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Differential Geometry Based Solvation Model Ii: Lagrangian Formulation, Zhan Chen, Nathan A. Baker, Guo-Wei Wei

Zhan Chen

Solvation is an elementary process in nature and is of paramount importance to more sophisticated chemical, biological and biomolecular processes. The understanding of solvation is an essential prerequisite for the quantitative description and analysis of biomolecular systems. This work presents a Lagrangian formulation of our differential geometry based solvation models. The Lagrangian representation of biomolecular surfaces has a few utilities/advantages. First, it provides an essential basis for biomolecular visualization, surface electrostatic potential map and visual perception of biomolecules. Additionally, it is consistent with the conventional setting of implicit solvent theories and thus, many existing theoretical algorithms and computational software packages …

Gravity Wave Characteristics From Oh Airglow Imager Over Maui, Alan Z. Liu, Xian Lu, Zhenhua Li, Gary R. Swenson, Steven Franke

Alan Z Liu

No abstract provided.

Altered Microrna Expression In Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration With Tdp-43 Pathology Caused By Progranulin Mutations, Jannet Kocerha, Naomi Kouri, Matt Baker, Nicole Finch, Mariely Dejesus-Hernandez, John Gonzalez, Kumaravel Chidamparam, Keith A. Josephs, Bradley F. Boeve, Neill R. Graff-Radford, Julia Crook, Dennis W. Dickson, Rosa Rademakers

Jannet Kocerha

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that can be triggered through genetic or sporadic mechanisms. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have become a major therapeutic focus as their pervasive expression and powerful regulatory roles in disease pathogenesis become increasingly apparent. Here we examine the role of miRNAs in FTLD patients with TAR DNA-binding protein 43 pathology (FTLD-TDP) caused by genetic mutations in the progranulin (PGRN) gene.

Results

Using miRNA array profiling, we identified the 20 miRNAs that showed greatest evidence (unadjusted P < 0.05) of dysregulation in frontal cortex of eight FTLD-TDP patients carrying PGRN mutations when compared to 32 FTLD-TDP patients with no apparent genetic abnormalities. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses provided technical validation of the differential expression for 9 of the 20 miRNAs in frontal cortex. Additional qRT-PCR analyses showed that 5 out of 9 miRNAs (miR-922, miR-516a-3p, miR-571, miR-548b-5p, and miR-548c-5p) were also significantly dysregulated (unadjusted P < 0.05) in cerebellar tissue samples of PGRN mutation carriers, consistent with a systemic reduction in PGRN levels. We developed a list of gene targets for the 5 candidate miRNAs and found 18 genes dysregulated in a reported FTLD mRNA study to exhibit anti-correlated miRNA-mRNA patterns in affected cortex and cerebellar tissue. Among the targets is brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor 3, which was recently identified as an important player in synapse biology.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that miRNAs may contribute to the pathogenesis of FTLD-TDP caused by PGRN mutations and …

Constrained Hermite Tls For Mesh-Free Derivative Estimation Near And On Boundaries, Robert A. Mcdonald, Alejandro Ramos

Robert A. McDonald

A Taylor series least-squares approach to estimating derivatives on scattered data is extended to include derivative observation or specification. This approach allows improved estimation of derivatives near boundaries as compared with the standard ghost node approach. It also enables a unique method of estimating derivatives in a surface using only surface data.

The Great North East Japan Earthquake: Needs Assessment And Policy Recommendations (In Japanese), Tatsushi Arai

Tatsushi Arai

This is a policy paper submitted to various policy-oriented stakeholders in Japan, based on the fieldwork I conducted in Iwate Prefecture in October 2011. Key findings include the imperative of a long-term multi-faceted approach to recovery and rehabilitation that integrates physical infrastructure building, agricultural and industrial development, and community-based psycho-social healing.

Seasonal Variability Of The Diurnal Tide In The Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere Over Maui, Hawaii (20.7˚N, 156.3˚W), Xian Lu, Alan Z. Liu, Jens Oberheide, Qian Wu, Tao Li, Zhenhua Li, Gary R. Swenson, Steven J. Franke

Zhenhua Li

No abstract provided.

Seasonal Variability Of The Diurnal Tide In The Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere Over Maui, Hawaii (20.7˚N, 156.3˚W), Xian Lu, Alan Z. Liu, Jens Oberheide, Qian Wu, Tao Li, Zhenhua Li, Gary R. Swenson, Steven J. Franke

Alan Z Liu

No abstract provided.

Genetic Admixture In Multidimensional Niche Space: Asymmetrical Niche Similarity Promotes Gene Flow In Armadillos (Dasypus Novemcinctus), Maria Arteaga, John Mccormack, Luis Eguiarte, Rodrigo Medellín

John E. McCormack

We unite genetic data with a robust test of niche divergence to test the hypothesis that patterns of gene flow between two lineages of the nine-banded armadillo are influenced by their climatic niches. We collected Geographical Information System (GIS) data on climate using locality information from 111 individuals from two lineages that had associated genetic material. We tested whether niches of these lineages were more conserved or divergent than the background environments of their geographic ranges and found evidence for niche conservatism on two axes and no evidence for divergence on any axis. To address the role of niche similarity …

What The Progressives Had In Common, Glen Gendzel

Glen Gendzel

When Professor Benjamin Parke De Witt of New York University sat down to write the first history of the progressive movement in 1915, he promised “to give form and definiteness to a movement which is, in the minds of many, confused and chaotic.” Apparently it was a fool's errand, because confusion and chaos continued to plague historians of early twentieth-century reform long after Professor De Witt laid his pen to rest. The maddening variety of reform and reformers in the early twentieth century has perpetually confounded historians' efforts to identify what, if anything, the progressives had in common. Back in …

A Meeting Of The Minds: Enhancing Collaboration With The Department Of Psychiatry Through The Institutional Repository, Lisa A. Palmer, Len L. Levin

Lisa A. Palmer

This presentation will provide an overview of an ongoing collaboration between the Lamar Soutter Library and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) to promote faculty research. The Library has a long-standing liaison relationship with the Department of Psychiatry to share information about library collections and services, and to support the department’s teaching, clinical, and research needs. In 2009 the Library formally established a Research and Scholarly Communication Services department, with one librarian overseeing the university’s institutional repository, eScholarship@UMMS. eScholarship@UMMS is a digital archive offering worldwide access to the research and scholarly output of the …

Quantitative Tremor Analysis In Welders: Comparison With Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease And Essential Tremor, Juan Sanchez-Ramos, Dacy Reimer, Theresa A. Zesiewicz, Kelly L. Sullivan, Paul A. Nausieda

Kelly L. Sullivan

Background: Workers chronically exposed to manganese in welding fumes may develop an extra-pyramidal syndrome with postural and action tremors.
Objectives: To determine the utility of tremor analysis in distinguishing tremors among workers exposed to welding fumes, patients with Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease (IPD) and Essential Tremor (ET).
Methods: Retrospective study of recorded tremor in subjects from academic Movement Disorders Clinics and Welders. Quantitative tremor analysis was performed and associated with clinical status.
Results: Postural tremor intensity was increased in Welders and ET and was associated with visibly greater amplitude of tremor with arms extended. Mean center frequencies (Cf) of welders and …

Drosophila Model For Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders: Role For The Insulin Pathway, Rachael L. French, K D. Mcclure, U Heberlein

Rachael L. French

Prenatal exposure to ethanol in humans results in a wide range of developmental abnormalities, including growth deficiency, developmental delay, reduced brain size, permanent neurobehavioral abnormalities and fetal death. Here we describe the use of Drosophila melanogaster as a model for exploring the effects of ethanol exposure on development and behavior. We show that developmental ethanol exposure causes reduced viability, developmental delay and reduced adult body size. We find that flies reared on ethanol-containing food have smaller brains and imaginal discs, which is due to reduced cell division rather than increased apoptosis. Additionally, we show that, as in mammals, flies reared …

Narco-Analysis And The Shifting Paradigms Of Article 20(3): A Comment On Selvi V. State Of Karnataka, Anjaneya Das

Anjaneya Das

No abstract provided.

A Meshless Finite Difference Scheme For Compressible Potential Flows, Alejandro Ramos, Robert A. Mcdonald

Robert A. McDonald

A meshless solution algorithm for the full potential equation has been developed by applying the principles of the Taylor Least Squares (TLS) method. This method allows for a PDE to be discretized on a local cloud of scattered nodes without the need of connectivity data. The process for discretizing the full potential equation within a meshless framework is outlined along with a novel Hermite TLS technique for enforcement of Neumann boundary conditions. Several two-dimensional test cases were solved that compare well with analytical and benchmark solutions. The first test case solved for the subcritical compressible flow over a circular cylinder …

Disassembly Of Preformed Amyloid Ss Fibrils By Small Organofluorine Molecules, Abha Sood, Abid Shaikh, Catharine Sauer, Samson Hailemichael, Michelle Foster, Béla Török, Marianna Török

Abid Shaikh

A potential therapeutic approach for Alzheimer’s disease is to reduce the amount of toxic amyloid-beta oligomers and fibrillar amyloid plaques. In order to contribute to this approach the ability of small organofluorine compounds that were previously reported as successful inhibitors of fibrillogenesis to destabilize preformed fibrils of the amyloid-beta peptide was studied. These organofluorine molecules including chiral compounds were tested in vitro using standard methods based on Thioflavin-T (THT) fluorescence spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It was observed that 5′-halogen substituted 3,3,3-trifluoromethyl-2-hydroxyl-(indol-3-yl)-propionic acid esters showed significant activity in the disassembly of the preformed fibrils. Since …

A Local Energy Estimate On Kerr Black Hole Backgrounds, Daniel Tataru, Mihai H. Tohaneanu

Mihai H. Tohaneanu

We study dispersive properties for the wave equation in the Kerr space–time with small angular momentum. The main result of this paper is to establish uniform energy bounds and local energy decay for such backgrounds. This follows similar results for the Schwarzschild space–time proved earlier in [3], [8], and [16] and extended in earlier work [29] of the authors and collaborators.

Creating Community-Academic Partnerships For Cancer Disparities Research And Health Promotion, John S. Luque, Cathy D. Meade, Janelle M. Menard, Dinorah Martinez Tyson, Clement K. Gwede

John S. Luque

To effectively attenuate cancer disparities in multiethnic, medically underserved populations, interventions must be developed collaboratively through solid community-academic partnerships and driven by community-based participatory research (CBPR). The Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network (TBCCN) has been created to identify and implement interventions to address local cancer disparities in partnership with community-based nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, community health centers, local media, and adult literacy and education organizations. TBCCN activities and research efforts are geared toward addressing critical information and access issues related to cancer control and prevention in diverse communities in the Tampa Bay area. Such efforts include cross-cultural health promotion, screening, …

Modification Of A Commercial Toxoplasma Gondii Immunoglobulin G Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay For Use In Multiple Animal Species, John J. Schaefer, Holly A. White, Stephanie L. Schaaf, Hussni O. Mohammed, Susan E. Wade

John J Schaefer

A challenge faced by veterinary diagnosticians in serologic analysis for exposure to pathogens is the need for a protein conjugate capable of antibody attachment in many animal species. The advent of protein conjugates that are less specific in nature allows diagnosis across many species with little or no modification of technique. Toxoplasma gondii is an organism of veterinary interest that has been demonstrated to infect a plethora of warm-blooded animals. However, the serologic tests available for simultaneous diagnosis in this broad range are limited in number. The current study examined the use of an immunoglobulin G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) …

Speciation, Luminescence, And Alkaline Fluorescence Quenching Of 4-(2-Methylbutyl)Aminodipicolinic Acid (H2mebadpa), Gilles Muller, A. J. Ingram, A. G. Dunpal, R. Dipietro

Gilles Muller

4-(2-Methylbutyl)aminodipicolinic acid (H2MEBADPA) has been synthesized and fully characterized in terms of aqueous phase protonation constants (pKa's) and photophysical measurements. The pKa's were determined by spectrophotometric titrations, utilizing a fully sealed titration system. Photophysical measurements consisted of room temperature fluorescence and frozen solution phosphorescence as well as quantum yield determinations at various pH, which showed that only fully deprotonated MEBADPA2– is appreciably emissive. The fluorescence of MEBADPA2– has been determined to be quenched by hydroxide and methoxide anions, most likely through base-catalyzed excited-state tautomerism or proton transfer. This quenching phenomenon has been quantitatively explored through steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. …

Diffusive Transport Enhanced By Thermal Velocity Fluctuations, Alejandro Garcia, Aleksandar Donev, Anton De La Fuente, John B. Bell

Alejandro Garcia

We study the contribution of advection by thermal velocity fluctuations to the effective diffusion coefficient in a mixture of two identical fluids. We find good agreement between a simple fluctuating hydrodynamics theory and particle and finite-volume simulations. The enhancement of the diffusive transport depends on the system size L and grows as ln⁡(L/L0) in quasi-two-dimensional systems, while in three dimensions it scales as L0-1-L-1, where L0 is a reference length. Our results demonstrate that fluctuations play an important role in the hydrodynamics of small-scale systems.

Contemporary And Historical Separation Of Transequatorial Migration Between Genetically Distinct Seabird Populations, M J. Rayner, M E. Hauber, T E. Steeves, H A. Lawrence, D R. Thompson, P M. Sagar, S J. Bury, R A. Phillips, T J. Landers, L Ranjard, Scott A. Shaffer

Scott A. Shaffer

Pelagic seabirds are highly mobile, reducing the likelihood of allopatric speciation where disruption of gene flow between populations is caused by physically insurmountable, extrinsic barriers. Spatial segregation during the non-breeding season appears to provide an intrinsic barrier to gene flow among seabird populations that otherwise occupy nearby or overlapping regions during breeding, but how this is achieved remains unclear. Here we show that the two genetically distinct populations of Cook's petrel (Pterodroma cookii) exhibit transequatorial separation of non-breeding ranges at contemporary (ca. 2–3 yrs) and historical (ca. 100 yrs) time scales. Segregation during the non-breeding season per se appears as …

Developing A Sustainability Plan At A Large U.S. College Of Education, Grinell Smith

Grinell Smith

Despite growing awareness of its importance, most sustainability education efforts in tertiary institutions do not significantly impact curricula. This paper details some of the activities and processes used to draft a sustainability strategic plan designed to address sustainability at the curricular level rather than merely the operational level within a large college of education at a large U.S. public university. The plan is also presented. Our goal was not to articulate a fixed policy but rather to produce a coherent plan that (1) fosters awareness and encourage people to join the effort and (2) readily accommodates input as more people …

A Critical Look At The Role Of Technology As A Transformative Agent, Grinell Smith

Grinell Smith

No abstract provided.

Metropolitan Growth Policies And New Housing Supply: Evidence From Australia's Capital Cities, Ralph B. Mclaughlin

Ralph B. McLaughlin

This paper empirically examines the relationship between house price change, metropolitan growth policies, and new housing supply in Australia's five major capital cities. Our hypothesis suggests capital cities with tighter regulations on new development will have fewer housing starts and price elasticities than those in less- regulated markets. The empirical procedure used in this paper utilises the Urban Growth Model of Housing Supply developed in Mayer and Somerville (2000a and 2000b) and employed in Zabel and Patterson (2006) by using quarterly data on housing approvals and house prices from 1996-2010. Data on metropolitan growth policies in Australia is borrowed from …

Changes In Temperature Of Heel Skin Under Pressure In Hip Surgery Patients, Vivian K. Wong, N. A. Stotts, H. W. Hopf, G. A. Dowling, E. S. Froelicher

Vivian K. Wong

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to examine the effect of external pressure of the bed surface on heel skin temperature in adults in the first 3 days after hip surgery.

DESIGN: A quasi-experimental study in a prospective, within-subjects, repeated-measures design.

SETTING: This study was performed at 2 acute-care hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen subjects (9 men and 9 women) with a mean age of 58.3 (±16.1) years were recruited after hip surgery at the 2 hospitals.

METHODS: Temperature sensors were placed on the plantar surface of each foot, close to the heels. Measures were taken when the heels were (1) …

Skin Blood Flow Response To 2-Hour Repositioning In The Long-Term Care Residents: A Pilot Study, Vivian K. Wong

Vivian K. Wong

PURPOSE: The purpose of this noninvasive pilot study was to examine the changes in transcutaneous oxygen (tcO2), skin temperature, and hyperemic response in the heels, sacrum, and trochanters in a 2-hour loading-unloading condition in nursing home residents who are positioned in supine and lateral positions.

DESIGN: A 1-group, prospective, repeated-measures design was used.

SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Nine subjects (5 males, 4 females) with a mean age of 85.3 ± 10.86 years (mean ± SD) who required help in turning and positioning at a skilled nursing facility participated in the study.

METHODS: Oxygen and temperature sensors were placed on the heels, …

Heterogeneity Of Reaction Rates In An Ionic Liquid: Quantitative Results From 2d- Muppets, Kalyanasis Sahu, Sean Kern, Mark Berg

Sean J. Kern

The hypotheses that ionic liquids are structurally heterogeneous at the molecular level and, even further, that this heterogeneity can transfer to the rates of reactions run in ionic liquids is being actively debated. Here, this hypothesis is tested using multiple population-period transient spectroscopy (MUPPETS), an emerging type of multidimensional measurement that resolves the kinetics of subensembles within a heterogeneous sample. A previous MUPPETS study of the excited-state twisting and electronic relaxation of auramine indicated that an ionic-liquid solvent induces rate dispersion due to a combination of heterogeneous and homogeneous processes, but those data could not quantitatively separate these contributions [Khurmi, …

Efficient Water Conservation In Agriculture For Growing Urban Water Demands In Jordan, Raed Al-Tabini, A.R. Octavio, A,W. Frank, R. Phillips

Raed Al-Tabini

A significant challenge worldwide is to increase food supply to accommodate a population growing to 10 billion in the face of climate change. Per capita water supply in Jordan is among the world’s lowest. Despite this scarcity, three quarters of Jordan’s water use is consumed by irrigated agriculture, while producing low economic values at the margin compared to urban uses. However, irrigated agriculture supports Jordan’s food security, so its policymakers continue to examine measures to produce more crop‐per‐drop in irrigated agriculture to permit scarce water to meet growing urban demands. This paper examines economically efficient measures to conserve water in …

Calibrating Divergence Times On Species Tree Versus Gene Trees: Implications For Speciation History Of Aphelocoma Jays, John Mccormack, Joseph Heled, Kathleen Delaney, A. Peterson, L. Knowles

John E. McCormack

Estimates of the timing of divergence are central to testing the underlying causes of speciation. Relaxed molecular clocks and fossil calibration have improved these estimates; however, these advances are implemented in the context of gene trees, which can overestimate divergence times. Here we couple recent innovations for dating speciation events with the analytical power of species trees, where multilocus data are considered in a coalescent context. Divergence times are estimated in the bird genus Aphelocoma to test whether speciation in these jays coincided with mountain uplift or glacial cycles. Gene trees and species trees show general agreement that diversification began …

Parental Investments In India: Are Boys And Girls Treated Differently?, Silvia Helena Barcellos, Leandro Carvalho, Adriana Lleras-Muney

Silvia Helena Barcellos

No abstract provided.