Impaired hemodynamics and neural activation? A fMRI study of major cerebral artery stenosis

Functional MRI motor mapping was performed in two women with unilateral high-grade stenosis of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) to determine the influence of impaired hemodynamics on the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) response. In both patients no structural lesions were present in primary motor pathways. A redistribution of the motor network to the healthy hemisphere was the main indicator of chronic hemodynamic compromise

Observations on parental care in the glass frog Hyalinobatrachium orientale (Anura: Centrolenidae) from Tobago, with comments on its natural history

We made observations on parental care in the glass frog Hyalinobatrachium orientale (Anura: Centrolenidae) from Tobago, and comments on its natural histor

High-Resolution Crystal Structures Reveal Plasticity in the Metal Binding Site of Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Endonuclease I

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease I (APE1) is an essential base excision repair enzyme that catalyzes a Mg2+-dependent reaction in which the phosphodiester backbone is cleaved 5′ of an abasic site in duplex DNA. This reaction has been proposed to involve either one or two metal ions bound to the active site. In the present study, we report crystal structures of Mg2+, Mn2+, and apo-APE1 determined at 1.4, 2.2, and 1.65 Å, respectively, representing two of the highest resolution structures yet reported for APE1. In our structures, a single well-ordered Mn2+ ion was observed coordinated by D70 and E96; the Mg2+ site exhibited disorder modeled as two closely positioned sites coordinated by D70 and E96 or E96 alone. Direct metal binding analysis of wild-type, D70A, and E96A APE1, as assessed by differential scanning fluorimetry, indicated a role for D70 and E96 in binding of Mg2+ or Mn2+ to APE1. Consistent with the disorder exhibited by Mg2+ bound to the active site, two different conformations of E96 were observed coordinated to Mg2+. A third conformation for E96 in the apo structure is similar to that observed in the APE1–DNA–Mg2+ complex structure. Thus, binding of Mg2+ in three different positions within the active site of APE1 in these crystal structures corresponds directly with three different conformations of E96. Taken together, our results are consistent with the initial capture of metal by D70 and E96 and repositioning of Mg2+ facilitated by the structural plasticity of E96 in the active site

An Examination of Parameters Affecting Large Eddy Simulations of Flow Past a Square Cylinder

Separated flow over a bluff body is analyzed via large eddy simulations. The turbulent flow around a square cylinder features a variety of complex flow phenomena such as highly unsteady vortical structures, reverse flow in the near wall region, and wake turbulence. The formation of spanwise vortices is often times artificially suppressed in computations by either insufficient depth or a coarse spanwise resolution. As the resolution is refined and the domain extended, the artificial turbulent energy exchange between spanwise and streamwise turbulence is eliminated within the wake region. A parametric study is performed highlighting the effects of spanwise vortices where the spanwise computational domain's resolution and depth are varied. For Re=22,000, the mean and turbulent statistics computed from the numerical large eddy simulations (NLES) are in good agreement with experimental data. Von-Karman shedding is observed in the wake of the cylinder. Mesh independence is illustrated by comparing a mesh resolution of 2 million to 16 million. Sensitivities to time stepping were minimized and sampling frequency sensitivities were nonpresent. While increasing the spanwise depth and resolution can be costly, this practice was found to be necessary to eliminating the artificial turbulent energy exchange

LATE-AND POST-ALPINE TECTONIC EVOLUTION OF THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE ATHOS PENINSULA, NORTHERN GREECE

To όριο μεταξύ των εσωτερικών Ελληνίδων και της Ελληνικής ενδοχώρας αποκαλύπτεται στο νότιο τμήμα της χερσονήσου του Άθω ως μια επαφή ΒΑ-ΝΔ παράταξης μεταξύ της Σέρβο μακεδόνικης μάζας και της Περιροδοπικής Ζώνης. Μελετήθηκαν τα κύρια τεκτονικά χαρακτηριστικά και η παραμόρφωση της περιοχής κατά τη διάρκεια της τελική αλπικής ορογένεσης όσο και μετά από αυτήν με σκοπό την καλύτερη κατανόηση των τελικών ορογενετικών διεργασιών που οδήγησαν στην σημερινή διαμόρφωση αυτού του ορίου. Η υπαίθρια έρευνα έδειξε ότι οι κυρίαρχες δομές στο νότιο τμήμα της χερσονήσου του Αθω είναι ένα ασύμμετρο, βυθιζόμενο προς τα ΝΑ, με φορά προς τα ΒΑ μέγα-αντίμορφο και μια ΒΑ-ΝΔ διεύθυνσης αριστερόστροφη διατρητική ζώνη. Αυτές οι δομές είναι αποτέλεσμα μιας transpressional παραμόρφωσης που άρχισε τουλάχιστον από το Ηώκαινο σε πλαστικές, συμμεταμορφικές (χαμηλή πρασινοσχιστολιθική φάση) συνθήκες και σταδιακά άλλαξε κατά το Ολιγόκαινο - Κάτω Μειόκαινο σε θραυσιγενείς συνθήκες με Α-Δ διεύθυνσης ανάστροφα ρήγματα-επωθήσεις και ΒΒΑ-ΝΝΑ διεύθυνσης δεξιόστροφα και ΒΑ-ΝΑ διεύθυνσης αριστερόστροφα ρήγματα οριζόντιας μετατόπισης. Αυτή η παραμόρφωση σβήνει κατά το Μέσο Μειόκαινο και αλλάζει σε transtension με Α-Δ διεύθυνσης αριστερόστροφα ρήγματα οριζόντιας μετατόπισης και ΒΑ-ΝΑ δεξιόστροφα πλάγια έως κανονικά ρήγματα. Από το Ανω Μειόκαινο ένα εφελκυστικό καθεστώς κυριαρχεί στην περιοχή με τον ελάχιστο κύριο άξονα τάσης (σ3) σε ΒΑ-ΝΔ διεύθυνση κατά το Άνω Μειόκαινο - Πλειόκαινο και σε Β-Ν διεύθυνση από το Κάτω Πλειστόκαινο — σήμερα.The boundary between Internal Hellenides and the Hellenic hinterland is exposed in the southern part of the Athos peninsula as a NE-SW trending contact between the Serbomacedonian massif and the Circum-Rhodope Belt. The main tectonic features and deformation of the area during late- and post-alpine times have been investigated in order to understand better the late orogenic processes that led to the present arrangement of this boundary. The field study showed that the prevailing structures in the southern Athos peninsula are an asymmetric, SW-plunging, NWverging mega-scale antiform and a NE-SW striking left-lateral shear zone. These structures are the result of a transpressional deformation that initiated at least since the Eocene under ductile, syn-metamorphic (low-greenschist fades) conditions and progressively changed during the Oligocene-Early Miocene to brittle conditions with E-W striking reverse faults-thrusts and NNW-SSE striking right-lateral and NESW striking left-lateral strike-slip faults. This deformation waned in Middle Miocene changing to transtension with E- W striking, left-lateral strike-slip and NW-SE rightlateral oblique to normal faults. Since the Late Miocene an extensional regime dominates the area with the least principal stress axis (σ3) orientated NE-SW during Late Miocene - Pliocene andN-Sfrom Early Pleistocene -presen

The role of coastal urbanisation in enhancing turbulence and land-sea breeze

Recent increasing urbanisation phenomena it is expected will alter the morphology and texture of wide territories leading to a strong changes in the materials, from natural to man-made, at the surface. This land-use change can strongly affects the energy partition of the solar radiation substantially increasing the intensity of the sensible heat flux (along with the anthropogenic heat contribution). The sites which present local anemological circulation, such as the breeze regimes, can result more sensible to enhanced turbulence, and environmental impacts must be taking into account when considering managing plans for residential or touristic populations