cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular thermodynamic model for Helix-Helix docking and protein aggregation

The formation of aggregates, rather than correctly folded polypeptide chains, is a pressing problem in biotechnology that has been difficult to approach quantitatively. The competition between folding and aggregation has been carefully analyzed for bovine growth hormone (bGH) and can be attributed to incorrect helix-helix docking for this four-helix bundle protein. An extended molecular thermodynamic model reported here represents Gibbs energy changes associated with intramolecular and intermolecular helix-helix dockings occurring during protein folding and protein aggregation. The model incorporates (1) a semiempirical local composition Gibbs energy expression to account for the helix-helix hydrophobic interactions, which favor helix-helix docking and aggregation and (2) a Flory-Huggins-type Gibbs energy expression to describe the configurational entropy of the polypeptide backbone conformation, which favors disaggregation. For the folding and aggregation of bGH, the molecular thermodynamic model provides estimates for the Gibbs energies and thermodynamic stabilities of various conformations of bGH and qualitatively accounts for the competition between aggregation and productive folding. It also successfully describes the inhibition of aggregation found with peptides corresponding to bGH helical sequences and the effect of site-directed mutagenesis.
Cell proliferation of myeloma plasma cells: Comparison of the blood and marrow compartments

The plasma cell labeling Index (PCLI), a measure of marrow plasma cells in S phase of the cell cycle, provides a good estimate of the proliferative capacity of the malignant clonal plasma cells. Multiple studies have also demonstrated its prognostic value in multiple myeloma (MM). Clonal plasma cells have been demonstrated in the peripheral blood of patients with multiple myeloma. The labeling index of these circulating cells can also be determined by a method similar to that employed for marrow plasma cells. The goal of this study was to compare the proliferation kinetics of plasma cells in the marrow to that in the circulation. The PCLI was estimated on peripheral blood (PBLI) and bone marrow aspirates (BMLI) using a slide-based bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) immunofluorescence microscopy technique. One hundred seventeen patients who had simultaneous estimation of the PBLI and BMLI and who had > or =90% of the blood cIg+ cells identified as monoclonal plasma cells were studied. The PBLI was generally lower than the BMLI (median difference 0.4) and correlated with the BMLI (rho = 0.491, P < 0.0001). Twenty-seven patients with PBLI higher than BMLI had a poorer prognosis, with median survival of 2 months from the time of the labeling index determination, compared to 12 months for the remaining 90 patients (P = 0.01). Myeloma plasma cells circulating in the peripheral blood are capable of proliferation, albeit at a slower rate compared to those in the marrow. These differences reflect a more favorable microenvironment in the marrow likely resulting from the differences in the cytokine levels and supporting stromal cells in the marrow.
A multi‐scale spectral stochastic method for homogenization of multi‐phase periodic composites with random material properties

In this work a spectral stochastic computational scheme is proposed that links the global properties of multi-phase periodic composites to the geometry and random material properties of their microstructural components. To propagate the uncertainties associated with the material properties to the microstructural response the scheme benefits from a combination of homogenization theory built into a finite element framework and the spectral representation of uncertainty based on Hermite Chaos where a probabilistic characterization of the solutions to a set of local problems defined on the period cell is first sought. A full stochastic description of the global (effective) properties is then obtained by averaging the solutions to the forgoing set of local problems over the unit cell. A representative subset of results is compared with the results obtained using Monte Carlo simulation to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed procedure. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of nonspecific gamma globulin on passive sensitization in vitro at different temperatures.

Abstract Specifically purified rabbit anti-dinitrophenyl antibodies were used to sensitize perfused, chopped guinca pig lung at 4° C. and 37° C. Addition of nonspecific rabbit gamma globulin to purified rabbit antibody interfered with the rate of sensitization at 4° C. much more than at 37° C. The data suggest that the temperature dependence of the sensitization process may largely reflect energy required to overcome interference by nonspecific gamma globulin.
Age of the Morton and Montevideo Gneisses and Related Rocks, Southwestern Minnesota

Granitic gneisses in the vicinities of Morton and Montevideo in the Minnesota River Valley are dated at 3550 m.y. ago and are the oldest rocks so far found in North America. The gneisses were altered in varying degree by younger events of which two have been dated at 2650 m.y. and 1850 m.y. old. The event which occurred 2650 m.y. ago was a high-grade metamorphism accompanied by the intrusion of a large volume of granitic magma. Only the U-Pb zircon and the Rb-Sr whole-rock ages survived this event, and both types are discordant. A two-stage model that explains the U-Pb discordant ages combines a primary discordance produced during the metamorphism of 2650 m.y. ago with a secondary discordance developed approximately 100 m.y. ago when uplift and erosion brought the rocks close to the surface. This secondary discordance is also shown by the zircon from granite near Sacred Heart (2650 m.y. old) and from a younger granitic pluton (1850 m.y. old) near Granite Falls. The discordance in the Rb-Sr whole-rock ages is attributed primarily to the loss of radiogenic Sr 87 that probably occurred largely during the metamorphism of 2650 m.y. ago. Some later loss, however, is indicated in the younger ages of biotite and K-feldspar. Granitic material introduced or mobilized during the metamorphism is also a complicating factor. The 1850-m.y.-ago event was a low-grade metamorphism that reset the K-Ar and Rb-Sr ages of biotite in the rocks between Granite Falls and Ortonville. A number of small plutons, ranging in composition from gabbro to granite, and basaltic dikes were emplaced in the gneisses at this time, but only the granitic pluton near Granite Falls has been dated by both U-Pb and Rb-Sr methods. The mineral ages show variations that are difficult to explain, and the low apparent ages of the biotite may be in some way related to epeirogeny and the stabilizing of the K-Ar and Rb-Sr systems. The southeastern part of the valley, underlain by the Morton Gneiss and the granite at Sacred Heart, was stabilized 2400 to 2600 m.y. ago, but the northwestern part, underlain by gneiss in the Granite Falls-Montevideo area and by granite in the Ortonville area, was not stabilized until 1700 to 1850 m.y. ago. The Morton Gneiss was formed by synkine-matic intrusions of trondhjemitic and granitic magmas, and the structure dates back to the time of the intrusions, 3550 m.y. ago. A similar origin as a synkinematic intrusion of granite is favored to explain the gneiss at Montevideo. The country rock appears to have been a layered series of basaltic lavas, sedimentary rocks, and possibly some sill-like masses of diabase or gabbro. The structure of the region probably was considerably modified during the high-grade metamorphism 2650 m.y. ago. The rock types that were involved in the Mortonian event 3550 m.y. ago are similar to more recent crustal rocks and do not represent a protocrust.
Calibration of structural models using fuzzy mathematics

: A calibration model is presented that quantifies the uncertainties associated with structural free vibration analysis. System identification objectives and fuzzy set mathematics are integrated to formulate an analysis methodology that enables the a priori prediction of the most probable sources of modeling error. By first developing fundamental fuzzy sets defining uncertainty in structural parameters such as stiffness and design loading, higher-level fuzzy sets governing dynamic behavior are obtained using the vertex method. Uncertainty in the dynamic parameters (natural frequency, frequency ratio, and structural response) are each represented using fuzzy mathematics, where membership functions are determined by performing multiple dynamic analyses involving confidence levels of model assumptions. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the calibration model for a 13-story steel structure located in San Jose, California. Results show that the calibration model is capable of quantifying uncertainties in structural properties and behavior without requiring the measured data necessary for conventional system identification procedures.
RADIO FREQUENCY MAGNETIZATION NONVOLATILITY

Long time magnetization thermal switching under small amplitude high frequency excitation is analyzed. Approaches based upon conventional time-dependent energy barrier are not sufficient to describe magnetization nonvolatility under GHz excitations. Methods based upon large angle nonlinear magnetization dynamics are developed for both coherent and noncoherent magnetization switching. This dynamic approach is not only important for fundamental understanding of magnetization dynamics under combined radio frequency excitations and thermal fluctuations, but also critical for practical design of emerging spintronic devices. When applied to spin torque random access memory read operations, as sensing current duration reaches nanosecond, dynamic approach gives a switching probability estimation orders of magnitude different from that obtained from conventional time-dependent energy barrier approach.
Lars Hedin and the quest for a theory of excited states

The theory of excited electronic states is central to a quantitative understanding of the interaction between light and matter and hence to calculations of various x-ray and optical spectra. Although ground state properties are well described by density functional theory (DFT), that theory is inappropriate for excited states, for which a fully quantitative theory has yet to be developed. No one has contributed more to than Lars Hedin to the quest for such a theory. Here we briefly review a number of his key contributions. One of the most influential is the "GW" approximation for the self-energy of an excited electron. Another is the "blue-electron" approximation for photon and electron spectroscopies. A third, which is relevant to the topics of this conference, is a many-body theory of x-ray spectra based on the "quasi-boson" approximation. This approach is a generalization of the GW approximation which takes into account both extrinsic and intrinsic losses as well as the interference between them, and simplifies the treatment of losses and the core-hole interaction. What makes Hedin's theories stand out is their mathematical elegance and physical robustness, based on ideas conceived before their full implementation was practical. With today's advances in computational power, however, the impact of Lars' work is becoming ever more widely appreciated.
Ultra-Small-Angle X-ray Scattering of Polymers

Ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) is capable of probing structural inhomogeneities in the size range of 1 to 1000 nm. Recent developments of X-ray sources and optics make USAXS increasingly relevant to polymer research. In this review, we examine the current technical state of USAXS instrumentation, and briefly introduce the method of data reduction and analysis. We emphasize USAXS's application in areas such as polymer nanocomposites, polymer gels and solutions, polymer blends, polymer micelles and microemulsions, and colloidal sciences. Finally, we predict more USAXS studies on polymeric systems, especially those with large-scale structures or hierarchical microstructures.
Minimum mean square error estimation for a class of chaotic systems

We develop the Bayesian maximum a posteriori (MAP) and minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimators for sequences generated by a class of discrete-time chaotic systems. This class (of which the sawtooth map, an archetype of chaotic behavior, is a member) consists of maps of the unit interval whose dynamics are precisely equivalent to the output of a first order, anticausal filter excited by independent, identically distributed Bernoulli noise. This linear formulation reduces the MAP estimation procedure to an M-ary hypothesis testing problem and simplifies the computation of the conditional expectation that represents the MMSE estimate. Estimator performance is evaluated on two systems from the class and compared with the Bayesian linear minimum mean square error estimator.
Competition between gall aphids and natural plant sinks: plant architecture affects resistance to galling

Gall forming herbivores induce sinks and act as phloem parasites within their host plants. Their performance on the host plant can depend on the sink-source relationship they establish with the plant. Because sink-source relationships within a plant are reflected in its architecture, we examined how architectural differences among cottonwoods might influence the success of the galling aphid, Pemphigus betae. Using cloned cottonwoods in common garden studies, we found three major patterns. First, there is a significant clonal or genetic component to tree architecture; cloned trees grown in a common garden maintain the architecture of parental trees. Second, resistant tree genotypes have more natural sinks (i.e., buds) relative to sources (i.e., stem volume) than susceptible trees. Third, these differences in architecture result in greater competition among sinks on aphid-resistant trees than on aphid-susceptible trees. Sink competition within a tree was estimated by the Gini coefficient which quantifies the size inequality of a shoot population (i.e., competition among sinks is low when shoots are nearly equal in size, and great when a few shoots are large and most are small). Aphid death through gall abortion increased significantly (r 2 = 0.65) on garden-grown trees as competition among sinks within a tree increased. Based on these observations we proposed the "sink competition hypothesis" to account for the performance of gall formers on their host plants. To test this hypothesis, we experimentally reduced sink densities (i.e., buds) on branches of resistant tree genotypes to resemble the bud densities of susceptible genotypes. By reducing the number of competing sinks, we predicted that aphid survival would increase. As predicted, aphid survival significantly increased. For example, in one removal experiment, aphid survival increased from 20% on control branches to 55% on branches with the highest level of bud removal. Similar bud removals on susceptible trees did not increase aphid survival, indicating that competition is relaxed on susceptible hosts. With the exception of the plant vigor hypothesis, most current hypotheses explaining herbivore distributions in nature focus on the importance to leaf-chewing herbivores of variation in chemistry. We believe that a sink competition model is needed to explain the distributions of the diverse group of herbivores that act as phloem parasites. The sink competition model is more mechanistic than the vigor hypothesis, and may account for apparent contradictions because it more clearly quantifies the resource base and the potential interactions that occur when sinks, either herbivore-induced or natural, compete for sources.
Point Charges Optimally Placed to Represent the Multipole Expansion of Charge Distributions

We propose an approach for approximating electrostatic charge distributions with a small number of point charges to optimally represent the original charge distribution. By construction, the proposed optimal point charge approximation (OPCA) retains many of the useful properties of point multipole expansion, including the same far-field asymptotic behavior of the approximate potential. A general framework for numerically computing OPCA, for any given number of approximating charges, is described. We then derive a 2-charge practical point charge approximation, PPCA, which approximates the 2-charge OPCA via closed form analytical expressions, and test the PPCA on a set of charge distributions relevant to biomolecular modeling. We measure the accuracy of the new approximations as the RMS error in the electrostatic potential relative to that produced by the original charge distribution, at a distance the extent of the charge distribution–the mid-field. The error for the 2-charge PPCA is found to be on average 23% smaller than that of optimally placed point dipole approximation, and comparable to that of the point quadrupole approximation. The standard deviation in RMS error for the 2-charge PPCA is 53% lower than that of the optimal point dipole approximation, and comparable to that of the point quadrupole approximation. We also calculate the 3-charge OPCA for representing the gas phase quantum mechanical charge distribution of a water molecule. The electrostatic potential calculated by the 3-charge OPCA for water, in the mid-field (2.8 A from the oxygen atom), is on average 33.3% more accurate than the potential due to the point multipole expansion up to the octupole order. Compared to a 3 point charge approximation in which the charges are placed on the atom centers, the 3-charge OPCA is seven times more accurate, by RMS error. The maximum error at the oxygen-Na distance (2.23 A ) is half that of the point multipole expansion up to the octupole order.
Some aspects of myosin adenosine triphosphatase of pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum).

Abstract 1. 1. Myosin ATP'ases of shrimp and rabbit muscle behave similarily except at temperatures above 30°C where the activity in shrimp started to decline rapidly. 2. 2. There is a correlation between the effects of temperature on myosin ATP'ase and behavior of shrimp in nature; this compares well with similar observations in crayfish (Maruyama, 1958). 3. 3. Data obtained emphasize that under certain conditions caution must be used in determining initial enzymatic activities.
Teaching engineering: The student’s perspective

When it comes to undergraduate education, there is concern at a national level of the quality of education. The influence of teachers and their approaches to teaching on student learning impacts the number of engineers we produce as well as the quality of those engineers. Yet it is not an easy task to assess instructional quality. Typically we measure teaching by end-of-course surveys, peer reviews, and other measures such as ABET criteria. But do these approaches get at what students expect of their teachers? A group of engineering students at the University of Texas at Austin felt that their perspectives on quality teaching were not heard and they wanted to open a dialogue on their instructional needs. They came into the College's Faculty Innovation Center and asked how to conduct such a process. Basically these students wanted to help identify instructional challenges as well as possible solutions. This paper will describe a student process to scrutinize their learning. Specifically, they surveyed their peers and this paper provides results and well as their approach to dissemination of the findings.
The Early Lives of Highly Creative Persons: The Influence of the Complex Family

Over the last 50 years, theoretical, speculative, and empirical scholarship has examined the influence of early family context on subsequent accomplishments in children of high ability. Building upon 40 years of creativity literature focusing on optimal experience, this exploratory study applied the Complex Family Framework in a systematic analysis of creative adults’ recollections of their early family lives. The study identifies evidence of the interplay of integration and Differentiation, a catalyst for individual optimal experience, in the families of nine creative exemplars who have made significant contributions to contemporary culture. Five participants represented the Arts and Humanities, three the Social Sciences, and one the Physical Sciences. The study demonstrates the utility of the Complex Family Framework in understanding families’ contributions to children’s later creative achievement.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Community Hospitals: The Evidence Base and Case Studies

By controlling and changing how antimicrobial agents are selected and administered, antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) aim to prevent or slow the emergence of antimicrobial resistance; optimize the selection, dosing, and duration of antimicrobial therapy; reduce the incidence of drug-related adverse events; and lower rates of morbidity and mortality, length of hospitalization, and costs. There is an abundant and growing body of evidence demonstrating that ASPs change the quantity and quality of antimicrobial prescriptions; however, measuring whether, when, and how ASPs improve patient outcomes and change patterns of antimicrobial resistance—which is the ultimate goals of ASPs—has been difficult, but the totality of evidence indicates that ASPs are capable of achieving these goals. In this article, we review the existing data on ASPs and their effects on patient care and antimicrobial resistance, as well as strategies for establishing ASPs in different types of hospitals. The primary goals of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are to prevent or slow the emergence of antimicrobial resistance; optimize the selection, dosing, and duration of antimicrobial therapy in individual patients; reduce adverse drug events, including secondary infections (eg, Clostridium difficile infection [CDI]); and reduce morbidity, mortality, length of hospitalization, and health care–related costs [1–3]. The intent of ASPs is to accomplish these goals by providing a framework for accountability in the use of antimicrobial agents and by improving, modifying, and decreasing such use at the level of the individual patient. There is an abundant and growing body of evidence demonstrating that ASPs decrease the quantity and improve the quality of antimicrobial prescriptions in both academic and community hospitals, but the measurement of their impact on patient outcomes and antimicrobial resistance has been more difficult. The totality of evidence, however, suggests that ASPs are capable of achieving these latter goals [2–5].
New Obesity Agents: Lorcaserin and Phentermine/Topiramate

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the evidence for lorcaserin and phentermine/topiramate in the treatment of obesity.DATA SOURCESLiterature was accessed through PubMed (June 1975-March 2013) using the search terms lorcaserin, phentermine, topiramate, or phentermine/topiramate. Additionally, reference citations from publications identified were reviewed. Additional information was obtained from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved prescribing information and FDA briefing documents.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONEnglish-language articles focusing on Phase 3 clinical trials for obesity were critiqued. Data from preclinical and Phase 1 and/or 2 trials are reported when appropriate. Six prospective Phase 3 trials were reviewed.DATA SYNTHESISObesity has reached epidemic proportions, affecting more than one third of adults in the US. Two medication products, lorcaserin and phentermine/topiramate, have recently received FDA approval as adjuncts to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity among ind...
Alanine racemase mutants of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei and use of alanine racemase as a non-antibiotic-based selectable marker

Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei are category B select agents and must be studied under BSL3 containment in the United States. They are typically resistant to multiple antibiotics, and the antibiotics used to treat B. pseudomallei or B. mallei infections may not be used as selective agents with the corresponding Burkholderia species. Here, we investigated alanine racemase deficient mutants of B. pseudomallei and B. mallei for development of non-antibiotic-based genetic selection methods and for attenuation of virulence. The genome of B. pseudomallei K96243 has two annotated alanine racemase genes (bpsl2179 and bpss0711), and B. mallei ATCC 23344 has one (bma1575). Each of these genes encodes a functional enzyme that can complement the alanine racemase deficiency of Escherichia coli strain ALA1. Herein, we show that B. pseudomallei with in-frame deletions in both bpsl2179 and bpss0711, or B. mallei with an in-frame deletion in bma1575, requires exogenous d-alanine for growth. Introduction of bpsl2179 on a multicopy plasmid into alanine racemase deficient variants of either Burkholderia species eliminated the requirement for d-alanine. During log phase growth without d-alanine, the viable counts of alanine racemase deficient mutants of B. pseudomallei and B. mallei decreased within 2 hours by about 1000-fold and 10-fold, respectively, and no viable bacteria were present at 24 hours. We constructed several genetic tools with bpsl2179 as a selectable genetic marker, and we used them without any antibiotic selection to construct an in-frame ΔflgK mutant in the alanine racemase deficient variant of B. pseudomallei K96243. In murine peritoneal macrophages, wild type B. mallei ATCC 23344 was killed much more rapidly than wild type B. pseudomallei K96243. In addition, the alanine racemase deficient mutant of B. pseudomallei K96243 exhibited attenuation versus its isogenic parental strain with respect to growth and survival in murine peritoneal macrophages.
Does Information Improve the Health Behavior of Adults Targeted by a Conditional Transfer Program

We use data from the evaluation sample of Mexico’s Food Assistance Program (PAL) to study whether including the attendance at health and nutrition classes among the requirements for receiving a transfer affects the health behavior of adults living in localities targeted by the program. The experimental trial has four different treatment types, randomly assigned to four groups of localities, one of which receives the in-kind transfer without the requirement to attend any health or nutrition sessions. Adult women living in localities where the in-kind transfer is conditional on class attendance display a significantly better health behavior than those living in localities where it is not. There is no significant evidence of changes in health outcomes among men.
Research Investments and Market Structure in the Food Processing, Agricultural Input, and Biofuel Industries Worldwide

Meeting growing global demand for food, fiber, and biofuel requires robust investment in agricultural research and development (R&D) from both public and private sectors. This study examines global R&D spending by private industry in seven agricultural input sectors, food manufacturing, and biofuel and describes the changing structure of these industries. In 2007 (the latest year for which comprehensive estimates are available), the private sector spent $19.7 billion on food and agricultural research (56 percent in food manufacturing and 44 percent in agricultural input sectors) and accounted for about half of total public and private spending on food and agricultural R&D in high-income coun- tries. In R&D related to biofuel, annual private-sector investments are estimated to have reached $1.47 billion worldwide by 2009. Incentives to invest in R&D are influenced by market structure and other factors. Agricultural input industries have undergone significant structural change over the past two decades, with industry concentration on the rise. A rela- tively small number of large, multinational firms with global R&D and marketing networks account for most R&D in each input industry. Rising market concentration has not generally been associated with increased R&D investment as a percentage of industry sales.
Efficient seismic forward modeling using simultaneous random sources and sparsity

The high cost of simulating densely sampled seismic forward modeling data arises from activating sources one at a time in sequence.Toincreaseefficiency,onecouldleveragerecentinnovations in seismic field-data acquisition and activate several e.g., 2‐6 sources simultaneously during modeling. However, such approaches would suffer from degraded data quality because of the interference between the model’s responses to the simultaneoussources.Twonewefficientsimultaneous-sourcemodeling approachesareproposedthatrelyonthenoveltandemuseofrandomness and sparsity to construct almost noise-free model response to individual sources. In each approach, thefirst step is to measure the model’s cumulative response with all sources activated simultaneously using randomly scaled band-limited impulses or continuous band-limited random-noise waveforms. In the second step, the model response to each individual source is estimated from the cumulative receiver measurement by exploiting knowledge of the random source waveforms and the sparsity of the model response to individual sources in a known transformdomaine.g.,curveletdomain.Theefficiencyachievable by the approaches is primarily governed by the sparsity of the model response. By invoking results from the field of compressive sensing, theoretical bounds are provided that assert that the approaches would need less modeling time for sparser i.e., simpler or more structured model responses.Asimulated modelingexampleisillustratedthatshowsthatdatacollectedwithas manyas8192sourcesactivatedsimultaneouslycanbeseparated into the 8192 individual source gathers with data quality comparable to that obtained when the sources were activated sequentially.Theproposedapproachescouldalsodramaticallyimprove seismic field-data acquisition efficiency if the source signatures actuallyprobingtheearthcanbemeasuredaccurately.
CD4 on the road to coreceptor status.

The advent of monoclonal antibody technology in the late 1970s initiated a wave of discovery that lead to the identification of many important cell surface proteins that defined unique cellular populations with restricted functions (1). In the early 1980s, antibodies to T4 (now known as CD4) and T8 (now known as CD8) were shown to identify unique subpopulations of T cells with either helper or cytotoxic activity, respectively (2–6). Importantly, antibodies to CD4 (T4/Leu3 in humans; L3T4 in mice) were shown to block the MHC class II-mediated proliferation and function of T cells leading to the suggestion that CD4 was intimately involved in the cooperative recognition of MHC class II associated foreign antigen by T cells (5,7,8). Early studies by the Marrack/Kappler and Burakoff labs had suggested that CD4 binding to MHC class II molecules might increase the overall avidity between T cells and APCs (9–11). However, direct evidence for such an interaction had remained frustratingly elusive and it wasn’t clear if additional molecules were required for this interaction. Furthermore, the function of this interaction was controversial.
Muscular dystrophy in a litter of golden retriever dogs

Clinicopathologic findings from two golden retriever dogs with an inherited, progressive, degenerative muscle disease that were studied until 27 and 40 months of age are described. Initial clinical signs included stilted gait and simultaneous advancement of their pelvic limbs. Further gait restriction and muscle hypertrophy eventually occurred. Serum creatine kinase was dramatically elevated (greater than 10,000 U/L). There were persistent "spontaneous" high-frequency discharges (pseudomyotonia) on electromyographic evaluation. Features of both muscle fiber degeneration (hyaline fibers, myophagocytosis) and regeneration (small basophilic fibers) were seen on light microscopy. Similar ultrastructural changes (fiber hypercontraction, increased myoblasts) were present. On morphometric histochemical evaluation, mean fiber diameter of both type 1 and 2 fibers was increased compared with controls in two of three muscles examined. There was no apparent fiber type predominance. Scattered ragged red fibers were seen, but this appeared to be a nonspecific finding of either muscle fiber regeneration or degeneration. These findings and potential contributing pathophysiologic mechanisms are discussed in relation to Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Nanoconfinement controls stiffness, strength and mechanical toughness of β-sheet crystals in silk

Silk features exceptional mechanical properties such as high tensile strength and great extensibility, making it one of the toughest materials known. The exceptional strength of silkworm and spider silks, exceeding that of steel, arises from beta-sheet nanocrystals that universally consist of highly conserved poly-(Gly-Ala) and poly-Ala domains. This is counterintuitive because the key molecular interactions in beta-sheet nanocrystals are hydrogen bonds, one of the weakest chemical bonds known. Here we report a series of large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, revealing that beta-sheet nanocrystals confined to a few nanometres achieve higher stiffness, strength and mechanical toughness than larger nanocrystals. We illustrate that through nanoconfinement, a combination of uniform shear deformation that makes most efficient use of hydrogen bonds and the emergence of dissipative molecular stick-slip deformation leads to significantly enhanced mechanical properties. Our findings explain how size effects can be exploited to create bioinspired materials with superior mechanical properties in spite of relying on mechanically inferior, weak hydrogen bonds.
"SUPER"-DILATATION SYMMETRY OF THE TOP-HIGGS SYSTEM

The top-Higgs system, consisting of top quark (LH doublet, RH singlet) and Higgs boson kinetic terms, with gauge fields set to zero, has an exact (modulo total divergences) symmetry where both fermion and Higgs fi elds are shifted and mixed in as upersymmetric fashion. The full Higgs-Yukawa interaction and Higgs-potential, including additional ∼ 1/Λ 2 NJL-like interactions, also has this symmetry to O(1/Λ 4 ), up to null-operators. Thus the interaction lagrangian can be viewed as a power series in 1/Λ 2 . The symmetry involves interplay of the Higgs quartic interaction with the Higgs-Yukawa interaction and implies the relationship, λ = 1 g 2 between the top–Yukawa coupling, g, and Higgs quartic coupling, λ, at a high energy scale Λ > few TeV. We interpret this to be a new physics scale. The top quark is massless in the symmetric phase, satisfying the Nambu-Goldstone theorem. The fermionic shift part of the current is ∝ (1 − H † H/v 2 ), owing to the interplay of λ and g, and vanishes in the broken phase. Hence the Nambu-Goldstone theorem is trivially evaded in the broken phase and the top quark becomes heavy (it is not a Goldstino). We have mt = mh, subject to radiative corrections that can in principle pull the Higgs into concordance with experiment.
Epstein Barr virus in relation to apoptosis markers and patients’ outcome in pediatric B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

In this study, we investigated Epstein Barr virus (EBV) presence, associated to proliferation and apoptosis proteins in pediatric B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). EBERs, Ki67, active caspase 3, Bax and Bcl2 were analyzed on B-NHL tissue from 40 patients. Forty percent showed EBV expression, significantly higher among patients ⩽10years (P=0.027), and associated with immunosuppression (P=0.020), but not associated apotosis markers. However, EBV was associated with a worse event-free survival (P=0.016), particularly under immunosuppression. Even though EBV did not seem to alter apoptotic pathways, it exhibited survival disadvantage and could be an important cofactor in B-cell lymphomagenesis in younger children.
Catastrophic event phenomena in communication networks

With the rise of the Internet, there has been increased interest in the use of computer models to study the dynamics of communication networks. An important aspect of this trend has been the study of dramatic, but relatively infrequent, events that result in abrupt and often catastrophic changes in network state. In the research literature, such catastrophic events have been commonly referred to as phase transitions. As interest in phase transitions in communication networks has grown, different approaches to the study of such phenomena have arisen. These approaches are based on differing goals of the researchers, differing investigative methods, and selection of different causal agents to study. While researchers using various approaches have made progress in understanding phase transition phenomena in communication networks, today there is only an incomplete understanding of the overall state of knowledge on this topic and no agreement on a common explanation of how such events occur in communication networks. To provide better understanding of the work done so far, this paper surveys research on phase transitions in communication networks and summarizes what has been learned. The paper identifies four different approaches taken by researchers studying this topic, describes the scope of the work done, identifies the contributions that have thus far been made, and characterizes differences in views on the nature of phase transitions in communication networks. An assessment is also made of weaknesses in the work that has been done, most notably the lack of realism in network models used to date. This survey discusses characteristics of real-world communication networks that need to be included in such models to improve their realism.
Applications of advanced kinetic collisional radiative modeling and Bremsstrahlung emission to quantitative impurity analysis on the National Spherical Torus Experiment

An advanced kinetic collisional radiative model is used to predict beam into plasma charge-exchange visible and extreme UV (XUV ∽ 50−700 A) light emission to quantify impurity density profiles on NSTX. This kinetic model is first benchmarked by predicting line-of-sight integrated emission for the visible λ = 5292.0 A line of carbon (C VI n = 8 → 7), and comparing these predictions to absolute calibrated measurements from the active CHarge-Exchange Recombination Spectroscopy diagnostic (CHERS) on NSTX. Once benchmarked, the model is used to predict charge-exchange emission for the 182.1 A line of carbon (C VI n = 3 → 2) that is used to scale Bremsstrahlung continuum emission in the UV/XUV region. The scaled Bremsstrahlung emission is used as a base to estimate an absolute intensity calibration curve of a XUV Transmission Grating-based Imaging Spectrometer (TGIS) diagnostic installed on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX and upgrade NSTX-U). The TGIS diagnostic operates in the wavelength region ...
Parent and youth dopamine D4 receptor genotypes moderate multilevel contextual effects on rural African American youth's risk behavior.

The present investigation extends research on Gene × Environment interactions and youth risk behavior by linking multilevel contextual factors, such as community disadvantage and protective parenting practices, to both parental and youth dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) genotypes. We expected community disadvantage to influence youth risk behavior via a series of indirect effects involving protective parenting and youth's planful future orientation when both parents’ and youth's DRD4 status was considered. Genetic moderation processes also were tested to determine whether they conformed to a diathesis–stress or a differential susceptibility model. Hypotheses were investigated with data from 361 rural African American youth and their parents assessed 3 times when youth were ages 16 to 19. Community disadvantage interacted with parental DRD4 status to predict low levels of protective parenting. Protective parenting, in turn, interacted with youth DRD4 status to forecast increases in youth's planful future orientations, a proximal influence on changes in risk behavior. The Parental DRD4 × Community Disadvantage interaction, but not youth DRD4 × Protective Parenting, conformed to a differential susceptibility model. Indirect effect analyses revealed a significant indirect path linking community disadvantage to youth risk behavior through a series of multilevel Gene × Environment interaction processes.
Persistent Inflammation, Immunosuppression, and Catabolism: Evolution of Multiple Organ Dysfunction

Abstract Background: Multiple organ dysfunction (MOD) has plagued intensive care units (ICUs) for more than four decades, and its epidemiology has evolved because more patients are surviving previously lethal insults. Over the years, different predominant phenotypes of MOD have been described, all of which have consumed tremendous healthcare resources and have been associated with prolonged ICU stays and prohibitive mortality rates. Methods: Review of the English-language literature. Results: By the 1990s, it became widely accepted that MOD could ensue after both infectious and non-infectious insults by what appeared to be a similar auto-destructive systemic inflammatory response. A 1996 analysis recognized that MOD was a bimodal phenomenon. As a result of years of implementation efforts, fewer patients died of early fulminant sepsis, and those who developed MOD survived hospitalization. Unfortunately, a substantial portion of these patients enter a state of persistent inflammation, immunosuppression, and...
Police transformational leadership and organizational commitment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the relation between police transformational leadership and organizational commitment is mediated by organizational culture. Drawing on the competing values framework (Quinn, 1988), four types of cultural orientations (group, developmental, hierarchical, and rational) are analyzed. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 358 South Korean police officers are surveyed. Using competing values as multiple mediators, a parallel four mediator model is estimated. Bias-corrected bootstrapping methods are employed to consider the small sample size, as well as the possible non-normal distribution of specific indirect effects. Findings – The linkage between transformational leadership and commitment appears to be fully mediated by group culture. Interestingly, multiple individual officer characteristics, duty type, and departmental size do not impact respective constructs overall. Research limitations/implications – The use of cross-sectional data hinders cau...
Explaining the Durable Effects of Verbal Person-Centered Supportive Communication: Indirect Effects or Invisible Support?

Researchers have documented benefits from receiving supportive messages high in verbal person-centeredness (VPC), but the processes through which such messages produce longitudinal effects remain unclear. This study evaluated two perspectives (i.e., indirect effects and invisible support) that address how supportive messages can produce durable effects and tested sex differences in those effects. 255 dyads completed a laboratory-based interaction in which level of VPC and sex of the support provider were manipulated. 3 weeks later, support receivers evaluated the conversations and their stressor. Variations in VPC produced durable effects both when messages were positively evaluated initially and when they were evaluated as supportive by providers or third-party observers but judged low in supportiveness by receivers. Provider sex moderated the results.
Long-run Risk, Durable Consumption Growth and Estimation of Risk Aversion

We present a durable consumption-based asset pricing model with Epstein-Zin preferences and the pricing kernel accommodating the long-run consumption risk. Consumption growth includes a small predictable component as in Bansal and Yaron (2004). The model is estimated with simple econometric techniques once we linearize it around a special case of the elasticity of inter- and intra-temporal substitution equal to one. After including the long-run consumption growth, the estimates of the model parameters become much more realistic and the fit closer to the data than for the case of the contemporaneous consumption growth. For example, the estimate of risk aversion falls from around 200 to 10, and the R2 increases from around 30% to 60%.
Do temporal and geographical patterns of HBCD and PBDE flame retardants in U.S. fish reflect evolving industrial usage

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) are common flame retardants in polymers and textiles. Recognition of the persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic properties of PBDEs has prompted reductions in their use. In contrast, HBCD has received less scrutiny. The U.S has historically been a dominant BFR consumer. However, the few publications on HBCD in wildlife here suggest modest levels compared to Asian and European studies. In contrast, the HBCD concentrations we detected in U.S. fish are among the highest reported in the world. The temporal trends observed suggest that HBCD use may have risen, and that of Penta-BDE declined, following the 2004 termination of its U.S. manufacture. For example, Hyco River carp collected in 1999–2002 exhibited a mean ∑HBCD (sum of α-, β- and γ-HBCD) concentration of only 13 ng/g (lipid weight basis), but was 4640 ng/g in fish collected in 2006–2007. In contrast, the mean ∑PBDE level in these same fish decreased from 40,700 ng/g in 1999–2002 ...
Germination of Chlamydospores of Three Glomus Species as Affected by Soil Matric Potential and Fungal Contamination

Chlamydospores of Glomus clarum, G. etunicatum, and G. macrocarpum were placed on filter membranes and buried in pasteurized or nonpasteurized soils having matric potentials of -10, -100, -1000, and -10,000 mbar. Membranes were removed from soil following a 2-wk incubation, and the percentages of chlamydospores germinated and contaminated by other fungi were determined. For the three species, maximum germination occurred at a matric potential of -100 mbar. Soil pasteurization did not affect germination significantly. The number of chlamydospores with contaminating fungi was not influenced by soil pasteurization. Contamination was low at -10 mbar, but a high percentage of chlamydospores were contaminated in drier soil. The abundance of contaminating fungi was correlated negatively with chlamydospore germination under some conditions. Contaminating fungi were species of Fusarium, Penicillium, Trichoderma, and Chaetomium which were apparently introduced with the chlamydospores.
Modeling and Simulation of Transverse Mode Dynamics of VCSELs

Spatial profiles and dynamical evolution of transverse modes in VCSELs are important for many applications including optical storage and fiber couplings.
The Faith of Christians and Hostility to Jews

There is a fundamental question that any historical analysis of the relations between Christianity and Judaism must face. What is the relation between the hostility that Christians have directed at Jews and their faith as Christians? It is a hard question to answer for both conceptual and evidential reasons. The conceptual problem is that historians may be misled by some of the theological categories which are so deeply embedded in the languages of Western culture. Let me give an example close to home. At the first conference of the Society, C. N. L. Brooke spoke of the Christian religion and of the Church with a capital ‘C’. Similarly, several titles of the volumes of Studies in Church History and many of the contributions in them have used ‘the Church’ as if there was such a thing as the universal Christian Church. Indeed, the style sheet for Studies in Church History states that a capital is required for ‘the Church’ where the universal Church is implied and gives as an example the sentence, ‘The Church preaches tolerance’—an assertion that may seem passing strange in the context of this year’s conference.