cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural basis of conformational transitions in the active site and 80's loop in the FK506-binding protein FKBP12.

The extensive set of NMR doublings exhibited by the immunophilin FKBP12 (FK506-binding protein 12) arose from a slow transition to the cis-peptide configuration at Gly89 near the tip of the 80′s loop, the site for numerous protein-recognition interactions for both FKBP12 and other FKBP domain proteins. The 80′s loop also exhibited linebroadening, indicative of microsecond to millisecond conformational dynamics, but only in the trans-peptide state. The G89A variant shifted the trans–cis peptide equilibrium from 88:12 to 33:67, whereas a proline residue substitution induced fully the cis-peptide configuration. The 80′s loop conformation in the G89P crystal structure at 1.50 A resolution differed from wild-type FKBP12 primarily at residues 88, 89 and 90, and it closely resembled that reported for FKBP52. Structure-based chemical-shift predictions indicated that the microsecond to millisecond dynamics in the 80′s loop probably arose from a concerted main chain (ψ88 and ϕ89) torsion angle transition. The indole side chain of Trp59 at the base of the active-site cleft was reoriented ~90o and the adjacent backbone was shifted in the G89P crystal structure. NOE analysis of wild-type FKBP12 demonstrated that this indole populates the perpendicular orientation at 20%. The 15N relaxation analysis was consistent with the indole reorientation occurring in the nanosecond timeframe. Recollection of the G89P crystal data at 1.20 A resolution revealed a weaker wild-type-like orientation for the indole ring. Differences in the residues that underlie the Trp59 indole ring and altered interactions linking the 50′s loop to the active site suggested that reorientation of this ring may be disfavoured in the other six members of the FKBP domain family that bear this active-site tryptophan residue.
Laser induced selective removal of metallic carbon nanotubes

Distinguishing between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) according to their individual electronic properties is of significant importance for developing CNT-based electronics and devices. In this study, selective removal of metallic CNTs from CNT mixtures on silicon substrates was investigated using controlled laser irradiation. Free electron movement and eddy currents are induced within the metallic CNTs by the strong electric field and optical near-field effects caused by the laser irradiation. Selective heating of metallic CNTs in air results in selective removal of metallic CNTs when the laser fluence and wavelength are properly selected. Through this process, metallic nanotubes are successfully removed from the CNT mixtures. This technique provides an efficient single-step approach for selective removal of metallic CNTs from CNT mixtures.
Sedimentation and echo characteristics in the abyssal hills of the west-central North Atlantic

The abyssal hills province of the western North Atlantic 600 km southeast of Bermuda contains irregular hills and basins 10 to 20 km wide, with about 400 m of relief probably generated by ridge-flank volcanism and faulting. Conical(?) abyssal hills 5 to 10 km wide with about 300 m of relief are thought to represent a later stage of midplate volcanism, perhaps related to the post-Eocene uplift of the Bermuda Rise. The 3.5-kHz echo characteristics of the surficial sediments were combined with piston core data to produce a geologic map with six main units. Pelagic brown-clay sedimentation has been fairly constant at 1 to 3 m/m.y. since mid-Cretaceous time. In some of the high areas and on the Bermuda Rise at depths less than 5,500 m, a 30-m opaque unit records carbonate sedimentation that began sometime in Pliocene time with lowering of the calcium carbonate compensation depth. Three distinct echo characters are observed from the various stratified sediment bodies. One is owing to near-outcrop of a deep reflector unit. Another unit is composed of discrete, closely spaced reflectors of the Nares Abyssal Plain and parts of the southern fracture valley. A third unit contains widely spaced (20 m) reflectors restricted to the more northerly fracture valley and certain cross valleys. The stratified sediments in both the Nares Abyssal Plain and the fracture valleys consist of brown clays at the surface and gray clays at depth. The gray clays are interpreted as distal turbidites, having 12% more silt than the pelagic brown clays and always occurring in water depths greater than 5,700 m. The turbidity currents crossed the Nares Abyssal Plain into the southern valley and over low sills into the northerly fracture valley. The veneer of brown clay indicates that turbidity currents probably have not been active in this area for at least 300,000 yr.
Seasonal and longitudinal variations of the solar quiet (Sq) current system during solar minimum determined by CHAMP satellite magnetic field observations

[1] Vector magnetometer observations from the Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) satellite are used to determine the solar quiet (Sq) current system during the recent solar minimum. Observations from 2006 to 2008 are combined, and after removal of a main field model and accounting for field-aligned currents, the longitudinal and seasonal variation of the Sq currents are determined through the method of spherical harmonic analysis. Comparison with Sq currents derived from ground-based magnetometers in the African/European longitude sector reveals similar amplitudes and seasonal variations, indicating that the CHAMP observations can reliably determine the Sq current system. The seasonal variation is consistent with prior observations during solar minimum conditions and in the Northern Hemisphere exhibits a primarily annual variation with peak currents during local summer. The seasonal variation in the Southern Hemisphere is characterized by a semiannual variation with the maxima occurring around the equinoxes. Significant longitudinal variations are also observed, and they display a seasonal variability. During Northern Hemisphere summer, the predominant feature at local noon is a wave number 1 variation in longitude. During the remainder of the year, a wave 3 longitudinal structure is observed at this local time. The longitudinal variations are considered to be due to a combination of the orientation and strength of the geomagnetic field as well as the tidal winds in the lower thermosphere. Variations in tidal winds due to nonmigrating tides may influence the dynamo-generated electric fields and currents, resulting in the observed longitudinal variations of the Sq current function.
the effect of pair formation on diel calling patterns in two cricket species,Gryllus veletis andGryllodes sigillatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

After pair formation, male crickets should reduce calling to minimize the risks to males of attracting predators and/or rivals. We tested this hypothesis in two cricket species, one in which males exhibit a high mating propensity (Gryllus veletis)and another in which the mating propensity of males is constrained by the manufacture of elaborate, bipartite spermatophores (Gryllodes sigillatus).Calling durations of male G. veletisdeclined precipitously after the introduction of females but remained unchanged in G. sigillatus.We attribute the asymmetric effect of female proximity on male calling to differences in the mating propensity of males of the two species. Male G. veletisabstain from further calling in favor of repeated matings with the same female. Male G. sigillatusprobably lack the opportunity to mate repeatedly with the same female and, thus, resume calling shortly after mating to increase their probability of attracting additional mates.
Computer modeling of estradiol interactions with the estrogen receptor.

Abstract Two computer models for the binding of estradiol to estrogen receptors were constructed, based solely upon the thermodynamic constraints of the most likely equilibria involved and known equilibrium constants. Previous data had suggested that the positive cooperativity of the system was dependent upon a monomer-dimer equilibrium (Notides et al., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci., U.S.A.78 (1981) 4926–4930). Using computer modeling, we confirmed that the thermodynamic constraints of a monomer-dimer equilibrium system result in convex Scatchard plots in agreement with experimental data, including the progression to linearity at low receptor concentrations. This technique yielded estimates of the equilibrium constant for dimerization (approx. 1010 to 1014M−1). The dose-response characteristics of the monomer-dimer equilibrium system revealed steep dose-response curves that were sensitive to the receptor concentration. In contrast, the dose-response curves that did not undergo a monomer-dimer equilibrium system and had a single step equilibrium process were more gradual.
The infrared and Raman spectra of matrix-isolated MVO systems. The characterization of MVO3 and MVO2 molecules

Abstract Gaseous alkali vanadates MVO 3 and MVO 2 have been identified by means of IR matrix isolation spectroscopy and their spectra have been interpreted on the basis of C 2v ring structures. Raman spectra have been obtained for matrix-isolated CsVO 3 and CsVO 2 . The depolarization ratio measurements of the Raman bands of cesium vanadates confirm the bidentate coordination of the VO 3 − and VO 2 − oxyanions.
The Causes of World War III: Thirty years later

Dire warnings about the imminence of World War III were common in the 1950s, as the world adjusted to the introduction of nuclear weapons. C. Wright Mills and other critical writers exaggerated the power of the military in American society and the weakness of civilian social forces. In the thirty years since Mills publishedThe Causes of World War III, the mass society has asserted itself and nonnuclear conflicts have been the major threats to world peace.
Pax2 Expression and Retinal Morphogenesis in the Normal and Krd Mouse

The Kidney and retinal defects (Krd) mouse carries a 7-cM transgene-induced deletion on chromosome 19 that includes the Pax2 locus. Adult mice heterozygous for the Krd deletion (Krd//) are haploid for Pax2 and have a variable, semidominant phenotype characterized by structural defects of the kidney, retina, and optic disc. Renal and ocular anomalies present in heterozygous Pax2 mutants in both mice and humans support the hypothesis that haploinsufficiency of Pax2 underlies the Krd phenotype. To understand the embryonic basis of ocular defects observed in adult Krd// mice, we used immunohistochemistry, digital three-dimensional reconstructions, and quantitative morphometry to examine Pax2 protein distribution and ocular development in normal and Krd// mice from E10.5 to P2. In/// embryos, Pax2 immunopositive (Pax2/) cells demarcate the embryonic fissure as it forms in the ventral optic cup and optic stalk. After closure of the embryonic fissure, Pax2 immunostaining disappears from the ventral retina, but persists in a cuff of cells encircling the developing optic disc, the site where ganglion cell axons exit the retina. In Krd// embryos, Pax2/ cells in the posterior optic cup and the optic stalk undergo abnormal morphogenetic movements and the embryonic fissure fails to form normally. This results in an abnormal organization of the Pax2/ cells and ganglion cell axons at the nascent optic disc. The abnormal morphogenetic movements of the Pax2/ cells in the embryonic retina and optic stalk and the initial misrouting of the ganglion cell axons give rise to retinal and optic disc defects observed in the adult Krd// mice. q 1998 Academic Press
Removing bicarbonate/CO2 reduces the cGMP concentration of the vertebrate photoreceptor to the levels normally observed on illumination

Abstract Illuminating the toad retina or removing bicarbonate/CO2 from the incubation solution reduces the cGMP concentration of the rod outer segment by approximately 65%. In the absence of bicarbonate/CO2 the maximum light-induced changes in cGMP concentration were reduced by 75%. Electrophysiological experiments done under these conditions showed approximately a 45% linear reduction in receptor potential amplitude at all measured light intensities with no major changes of cell sensitivity or certain other properties. In many respects decreasing the cellular cGMP concentration by eliminating bicarbonate/CO2 did not mimic the effect of light on the phototransduction or light adaptation properties of the vertebrate photoreceptor.
DNA polymerase minor groove interactions modulate mutagenic bypass of a templating 8-oxoguanine lesion

A major base lesion resulting from oxidative stress is 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxoG) that has ambiguous coding potential. Error-free DNA synthesis involves 8-oxoG adopting an anti-conformation to base pair with cytosine whereas mutagenic bypass involves 8-oxoG adopting a syn-conformation to base pair with adenine. Left unrepaired the syn-8-oxoG/dAMP base pair results in a G–C to T–A transversion. During base excision repair of this mispair, DNA polymerase (pol) β is confronted with gap filling opposite 8-oxoG. To determine how pol β discriminates between anti- and syn-8-oxoG, we introduced a point mutation (R283K) to alter insertion specificity. Kinetic studies demonstrate that this substitution results in an increased fidelity opposite 8-oxoG. Structural studies with R283K pol β show that the binary DNA complex has 8-oxoG in equilibrium between anti- and syn-forms. Ternary complexes with incoming dCTP resemble the wild-type enzyme, with templating anti-8-oxoG base pairing with incoming cytosine. In contrast to wild-type pol β, the ternary complex of the R283K mutant with an incoming dATP-analogue and templating 8-oxoG resembles a G–A mismatched structure with 8-oxoG adopting an anti-conformation. These results demonstrate that the incoming nucleotide is unable to induce a syn-8-oxoG conformation without minor groove DNA polymerase interactions that influence templating (anti-/syn-equilibrium) of 8-oxoG while modulating fidelity.
Load Balancing of Dynamical Nucleation Theory Monte Carlo Simulations through Resource Sharing Barriers

The dynamical nucleation theory Monte Carlo (DNTMC) application from the NW Chem computational chemistry suite utilizes a Markov chain Monte Carlo, two-level parallel structure, with periodic synchronization points that assemble the results of independent finer-grained calculations. Like many such applications, the existing code employs a static partitioning of processes into groups and assigns each group a piece of the finer-grained parallel calculation. A significant cause of performance degradation is load imbalance among groups since the time requirements of the inner-parallel calculation varies widely with the input problem and as a result of the Monte Carlo simulation. We present a novel approach to load balancing such calculations with minimal changes to the application. We introduce the concept of a resource sharing barrier (RSB) -- a barrier that allows process groups waiting on other processes' work to actively contribute to their completion. The RSB load balancing technique is applied to the production DNTMC application code, resulting in a small code change of 200 lines and a reduction in execution time of up to 37%.
Understanding Reproductive Technologies as a Surveillant Assemblage: Revisions of Power and Technoscience:

Critical scholars have indicated the potential of reproductive technologies to perpetuate race, class, and gender inequalities. This article aims to enhance this literature by applying Haggerty and Ericson's concept of the surveillant assemblage. This model enriches previous work by focusing on reproductive technologies as fluid networks of surveillance that promote abstraction, fetishism, transformation of bodies into commodified information, and perceptions of reduced risk. Understanding reproductive technologies in this way demonstrates the extent to which they are translations of these particular values and power relations and at the same time acknowledges a multiplicity of interests. I argue that opportunities for reshaping the current politics of reproduction do not lie in the eradication of individual reproductive technologies but in attention to their assemblage(s), their propensity to abstract and objectify via surveillance, and their efforts to promote technological translations of other interests.
High-efficiency photon-number detection for quantum information processing

The visible light photon counter (VLPC) features high quantum efficiency (QE) and low pulse height dispersion. These properties make it ideal for efficient photon-number state detection. The ability to perform efficient photon-number state detection is important in many quantum information processing applications, including recent proposals for performing quantum computation with linear optical elements. In this paper, we investigate the unique capabilities of the VLPC. The efficiency of the detector and cryogenic system is measured at 543 nm wavelengths to be 85%. A picosecond pulsed laser is then used to excite the detector with pulses having average photon numbers ranging from 3-5. The output of the VLPC is used to discriminate photon numbers in a pulse. The error probability for number state discrimination is an increasing function of the number of photons, due to buildup of multiplication noise. This puts an ultimate limit on the ability of the VLPC to do number state detection. For many applications, it is sufficient to discriminate between 1 and more than one detected photon. The VLPC can do this with 99% accuracy.
Effect of Antacid and Ascorbic Acid on Serum Salicylate Concentration

To determine the effect of antacid or ascorbic acid administration on plateau serum salicylate concentrations, nine healthy subjects were given each of the following treatments by balanced block design: choline salicylate (equivalent to 3.76 or 5.62 Gm/day of aspirin); choline salicylate plus magnesium-aluminum hydroxide (120 ml/day); or choline salicylate plus ascorbic acid (3 Gm/day). In subjects developing a control serum salicylate level above 10 mg/dl, antacid administration produced a decrease in serum salicylate level (mean 19.8 mg/dl vs. 15.8 mg/dl) (P less than 0.01). Ascorbic acid administration was not associated with a significant change in serum salicylate. The reduction in serum salicylate following antacid appears to be due to antacid-induced alkalinization of the urine with resultant increase in renal salicylate clearance. Antacid administration should be considered a potential cause of altered serum salicylate concentration in patients receiving large doses of salicylate.
Ubiquilin functions in autophagy and is degraded by chaperone-mediated autophagy

Autophagy is the process by which organelles and portions of the cytoplasm are degraded in lysosomes. Several different forms of autophagy are known that are distinguishable chiefly by the mode in which cargo is delivered to the lysosome for degradation. Ubiquilin was recently reported to regulate macroautophagy, the form of autophagy in which cytosolic cargo is packaged in a double-membrane structure or autophagosome that fuses with lysosomes for degradation. We confirm here using different morphological and biochemical procedures that ubiquilin is present in autophagosomes in HeLa cells and in brain and liver tissue of mouse. Coimmunoprecipitation studies indicated that ubiquilin binds the autophagosome marker LC3 in a complex and that reduction of ubiquilin expression reduces autophagosome formation, which correlates with a reduction in maturation of LC3-I to the LC3-II form of the protein. We found that ubiquilin is degraded during both macroautophagy and during chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), the latter of which involves the active transport of proteins into lysosomes. We discuss the implication of this degradation in mediating cross-talk between macroautophagy and CMA. Finally, we demonstrate that ubiquilin protects cells against starvation-induced cell death propagated by overexpression of mutant Alzheimer's disease PS2N141I protein and green fluorescent protein (GFP)-huntingtin exon-1 fusion protein containing 74 polyglutamines.
Chromatic information processing in the foveal projection (area striata) of unanesthetized primate.

Abstract This investigation concerns the role of the foveal projection onto area striata in primates in the encoding of chromatic information as revealed by microelectrode recording in unanesthetized animals. The emphasis of the discussion is on the elaboration of a taxonomy of spectral response types found. In general, the experimental results obtained show two major sorts of responding: brightness and chromatic. One-half of the cells were “brightness cells” (those most sensitive to stimulus intensity and less concerned with wavelength). “Chromatic cells” (those showing responses that best correlate with wavelength and to a lesser extent with intensity) were of three major subcategories. “Pure hue” cells responding only to some narrow band of the spectrum. “Opponent color cells” responded by increasing their activity to part of the spectrum and decreasing activity for the rest of the spectrum when compared with resting levels in the dark. “Triphasic opponent color cells” were like opponent color cells except they responded by excitation, inhibition, excitation again (or the inverse pattern) in response to the spectrum. The complexity of chromatic response is believed to be related to the complexity of pattern responses, which was previously known to be related to anatomical location within the several layers of striate cortex.
Ovarian Vein Thrombosis: A Rare Cause of Abdominal Pain Outside the Peripartum Period

Ovarian vein thrombosis (OVT) is a rare cause of abdominal pain that may mimic a surgical abdomen. The differential diagnosis of OVT includes acute appendicitis, endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease, pyelonephritis, nephrolithiasis, tubo-ovarian abscess, and ovarian torsion. The complications of OVT, including sepsis and pulmonary embolism, are significant. Diagnosis relies on a careful examination of the radiographic findings. This diagnosis should be considered not only in postpartum patients but also in women with pelvic inflammatory disease, recent abdominal surgery, malignancy, or known hypercoagulable state. In this report we present a case of OVT in a 29-year-old woman presenting with 3 days of sharp left-sided abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting after bilateral salpingectomy. We then discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical management of OVT.
Anterior cruciate ligament injury alters preinjury lower extremity biomechanics in the injured and uninjured leg: the JUMP-ACL study

Background Information as to how anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstructive surgery (ACLR) alter lower extremity biomechanics may improve rehabilitation and return to play guidelines, reducing the risk for repeat ACL injury. Aim To compare lower extremity biomechanics before ACL injury and after subsequent ACLR for the injured and uninjured leg. Methods Baseline unilateral lower extremity biomechanics were collected on the dominant leg of participants without ACL injury when they entered the Joint Undertaking to Monitor and Prevent ACL (JUMP-ACL) study. Thirty-one participants with subsequent ACL injury, reconstructive surgery and full return to physical activity completed repeat, follow-up biomechanical testing, as did 39 uninjured, matched controls. Not all injured participants suffered injury to the dominant leg, requiring separation of those with ACL injury into two groups: ACLR-injured leg group (n=12) and ACLR-uninjured leg group (n=19). We compared the landing biomechanics of these three groups (ACLR-injured leg, ACLR-uninjured leg, control) before ACL injury (baseline) with biomechanics after ACL injury, surgery and return to physical activity (follow-up). Results ACL injury and ACLR altered lower extremity biomechanics, as both ACLR groups demonstrated increases in frontal plane movement (increased hip adduction and knee valgus). The ACLR-injured leg group also exhibited decreased sagittal plane loading (decreased anterior tibial shear force, knee extension moment and hip flexion moment). No high-risk biomechanical changes were observed in control group participants. Conclusions ACL injury and ACLR caused movement pattern alterations of the injured and uninjured leg that have previously shown to increase the risk for future non-contact ACL injury.
LPE Growth and Composition of Magnetic EuTm-CaGe Iron Garnet Films

The effects of growth temperature on the composition of CaGe-substituted EuTm2Fe5O12 magnetic garnet films grown by isothermal liquid phase epitaxy are described for PbO-B2O3-Fe2O3 fluxed melts with a low CaO: GeO2 ratio of 0.233 and a relatively low PbO:B2O3 ratio of 11. Using increasingly larger quantities of CaO and GeO2 in these melts results in more sensitivity of the film relative magnetization and domain size to the growth temperature.
Time-Resolved Radiation and Convection Heat Transfer in Combusting Discontinuous Fuel Beds

Time-resolved radiation and convection heat flux were measured in a series of experimental fires designed to explore heat transfer behavior during the combustion of discontinuous fuel beds. Fuel spacing and height were varied for both buoyancy- and wind-driven combustion. Peak radiation and convection heat fluxes as high as 130 kW/m2 were recorded. Radiation flux had the effect of heating the fuel before flame arrival. Both positive (heating) and negative (cooling) convective heat transfer occurred before flame arrival. Surprisingly, the convection could also be positive or negative after flame arrival, indicating that even when engulfed in flames there were packets of cooler air moving across the sensor. In nearly all cases, short-duration convective heating pulses appear to precede the full onset of combustion, suggesting that convective heating may be critical as a pilot ignition source. Flame spread rate appears to be primarily governed by factors that affect the intensity of the convective transport....
Efficient power combining with D-band (110-170 GHz) InP Gunn devices in fundamental-mode operation

D-band InP Gunn devices on diamond heat sinks with an n/sup +/n/sup -/n/sup +/ structure and a graded doping profile in the active region were tested as free-running oscillators in individual resonant-cap full-height waveguide cavities. Subsequently, matched oscillators were power-combined in an in-line dual-cavity configuration. Combined radio frequency (RF) power levels of more than 300 mW at 106 GHz, 130 mW at 136 GHz, and more than 100 mW at 152 GHz were achieved. These RF power levels are the highest reported to date from either single or power-combined Gunn devices at W-band and D-band frequencies. They correspond to combining efficiencies of more than 80%, 86%, and more than 100% as well as overall DC-to-RF conversion efficiencies of 1.95%, 1.25%, and 0.90%, respectively. Similar to oscillators with single devices, these power-combined Gunn device oscillators exhibit good tunability and a phase noise of well below -100 dBc/Hz, measured at a frequency off the carrier of 500 kHz.
Laboratory Measurements of Deep-Water Breaking Waves

The results of laboratory experiments on unsteady deep-water breaking waves are reported. The experiments exploit the dispersion of deep-water waves to generate a single breaking wave group. The direct effects of breaking are then confined to a finite region in the wave channel and the influence of breaking on the evolution of the wave field can be examined by measuring fluxes into and out of the breaking region. This technique was used by us in a preliminary series of measurements. The loss of excess momentum flux and energy flux from the wave group was measured and found to range from 10% for single spilling events to as much as 25% for plunging breakers. Mixing due to breaking was studied by photographing the evolution of a dye patch as it was mixed into the water column. It was found that the maximum depth of the dye cloud grew linearly in time for one to two wave periods, and then followed a t$^{\frac{1}{4}}$ power law (t is the time from breaking) over a range of breaking intensities and scales. The dyed region reached depths of two to three wave heights and horizontal lengths of approximately one wavelength within five wave periods of breaking. A detailed velocity survey of the breaking region was made and ensemble averages taken of the non-stationary flow. Mean surface currents in the range 0.02-0.03 C (C is the characteristic phase speed) were generated and took as many as 60 wave periods to decay to 0.005 C. A deeper return flow due to momentum lost from the forced long wave was measured. Together these flows gave a rotational region of approximately one wavelength. Turbulent root mean square velocities of approximately 0.02 C were measured near the surface and were still significant at depths of three to four wave heights. More than 90% of the energy lost from the waves was dissipated within four wave periods. Subsequently measured kinetic energy in the residual flow was found to have a t$^{-1}$ dependence. Correlation of all the above measurements with the amplitude, bandwidth and phase of the wave group was found to be good, as was scaling of the results with the centre frequency of the group. Local measures of the breaking wave were not found to correlate well with the dynamical measurements.
Exploiting redundancy for robust sensing

In this thesis, we explore the challenges in making an Internet-scale heterogeneous sensing system more robust. We target "end-to-end" robustness in that we address failures in collecting data from a large collection of wired and wireless sensors, and problems in making sensor readings available to end-users from storage on Internet-connected nodes. Although often overlooked, robustness is extremely crucial for such systems because they are often deployed in harsh environments and are not typically very well-maintained. Traditional robustness techniques generally involve tradeoffs between robustness and resource-efficiency; i.e., they mask failures by using additional resources (e.g., energy, storage). Unfortunately, these traditional tradeoffs are not well suited to resource constraints and large scales of typical sensing systems. This dissertation puts forth the claim that more practical solutions can be developed by exploiting several unique deployment- and application-specific properties of typical sensing systems. We show that by slightly relaxing the requirements of exact or fresh answers, we can significantly improve the robustness of a system, without additional resource overheads. We argue that this approach is well suited to sensing systems since optimizing resource usage is one of the important goals of their designs and the applications can often tolerate approximate or slightly stale data. We support the above claim by proposing efficient solutions for robust data collection and storage in a sensing system. For robust collection of data from wireless sensors, we present Synopsis Diffusion, a novel data aggregation scheme that exploits wireless sensors' broadcast communication and sensing applications' tolerance for approximate aggregate answers. Synopsis Diffusion, unlike previous schemes, decouples aggregation algorithms from underlying aggregation topologies, enabling highly robust aggregation with energy-efficient multi-path routing. We also present Tributary-Delta, a novel adaptive aggregation scheme that efficiently combines the benefits of existing schemes and uses application-aware adaptation to cope with the dynamics of deployment environments. Under typical loss rates, our techniques can provide five times more accurate results than existing energy-efficient schemes, without additional energy overhead. For storing sensor readings on Internet-connected nodes, we show that existing design principles used to build highly available storage systems do not work well for an Internet-scale system where failures are often correlated. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Introduction History of the disease Clinical features Confirmation of the diagnosis Differential diagnosis Involvement of tissues other than skeletal muscle Biochemistry of Duchenne muscular dystrophy Pathogenesis Genetics Molecular pathology Prevention Genetic counselling Management.
Association between genotype of the serotonin transporter‑linked polymorphic region of the serotonin transporter gene and age of onset of methamphetamine use: a preliminary analysis

Early-onset methamphetamine use increases the lifetime prevalence of methamphetamine dependence. An earlier onset of methamphetamine use leads to greater damage to the terminal ends of serotonin neurons, more reduction in serotonin transporter (5-HTT) density, and an increased propensity toward further methamphetamine use. Because genetic variation within the promoter region of the 5-HTT gene (the 5-HTT-linked polymorphic region; 5′-HTTLPR) leads to differential expression of the 5-HTT, we examined, for the first time, whether this could be a candidate site associated with predisposition toward early-onset methamphetamine use. We sought to determine whether there is a differential association between the long (L) and short (S) polymorphic variants of the 5′-HTTLPR and the age of first methamphetamine use. The study included 36 of 150 methamphetamine-dependent subjects enrolled in a multi-site, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. DNA was extracted from the blood samples of 36 subjects who consented to this genetic study. Diagnosis of methamphetamine dependence and age of first methamphetamine use were collected using structured questionnaires. Genotype in the 5′-HTTLPR was determined individually for each subject, and their associations with the age of onset of methamphetamine use were analyzed. Individuals with the LL genotype compared with S-carriers in the 5′-HTTLPR had more than a 3 times greater risk of an earlier onset of methamphetamine use (hazard ratio=3.27; 95% confidence interval=1.26–8.50; p=0.01), where onset occurred about 5 years earlier (p=0.04). LL genotype in the 5′-HTTLPR may be associated with an increased risk of early-onset methamphetamine use among methamphetamine-dependent individuals.
Critical Microethnography: The Search for Emancipatory Methods

This article entails an audit trail recounting the dilemma that drove the lead author to search out teaching and research methods that recognized the reconceptualization of what she had always believed to be true about education. First, we include a segment of her auto/biography as a White Southern female teacher of marginalized youth that drove her to take risks, challenge the status quo, and finally close the door on institutionalized classroom practices. Then, we discuss the theoretical framework, assumptions, and rationale for a welcoming research method that seemed to mimic what she practiced in the classroom with marginalized youth to transform conditions. We have named this method critical microethnography. The article concludes with an explanation of how to conduct critical microethnography based upon a review of the literature. By understanding why and how language is used to create unjust and/or just classroom cultures, perhaps oppressive educational practices and conditions can begin to transform into caring and responsive curricula for the benefit of society.
Linking Genome to Epigenome

Recent epigenomic studies have identified significant differences between developmentalstagesandcelltypes.Whiletheimportanceofepigeneticregulation has been increasingly recognized, it remains unclear how the global epigenetic patterns are established and maintained. Here I review a number of recent studies with the emphasis on the role of the genomic sequence in shaping the epigeneticlandscape.Thesestudiesstronglysuggestthatthesequenceinformation is important not just for controlling target specificity but for orchestrating the diversity of epigenetic patterns among different cell types. The epigenome is maintained by the complex network of a large number of interactions. Integrative approachesareneededtogaininsightsintothesenetworks. 2012WileyPeriodicals,Inc. How to cite this article:
Data Augmentation as a Service for Single View Creation

Businesses are increasingly realizing the value of creating a {\it single view} of its customers and partners by integrating information residing in 'siloed' datasets within and outside the enterprise. However, the task of {\it augmenting} data available within the enterprise with data purchased from third-party providers or that residing in a public domain such as Web often results in warehouses that contain databases having incomplete and/or inconsistent data. Hence, before the data can become useful, one must eliminate the inconsistency in values appended to the enterprise data. In this paper, we present {\it Data Augmentation as a service (DAaS)} that can help business in creating a consistent and usable single view of entities of interest. Specifically, our service will enable business rule writers to quickly create data augmentation rules by using our approximate functional dependency driven rule generation scheme. An accompanying challenge comes from having to manage a large number of rules and ensuring that new rules do not negate already existing rules. To mitigate this problem a rule-management and evaluation system that uses the Ripple Down Rules (RDR) framework is provided as part of our service. Using several large real-world datasets, we show our ability to learn rules for imputing attribute values with high accuracy and scalability necessary for enterprise users, how conflicts can arise within rules, and finally our ability to effectively handle those conflicts with high accuracy.
The Metabolic Basis for Certain Disorders of the Thyroid Gland

3-5-3’-triiodothyronine. In order to accomJ)hish this end, the gland must synthesize, store and secrete these two ahniflo acids. This is accomplished by means of a complex sequence of biochemical steps which are only partially understood at the present time. It may he accepted as a generality that any impairliient in any of these steps will inevitably he niet by an attempt at colnpensatory hyperplasia of the gland through the well known feed-back control system involving the anterior pituitary gland. Compensation may be sue
Being ethical: Professional and personal decisions in program evaluation

Understanding how role conflicts arise in evaluation and deliberately planning to minimize them can lead to ethical program evaluation.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in an Estimated Measure of Insulin Resistance Among Individuals With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE Insulin resistance is greater in racial/ethnic minorities than in non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) for those with and without type 2 diabetes. Because previous research on insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes was limited to NHWs, racial/ethnic variation in an estimated measure of insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes was determined. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The sample included 79 individuals with type 1 diabetes diagnosed at age <18 years (32.9% NHWs, 46.8% non-Hispanic black [NHB], 7.6% other/mixed, and 12.7% Hispanic) and their families. Estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR) (milligrams per kilogram per minute; a lower eGDR indicates greater insulin resistance) was calculated using A1C, waist circumference, and hypertension status. RESULTS Mean current age was 13.5 years (range 3.2-32.5) and diabetes duration was 5.7 years (0.1-19.9). eGDR was inversely associated with age. Compared with that in NHWs, age-adjusted eGDR was significantly lower among nonwhites (NHB, other/mixed, and Hispanic: Delta = -1.83, P = 0.0006). Age-adjusted eGDR was negatively associated with body fat, triglycerides, urinary albumin/creatinine, acanthosis nigricans, parental obesity, and parental insulin resistance and positively related to HDL and sex hormone-binding globulin. In multivariable analysis, lower eGDR was significantly associated with older age, nonwhite race/ethnicity, acanthosis, and lower HDL. CONCLUSIONS Minorities with type 1 diabetes are significantly more insulin resistant, as measured by eGDR, than NHWs. Exploring potential mechanisms, including disparities in care and/or physiological variation, may contribute to preventing racial/ethnic differences in insulin resistance-associated outcomes.
Getting to Zero: Reducing the risk for duodenoscope-related infections

This commentary highlights “superbug infections” from agents transmitted by specialized endoscopes used for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and the efforts under way to better unders...
The elasticity of intergenerational substitution, parental altruism, and fertility choice

Dynastic models common in macroeconomics use a single parameter to control the willingness of individuals to substitute consumption both intertemporally, or across periods, and intergenerationally, or across parents and their children. This article defines the concept of elasticity of intergenerational substitution (EGS), and extends a standard dynastic model in order to disentangle the EGS from the EIS, or elasticity of intertemporal substitution. A calibrated version of the model lends strong support to the notion that the EGS is significantly larger than one. In contrast, estimates of the EIS suggests that it is at most one. What disciplines the identification is the need to match empirically plausible fertility rates for the U.S. We illustrate the potential role of the EGS in macroeconomics.
Pulmonary Mechanics and Loops

Whereas pulmonary waveforms are time-based and relate changes in pressure, flow, and volume to time, these parameters may also be presented relative to each other. These are commonly referred to as loops. The two most frequently used in clinical practice are the pressure-volume (P-V) loop and the flow-volume (F-V) loop. The interpretation of these loops can provide valuable information about the mechanical properties of the lung, how it is “performing” on a breath-to-breath basis, and how it responds to changes in pathophysiology, mechanical ventilation, and their inter-relationship.
Hibernation Site and Dispersal of Spruce Budworm Larvae as Related to Damage of Sapling Balsam Fir

The spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens), in the Lake States is primarily a pest of mature spruce-fir stands. Yet during the most recent outbreak, heavy infestations occurred on large areas of sapling stands in northeastern Minnesota. Budworms invaded these areas from infested mature stands by dispersal during the adult or early larval stages. Larvae were able to persist initially in the young stands by hibernating on scattered overstory cull spruce trees left from previous logging. From these trees larvae dispersed to the saplings, the dispersal distance depending on several factors including windspeed and length of thread spun by a larva. Laboratory studies showed that the buoyant effect of the silk increased exponentially with length of the thread. Once on the balsam fir, Abies balsamea (L.) Mill., saplings, the larvae produced hollwed-out vegetative buds during early spring feeding. These buds subsequently served s suitable hibernation sites where none existed before. Removal of the residual host tree is recommended as a preventive control technique.
Nonlinear magnetoelectric metamaterials: Analysis and homogenization via a microscopic coupled-mode theory

Artificially structured metamaterials hybridized with elements that respond nonlinearly to incident electromagnetic fields can, from a macroscopic perspective, support nonlinear responses that cannot be described by purely electric or magnetic interactions. To investigate the mechanisms and behaviors of such interactions, termed nonlinear magnetoelectric coupling, we develop a set of coupled-mode equations for describing three-wave mixing in a metamaterial, using Bloch modes as the basis. By equating these coupled-mode equations to those of a homogenized system, we derive closed-form expressions for the macroscopic nonlinear susceptibilities. From these expressions, a great deal can be inferred about the nature and construction of magnetoelectric nonlinearities in metamaterials. As an example, we apply this method in the analysis of a prototypical nonlinear magnetoelectric metamaterial. In particular, we show that independent control of the eight second-order susceptibility tensors encompasses a massive parameter space from which new realms of nonlinear interference and wave manipulation can be accessed.
A case of human myiasis caused by Phormia regina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Missouri, USA.

Third-instar larvae of Phormia regina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) were found in ulcers on the lower extremities and between the toes of an elderly male in otherwise good health except for chronic psoriasis. Because the patient reported previous, similar myiasis, psychological and social counseling formed an important base for therapy. In this instance, isolation, moderate mental depression, poor hygiene, and psoriasis combined during the spring season to result in myiasis, which probably would have proved fatal without the fortuitous intervention of other family members.
Analysis of disinfection situation of medical institutions in Futian district, Shenzhen from 2006 to 2012

Objective To understand the disinfection situation of medical institutions in Futian district of Shenzhen and provide the reference to reduce nosocomial infection. Methods The data of disinfection of 146 medical institutions from 2006 to 2012 were analyzed. Results A total of 12 287 were sampled, and 11 857 were eligible, with a rate of 96.5%. The eligible rates from 2006 to 2012 were 96.7%, 97.2%, 95.2%, 95.9%, 95.2%, 97.9%, and 97.2%, respectively. The difference was significant (χ 2 =39.465, P 0.05). The eligible rates of indoor air, object surface, disinfection of medical workers′ hands, disinfectant in using, and sewage were 97.3% , 97.2%, 90.9%, 99.7%, 98.9%, and 96.5%, respectively, with significant difference (χ2=374.858, P0.05). The eligible rates of Municipal hospitals, district hospitals, private hospitals and private clinics in disinfection were 97.8%, 97.9%, 97.3%, and 94.1%, with significant differences (χ2=104.470, P0.05). Conclusion Measures should be taken to strengthen management of disinfection in the medical institutions , emphasis in private clinics and disinfection of medical workers′ hands.
Clinical features of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

The distinctive clinical features and natural history of mycosis fungoides, an epidermotropic variant of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, are presented. These findings are compared with certain nonmycosis fungoides T-cell lymphomas that occasionally occur in the skin. Clinical staging and evaluation of patients with cutaneous lesions including plaques, tumors, or erythroderma, with or without nodal involvement and disseminated disease, are considered. Associated disorders such as follicular mucinosis, actinic reticuloid, lymphomatoid papulosis, and secondary primary malignancies are also presented.
The Impact of Environmental Heterogeneity on the Creation and Implementation of Distribution Channel Strategy

The process by which firms create strategy has become an increasingly popular research topic in recent years. This is evidenced by the number of typologies that have been produced (Hart 1992). This paper proposes a theoretical model to explain how environment affects firm success by impacting strategy formulation and, in turn, marketing communication strategy.