cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compound missense mutations in the sodium/D-glucose cotransporter result in trafficking defects

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Defects in the Na+-dependent glucose transporter (SGLT1) are associated with the disorder glucose-galactose malabsorption, characterized by severe diarrhea. This study focused on a unique proband with glucose-galactose malabsorption who was investigated 30 years ago, and the aims of the study were to identify mutations in the SGLT1 gene and to determine the defect in sugar transport. METHODS: Mutations were identified by sequencing, and each mutant protein was then studied using a Xenopus oocyte heterologous expression system. Analysis included Western, freeze fracture, radiotracer uptake, and electrophysiological assays. RESULTS: Two heterozygous missense mutations (Cys355Ser and Leu147Arg) were identified that entirely eliminated Na+/sugar cotransport activity. Western blot analysis showed that the levels of both mutant proteins in the oocyte were comparable to wild-type SGLT1, but no complex glycosylation was detected. No SGLT1 charge movements were observed with the mutant proteins, and freeze fracture data showed that neither mutant protein reached the plasma membrane. CONCLUSIONS: The Cys355Ser and Leu147Arg mutations eliminate the Na+/sugar cotransport by blocking the transfer of SGLT1 protein from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane. This is consistent with earlier studies on phlorizin binding to the brush border membrane of duodenal biopsy specimens from this patient. (Gastroenterology 1997 Apr;112(4):1206-12)
Diabetes: Breaking news! Rosiglitazone and cardiovascular risk.

In the past 3 years, several studies have reignited the controversy regarding the cardiovascular risk associated with the use of rosiglitazone. Until a prospective, well-controlled, randomized clinical trial is performed to adjudicate the issue definitively, physicians should be free to exercise clinical judgment, and weigh the comparative risks and benefits of agents such as rosiglitazone on a case-by-case basis.
Influences of transition cow nutrition on health and reproduction of dairy cows.

Full papers will be published in Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition – 2007 Nottingham University Press www.nup.com 3rd 5th September 2007 University of Nottingham Sutton Bonington Campus Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK www.nottingham.ac.uk/feedconf 41st University of Nottingham Feed Conference 2007 www.nottingham.ac.uk/feedconf
Dental caries patterns and oral health behaviors in Arizona infants and toddlers.

Abstract –Objectives: The aim of this study was to use tooth eruption sequence, and a tooth- and surface-specific caries analysis method to determine: (1) the temporal relationship between tooth eruption and caries onset; (2) the validity of pre-existing concepts of caries progression; and (3) the relationship of certain putative health behaviors with caries prevalence. Methods: A total of 2428 Arizona children aged 6–36-months, who were recruited from WIC programs (a federal program for low-income children at nutritional risk), health fairs and private day care centers, received visual dental caries examinations. Additionally, an oral health behavior survey was administered to the parents of the 1529 children recruited from the WIC programs. Results: Dental caries was detected soon after tooth eruption, and by 34–36 months of age 25% of this population had caries. Maxillary anterior caries developed as early as 10–12 months of age. Fissure caries of the molars, either by itself or with maxillary anterior caries, was seen as early as 13–15 months of age. Posterior proximal caries was seen as early at 19–21 months, and only was present in conjunction with the other patterns. Over 40% of the 13–36-month-old children whose parents completed the survey still used a bottle. Night-time bottle use was associated with maxillary anterior caries in 24–36-month-old children, but no association was found in younger children or with posterior caries patterns. Survey responses also showed that fewer than 15% of these children reported having had a dental visit. Conclusions: Dental caries was a significant health issue for these children under 3 years of age, and factors other than bottle feeding may play an important role in its etiology. Prevention of dental caries in children under age three will depend on a better understanding of the etiology as well as improved access to care.
Growth characteristics of influenza virus: the influence of a sulfonic acid.

The growth characteristics of influenza virus in an isolated tissue maintained in vitro have been described. When compared with previously reported results using the embryonate egg, a considerably shorter latent period was observed. The release or liberation of the virus occurred throughout a period of many hours. There was no evidence of a general "burst" phenomenon, and the destruction of a cellular membrane did not seem to be essential to or concomitant with the release of virus. An early phase in the development of virus was described which is sensitive to the action of α-amino-p-methoxyphenylmethanesulfonic acid and it is by virtue of this that virus multiplication is prevented. If this phase was allowed to go on to completion, replication of virus occurred even in the presence of the sulfonic acid, but the release of virus from the tissue was impaired. It is suggested that the sulfonic acid may interfere with the adsorption or penetration of the virus and that the initiation of infection and the liberation of new virus may be processes which share some common character.
Apple Picker: Computer software for studying human responding on concurrent and multiple schedules

Apple Picker, a software package for the Apple II microcomputer, is described. Subjects respond by searching for “apples” in two “orchards.” “Attempted pickings” may be reinforced according to random ratio or interval schedules. “Search” responses are recorded and may be examined either as rates of responding in the two orchards or visually as paths the subject has traced during the session.
Pharmacology of argatroban

Argatroban is a synthetic, small-molecule direct thrombin inhibitor that is approved in the USA, the EU and Japan for prophylaxis or treatment of thrombosis in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), and for anticoagulation of HIT patients undergoing PCI. Argatroban binds reversibly to, and inhibits both soluble and clot-bound thrombin. Argatroban does not generate antibodies, is not susceptible to degradation by proteases and is cleared hepatically. It has a predictable anticoagulant effect and there is a good correlation between dose, plasma concentration and pharmacodynamic effect. Initial clinical studies suggest that further investigations to establish the use of argatroban in ischemic stroke, acute coronary syndrome, hemodialysis, blood oxygenation, off-pump cardiac surgery and other clinical indications are warranted.
Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care in Occupational Therapy Practice

Occupational therapists view human occupation as active engagement in that which brings meaning to the life of the patient. Spirituality is understood to be one important construct in the creation of meaning in the lives of human beings. This study examined the attitudes toward the use of spiritual care in occupational therapy. The study sample consisted of 310 occupational therapists. Data were collected through the use of a secure web-based survey tool. Analysis was conducted to determine the significance of relationships between several important constructs (e.g., education, theory base, definition of spirituality) and perceptions regarding the use of spiritual care.
Localization using neural networks in wireless sensor networks

Noisy distance measurements are a pervasive problem in localization in wireless sensor networks. Neural networks are not commonly used in localization, however, our experiments in this paper indicate neural networks are a viable option for solving localization problems. In this paper we qualitatively compare the performance of three different families of neural networks: Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Radial Basis Function (RBF), and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN). The performance of these networks will also be compared with two variants of the Kalman Filter which are traditionally used for localization. The resource requirements in term of computational and memory resources will also be compared. In this paper, we show that the RBF neural network has the best accuracy in localizing, however it also has the worst computational and memory resource requirements. The MLP neural network, on the other hand, has the best computational and memory resource requirements.
Minority Carrier Recombination in Neutron Irradiated Silicon

Measurements are reported which provide extensive data on the resistivity, temperature, and injection level dependences of the minority carrier lifetime in neutron irradiated p- and n-type silicon. The lifetime damage constants are observed to be quite dependent on the injected minority carrier density, in both conductivity types, over the temperature range from 76°K to 300°K. The low injection level damage constants have been measured and found to be dependent on material resistivity in p-type silicon, but only slightly dependent on resistivity in n-type silicon. The results of the experimental studies are compared to the predictions of two alternate models for recombination at defect clusters. For defect clusters of approximately 250 A radius, as expected from range calculations, these comparisons indicate that each contains a relatively small number of deep defects (30 - 40). The defects are individually characterized by a deep donor level near Ev + 0.35 eV and a deep acceptor level near Ec - 0.50 eV. Since these levels correspond approximately to the known energy levels of the silicon divacancy, it is suggested that the divacancy may be the active recombination center within the defect clusters.
Induction of a secreted protein by the myxoid liposarcoma oncogene

The TLS-CHOP oncoprotein, found in the majority of human myxoid liposarcomas, consists of a fusion between the transcription factor CHOP/GADD153 and the N terminus of an RNA-binding protein TLS/FUS. Clinical correlation and in vitro transformation assays indicate that the N terminus of TLS plays an important role in oncogenesis by TLS-CHOP. Until now, however, the only activity attributed to the oncoprotein is that of inhibiting the binding of transcription factors of the C/EBP class to certain adipogenic target genes, a function that TLS-CHOP shares with the nononcogenic CHOP protein. Here we report the isolation of a gene, DOL54, that is activated in primary fibroblasts by the expression of TLS-CHOP. DOL54 is expressed in the neoplastic component of human myxoid liposarcomas and increases the tumorigenicity of cells injected in nude mice. Activation of DOL54 requires an intact DNA-binding and dimerization domain in TLS-CHOP, a suitable cellular dimerization partner, and depends on the TLS N terminus. Normal adipocytic differentiation is associated with an early and transient expression of DOL54, and the gene encodes a secreted protein that is tightly associated with the cell surface or extracellular matrix. TLS-CHOP thus leads to the unscheduled expression of a gene that is normally associated with adipocytic differentiation.
Effects of cooling rate and storage temperature on equine spermatozoal motility parameters.

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of cooling rate and storage temperature on motility parameters of stallion spermatozoa. In Experiment 1, specific cooling rates to be used in Experiment 2 were established. In Experiment 2, three ejaculates from each of two stallions were diluted to 25 × 106 sperm/ml with 37°C nonfat dry skim milk-glucose-penicillin-streptomycin seminal extender, then assigned to one of five treatments: 1) storage at 37°C, 2) storage at 25°C, 3) slow cooling rate to and storage at 4°C, 4) moderate cooling rate to and storage at 4°C, and 5) fast cooling rate to and storage at 4°C. Total spermatozoal motility (TSM), progressive spermatozoal motility (PSM), and spermatozoal velocity (SV) were estimated at 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h postejaculation. The longevity of spermatozoal motility was greatly reduced when spermatozoa were stored at 37°C as compared to lower spermatozoal storage temperatures. At 6 h postejaculation, TSM values (mean % ± SEM) of semen stored at 37°C, slowly cooled to and stored at 25°C or slowly cooled to and stored at 4°C were 5.4 ± 1.1, 79.8 ± 1.6, and 82.1 ± 1.6, respectively. Mean TSM for semen that was cooled to 4°C at a slow rate was greater (P<0.05) than mean TSM of semen cooled to 4°C at a moderate rate for four of seven time periods (6, 24, 72 and 120 h), and it was greater (P<0.05) than mean TSM of semen cooled to 4°C at a fast rate for five of seven time periods (6, 12, 24, 72 and 120 h). Mean TSM of semen cooled to 4°C at a slow rate was greater (P<0.05) than mean TSM of semen cooled to 25°C for five of seven time periods (24 to 120 h). A similar pattern was found for PSM. Mean SV of semen cooled to 4°C at a slow rate was greater (P<0.05) than mean SV of semen cooled to 25°C for all time periods. A slow cooling rate (initial cooling rate of −0.3°/min) and a storage temperature of 4°C appear to optimize liquid preservation of equine spermatozoal motility in vitro.
SU‐FF‐I‐103: A Segmentation‐Based Deformable Registration Algorithm for Cone Beam CT and Helical CT Images

Purpose: Optical flow‐based deformable registration algorithm, which assumes that the image intensity does not change during the deformation, is not suitable for cone beam CT(CBCT) and Helical CT (HCT) image registration because CBCTimage possesses a intensity inhomogeneity due to Compton scatter effect. The objective of this study is to develop a new deformable registration algorithm for CBCT and HCT image registration.Method and Materials: The proposed deformable registration algorithm for CBCT and HCT image registration is divided into two steps. First, a maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) based adaptive segmentation method is utilized to accurately segment the voxels of CBCTimages and HCT images into four tissue types: air, fat, muscle and bone, even in the presence of severe image intensity inhomogeneity due to Compton scatter. The intensities of the segmented images represent the probability of each voxel belonging to different tissue types and are globally uniform. Thus, the image intensity inhomogeneity effect can be eliminated. Second, an optical flow based deformable registration algorithm is applied to the segmented images, instead of original CBCT and HCT image, to determine the deformation between CBCT and HCT images. Thus, the CBCTimage can be deformed to match the HCT images.Results: The performance of the proposed deformable registration algorithm was tested using both digital phantoms and clinical CBCTimages. Our studies showed that the conventional optical flow‐based method failed to converge to expected solution due to intensity inhomogeneity effect, and its registration results showed a severe mismatch on many detailed structures between CBCT and HCT images. In contrary, the proposed method matched CBCT and HCT image very well. Conclusion: The proposed segmentation‐based deformable registration algorithm is capable of CBCT and HCT image registration.
Masks, Elephants, and Djembe Drums: Craft as Historical Experience in Ghana

AbstractThis article analyzes craft in a national culture and tourist art center in Ghana. Honing in on three distinct, coexisting craft worlds—a handicraft market, commercial woodcarving, and the production of djembe drums—it examines craft's mediating role between political economic regimes and generational subjectivities. I argue that craft forms, the rules that define them, and the identities they produce emerge in particular historical formations, and I explore conflicts over artistry as generational differences of experience between cohorts of Ghanaian men negotiating their place in national and global systems. In this context, I focus on the djembe drum as a contentious artifact that objectifies predicaments of Ghanaian men in the current neoliberal moment.
Steroid Modulation of Astrocytes in the Neonatal Brain: Implications for Adult Reproductive Function

There is a growing appreciation for the importance of astrocytes, a type of nonneuronal glial cell, to overall brain functioning. The ability of astrocytes to respond to gonadal steroid hormones with changes in morphology has been well documented in the adult brain. It is also apparent that astrocytes of the developing brain are permanently differentiated by the neonatal hormonal milieu, in particular by estradiol, resulting in sexually dimorphic cell morphology, synaptic patterning, and density in males and females. The mechanisms of hormonally mediated astrocyte differentiation are likely to be region specific. In the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, neuron-to-astrocyte signaling appears to play a critical role in estradiol-induced astrocyte differentiation during the first few days of life. Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid neurotransmitter that is synthesized and released exclusively by neurons. The levels of GABA are increased in the arcuate nucleus of neonatal males versus females. Preventing the increase in males or mimicking GABA action in females modulates astrocytes accordingly. Speculation about and evidence in support of the functional significance of this dimorphism to adult reproductive functioning is the topic of this review.
Referee bias contributes to home advantage in English Premiership football

Officiating bias is thought to contribute to home advantage. Recent research has shown that sports with subjective officiating tend to experience greater home advantage and that referees' decisions can be influenced by crowd noise, but little work has been done to examine whether individual referees vary in their home bias or whether biased decisions contribute to overall home advantage. We develop an ordinal regression model to determine whether various measures of home advantage are affected by the official for the match and by crowd size while controlling for team ability. We examine 5244 English Premier League (EPL) match results involving 50 referees and find that home bias differs between referees. Individual referees give significantly different levels of home advantage, measured as goal differential between the home and away teams, although the significance of this result depends on one referee with a particularly high home advantage (an outlier). Referees vary significantly and robustly in their yellow card and penalty differentials even excluding the outlier. These results confirm that referees are responsible for some of the observed home advantage in the EPL and suggest that home advantage is dependent on the subjective decisions of referees that vary between individuals. We hypothesize that individual referees respond differently to factors such as crowd noise and suggest further research looking at referees' psychological and behavioural responses to biased crowds.
4-Aminopyridine-sensitive outward currents in preBötzinger complex neurons influence respiratory rhythm generation in neonatal mice

We measured a low-threshold, inactivating K+ current, i.e. A-current (IA), in respiratory neurons of the preBotzinger complex (preBotC) in rhythmically active slice preparations from neonatal C57BL/6 mice. The majority of inspiratory neurons (21/34 = 61.8%), but not expiratory neurons (1/8 = 12.5%), expressed IA. In whole-cell and somatic outside-out patches IA activated at −60 mV (half-activation voltage measured −16.3 mV) and only fully inactivated above −40 mV (half-inactivation voltage measured −85.6 mV), indicating that IA can influence membrane trajectory at baseline voltages during respiratory rhythm generation in vitro. 4-Aminopyridine (4-AP, 2 mm) attenuated IA in both whole-cell and somatic outside-out patches. In the context of rhythmic network activity, 4-AP caused irregular respiratory-related motor output on XII nerves and disrupted rhythmogenesis as detected with whole-cell and field recordings in the preBotC. Whole-cell current-clamp recordings showed that 4-AP changed the envelope of depolarization underlying inspiratory bursts (i.e. inspiratory drive potentials) from an incrementing pattern to a decrementing pattern during rhythm generation and abolished current pulse-induced delayed excitation. These data suggest that IA opposes excitatory synaptic depolarizations at baseline voltages of approximately −60 mV and influences the inspiratory burst pattern. We propose that IA promotes orderly recruitment of constituent rhythmogenic neurons by minimizing the activity of these neurons until they receive massive coincident synaptic input, which reduces the periodic fluctuations of inspiratory activity.
A performance study of the iterative ADI-FDTD method

The performance of the iterative alternating-direction implicit finite-difference time-domain (ADI-FDTD) method is studied. By interpreting the ADI-FDTD method as an iterative solver for the Crank-Nicolson scheme, we present analytical results of its convergence rate. Numerical examples further to demonstrate the performance of different variants of the iterative ADI-FDTD method.
An investigation concerning the possibility of replacing supplemental methionine with choline in practical laying rations

Abstract Three experiments were conducted to determine the possibility of replacing supplemental methionine with choline in practical laying rations. Two basal diets containing 16.4 and 14.4% protein were used in these experiments. The calculated levels of methionine and total sulfur amino acids (TSAA) were, respectively, .29 and .52% in the high protein and .26 and .45% in the low protein basal rations. The experimental rations were obtained by adding methionine, choline, or their combinations to the basal rations. Hens received the experimental rations for periods of 10, 20, and 40 weeks for the first, second, and third experiments, respectively. Supplemental methionine, choline, or their combinations did not have a significant effect on production traits with either levels of protein in the first experiment. In the second experiment, production traits were not improved by adding methionine or choline to the 16.4% basal diet. However, a significant egg production response was obtained by adding methionine, choline, or their combinations to the 14.4% protein diet. Egg size was significantly increased by methionine, whereas combinations of methionine and choline tended to increase egg size with the 14.4% protein diet. Adding choline alone to this basal diet did not affect egg size. In the third experiment, egg production of birds fed basal diets supplemented with methionine or choline was similar. However, with either level of protein, birds that received methionine-supplemented diets produced significantly larger eggs than those receiving choline-supplemented diets. The results of these experiments generally suggested that when practical laying rations are deficient in methionine and TSAA, choline supplementation may improve egg production. However, under such conditions choline in contrast to methionine is not effective in increasing egg size.
Micropropagation of Larix species and hybrids

Larch (Larix) species and hybrids are important conifers that are grown for lumber, poles and pulp as well as ornamental purposes in northern temperate zone forests across North America, Europe and Asia. Among the principal commercial larch species are tamarack (Larix laricina), Western larch (L. occidentalis), European larch (L. decidua), Japanese larch (L. leptolepis), Dahurian larch (L. gmelinii) and Siberian larch (L. siberica). Hybrid larches have shown heterosis in growth, stem form and wood mechanical properties as compared to the parental plants [36].
CRSI: a compact randomized similarity index for set-valued features

We propose a similarity index for set-valued features and study algorithms for executing various set similarity queries on it. Such queries are fundamental for many application areas, including data integration and cleaning, data profiling as well as near duplicate document detection. In this paper, we focus on Jaccard similarity and present estimators that work for arbitrary similarity thresholds based on a single similarity index. We show how to build this similarity index a-priori, without knowledge about query similarity thresholds, based on recently proposed synopses for multiset operations. The index is deployed using existing disk-based inverted indexing implementations and our algorithms exploit available techniques, like skip-lists, to further optimize the query performance. The index has provably small space footprints, is orders of magnitude smaller and faster to create/incrementally maintain than exact solutions, and the algorithms provide approximate answers, with an error that is controlled by a user-specified parameter. We prove the error bounds of our algorithms analytically, and, finally, we demonstrate the performance of the algorithms and verify their accuracy experimentally.
Profile of colorectal cancer at a community hospital with a multiethnic population.

Abstract A retrospective 10-year review of all (311) new cases of colorectal cancer at a community hospital serving a multiethnic urban population was carried out in order to study characteristics of the disease other than incidence and mortality rates. There was a striking similarity despite ethnic differences in most characteristics. The only differences between ethnic groups seen were anatomic distribution of cancer in the colon (statistically significant) and male-to-female ratio of colon cancer (apparent but not statistically significant). Characteristics are classified into three types: (1) Not influenced by ethnicity or by environment: Dukes' stage at presentation, colon-to-rectum ratio, histology, length of hospital stay, survival; (2) Possibly influenced by environment: mean age, male-to-female ratio, presence of synchronous polyps, duration of symptoms; (3) Influenced by ethnicity: anatomic distribution of cancer in the colon.
The Preventive War that Never Happened: Britain, France, and the Rise of Germany in the 1930s

The theory of “preventive war” states that, under certain conditions, states respond to rising adversaries with military force in an attempt to forestall an adverse shift in the balance of power. B...
Improved bound for the union of fat triangles

We show that, for any fixed δ > 0, the combinatorial complexity of the union of n triangles in the plane, each of whose angles is at least δ, is O(n2α(n) log* n), with the constant of proportionality depending on δ. This considerably improves the twenty-year-old bound O(n log log n), due to Matousek et al. [24, 25].
New Gianturco-Grifka Vascular Occlusion Device Initial Studies in a Canine Model

Background Transcatheter closure of cardiovascular defects remains a challenge. Several occlusion devices are available, but each device has limitations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the new Gianturco-Grifka vascular occlusion device (GGVOD) in a canine model. Methods and Results A total of 26 GGVODs were implanted as part of short- and long-term studies. In the short-term study, 1 GGVOD was implanted in each of 11 systemic arteries from 3.2 to 9.0 mm in diameter. All 11 arteries were occluded immediately. In the long-term study, an aortopulmonary shunt was placed in 10 dogs (9, Gore-tex graft; 1, subclavian artery) followed by GGVOD implantation; additionally, a GGVOD was implanted in 5 subclavian arteries. The dogs were boarded for 3 to 6 months, then recatheterized and euthanatized. Immediately after implantation, the 5 subclavian arteries and 9 Gore-tex shunts were occluded completely; the 1 subclavian artery shunt had a small residual leak. At recatheterization, all 10 shunts and 5 subcl...
Structural Characterization of Peptide-Mediated Inhibition of Porphyromonas gingivalis Biofilm Formation

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a periodontal pathogen whose primary niche is the anaerobic environment of subgingival dental plaque, but initial colonization of the oral cavity is likely to occur on supragingival surfaces that already support robust biofilm communities. Our studies have shown that P. gingivalis adheres to Streptococcus gordonii through interaction of the minor fimbrial antigen Mfa1 with a specific region of the streptococcal SspB polypeptide (residues 1167 to 1193) designated BAR. We show that a synthetic peptide comprising the BAR sequence potently inhibits P. gingivalis adherence to S. gordonii (50% inhibitory concentration = 1.3 μM) and prevents the development of P. gingivalis biofilms. However, a retroinverso peptide that possessed the same side chain topology as that of BAR was inactive, suggesting that interactions of Mfa1 with the peptide backbone of BAR are important for binding. A conformationally constrained analog of BAR inhibited P. gingivalis adherence and biofilm formation but at a lower specific activity than that of BAR. Therefore, to further define the structural features of the Mfa1-BAR interaction, we functionally screened combinatorial libraries of BAR in which active site residues (Asn1182, Thr1184, and Val1185) were replaced with each of the 19 common amino acids. Peptides containing positively charged amino acids at position 1182 or hydrophobic residues at position 1185 bound P. gingivalis more efficiently than did control peptides containing Asn and Val at these positions, suggesting that electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions may contribute to Mfa1-SspB binding. In contrast, replacement of Pro or Gly at these positions was detrimental to adherence, suggesting that perturbation of the BAR secondary structure influences activity. The net effect of substitutions for Thr1184 was less pronounced either positively or negatively than that at the other sites. These results define physicochemical characteristics of the interacting interface of Mfa1 and SspB and suggest that peptides or peptidomimetics with greater specific inhibitory activity than that of BAR can be developed. These compounds may represent potential therapeutics that target some of the first molecular interactions that allow P. gingivalis to colonize the oral cavity.
Modeling the structural changes of tortilla chips during frying

Abstract Monte Carlo simulation was used to model structure changes in tortilla chips during frying. The results were analyzed using Ensight™ (CEI, Morrisville, NC), a Scientist’s, plotting tool. Cluster identity (oil, water, air, solid), number of clusters, cluster size, and mean size were determined. Cluster statistics were further provided for different frying conditions. The model predicted maximum oil absorption in a control tortilla chip during the first 10 s of frying, which coincided with maximum water evaporation also observed during the first 10 s of frying. Maximum pore expansion occurred between 30 and 40 s of frying. Steam baking the tortilla chip prior to frying caused the formation of a tight barrier on the surface due to starch gelatinization. This surface prevented water evaporation as well as oil absorption. Higher initial moisture contents provided for an increasing porosity in the product, from 47.12% to 54.04%. Freeze-dried tortilla chips had higher internal oil content because smaller pores spread over the matrix provide a larger surface area and higher capillary pressures. The smaller pores are due to the absence of a tight barrier along the tortilla’s surface, as freeze-drying does not cause starch gelatinization (no heat treatment prior to frying).
A Unified Approach to Measurement Error and Missing Data: Overview and Applications

Although social scientists devote considerable eort to mitigating measurement error during data collection, they often ignore the issue during data analysis. And although many statistical methods have been proposed for reducing measurement error-induced biases, few have been widely used because of implausible assumptions, high levels of model dependence, dicult computation, or inapplicability with multiple mismeasured variables. We develop an easy-to-use alternative without these problems; it generalizes the popular multiple imputation (mi) framework by treating missing data problems as a limiting special case of extreme measurement error, and corrects for both. Like mi, the proposed framework is a simple two-step procedure, so that in the second step researchers can use whatever statistical method they would have if there had been no problem in the rst place. We also oer empirical illustrations, open source software that implements all the methods described herein, and a companion paper with technical details and extensions (Blackwell, Honaker and King, 2015b).
A pain in the neck

Answers to the following two quiz questions can be found on page 79 ### Theme: Neck Select one option from the following: 1. Acute crush fracture 2. Infective spondylodiscitis 3. Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis 4. Pharyngotonsillitis 5. Retropharyngeal infection 6. Retropharyngeal tumour 7. Vertebral metastasis This 4-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with neck pain …
Sodium channels and the synaptic mechanisms of inhaled anaesthetics

General anaesthetics act in an agent-specific manner on synaptic transmission in the central nervous system by enhancing inhibitory transmission and reducing excitatory transmission. The synaptic mechanisms of general anaesthetics involve both presynaptic effects on transmitter release and postsynaptic effects on receptor function. The halogenated volatile anaesthetics inhibit neuronal voltage-gated Na+ channels at clinical concentrations. Reductions in neurotransmitter release by volatile anaesthetics involve inhibition of presynaptic action potentials as a result of Na+ channel blockade. Although voltage-gated ion channels have been assumed to be insensitive to general anaesthetics, it is now evident that clinical concentrations of volatile anaesthetics inhibit Na+ channels in isolated rat nerve terminals and neurons, as well as heterologously expressed mammalian Na+ channel α subunits. Voltage-gated Na+ channels have emerged as promising targets for some of the effects of the inhaled anaesthetics. Knowledge of the synaptic mechanisms of general anaesthetics is essential for optimization of anaesthetic techniques for advanced surgical procedures and for the development of improved anaesthetics.
Corporate Governance Changes Following Earnings Restatements: A Research Tool

This study develops a research model to investigate whether firms that restate previously released financial reports implement subsequent changes in internal governance in an effort to correct underlying problems that contributed to the need for restatement in the first place. In doing so, various likely responses to financial reporting problems, including board, audit, and management changes, are indexed into a single measure to assess the joint strength of multiple corporate governance attributes within a firm. The paper demonstrates how a comparison of the Index before and after a restatement may be used to relate the nature and magnitude of a restatement with the likelihood of corporate governance changes in the aftermath of restatement. Further, the paper classifies sample restatements more finely on the basis of presence of fraud, prompter, magnitude, severity, and reason for the restatement. This more detailed classification recognizes that responses to restatements likely relate to particular characteristics of the restatement and the restatement firm. To illustrate the use of the Index in the research model, a sample hypothesis is examined, with findings showing a statistically significant association between restatements involving fraud and subsequent corporate governance changes.
Shape-based object recognition in videos using 3D synthetic object models

In this paper we address the problem of recognizing moving objects in videos by utilizing synthetic 3D models. We use only the silhouette space of the synthetic models making thus our approach independent of appearance. To deal with the decrease in discriminability in the absence of appearance, we align sequences of object masks from video frames to paths in silhouette space. We extract object silhouettes from video by an integration of feature tracking, motion grouping of tracks, and co-segmentation of successive frames. Subsequently, the object masks from the video are matched to 3D model silhouettes in a robust matching and alignment phase. The result is a matching score for every 3D model to the video, along with a pose alignment of the model to the video. Promising experimental results indicate that a purely shape-based matching scheme driven by synthetic 3D models can be successfully applied for object recognition in videos.
Proliferation Defects and Genome Instability in Cells Lacking Cul4A

The Cul4A gene, which encodes a core component of a cullin-based E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, is overexpressed in breast and hepatocellular cancers. In breast cancers, overexpression of Cul4A strongly correlates with poor prognosis. In addition, Cul4A is required for early embryonic development. The early lethality of mouse embryos prevented a detailed analysis of the functions of Cul4A. Here, we used a strain of mice carrying floxed alleles of Cul4A to study its role in cell division, in vitro and in vivo. Embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) show a severe deficiency in cell proliferation after deletion of Cul4A. We observed that the Cul4A protein is abundantly expressed in the brain, liver and the mammary tissue of pregnant mice. Deletion of Cul4A in the liver impairs hepatocyte proliferation during regeneration after carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced injury. The Cul4A-deleted cells are slow in entering the S phase, and are deficient in progressing through the early M phase. Several cell-cycle regulators, including p53 and p27Kip1, are deregulated in the Cul4A-deleted cells. Expression of a dominant negative mutant of p53 causes significant reversal of the proliferation defects in Cul4A-deleted cells. The Cul4A-deleted cells show an aberrant number of centrosome, multipolar spindles and micronuclei formation. Furthermore, those cells are sensitive to UV irradiation and show reduced levels of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS). Together, our observations indicate that Cul4A is required for efficient cell proliferation, control of centrosome amplification and genome stability.
Why charities announce donations: a positive perspective

Charities frequently announce contributions of donors as they accrue. Doing so induces donors to play a sequential-move rather than simultaneous-move game. We examine the conditions under which a charity prefers such sequential play. It is known that if donors only value contributions through their effect on the total provision of a public good, then the charity will not announce contributions sequentially. However, with more general utility functions that include additional effects such as warm-glow or snob appeal, the charity may benefit from announcing contributions. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
The correct publication date for mecopteran insects (Choristidae, Bittacidae, and Panorpidae) described by John Obadiah Westwood, resurrecting Panorpa confusa Westwood, 1841, the confused scorpionfly

I correct the publication dates for one genus and 14 species of Mecoptera (1 choristid, 4 bittacids, and 9 panorpids), and resurrect Panorpa confusa Westwood, 1841. Additionally, I provide a nomenclatural and taxonomic summary for these taxa, and a publication history for all of Westwood’s related publications.
Fertility Preservation in Women with Turner Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review and Practical Guidelines

In this article we review the existing fertility preservation options for women diagnosed with Turner syndrome and provide practical guidelines for the practitioner. Turner syndrome is the most common sex chromosome abnormality in women, occurring in approximately 1 in 2500 live births. Women with Turner syndrome are at extremely high risk for primary ovarian insufficiency and infertility. Although approximately 70%-80% have no spontaneous pubertal development and 90% experience primary amenorrhea, the remainder might possess a small residual of ovarian follicles at birth or early childhood. The present challenge is to identify these women as early in life as is possible, to allow them to benefit from a variety of existing fertility preservation options. To maximize the benefits of fertility preservation, all women with Turner syndrome should be evaluated by an expert as soon as possible in childhood because the vast majority will have their ovarian reserve depleted before adulthood. Cryopreservation of mature oocytes and embryos is a proven fertility preservation approach, and cryopreservation of ovarian tissue is a promising technique with a growing number of live births, but remains investigational. Oocyte cryopreservation has been performed in children with Turner syndrome as young as 13 years of age and ovarian tissue cryopreservation in affected prepubertal children. However, current efficacy of these approaches is unknown in this cohort. For those who have already lost their ovarian reserve, oocyte or embryo donation and adoption are strategies that allow fulfillment of the desire for parenting. For those with Turner syndrome-related cardiac contraindications to pregnancy, use of gestational surrogacy allows the possibility of biological parenting using their own oocytes. Alternatively, gestational surrogacy can serve to carry pregnancy resulting from the use of donor oocytes or embryos, if needed.
Strong ties promote the evolution of cooperation in dynamic networks

Abstract Research on the evolution of cooperation in networked populations has assumed that ties are simply present or absent. Here we bring relational sociological insights about the strength of ties to bear on the problem of cooperation in dynamic networks. We argue that the value of ties affects their strength, which in turn promotes cooperation. We evaluate this argument with two studies. First, results from an agent-based model are consistent with the logic of our argument and are robust across a variety of initial conditions. Second, results from a controlled laboratory experiment with human participants support the key predictions. Across both studies we demonstrate that tie strength, operationalized as relationship duration, mediates the impact of tie value on cooperation.
Transformations of asymptotic gravitational-wave data

Gravitational-wave data is gauge dependent. While we can restrict the class of gauges in which such data may be expressed, there will still be an infinite-dimensional group of transformations allowed while remaining in this class, and almost as many different---though physically equivalent---waveforms as there are transformations. This paper presents a method for calculating the effects of the most important transformation group, the Bondi-Metzner-Sachs (BMS) group, consisting of rotations, boosts, and supertranslations (which include time and space translations as special cases). To a reasonable approximation, these transformations result in simple coupling between the modes in a spin-weighted spherical-harmonic decomposition of the waveform. It is shown that waveforms from simulated compact binaries in the publicly available SXS waveform catalog contain unmodeled effects due to displacement and drift of the center of mass, accounting for mode mixing at typical levels of 1%. However, these effects can be mitigated by measuring the average motion of the system's center of mass for a portion of the inspiral, and applying the opposite transformation to the waveform data. More generally, controlling the BMS transformations will be necessary to eliminate the gauge ambiguity inherent in gravitational-wave data for both numerical and analytical waveforms. Open-source code implementing BMS transformations of waveforms is supplied along with this paper in the supplemental materials.
Formulaic Transparency: The Hidden Cost of Mass Securitization

Housing finance, fair lending, and fair credit reporting rules the US induce widespread reliance on credit bureau scores by originators of residential mortgages and consumer loans. Reliance on scores that issuers cannot control -- but can disclose to investors -- has helped raise loans securitized in the US to more than five times European levels. But, because the scores exclude material information, lending mistakes also increase, skewing the distribution of credit against creditworthy borrowers.
Determination of synthesis, recycling and body mass of glucose in rats and rabbits in vivo with 3H- and 14C-labelled glucose

1. Glucose labelled with (3)H in position 2 and uniformly with (14)C was administered simultaneously to rabbits and rats either as a single injection or by continuous infusion. Plasma glucose specific radioactivity and the yield of (3)H in the plasma water were monitored. 2. The rates of synthesis, recycling of carbon and total body mass of glucose were calculated, without assuming a multicompartmental model and without fitting data by exponential expressions. 3. The rate of synthesis of glucose in starved-overnight rabbits was 4mg/min per kg (range 3-4.5mg/min per kg) and 25-35% of the glucose carbon was recycled. The mass of total body glucose in starved rabbits was 290mg/kg (range 220-390mg/kg). About one-third of the total body glucose equilibrates nearly instantaneously with plasma glucose. 4. In rats starved overnight, glucose synthesis was about 10mg/min per kg and recycling of carbon ranged from 30-40%. Total body mass (per kg body weight) is similar to that in rabbits. 5. The activity in plasma water after injection of [2-(3)H]glucose was determined. The initial rate of (3)H(2)O formation is rapid, indicating that the major site of glucose catabolism is in the rapidly mixing pool. The curve of total body glucose radioactivity was obtained from the (3)H(2)O yield, and total mass of glucose was calculated. This agrees with that obtained from the (3)H specific-radioactivity curve.
Optimal Policy for Reservoir Operation

A method is described for finding the operation that provides the optimal combination of firm on-peak energy, dump energy and firm water supply from a single multi-purpose reservoir which also provides flood and water quality control. Dynamic programming with a physical recursive equation and variation of parameters are used to find the physical production possibility function which shows the transformation between providing firm on-peak energy and firm water supply. From computer results annual equivalent revenue and optimum operating policy are determined. The model is applied to Folsom Reservoir and Power Plant on the American River in Northern Calfornia for representative purposes.
Whom Can I Trust? A Cooperative Contingencies Model of Strategic Intergroup Bias

We advance the Cooperative Contingencies Model (CCM) as an account for how and why intergroup segregation and disparities (e.g., in education, health, employment, justice) persist despite positive shifts in intergroup attitudes. Life in human societies hinges on cooperation, but decisions to cooperate with others are often risky. The CCM posits that because groups facilitate cooperation, decision-makers often have an instrumental incentive to preferentially coordinate with ingroup (over outgroup) members. Importantly, this incentive operates independently from other contributors to bias (e.g., social identity, ideology) and thus exists even for egalitarians. The CCM further posits, however, that the incentive to preferentially coordinate with ingroup members is contingent on the full set of cooperative requirements (how much people need to cooperate) and cooperative affordances (mechanisms available to facilitate cooperation) perceived in current contexts. Hypotheses regarding when people will exhibit strategic intergroup biases and how they can be reduced are derived from the model.