cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased inflammation and decreased insulin sensitivity indicate metabolic disturbances in zoo-managed compared to free-ranging black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)

Abstract Black rhinoceros (rhinos) living in zoos express a host of unusual disease syndromes that are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, including hemolytic anemia, rhabdomyolysis, hepatopathy and ulcerative skin disease, hypophosphatemia and iron overload. We hypothesized that iron overload is a consequence and indicator of disturbances related to inflammation and insulin/glucose metabolism. The objectives of this study were to: (1) generate the first baseline information on biomarkers of inflammation (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNFα], serum amyloid A [SAA]), insulin sensitivity (insulin, glucose and proxy calculations of insulin sensitivity), phosphate and iron stores (ferritin) using banked serum from free-ranging black rhinos; and (2) then compare serum biomarkers between zoo-managed ( n = 86 individuals) and free-ranging ( n = 120) animals. Enzyme immunoassays were validated for serum and then biomarker levels analyzed using mixed models while controlling for sex, age and year of sample collection. Concentrations of TNFα, SAA, insulin and insulin-to glucose ratio were higher ( P ex situ conditions compared to free-living counterparts. Findings indicate that the captive environment is contributing to increased inflammation and decreased insulin sensitivity in this endangered species.
Comparison of 18F-FDG PET findings with serum thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) levels in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC)

1266 Objectives: To determine the incidence of positive PET scans, as well as the prevalence of distant disease, according to the level of Tg or the presence TgAb, in post 131-I ablation post-thyroidectomy patients with history of DTC. Methods: Review of 65 patients who underwent PET scans between September 1, 2000 and August 31, 2005 in follow-up for DTC. All 65 patients were post 131-I ablation and had non-suppressed Tg levels measured to be less than 100 ng/ml, or had a Tg level >100 ng/ml or had TgAb > 2.2 IU/ml detected within 4 months of the PET examination. Tg levels were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) prior to December 1, 2002 and by chemiluminescence (CL) subsequently. This population was stratified into group I: Tg 10, TgAb 10 (3 patients). Within each group a tally was made of the patient preparation for the PET scan – rhTSH stimulated (R), hypothyroid (H) or euthyroid (E). Scans were classified according to the presence of locoregional disease (LRD) only, versus the presence of any distant disease (DD). Equivocal scans were classified as negative. Results: There were 30 (Tg measured by CL in 27 and in 3 by RIA) patients in group I (21R, 5H, 4E). PET scans were positive in 10 (33%). Of the 10, 4 had LRD and 6 had DD. Of the 28 (Tg measured by CL in 23 and in 5 by RIA) patients in group II (13R, 6H, 9E), scans were positive in 19 (68%) with 6 LRD and 13 DD. There were 7 (Tg measured by CL in all) patients in group III (4R, 1H, 2E). Group IIIA had 4 patients (2R, 2E) with scans positive in 3 (75%) with 1 LRD and 2 DD. Group IIIB had 3 patients (2R, 1H) with scans positive in 3 (100%) with 1 LRD and 2 DD. Conclusions: While PET scans are more likely to be positive with higher pre-test Tg levels, a substantial fraction of DTC patients with lower but detectable serum Tg will have positive PET scans. The presence of TgAb appears to be associated with a high incidence of PET positivity and a substantial prevalence of distant disease. 18F-FDG PET will disclose distant disease in patients with TgAb, independently of the Tg level.
The role of antimicrobial surfaces in hospitals to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)

Abstract Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) represent a clear and present danger to all. Considering the annual direct and indirect costs associated with HAIs for acute care hospitals within the United States, the public health consequences and financial outlays for HAIs are estimated to range between $96 and $147 billion dollars [1] . Individuals acquire these infections while they are receiving medical or surgical care or in any other setting associated with care. In spite of the best efforts of the infection control community HAIs acquired during hospitalization still remain one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality for US hospitals and those across the developed world. In this chapter we will review the role of antimicrobial surfaces in order to address the potential of how such additions might impact the rate with which HAIs are acquired during hospitalization.
Creating a Rubric to Support the Development of Authentic Learning Experiences

This chapter outlines the creation of a rubric for instructional designers to use in developing authentic learning experiences during the course design process. The rubric is based on elements of the “Student as Producer” and “Social Pedagogies” frameworks. Both of the frameworks offer a comprehensive structure for designing authentic learning environments; however, they present practical challenges when applying them to course design projects. This rubric seeks to bridge the gap between the frameworks’ theoretical construction and their application for use by instructional designers in faculty development, curriculum planning, and course design.
Infection related severe skin damage

Infection plays an important role in the pediatric intensive care unit.Severe skin damage caused by bacterial infection often causes acute onset and high mortality, which should be paid attention to by clinicians.In this paper, the diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment of Staphylococcus aureus scalding syndrome and ecthyma gangrenosum caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection were reviewed. Key words: Infection; Severe skin injury; Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome; Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection
Microstructure effects on fatigue crack growth in additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V

Abstract In this work we investigate the relationship between the different microstructural features in additively-manufactured (AM) Direct Metal Laser Deposited Ti–6Al–4V alloys and the observed fatigue and fracture behaviors, using high resolution Digital Image Correlation experiments and microstructural imaging. Fatigue cracks in the AM specimens were observed to periodically propagate parallel to the α' laths and deflect at prior β grain boundaries. Corresponding plastic strain distributions show needle-like regions of high strain that correlated to the α' laths, suggesting significant influence of the microstructure on the plastic zone. In many cases, the fatigue cracks also propagated towards voids from unsintered powder or gas entrapment in the vicinity. In several experiments, premature failure of the AM specimens occurred under monotonic fracture or cyclic fatigue loading, which we attribute to the presence of void clusters located near the crack-tip. These fatigue and fracture characteristics were similar for AM specimens of different build-orientations.
Pretransplant Assessment for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Recipients and Donors

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) offers the best chance for prolonged disease control in many hematologic malignancies. Developments in reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) and improvements in supportive care have allowed HCT to expand to older individuals, but transplant-related mortality (TRM) continues to remain a barrier to transplant utilization and success. As HCT expands to less fit individuals, refining pretransplant assessment is necessary to guide patient selection.
Handling Rebalancing Problem in Shared Mobility Services via Reinforcement Learning-based Incentive Mechanism

Shared mobility systems regularly suffer from an imbalance of vehicle supply within the system, particularly when there is a spike in user demand at certain locations or an increase in number of vehicles due to special events. If such imbalances are not mitigated, many users will be unable to receive service. Recently there has been increasing research interest in the use of reinforcement learning to craft a dynamic incentive mechanism to encourage shared mobility users to slightly alter their travel behavior in exchange for a small monetary incentive. With the intention that these small changes will aid in rebalancing the vehicle supply in the shared mobility system such that overall service level can be increased. In this paper, we present summarized results of our extensive study of the effectiveness of reinforcement learning-based solutions to the rebalancing problem in terms of the resource and user volume/demand on the improvement in average service level per hour and average percentage improvement in service level per hour. In particular, our study focused on the rebalancing problem in a bikeshare system. Our empirical results show that the reinforcement learning-based incentive mechanism across all budget constraints and various state-action space performs well in terms of average percentage improvement in service level per hour (greater than 8%) when the resource is limited.
Pathways to the Present: U.S. Development and Its Consequences in the Pacific

Ranging from the Hawaiian Archipelago to the Aleutian Islands, from Silicon Valley to Guam, Pathways to the Present is a thoroughly researched and concisely argued account of economic and environmental change in the postwar "American" Pacific. Following a brief survey of the history of the Pacific, the author takes the Hawaiian Islands as the center of American activities in the region and looks at interactions among native Hawaiian, developmental, military, and environmental issues in the archipelago after World War II. He then turns to land- and water-use problems that have intersected with more nebulous quality-of-life concerns to generate policy controversies in the Seattle region and the San Francisco Bay area, especially Silicon Valley. Economic expansion and environmentalism in Alaska are examined through the lens of changes occurring along the Aleutians. From there the study considers Hiroshima after its destruction by the atomic bomb in 1945, looking at residents’ desire to combine urban-planning concepts. The author investigates the effort to remake Hiroshima as a high-tech city in the 1990s, an attempt inspired by the perceived success of Silicon Valley, and postwar planning on Okinawa, where American influences were particularly strong. The final chapter takes into account issues raised on Guam regarding the growth of tourism and the use of the island for military purposes and links these to developments in the Philippines to the west and American Sâmoa to the south. An electronic version of this book is freely available thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched, a collaborative initiative designed to make high-quality books open access for the public good. The open-access version of this book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means that the work may be freely downloaded and shared for non-commercial purposes, provided credit is given to the author. Derivative works and commercial uses require permission from the publisher.
A low-power cache scheme for embedded computing

This paper proposes an efficient cache scheme to reduce power consumption and conflict misses for single-core or multi-core embedded computing architecture. The proposed cache requires an additional gate stage before it accesses the cache line, which allows the use of a buffer to save the last memory reference. Each memory reference can be checked in the buffer before accessing the cache. If the data is in the buffer, the cache access can be aborted to reduce power consumption. Our simulation results show that it can reduce power consumption, access penalty, and cache misses significantly compared to other conventional caches such as direct-mapped and 2-way set-associative.
Inhibitors against factor VIII in patients with cancer. Analysis of 41 patients.

BACKGROUND The spontaneous formation of neutralizing antibodies (inhibitors) to factor VIII (FVIII) in patients with cancer is a well known phenomenon. However, to the authors' knowledge there is lack of information in the literature with respect to the clinical course of these patients and the nature of the association between malignant tumors and acquired hemophilia. METHODS A retrospective study of 41 patients with cancer and acquired hemophilia was conducted. The patients were identified through a MEDLINE search between 1974–2000. All patients had detailed clinical and laboratory information available and descriptions of the course of the inhibitor in relation to cancer treatment. The patients were divided into two groups: responders and nonresponders. The stage of the tumor, inhibitor titer, FVIII level, and survival data were examined and compared between the two groups. RESULTS A total of 63 hemorrhagic episodes were reported in 25 patients with solid tumors and 16 patients with hematologic malignancies. The median inhibitor titer at the time of the diagnosis of acquired hemophilia was 14 Bethesda units (BU) (range, 1–435 BU). The complete response (CR) rate to treatment of the inhibitor was 70% and patients who achieved a CR were more likely to have early stage tumors (P = 0.0007) and a lower median inhibitor titer at the time of presentation compared with nonresponders (12 BU vs. 78 BU; P = 0.007). The overall survival was significantly higher in patients who achieved a CR compared with patients with a persistent inhibitor (75% vs. 17%; P = 0.0006). CONCLUSIONS Although it remains an uncommon occurrence, the development of inhibitors to FVIII should be considered as a cause of bleeding in some patients with malignant diseases. Because of the high response rate and the impact of this type of hemorrhage on cancer patients, efforts should be directed toward immunosuppression of the inhibitor in a fashion similar to that used in other patients with acquired hemophilia. To our knowledge the link between malignancy and the formation of antibodies to FVIII is unclear; however, it appears that treatment of cancer with chemotherapy or surgery may accelerate the eradication of the inhibitor in some patients. Long term prospective studies are needed to better assess the association between cancer and acquired hemophilia. Cancer 2001;91:1067–74. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
Induction of gadd45beta by NF-kappaB downregulates pro-apoptotic JNK signalling

In addition to coordinating immune and inflammatory responses, NF-kappaB/Rel transcription factors control cell survival. Normally, NF-kappaB dimers are sequestered in the cytoplasm by binding to inhibitory IkappaB proteins, and can be activated rapidly by signals that induce the sequential phosphorylation and proteolysis of IkappaBs. Activation of NF-kappaB antagonizes apoptosis or programmed cell death by numerous triggers, including the ligand engagement of 'death receptors' such as tumour-necrosis factor (TNF) receptor. The anti-apoptotic activity of NF-kappaB is also crucial to oncogenesis and to chemo- and radio-resistance in cancer. Cytoprotection by NF-kappaB involves the activation of pro-survival genes; however, its basis remains poorly understood. Here we report that NF-kappaB complexes downregulate the c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) cascade, thus establishing a link between the NF-kappaB and the JNK pathways. This link involves the transcriptional upregulation of gadd45beta/myd118 (ref. 4), which downregulates JNK signalling induced by the TNF receptor (TNF-R). This NF-kappaB-dependent inhibition of the JNK pathway is central to the control of cell death. Our findings define a protective mechanism that is mediated by NF-kappaB complexes and establish a role for the persistent activation of JNK in the apoptotic response to TNF-alpha.
Purification and Characterization of Heterologously Expressed Mouse CYP2A5 and CYP2G1: Role in Metabolic Activation of Acetaminophen and 2,6-Dichlorobenzonitrile in Mouse Olfactory Mucosal Microsomes

The metabolic activation of two known olfactory mucosal (OM) toxicants, acetaminophen (AP) and 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (DCBN), was examined with mouse liver and OM microsomes and purified, heterologously expressed mouse CYP2A5 and CYP2G1. In reconstituted systems, both isoforms were active in metabolizing DCBN and AP to metabolites that formed protein adducts. The formation of DCBN- or AP-protein adducts and other AP metabolites, including 3-hydroxy-AP and, in the presence of glutathione, AP-glutathione conjugate, was also detected in OM microsomal reactions and to a much greater extent than in liver microsomes. Evidence was obtained that CYP2A5 and CYP2G1 play major roles in mouse OM microsomal metabolic activation of DCBN and AP. Immunoblot analysis indicated that CYP2A5 and CYP2G1 are abundant P450 isoforms in OM microsomes. OM microsomal AP and DCBN metabolic activation was inhibited by 5- and 8-methoxsalen, which inhibit both CYP2A5 and CYP2G1, and by an inhibitory anti-CYP2A5 antibody that also inhibits CYP2G1. In addition, the roles of CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 in the OM bioactivation of AP and DCBN were ruled out by comparing activities of acetone-treated mice or Cyp1a2(-/-) mice with those of control mice. Thus, CYP2A5 and CYP2G1 may both contribute to the known OM-selective toxicity of AP and DCBN. Further analysis of the kinetics of AP and DCBN metabolism by the purified P450s suggested that CYP2A5 may play a greater role in OM microsomal metabolism of AP, whereas their relative roles in DCBN metabolism may be dose dependent, with CYP2G1 playing more important roles at low substrate concentrations.
REPEATED ADMINISTRATION OF COCAINE OR AMPHETAMINE ALTERS NEURONAL RESPONSES TO GLUTAMATE IN THE MESOACCUMBENS DOPAMINE SYSTEM

The development of behavioral sensitization during repeated administration of psychomotor stimulants is a well characterized phenomenon which involves alterations in dopaminergic neurotransmission within the mesoaccumbens system. However, recent evidence indicating that both behavioral sensitization and certain of its neuronal correlates can be prevented by excitatory amino acid receptor antagonists suggests an integral role for glutamate systems in sensitization processes. Therefore, we have determined whether repeated psychomotor stimulant administration can alter responsiveness of the mesoaccumbens dopamine (DA) system to glutamate. After five daily injections of either cocaine (15.0 mg/kg) or d-amphetamine (5.0 mg/kg), rats were subjected to in vivo single cell recording to determine the efficacy of iontophoretically administered glutamate in altering the firing of ventral tegmental area DA neurons and nucleus accumbens neurons. Current-response determinations indicated that the responsiveness of ventral tegmental area DA neurons to glutamate was significantly enhanced in d-amphetamine-treated and cocaine-treated rats in that the neurons entered a state of apparent depolarization block at significantly lower iontophoretic currents. In contrast, nucleus accumbens neurons in psychomotor stimulant-treated rats were significantly less sensitive to the rate-enhancing effects of glutamate. Thus, sensitization appears to be associated with alterations in glutamate transmission at both the origin and termination of the mesoaccumbens DA pathway.
Applications of optical upconversion to sparse aperture millimeter-wave imaging

Passive millimeter-wave imagers have shown significant potential for use in applications that require penetration through atmospheric obscurations such a fog and smoke. However, the large apertures required to achieve sufficient diffraction-limited resolution in such systems often prohibit their use for many applications. One possible technique to circumvent this limitation is to use sparse-aperture imaging techniques. To date, such systems have not been realized because they require a high number of phase-sensitive, low-noise detectors spread over a large physical area. Collection and correlation processing of the data from this large array of sensors has not been practical using available technologies. Herein, we present the potential of optical upconversion detectors for sparse aperture imaging. The optical signals generated in such detectors preserve the phase information of the detected signal up until photodetection and may be easily routed to a central processor using low-loss optical fiber. Potential architectures for sparse aperture imagers using optical upconversion are discussed and compared to more traditional down-converted approaches. In addition, experimental results demonstrating the viability of such imagers are presented.
Optical Structure Recognition Software To Recover Chemical Information: OSRA — An Open Source Solution

Until recently most scientific and patent documents dealing with chemistry have described molecular structures either with systematic names or with graphical images of Kekule structures. The latter method poses inherent problems in the automated processing that is needed when the number of documents ranges in the hundreds of thousands or even millions since graphical representations cannot be directly interpreted by a computer. To recover this structural information, which is otherwise all but lost, we have built an optical structure recognition application based on modern advances in image processing implemented in open source tools, OSRA. OSRA can read documents in over 90 graphical formats including GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, PDF, and PS, automatically recognizes and extracts the graphical information representing chemical structures in such documents, and generates the SMILES or SD representation of the encountered molecular structure images.
Long-term outcome analysis of two treatment methods for cleft palate: combined levator retropositioning and pharyngeal flap versus double-opposing Z-plasty.

Abstract Objective: Two surgical techniques for repair of a cleft palate include levator retropositioning in combination with a pharyngeal flap and the Furlow double-opposing Z-plasty. This study compared morbidity and speech results from the use of these two methods in an effort to determine which was the superior technique. Design: Patient records from 1986 to 1996 were retrospectively reviewed, and 10 patients with a cleft palate who underwent repair with a levator retropositioning and pharyngeal flap were compared to 14 patients who underwent a double-opposing Z-plasty repair. Postoperative complications including fistula formation, obstructive sleep apnea, and residual velopharyngeal insufficiency were recorded. Speech was assessed perceptually and through the use of nasometry. Results: Both surgical techniques resulted in good speech in the majority of patients. Only two patients in the study, both in the Z-plasty group, had severe postoperative hypernasality. Two patients in the levator retropositi...
A multidisciplinary approach for the analysis of an adulterated dietary supplement where the active pharmaceutical ingredient was embedded in the capsule shell

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopic imaging, Raman microspectroscopy, optical microscopy and high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric (LC/MS) detection were employed to examine a dietary supplement adulterated with an undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). While a trace level of the API was detected in the capsule contents, a higher concentration of API was found in the capsule shell, which indicated the use of an unconventional manufacturing process to hide the API and thus avoid detection. This study demonstrates the need for a multidisciplinary approach to provide a complete assessment of a suspect adulterated dietary supplement.
Free amino acids in the developmental stages of the mosquito.

Summary(1) The free amino acids of mosquito eggs, larvae (4th-stage), pupae and adults (males and females) were extracted with ethanol and identified by paper chromatography. The following amino acids were found in the various stages studied: alanine, glutamic acid, β-alanine, isoleucine, leucine, taurine, proline, histidine, serine, valine, methionine, threonine, lysine, arginine, aspar-tic acid, glycine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. (2) Extracts of pupae contained lower concentrations of most amino acids than the other stages, with the greatest drop occurring shortly before emergence of the adults. Other quantitative variations from one stage to another involved only 2 or 3 amino acids.
Transgenic Animals in Lipoprotein Research

Lipid metabolism is a complex system involving the interaction of several lipid-transporting and-transferring serum proteins, enzymes regulating lipoprotein synthesis and modification, and lipoprotein receptors. Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated that many abnormalities in lipid metabolism are associated with coronary heart disease risk. There are at least 17 different genes that code for proteins directly involved in lipoprotein metabolism. Naturally occurring mutations in many of these genes have been described that affect either the quantity or the quality of these proteins. Such genetic alterations aid in the precise evaluation of the function of these gene products. Transgenic animal technology has made it possible to create genetic alterations and to study the consequences of overexpression of a gene and expression of a mutated protein, and also to study species-specific differences between proteins.
Time-dependent inhibition of γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase, by 3-hydroxybenzylhydrazine

gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) aminotransferase is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of GABA into succinic semialdehyde. Hydrazine analogues have long been known to act as inactivators of PLP-dependent enzymes, including GABA aminotransferase, however, no studies of the molecular mechanism of inactivation of PLP-dependent enzymes by hydrazines have been reported. 3-Hydroxybenzylhydrazine is shown to be a potent in vitro time-dependent inhibitor of pig brain GABA aminotransferase. UV-visible and 1H NMR studies, both with GABA aminotransferase and with PLP as a chemical model for the enzyme-catalyzed reaction, indicate that 3-hydroxybenzylhydrazine reacts both enzymatically and nonenzymatically to form the 3-hydroxybenzylhydrazone of PLP without tautomerization.
Grain fracture in rapid particulate media deformation and a particulate media research roadmap from the PMEE workshops

It is well known that grain fracture plays an important role in quasi-static compaction of particulate media (e.g. civil engineering applications). Grain fracture is frequently the energy-minimizing path which enables particulate media to support large stresses. Less well known is the role that fracture plays in higher-rate particulate media systems. This paper discusses grain-scale & macro-scale evidence for the role of fracture in high-pressure/rate particulate media deformation events. It also presents (Appendix) a related particulate materials research roadmap developed by feedback from the Particulate Materials in Extreme Environments (PMEE) workshops. Experimental evidence is presented from recent sand fracture experiments performed by launching hemispherical-nose projectiles into specially-prepared beds of sand. Particle size analysis, SEM images of virgin & fractured media, and images from the bulk sand fracture & flow are used to illustrate the role of sand fracture. It is shown that as-poured sand exhibits a dilatational response and that mechanically compacted sand exhibits a compaction response when each is stimulated by a high-speed hemi-nose projectile. For compacted sand, particle size analysis suggests that particles near the rear of the target (lower projectile velocities and pressures) are reduced more in size. Fractured sand is shown to exhibit abrasion, attrition and fracture modes with visual self-similarity limited to specific particle size range roughly divided into classes larger or smaller than ~50 microns. Initial particulate media density affects the bulk response to high-pressure/rate events. Varying the density can transition the flow from dilation to compaction-dominated, likely as a function of inter-grain stresses from compaction. Substantial particle fracture is an artifact of both flow cases.
Does heritability hide in epistasis between linked SNPs

Much recent discussion addresses the question of ‘missing heritability' in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The problem can be illustrated using the example of human height. Classical pedigree studies show a high heritability of human height, in the order of 80%. This is part of our everyday experience: tall parents tend to have tall children. GWAS has identified more than 40 loci associated with height, but these variants together explain only a small part of phenotypic variation.1 A number of hypotheses have been advanced to identify the source of the missing heritability, including large effects of rare variants and effects of copy-number variation.2 A conceptual difference between pedigree studies and GWAS does not appear to have been considered: pedigree-based heritability measures the phenotypic effects of much larger chunks of chromosome than GWAS-based heritability. This distinction can be illustrated with a simple example that elides complexities arising from diploidy. Consider two SNPS (A/T and G/C) in linkage equilibrium that are located 0.1 cm apart. The SNPs could, for example, encode two amino acid substitutions within a single protein. From the perspective of pedigree-based measures of heritability, the four haplotypes (AG, AC, TG and TC) are inherited as four alleles at a single locus, but from the perspective of GWAS these are biallelic polymorphisms at distinct loci. Suppose that the combinations AG and TC add a little bit extra to height but AC and TG subtract a little bit. Then, neither SNP will be correlated with height in GWAS, but the haplotypes, which are correlated with height, will be reliably transmitted from parents to offspring and will contribute to estimates of pedigree-based heritability. Put another way, the genetic effect on phenotype appears as part of the additive genetic variance in pedigree studies but as an unmeasured gene × gene interaction in GWAS. The major constraint on measuring interactions in GWAS has been the very large number of possible interactions. If there are 106 SNPs on an array, then there are 5 × 1011 pairs of SNPs. However, the number of pairs is a much more manageable 106 if analysis is restricted to neighboring SNPs.
Détournement, Decolonization, and the American Indian Occupation of Alcatraz Island (1969–1971)

On November 20, 1969, eighty-nine American Indians calling themselves the “Indians of All Tribes” (IOAT) invaded Alcatraz Island. The group’s founding proclamation was addressed to “the Great White Father and All His People,” and declared “We, the Native Americans, reclaim the land known as Alcatraz Island in the name of all American Indians by right of discovery” (2). Tongue-in-cheek, the IOAT offered to purchase Alcatraz Island for “twenty-four dollars in glass beads and red clothe.” In this essay, I illustrate how the IOAT engaged in a rhetoric of detournement, or a subversive misappropriation of dominant discourse that disassembles and imitates texts until they clearly display their oppressive qualities. I argue that the Proclamation established a textual framework that calls for a skeptical and irreverent reading of dominant discourse. I conclude that strategic detournements suture dominant discourses to the moniker of colonialism and invite sympathetic audiences to engage in decolonization.
Role of Disorder in Clathrin Lattice Assembly

Assembly of clathrin lattices is mediated by assembly/adaptor proteins which contain domains that bind lipids or membrane bound cargo proteins, and clathrin binding domains (CBDs) that recruit clathrin. Here we characterize the interaction between clathrin and a large fragment of the CBD of the clathrin assembly protein AP180. Mutational, NMR chemical shift, and analytical ultracentrifugation analyses allowed us to precisely define two clathrin binding sites within this fragment, each of which is found to bind weakly to the N-terminal domain of the clathrin heavy chain (TD). The locations of the two clathrin binding sites are consistent with predictions from sequence alignments of previously identified clathrin binding elements and, by extension, indicate that the complete AP180 CBD contains ∼12 degenerate repeats, each containing a single clathrin binding site. Sequence and circular dichroism analyses have indicated that the AP180 CBD is predominantly unstructured and our NMR analyses confirm that this is largely the case for the AP180 fragment characterized here. Unexpectedly, unlike the many proteins which undergo binding coupled folding upon interaction with their binding partners, the AP180 fragment is similarly unstructured in its bound and free states. Instead, we find that this fragment exhibits localized beta turn-like structures at the two clathrin binding sites both when free and bound to clathrin. These observations are incorporated into a model in which weak binding by multiple, pre-structured clathrin binding elements regularly dispersed throughout a largely unstructured CBD allows efficient recruitment of clathrin to endocytic sites and dynamic assembly of the clathrin lattice.
Crystallization and preliminary analysis of native and N-terminal truncated isoforms of toluene-4-monooxygenase catalytic effector protein

Single crystals have been obtained of the toluene 4-monooxygenase catalytic effector protein, the SeMet-enriched protein and a truncated isoform missing ten amino acids from the N-terminus. Complete X-ray diffraction data sets have been collected and analyzed to 2.0, 3.0 and 1.96 A resolution for the native, SeMet and truncated isoform crystals, respectively. The native and SeMet proteins crystallized in space group P6(1)22 (unit-cell parameters a = b = 86.41 +/- 0.15, c = 143.90 +/- 0.27 A), whereas the truncated isoform crystallized in space group P2(1)3 (a = b = c = 86.70 +/- 0.47 A). Matthews coefficient calculations suggest either two or three molecules per asymmetric unit in the P6(1)22 space group and two molecules per asymmetric unit in the P2(1)3 space group. Experimental phases from MAD analysis of the SeMet isoform and molecular replacement of the truncated isoform confirm the presence of two molecules per asymmetric unit in each case. These crystallographic results are the first available for the evolutionarily related but functionally diversified catalytic effector proteins from the multicomponent diiron monooxygenase family.
Effects of HCV on Basal and Tat-Induced HIV LTR Activation

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection occurs in ∼30–40% of the HIV-infected population in the US. While a significant body of research suggests an adverse effect of HIV on HCV replication and disease progression, the impact of HCV on HIV infection has not been well studied. Increasing data suggest that hepatocytes and other liver cell populations can serve as reservoirs for HIV replication. Therefore, to gain insight into the impact of HCV on HIV, the effects of the HCV Core protein and infectious hepatitis C virions were evaluated on basal and Tat-induced activation of the HIV long terminal repeat (LTR) in hepatocytes. The HIV LTR was highly induced by the HIV transactivator protein Tat in hepatocytes. Activation varied according to the number of NF-kB binding sites present in the LTRs from different HIV subtypes. Involvement of the NF-kB binding pathway in LTR activation was demonstrated using an NF-kB inhibitor and deletion of the NF-kB binding sites. TNFα, a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in HIV pathogenesis, also induced LTR activity in hepatocytes. However, HIV LTR activity was suppressed in hepatocytes in the presence of HCV Core protein, and the suppressive effect persisted in the presence of TNFα. In contrast, infectious hepatitis C virions upregulated HIV LTR activation and gene transcription. Core-mediated suppression remained unaltered in the presence of HCV NS3/4A protein, suggesting the involvement of other viral/cellular factors. These findings have significant clinical implications as they imply that HCV could accelerate HIV disease progression in HIV/HCV co-infected patients. Such analyses are important to elucidate the mechanisms by which these viruses interact and could facilitate the development of more effective therapies to treat HIV/HCV co-infection.
Differential roles for CD4 and CD8 T cells after diisocyanate sensitization: genetic control of TH2-induced lung inflammation.

Abstract Background: Exposure to diisocyanates is a major cause of occupational asthma. We previously developed a novel mouse model of diisocyanate-induced asthma involving epicutaneous sensitization to hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) that demonstrates many features of the human disease, including airway eosinophilia and mucus hypersecretion. Objective: To determine what factors are critical for the development of HDI-induced airway inflammation, we investigated the strain distribution of this response and the roles of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells. Methods: Mice were epicutaneously exposed to HDI and then challenged with HDI, either by means of inhalation to induce airway inflammation or on the ear to induce contact hypersensitivity (CHS). Lymph node cytokine production and serum antibodies were also measured. Results: Induction of airway eosinophilia was highly dependent on the mouse strain used, with C57BL/6, A/J, CBA, C3H, and C57BL/10 mice all having significantly fewer eosinophils than BALB/c mice. HDI-specific antibodies and lymph node IL-5 and IL-13 production were also diminished in non-BALB/c strains. In contrast, CHS to HDI developed in all strains tested. Studies in mice deficient in either CD4 + or CD8 + T cells revealed that CD4 + T cells were critical for HDI-induced airway eosinophilia, whereas CD8 + T cells were the major effector cells in CHS. Conclusion: The data suggest that, in contrast to CHS, induction of T H 2 responses after epicutaneous exposure to diisocyanates is strongly genetically influenced. Furthermore, the lung inflammatory response to inhaled HDI appears to depend primarily on effective generation of these CD4 + T H 2 responses, as is the case in atopic asthma.
Children's Beliefs About Everyday Reasoning

Two studies investigated children's metacognition about everyday reasoning, assessing how they distinguish reasoning from nonreasoning and "good" reasoning from "bad." In Study 1, 80 1st graders (6-7 years), 3rd graders (8-9 years), 5th graders (10-11 years), and adults (18+ years) evaluated scenarios where people (a) used reasoning, (b) solved problems with nonreasoning approaches, or (c) reacted appropriately but automatically to events. All age groups distinguished reasoning from type (b) nonreasoning cases, but age-related improvement occurred for type (c) cases. Study 2 tested 160 1st, 3rd, 5th graders' and adults' evaluation of good and bad reasoning processes, finding 2 developmental changes: initial improvement in discriminating thinking processes by 3rd grade, and emergence of an adult-like, process-focused (vs. outcome-focused) concept of thinking quality by 5th grade.
Electricity for Engineers

DR. HUGHES was on the whole very generous in his review1 of my “Elementary Electric-Circuit Theory”, but since he thinks that I have Ohm's law wrong, I should like to come to terms with him on that point.
Impact of growth temperature and substrate orientation on dilute-nitride-antimonide materials grown by MOVPE for multi-junction solar cell application

Abstract Nitrogen incorporation in bulk films of GaAsN, InGaAsN, and GaAsSbN films grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) on (100) and (311)B GaAs substrates was investigated. These films, nominally lattice-matched to a GaAs substrate, were deposited at relatively higher growth temperature (600 °C) than typically used for MOVPE-grown dilute-nitride materials (~500–530 °C), in order to reduce the background carbon impurity concentration. Even at these higher growth temperatures, sufficient N incorporation is achieved for targeting E g ~1 eV InGaAsN and GaAsN with low background carrier concentration (1–2×10 17 cm −3 ). The presence of Sb is found to significantly inhibit N incorporation, making it challenging to achieve films of GaAsSbN grown at 600 °C with a sufficient N concentration to achieve a 1 eV band gap energy. For GaAsN and InGaAsN on (311)B GaAs substrates, increased N incorporation with lower background carbon concentration is observed, relative to films on (100) GaAs. By contrast, GaAsSbN on (311)B GaAs substrate exhibit lower-N incorporation relative to films on (100) GaAs, presumably due to surface site competition between Sb and N. The background hole carrier concentrations of thermally annealed InGaAsN and GaAsSbN on (311)B are about a factor of two lower than those on (100) GaAs substrate.
Some methods for producing straight achromatic white-light fringes of variable contrast and constant average irradiance

Some simple methods are described for producing an extended field of straight sinusoidal white-light fringes, whose contrast can be varied from 0 to 1 with the average power held constant. The contrast is controlled with a single moving element. The chromatic content of the fringes can also be controlled.
A Kautz-Based Wireless Sensor and Actuator Network for Real-Time, Fault-Tolerant and Energy-Efficient Transmission

Wireless sensor and actuator networks (WSANs) are composed of sensors and actuators to perform distributed sensing and actuating tasks. Most WSAN applications (e.g., fire detection) demand that actuators rapidly respond to observed events. Therefore, real-time (i.e., fast) and fault-tolerant transmission is a critical requirement in WSANs to enable sensed data to reach actuators reliably and quickly. Due to limited power resources, energy-efficiency is another crucial requirement. Such requirements become formidably challenging in large-scale WSANs. However, existing WSANs fall short in meeting these requirements. To this end, we first theoretically study the Kautz graph for its applicability in WSANs to meet these requirements. We then propose a Kautz-based REal-time, Fault-tolerant and EneRgy-efficient WSAN (REFER). REFER embeds Kautz graphs into the physical topology of a WSAN for real-time communication and connects the Kautz graphs using distributed hash table (DHT) for high scalability. We also theoretically study routing paths in the Kautz graph, based on which we develop an efficient fault-tolerant routing protocol. It enables a relay node to quickly and efficiently identify the next shortest path from itself to the destination based only on node IDs upon routing failure, rather than relying on retransmission from the source. REFER is advantageous over previous Kautz graph based works in that it does not need an energy-consuming protocol to find the next shortest path and it preserves the consistency between the overlay and physical topology. We further improve routing in REFER by multi-path based routing and energy-efficient multicasting within and between Kautz graph cells, respectively. Extensive experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of REFER in comparison with existing WSAN systems in terms of real-time communication, energy-efficiency, fault-tolerance and scalability.
Distributed Object–Oriented Blackboard Model for Integrated Design of Steel Structures

Distributed computing on a cluster of workstations connected via a local area network provides a cost-effective approach to high-performance computing. The goal of this research is to lay the foundation for developing maintainable, extendable, and reusable programmer-defined object-oriented software systems on a cluster of networked workstations. A distributed object-oriented blackboard model (OOBM) is presented for integrated design of large structures on a cluster of workstations. The model includes an object-oriented alternative to model the functions of message passing and process control required in a distributed processing environment. The operational idea behind the distributed OOBM is to perform two missions iteratively until the desired solution is found. The first mission is to pass and monitor data messages through network communication using a network file server. The second mission is to generate a number of processes at heterogeneous workstations using appropriate process-generating models and techniques. The models and concepts developed in this research are applied to the problem of integrated design of steel structures.
Tribological, thermal, and kinetic characterization of 300-mm copper chemical mechanical planarization process

In this study, the tribological, thermal, and kinetic attributes of 300-mm copper chemical mechanical planarization were characterized for two different pads. The coefficient of friction (COF) ranged from 0.39 to 0.59 for the D100 pad, indicating that boundary lubrication was the dominant tribological mechanism. In comparison, COF decreased sharply from 0.55 to 0.03 for the IC1000 pad, indicating that the tribological mechanism transitioned rapidly from boundary lubrication to partial lubrication. Consequently, the D100 pad exhibited higher pad temperatures and removal rates than the IC1000 pad. A two-step modified Langmuir–Hinshelwood model was used to simulate copper removal rates as well as chemical and mechanical rate constants. The simulated copper removal rates agreed very well with experimental data and the model successfully captured the non-Prestonian behavior. The simulated chemical rate to mechanical rate constant ratios indicated that the IC1000 pad generally produced a more mechanically controlled removal mechanism than the D100 pad.
Repeatability of True Metabolizable Energy Versus Nitrogen Corrected True Metabolizable Energy Values

Abstract Comparisons were made between the repeatability of true metabolizable energy (TME) and nitrogen corrected TME (TMEn) values for yellow corn and dehulled soybean meal (SBM). Seven samples of each ingredient were evaluated twice for TME and TMEn content. The mean differences between the two determined TME and TMEn values (i.e., repeatability) were 1.2 and .5%, respectively, for corn and 2.6 and 2.7% for SBM. It is concluded that both TME and TMEn values are highly reproducible.
Comparison of Photonic-Crystal-Enhanced Thermophotovoltaic Devices With and Without a Resonant Cavity

The ability to efficiently convert heat into usable energy using thermophotovoltaics (TPV) has been a topic of research for many years. Due to recent microfabrication advances, TPV and photonic crystals (PhC) have been the subject of renewed interest, especially as spectral emitters in TPV applications. However, PhC surface enhancements have also been shown to increase the efficiency of photon-to-current conversion for infrared photodetectors. Here, we investigate the potential efficiency enhancements gained by using PhC for a front-side TPV diode stage surface feature. A back reflecting plane was also added to increase the efficiency of TPV cells by introducing a resonant cavity. The simulations suggest an increased interaction time between photons and excitons leading to an increase in carrier generation. A simulated two-dimensional (2D) PhC consisting of Si3N4 rods in an ohmic contact material has demonstrated a possible 81% increase in absorption for a GaSb TPV cell.
Predicting Breast Self‐Examination: A Test of the Information‐Motivation‐Behavioral Skills Model1

The present research utilizes the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model (Fisher & Fisher, 1992, 2000) to predict breast self-examination (BSE) and related behaviors in women. Results from a cross-sectional survey study of 166 women found deficiencies in BSE-related information, motivation, and behavioral skills, as well as insufficient rates of BSE-related behaviors. Structural equation modeling indicated that IMB model variables account for significant variance in BSE and BSE-related behaviors, and that the predicted relationships between the constructs of the 1MB model were supported. The present research extends the utility of the IMB model beyond preventive behaviors such as HIV prevention into the domain of detection behaviors such as BSE.