cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interferon-γ and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Regulate Amyloid-β Plaque Deposition and β-Secretase Expression in Swedish Mutant APP Transgenic Mice

Reactive astrocytes and microglia in Alzheimer's disease surround amyloid plaques and secrete proinflammatory cytokines that affect neuronal function. Relationship between cytokine signaling and amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) accumulation is poorly understood. Thus, we generated a novel Swedish β-amyloid precursor protein mutant (APP) transgenic mouse in which the interferon (IFN)-γ receptor type I was knocked out (APP/GRKO). IFN-γ signaling loss in the APP/GRKO mice reduced gliosis and amyloid plaques at 14 months of age. Aggregated Aβ induced IFN-γ production from co-culture of astrocytes and microglia, and IFN-γ elicited tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α secretion in wild type (WT) but not GRKO microglia co-cultured with astrocytes. Both IFN-γ and TNF-α enhanced Aβ production from APP-expressing astrocytes and cortical neurons. TNF-α directly stimulated β-site APP-cleaving enzyme (BACE1) expression and enhanced β-processing of APP in astrocytes. The numbers of reactive astrocytes expressing BACE1 were increased in APP compared with APP/GRKO mice in both cortex and hippocampus. IFN-γ and TNF-α activation of WT microglia suppressed Aβ degradation, whereas GRKO microglia had no changes. These results support the idea that glial IFN-γ and TNF-α enhance Aβ deposition through BACE1 expression and suppression of Aβ clearance. Taken together, these observations suggest that proinflammatory cytokines are directly linked to Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis.
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate Ferredoxin Oxidoreductase, a Novel Tungsten-containing Enzyme with a Potential Glycolytic Role in the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus

Abstract The archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus grows optimally at 100°C by the fermentation of carbohydrates to yield acetate, CO2, and H2. Cell-free extracts contain very low activity of the glycolytic enzyme, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, but extremely high activity of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ferredoxin oxidoreductase (GAPOR). GAPOR was purified under strictly anaerobic conditions. It is a monomeric, O2-sensitive protein of Mr 63,000 which contains pterin and approximately 1 tungsten and 6 iron atoms per molecule. The enzyme oxidized glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (K28 μ M) to 3-phosphoglycerate and reduced P. furiosus ferredoxin (K6 μ M), but it did not oxidize formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, glyceraldehyde, benzaldehyde, glucose, glucose 6-phosphate, or glyoxylate, nor did it use NAD(P) as an electron acceptor. It is proposed that GAPOR has a glycolytic role and functions in place of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and possibly phosphoglycerate kinase.
Miscellanea. Combining parametric and empirical likelihoods

Imbens & Lancaster (1994) pointed out that census reports can be interpreted as providing nearly exact knowledge of moments of the marginal distribution of economic variables. In this paper we show that empirical likelihood can effectively incorporate auxiliary information like this as long as it can be summarised as unbiased estimating equations. By combining empirical and parametric likelihoods, we show that the combined likelihood can produce valid inferences for the underlying parameters. A Wilks' type theorem is proved for the combined likelihood ratio statistic. Simulation results demonstrate that the performance of the combined likelihood ratio confidence intervals is better than conventional confidence intervals that use a normal approximation.
Effects of acidity of the water culture solution on uptake of nutrients by the root of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) and Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa)

The condition around coniferous trees in the soil is becoming gradually acidic when acid rain falls continuously. Nutrient uptake by the roots of coniferous trees could be affected in such environmental change of root zone. The experiments of water culture of coniferous seedlings in modified systems were carried out using (2-and, 3-year-old) of Japanese cedar(Cryptomeria japonica) and, Japanese cypress(Chamaecyparis obtusa) that are the typical Japanese forest trees. Nine major nutrients such as Na+, NH4+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, NO3−, PO43−, and SO42−, were given in the water culture solution and growth of trees was observed for two years. The aspects of nutrient uptake by these seedlings and the effects of acidity in culture solution were observed. The following results were obtained. 1) Japanese cedar of 50% and Japanese cypress of 30 % in tested seedlings could live for two years. 2) All Japanese cedar and cypress that started in the strong acidic condition ( pH=3.0) were dead within three months. 3) The minimum pH value in the acidic condition is estimated as 3.2 for these coniferous seedlings, and it means that they can live at least for two years in this condition. 4) The seasonal pattern of the uptake of nitrogen nutrient by Japanese cedar was determined.
Vision, strategy, and practice of software research & development in industry

Summary form only given. This article focuses on Fujitsu's roadmap on software advancements, especially on R&D of middleware, including middleware platform, middleware ubiquitous, middleware business-support and software development environment.
Rheological behavior of highly filled polymer melts

The rheological behavior of highly filled polymer melts has been examined. At concentrations near the maximum packing fraction, strain-dependent behavior was observed at strains as low as 1 percent. Selected surface treatments were shown to reduce particle agglomeration. This produced composite melts with lower viscosities and higher maximum loadings. While η* – ω plots provide information on the shear strength of the interparticle network, G′ – ω plots show evidence of phase separation.
Dual Injector Solvent Elution and Focussing Technique for the On-Line Analysis of Solid-Phase Extraction Cartridges in HPLC

A new dual injector solvent focussing and elution technique developed for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) greatly improves chromatographic efficiency for the on-line analysis of C18 solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges. Solutions containing three benzene homologs were used to characterize the dual injector analysis technique and to compare the chromatographic efficiency of this method with conventional SPE analysis methods. Sampling was performed off-line using a glass precolumn cartridge (3 mm i.d. × 30 mm) packed with 15–35 μm C18 silica. On-line cartridge analysis was achieved with two injection valves in either serial or parallel configuration. The injection loop of the first valve contains the eluting solvent, and the cartridge holder is connected in place of the injection loop of the second valve. When an injection is made, both valves are turned to the inject position, and the solvent plug is forced through the cartridge, focussing the analyte at the solvent front as it elutes the cartridge. Solvent focussing at the head of the column, resulting from preconditioning of the column with a small plug of water during injection, further minimizes the variance of the injection plug and improves the chromatographic efficiency. The technique has potential applications to environmental and biological fluid analysis where analyte preconcentration and resolution from the sample matrix components may be difficult with current SPE methods.
Distribution of synaptic vesicle proteins within single retinotectal axons of Xenopus tadpoles

In the developing retinotectal projection, retinal axon arbor structure changes rapidly within the target tectal neuropil at stages when the visual system functions to process visual information. In vivo imaging of single retinotectal axon arbors shows that up to 50% of the arbor branch length can be restructured within 8 h and short branchtips have average lifetimes of 10 min. To determine if presynaptic sites are restricted to the relatively stable part of the arbor or if they are also located on the more dynamic portions of the arbor, punctate staining of synaptic vesicle proteins (SVP) synapsin 1 and synaptophysin was mapped within individual retinal axons using double-label confocal immunocytochemistry. We report that SVP puncta were distributed throughout the retinotectal axon arbor. Notably, short branchtips, which are known to be extremely dynamic, contain the presynaptic machinery necessary for synaptic transmission. These data support a model in which activity-dependent mechanisms can influence presynaptic axon arbor morphology by modifying the rate of dynamic rearrangements of axonal branchtips.
Cooperative Dynamics of mDia1 and Arp2/3 in Basal Epithelial Cell Migration

Growing experimental evidence suggests that formin and Arp2/3 coexist with distinct molecular and functional properties in cell protrusions. However, current models of cell migration focus on Arp2/3-mediated actin assembly as the driver of lamellipodial protrusions. The roles of formins, and how formin-mediated filament assembly may be coordinated with Arp2/3-mediated assembly are unclear. Here, we investigated the roles of formin in cell migration. We found that mDia1 is present in lamellipodia of PtK1 cells. We then examined the recruitment dynamics of mDia1, Arp2/3, paxillin, and actin to the leading edge using quantitative live cell imaging. We found that mDia1, actin, and paxillin start to accumulate at maximum retraction edge velocity prior to the onset of protrusion events whereas Arp2/3 is recruited concomitantly with protrusions. After protrusions start, mDia1 and paxillin undergo transient decreases at maximum protrusion velocity while Arp2/3 and actin reach maximum with a delay of 10s. These results suggest that mDia1-mediated actin assembly initiates protrusions by promoting nascent adhesions, and fast protrusions are accompanied by transient decrease of adhesion formation and the reinforcement of actin polymerization by Arp2/3 against increasing membrane tension.
Insulin infusion protocol for critical care units

Purpose. An insulin infusion protocol for critical care units is described. Summary. Evidence that aggressive glycemic control improves outcomes led physicians, nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists at a trauma center to develop an insulin infusion protocol. Before the protocol, elevated blood glucose concentrations were often not treated until they reached 200 mg/dL or higher. Insulin infusions were underutilized and were often not started until capillary blood glucose concentrations were greater than 350 mg/dL for 12 or more hours. When orders for an insulin infusion were written, they did not include directions for dosage adjustment, and the goal blood glucose range varied. A preliminary protocol was drafted allowing adjustments in insulin administration to be based on changes in capillary blood glucose values since the previous blood glucose measurement. The protocol was presented to a multidisciplinary team and further refined. The targeted blood glucose concentration range was 80–130 mg/dL. After the targeted range was achieved for a patient, if the blood glucose level continued to decrease over three consecutive measurements, the infusion rate was decreased by 0.5 or 1 unit/hr, depending on the capillary blood glucose level. Data for the first 30 patients were collected from September 2003 to August 2004. It took 2–36 hours (mean, 12.6 hours) to bring the capillary blood glucose concentration to less than 130 mg/dL. Among 2845 capillary blood glucose measurements, there were 15 cases of hypoglycemia (0.4%) requiring treatment with 50% dextrose injection. Conclusion. A multidisciplinary effort resulted in the development of an insulin infusion protocol for use in critical care units.
Methylation of histone H3 at lysine 23 in meiotic heterochromatin

Heterochromatin and its associated histone modifications are important for repressing transcription and maintaining chromosomal integrity during meiosis and mitosis. The complex repertoire of histone modifications that decorate heterochromatin has yet to be fully characterized, in part because most eukaryotic cells have a single nucleus where distinct chromatin types are intermingled on contiguous stretches of chromosomes. To obtain highly-purified heterochromatin, we turned to the model organism Tetrahymena thermophila, which has a biochemically separable heterochromatic micronucleus. We characterized combinatorial histone modifications on heterochromatic H3 from Tetrahymena and identified species of H3 dually-modified by both H3K23me3 and H3K27me3 as a previously unreported binary ‘mark’ specific for heterochromatin. Furthermore, H3K23me3 levels dramatically increased during meiosis in Tetrahymena micronuclei, C. elegans, and mice, suggesting this histone ‘mark’ plays a conserved role in germline development. Lastly, disrupting the H3K23 methyltransferase in Tetrahymena caused a lag in meiotic progression. Together, our data suggests H3K23me3 is a conserved heterochromatic histone PTM strongly associated with meiosis, and misregulation of this modification may be linked to problems with reproductive fitness and development.
Evaluation of the Identification Power of RPLC Analyses in the Screening for Drug Compounds

The identification of drugs of abuse is an important issue in forensic science. The main goal is to trace and identify as many drugs as possible in the shortest possible time preferably with a simple analysis method. One possibility is to screen samples using a Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detection (LC-DAD) system. However, when simultaneously performing another analysis on a chromatographic column exhibiting selectivity differences from the first one, that is, orthogonal or dissimilar columns, a greater number of drugs can be possibly identified without investing a lot of extra time or money. The primary difficulty is then selecting the most appropriate columns. In this paper, it is demonstrated that selecting the most dissimilar columns based on measures such as correlation or Snyder's F(s) value is not optimal, because these measures do not take into account the identification power of the individual systems. This implies that a large number of drugs may not necessarily be identified on the systems selected using these criteria. Therefore, three other measures are tested to evaluate the identification power obtained by parallel screening on two columns or by comprehensive two-dimensional LC (LC x LC). The simplest approach is counting the number of compounds separable with a difference in retention time greater than a predefined critical value. However, this measure does not reflect the coelution pattern of the unidentified drugs nor the separation degree of all compounds. The second tested measure, information, enables differentiation between systems identifying the same number of compounds but resulting in a different coelution pattern. Multivariate selectivity, the third tested parameter, takes into account the degree of separation of all compounds and has the advantage that it reflects the gain in identification power achieved by introducing DAD data. All three proposed measures also enable evaluation of whether the corresponding LC x LC method will result in a greater identification power.
Some interindustry empirical evidence on the question of stockpiling crude oil

Abstract 86-order interindustry transactions tables for selected years are used to assess the forward and backward linkage effects of energy sectors, 1958–1970, in the U.S. economy. The magnitude of the linkage effects were obtained by calculating intermediate input and demand coefficients. The crude oil sector is found to have the second largest forward linkages of all sectors in the 86-order table and the largest of all energy sectors. As a consequence, there is strong empirical evidence supporting the argument for stockpiling crude oil supplies.
Nonchronological backtracking in stochastic Boolean satisfiability

Stochastic Boolean satisfiability (SSAT) is a generalization of satisfiability (SAT) that has shown promise as a vehicle for encoding and competitively solving probabilistic reasoning problems. We extend the theory and enhance the applicability of SSAT-based solution techniques by 1) establishing theoretical results that allow the incorporation of nonchronological backtracking (NCB), and lay the foundation for the incorporation of learning, into an SSAT solver, 2) implementing SOLVESSAT-NCB, an NCB-augmented SSAT solver, and 3) describing the results of tests of SOLVESSAT-NCB on randomly generated SSAT problems and SSAT encodings of probabilistic planning problems. Our experiments indicate that NCB has the potential to boost the performance of an SSAT solver, both in terms of time, yielding speedups of as much as five orders of magnitude, and space, allowing the solution of SSAT problems with larger solution trees. In some cases, however, NCB can degrade performance. We analyze the reasons for this behavior, present initial results incorporating a technique to mitigate this effect, and discuss other approaches to addressing this problem suggested by our empirical results.
Some Sensory and Motor Factors Influencing the Control and Appreciation of Eye and Limb Position

Some aspects of the manner in which the central nervous system uses sensory information for the guidance of eye and arm movements were investigated. When subjects experience apparent motion of their restrained forearm, induced by vibration of their biceps muscle in the dark, they are able to pursue with their eyes at least part of this “motion” and to point with their nonvibrated limb to the apparent location of the vibrated arm. The presence of a small target light on the vibrated hand limits the extent of illusory change in limb position and results in illusory motion of the target light in the same direction as the arm motion. When asked to indicate the spatial position of the light or hand, subjects still point with their nonvibrated arm to the apparent locations. Although visual pursuit of the illusory motion of the forearm can still be elicited in the presence of the target light on the hand, the subjects' eyes remain steadily fixating the stationary target light when they are instructed to track its illusory motion. These findings demonstrate that sensory and motor factors affecting the perception of visual direction and the guidance of arm and eye movements can be differentially employed at several levels of central nervous control.
The Amordad database engine for metagenomics.

Motivation: Several technical challenges in metagenomic data analysis, including assembling metagenomic sequence data or identifying operational taxonomic units, are both significant and well known. These forms of analysis are increasingly cited as conceptually flawed, given the extreme variation within traditionally defined species and rampant horizontal gene transfer. Furthermore, computational requirements of such analysis have hindered content-based organization of metagenomic data at large scale. Results: In this article, we introduce the Amordad database engine for alignment-free, content-based indexing of metagenomic datasets. Amordad places the metagenome comparison problem in a geometric context, and uses an indexing strategy that combines random hashing with a regular nearest neighbor graph. This framework allows refinement of the database over time by continual application of random hash functions, with the effect of each hash function encoded in the nearest neighbor graph. This eliminates the need to explicitly maintain the hash functions in order for query efficiency to benefit from the accumulated randomness. Results on real and simulated data show that Amordad can support logarithmic query time for identifying similar metagenomes even as the database size reaches into the millions. Availability and implementation: Source code, licensed under the GNU general public license (version 3) is freely available for download from http://smithlabresearch.org/amordad Contact: ude.csu@sdwerdna Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
STAR results on mixed hadron ratios

The STAR Experiment at RHIC is capable of a wide variety of measurements of the production of various hadrons in nuclear collisions. Measurements of the relative production of particle yields can shed light on the validity of models for hadron production in these collisions which may help characterize the source. We will present here preliminary results on these measurements at RHIC energies of √sNN=130 GeV and 200 GeV and discuss comparisons to some models.
Extended Matrix and Inverse Matrix Methods Utilizing Internal Validation Data When Both Disease and Exposure Status Are Misclassified.

The problem of misclassification is common in epidemiological and clinical research. In some cases, misclassification may be incurred when measuring both exposure and outcome variables. It is well known that validity of analytic results (e.g. point and confidence interval estimates for odds ratios of interest) can be forfeited when no correction effort is made. Therefore, valid and accessible methods with which to deal with these issues remain in high demand. Here, we elucidate extensions of well-studied methods in order to facilitate misclassification adjustment when a binary outcome and binary exposure variable are both subject to misclassification. By formulating generalizations of assumptions underlying well-studied “matrix” and “inverse matrix” methods into the framework of maximum likelihood, our approach allows the flexible modeling of a richer set of misclassification mechanisms when adequate internal validation data are available. The value of our extensions and a strong case for the internal validation design are demonstrated by means of simulations and analysis of bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis data from the HIV Epidemiology Research Study.
On the Error Exponents of ARQ Channels With Deadlines

In this correspondence, we consider communication over automatic repeat request (ARQ) memoryless channels with deadlines. In particular, an upper bound L is imposed on the maximum number of ARQ transmission rounds. In this setup, it is shown that incremental redundancy ARQ outperforms Forney's memoryless decoding in terms of the achievable error exponents.
Laser multipass system with interior cell configuration.

We ask whether it is possible to restore a multipass system alignment after a gas cell is inserted in the central region. Indeed, it is possible, and we report on a remarkably simple rearrangement of a laser multipass system, composed of two spherical mirrors and a gas cell with flat windows in the middle. For example, for a window of thickness d and refractive index of n, adjusting the mirror separation by ≈2d(1−1n) is sufficient to preserve the laser beam alignment and tracing. This expression is in agreement with ray-tracing computations and our laboratory experiment. Insofar as our solution corrects for spherical aberrations, it may also find applications in microscopy.
The Community Economic Impacts of Large Wildfires: A Case Study from Trinity County, California

Wildfires are increasing in severity and frequency in the American West, but there is limited understanding of their economic effects at the community level. We conducted a case study of the impacts of large wildfires in 2008 in Trinity County, California, by examining labor market, suppression spending, and qualitative interview data. We found that the 2008 fires had interrelated effects on several economic sectors in the county. Labor market data indicated a decrease in total private-sector employment and wages and an increase in public-sector employment and wages during the summer of 2008 compared to the previous year, while interviews captured more nuanced impacts for individual businesses.
Bisphenol A exposure and associations with obesity among adults: a critical review

OBJECTIVE To review the literature on bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and obesity in human populations. DESIGN Systematic review of the literature via searches of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and reference lists for articles published to 1 August 2014. SETTING China, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Sweden, UK, USA. SUBJECTS Adults (≥ 18 years). RESULTS Eighteen articles were identified and included in the review. Twelve studies included secondary evaluations of BPA exposure and BMI, and six studies evaluated body composition as the primary outcome. All analyses were cross-sectional and no study included in the review received a positive quality rating (twelve negative, six neutral). Eight studies observed a statistically significant positive association between urinary or serum BPA levels and BMI, and ten studies observed no association. Studies where BMI was a primary outcome and studies of neutral quality were more likely to observe an association. CONCLUSIONS Study results are conflicting and significant methodological issues limit the ability to draw conclusions from these studies. Prospective studies that measure BPA exposure and changes in body weight and composition are needed to establish temporality, causality and the direction of any observed associations.
The union of convex polyhedra in three dimensions

We show that the number of vertices, edges, and faces of the union of k convex polyhedra in 3-space, having a total of n faces, is O(k/sup 3/+knlog/sup 2/ k). This bound is almost tight in the worst case. We also describe a rather simple randomized incremental algorithm for computing the boundary of the union in O(k/sup 3/+knlog/sup 3/ k) expected time. >
Characterization of vibrating beam sensors during shock and vibration

This paper will describe data collection considerations and analysis methods used in the characterization of vibrating beam sensors during vibration and shock at frequencies to 10 kHz and beyond. Data sampling rate and quantization errors will be discussed. A simple method for data collection and analysis of sine sweep tests will be presented.
Isolation and characterization of Crohn's disease tissue-specific glycoproteins

Abstract Two Crohn's disease tissue-specific proteins are identified and purified several thousand-fold from crude tissue extracts by different chromatographic procedures. The two proteins migrate in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as 200–210-kilodalton and 150–160-kilodalton species. They are glycoproteins, as evidenced by their binding to concanavalin A-Sepharose 4B and positive staining with Schiff's reagent. Specific immunoreactivity of the two glycoproteins against Crohn's disease sera was demonstrated by immunotransblot analysis. All but one of the operative specimens of colon or small intestine (or both) from 13 patients with Crohn's disease contained either or both of the proteins; they were not detected in specimens of colon from 5 patients with ulcerative colitis, 1 patient with diverticulitis, 1 patient with ischemic colitis, from the normal bowel segments resected from 3 patients with colon cancer, and from two normal ileal tissue specimens. The two glycoproteins did not react with antihuman IgG, IgM, and IgA, suggesting that they are not immunoglobulins. The purified glycoproteins may provide important leads toward the understanding of the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease.
Calculations and measurements of the Unity Plus three-phase induction motor

The Unity Plus induction motor configuration for three-phase motors is described and analyzed. In the Unity Plus winding method only one set of windings, called the power winding, is connected directly to the source. The second set of windings is connected to capacitors and is coupled to the power winding through transformer action. The equivalent circuit of the Unity Plus motor for steady-state operation is obtained through standard induction motor analysis methods. Laboratory experiments on a 10 hp three-phase induction motor, both as a conventional winding configuration and as a Unity Plus configuration after rewinding by Unity Plus representatives, verified the accuracy of the circuit model and showed that the Unity Plus winding configuration did not result in higher efficiencies than that obtainable from conventional winding methods. >
Transcription Factor Decoy

Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of altered gene expression in disease pathophysiology. Thus, modification of gene expression has emerged as an important therapeutic strategy.1 Agents that inhibit the transcription of disease-mediating genes or transactivate the expression of genes whose products disrupt pathophysiological processes are being developed. Regulation of gene expression is a complex biological process involving transcription factor–DNA interaction that initiates gene transcription. Transcription factors are proteins residing in the cell nucleus or cytoplasm that upon activation bind with specific DNA motifs in the promoter region of the target gene. The activation process may involve phosphorylation, dimerization, proteolytic cleavage, ubiquitination, and/or translocation. Accordingly, molecules that block one or more steps of the transcription machinery can potentially modify the expression of a specific gene or group of genes, yielding a functional response(s). It has been shown that short sequences of DNA containing the consensus binding site, even in the absence of surrounding DNA, can bind transcription protein in a highly specific manner. Indeed, such oligonucleotides have been used as radiolabeled probes for the detection and characterization of transcription factors (TFs) in electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Specific DNA sequences have been used successfully as “decoys” to bind specific TFs in cultured cells or in vivo, rendering the TFs incapable of subsequent binding to the promoter region of target genes.1 This approach has been shown to be effective in modulating gene expression in vitro and in vivo. Indeed, the use of transcription factor decoy (TFD) as a tool to study gene expression in vivo was first demonstrated for tissue-specific regulation of renin gene expression. The data showed that decoy mimicking a specific negative regulatory element (CNRE) in the promoter region of the renin gene resulted in the derepression of renin expression in extra renal tissues such as liver and submandibular …
Molecular Characterization of the Heparin-Dependent Transduction Domain on the Capsid of a Novel Adeno-Associated Virus Isolate, AAV(VR-942)

A new adeno-associated virus (AAV), referred to as AAV(VR-942), has been isolated as a contaminant of adenovirus strain simian virus 17. The sequence of the rep gene places it in the AAV serotype 2 (AAV2) complementation group, while the capsid is only 88% identical to that of AAV2. High-level AAV(VR-942) transduction activity requires cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans, although AAV(VR-942) lacks residues equivalent to the AAV2 R585 and R588 amino acid residues essential for mediating the interaction of AAV2 with the heparan sulfate proteoglycan receptor. Instead, AAV(VR-942) uses a distinct transduction region. This finding shows that distinct domains on different AAV isolates can be responsible for the same activities.
Why Not Diversify Internationally Rather Than Domestically

Because total risk for a portfolio declines not only with the number of securities included but with the degree of independence among these securities, substantial risk reduction results from diversifying a portfolio across foreign as well as domestic common stocks.
Intimacy and Distancing Young Men’s Conversations About Romantic Relationships

This study examinedhow 32 pairs of 19-to 22-year-oldEuro-Americanmale friends constructed intimacy when telling romantic-relationship stories in casual conversations. Analyses centered on the emergence of two types of conversational positions: intimate positions and distancing positions. Intimate positions constructed young men as warm, caring, and emotionally vulnerable; distancing positions functioned to diminish intimacy, care, and vulnerability. Although intimate positions were present, they did not arise in a straightforward or unmarked way. Instead, intimate positions were often eclipsed or supplanted by distancing positions. The findings provide a conversationally nuanced understanding of how young men practice intimacy by constructing themselves as moving both toward and away from close relationships with women. For emerging adult males, we suggest that such shifting positions can help to develop a clearer sense of what one wants, and does not want, in a love relationship.
CROSSING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG ANCIENT AND EXPERIMENTAL SUNFLOWER HYBRID LINEAGES

Abstract Reproductive barrier formation between newly derived hybrid taxa and their parental species represents a major evolutionary hurdle. Here, I examine the development of a sterility barrier during hybrid speciation by examining the fertility of progeny from all combinations of crosses involving three experimentally synthesized sunflower hybrid lineages, their natural hybrid counterpart, Helianthus anomalus, and their parents, H. annuus and H. petiolaris. Crosses between the parental species and H. anomalus generated almost completely sterile offspring (pollen viability < 5%; seed set < 1%). A fairly strong sterility barrier also has developed between three hybrid lineages and both parental species (pollen viability 11.1–41.6%; seed set 0.84–20.1%). In contrast, the three hybrid lineages are almost fully interfertile (pollen viabilities 83.1–88.6%; seed set 72.1–75.3%), as predicted by molecular mapping studies that indicate they have converged on a similar set of gene combinations and chromosomal re...
Competitive SWIFT cluster templates enhance detection of aging changes

Clustering-based algorithms for automated analysis of flow cytometry datasets have achieved more efficient and objective analysis than manual processing. Clustering organizes flow cytometry data into subpopulations with substantially homogenous characteristics but does not directly address the important problem of identifying the salient differences in subpopulations between subjects and groups. Here, we address this problem by augmenting SWIFT--a mixture model based clustering algorithm reported previously. First, we show that SWIFT clustering using a "template" mixture model, in which all subpopulations are represented, identifies small differences in cell numbers per subpopulation between samples. Second, we demonstrate that resolution of inter-sample differences is increased by "competition" wherein a joint model is formed by combining the mixture model templates obtained from different groups. In the joint model, clusters from individual groups compete for the assignment of cells, sharpening differences between samples, particularly differences representing subpopulation shifts that are masked under clustering with a single template model. The benefit of competition was demonstrated first with a semisynthetic dataset obtained by deliberately shifting a known subpopulation within an actual flow cytometry sample. Single templates correctly identified changes in the number of cells in the subpopulation, but only the competition method detected small changes in median fluorescence. In further validation studies, competition identified a larger number of significantly altered subpopulations between young and elderly subjects. This enrichment was specific, because competition between templates from consensus male and female samples did not improve the detection of age-related differences. Several changes between the young and elderly identified by SWIFT template competition were consistent with known alterations in the elderly, and additional altered subpopulations were also identified. Alternative algorithms detected far fewer significantly altered clusters. Thus SWIFT template competition is a powerful approach to sharpen comparisons between selected groups in flow cytometry datasets.
Surgical and Medical Management of Patients With Narrow Anterior Chamber Angles: Comparative Results

We retrospectively reviewed case records of 70 patients (114 eyes) to assess long-term outcome of surgical and medical treatment of narrow anterior chamber angles. Fifty eyes had undergone a peripheral iridectomy, incisional or laser; 64 had been treated medically, without surgery. The two groups were not strictly comparable. (It is assumed but not proven that, since iridectomy was considered necessary in one group and not in the other, the surgically-treated patients were more seriously diseased.) Comparing clinical data obtained at the first visit with data obtained at the last visit, the eyes receiving iridectomies, as compared with those receiving medical treatment alone, showed a greater number of improved anterior chamber configurations (74% vs 28%), had a lower incidence of peripheral anterior synechiae (2% vs 10%), and required fewer glaucoma medications (30% fewer vs 10% fewer). The percentage of eyes with increased intraocular pressure was similar in both groups (36% vs 28%), as was the percentage of those with decreased visual field (17% vs 21%) and decreased visual acuity (66% vs 60%). No significant complications occurred in the eyes receiving laser iridectomies; however, one of the incisionally-treated eyes lost nine Snellen lines of vision.
Precision Timing Calorimeter for High Energy Physics

We present studies on the performance and characterization of the time resolution of LYSO-based calorimeters. Results for an LYSO sampling calorimeter and an LYSO-tungsten Shashlik calorimeter are presented. We demonstrate that a time resolution of 30 ps is achievable for the LYSO sampling calorimeter. We discuss timing calorimetry as a tool for mitigating the effects due to the large number of simultaneous interactions in the high luminosity environment foreseen for the Large Hadron Collider.
Ion-Beam Etching (Milling)

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the process of patterning by ion-beam etching. Also called as milling, Ion-beam etching is the slow erosion of a surface because of the bombardment by a stream of high-energy ions. The process is entirely mechanical, being one of momentum transfer between the impinging ions and the surface atoms by which the latter gain sufficient momentum directed away from the surface to produce a net material loss, also known as sputtering. Ion-beam etching shares many similarities with conventional sputtering. The chapter presents the differences between these processes. In ion-beam etching, the source of the ions is separated from the substrate being etched. The characteristics of ion-beam etching and several other dry-etch techniques for micro fabrication compares the operational characteristics, masking requirements, and expected resolution limit of each technique. Ion milling is seen to be a very high resolution anisotropic etch technique that offers good uniformity and predictable etch rates with minimal contamination. The drawbacks of ion etching are its low etch rate, poor selectivity, and potential for device damage.
Hamiltonian Chaos in Nonlinear Parametric Systems

In this chapter, Hamiltonian chaos in parametric dynamical systems is presented and dedicated to the 90th birthday of Professor C.S. Hsu. This research was originally inspired by the study of the stability of linear parametric dynamical systems completed by C.S. Hsu in the1960s. This research indicated that the resonance in nonlinear parametrical systems is different from the corresponding linear systems. Thus, in the vicinity of the resonant separatrix, the Hamiltonian chaos caused by local instability is distinguished from traditional perturbation analysis.
Enforcing Fair Play in Intercollegiate Athletics

This article offers observations about how the compliance and enforcement process works in college athletics. From time to time, this process is propelled into the public eye, often with considerable misunderstanding. This article discusses the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Committee on Infractions and the process for adjudicating whether a school has violated the Association’s rules and what penalties the school should receive for committing them.
Equity Short Selling and the Cost of Debt

Extant evidence suggests short sales have pertinent information about firm fundamentals. If so, then information from short selling in liquid equity markets can be informative for infrequently traded corporate bonds. The adverse information conveyed by short interest should mean higher cost of debt. Using a large sample of corporate bonds, we examine whether lagged equity short interest affect credit spreads. Highly shorted firms do experience wider credit spreads in the subsequent months. Moreover, the increase in short interest leads to higher credit spreads. Short interest thus seems to contain adverse information about firm fundamentals that can prove useful to bond investors.
Gelation of Copolymers with Pendent Benzophenone Photo-Cross-Linkers

A series of copolymers containing covalently attached benzophenone (BP) photo-cross-linkers were synthesized, and their UV-induced gelation was monitored as a function of the extent of BP conversion. For poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymers, the recombination yield between BP- and aliphatic-centered radicals was estimated and compared to that for dimerization of each species, directly confirming that the high gelation efficiencies observed for these copolymers arise due to the additional cross-linking pathways provided by covalently incorporated BP, as compared to doping with a small-molecule cross-linker. The placement of the hydrogen species most susceptible to abstraction by triplet benzophenone is found to greatly influence gelation efficiency, since radical generation on the polymer backbone typically increases the probability of dislinking events, while hydrogen abstraction pendent to the copolymer backbone tends to enhance cross-linking. Finally, the presence of atmospheric oxygen during photo-cros...
Survey and Analysis on Occupational Health of Dust Exposed Workers in a Hardware Factory

Objective To investigate the health condition of workers exposed to dust,to analyze the health condition of the workers with different exposure time,and to study the relationship between the length of service and health injuries.Methods The health condition of 1,112 workers exposed to dust in a hardware factory was investigated and analyzed.Results The abnormal detection rate was 35.3%.1 case of pneumoconiosis was confirmed,accounting for 0.09%.Conclusions The abnormal detection rates of PFT and X-ray get higher as the increasing working age.Since dust has a considerable influence on workers' health condition,special attention should be attached by the related departments to ensure the health of workers exposed to it and to prevent occupational diseases via undergoing a better working environment control,reinforcing individual protective measures,and setting a more strict operating rules and occupational health regulations.
Putting it all together: recommendations for improving pain management in plastic surgical procedures: hand surgery.

BACKGROUND Approaches to upper extremity anesthesia in hand surgery include regional blocks, wide-awake hand surgery with local anesthesia, and stellate ganglion blocks. METHODS Retrospective review of the literature from 2000 to 2014 published on the delivery of local and regional anesthesia during hand surgery. Included studies describe techniques of administration and treatment outcomes to identify common practices of pain management in hand surgery. RESULTS Regional blocks provide sufficient anesthesia for hand surgery and have been found to improve postoperative pain and measured outcome scores. Wide-awake surgery offers many advantages including minimizing anesthetic risk and expense, permitting patient participation in operative evaluation, decreasing hospital time, and improving functional outcomes scores. CONCLUSIONS Pain management in hand surgery can be achieved through regional blocks and wide-awake techniques that do not necessitate general anesthesia in an effort to improve safety, convenience, cost savings, and efficiency.
Cerebrovascular applications of magnetic resonance angiography

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) has been applied to a variety of different manifestations of cerebrovascular disease to date. Practically, the limitations of these techniques must be taken into account such that the appropriate method is applied to answer a specific clinical question and the acquisition parameters are chosen to maximise the sensitivity and specificity of the study. Based upon these results, it must be decided whether the conventional parenchymal MR and MRA evaluations are sufficient in a particular setting or whether it is necessary to commit the patient to a more traditional, invasive angiographic study for a more thorough investigation. Presently, MR angiographic studies and flow measurement techniques serve to compliment the more traditional spin-echo evaluation of patients with small aneurysms, arterial and venous occlusions, vascular malformations and in some cases of neoplastic vascular invasion. With well-trained technicians and carefully prescribed protocols, this new information and improved diagnostic sensitivity can be used routinely with only a minor increase in patient exam time.
Vortex-Edge Interactions

Vorticity fields in the form of coherent vortices that impinge upon leading-edges (and surfaces) produce unsteady loading and noise generation in a number of applications including helicopter rotors, marine propellors, as well as a variety of flap, cavity, tube bundle, and valve/gate configurations. In addition, the interaction of these vorticity fields with the leading-edge provides the initial conditions for evolution of the downstream boundary layer; indeed, the very nature of the transition process can be expected to be a function of the interaction at the edge.
Pneumatic Dilation for Achalasia: Obliterate the Waist!

To the Editor: We greatly enjoyed the thoughtful and very informative commentary by Jacobs and Richter carefully summarizing the senior author’s vast experience with pneumatic dilation (PD) as a primary treatment for achalasia (1). It was gratifying to note that as their experience has grown they have incorporated and refined this technique based on many aspects that we learned together as colleagues and now pass on to our junior "esophagologists." The one aspect of the approach to PD, as described that we would challenge, is the actual duration of inflation of the dilating balloon. Over the years that this procedure was evolving, we changed from holding the balloon through two steps to only one step of a full 60 s of inflation, an approach still being used by many experts. However, while watching the fluoroscopic image we wondered whether there was any necessity to leave the balloon inflated once the waist had been obliterated. It would seem that the situation had been accomplished at that point, usually by the early seconds of inflation.
What Exactly is Revenge Porn or Nonconsensual Pornography

What exactly is revenge porn? Is it the same as nonconsensual porn? This extract of a longer chapter troubles our simple notions that revenge porn is co-extensive with the category of nonconsensual porn.
Anesthesia-Related Issues in the ICU

The need to assess and manage airway issues is not an infrequent event in the ICU. Acute or progressive respiratory distress or respiratory failure in the decompensating patient often requires special equipment, medications, skills, and knowledge to successfully manage. The most common events that require intervention include cardiac or pulmonary events, bleeding, airway edema, hypoventilation, and hypercapnia. These events often require different skills and equipment in the treatment of the incident.