cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knowledge-driven analysis identifies a gene-gene interaction affecting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in multi-ethnic populations

Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels are among the most important risk factors for coronary artery disease. We tested for gene–gene interactions affecting the level of these four lipids based on prior knowledge of established genome-wide association study (GWAS) hits, protein–protein interactions, and pathway information. Using genotype data from 9,713 European Americans from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, we identified an interaction between HMGCR and a locus near LIPC in their effect on HDL-C levels (Bonferroni corrected Pc = 0.002). Using an adaptive locus-based validation procedure, we successfully validated this gene–gene interaction in the European American cohorts from the Framingham Heart Study (Pc = 0.002) and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA; Pc = 0.006). The interaction between these two loci is also significant in the African American sample from ARIC (Pc = 0.004) and in the Hispanic American sample from MESA (Pc = 0.04). Both HMGCR and LIPC are involved in the metabolism of lipids, and genome-wide association studies have previously identified LIPC as associated with levels of HDL-C. However, the effect on HDL-C of the novel gene–gene interaction reported here is twice as pronounced as that predicted by the sum of the marginal effects of the two loci. In conclusion, based on a knowledge-driven analysis of epistasis, together with a new locus-based validation method, we successfully identified and validated an interaction affecting a complex trait in multi-ethnic populations.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Carbon Dioxide Adsorption of Covalently Attached Polyethyleneimine-Functionalized Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

The reaction between fluorinated single-wall carbon nanotubes (F-SWNTs) and branched (Mw = 600, 1800, 10000, and 25000 Da) or linear (Mw = 25000 Da) polyethyleneimine (PEI) yields the covalent attachment of the polymer to the sidewalls of the nanotubes. The resulting PEI-functionalized SWNTs (PEI-SWNTs) were characterized by solid-state 13C NMR, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis studies. As expected, the number of polymer molecules per SWNT is larger for low molecular weight PEI than for high molecular weight PEI. However, above 1800 Da, the number of polymer molecules per SWNT does not vary as much. This is supported by Raman spectral data that shows the D:G ratio is relatively insensitive of the molecular weight for Mw > 1800 Da. The PEI-SWNTs are shown to have solubility in aqueous media of up to 0.4 mg·mL−1. Solid-state 13C NMR shows the presence of carboxylate substitue...
State Legislative Influence over Agency Rulemaking: The Utility of Ex Ante Review

Scholars have argued that legislatures can use administrative procedures to constrain bureaucratic discretion and maintain policy control when delegating authority. One such mechanism is the formal authority to review agency rule proposals. We find that legislatures with stronger formal authority to review rules ex ante are viewed by agency heads as more influential in their rulemaking decisions, but this power is mitigated when such review is checked by the governor. Our analysis demonstrates the impact of institutional arrangements on general state legislative influence over policy implementation. Understanding this element of legislative control over state bureaucracies helps explain variations in state-level policymaking. The General Assembly finds that it must provide a procedure for oversight and review of regulations adopted pursuant to [the] delegation of legislative power to curtail excessive regulation and to establish a system of accountability so that the bureaucracy must justify its use of the regulatory authority before imposing hidden costs upon the economy of Pennsylvania.
A quadrature-based third-order moment method for dilute gas-particle flows

Dilute gas-particle flows can be described by a kinetic equation containing terms for spatial transport, gravity, fluid drag, and particle-particle collisions. However, the direct numerical solution of the kinetic equation is intractable for most applications due to the large number of independent variables. A useful alternative is to reformulate the problem in terms of the moments of the velocity distribution function. Closure of the moment equations is challenging for flows away from the equilibrium (Maxwellian) limit. In this work, a quadrature-based third-order moment closure is derived that can be applied to gas-particle flows at any Knudsen number. A key component of quadrature-based closures is the moment-inversion algorithm used to find the weights and abscissas. A robust inversion procedure is proposed for moments up to third order, and tested for three example applications (Riemann shock problem, impinging jets, and vertical channel flow). Extension of the moment-inversion algorithm to fifth (or higher) order is possible, but left to future work. The spatial fluxes in the moment equations are treated using a kinetic description and hence a gradient-diffusion model is not used to close the fluxes. Because the quadrature-based moment method employs the moment transport equations directly instead of a discretized form of the Boltzmann equation, the mass, momentum and energy are conserved for arbitrary Knudsen number (including the Euler limit). While developed here for dilute gas-particle flows, quadrature-based moment methods can, in principle, be applied to any application that can be modeled by a kinetic equation (e.g., thermal and non-isothermal flows currently treated using lattice Boltzmann methods), and examples are given from the literature.
Relaxed conditions for radial-basis function networks to be universal approximators

In this paper, we investigate the universal approximation property of Radial Basis Function (RBF) networks. We show that RBFs are not required to be integrable for the REF networks to be universal approximators. Instead, RBF networks can uniformly approximate any continuous function on a compact set provided that the radial basis activation function is continuous almost everywhere, locally essentially bounded, and not a polynomial. The approximation in LP(µ)(1 ≤ p > ∞) space is also discussed. Some experimental results are reported to illustrate our findings.
Boundary layer height measurements with an eyesafe Lidar

We have developed and operated an eyesafe lidar in support of an intensive set of air chemistry measurements in Atlanta, Georgia, which were part of the Southern Oxidants Research Program (SORP) during the summer of 1992. The lidar was used to monitor the thickness of the mixed layer by measuring the vertical distribution of boundary layer aerosols. The lidar system is based on a Raman-shifted Nd:YAG laser source at 1.54 microns wavelength with a pulse energy of 40 mJ and a pulse repetition frequency of 4 Hz. The receiver aperture was 46 mm in diameter and an InGaAs PIN diode was used as the detector. The lidar data was typically averaged over 1000 laser pulses, which required about 4 minutes. The lidar returns were range corrected to yield profiles of signal versus altitude in which the signal is proportional to the atmospheric backscatter coefficient. The profiles showed the vertical extent of boundary layer aerosols, and this was interpreted to find the mixed layer thickness. Data was acquired on nine days in July and August 1992. Measurements were typically made at 15-minute intervals from early morning until midafternoon. Mixed layer thicknesses provided by the lidar have been shown to be consistent with balloon sonde results, and they have proved to be useful in interpreting atmospheric chemistry results.
Outcomes Following Laparoscopic Choledochoduodenostomy in the Management of Benign Biliary Obstruction

With the advent of endoscopic retrograde choledochoduodenostomy, the need for choledochoduodenostomy to treat common bile duct obstruction is less common, but occasionally required. Patients considered for laparoscopic choledochoduodenostomy secondary to benign conditions between 1999 and 2009 at a single institution were included. Charts were retrospectively reviewed for preoperative, operative, and long-term outcomes data. Twenty patients were identified; 15 with chronic choledocholithiasis causing benign biliary obstruction or chronic recurrent cholangitis, 3 with chronic relapsing pancreatitis, and 2 with distal common bile duct strictures. Mean operative time was 270 min. No major operative complications were reported. Five patients with severe adhesions or portal hypertension required conversion to laparotomy. Median hospital stay was 6 days (range, 2–32). Postoperatively, three (20%) patients completed laparoscopically and three (66.7%) patients converted to laparotomy had complications. In addition, one death due to myocardial infarction was reported 4 weeks after hospital discharge. With an average follow-up of 21 months, only one patient (5%) developed recurrent symptoms. Laparoscopic choledochoduodenostomy is a useful technique in patients with benign, refractory common bile duct obstruction. This technically demanding procedure is feasible; however, the associated comorbidities in this complex group of patients result in a relatively high complication rate.
Effectiveness of Delayed Use of Crotalidae Polyvalent Immune Fab (Ovine) Antivenom

Traditionally, horse-serum-based antivenom has been used in the United States for North American crotaline snake evenomation. Crotalidae polyvalent immune Fab (ovine) was approved in 2000 for use in mild to moderate envenomations. The manufacture recommends use within 6 h of envenomation. Published postmarketing retrospective reports describe its use up to 9 h after envenomation. We describe a case of effective use of FabAV 52 h after envenomation with resultant correction of coagulopathy and mild improvement of local symptoms.
The Political Economy of Women's Support for Fundamentalist Islam

Why do some Muslim women adopt fundamentalist islamic value systems that promote gender-based inequalities while others do not? this article considers the economic determinants of fundamentalist beliefs in the Muslim world, as women look to either marriage or employment to achieve financial security. using cross-national public opinion data from eighteen countries with significant Muslim populations, the authors apply a latent class model to characterize respondents according to their views on gender norms, political islam, and personal religiosity. among women, lack of economic opportunity is a stronger predictor of fundamentalist belief systems than socioeconomic class. cross-nationally, fundamentalism among women is most prevalent in poor countries and in those with a large male-female wage gap. these findings have important implications for the promotion of women's rights, the rise of political islam, and the development of democracy in the Muslim world.
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 ( FGFR3 ) transmembrane mutation in Crouzon syndrome with acanthosis nigricans

Crouzon syndrome, an autosomal dominant condition characterized by craniosynostosis, ocular proptosis and midface hypoplasia, is associated with mutations in fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) (refs 1-3). For example, we have identified 10 different mutations in the FGFR2 extracellular immunoglobulin III (IgIII) domain in 50% (16/32) of our Crouzon syndrome patients. All mutations described so far for other craniosynostotic syndromes with associated limb anomalies--Jackson-Weiss, Pfeiffer, and Apert--also occur in the extracellular domain of FGFR2, as well as FGFR1 for Pfeiffer syndrome. In contrast, only FGFR3 mutations have been reported in dwarfing conditions--achondroplasia, thanatophoric dysplasia, and hypochondroplasia. For achondroplasia, greater than 99% of mutations occur in the FGFR3 transmembrane domain. We now report the unexpected observation of a FGFR3 transmembrane domain mutation, Ala391Glu, in three unrelated families with Crouzon syndrome and acanthosis nigricans, a specific skin disorder of hyperkeratosis and hyperpigmentation. The association of non-dwarfing and even non-skeletal conditions with FGFR3 mutations reveals the potential for a wide range of FGFR pleiotropic effects as well as locus heterogeneity in Crouzon syndrome. Our study underscores the biologic complexity of the FGFR gene family.
A molecular ruler for measuring quantitative distance distributions

We report a novel molecular ruler for measurement of distances and distance distributions with accurate external calibration. Using solution X-ray scattering we determine the scattering interference between two gold nanocrystal probes attached site-specifically to a macromolecule of interest. Fourier transformation of the interference pattern provides a model-independent probability distribution for the distances between the probe centers-of-mass. To test the approach, we measure end-to-end distances for a variety of DNA structures. We demonstrate that measurements with independently prepared samples and using different X-ray sources are highly reproducible, we demonstrate the quantitative accuracy of the first and second moments of the distance distributions, and we demonstrate that the technique recovers complex distribution shapes. Distances measured with the solution scattering-interference ruler match the corresponding crystallographic values, but differ from distances measured previously with alternate ruler techniques. The X-ray scattering interference ruler should be a powerful tool for relating crystal structures to solution structures and for studying molecular fluctuations.
Subglacial water presence classification from polar radar data

Ground and airborne radar depth-sounding of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been used for many years to remotely determine characteristics such as ice thickness, subglacial topography, and mass balance of large bodies of ice. Ice coring efforts have supported these radar data to provide ground truth for validation of the state (wet or frozen) of the interface between the bottom of the ice sheet and the underlying bedrock. Subglacial state governs the friction, flow speed, transport of material, and overall change of the ice sheet. In this paper, we utilize machine learning and classifier combination to model water presence from airborne polar radar data acquired on Greenland in 1999 and 2007. The underlying method results in radar independence, allowing model transfer from 1999 to 2007 radar data to produce water presence maps of the Greenland ice sheet with differing radars. We focus on how to construct a successful set of classifiers capable of high classification accuracy. Utilizing multiple machine learning algorithms is shown to be successful for this classification problem, achieving 86% classification accuracy in the best case. Several heuristics are presented for constructing teams of multiple classifiers for predicting subglacial water presence. The presented methodology could also be applied to radar data acquired over the Antarctic ice sheet.
Field Differentiation and Intelligence

Summary Cognitive style research indicates that field dependence is not releated to overall intelligence, verbal reasoning, or rote learning, but is only related to perceptual organizational ability as reflected in particular performance subtests of the WISC. Zigler maintains that cognitive style is a measure of general intelligence. After 412 male and female college students were screened on the Group Embedded Figures Test, 75 field dependent and 75 field independent Ss were identified and given a group paired-associate learning task (for rote learning) and the Verbal Reasoning subtest of the Differential Aptitude Tests. The results indicated that the field independent Ss had significantly higher scores on both the verbal reasoning and rote learning tasks, tending to support the position that cognitive style is a measure of general intelligence.
Novel challenges of multi-society investigator-initiated studies: a paradigm shift for technique and technology evaluation

The introduction of innovative techniques and novel technologies into clinical practice is a challenge that confronts all aspects of healthcare delivery. Upheaval from shrinking research funding and declining healthcare reimbursements now forces patients, doctors, hospitals, payers, regulators, and even health systems into conflict as new therapies struggle to find a place in the therapeutic armamentarium. The escalating costs of healthcare force all parties to consider both the medical risks/benefits as well as the economic efficiency of proposed tools and therapies. We highlight these challenges by examining the process of initiating and conducting a “society-as-investigator” clinical trial to assess the safety of the natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) approach to cholecystectomy in the context of the issues that confront technology diffusion today.
Acetoacetate metabolism in AS-30D hepatoma cells

Metabolic characteristics of experimental hepatoma cells include elevated rates of glycolysis and lipid synthesis. However, pyruvate derived from glucose is not redily oxidized, and the source of acetly CoA for lipid synthesis in As-39D cells has not been characterized. In this study ketone bodies were examined as a possible source of acetyl CoA in AS-30D hepatoma cells. The major findings were:
Development of the interphotoreceptor matrix in Xenopus laevis.

Xenopus laevis interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) contains a relatively aqueous insoluble wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-binding component containing unidentifiied sialoglycoconjugates (Wood et al [1984] J. Comp. Neurol. 228:299–307). The appearance of WGA-binding macromolecules in the IPM was assessed during late embryonic stages (32–45) and in retinal rudiment cultures, using lectin cyutochemistry and Western blotting techniques. Metabolic labeling of the neural retina versus retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-choroid of juvenile Xenopus with 35S-MET was also evaluated in vivo and in vitro. Lectin cytochemistry of eyes from developmental stages 32–42 demonstrated distinct WGA-ferritin-binding sites on the developing outer segment membranes and in the IPM compartment. At stages 44–46 extensive WGA-binding domains were present as an extracellular network with other randomly scattered domains near the retinal pigment epithelium. Retinal rudiments from stage 32–33 were isolated and allowed to differentiate in hanging drop culture (Hollyfield and Witkowsky [1974] J. Exp. Zool. 189:357–377) with or without an iinvesting pigment epithelium. Cultures developing with RPE exhibited an elaborate IPM with an anastomosing meshwork of WGA-ferritin binding sites. In the absence of RPE only limited amoutns of binding restricted to the immediate vicinity of the developing photoreceptor outer segement membranes was observed. When Western blots were probed with WGA-HRP, stage 32–45 retinas demonstrated a major WGA-binding band of 126 kD. Similar amounts of WGA-binding macromolecules were synthesized in preparations cultured in the presence or absence of the investing RPE. During development the major WGA-binding component is a 126-kD protein. Equivalent synthesis of this protein in the presence and absence of RPE suggests that the PE is not required for synthesis of this 126-kD component. These results suggest that the retina is the primary site of synthesis of the WGA-binding components of the Xenopus IPM, whereas the PE plays a principal role in their assembly and organization. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Measure once, cut twice—adding patient-reported outcome measures to the electronic health record for comparative effectiveness research

Abstract Objective This article presents the current state of patient-reported outcome measures and explains new opportunities for leveraging the recent adoption of electronic health records to expand the application of patient-reported outcomes in both clinical care and comparative effectiveness research. Study Design and Setting Historic developments of patient-reported outcome, electronic health record, and comparative effectiveness research are analyzed in two dimensions: patient centeredness and digitization. We pose the question, “What needs to be standardized around the collection of patient-reported outcomes in electronic health records for comparative effectiveness research?” Results We identified three converging trends: the progression of patient-reported outcomes toward greater patient centeredness and electronic adaptation; the evolution of electronic health records into personalized and fully digitized solutions; and the shift toward patient-oriented comparative effectiveness research. Related to this convergence, we propose an architecture for patient-reported outcome standardization that could serve as a first step toward a more comprehensive integration of patient-reported outcomes with electronic health record for both practice and research. Conclusion The science of patient-reported outcome measurement has matured sufficiently to be integrated routinely into electronic health records and other electronic health solutions to collect data on an ongoing basis for clinical care and comparative effectiveness research. Further efforts and ideally coordinated efforts from various stakeholders are needed to refine the details of the proposed framework for standardization.
Conceptions of Parentage and Kinship Among Children of Divorce

Sih, A., and K. Milton 1985 Optimal Diet Theory: Should the !Kung Eat Mongongos? American Anthropologist 87(2):395-400. Simms, S. 1984 Aboriginal Great Basin Foraging Strategies: An Evolutionary Approach. Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University of Utah. Smith, E. 1983 Anthropological Applications of Optimal Foraging Theory: A Critical Review. Current Anthropology 25(5):625651.
SERS-based plasmonic nanobiosensing in single living cells

In this paper, we describe the development and application of a pH-sensitive plasmonics-active fiber-optic nanoprobe suitable for intracellular bioanalysis in single living human cells using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection. The effectiveness and usefulness of SERS-based fiber-optic nanoprobes are illustrated by measurements of intracellular pH in HMEC-15/hTERT immortalized “normal” human mammary epithelial cells and PC-3 human prostate cancer cells. The results indicate that fiber-optic nanoprobe insertion and interrogation provide a sensitive and selective means to monitor cellular microenvironments at the single cell level.
Imperial Incentives and Individual Allegiances in Juan Antonio Correa's La pérdida y restauración de Bahía de Todos los Santos

Juan Antonio Correa's La perdida y restauracion de Bahia de Todos los Santos, written primarily to celebrate the successful recapture in 1625 of an important American colony from the Dutch and their allies, invites an investigation into why and how human beings can be motivated to support people and institutions that not only do not directly benefit them but may in fact operate in ways that are unfavourable to their own lives and causes. Informed by the political writings of Antonio Gramsci and Paulo Freire and the psychoanalytic theories of Jacques Lacan, this study explores the various reasons why the Portuguese, the Brazilian colonists, and even the voiceless ‘negros’ would choose to fight in support of the Spanish Empire, while, on the other hand, French and English, both Catholics and Protestants, would opt to aid the Dutch. By including two love triangles as subplots within the main action that dramatizes the loss and recovery of the Bahia, Brazil, Correa has produced not only an entertaining play b...
Formation of Dislocations in NiAl Single Crystals Studied by In Situ Electrical Resistivity Measurement

This paper reports experiments in which in situ electrical resistivity measurements were used to monitor the formation of dislocations in initially dislocation-free NiAl single crystals. The electrical resistivity is found to exhibit an abrupt jump at the onset of plastic yielding. This is interpreted to result from an abrupt nucleation of a massive density of dislocations at the yield point.
SOME CORRELATIONS BETWEEN SPECTROSCOPIC AND PHOTOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

— By applying the modifier ‘Space’ to the terms ‘Photochemistry’ and ‘Spectroscopy’ one implies a concern with electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths less than that found at the earth's surface (i.e., Λ≤23000A) and with energetic particles, particularly electrons. It has been observed that for certain classes of organic compounds useful empirical correlations exist between reactions induced by electron impact, non-ionizing ultraviolet radiation and ionizing radiation. These correlations allow qualitative or semi-quantitative predictions of specific reactions and/or reaction mechanisms which will occur during photolysis or radiolysis, based on known optical or mass spectra. As an example of the above approach, we have shown that, in accord with recent spectroscopic evidence, benzene and toluene do not significantly react photochemically in their first absorption band (at ˜ 2500A); however, they react with a quantum yield approaching unity in their second and third absorption bands (at -20008A and 1850A respectively). The products of this decomposition are primarily carbon and/or polymer which deposit on the cell windows, however, small yields of stable products have been isolated (i, e., φc2h2=0.01 for benzene; φ, C6H6=0.05 for irradiation of toluene). Another example of this extrapolation from one technique to another deals with the correlation of cyclic elimination reactions observed in the mass spectra, photochemistry and radiation chemistry of various classes of organic compounds. Classic examples of this type of reaction are the photolytic and radiolytic elimination of olefins from esters and ketones having a hydrogen γ to the carbonyl group (i.e., the elimination of ethylene from ethyl acetate and of propylene form methyl n-butyl ketone). Based on mass spectral correlations with the above reactions, the same type of elimination should be expected from a great number of compounds which contain hydrogens γ to unsaturated groups (i.e., C=O, C≡N, C=C, etc.). In those cases where the photochemistry or radiation chemistry of these compounds have been studied, an intramolecular cycloelimination of olefin has been observed to be an important process. It is suggested that mass spectra are a useful diagnostic tool for at least gross predictions in ‘space photochemistry’ and ‘space photobiology’, as well as in considering reactions of importance under primitive earth conditions.
Schematic exemplars as items in multiple-item recognition learning

Schematically related dot patterns (i.e., distortions of a common prototype) were employed as either the right items or the wrong items of a multiple-item recognition learning task. Relative to a control list containing unrelated items, the presence of related right items yielded facilitated performance, but only early in practice. By contrast, the presence of related wrong items yielded an inhibitory effect early in practice. The results suggested that shared features are more likely to be extracted from the information present in right items than from the information present in wrong items.
1,5-Bis(4-amidinophenoxy)pentane (pentamidine) is a potent inhibitor of [3H]idazoxan binding to imidazoline I2 binding sites

Abstract The aromatic diamidine 1,5-bis(4-amidinophenoxy)pentane (pentamidine) is used for treatment and prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Clinical use of pentamidine has been restricted by significant toxicity, that includes hypotension, and hypoglycemia. Although clinical toxicity is well described, the mechanisms are still poorly understood. Competitive binding analyses using [ 3 H ]idazoxan as the radioligand, and cirazoline to define non-specific binding, demonstrate that pentamidine binds to an imidazoline I2 binding site on rat liver membranes with a Ki of 1.4±0.22 nM. The Ki indicates that pentamidine inhibits radioligand binding at imidazoline I2 sites with an affinity approximating the most potent known ligands and may be related to pentamidine toxicity. Moreover, pentamidine analogs inhibit radioligand binding with a range of affinities that vary according to their structure. Two candidate drugs, Compounds 5 and 6, are more active than pentamidine in the corticosteroid-suppressed rat model of P. carinii pneumonia, yet have different affinities for the imidazoline I2 site (Ki 5=50.1±1.06 nM and Ki 6=∼3500 nM). Affinity for this site does not correlate with antimicrobial activity (r=0.60; p=0.09) or the calculated log of the octanol:water partition coefficient (ClogP) (r=−0.38; p=0.22).
Group A Streptococcus Transcriptome Dynamics during Growth in Human Blood Reveals Bacterial Adaptive and Survival Strategies

The molecular basis for bacterial responses to host signals during natural infections is poorly understood. The gram-positive bacterial pathogen group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes human mucosal, skin, and life-threatening systemic infections. During the transition from a throat or skin infection to an invasive infection, GAS must adapt to changing environments and host factors. To better understand how GAS adapts, we used transcript profiling and functional analysis to investigate the transcriptome of a wild-type serotype M1 GAS strain in human blood. Global changes in GAS gene expression occur rapidly in response to human blood exposure. Increased transcription was observed for many genes that likely enhance bacterial survival, including those encoding superantigens and host-evasion proteins regulated by a multiple gene activator called Mga. GAS also coordinately expressed genes involved in proteolysis, transport, and catabolism of oligopeptides to obtain amino acids in this protein-rich host environment. Comparison of the transcriptome of the wild-type strain to that of an isogenic deletion mutant (ΔcovR) mutated in the two-component regulatory system designated CovR-CovS reinforced the hypothesis that CovR-CovS has an important role linking key biosynthetic, catabolic, and virulence functions during transcriptome restructuring. Taken together, the data provide crucial insights into strategies used by pathogenic bacteria for thwarting host defenses and surviving in human blood.
Bandwidth-efficient management of DHT routing tables

Today an application developer using a distributed hash table (DHT) with n nodes must choose a DHT protocol from the spectrum between O(1) lookup protocols [9, 18] and O(log n) protocols [20-23, 25, 26]. O(1) protocols achieve low latency lookups on small or low-churn networks because lookups take only a few hops, but incur high maintenance traffic on large or high-churn networks. O(log n) protocols incur less maintenance traffic on large or high-churn networks but require more lookup hops in small networks. Accordion is a new routing protocol that does not force the developer to make this choice: Accordion adjusts itself to provide the best performance across a range of network sizes and churn rates while staying within a bounded bandwidth budget.The key challenges in the design of Accordion are the algorithms that choose the routing table's size and content. Each Accordion node learns of new neighbors opportunistically, in a way that causes the density of its neighbors to be inversely proportional to their distance in ID space from the node. This distribution allows Accordion to vary the table size along a continuum while still guaranteeing at most O(log n) lookup hops. The user-specified bandwidth budget controls the rate at which a node learns about new neighbors. Each node limits its routing table size by evicting neighbors that it judges likely to have failed. High churn (i.e., short node lifetimes) leads to a high eviction rate. The equilibrium between the learning and eviction processes determines the table size.Simulations show that Accordion maintains an efficient lookup latency versus bandwidth tradeoff over a wider range of operating conditions than existing DHTs.
Underlying Paradox in the European Union's Multilingualism Policies

The European Union (EU) has developed comprehensive policies in recent years to promote multilingualism. In this article, major EU policy statements on multilingualism are analyzed to demonstrate how their underlying language ideology produces paradox by both encouraging multilingualism and regulating its definition within the EU. The first section provides conceptual grounding regarding (1) language ideology as the basis for language regulation and language privilege and (2) paradox as a rhetorical trope. The second section provides a brief overview of official EU language policy. The third section examines five key statements of EU language policy and philosophy to demonstrate the nature of paradox as well as the underlying language ideology. The last section considers the multilingualism agenda since 2009, when the organizational arrangement for multilingualism policy and programs was changed in the EU. Recent reports from working groups dealing with multilingualism are discussed, as well as the curren...
Site of disease and opportunistic infection predict survival in HIV-associated tuberculosis.

Objective: Infection with HIV adversely affects survival in patients with tuberculosis (TB), even when TB is effectively treated. The aim of this study was to identify the determinants of survival in HIV-associated TB. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Four US academic medical centers. Patients: An inception cohort of 112 HIV-infected patients (mean age 41 years, 96% men, 46% African American) with their first episode of culture-proven TB. Outcome measures: Observed survival from the date of diagnosis of TB to the date of death or censoring. Independent variables included demographics, HIV-related conditions, risk behavior for HIV, absolute CD4+ counts, and site of disease with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Results: Of the 112 patients, 54 (48%) had pulmonary TB alone, 36 (32%) had both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB and 22 (20%) had extrapulmonary TB alone. Median CD4+ count was 95 x 10 6 /l (range, 2-767 x 10 6 /l). During follow-up, 45 patients (40%) died. Median survival was shortest in patients with both pulmonary and extrapulmonary disease (8.4 months), followed by extrapulmonary disease alone (15.6 months), then pulmonary disease (30.4 months; P < 0.001, log-rank test). Median survival was also reduced in patients with previous opportunistic infection and in those with CD4+ < 200 x 10 6 /l. In a proportional hazards regression analysis, which adjusted for CD4+ count, extrapulmonary disease and previous opportunistic infection were the only factors independently associated with shorter survival. Of the extrapulmonary sites of disease, TB meningitis was associated with the greatest risk of death. Conclusion: The site of culture-proven TB at presentation and the history of previous opportunistic infection are important predictors of survival in HlV-infected patients with TB.
A study of parabens and bisphenol A in surface water and fish brain tissue from the Greater Pittsburgh Area.

Pollution from xenoestrogens has been discovered in the aquatic environment of the Greater Pittsburgh Area and is suspected to be caused by the failing sewer system. Personal care products and plasticizers have the potential to enter the water supply though treated and untreated sewage. Many of these compounds are suspected xenoestrogens. Paraben detection in surface waters was as follows: methyl paraben ranged between 2.2 to 17.3 ppt; ethyl paraben was not detectable; propyl paraben was detected at 9.2 and 12.0 ppt; butyl paraben was detected at 0.2 ppt. BPA was detected between 0.6 and 15.4 ppt. Estrogenic potential of extracts from fish brain tissue was tested via Bromodeoxyuridine MCF-7 analysis and paired with HPLC–MS to investigate the presence of xenoestrogens. All samples were non-detectable for parabens. BPA was detected in 44 of the 58 samples, with a range from non-detectable to 120 pg/g. BCFs were calculated. Results were statistically significant for location of capture (p < 0.05) and correlation existed between estrogenicity and BPA.
MADD Knock-Down Enhances Doxorubicin and TRAIL Induced Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells

The Map kinase Activating Death Domain containing protein (MADD) isoform of the IG20 gene is over-expressed in different types of cancer tissues and cell lines and it functions as a negative regulator of apoptosis. Therefore, we speculated that MADD might be over-expressed in human breast cancer tissues and that MADD knock-down might synergize with chemotherapeutic or TRAIL-induced apoptosis of breast cancer cells. Analyses of breast tissue microarrays revealed over-expression of MADD in ductal and invasive carcinomas relative to benign tissues. MADD knockdown resulted in enhanced spontaneous apoptosis in human breast cancer cell lines. Moreover, MADD knockdown followed by treatment with TRAIL or doxorubicin resulted in increased cell death compared to either treatment alone. Enhanced cell death was found to be secondary to increased caspase-8 activation. These data indicate that strategies to decrease MADD expression or function in breast cancer may be utilized to increase tumor cell sensitivity to TRAIL and doxorubicin induced apoptosis.
Curious little book on rabies

Rabies: The Facts. Edited by Colin Kaplan. Pp. 116. (Oxford University: Oxford and London; Corgi: London, 1977.) Hardback (OUP) £1.95 paperback (Corgi) 75 pence.
THE THYROID HORMONE AND ITS RELATION TO THE OTHER DUCTLESS GLANDS

Much of the research work concerning the ductless glands has been from the viewpoint of relating some one gland to some particular portion or restricted function of the body. Thus, the pituitary has been associated with the growth of the bones and certain skeletal formations, the thyroid has been associated with the nerves, and some writers have satisfied themselves that the activity of certain ductless glands is explained by clinical syndromes wherein only portions of the body show abnormalities. There have been relations suggested which were based on embryologic grounds. Organs and tissues derived from some common source have been supposed to be more or less related in function. Some of the most elaborate relationships of the ductless glands are based on histologic findings. The vast amount of research work that has been done with this object in view has indeed told us a great deal concerning the relationships of the ductless glands to certain bodily functions, but beyond this knowledge one cannot penet...
Tectonic significance of petrofabric studies along the Chewack-Pasayten fault, north-central Washington

The Chewack-Pasayten fault is a major steeply dipping tectonic boundary that trends N30°W across north-central Washington and adjacent British Columbia for at least 250 km. It is the eastern boundary of the Cenozoic Methow trough and is here interpreted to have been the eastern boundary of the early Late Cretaceous Tyaughton trough. It separates Paleozoic and Mesozoic plutonic rocks on the northeast from Mesozoic and Cenozoic volcanic and sedimentary rocks on the southwest. A 1.5-km-wide zone of cataclastic fluxion structure (S) containing a mineral lineation (L) is present in the granitic rocks adjacent to the fault. S is steeply dipping and has a N15°W trace that is en echelon to the fault trace. L is subhorizontal in S. Detailed interpretation of fabric elements in this zone are used herein to interpret one phase of the tectonic history of the fault. Plagioclase shape and crystallographic fabrics suggest rigid body rotation of plucked augen. Quartz-shape fabrics suggest ductile flattening and recrystallization. Quartz c -axis fabrics suggest crystal glide in response to compression perpendicular to S similar to recent experimental results. Microfractures in quartz tentatively are interpreted as stress relief phenomena. Mica shape and crystallographic fabrics suggest crystal glide, rotation, and fracture. All of these results indicate that the strain in the cataclastic zone may be described by an ellipse oriented with the axis of maximum finite shortening perpendicular to S and the axis of maximum finite elongation parallel to L. This is interpreted to reflect left-lateral simple shear motion during the early Late Cretaceous development of the cataclastic zone. The exposed portion of the cataclastic zone originally developed at a depth of about 2 km and at a temperature of 300 to 400 °C. Slickensided shear joints in volcanic rocks record compression nearly at right angles to the fault that is probably related to middle Late Cretaceous folding. Associated fault motion, if any, would have been high-angle reverse. Later, at higher structural levels, normal motion on the fault disrupted the cataclastic zone and created the Methow trough in early Cenozoic time.
Vector analysis of changes in medical care utilization in two rural communities.

Abstract Vector representation of utilization for medical and consumer services were used to compare changes over time in two adjacent rural counties. In one a National Health Service Corps site was established; the other served as a control. Consumer utilization patterns remained stable over the five-year study period. The shifts over time in medical and hospital use were in opposite directions in the two counties.
Behavioural responses to habitat patch boundaries restrict dispersal and generate emigration-patch area relationships in fragmented landscapes

1. We studied the consequences of behaviour at habitat patch boundaries on dispersal for the bog fritillary butterfly Proclossiana eunomia Esper in two networks of habitat differing in fragmentation and matrix quality. We tested for differences in responses to patch boundaries according to the fragmentation level of the network by analysing movement paths of adult butterflies. 2. Butterflies systematically engaged in U-turns when they reached a boundary in the fragmented network while they crossed over boundaries in more than 40% of boundary encounters in the continuous one. 3. We applied the Virtual Migration model (Hanski, Alho & Moilanen 2000 ) to capture-mark-recapture data collected in both networks. The model indicated (i) a lower dispersal rate and (ii) a lower survival during dispersal in the fragmented network. This latter difference is likely to be the key biological process leading to behavioural avoidance of patch boundary crossings. 4. On the basis of this behavioural difference, we designed an individual-based simulation model to explore the relationship between patch area, boundary permeability and emigration rate. 5. Predictions of the model fitted observed results of the effect of patch area on emigration rate according to fragmentation: butterflies are more likely to leave small patches than large ones in fragmented landscapes (where patch boundary permeability is low), while this relationship disappears in more continuous landscapes (where patch boundary permeability is high).
Online crowdsourcing for efficient rating of speech: a validation study.

Abstract Blinded listener ratings are essential for valid assessment of interventions for speech disorders, but collecting these ratings can be time-intensive and costly. This study evaluated the validity of speech ratings obtained through online crowdsourcing, a potentially more efficient approach. 100 words from children with /r/ misarticulation were electronically presented for binary rating by 35 phonetically trained listeners and 205 naive listeners recruited through the Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) crowdsourcing platform. Bootstrapping was used to compare different-sized samples of AMT listeners against a “gold standard” (mode across all trained listeners) and an “industry standard” (mode across bootstrapped samples of three trained listeners). There was strong overall agreement between trained and AMT listeners. The “industry standard” level of performance was matched by bootstrapped samples with n = 9 AMT listeners. These results support the hypothesis that valid ratings of speech data can be obtained in an efficient manner through AMT. Researchers in communication disorders could benefit from increased awareness of this method. Learning outcomes: Readers will be able to (a) discuss advantages and disadvantages of data collection through the crowdsourcing platform Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT), (b) describe the results of a validity study comparing samples of AMT listeners versus phonetically trained listeners in a speech-rating task.
Kinetics of Nonideal Hyperbranched Polymerizations. 2. Kinetic Analysis of the Polycondensation of 3,5-Bis(trimethylsiloxy)benzoyl chloride Using NMR Spectroscopy†

The kinetics of the polycondensation of 3,5-bis(trimethylsiloxy)benzoyl chloride (BTMSBCl) was investigated. 1D and 2D NMR techniques were applied to achieve a complete signal assignment of the str...
Cadherin function: Breaking the barrier

Three desmoglein isoforms collaborate with desmocollins to build the adhesive core of desmosomes. A recent study has shown that altering the ratio of desmoglein isoforms influences epidermal barrier function, suggesting distinct roles for these cadherins that extend beyond adhesion.
Deformation driven by subduction and microplate collision: Geodynamics of Cook Inlet basin, Alaska

Late Neogene and younger deformation in Cook Inlet basin is caused by dextral transpression in the plate margin of south-central Alaska. Collision and subduction of the Yakutat microplate at the northeastern end of the Aleutian subduction zone is driving the accretionary complex of the Chugach and Kenai Mountains toward the Alaska Range on the opposite side of the basin. This deformation creates belts of fault-cored anticlines that are prolific traps of hydrocarbons and are also potential sources for damaging earthquakes. The faults dip steeply, extend into the Mesozoic basement beneath the Tertiary basin fill, and form conjugate flower structures at some localities. Comparing the geometry of the natural faults and folds with analog models created in a sandbox deformation apparatus suggests that some of the faults accommodate significant dextral as well as reverse-slip motion. We develop a tectonic model in which dextral shearing and horizontal shortening of the basin is driven by microplate collision with an additional component of thrust-type strain caused by plate subduction. This model predicts temporally fluctuating stress fields that are coupled to the recurrence intervals of large-magnitude subduction zone earthquakes. The maximum principal compressive stress is oriented east-southeast to east-northeast with nearly vertical least compressive stress when the basin's lithosphere is mostly decoupled from the underlying subduction megathrust. This stress tensor is compatible with principal stresses inferred from focal mechanisms of earthquakes that occur within the crust beneath Cook Inlet basin. Locking of the megathrust between great magnitude earthquakes may cause the maximum principal compressive stress to rotate toward the northwest. Moderate dipping faults that strike north to northeast may be optimally oriented for rupture in the ambient stress field, but steeply dipping faults within the cores of some anticlines are unfavorably oriented with respect to both modeled and observed stress fields, suggesting that elevated fluid pressure may be required to trigger fault rupture.