Letter of condolence

Letter on death of Mrs. Leo in English script on white paper from Ed. P. Nathan

Head motion and Inattention/Hyperactivity share common genetic influences: Implications for fMRI studies of ADHD

Head motion (HM) is a well known confound in analyses of functional MRI (fMRI) data. Neuroimaging researchers therefore typically treat HM as a nuisance covariate in their analyses. Even so, it is possible that HM shares a common genetic influence with the trait of interest. Here we investigate the extent to which this relationship is due to shared genetic factors, using HM extracted from resting-state fMRI and maternal and self report measures of Inattention and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity from the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behaviour (SWAN) scales. Our sample consisted of healthy young adult twins (N = 627 (63% females) including 95 MZ and 144 DZ twin pairs, mean age 22, who had mother-reported SWAN; N = 725 (58% females) including 101 MZ and 156 DZ pairs, mean age 25, with self reported SWAN). This design enabled us to distinguish genetic from environmental factors in the association between head movement and ADHD scales. HM was moderately correlated with maternal reports of Inattention (r = 0.17, p-value = 7.4E-5) and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity (r = 0.16, p-value = 2.9E-4), and these associations were mainly due to pleiotropic genetic factors with genetic correlations [95% CIs] of rg = 0.24 [0.02, 0.43] and rg = 0.23 [0.07, 0.39]. Correlations between self-reports and HM were not significant, due largely to increased measurement error. These results indicate that treating HM as a nuisance covariate in neuroimaging studies of ADHD will likely reduce power to detect between-group effects, as the implicit assumption of independence between HM and Inattention or Hyperactivity-Impulsivity is not warranted. The implications of this finding are problematic for fMRI studies of ADHD, as failing to apply HM correction is known to increase the likelihood of false positives. We discuss two ways to circumvent this problem: censoring the motion contaminated frames of the RS-fMRI scan or explicitly modeling the relationship between HM and Inattention or Hyperactivity-Impulsivity

Application of Alexander Harris to be shochet at $5 per week

Digital image

Kriegs-Tagebuch 1914-1917

World War I diary of the physician Nathan Wolf

Bronne Family Collection 1981-1990

Family trees reaching back to the 1700s and other materials pertaining to the extended Bronne family. Also included is a typescript about the Bronne Shirt Company in Glens Falls, New York.

Phylogenetic analysis of human Chlamydia pneumoniae strains reveals a distinct Australian indigenous clade that predates European exploration of the continent

Background The obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen, which has been found in a range of hosts including humans, marsupials and amphibians. Whole genome comparisons of human C. pneumoniae have previously highlighted a highly conserved nucleotide sequence, with minor but key polymorphisms and additional coding capacity when human and animal strains are compared. Results In this study, we sequenced three Australian human C. pneumoniae strains, two of which were isolated from patients in remote indigenous communities, and compared them to all available C. pneumoniae genomes. Our study demonstrated a phylogenetically distinct human C. pneumoniae clade containing the two indigenous Australian strains, with estimates that the most recent common ancestor of these strains predates the arrival of European settlers to Australia. We describe several polymorphisms characteristic to these strains, some of which are similar in sequence to animal C. pneumoniae strains, as well as evidence to suggest that several recombination events have shaped these distinct strains. Conclusions Our study reveals a greater sequence diversity amongst both human and animal C. pneumoniae strains, and suggests that a wider range of strains may be circulating in the human population than current sampling indicates.

Flexural Strength of Modified Square Footings

The ultimate flexural strength behavior of isolated square tapered and beam-slab reinforced footings are presented. Yield line solutions are developed for generalized contact pressure distributions and the influence of taper, beam size, fillet size, negative moment capacity, and contact pressure distribution on the collapse load is brought out. In beam-slab footings the optimum relative beam capacity required to make the beam rigid is indicated. Results of experimental investigations on footings resting on sand reveal that tapered (with isotropic as well as with alternative reinforcement patterns) and beam-slab footings exhibit superior structural behavior in terms of normalized first crack load, collapse load, relative rigidity, relative efficiency, and failure mechanism.

Thermodynamics of Monosaccharide and Disaccharide Binding to Erythrina corallodendron Lectin

Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements of the binding of 2′-fucosyllactose, lactose, N-acetyllactosamine, galactopyranose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxygalactopyranoside, methyl α-N-dansylgalactosaminide (Me-α-DNS-GalN), methyl α-D-galactopyranoside, methyl β-D-galactopyranoside, and fucose to Erythrina corallodendron lectin (ECorL), a dimer with one binding site per subunit, were performed at 283-286 and 297-299 K. The site binding enthalpies, ΔHb, with the exception of Me-α-DNS-GalN, are the same at both temperatures and range from −47.1 ± 1.0 kJ mol−1 for N-acetyllactosamine to −4.4 ± 0.3 kJ mol−1 for fucose, and the site binding constants range from 3.82 ± 0.9 × 105 M−1 for Me-α-DNS-GalN at 283.2 K to 0.46 ± 0.05 × 103 M−1 for fucose at 297.2 K. The binding reactions are mainly enthalpically driven except for fucose and exhibit enthalpy-entropy compensation. The binding enthalpies of the disaccharides are about twice the binding enthalpies of the monosaccharides in contrast to concanavalin A where the binding enthalpies do not double for the disaccharides. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements show that denaturation of the ECorL dimer results in dissociation into its monomer subunits. The binding constants from the increase in denaturation temperature of ECorL in the presence of saccharides are in agreement with values from isothermal titration calorimetry results. The thermal denaturation of ECorL occurs around 333 K, well below the 344-360 K denaturation temperature of other legume lectins of similar size and tertiary structure, undoubtedly due to the difference in its quaternary structure relative to other legume lectins. This is also apparent from the independent unfolding of its two domains.

Universalization of access to modern energy services in Indian households-Economic and policy analysis

Provision of modern energy services for cooking (with gaseous fuels)and lighting (with electricity) is an essential component of any policy aiming to address health, education or welfare issues; yet it gets little attention from policy-makers. Secure, adequate, low-cost energy of quality and convenience is core to the delivery of these services. The present study analyses the energy consumption pattern of Indian domestic sector and examines the urban-rural divide and income energy linkage. A comprehensive analysis is done to estimate the cost for providing modern energy services to everyone by 2030. A public-private partnership-driven business model, with entrepreneurship at the core, is developed with institutional, financing and pricing mechanisms for diffusion of energy services. This approach, termed as EMPOWERS (entrepreneurship model for provision of wholesome energy-related basic services), if adopted, can facilitate large-scale dissemination of energy-efficient and renewable technologies like small-scale biogas/biofuel plants, and distributed power generation technologies to provide clean, safe, reliable and sustainable energy to rural households and urban poor. It is expected to integrate the processes of market transformation and entrepreneurship development involving government, NGOs, financial institutions and community groups as stakeholders. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Probiotics modify tight junction proteins in an animal model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Objectives We have investigated the effects of a multi–species probiotic preparation containing a combination of probiotic bacterial genera that included Bifidobacteria, Lactobacilli and a Streptococcus in a mouse model of high fat diet/obesity induced liver steatosis. Methods Three groups of C57B1/6J mice were fed either a standard chow or a high fat diet for 20 weeks, while a third group was fed a high fat diet for 10 weeks and then concomitantly administered probiotics for a further 10 weeks. Serum, liver and large bowel samples were collected for analysis. Results The expression of the tight junction proteins ZO-1 and ZO-2 was reduced (p < 0.05) in high fat diet fed mice compared to chow fed mice. Probiotic supplementation helped to maintain tight ZO-1 and ZO-2 expression compared with the high fat diet group (p < 0.05), but did not restore ZO-1 or ZO-2 expression compared with chow fed mice. Mice fed a high fat diet ± probiotics had significant steatosis development compared to chow fed mice (p < 0.05); steatosis was less severe in the probiotics group compared to the high fat diet group. Hepatic triglycerides concentration was higher in mice fed a high fat diet ± probiotics compared to the chow group (p < 0.05), and was lower in the probiotics group compared to the high fat diet group (p < 0.05). Compared to chow fed mice, serum glucose and cholesterol concentrations, and the activity of alanine transaminase were higher (p < 0.05), whereas serum triglyceride concentration was lower (p < 0.05) in mice fed a high fat diet ± probiotics. Conclusions Supplementation with a multi-species probiotic formulation helped to maintain tight junction proteins ZO-1 and ZO-2, and reduced hepatic triglyceride concentrations compared with a HFD alone.

Distress call-induced gene expression in the brain of the Indian short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx

Individuals in distress emit audible vocalizations to either warn or inform conspecifics. The Indian short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx, emits distress calls soon after becoming entangled in mist nets, which appear to attract conspecifics. Phase I of these distress calls is longer and louder, and includes a secondary peak, compared to phase II. Activity-dependent expression of egr-1 was examined in free-ranging C. sphinx following the emissions and responses to a distress call. We found that the level of expression of egr-1 was higher in bats that emitted a distress call, in adults that responded, and in pups than in silent bats. Up-regulated cDNA was amplified to identify the target gene (TOE1) of the protein Egr-1. The observed expression pattern Toe1 was similar to that of egr-1. These findings suggest that the neuronal activity related to recognition of a distress call and an auditory feedback mechanism induces the expression of Egr-1. Co-expression of egr-1 with Toe1 may play a role in initial triggering of the genetic mechanism that could be involved in the consolidation or stabilization of distress call memories.

BDST modelling of sodium ion exchange column behaviour with strong acid cation resin in relation to coal seam water treatment

Reverse osmosis is the dominant technology utilized for desalination of saline water produced during the extraction of coal seam gas. Alternatively, ion exchange is of interest due to potential cost advantages. However, there is limited information regarding the column performance of strong acid cation resin for removal of sodium ions from both model and actual coal seam water samples. In particular, the impact of bed depth, flow rate, and regeneration was not clear. Consequently, this study applied Bed Depth Service Time (BDST) models to reveal that increasing sodium ion concentration and flow rates diminished the time required for breakthrough to occur. The loading of sodium ions on fresh resin was calculated to be ca. 71.1 g Na/kg resin. Difficulties in regeneration of the resin using hydrochloric acid solutions were discovered, with 86% recovery of exchange sites observed. The maximum concentration of sodium ions in the regenerant brine was found to be 47,400 mg/L under the conditions employed. The volume of regenerant waste formed was 6.2% of the total volume of water treated. A coal seam water sample was found to load the resin with only 53.5 g Na/kg resin, which was consistent with not only the co-presence of more favoured ions such as calcium, magnesium, barium and strontium, but also inefficient regeneration of the resin prior to the coal seam water test.

Bat foraging strategies and pollination of Madhuca latifolia (Sapotaceae) in southern India

The sympatrically occurring Indian short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx and Indian flying fox Pteropus giganteus visit Madhuca latifolia (Sapotaceae), which offers fleshy corollas (approximate to 300 mg) to pollinating bats. The flowers are white, tiny and in dense fascicles The foraging activities of the two bat species were segregated in space and time. Cynopterus sphinx fed on resources at lower heights in the trees than P giganteus and its peak foraging activity occurred at 19 30 h, before that of P giganteus Foraging activities involved short searching flights followed by landing and removal of the corolla by mouth Cynopterus sphinx detached single corollas from fascicles and carried them to nearby feeding roosts, where it sucked the juice and spat out the Fibrous remains Pteropus giganteus landed on top of the trees and fed on the corollas in situ, its peak activity occurred at 20 30 11 This species glided and crawled between the branches and held the branches with claws and forearms when removing fleshy corollas with Its Mouth Both C sphinx and P giganteus consumed fleshy corollas with attached stamens and left the gynoecium intact Bagging experiments showed that fruit-set in bat-visited flowers was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than in self-pollinated flowers.

Synthesis of 19F nucleic acid–polymer conjugates as real-time MRI probes of biorecognition

Polymer-DNA conjugates in which one nucleic acid strand contains fluorine-substituted nucleobases have been prepared and characterised. The efficacy of these novel F-19 nucleic acid-polymer conjugates as sensitive and selective in vitro reporters of DNA binding events is demonstrated through a number of rapid-acquisition MR sequences. The conjugates respond readily and in a sequence specific manner to external target oligonucleotide sequences by changes in hybridisation. In turn, these structural changes in polymer-nucleotide conjugates translate into responses which are detectable in fluorine relaxation and diffusion switches, and which can be monitored by in vitro Spin Echo and DOSY NMR spectroscopy. Although complementary to conventional FRET methods, the excellent diagnostic properties of fluorine nuclei make this approach a versatile and sensitive probe of molecular structure and conformation in polymeric assemblies.

Revisiting Coptotermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a global taxonomic road map for species validity and distribution of an economically important subterranean termite genus

Coptotermes Wasmann (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) is one of the most economically important subterranean termite genera and some species are successful invaders. However, despite its important pest status, the taxonomic validity of many named Coptotermes species remains unclear. In this study, we reviewed all named species within the genus and investigated evidence supporting the validity of each named species. Species were systematically scrutinized according to the region of their original description: Southeast Asia, India, China, Africa, the Neotropics, and Australia. We estimate that of the currently 69 named species described by accepted nomenclatural rules, only 21 taxa have solid evidence for validity, 44 names have uncertain status, and the remaining species names should be synonymized or were made unavailable. Species with high degrees of invasiveness may be known under additional junior synonyms due to independent parochial descriptions. Molecular data for a vast majority of species are scarce and significant effort is needed to complete the taxonomic and phylogenetic revision of the genus. Because of the wide distribution of Coptotermes, we advocate for an integrative taxonomic effort to establish the distribution of each putative species, provide specimens and corresponding molecular data, check original descriptions and type specimens (if available), and provide evidence for a more robust phylogenetic position of each species. This study embodies both consensus and contention of those studying Coptotermes and thus pinpoints the current uncertainty of many species. This project is intended to be a roadmap for identifying those Coptotermes species names that need to be more thoroughly investigated, as an incentive to complete a necessary revision process.