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Highlights: [•] Conjugate pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine allows for recall immune response. [•] This recall response occurs after follow-on use of conjugate or polysaccharide. [•] Polysaccharide vaccine results in diminished responses to subsequent conjugate. [•] When the use of both vaccines is considered, conjugate should be given first. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Predicting thermal conductivity, k, of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been the focus of many molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies reported in the literature. The values of k obtained in these studies exhibit a large, up to an order of magnitude, variability that is commonly attributed to the variations in the computational setups adopted in different studies. The sensitivity of the computational results to the choice of individual parameters of the simulation setups, however, has not been systematically investigated and is often overlooked when the predicted values of k are compared across the literature. Here we present the results of several series of simulations specifically designed to evaluate the effects of common computational parameters of non-equilibrium MD (NEMD), such as the type of boundary conditions, size and location of heat bath regions, definition of the CNT length, and the choice of interatomic potential, on the computational predictions. The length dependence of thermal conductivity is found to exhibit a gradual transition from a strong increase of k with CNT length for nanotubes that are shorter than 200nm to a much weaker dependence for longer CNTs, reflecting the transition from ballistic to diffusive-ballistic heat transport regimes. The effect of increasing length of thermal bath regions is found to be nearly indistinguishable from the effect of increasing length of the unperturbed region between the bath regions, suggesting that the value of k is defined by the total length of the CNT (including the length of the heat bath regions) in NEMD simulations employing uni-directional heat flux. The choice of interatomic potential is shown to be responsible for an up to fourfold variability in predictions of k for otherwise identical simulation conditions. Overall, the results of this study help elucidate the cause of quantitative discrepancies across published data and provide recommendations on the choice of simulation setups that may improve the consistency of the computational predictions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Spherical and monodispersed silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are ideal for fundamental research as the contribution from size and shape can be accounted for in the experimental design. In this paper a seeded growth method is presented, whereby varying the concentration of sodium borohydride-reduced silver nanoparticle seeds, different sizes of stable spherical nanoparticles with a low polydispersity nanoparticles are produced using hydroquinone as a selective reducing agent. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement factor for each nanoparticle size produced (17, 26, 50, and 65nm) was then assessed using three different analytes, rhodamine 6G (R6G), malachite green oxalate (MGO) and thiophenol (TP). The enhancement factor gives an indication of the Raman enhancement effect by the nanoparticle. Using non-aggregated conditions and two different laser excitation wavelength (633nm and 785nm) it is shown that an increase in particle size results in an increased enhancement for each analyte used. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vinculin localizes to membrane adhesion junctions in smooth muscle tissues, where its head domain binds to talin and its tail domain binds to filamentous actin, thus linking actin filaments to the extracellular matrix. Vinculin can assume a closed conformation, in which the head and tail domains bind to each other and mask the binding sites for actin and talin, and an open activated conformation that exposes the binding sites for talin and actin. Acetylcholine stimulation of tracheal smooth muscle tissues induces the recruitment of vinculin to the cell membrane and its interaction with talin and actin, which is required for active tension development. Vinculin phosphorylation at Tyr1065 on its C terminus increases concurrently with tension development in tracheal smooth muscle tissues. In the present study, the role of vinculin phosphorylation at Tyr1065 in regulating the conformation and function of vinculin during airway smooth muscle contraction was evaluated. Vinculin constructs with point mutations at Tyr1065 (vinculin Y1065F and vinculin Y1065E) and vinculin conformation-sensitive FRET probes were expressed in smooth muscle tissues to determine how Tyr1065 phosphorylation affects smooth muscle contraction and the conformation and cellular functions of vinculin. The results show that vinculin phosphorylation at tyrosine 1065 is required for normal tension generation in airway smooth muscle during contractile stimulation and that Tyr1065 phosphorylation regulates the conformation and scaffolding activity of the vinculin molecule. We conclude that the phosphorylation of vinculin at tyrosine 1065 provides a mechanism for regulating the function of vinculin in airway smooth muscle in response to contractile stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article is about truncation as an operation on divisible abelian lattice-ordered groups (ℓ-groups). Suppose A is an ℓ-subgroup of an ℓ-group B, and suppose is such that no element of A is either disjoint from u, or infinitesimal with respect to u. If for all then we say that A is closed under truncation by u. We do not assume that u is present in A, nor do we assume any knowledge of B. In effect, truncation by u constitutes a unary operation on A. We present several axiom systems for truncation and show them equivalent, thus defining the category T of ℓ-groups with truncation, which we call truncated ℓ-groups, or truncs for short. The morphisms of T are the ℓ-homomorphisms which preserve truncation. A trunc A is called unital if it happens to contain an element such that the truncation is provided by meet with u. We show that every trunc A is associated with a compact Hausdorff space X having a designated point ⁎. If A is archimedean then there is a trunc which separates points from closed sets in , the family of almost-finite extended-real valued functions on X which vanish at ⁎, and there is a trunc isomorphism . The space X is unique up to pointed homeomorphism with respect to its properties. This is the direct generalization to archimedean truncs of the classical Yosida representation for W, which appears here as the full subcategory of T consisting of the unital archimedean truncs. We show W to be bireflective in T. We conclude by considering the important question of which divisible archimedean ℓ-groups support a truncation. We point out an example in the literature of one which does not, and we note a couple of fairly extensive classes of divisible archimedean ℓ-groups which do support a truncation. Finally, we observe that any trunc has what is known as a Johnson representation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We show >98% metals were removed to MBRR solid and >87% to model minerals from 10mM solutions. [•] EXAFS and XANES show metal removal by precipitation reactions. [•] Analysis shows metals are controlled by different mineral surface combinations. [•] Data provides evidence why some metals (e.g., Mn and Ni) remove well below the pKa of hydration. [•] We provide new and previously unseen evidence of metal binding to neutralised red muds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study we examine the kinetics of the Fe(II)-accelerated conversion of ferrihydrite to goethite using quick-scanning X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and measure the associated changes in oxidation–reduction potential (ORP). The quick-scanning method, where full scans up to k =15Å−1 were achieved in around 20s, provided improvements over traditional XAS methods, particularly with regard to the ability to conduct in situ experiments. The method allowed us to quantify the kinetics of the conversion of ferrihydrite to goethite at two different Fe(II) concentrations (0.25M and 0.05M) and at two different pH values (5.85 and 6.20). The higher Fe(II) concentration resulted in a five-fold higher first order rate constant for the conversion of ferrihydrite to goethite than at the lower Fe(II) concentration despite surface complexation modelling indicating that similar concentrations of surface-adsorbed Fe(II) species were present under both conditions. These results suggest that bulk solution Fe(II) concentrations rather than surface-adsorbed Fe(II) concentrations are controlling the crystallisation kinetics of ferrihydrite to goethite under the conditions used in these quick-XAS studies, most likely through direct injection of electrons from aqueous Fe(II) into the conduction band of ferrihydrite. The ORP decreased monotonically over time with this behaviour reasonably described using a simple model in which bulk solution Fe3+ activity was assumed to be determined by the extent of transformation of ferrihydrite to goethite and the associated Fe3+ activity in local equilibrium with each iron oxide phase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Natural seepage of hydrocarbons commonly occurs in the Gulf of Mexico and numerous other locations around the world's oceans. In-situ quantification of discharge and transport of these hydrocarbons through the water column is somewhat limited by a lack of available tracers. Here, we consider the utility of using radium isotopes, which are commonly enriched in formation fluids contained within hydrocarbon reservoirs, as tracers of hydrocarbons discharged into the deep ocean. During a cruise in November/December 2010 through the Gulf of Mexico, radium isotopes (224Ra and 226Ra) revealed anomalous concentrations in near-bottom samples associated with the presence of hydrocarbons at several sites where hydrocarbon seepage was known to occur and observed real-time via the human-occupied vehicle Alvin. These tracers also indicated the presence of near-bottom hydrocarbons in the vicinity of the Macondo wellhead where the Deepwater Horizon blowout occurred months earlier. These hydrocarbons are presumed to originate from nearby gas seeps later identified by water column sonar returns. The short half-life of 224Ra (3.66days) suggests that anomalously high unsupported activities of this isotope must be derived from recent (days to weeks) discharge. Sampling at the sediment–water interface confirmed that the source of the water column radium isotope anomalies is likely benthic sources. These results suggest that radium isotopes may serve as useful tracers of hydrocarbons in such an environment, and we outline steps required to quantify discharge rates and transport time scales with these tracers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There is a tremendous need for simple-to-administer, long-acting contraception, which can increase access to improved family planning. Microneedle (MN) patches enable simple self-administration and have previously been formulated for 1–2 months' controlled release of contraceptive hormone using monolithic polymer/drug MN designs having first-order release kinetics. To achieve zero-order release, we developed a novel core-shell MN patch where the shell acts as a rate-controlling membrane to delay release of a contraceptive hormone, levonorgestrel (LNG), for 6 months. In this approach, LNG was encapsulated in a poly(lactide- co -glycolide) (PLGA) core surrounded by a poly(l -lactide) (PLLA) shell and a poly(D,L-lactide) (PLA) cap that were fabricated by sequential casting into a MN mold. Upon application to skin, the core-shell MNs utilized an effervescent interface to separate from the patch backing within 1 min. The core-shell design limited the initial 24 h burst release of LNG to 5.8 ± 0.5% and achieved roughly zero-order LNG release for 6.2 ± 0.1 months in vitro. A monolithic MN patch formulated with the same LNG and PLGA core, but without the rate-controlling PLLA shell and PLA cap had a larger LNG burst release of 22.6 ± 2.0% and achieved LNG release for just 2.1 ± 0.2 months. This study provides the first core-shell MN patch for controlled months-long drug release and supports the development of long-acting contraception using a simple-to-administer, twice-per-year MN patch. [Display omitted] • Developed a novel core-shell microneedle where the shell is a rate-controlling membrane to achieve zero-order drug release. • Constructed the core-shell structure by sequential casting into a single mold by solvent engineering. • Achieved six-month controlled-release contraceptive delivery in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many potential therapeutic options are now available for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Interest has emerged in using therapies in various combinations. Retrospective experience has suggested that this approach is common and can be efficacious. Data are emerging supporting the benefit of combination therapy; however, limitations and questions remain about this strategy. This report reviewed the rationale for combination therapy and summarized the results from clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recent revisionist accounts of corporate governance in both business history and finance are challenging the tradition narrative, associated with Berle and Means (1932) and Chandler (1977), in which the American model of diffuse ownership and coherent diversification is both an inevitable outcome of economic development and perhaps a normative standard for the world to follow. This essay is an attempt to rethink that narrative in light of the continued significance of the pyramidal business group as a governance structure around the world. I argue that business groups arise in response both to inadequacies in arm''s-length markets and to the needs of what North et al. (2009) call the “natural state.” In this view, the quality of markets and the demands of the state are tightly interconnected phenomena. Such a perspective explains the emergence of business groups in developing countries as well as their persistence even in wealthy and sophisticated polities apart from the U.S. and the U.K. In the end, moreover, I endorse the view that the much-discussed and oft-misunderstood exceptionalism of the U.S. in corporate governance arises not only from the sophistication of American markets but also importantly from government policies toward corporate taxation and securities regulation—policies that arose from the unique Public Choice problem posed by the differential effect on the U.S. of the collapse of globalization during the middle years of the twentieth century. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Purpose: Body size and ethnicity may influence breast cancer tumor characteristics at diagnosis. We compared Hispanic and non-Hispanic white (NHW) cases for stage of disease, estrogen receptor (ER) status, tumor size, and lymph node status, and the associations of these with body size in the 4-Corners Breast Cancer Study. Methods: One thousand five hundred twenty-seven NHW and 798 Hispanic primary incident breast cancer cases diagnosed between October 1999 and May 2004 were included. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by multiple logistic regression. Results: Hispanic women were more likely to have larger (>1 cm) ER− tumors and more than four positive lymph nodes (P < .003). Lymph node status was not associated with body size. However, among NHW women, obesity (body mass index >30) and increased waist circumference (>38.5 inches) were significantly positively associated with ER− tumor status (OR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.24–2.81 and OR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.58–4.22, respectively). In contrast, among Hispanic women, obesity and waist circumference had inverse associations with ER− tumor status (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.29–0.84 and OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.30–1.05, respectively). Conclusions: Hispanic ethnicity may modify the association of body size and composition with ER− breast cancer. This finding could have relevance to clinical treatment and prognosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Suspended particles in rivers can carry metals, nutrients, and pollutants downstream which can become bioactive in estuaries and coastal marine waters. In river systems with multiple sources of both suspended particles and contamination sources, it is important to assess the hydrologic conditions under which contaminated particles can be delivered to downstream ecosystems. The Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint (ACF) River system in the southeastern United States represents an ideal system to study these hydrologic impacts on particle transport through a heavily-impacted river (the Chattahoochee River) and one much less impacted by anthropogenic activities (the Flint River). We demonstrate here the utility of natural radioisotopes as tracers of suspended particles through the ACF system, where particles contaminated with arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) have been shown to be contributed from coal-fired power plants along the Chattahoochee River, and have elevated concentrations in the surficial sediments of the Apalachicola Bay Delta. Radium isotopes (228Ra and 226Ra) on suspended particles should vary throughout the different geologic provinces of this river system, allowing differentiation of the relative contributions of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers to the suspended load delivered to Lake Seminole, the Apalachicola River, and ultimately to Apalachicola Bay. We also use various geochemical proxies (40K, organic carbon, and calcium) to assess the relative composition of suspended particles (lithogenic, organic, and carbonate fractions, respectively) under a range of hydrologic conditions. During low (base) flow conditions, the Flint River contributed 70% of the suspended particle load to both the Apalachicola River and the bay, whereas the Chattahoochee River became the dominant source during higher discharge, contributing 80% of the suspended load to the Apalachicola River and 62% of the particles entering the estuary. Neither of these hydrologic scenarios, which were moderately low flow regimes, appeared to transport particles contaminated with arsenic and antimony to Apalachicola Bay. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Phosphorylation of tropomyosin (Tm) has been shown to vary in mouse models of cardiac hypertrophy. Little is known about the in vivo role of Tm phosphorylation. This study examines the consequences of Tm dephosphorylation in the murine heart. Transgenic (TG) mice were generated with cardiac specific expression of α-Tm with serine 283, the phosphorylation site of Tm, mutated to alanine. Echocardiographic analysis and cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area measurements show that α-Tm S283A TG mice exhibit a hypertrophic phenotype at basal levels. Interestingly, there are no alterations in cardiac function, myofilament calcium (Ca2+) sensitivity, cooperativity, or response to β-adrenergic stimulus. Studies of Ca2+ handling proteins show significant increases in sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA2a) protein expression and an increase in phospholamban phosphorylation at serine 16, similar to hearts under exercise training. Compared with controls, the decrease in phosphorylation of α-Tm results in greater functional defects in TG animals stressed by transaortic constriction to induce pressure overload hypertrophy. This is the first study to investigate the in vivo role of Tmdephosphorylation under both normal and cardiac stress conditions, documenting a role for Tm dephosphorylation in the maintenance of acompensatedor physiological phenotype. Collectively, these results suggest that modification of theTm phosphorylation status in the heart, depending upon the cardiac state/condition, may modulate the development of cardiac hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In view of potential application as a construction material on the lunar surface the mechanical integrity of sulfur concrete was evaluated after being subjected to simulated temperature cycles. Here, small cubes of sulfur concrete were repeatedly cycled between room (20°C) and liquid nitrogen (−191°C) temperatures after which they, and non-cycled cubes, were evaluated by compression testing. The compression strength of the non-cycled samples averaged ∼35MPa (5076psi) before failing whereas the cycled samples fractured at about 7MPa (1015psi). Microscopic examination of the fracture surfaces from the cycled samples showed clear de-bonding of the sulfur from the aggregate whereas it was seen adhering in those non-cycled. Based on a simple analysis it was concluded that the large strength discrepancy between cycled and non-cycled samples is due to differences between the coefficients of thermal expansion of the materials constituting the concrete. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We begin with a theoretical overview of the concepts of recollection and familiarity, focusing, in the spirit of this special issue, on the important contributions made by Andrew Mayes. In particular, we discuss the issue of when the generation of semantically-related information in response to a retrieval cue might be experienced as recollection rather than familiarity. We then report a series of experiments in which two different types of masked prime, presented immediately prior to the test cue in a recognition memory paradigm, produced opposite effects on Remember vs. Know judgments. More specifically, primes that were conceptually related to the test item increased the incidence of Remember judgments, though only when intermixed with repetition primes (which increased the incidence of Know judgments instead, as in prior studies). One possible explanation—that the fluency of retrieval of item–context associations can be experienced as recollection, even when the source of that fluency is unknown—is counter to conventional views of recollection and familiarity, though it was anticipated by Andrew in his writings nearly two decades ago. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Overaggressive fluid resuscitation in elderly patients requiring pancreatectomy can delay recovery and increase morbidity. Despite advancements, no accurate and reproducible methods exist to evaluate effective intravascular volume status in the postoperative setting. We hypothesized that sequential measurement of currently available serum proteins will indicate fluid balance. Study Design: Clinicopathologic (n = 44) and echocardiogram (echo) data (n = 18) were collected on patients receiving pancreatectomy or diagnostic laparoscopy (n = 5). Measured fluid balance, serum BUN, creatinine (CR), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were recorded on postoperative days (POD) 1 to 7 (only POD1 for diagnostic laparoscopy). ANOVA and bivariate random effect models examined the correlation between BNP and BUN/CR and fluid balance. Linear mixed-effect models examined the correlation between factors associated with vascular stiffness and BNP, BUN/CR, and fluid balance. Results: On POD1 after diagnostic laparoscopy, the fluid balance was positive by 3,265 mL and was accompanied by a >300-point increase in BNP (p = 0.0083). After pancreatectomy, a similar increase in BNP (250 pg/mL) and fluid balance (4,492 mL) on POD1 was observed. During the return to euvolemia, the change in serum BNP levels correlated with fluid balance changes during POD 1 to 3 (p = 0.039), and BUN/CR levels correlated with fluid balance during POD 4 to 7. Patients with risk factors associated with cardiovascular stiffness or echo evidence of poor compliance experienced higher BNP during the postoperative period. Conclusions: Fluid loading at surgery is accompanied by an increase in serum BNP, and return to a balanced fluid state after pancreatectomy is paralleled by changes in BNP and BUN/CR levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fifty healthy adult (18–55 years) and 48 elderly (≥65 years) volunteers were randomized to receive a candidate Clostridium difficile toxoid vaccine (2μg, 10μg, or 50μg) or placebo on Days 0, 28, and 56. No volunteer receiving placebo seroconverted. For toxin A, seroconversion by Day 56 (post-dose 2) was observed in 100% of volunteers aged 18–55 years in all dose groups and in 50%, 89%, and 100% of elderly participants in the 2μg, 10μg, and 50μg dose groups, respectively. For both age groups, seroconversion for toxin B was lower than toxin A. There were no safety concerns. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Two competing hypotheses have been proposed for garnet-bearing ultramafic rocks in the Dominican Republic: (1) The ultrahigh pressure (UHP) – ultrahigh temperature (UHT) hypothesis involves a magmatic protolith of mantle origin, which was then delivered to, and incorporated into deep-subducted oceanic crust (eclogite) at UHP conditions (Abbott et al., 2005, 2006, 2007; Abbott and Draper, 2010; Gazel et al., 2011). (2) The low-pressure (LP) hypothesis involves a plagioclase-bearing, arc-related protolith of crustal origin, which was then subducted to UHP conditions (De Hoog, 2011; Hattori et al., 2010a,b). In both hypotheses, the rocks were uplifted to the surface by an as yet poorly understood mechanism. Here we respond to concerns regarding the integrity of REE analyses, Cpx-Grt REE partitioning, other matters related to the interpretation of the trace element data, and Grt-Spl major-element thermometry. We show that none of the concerns precludes a UHP magmatic origin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Let be the category of κ-quantales, quantales closed under κ-joins in which the monoid identity is the largest element. (κ is an infinite regular cardinal.) Although the lack of lattice completeness in this setting would seem to mitigate against the techniques which lend themselves so readily to the calculation of frame quotients, we show how to easily compute quotients by applying generalizations of the frame techniques to suitable extensions of this category. The second major tool in the analysis is the free κ-quantale over a λ-quantale, . Surprisingly, these can be characterized intrinsically, and the generating sub-κ-quantale can even be identified. The result that the λ-free κ-quantales coincide with the λ-coherent κ-quantales directly generalizes Maddenʼs corresponding result for κ-frames. These tools permit a direct and intuitive construction of colimits. We provide two applications: an intrinsic characterization of colimits, and of free (over sets) κ-quantales. The latter is a direct generalization of Whitmanʼs condition for distributive lattices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The coastal ecosystems of the Philippines are among the most heavily fished areas in the world. High dependency on fishery resources by an expanding population have resulted in overexploited and deteriorated fish stocks, perpetuating widespread poverty in fishing communities. Reducing fishing pressure through livelihood support provision for fishers could potentially alleviate poverty and mitigate deteriorating fisheries at the same time. However, this requires understanding fishers’ behavior toward exiting the fishery and how different socioeconomic factors affect this behavior. We determined fishers’ willingness to exit the fishery for different catch and monetary incentive scenarios in 6 coastal towns in the South China Sea biogeographic region of the Philippines. Half the fishers surveyed would continue fishing even when catches fall to 0.5kg a day. This translates to less than US$1 gross income which is only about 15% of the daily fishers’ household expenses in the studied towns. For monetary incentives, 18% of fishers were already willing to exit the fishery at US$111 monthly incentives. This proportion increased to 51% when the offer was increased to US$222 which is about the same as the fishers’ monthly household expenses. When the offer was increased to US$333, 18% of fishers still said they would prefer to continue fishing. Fishers who were newer to the fishery and exerting less fishing effort showed more willingness to exit the fishery for both catch and monetary incentive scenarios. Age and educational attainment also influenced fishers’ exit decision. These findings demonstrate high heterogeneity in fishers’ behavior toward exiting the fishery and that properly targeting those who are more willing to exit the fishery in livelihood programs might both effectively reduce fishing pressure and give fish stocks and other marine ecosystems a chance to recover while improving the fishers’ well-being. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We show that every completely regular frame has a P-frame reflection. The proof is straightforward in the case of a Lindelöf frame, but more complicated in the general case. The chief obstacle to a simple proof is the important fact that a quotient of a P-frame need not be a P-frame, and we give an example of this. Our proof of the existence of the P-frame reflection in the general case is iterative, freely adding complements at each stage for the cozero elements of the stage before. The argument hinges on the significant fact that frame colimits preserve Lindelöf degree. We also outline the relationship between the P-frame reflection of a space X and the topology of the P-space coreflection of X. Although the former frame is generally much bigger than the latter, it is always the case that the P-space coreflection of X is the space of points of the P-frame reflection of the topology on X. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: The interaction between the plant hormones, brassinosteroids and auxins has been documented in various processes using a variety of plants and plant parts. In this study, detached inflorescences from brassinosteroid biosynthesis and signaling Arabidopsis mutants were evaluated for their gravitropic bending in response to epibrassinolide (EBR) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). EBR supplied to the base of detached inflorescences stimulated gravitropic bending in all BR biosynthetic mutants but there was no effect on the BR signaling mutant or wild type plants. When IAA was supplied to the base of BR mutant inflorescences both natural and EBR-induced gravitropic bending was inhibited. Treatment with the auxin inhibitors also decreased both natural and EBR-induced gravitropic bending. No gravitropic bending was observed when the apical tips of BR mutant inflorescences were removed. IAA treatment to the tips of decapitated BR mutant inflorescences restored gravitropic bending to values observed in the inflorescences with an apical tip, however, EBR applied to the tip had no effect. When decapitated inflorescences from BR mutants were treated with IAA to the base and either gel, EBR or IAA was applied to the tip; there was no gravitropic bending. These results show that brassinosteroids have a role in the gravitropic bending response in Arabidopsis and mutants serve to uncover this hidden contributor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ultra high pressure (UHP) garnet-bearing ultramafic rocks from the Dominican Republic may represent the only known example where such rocks were exhumed at an ocean–ocean convergent plate boundary, and where the protolith crystallized from a UHP magma (>3.2GPa, >1500°C). This study focuses on the petrology and geochemistry of one of the ultramafic lithologies, the pegmatitic garnet-clinopyroxenite (garnet+clinopyroxene+spinel+corundum+hornblende). Three distinct types of garnet were recognized: Type-1 garnet (low Ca, high Mg) is interpreted as near magmatic (P>3.2GPa, >1500°C). Type-1′ garnet (high Ca, low Mg) is interpreted as having formed approximately isochemically from magmatic high-Al clinopyroxene. Type-2 garnet (intermediate Ca, high Mg, and low Fe+Mn) formed together with hornblende as a result of late, low-pressure retrograde hydration. Clinopyroxene is close to diopside–hedenbergite (Mg# ~88) and metasomatized by arc-related fluids. Spinel and corundum occur as microinclusions in type-1 and type-1′ garnets in the only reported natural occurrence of coexisting garnet+spinel+corundum, indicative of very high pressure. Chondrite-normalized REEs (rare earth elements) of the garnets show humped or weakly sinusoidal patterns, typically associated with garnet inclusions in diamond and garnet in kimberlite that crystallized at UHP conditions. These humped to weakly sinusoidal REE patterns developed as the result of interaction with a light REE-enriched metasomatic fluid. Partitioning of REEs between type-1′ and type-1 garnets is consistent with the former having inherited its REEs from a high-Al clinopyroxene predecessor. The partitioning preserves a record of near-solidus temperatures (~1475°C). Petrology and phase relationships independently suggest near-solidus conditions >1500°C (the highest temperature conditions reported in a UHP orogenic setting), providing evidence for an origin in a mantle plume. Therefore, the Dominican ultramafic rocks may represent the only example of exhumed “fossil fragments” of mantle plume in an orogenic setting (oceanic or continental). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Both membrane progestin receptors (mPRs) and the nuclear progestin receptor (nPR or Pgr) decode the non-genomic progestin signaling (NGPS) in vertebrates. However, the receptor for deciphering extracellular NGPS and initiating meiosis resumption in vertebrate oocytes is still contested hotly. We studied the roles of nPR and mPRs by determining their localization, changes of expression, and activation of NGPS during final oocyte maturation (FOM) in zebrafish. The nPR transcript and protein were expressed abundantly in follicular cells that were surrounding stage IV oocytes, but nPR transcript appeared absent within stage IV oocytes. The most significant daily changes of nPR transcript were observed in stage IV follicular cells, with the highest level observed just prior to ovulation. In contrast, the expressions of mPRα and mPRβ transcripts and proteins were abundant and increased significantly in late stage denuded oocytes prior to oocyte maturation, consistent with the purported role of mPRs in interpreting NGPS. Moreover, over-expression of mPRα in follicle-enclosed oocytes significantly increased the activity of MAPK, the production of cyclin B protein, and the number of oocytes that underwent FOM without exogenous progestin, while over-expression of mPRβ or nPR alone had no such effect. Intriguingly, significant acceleration of FOM was observed when follicle-enclosed oocytes were incubated with the maturation inducing steroid, 4-pregnen-17, 20β-diol-3-one (DHP) following over-expression of nPR or mPRα. Interestingly, this acceleration in oocyte maturation was observed approximately 1h later in oocytes over-expressing nPR compared to those over-expressing mPRα. Importantly, the acceleration of maturation in the nPR injected group was blocked by treatment with the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D, implying a requirement of the genomic signaling pathway, while the same treatment did not affect the accelerated rate of maturation in mPRα injected oocytes. Taken together, these results imply that nPR and mPRβ are unlikely receptors for inducing FOM, while mPRα is the long-sought-after nongenomic progestin receptor that deciphers extracellular NGPS to initiate meiosis resumption in follicle-enclosed zebrafish oocytes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using ab initio calculations on 108 atoms pure- and Ge-doped (2.8mol%) silica-based supercells, we performed a statistical study on the electronic structure and energetic contribution of neutral oxygen vacancies, also named Oxygen Deficient Centers (ODCs). All the 72 oxygen sites in the amorphous silica (a-SiO2) cell were considered as possible candidates for the formation of the vacancies leading to study 72 different Si-ODCs (ph name="sbnd" />Sid 144 Ge-ODCs (ph name="sbnd" />Sihe distributions of structural parameters and formation energies of the ODCs were evaluated through Density Functional Theory calculations. The obtained parameters showed a wide distribution that can be mainly associated with the differences in the local environments surrounding the point defects. We show that the formation energies of Si and Ge-ODCs generated from the same oxygen site of our supercell are correlated. Moreover, the local asymmetry around the Sice:glyph name="sbnd" />Si bond can also affect their formation energies, providing a strong evidence for the influence of short-range environment on the ODC generation efficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The identification of the mineral species controlling the solubility of Al in acidic waters rich in sulfate has presented researchers with several challenges. One of the particular challenges is that the mineral species may be amorphous by X-ray diffraction. The difficulty in discerning between adsorbed or structural sulfate is a further complication. Numerous studies have employed theoretical calculations to determine the Al mineral species forming in acid sulfate soil environments. The vast majority of these studies indicate the formation of a mineral species matching the stoichiometry of jurbanite, Al(OH)SO4·5H2O. Much debate, however, exists as to the reality of jurbanite forming in natural environments, particularly in view of its apparent rare occurrence. In this work the use of Al, S and O K-edge XANES spectroscopy, in combination with elemental composition analyses of groundwater precipitates and a theoretical analysis of soluble Al concentrations ranging from pH 3.5 to 7, were employed to determine the mineral species controlling the solubility of Al draining from acid sulfate soils into Blacks Drain in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. The results indicate that a mixture of amorphous Al hydroxide (Al(OH)3) and basaluminite (Al4(SO4)(OH)10·5H2O) was forming. The use of XANES spectroscopy is particularly useful as it provides insight into the nature of the bond between sulfate and Al, and confirms the presence of basaluminite. This counters the possibility that an Al hydroxide species, with appreciable amounts of adsorbed sulfate, is forming within these groundwaters. Below approximately pH 4.5, prior to precipitation of this amorphous Al(OH)3/basaluminite mixture, our studies indicate that the Al3+ activity of these acidic sulfate-rich waters is limited by the availability of dissolved Al from exchangeable and amorphous/poorly crystalline mineral species within adjacent soils. Further evidence suggests the Al3+ activity below pH 4.5 is then further controlled by dilution with either rainwater or pH 6–8 buffered estuarine water, and not a notional Al(OH)SO4 mineral species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It has been suggested that several regions of the brain, including subregions of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and the posterior parietal cortex, contribute to source memory success in a material-general manner, with most models highlighting the importance of memory process rather than material type. For the MTL in particular, however, increasing evidence suggests that MTL subregions may be specialized for processing different materials, raising the possibility that source memory-related activity may be material-sensitive. Previous fMRI studies have not directly compared source memory activity for different categories of stimuli, and it remains unclear whether source memory effects, in the MTL or elsewhere, are influenced by material. To investigate this issue, young participants were scanned during study while they made semantic judgments about words, pictures of objects and scenes, and during test when they retrieved the context (source) in which these items were studied. Several regions, including the hippocampi, medial and lateral parietal cortex, exhibited source memory effects common to words, objects and scenes, at both study and test. Material-dependent source memory effects were also identified in the left posterior inferior frontal and left perirhinal cortex for words and objects, respectively, at study but not test. These results offer direct support for the hypothesis that the MTL and posterior parietal cortex make material-general contributions to recollection. These results also point to a dissociation between encoding and retrieval with regard to the influence of material on the neural correlates of source memory accuracy, supporting the idea that a relatively small proportion of the activity elicited by a stimulus during encoding is incorporated into an episodic memory representation of the stimulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The associative learning account of how infants identify human motion rests on the assumption that this knowledge is derived from statistical regularities seen in the world. Yet, no catalog exists of what visual input infants receive of human motion, and of causal and self-propelled motion in particular. In this manuscript, we demonstrate that the frequency with which causal agency and self-propelled motion appear in the visual environment predicts infants’ understanding of these motions. In an observational study, an infant wearing a head-mounted camera saw people act as agents in causal events three times more often than he saw people engaged in self-propelled motion. Subsequent experiments with the habituation paradigm revealed that infants begin to generalize self-propulsion to agents in causal events between 10 and 14months of age. However, infants cannot generalize causal agency to a self-propelled object at 14 or 18months unless the object exhibits additional cues to animacy. The results are discussed within a domain-general framework of learning about human action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Factors controlling the transport of geogenically-derived arsenic from a coastal acid sulfate soil into downstream sediments are identified in this study with both solid-phase associations and aqueous speciation clearly critical to the mobility and toxicity of arsenic. The data from both sequential extractions and X-ray adsorption spectroscopy indicate that arsenic in the unoxidised Holocene acid sulfate soils is essentially non-labile in the absence of prolonged oxidation, existing primarily as arsenopyrite or as an arsenopyrite-like species, likely arsenian pyrite. Anthropogenically-accelerated pedogenic processes, which have oxidised this material over time, have greatly enhanced the potential bioavailability of arsenic, with solid-phase arsenic almost solely present as As(V) associated with secondary Fe(III) minerals present. Analyses of downstream sediments reveal that a portion of the arsenic is retained as a mixed As(III)/As(V) solid-phase, though not at levels considered to be environmentally deleterious. Determination of arsenic speciation in pore waters using high performance liquid chromatography/Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry shows a dominance of As(III) in upstream pore waters whilst an unidentified As species reaches comparative levels within the downstream, estuarine locations. Pore water As(V) was detected at trace concentrations only. The results demonstrate the importance of landscape processes to arsenic transport and availability within acid sulfate soil environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this new study was to determine the types and levels of major phytochemicals (non-nutrients) and nutrients in the different tissues from vegetative and flowering Moringa oleifera L. an important multipurpose crop. Rhamnose and acetyl-rhamnose-substituted glucosinolates were found in all of the M. oleifera tissues with different profiles depending on the tissue. In addition the tissues of M. oleifera had a relatively complex flavonoid profile consisting of glucosides, rutinosides, malonylglucosides and traces of acetylglucosides of kaempferol, quercetin and isorhamnetin. Fatty acid profiling of the different tissues showed that leaves were rich in palmitic (16:0) and linolenic (18:3) acid whereas seeds were predominated by oleic acid (18:1). Roots were rich in palmitic and oleic acid, whereas stems and twigs predominately contained palmitic acid. Potassium, magnesium and calcium were the predominant minerals in all of the tissues. Low levels of selenium were detected only in whole seeds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

For some time the over-pumping of groundwater by aquacultural producers has contributed to severe problems with land subsidence in many areas of Taiwan. This has led to policy initiatives that impose extra costs on groundwater users. By investigating the effects of the conditions of aquifers, production efficiency and other factors on decisions of Taiwanese aquacultural producers to exit the industry, this paper lays an important foundation for an understanding of the effects of these policy initiatives. Using data from a nationwide survey, this exit decision is examined using an innovative empirical strategy that combines Data Envelopment Analysis with a discrete choice econometric model. Results indicate that less efficient firms and those located in areas where land subsidence is severe are more likely to exit. These relationships may in part reflect the effectiveness of the recent policy changes to reduce land subsidence attributable to aquaculture production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Parental imprinting and the type of the genetic alteration play a determinant role in the phenotype expression of GNAS locus associated to pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP). This imprint is tissue-specific, mainly localized in the kidney and the thyroid. Only the maternal allele is expressed at this level. An alteration in the coding sequence of the gene leads to an haplo-insufficiency and a dysmorphic phenotype (Albright''s syndrome). If the alteration is on the maternal allele, there is a hormonal resistance to the PTH at the kidney level and to the TSH at the thyroid level. The phenotype is known as a PHP1a. If the alteration is on the paternal allele, there are few clinical signs with no hormonal resistance and the phenotype is known as pseudo-pseudo-hypoparathyroidism (PPHP). Methylation anomalies of GNAS locus, in particular of exon 1A, are responsible for a lack of expression of Gαs at kidney and thyroid levels only. If these anomalies concern the maternal allele (the only one expressed) with a paternal pattern, there is no haplo-insufficiency and no dysmorphic syndrome. The hormonal resistance is yet again limited to PTH and TSH. The phenotype is known as PHP1b. In the familial forms, these methylation anomalies are associated with a deletion of the syntaxine 16 gene in the maternal allele. This gene contains probably the imprinting center of the locus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: River discharges are usually gauged at sites farther upstream than estuarine tidal reaches. As a result, global estimates of river water and nutrient fluxes to the ocean are likely underestimated as they often neglect groundwater discharge occurring in estuaries downstream of river gauging stations. We used radon and radium isotopes as tracers of groundwater discharge into the Sebastian River Estuary, a gaining stream in Florida, USA. We developed a spatially-distributed mass balance model that accounts for radon sources and sinks in waters above and below the estuarine pycnocline. Radium isotopes (224Ra, 223Ra, and 226Ra) were not enriched in groundwater relative to surface water and thus had limited usefulness as tracers at this specific site. The detection of fresh groundwater just beneath the sediment:water interface overlain by brackish bottom water implies that fresh groundwater dominates over saline groundwater in this salt wedge estuary. Lateral groundwater inputs from sandy banks into waters above the estuarine pycnocline were about 6-fold higher than inputs into waters below the pycnocline. Groundwater discharge rates into the surface layer of the estuary estimated from a radon mass balance ranged from 5 to 18m3/s (or 18 to 62cm/day if uniformly distributed throughout the entire estuary area). The fluxes into the bottom layer ranged from 0.8 to 1.1m3/s (or 2.8 to 3.9cm/day). These groundwater inputs augmented river discharges gauged upstream of the estuary tidal reaches by about 260% during the dry period and 135% during the wet period. As nutrient and other dissolved species are often highly enriched in groundwaters, groundwater probably controls surface water quality in this and other Florida estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hemodynamics play a significant role in stroke risk, where thrombus formation may be accelerated in regions of slow or recirculating flow, high shear and increased turbulence. An in vitro investigation was performed with pulsed Doppler ultrasound (DUS) using the complete spectral data to investigate the three-dimensional (3-D) distribution of advanced parameters that may have potential for making a more specific in vivo diagnosis of carotid disease and stroke risk. The effect of stenosis symmetry and the potential of DUS spectral parameters for visualizing regions of recirculation or turbulence were explored. DUS was used to map pulsatile flow in four model geometries representing two different plaque symmetries (eccentricity) and two stenosis severities (mild, severe). Qualitative comparisons were made with flow patterns visualized using digital particle imaging. Color-encoded maps of DUS spectral parameters (mean velocity, spectral-broadening index and turbulence intensity) clearly distinguished regions of slow or recirculating flow and disturbed or turbulent flow. Distinctly different flow patterns resulted from stenoses of equal severity but different eccentricity. Noticeable differences were seen in both the size and location of recirculation zones and in the paths of high-velocity jets. Highly elevated levels of turbulence intensity were seen distal to severe stenosis. Results demonstrated the importance of plaque shape, which is typically not considered in standard diagnosis, in addition to stenosis severity. (E-mail: poepping@uwo.ca). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Cuaba Gneiss in northern Dominican Republic hosts an unusual suite of Grt-ultramafites. Two hypotheses for their origin are distinguished by the depth of crystallization of an igneous protolith. In the first hypothesis the protolith crystallized under ultra high pressure (UHP) magmatic conditions (>3.2GPa) in the field of stability for Grt+Spl+Crn. The protolith was then modified by subsolidus processes. In a new hypothesis the protolith crystallized under low pressure (LP) magmatic conditions (<1.1GPa) in the field of stability for plagioclase. Grt+Crn was produced during prograde metamorphism. The LP hypothesis depends on a small Eu anomaly, limited fluid interaction, REE modeling, and a magmatic composition for clinopyroxene. Arguments against the LP hypothesis address, (1) the source of the Eu anomaly, (2) the use of clinopyroxene in assessing provenance and modeling REEs, (3) the proposed prograde mineral reactions, and (4) thermodynamic calculations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Spermatozoa comprise a large and homogeneous population of cells that may serve as an alternative to resource-intensive assays of transmissible mutations based on progeny. To evaluate mutagenic responses in spermatozoa derived from germ cells exposed to a mutagen at different stages of spermatogenesis, we compared cII mutant frequencies (MFs) in spermatozoa collected from male λ transgenic medaka exposed to ethylnitrosourea (ENU) as either post-meiotic or pre-meiotic germ cells. cII MFs in spermatozoa exposed to ENU as spermatogonial stem cells were induced significantly, 9-fold, compared to controls, whereas, cII MFs in spermatozoa exposed as spermatozoa/late spermatids were not elevated. To directly compare responses in spermatozoa with those in progeny, we analyzed cII MFs directly in spermatozoa and in the offspring produced from identical sperm samples of ENU-exposed males. cII MFs in isolated spermatozoa exposed to ENU as post-meiotic germ cells were not significantly elevated, whereas 11–30% of the progeny derived from the identically exposed germ cells exhibited significantly elevated cII MFs, ∼2-fold to >130-fold, compared to controls. The contradictory responses between spermatozoa and progeny analyses can be attributed to induced pre-mutational lesions that remain intact in spermatozoa but were not detected as mutations. Progeny analyses, by contrast, revealed mutant individuals with elevated cII mutant frequencies because persistent DNA damage in the spermatozoa was fixed as mutations in cells of the early stage embryo. Spermatozoa exposed to a mutagen as spermatogonial stem cells can provide an efficient means to detect the portion of transmissible mutations that were fixed as mutations in spermatozoa. The caveat is that direct analyses of mutations in spermatozoa excludes the contribution of mutations that arise from post-fertilization processes in cells of early stage embryos, and therefore may underestimate the actual frequency of mutant offspring. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To examine the association between the prevalence of delirium among patients admitted to postacute care and the quality of nursing home care as reflected in deficiency counts. Design: Analysis of screening data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a delirium abatement program. Setting and Participants: We screened 4744 of 6352 RCT-eligible persons admitted to 1 of 8 skilled nursing facilities in the Boston area over a 3-year period. Quality of care was operationalized with the count of deficiencies noted by state surveyors. Measurements: Prevalence of Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) diagnoses of delirium as completed by trained research interviewers at each facility. Results: About 1 in 7 persons admitted to postacute care met CAM criteria for delirium, but this varied from 1 in 15 to 1 in 4 across facilities. The correlation of deficiency count per 100 beds and the prevalence of CAM delirium was strong (r=0.45) and significant (95% Confidence interval =0.07, 0.71). Conclusion: Although this study is limited by small sample size, limited geographic scope, and crude assessment of quality with deficiency counts, we have found that facilities with more deficiencies admit more persons that satisfy CAM criteria for delirium. It is possible that good facilities often choose to admit and/or are referred good candidates for rehabilitation, whereas facilities with more deficiencies are not able to be so selective. The end result may be that delirious patients are being preferentially admitted to poorer quality facilities, increasing their likelihood of poor postacute outcomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The objective of this investigation was to implement a high-pass frequency filter method to analyze Doppler ultrasound velocity waveforms and quantify turbulence intensity (TI) in vivo. Doppler velocity data were analyzed using two techniques, based on either ensemble averaging or high-pass frequency domain filtering of the periodic waveforms. The accuracy and precision of TI measurements were determined with controlled in vitro experiments, using a pulsatile-flow model of a stenosed carotid bifurcation. The high-pass filter technique was also applied in vivo to determine whether this technique could successfully distinguish between pertinent hemodynamic sites within the carotid artery bifurcation. Twenty-five seconds of Doppler audio data were acquired at three sites (common carotid artery [CCA], internal carotid artery [ICA] stenosis and distal ICA) within 10 human carotid arteries, and repeated three times. Doppler velocity data were analyzed using a ninth-order high-pass Butterworth filter with a 12-Hz inflection point. TI measured within the CCA and distal ICA was found to be significantly different (p < 0.0001) for moderate to nearly occluded carotid artery classifications. Also, TI measured within the distal ICA increased with stenosis severity, with the ability to distinguish between each stenosis class (p < 0.05). This investigation demonstrated the ability to precisely quantify TI using a conventional Doppler ultrasound machine in human subjects, without interfering with normal clinical protocols. (E-mail: david.holdsworth@imaging.robarts.ca) [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The solution speciation of a metal has a critical influence on its biological activity in the environment and is now an important focus of research. In this review, pertinent aspects related to the aqueous speciation and chemistry of cobalt (Co) in terrestrial environments are critically assessed. Although there is a lack of comprehensive data on aqueous Co concentrations in soil porewaters, groundwaters and surface waters, existing reports indicate that natural Co concentrations vary within a picomolar to micromolar range. Cobalt chemistry is dominated by the Co(II) oxidation state in the aqueous phase of terrestrial environments primarily due to the extremely low solubility of Co(III). There is no universal agreement on the importance of Co(II) complexation in the solution phase of terrestrial environments and, furthermore, on the nature of the major binding organic ligands. The kinetics of Co(II) complexation to, and dissociation from, natural organic complexing ligands are such that the speciation of Co is likely to significantly diverge from estimates based on thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. As a result, an accurate understanding of Co bioavailability, toxicity and transport in terrestrial aquatic environments will only be achieved when thermodynamics can be reconciled with reaction kinetics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: The promise of stem cells is to provide a source of non-diseased material for the generation of patient-specific cells or tissue for replacement and reconstruction. This review will provide a broad perspective on stem cell research, from the sentinel discoveries to recent developments, and also discuss translational implications. Methods: We performed internet-based Pubmed database searches to identify recent articles and review papers pertaining to stem cell research and urologic applications. Results: Depending on their source, stem cells have a varied capacity to self-renew and divide and to differentiate into a desired phenotype. Pluripotent stem cells can potentially be differentiated into any cell type and multipotent stem cells are variably lineage restricted. In the urologic literature, stem cell derived smooth muscles have been produced and may be useful for tissue-engineered constructs. Conclusions: The future of reconstructive surgery will surely incorporate a number of these stem cell based technologies in revolutionary ways that may improve and extend lives. However, the ultimate utility and clinical applicability of the different types of stem cells will depend on a complex synthesis of further basic research, future clinical trials, and ethical and regulatory reconcilement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The chestnut fruit processing generates large amounts of residues as pericarp (outer shell; 8.9–13.5%) and integument (inner shell; 6.3–10.1%). These materials clearly have the potential as sources of valuable co-products. The analyses of the pericarp and integument of four Portuguese chestnut cultivars (Judia, Longal, Martaínha and Lada) revealed significant contents of total phenolics, low molecular weight phenolics (gallic and ellagic acid), condensed tannins and ellagitannins including castalagin, vescalagin, acutissimin A and acutissimin B. The integument tissues had the highest levels of total phenolics and condensed tannins. The most efficient extraction solvent for the total phenolics, total condensed tannins and low molecular weight phenolics (in Longal) was 70:30 acetone:water at 20°C. The pericarp and integument tissues of the cultivar Longal were richest in gallic acid and castalagin. It is clear that these materials could be used for the extraction of valuable phenolics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Category formation lies at the heart of a number of higher-order behaviors, including language. We assessed the ability of human adults to learn, from distributional information alone, categories embedded in a sequence of input stimuli using a serial reaction time task. Artificial grammars generated corpora of input strings containing a predetermined and constrained set of sequential statistics. After training, learners were presented with novel input strings, some of which contained violations of the category membership defined by distributional context. Category induction was assessed by comparing performance on novel and familiar strings. Results indicate that learners develop increasing sensitivity to the category structure present in the input, and become sensitive to fine-grained differences in the pre- and post-element contexts that define category membership. Results suggest that distributional analysis plays a significant role in the development of visuomotor categories, and may play a similar role in the induction of linguistic form-class categories. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Naturally occurring 222Rn (radon; t 1/2 =3.8days) is a good natural tracer of groundwater discharge because it is conservative and typically 2–3 orders of magnitude higher in groundwater than surface waters. In addition, new technology has allowed rapid and inexpensive field measurements of radon-in-water. Results from the C-25 Canal, a man-made canal in east-central Florida thought to be dominated by groundwater inflows, display how one can quickly assess a water body for locations of groundwater inputs. Although only the eastern portion of the canal was surveyed, use of a few assumptions together with some continuous radon measurements allowed reasonable estimates of the groundwater inflows to be made. Groundwater discharge estimates of 327,000m3/day and 331,000m3/day were measured for two stations based on determining the groundwater fraction of the total stream flow. This fraction in each case was calculated by correcting radon concentrations for decay over transit times determined from concentration differences between the apparent focal point of groundwater discharge (with a concentration of 520±80dpm/L) estimated to be ∼17.7km upstream from the downstream sample locations. During the same period, an average flow of 312,000±70,000m3/day was determined from time-series measurements of radon at a fixed downstream location. Coincident current meter readings and a measured cross-section area allowed an independent assessment of the total stream discharge of 336,000m3/day. The radon-derived estimates thus indicate that >90% of the total flow is groundwater derived, consistent with the known characteristics of this waterway. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A combination of analytical and field measurements has been used to probe the speciation and cycling of iron in coastal lowland acid sulfate soils. Iron K-edge EXAFS spectroscopy demonstrated that schwertmannite dominated (43–77%) secondary iron mineralization throughout the oxidized and acidified soil profile, while pyrite and illite were the major iron-bearing minerals in the reduced potential acid sulfate soil layers. Analyses of contemporary precipitates from shallow acid sulfate soil groundwaters indicated that 2-line ferrihydrite, in addition to schwertmannite, is presently controlling secondary Fe(III) mineralization. Although aqueous pH values and concentrations of Fe(II) were seasonally high, no evidence was obtained for the Fe(II)-catalyzed crystallization of either mineral to goethite. The results of this study indicate that: (a) schwertmannite is likely to persist in coastal lowland acid sulfate soils on a much longer time-scale than predicted by laboratory experiments; (b) this mineral is less reactive in these types of soils due to surface-site coverage by components such as silicate and possibly, to a lesser extent, natural organic matter and phosphate and; (c) active water table management to promote oxic/anoxic cycles around the Fe(II)–Fe(III) redox couple, or reflooding of these soils, will be ineffective in promoting the Fe(II)-catalyzed transformation of either schwertmannite or 2-line ferrihydrite to crystalline iron oxyhydroxides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The 300-kDa cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CI-MPR), which contains multiple mannose 6-phosphate (Man-6-P) binding sites that map to domains 3, 5, and 9 within its 15-domain extracytoplasmic region, functions as an efficient carrier of Man-6-P-containing lysosomal enzymes. To determine the types of phosphorylated N-glycans recognized by each of the three carbohydrate binding sites of the CI-MPR, a phosphorylated glycan microarray was probed with truncated forms of the CI-MPR. Surface plasmon resonance analyses using lysosomal enzymes with defined N-glycans were performed to evaluate whether multiple domains are needed to form a stable, high affinity carbohydrate binding pocket. Like domain 3, adjacent domains increase the affinity of domain 5 for phosphomannosyl residues, with domain 5 exhibiting ∼60-fold higher affinity for lysosomal enzymes containing the phosphodiester Man-P-GlcNAc when in the context of a construct encoding domains 5-9. In contrast, domain 9 does not require additional domains for high affinity binding. The three sites differ in their glycan specificity, with only domain 5 being capable of recognizing Man-P-GlcNAc. In addition, domain 9, unlike domains 1-3, interacts with Man8GlcNAc2 and Man9GlcNAc2 oligosaccharides containing a single phosphomonoester. Together, these data indicate that the assembly of three unique carbohydrate binding sites allows the CI-MPR to interact with the structurally diverse phosphorylated N-glycans it encounters on newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Materials with negative Poisson’s ratios (auxetics) exhibit the property of expanding laterally when uniaxially stretched and becoming narrower when compressed. A system which exhibits this unexpected property is natrolite (NAT), a zeolite which is auxetic in its (001) plane. Here, we examine the effect of external hydrostatic pressure on the crystal structure of hypothetical silicates equivalent to frameworks in the NAT group. We show that the crystal structure and mechanical properties of the SiO2 equivalents of the NAT, THO (thomsonite) and EDI (edingtonite) frameworks are highly pressure dependent and that these systems are most auxetic at non-ambient conditions, in particular at positive external hydrostatic pressures which are predicted to be approximately 2–8% of the bulk modulus. An attempt is made to explain this pressure dependency of the Poisson’s ratio in terms of the framework geometry and the deformation mechanism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Fe(II)-catalysed transformation of synthetic schwertmannite, ferrihydrite, jarosite and lepidocrocite to more stable, crystalline Fe(III) oxyhydroxides is prevented by high, natural concentrations of Si and natural organic matter (NOM). Adsorption isotherms demonstrate that Si adsorbs to the iron minerals investigated and that increasing amounts of adsorbed Si results in a decrease in isotope exchange between aqueous Fe(II) and the Fe(III) mineral. This suggests that the adsorption of Si inhibits the direct adsorption of Fe(II) onto the mineral surface, providing an explanation for the inhibitory effect of Si on the Fe(II)-catalysed transformation of Fe(III) minerals. During the synthesis of lepidocrocite and ferrihydrite, the presence of equimolar concentrations of Si and Fe resulted in the formation of 2-line ferrihydrite containing co-precipitated Si in both cases. Isotope exchange experiments conducted with this freeze-dried Si co-precipitated ferrihydrite species (Si-ferrihydrite) demonstrated that the rate and extent of isotope exchange between aqueous Fe(II) and solid 55Fe(III) was very similar to that of 2-line ferrihydrite formed in the absence of Si and which had not been allowed to dry. In contrast to un-dried ferrihydrite formed in the absence of Si, Si-ferrihydrite did not transform into a more crystalline Fe(III) mineral phase over the 7-day period of investigation. Reductive dissolution studies using ascorbic acid demonstrated that both dried Si-ferrihydrite and un-dried 2-line ferrihydrite were very reactive, suggesting these species may be major contributors to the rapid release of dissolved iron following flooding and the onset of conditions conducive to reductive dissolution in acid sulphate soil environments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It is well known that a sum (coproduct) of a family of Priestley spaces is a compactification of their disjoint union, and that this compactification in turn can be organized into a union of pairwise disjoint order independent closed subspaces , indexed by the ultrafilters u on the index set I. The nature of those subspaces indexed by the free ultrafilters u is not yet fully understood. In this article we study a certain dense subset satisfying exactly those sentences in the first-order theory of partial orders which are satisfied by almost all of the ''s. As an application we present a complete analysis of the coproduct of an increasing family of finite chains, in a sense the first non-trivial case which is not a Čech–Stone compactification of the disjoint union . In this case, all the ''s with u free turn out to be isomorphic under the Continuum Hypothesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The use of porcine organs for clinical transplantation is a promising potential solution to the shortage of human organs. Preformed anti-pig antibody is the primary cause of hyperacute rejection, while elicited antibody can contribute to subsequent "delayed" xenograft rejection. This article will review recent progress to overcome antibody mediated xenograft rejection, through modification of the host immunity and use of genetically engineered pig organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]