecule AS601245 decreased the production of nuclear ferritin. Taken together, these observations suggest that in CE cells a feedback-loop exists in which JNK signaling increases the production of nuclear ferritin and, in turn, nuclear ferritin decreases the activity of the JNK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ; hereafter simply prairie dogs) strongly influence the structure and function of ecosystems, affecting several other species. Yet we know little about how arthropod populations respond to changes caused by prairie dogs. In this study, we examined the effects of black-tailed prairie dogs on the abundance and diversity of short-horned grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) on the shortgrass steppe of the Pawnee National Grasslands in northeastern Colorado. We compared the abundance and diversity of grasshoppers on prairie dog colonies and comparable off-colony sites using hoop nets. We further sampled vegetation at all sites using Daubenmire frames. We captured significantly fewer grasshoppers on prairie dog colonies than on control plots. At the sub-family level, we found that prairie dog colonies supported significantly more grasshoppers in the sub-family Oedipodinae, while off-colony sites had a non-significant trend toward more Gomphocerinae grasshoppers. We found very similar mean site diversity (i.e., alpha diversity) on colony and off-colony sites, but relatively large differences in beta diversity (i.e., diversity across sites), suggesting that prairie dog colonies have an impact on short-horned grasshopper abundances and species composition on shortgrass steppe habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vast majority of known archaeological sites in arid Northeast Asia are surface assemblages containing few or no organic remains. The lack of stratified sites and a relative absence of organic remains in surface assemblages hinders our ability to date sites, create local chronologies, and contextualize technological and socio-economic change. Such problems are common in arid regions around the world. New radiocarbon and luminescence dates on collections from the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and China are used here to assess the potential for direct dating of commonly occurring artefacts like ostrich eggshell and pottery. Direct dating also allows for the identification and sorting of mixed-age assemblages. Here, we compare dates derived from Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) on ostrich eggshell, AMS on pottery, and luminescence on pottery. Our findings show that AMS and luminescence are highly complementary methods and produce results consistent with expected archaeological ages, while ostrich eggshell dates were older than the associated site assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports a new meta-analysis of papers that elicit willingness-to-pay (WTP) and willingness-to-accept compensation (WTA) measures of value for the same good. We investigate the effects of type of good and several survey-design features on the WTP/WTA disparity, measured as the logarithm of the ratio of mean WTA to mean WTP. Confirming Horowitz and McConnellؑs (2002) pioneering meta-analysis, we find the disparity is smaller for ordinary private goods than for public and non-market goods, that it is not solely an artifact of using hypothetical transactions or other weak experimental or survey methods, and that it is smaller for studies using student subjects. In addition, we find that the disparity is smaller when subjects have experience valuing the good in real markets or through repeated experimental trials. In contrast to Horowitz and McConnell, we find the disparity is significantly smaller in studies using incentive-compatible elicitation mechanisms. The disparity is smaller in more recent studies, an effect that is attributable only in part to changes in study characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The surface tension of water is almost independent of pH between pH 1 and 13. [•] The Gibbs isotherm and electroneutrality allow equal H+ and OH− in double layer. [•] The pH independence arises because [H+] and [OH−] are coupled by K w. [•] The surface tension increases from pH 9 down to 4 in 10mM NaCl or KBr. [•] This is only consistent with the Gibbs isotherm with strong adsorption of OH−. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The human occupation of the southern Florida peninsula has, at least since the formation of the Everglades, focused on the raised land surfaces and ecological diversity provided by tree islands. Although survey work is far from comprehensive, thousands of such sites are thought to exist. The archaeological record of tree islands is complex as both island formation and site formation processes are likely intertwined and as yet poorly understood. Most sites are typically shallowly buried, with limited potential for the recovery of artifacts or materials suitable for absolute dating. The frequent occurrence of fragments of an undecorated utilitarian ceramic type referred to as sand-tempered plain is a common marker for occupations at such sites throughout the southern Florida Peninsula. Contextual evidence suggests that this ceramic type has a very broad temporal range and its earliest use is vigorously debated. The results of a preliminary program designed to obtain dates directly on sand-tempered plain ceramics are reported. The results suggest that luminescence dating can yield absolute dates on this ubiquitous material type but the technique's precision has limited the ability to build fine-grained regional chronologies which could help refine our understanding of human groups operating in the unique Everglades environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We test recent proposals that an uncharged particle can have a non-zero electrophoretic mobility. [•] We show that a steady mobility is impossible because of charge polarisation at the interface. [•] Although motion is possible in an ac field, we show that the uncharged theory does not fit experimental data. [•] Thus the uncharged mobility hypothesis cannot account for standard electrophoresis observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: While a variety of meditation techniques are increasingly employed as health interventions, the fact that meditation requires a significant commitment of time and effort may limit its potential widespread utility. In the current study, we ask whether baseline subjective reports or brain activity in response to a “Pain for Self and Others” paradigm predicts subsequent engagement in mindfulness and compassion meditation. The study also investigated whether compassion training would impact neural responses when compared to an active health education control group. Prior to training, activation of the left and right anterior insula, an area thought to be important for empathy, in response to the Other pain task was positively related to engagement with compassion meditation as measured by practice time (n=13). On the other hand, activity in the left amygdala during the Self pain task was negatively correlated with mindfulness practice time. Following the study intervention, there was no difference between the compassion group (n=13), and the control group (n=8), in brain responses to either the Self or Other task. These results are the first to indicate that baseline neural responses may predict engagement with meditation training and suggest that pre-existing neurobiological profiles differentially predispose individuals to engage with disparate meditation techniques. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present a mathematical model of mushroom-like architecture and cavity formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. We demonstrate that a proposed disparity in internal friction between the stalk and cap extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) leads to spatial variation in volumetric expansion sufficient to produce the mushroom morphology. The capability of diffusible signals to induce the formation of a fluid-filled cavity within the cap is then investigated. We assume that conversion of bacteria to the planktonic state within the cap occurs in response to the accumulation or depletion of some signal molecule. We (a) show that neither simple nutrient starvation nor signal production by one or more subpopulations of bacteria is sufficient to trigger localized cavity formation. We then (b) demonstrate various hypothetical scenarios that could result in localized cavity formation. Finally, we (c) model iron availability as a detachment signal and show simulation results demonstrating cavity formation by iron starvation. We conclude that iron availability is a plausible mechanism by which fluid-filled cavities form in the cap region of mushroom-like structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

During automotive engine operation, water may contaminate engine oil, inhibiting its role in maintaining safe engine operation. In many cases, engine oil must be capable of emulsifying any water contamination to avoid such problems. This study focuses on the impact of small molecule surfactant concentration structure and concentration in emulsions comprised of engine oil, water, and E85 fuel to understand the effects on emulsion stability and formulation optimization. Three small molecule surfacatants were tested; glycerol dioleate (GDO), glyceryl monooleate (GMO), and oleamide (OA). Three characterization methods were used to investigate their effects; the current state of the art, ASTM D7563 , microscopy, and diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS). We found that DWS could yield insights into mechanisms of emulsion stability that are otherwise inaccessible through other experimental techniques. Specifically, utilizing DWS, we are able to extract specific emulsion stability mechanisms associated directly with molecular features for the three surfactants examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Interregional connections of the brain measured with diffusion tractography can be used to infer valuable information regarding both brain structure and function. However, different tractography algorithms can generate networks that exhibit different characteristics, resulting in poor reproducibility across studies. Therefore, it is important to benchmark different tractography algorithms to quantitatively assess their performance. Here we systematically evaluated a newly introduced tracking algorithm, global tractography, to derive anatomical brain networks in a fiber phantom, 2 post-mortem macaque brains, and 20 living humans, and compared the results with an established local tracking algorithm. Our results demonstrated that global tractography accurately characterized the phantom network in terms of graph-theoretic measures, and significantly outperformed the local tracking approach. Results in brain tissues (post-mortem macaques and in vivo humans), however, showed that although the performance of global tractography demonstrated a trend of improvement, the results were not vastly different than that of local tractography, possibly resulting from the increased fiber complexity of real tissues. When using macaque tracer-derived connections as the ground truth, we found that both global and local algorithms generated non-random patterns of false negative and false positive connections that were probably related to specific fiber systems and largely independent of the tractography algorithm or tissue type (post-mortem vs. in vivo) used in the current study. Moreover, a close examination of the transcallosal motor connections, reconstructed via either global or local tractography, demonstrated that the lateral transcallosal fibers in humans and macaques did not exhibit the denser homotopic connections found in primate tracer studies, indicating the need for more robust brain mapping techniques based on diffusion MRI data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Polyamides (PAs) are distamycin-type ligands of DNA that bind the minor groove and are capable of sequence selective recognition. This capability provides a viable route to their development as therapeutics. Presented here is a simple and convenient fluorescence assay for PA–DNA binding. PAs are titrated into a sample of a hairpin DNA featuring a TAMRA dye attached to an internal dU near the PA binding site. In a study of 6 PAs, PA binding leads to a steady reproducible decrease in fluorescence intensity that can be used to generate binding isotherms. The assay works equally well with both short (6- to 8-ring) and long (14-ring) PAs, and K d values ranging from approximately 1nM to at least 140nM were readily obtained using a simple monochromator or filter configuration. Competition assays provide a means to assessing possible dye interference, which can be negligible. The assay can also be used to determine PA extinction coefficients and to measure binding kinetics; thus, it is an accessible and versatile tool for the study of PA properties and PA–DNA interactions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Osteoporosis is a major health problem in the elderly. Epidemiological evidence has shown an association between tea consumption and the prevention of bone loss in the elderly population. Ingestion of green tea and green tea bioactive compounds may be beneficial in mitigating bone loss of this population and decreasing their risk of osteoporotic fractures. This review describes the effect of green tea with its bioactive components on bone health with an emphasis on the following: (i) the etiology of osteoporosis, (ii) evidence of osteo-protective impacts of green tea on bone mass and microarchitecture in various bone loss models in which induced by aging, sex hormone deficiency, and chronic inflammation, (iii) discussion of impacts of green tea on bone mass in two obesity models, (iv) observation of short-term green tea supplementation given to postmenopausal women with low bone mass, (v) possible mechanisms for the osteo-protective effects of green tea bioactive compounds, and (vi) a summary and future research direction of green tea and bone health. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The cornea is one of the most densely innervated structures of the body. In the developing chicken embryo, nerves from the ophthalmic trigeminal ganglion (OTG) innervate the cornea in a series of spatially and temporally regulated events. However, little is known concerning the signals that regulate these events. Here we have examined the involvement of the axon guidance molecules Semaphorin3A and Slit2, and their respective receptors, Neuropilin-1 and Robo2. Expression analyses of early corneas suggest an involvement of both Semaphorin3A and Slit2 in preventing nerves from entering the corneal stroma until the proper time (i.e., they serve as negative regulators), and analyses of their receptors support this conclusion. At later stages of development the expression of Semaphorin3A is again consistent with its serving as a negative regulator—this time for nerves entering the corneal epithelium. However, expression analyses of Robo2 at this stage raised the possibility that Slit2 had switched from a negative regulator to a positive regulator. In support of such a switch, functional analyses–by addition of recombinant Slit2 protein or immunoneutralization with a Slit2 antibody–showed that at an early stage Slit2 negatively regulates the outgrowth of nerves from the OTG, whereas at the later stage it positively regulated the growth of nerves by increasing nerve branching within the corneal epithelium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Macrophages and neutrophils are essential elements of host cellular defense systems that function, at least in part, by generating respiration-driven oxidative toxins in response to external stimuli. In both cells, encapsulation by phagocytosis provides a mechanism to direct the toxins against the microbes. The toxic chemicals formed by these two phagocytic cells differ markedly, as do the enzymatic catalysts that generate them. Nitrite ion is microbicidal under certain conditions, is generated by activated macrophages, and is present at elevated concentration levels at infection sites. In this review, we consider potential roles that nitrite might play in cellular disinfection by these phagocytes within the context of available experimental information. Although the suggested roles are plausible, based upon the chemical and biochemical reactivity of , studies to date provide little support for their implementation within phagosomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Lapa das Boleiras rockshelter, a Paleoamerican archaeological site in Central Brazil, was intensely occupied by humans from 10,000 14C BP (11.8calkyrBP), until approximately 7500 14C BP (8.4calkyrBP). In this paper we present some interpretations about the formation processes operating on the site. One of our main conclusions is that the bulk of accumulated sediments at the site is of anthropogenic origin: they are constituted by volumetrically significant quantities of plant ash remains, what is somewhat unexpectedly in view of prevailing models about the lifestyle of Paleoamerican hunter–gatherers in South America. The evidence we discuss below is also consistent with paleoenvironmental data that suggest a dry period during the mid-Holocene in the region, probably leading to a decrease in human occupation [Araujo, A.G.M., Neves, W., Piló, L.B., Atui, J.P., 2005. Holocene dryness and human occupation in Brazil during the ‘Archaic Gap’. Quaternary Research 64, 298–307]. We surmise that both factors underpin a surprising reduction in sediment accumulation at the site during the mid-Holocene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Greenhouse and laboratory experiments were conducted with the potential bioherbicides Colletotrichum graminicola (Cg) and Gloeocercospora sorghi (Gs) for control of shattercane weed. Single-spray tank mixture applications containing different ratios of the two fungi resulted in additive percent weed biomass losses. Intraspecific (Cg+Cg or Gs+Gs) and interspecific (Cg+Gs or Gs+Cg) sequential applications 1- or 7-days apart indicated antagonistic interactions in percent biomass loss. Application of either fungus with, or 1–3 days prior to, a sub-lethal concentration of glyphosate resulted in an antagonistic percent biomass loss; while application of glyphosate prior to either potential bioherbicide resulted in a synergistic weed disease response. Conidia germination studies conducted both in vitro on agar plates and with leaf impression peels suggest that antagonistic interactions observed in weed disease severity are probably due to the host–pathogen response following infection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Developing cartilaginous and ossified skeletal anlagen is encapsulated within a membranous sheath of flattened, elongated cells called, respectively, the perichondrium and the periosteum. These periskeletal tissues are organized in distinct morphological layers that have been proposed to support distinct functions. Classical experiments, particularly those using an in vitro organ culture system, demonstrated that these tissues play important roles in regulating the differentiation of the subjacent skeletal elements. However, there has been a lack of molecular markers that would allow analysis of these interactions. To understand the molecular bases for the roles played by the periskeletal tissues, we generated microarrays from perichondrium and periosteum cDNA libraries and used them to compare the gene expression profiles of these two tissues. In situ hybridization analysis of genes identified on the microarrays revealed many unique markers for these tissues and demonstrated that the histologically distinct layers of the perichondrium and periosteum are associated with distinct molecular expression domains. Moreover our marker analysis identified new domains that had not been previously recognized as distinct within these tissues as well as a previously uncharacterized molecular domain along the lateral edges of the adjacent developing cartilage that experimental analysis showed to be dependent upon the perichondrium. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Several functionally connected networks of activity have now been identified in the resting human brain that may be amplified or attenuated by specific goal-directed tasks. However, it is not known whether there exists a particular network that becomes more active when a person is engaged in a social interaction. fMRI was used to measure brain activity in subjects as they completed a social interactive task and a non-social control task sharing many of the same features. Comparison across the two tasks revealed a network of functionally connected areas that was consistently more active in the social task. This network included default mode network areas, raising the possibility that activity previously observed in default mode regions at rest is related to social cognition. Within this network, information appears to flow from regions involved in salience detection (e.g. anterior insula) to regions involved in mentalizing (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex) to regions involved in executive control (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). In a second experiment, subjects played the same social interactive task with alleged members of both an experimentally induced in-group and out-group. The default mode network was again active during the task, and several noteworthy differences distinguished interactions with in-group and out-group partners, providing a potential neural substrate for the human tendency to more readily identify with in-group members and more readily distrust, fear and discriminate against out-group members. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The 1H–13C solid-state NMR heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) experiment is demonstrated to provide shift assignments in certain powders that have two or more structurally independent molecules in the unit cell (i.e. multiple molecules per asymmetric unit). Although this class of solids is often difficult to characterize using other methods, HETCOR provides both the conventional assignment of shifts to molecular positions and associates many resonances with specific molecules in the asymmetric unit. Such assignments facilitate conformational characterization of the individual molecules of the asymmetric unit and the first such characterization solely from solid-state NMR data is described. HETCOR offers advantages in sensitivity over prior methods that assign resonances in the asymmetric unit by 13C–13C correlations and therefore allows shorter average analysis times in natural abundance materials. The 1H–13C analysis is demonstrated first on materials with known shift assignments from INADEQUATE data (santonin and Ca(OAc)2 phase I) to verify the technique and subsequently is extended to a pair of unknown solids: (+)-catechin and Ca(OAc)2 phase II. Sufficient sensitivity and resolution is achieved in the spectra to provide assignments to one of the specific molecules of the asymmetric unit at over 54% of the sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A 24km2 seagrass meadow in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia, was confirmed as important dugong habitat by a satellite tracking study. Marine videography, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and geographic information systems (GIS) were used to survey, analyse and map seagrass species composition, nutrient profile and patch structure at high resolution (200m). Five species of seagrass covered 91% of the total habitat area. The total above and below-ground seagrass biomass was estimated to be 222.7±19.6t dry-weight. Halodule uninervis dominated the pasture (81.8%, 162.2t), followed by Halophila ovalis (35.3%, 16.5t), Zostera capricorni (15.9%, 22.2t), Halophila spinulosa (14.5%, 21.9t), and traces of Halodule pinifolia. Because seagrass distributions overlapped, their combined percentage totalled >100% of the survey area. The seagrass formed a continuous meadow of varying density. Abiotic variables explained relatively little of the spatial patterns in the seagrass. For all seagrass species, the above-ground component (shoots and leaves) possessed greater total nitrogen than the below-ground component (roots and rhizomes), which possessed greater total starch. Because of the relatively low intraspecific variation in nutrient composition, nutrients were concentrated according to seagrass biomass density. Halodule uninervis was the most nutritious seagrass species because of its superior whole-plant nitrogen (1.28±0.05% DW) and starch (6.42±0.50 DW %) content. Halodule uninervis formed large, clustered patches of dense biomass across the pasture and thus nitrogen and starch were concentrated where H. uninervis was prevalent. This seagrass meadow appears to be utilised well below its potential dugong carrying capacity. The survey and analytical techniques used enabled rapid, economical and accurate quantification and characterisation of seagrass habitat at scales relevant to a large forager. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Southern High Plains of North America is rich in archaeological sites, but many are not well constrained chronologically, owing to a lack of material for radiocarbon dating. A program of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, applying mainly single-grain analyses, was therefore initiated. Many samples have independent age estimates from radiocarbon to check the OSL results, but OSL age estimates are also provided for those sites that otherwise lack secure chronological control. Sediment samples for OSL were obtained primarily from Paleoindian and Archaic localities, though include deposits of more recent age. Through the analysis of single grains, equivalent dose—the numerator of the age equation—is evaluated independently on numerous grains. The distribution of these values is relatively broad for some samples, and this is attributed to post-depositional mixing. Mixing is also evident in some samples with more narrow distributions. Selecting portions of the mixed distributions for age determination allows more accurate dating for some samples, but the nature of the distributions limits the resolution on others, conclusions that cannot be as easily drawn from multi-grain analysis. Where independent age control is available, most OSL results broadly conform; however, some samples show discrepancies that are not readily explained, but may relate to association or dose rate problems. This underscores the desirability of obtaining where possible suites of chronological evidence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In developing long bones, the growing cartilage and bone are surrounded by the fibrous perichondrium (PC) and periosteum (PO), respectively, which provide cells for the appositional growth (i.e., growth in diameter) of these tissues. Also during the longitudinal growth of a bone, the cartilage is continuously replaced by bony tissue, giving rise to the widely held assumption that the PC concomitantly gives rise to the PO. Except for this morphological correlate, however, no evidence exists for a direct conversion of PC cells to PO cells, and our observations presented here question this assumption. Instead, we have obtained evidence suggesting that a previously undescribed region exists between the PC and PO. This region, termed the border region (BR), has several unique characteristics which distinguish it from either the PC or PO, including (1) its lack of being determined to differentiate as either cartilage or bone, (2) its ability to preferentially elicit the invasion of blood vessels, and (3) its ability to undergo preferential growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Fingerprint infra-red spectra of oils from several samples of canola, flax, soybean and sunflower seeds were recorded. The tocopherols, tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8, cumulatively called chromanols, amounts were determined with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The sum of tocopherols, tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8 amounts and the infra-red spectra were subjected to partial least-squares analysis. Excellent correlation was obtained between the calculated and experimental values. The developed methodology may provide an alternative method for rapidly scanning vegetable oils for vitamin E type molecules. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A novel peptide with the binding characteristics of tetanus toxin was identified with phage display, for application in therapeutic protein and vector motor and sensory neuron targeting. A 12mer phage library was biopanned on trisialoganglioside (GT1b) and eluted with the tetanus toxin C fragment (rTTC). Phage ELISAs revealed increases in GT1b binding for the Tet1 and Tet2 phage clones when compared to peptideless phage (PLP). rTTC displaced both Tet1 and Tet2 phage clones from GT1b, and both clones reduced rTTC-GT1b binding. Comparison of Tet1, Tet2, PLP, and the random phage library binding to PC12 and HEK293 cells revealed enhanced cellular binding by Tet1 and Tet2 phage. Tet1 phage binding was selective for neurons. Immunofluorescence also confirmed selective PC12 binding of Tet1 and Tet2 phage. Fluorescein-conjugated synthetic Tet1, but not Tet2, peptide showed strong binding to cultured PC12, primary motor neurons, and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells. Synthetic Tet1 bound DRG and motor neurons but not muscle in tissue sections. The enhanced neuronal binding affinity and specificity of Tet1, a novel 12 amino acid peptide, suggests potential utility for targeting neurotherapeutic proteins and viral vectors in the treatment of motor neuron disease, neuropathy, and pain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cytochrome P450 epoxygenases metabolize arachidonic acid to biologically active eicosanoids. Primary epoxidation products are four regioisomers of cis-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET), 5,6-, 8,9-, 11,12-, and 14,15-EET. One of the predominant epoxygenase isoforms involved in EET formation belongs to the CYP2 gene family. In humans, the P450 epoxygenase, CYP2J2, is expressed in the cardiovascular system, namely the endothelium, vascular smooth muscle, and cardiomyocyte. CYP2J2 possesses vascular protective effects, which include but are not limited to, protection against ischemia–reperfusion injury, suppression of reactive oxygen species following hypoxia–reoxygenation, inhibition of the pro-inflammatory transcription factor, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), attenuation of vascular smooth muscle migration, and enhancement of a fibrinolytic pathway. Although regioisomers of EET elicit these effects to varying degrees, 11,12-EET appears to be the most potent with respect to anti-inflammatory, anti-migratory, and pro-fibrinolytic effects. Thus, CYP2J2 and its derived arachidonic acid metabolites may play important roles in regulating vascular function under normal and pathophysiological conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Tasks that engage a theory of mind seem to activate a consistent set of brain areas. In this study, we sought to determine whether two different interactive tasks, both of which involve receiving consequential feedback from social partners that can be used to infer intent, similarly engaged the putative theory of mind neural network. Participants were scanned using fMRI as they played the Ultimatum Game (UG) and the Prisoner''s Dilemma Game (PDG) with both alleged human and computer partners who were outside the scanner. We observed a remarkable degree of overlap in brain areas that activated to partner decisions in the two games, including commonly observed theory of mind areas, as well as several brain areas that have not been reported previously and may relate to immersion of participants in real social interactions that have personally meaningful consequences. Although computer partners elicited activation in some of the same areas activated by human partners, most of these activations were stronger for human partners. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is often asserted that individual willingness to pay to reduce mortality risk is greater among individuals who are “more risk-averse.” If risk aversion is defined in the colloquial sense of distaste for mortality risk, the assertion is tautological since a larger value of statistical life (VSL) represents a higher rate of substitution between money and mortality risk. If risk aversion is defined in the technical sense of distaste for mean-preserving increases in the spread of a lottery, the assertion appears to be a non sequitur since mortality risk is a binary lottery between fixed endpoints and VSL does not depend on local aversion to financial risk. We examine the relationship between aversion to financial risk and willingness to pay to reduce mortality risk and find that it is sensitive to what other characteristics of the utility function are held constant as risk aversion is altered. Although aversion to financial risk increases VSL in definable cases, under many plausible assumptions the relationship between risk aversion and VSL is ambiguous. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is the major physiological inhibitor of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and is elevated in diseases of vascular remodeling. In this study, we describe an inhibitor of active PAI-1, WAY-140312. Using fluorescence spectroscopy, it was determined that WAY-140312 bound PAI-1 at a single binding site with a dissociation constant of 5 μM. In a biochemical assay determining direct tPA activity, human recombinant PAI-1 completely inhibited tPA, but this inhibition was blocked by WAY-140312 at an IC50 of 15.6 μM. In vivo, a 10 mg/kg oral dose of WAY-140312 to rats produced a significant plasma reduction of active PAI-1. Bleeding time, thrombin clotting time, and ex vivo platelet aggregation induced by ADP (20 μM) or collagen (2.5 μg/ml) were not affected by administration of WAY-140312. These results are the first to demonstrate that an orally active PAI-1 inhibitor can reduce plasma PAI-1 activity while maintaining normal platelet aggregation and coagulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Disease is among the suspected causes of amphibian population declines, and an iridovirus and a chytrid fungus are the primary pathogens associated with amphibian mortalities. Ambystoma tigrinum virus (ATV) and a closely related strain, Regina ranavirus (RRV), are implicated in salamander die-offs in Arizona and Canada, respectively. We report the complete sequence of the ATV genome and partial sequence of the RRV genome. Sequence analysis of the ATV/RRV genomes showed marked similarity to other ranaviruses, including tiger frog virus (TFV) and frog virus 3 (FV3), the type virus of the genus Ranavirus (family Iridoviridae), as well as more distant relationships to lymphocystis disease virus, Chilo iridescent virus, and infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus. Putative open reading frames (ORFs) in the ATV sequence identified 24 genes that appear to control virus replication and block antiviral responses. In addition, >50 other putative genes, homologous to ORFs in other iridoviral genomes but of unknown function, were also identified. Sequence comparison performed by dot plot analysis between ATV and itself revealed a conserved 14-bp palindromic repeat within most intragenic regions. Dot plot analysis of ATV vs RRV sequences identified several polymorphisms between the two isolates. Finally, a comparison of ATV and TFV genomic sequences identified genomic rearrangements consistent with the high recombination frequency of iridoviruses. Given the adverse effects that ranavirus infections have on amphibian and fish populations, ATV/RRV sequence information will allow the design of better diagnostic probes for identifying ranavirus infections and extend our understanding of molecular events in ranavirus-infected cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Stagnant layer conduction (or anomalous surface conduction) in perfluoromethyldecalin (PFMD) and n-hexadecane emulsions has been measured by electroacoustics and verified by high-frequency dielectric response experiments. The electroacoustic technique can detect the presence of stagnant layer conduction from the salt dependence of the dynamic mobility. As the indifferent electrolyte concentration is increased from low values (<5 mM), the ζ-potential and droplet size, estimated from the dynamic mobility by the normal procedures, gradually increase in magnitude until the size plateaus and the ζ-potential begins to decrease with added salt in the usual fashion. When stagnant layer conduction is taken into account, the dynamic mobility can be fitted to a constant size distribution and more realistic ζ-potential values with varying electrolyte concentration. High-frequency dielectric response has been used to measure the total conduction in a PFMD emulsion system. Very good agreement between these two independent techniques verifies the existence of conduction behind the shear plane and demonstrates that electroacoustics alone can detect and quantify its extent. This is possible because of the unique character of the AcoustoSizer procedure, which estimates both particle size and ζ-potential from the same signal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel, thermostable adaptation of the coupled-enzyme assay for monitoring glucose concentrations was developed for an optimal temperature of 85 °C. This is the first report of a thermostable glucostat from a marine hyperthermophile. The continuous assay, using glucokinase (Glk) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (Gpd) from Thermotoga maritima, demonstrated robust activity over a range of temperatures (75–90 °C) and pH values (6.8– 8.5). Purified glucokinase had a monomeric molecular mass of 33.8 kDa while that of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (d-glucose 6-phosphate:NADP oxidoreductase) was 57.5 kDa. The high-temperature assay provided a method for directly assaying the activity of another hyperthermophilic enzyme, 1,4-β-d-glucan glucohydrolase (GghA) from Thermotoga neapolitana. To provide a benchmark for protein-engineering experiments involving GghA, a three-enzyme continuous assay (performed at 85 °C), linking wild-type GghA, Glk, and Gpd, measured glucose produced from GghA’s hydrolysis of cellobiose, one of GghA’s secondary substrates. The assay established the kinetic behavior of wild-type GghA toward cellobiose and was used to screen for changes in the catalytic efficiency of variant GghA(s) induced by random mutagenesis. The assay’s development will allow high-throughput screening of other thermostable glucose-producing enzymes, including those applicable to commercial biomass conversion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Submerged culture experiments were conducted in three phases to determine the optimal medium for rapidly producing conidia of the fungal bioherbicide Septoria polygonorum. In phase I, 47 crude carbon sources were evaluated to determine which would support sporulation. Under the conditions tested, pea brine (5–10% v/v) provided best conidiation. In phase II, a fractional factorial design was utilized to screen 38 different medium adjuncts in combination with pea brine for improved sporulation. MgSO4 was the only factor that resulted in a significant improvement. In phase III, a central composite design with response surface methodology was used to optimize concentrations of these critical factors. The model predicted optimal sporulation in a medium composed of 8.88% v/v pea brine+0.1 molar MgSO4 with an expected titer of 1.78×108 conidia/ml. Actual mean titer attained with the model-derived medium was 1.15×108 conidia/ml. No significant difference was observed in virulence of conidia produced on agar vs. the model-derived (liquid) medium. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As part of the NEAR Radio Science investigation, a global solution that includes both spherical and ellipsoidal harmonic gravity fields of Eros, Eros pole and rotation rate, Eros ephemeris, and landmark positions from the optical data was generated. This solution uses the entire one-year in orbit collection of X-band radiometric tracking (Doppler and range) from the Deep Space Network and landmark tracking observations generated from the NEAR spacecraft images of Eros. When compared to a constant density shape model, the gravity field shows a nearly homogeneous Eros. The Eros landmark solutions are in good agreement with the Eros shape model, and they reduce the center-of-mass and center-of-figure offset in the z direction to 13 m. Most of the NEAR spacecraft orbits are determined in all directions to an accuracy of several meters. The solution for the ephemeris of Eros constrains the mass of Vesta to 18.2±0.4 km3/s2 and reduces the uncertainty in the Earth–Moon mass ratio. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]