cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Xwnt-2 (Xwnt-2b) is maternally expressed in Xenopus oocytes and embryos.

Xwnt-2 (formerly Xwnt-2b) is a member of the Xwnt-8 class of axis-inducing Wnts. Its zygotic expression is at the prosencephalic–mesencephalic border of the early tadpole brain and above the heart primordium [Mech. Dev. 63 (1997) 199]. Here, we report that Xwnt-2 has an earlier, maternal pattern of expression. It is detected in the oocyte, egg and the developing embryo. Studies of the spatial localization of maternal Xwnt-2 show transcripts in both vegetal and animal blastomeres with enrichment in the animal hemisphere. The identification of maternal Xwnt-2 raises questions about possible roles of dorsalizing Xwnts in axial patterning of the Xenopus embryo.
A case of uremia-associated pleural effusion in a peritoneal dialysis patient

The development of pleural effusions in ESRD patients is a relatively common occurrence. Uremia, currently a rare cause of effusion, can lead to the development of hemorrhagic pleural fluid collections in patients who are underdialyzed. Uremic pleural effusions should be considered when common etiologies of effusions such as volume overload, congestive heart failure (CHF), infection, and malignancy have been excluded. Uremia-associated serosal injury allows transudation of fluid into the pleural space, and defective platelet function contributes to the hemorrhagic nature of the effusion. Although uremic effusions may occur less frequently in peritoneal dialysis patients, we present a patient who developed this complication due to a peritoneal dialysis regimen that was inadequate by current Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines. The pleural effusion resolved with an intensified dialysis regimen in the absence of a change in the underlying volume status.
Tyrosine Partners Coordinate DNA Nicking by the Salmonella typhimurium Plasmid pCU1 Relaxase Enzyme

Conjugative plasmid transfer results in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors between bacterial cells. Plasmid transfer is dependent upon the DNA nicking activity of a plasmid-encoded relaxase enzyme. Tyrosine residues within the relaxase cleave the DNA plasmid nic site in a highly sequence-specific manner. The conjugative resistance plasmid pCU1 encodes a relaxase with four tyrosine residues surrounding its active site (Y18,19,26,27). We use activity assays to demonstrate that the pCU1 relaxase preferentially uses Y26 or a combination of Y18 + 19 to nick DNA at wild type levels, and that an adjacent aspartic acid deprotonates these tyrosines to activate them for attack. Our findings illustrate the unique modifications that the pCU1 relaxase has introduced into the traditional relaxase-mediated DNA nicking mechanism.
Accounting for the “invisible” nonprofit sector: Five mini-cases

Abstract The nonprofit voluntary “third sector” is a significant sector of the U.S. economy that is often underestimated or considered synonymously with the governmental sector. This paper provides a framework for integrating the study of nonprofit entities into the accounting curriculum. Five mini-cases are designed to develop students' abilities to identify and frame the relevant accounting issues in the areas of financial, managerial, taxation, auditing, and information systems. Learning objectives also include differentiating the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, using resources efficiently, evaluating the current state of accounting practice, and effectively communicating the results of this process. Teaching guides are provided which identify some relevant issues, provide analysis of those issues, point out recent developments, and list other resources on that topic.
The Importance of Outcome Dynamics, Simple Geometry, and Pragmatic Statistical Arguments in Exposing Deficiencies of Experimental Design Strategies

Abstract One-factor-at-a-time experiments and similar “common sense” design strategies continue to be prevalent in industrial experiments in spite of the strong emphasis in statistics courses that these design strategies should be avoided. In justifying the avoidance of such design strategies, technical criteria such as design efficiency and confounding are usually stressed. However, these technical criteria routinely are overlooked by experimenters in industry when the desire for rapid feedback on factor effects is given undue precedence. In this article the preference for rapid feedback over statistical considerations is discussed relative to the compelling inherent deficiencies of these designs. The practical difficulties associated with the dynamic nature of the design construction, geometric imbalance of the designs, and serious modeling inadequacies that result from the use of these design strategies are detailed.
Overcoming the inhibitory effect of serum on lipofection by increasing the charge ratio of cationic liposome to DNA

Since cationic liposome was first developed as a lipofection reagent, a drawback has been noted in that the efficiency of lipofection decreases dramatically after addition of serum to the lipofection medium. This drawback hampers the application of cationic liposome for systematic delivery of genes. In the present studies, we found that the effect of serum on DC-chol liposome-mediated lipofection is dependent on the charge ratio of liposome to DNA. Serum inhibited lipofection activity of the lipoplex at low charge ratios, whereas it enhanced the lipofection activity at high charge ratios. This phenomenon was observed using DOTAP/DOPE but not lipofectamine. Measurement of cellular association of DNA showed that serum could reduce the binding of lipoplex to cells at all tested charge ratios, i.e. 0-10.6. Removal of negatively charged proteins from serum by DEAE Sephacel column abolished the inhibitory effect of serum on lipofection. The fraction contained only negatively charged serum proteins which strongly inhibited lipofection at low charge ratios but not at higher charge ratios. Furthermore, preincubation of serum with positively charged polylysine, which neutralized negatively charged serum proteins, eliminated the inhibitory effect of serum on lipofection. In summary, inactivation of cationic liposome by serum is due to negatively charged serum proteins and it can be overcome by increasing charge ratio of cationic liposome-DNA lipoplexes or by neutralizing the serum with polylysine.
Inhibitor-Based Methods for Detection of Plasmid-Mediated AmpC β-Lactamases in Klebsiella spp., Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis

Non-beta-lactam inhibitor-based methods were evaluated for detecting plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamases in Klebsiella spp., Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis. Using CLSI methodology and disks containing cefotetan alone and in combination with 400 μg of boronic acid, 9 of 10 positive control strains and 54 of 55 AmpC-PCR-positive clinical isolates were detected. Importantly 71% and 40% of these clinical isolates were susceptible by routine testing to ceftriaxone and ceftazidime, respectively. Boronic acid disks also enhanced detection of expanded-spectrum β-lactamases in AmpC producers.
In vivo visualization of abdominal malignancies with acoustic radiation force elastography

The utility of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging for real-time visualization of abdominal malignancies was investigated. Nine patients presenting with suspicious masses in the liver (n = 7) or kidney (n = 2) underwent combined sonography/ARFI imaging. Images were acquired of a total of 12 tumors in the nine patients. In all cases, boundary definition in ARFI images was improved or equivalent to boundary definition in B-mode images. Displacement contrast in ARFI images was superior to echo contrast in B-mode images for each tumor. The mean contrast for suspected hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) in B-mode images was 2.9 dB (range: 1.5-4.2) versus 7.5 dB (range: 3.1-11.9) in ARFI images, with all HCCs appearing more compliant than regional cirrhotic liver parenchyma. The mean contrast for metastases in B-mode images was 3.1 dB (range: 1.2-5.2) versus 9.3 dB (range: 5.7-13.9) in ARFI images, with all masses appearing less compliant than regional non-cirrhotic liver parenchyma. ARFI image contrast (10.4 dB) was superior to B-mode contrast (0.9 dB) for a renal mass. To our knowledge, we present the first in vivo images of abdominal malignancies in humans acquired with the ARFI method or any other technique of imaging tissue elasticity.
Easily testable gate-level and DCVS multipliers

Some C-testable designs of a carry-save parallel multiplier are presented. Results are given for both the gate-level implementation and the differential cascode voltage switch (DCVS) implementation. DCVS circuits are dynamic CMOS circuits which have the advantage of being protected against test set invalidation due to circuit delays. In the first gate-level design, it is assumed that the full-adders have any arbitrary, irredundant logic implementation. Such a design is C-testable with only nine test vectors, which detect all single stuck-at-faults. For a specific logic implementation of the full-adders, another design is shown to be C-testable with only six test vectors. The DCVS design is also C-testable with only six test vectors, which detect all detectable stuck-at, and stuck-open faults in the circuit. Both the hardware and delay overhead for all C-testable designs are very small. For three C-testable designs of the 32 by 32 multiplier, the hardware overhead is 2.7% or less and the delay overhead is 2.4% or less. >
A Novel Mechanism of Antagonism between ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeling Complexes Regulates RNR3 Expression

Gene expression depends upon the antagonistic actions of chromatin remodeling complexes. While this has been studied extensively for the enzymes that covalently modify the tails of histones, the mechanism of how ATP-dependent remodeling complexes antagonize each other to maintain the proper level of gene activity is not known. The gene encoding a large subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, RNR3, is regulated by ISW2 and SWI/SNF, complexes that repress and activate transcription, respectively. Here, we studied the functional interactions of these two complexes at RNR3. Deletion of ISW2 causes constitutive recruitment of SWI/SNF, and conditional reexpression of ISW2 causes the repositioning of nucleosomes and reduced SWI/SNF occupancy at RNR3. Thus, ISW2 is required for restriction of access of SWI/SNF to the RNR3 promoter under the uninduced condition. Interestingly, the binding of sequence-specific DNA binding factors and the general transcription machinery are unaffected by the status of ISW2, suggesting that disruption of nucleosome positioning does not cause a nonspecific increase in cross-linking of all factors to RNR3. We provide evidence that ISW2 does not act on SWI/SNF directly but excludes its occupancy by positioning nucleosomes over the promoter. Genetic disruption of nucleosome positioning by other means led to a similar phenotype, linking repressed chromatin structure to SWI/SNF exclusion. Thus, incorporation of promoters into a repressive chromatin structure is essential for prevention of the opportunistic actions of nucleosome-disrupting activities in vivo, providing a novel mechanism for maintaining tight control of gene expression.
One- and three-dimensional octacyanometalate(IV) networks constructed via a building block approach: {[trans-NiII(tn)2(OH2)][trans-NiII(μ-NC)2(tn)2][(μ-NC)3MIV(CN)5] · 6H2O} (MIV = Mo, W) and Cs4[CuII(OH2)4]2[CuII(NH3)]4[MoIV(CN)8]4 · 2H2O

Abstract Treatment of [NiII(tn)3][OTs]2 or aqueous solutions containing nickel(II) p-toluenesulfonate and 1,3-propanediamine (tn) with aqueous K4MIV(CN)8 · 2H2O (MIV = Mo, W) affords one-dimensional chains of {[trans-NiII(tn)2(OH2)][trans-NiII(tn)2][(μ-NC)3MIV(CN)5] · 6H2O} stoichiometry (MIV = Mo, 2; W, 3). An additional three-dimensional network, Cs4[CuII(OH2)4]2[CuII(NH3)]4[MoIV(CN)8]4 · 2H2O (4), is obtained by treating aqueous solutions of Cs3MoV(CN)8 with CuCl2 · 2H2O in concentrated ammonia. Each network has been characterized via structural and magnetic methods. The distorted square anitprismatic M IV ( CN ) 8 4 - centers are diamagnetic and the paramagnetism of each network originates from the NiII and CuII centers present.
Prolonged Propofol Use in a Critically III Pregnant Patient

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prolonged use of propofol for sedation of a critically ill pregnant patient in her second trimester. CASE SUMMARY: A 20-year-old pregnant woman at 14 weeks' gestation with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma required intubation and mechanical ventilation secondary to tumor-related airway obstruction. Immediately after intubation, propofol was initiated for sedation and maintained for 51 days with only one 5-day interruption in therapy. Over the course of the patient's stay in the intensive care unit, systemic chemotherapy was administered, resulting in a reduction in tumor burden and allowing for successful extubation. Ultimately, the fetus was deemed nonviable and the pregnancy was terminated. DISCUSSION: Propofol is an intravenous anesthetic agent commonly used for the sedation of mechanically ventilated patients and is the only sedative agent that carries a pregnancy category B rating. Fetal outcomes following long-term use of propofol during the first trimester have not been formally evaluated and few reports of propofol use outside of early pregnancy termination, outpatient procedures, or parturition exist in the medical literature. Our patient required early termination of pregnancy; however, we were unable to determine whether fetal loss was a result of propofol use, chemotherapy administration, the use of other pharmacologic agents, or perhaps a combined effect. CONCLUSIONS: Despite propofol's pregnancy category B rating, data are lacking in humans regarding its safe use during pregnancy and long-term developmental outcomes in children after exposure to propofol in utero. The safety of propofol as a sedative agent for critically ill pregnant patients remains unknown.
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Key Challenges

Social Media has revolutionized personal, professional, and commercial cross-communication and interaction, force marketers to revise their policies on product development, pricing, distribution, and branding.
Transjugular liver biopsy is safe and diagnostic for patients with congenital bleeding disorders and hepatitis C infection.

Summary. The prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among patients with severe congenital bleeding disorders is as high as 98%. Advances in HCV treatment currently result in sustained virological response rates of ≥50%. Recent recommendations have reaffirmed that liver biopsy, which provides a direct histological assessment of liver inflammation and fibrosis, is still important for accurate diagnosis and therapeutic decision making. Percutaneous liver biopsy is a simple, standardized procedure that can be performed rapidly and relatively inexpensively, and has been safely performed in patients with congenital coagulopathies. However, the safety and efficacy of the transjugular approach (transjugular liver biopsy, TJLB), recommended for patients with acquired coagulopathies, has only been minimally studied in the congenital bleeding diathesis population. We now report our institutional experience with TJLB in 13 such adult patients (mean age 33 years) with severe/mild haemophilia A/B (10); von Willebrand disease (1); factor V deficiency (1) and factor XIII deficiency (1). Data were collected by retrospective chart review and the TJLB was performed according to institutional protocol as described. Haemostasis prophylaxis was given for 1–5 days. Patients were hospitalized for ≤48 h and all tolerated the procedure without bleeding. Three patients experienced self-limited abdominal discomfort; one episode was accompanied by transient transaminaemia. Diagnostic specimens were obtained from all patients and were instrumental in the therapeutic decision-making process. We suggest that with a co-ordinated multidisciplinary approach to care, TJLB is a safe, effective and potentially cost-effective alternative to the percutaneous approach in the congenital bleeding disorders population.
A Framework for Analyzing Cognitive Demand and Content-Practices Integration: Task Analysis Guide in Science

Many countries, including the United States, emphasize the importance of developing students' scientific habits of mind and their capacity to think deeply about scientific ideas in an integrated fashion. Recent science education policies in the United States portray a related vision of science teaching and learning that is meant to guide the improvement efforts of science teachers, professional developers, and school leaders, as well as the design efforts of curriculum and assessment developers. To understand the extent to which this vision is being enacted in science classrooms, we consider the tasks to which students are exposed as representative of the types of opportunities that they have to think, reason, and engage in disciplinary ideas and practices in science classrooms. The purpose of this article is to advance a framework to analyze science tasks and instruction in terms of two dimensions that are critical for science learning: (1) cognitive demand; and (2) the integration of scientific content and practices. We present the Task Analysis Guide in Science (TAGS) framework through a detailed description of its categories along with concrete examples of science tasks in each category. We compare it to other frameworks related to cognitive demand. We conclude by discussing various ways in which the TAGS can serve as a helpful analytical tool for educational researchers and practitioners. # 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach
Removal of homeostatic cytokine sinks by lymphodepletion enhances the efficacy of adoptively transferred tumor-specific CD8+ T cells

Depletion of immune elements before adoptive cell transfer (ACT) can dramatically improve the antitumor efficacy of transferred CD8 + T cells, but the specific mechanisms that contribute to this enhanced immunity remain poorly defined. Elimination of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T (T reg) cells has been proposed as a key mechanism by which lymphodepletion augments ACT-based immunotherapy. We found that even in the genetic absence of T reg cells, a nonmyeloablative regimen substantially augmented CD8 + T cell reactivity to self-tissue and tumor. Surprisingly, enhanced antitumor efficacy and autoimmunity was caused by increased function rather than increased numbers of tumor-reactive T cells, as would be expected by homeostatic mechanisms. The γ C cytokines IL-7 and IL-15 were required for augmenting T cell functionality and antitumor activity. Removal of γ C cytokine–responsive endogenous cells using antibody or genetic means resulted in the enhanced antitumor responses similar to those seen after nonmyeloablative conditioning. These data indicate that lymphodepletion removes endogenous cellular elements that act as sinks for cytokines that are capable of augmenting the activity of self/tumor-reactive CD8 + T cells. Thus, the restricted availability of homeostatic cytokines can be a contributing factor to peripheral tolerance, as well as a limiting resource for the effectiveness of tumor-specific T cells.
Market-based Policy Options to Control U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The United States is moving closer to enacting a policy to reduce domestic emissions of greenhouse gases. A key element in any plan to reduce emissions will be to place a price on greenhouse gas emissions. This paper discusses the different approaches that can be taken to price emissions and assesses their strengths and weaknesses.
Lithium inhibition of protein kinase C activation-induced serotonin release.

The effect of lithium on protein kinase C (PKC) stimulation-induced serotonin and norepinephrine release facilitation was examined in [3H]5-HT and [3H]NE preloaded superfused rat brain slices. The facilitation of K+-evoked [3H]5-HT release elicited by the active phorbol esters PMA and PDBu was inhibited by 4 mM but not by 1 mM in vitro lithium. In experiments performed in cortical, hippocampal and hypothalamic slices obtained from animals treated for 3 weeks with lithium-containing diet, PMA-induced facilitation of K+-elicited [3H]5-HT release was found to be inhibited by the treatment (serum lithium <1 mEq/l). Basal [3H]5-HT efflux, which was enhanced by PMA in control animals, was also inhibited by lithium treatment. In parietal cortical slices, PMA elicited increase in K+-evoked [3H]NE release was prevented in slices taken from lithium-treated (3 weeks) animals. Lithium treatment did not affect the activity and distribution of protein kinase C in cortical tissue. However, 3 weeks of treatment reduced the PMA-induced translocation of the enzyme. These results suggest that lithium treatment interferes with serotonin and norepinephrine release facilitation which results from the stimulation of PKC by phorbol esters. These actions of the ion may be mediated by its ability to inhibit PMA induced PKC translocation.
Vapor-Absent Melting of Tonalite at 15–32 kbar

The behavior of igneous continental crust during subduction is modeled by means of vapor-absent partial melting experiments on a tonalite, containing equal amounts of biotite and hornblende, at pressures of 15–32 kbar. The experiments produce leucogranitic melts coexisting with garnet þ omphacitic clinopyroxene þ K-feldspar þ kyanite þ quartz/coesite phengite zoisite. Experimental constraints and geometrical analysis of phase equilibria show that the hydrous phases that control dehydration-melting of tonalites in deep thickened continental crust and in the upper mantle are phengite and zoisite. The negatively sloping amphibole þ quartz vapor-absent solidus characteristic of amphibolites is largely suppressed in tonalites, because amphibole is eliminated by waterconserving reactions that also consume K-feldspar and kyanite and produce phengite and zoisite. The temperature at which melt first appears in the experiments varies from <900 C at 15 kbar, to 1000 C at 27 kbar, to <925 C at 32 kbar. Moderate degrees of partial melting (20–30%) yield residual assemblages with mantlelike densities but which can still contain minor amounts of hydrous phases. Partial melting of tonalitic crust during continental subduction can thus generate incompatible element-rich residues that would be able to remain in the mantle indefinitely, acting as long-term sources of metasomatic fluids.
Neuropsychiatric Illness in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Insights From a Patient With Erotomania and Geschwind's Syndrome

Individuals suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can develop a number of psychiatric conditions, including psychosis. It is often unclear in SLE patients with psychiatric illness whether their illness is primary, due to SLE brain disease, and/or due to treatments for SLE. This article describes a patient with SLE who developed erotomania and personality changes. The differential diagnosis and possible pathogenesis of psychiatric illnesses occurring in SLE patients are discussed.
Superoxide Dismutase in Bacillus popilliae, a Catalaseless Aerobe

Bacillus popilliae, a cytochrome-containing aerobic organism that lacks catalase and peroxidase, was examined for superoxide dismutase activity. The activity was quite high relative to a wide variety of organisms previously surveyed and was induced by oxygen. No correlation could be made between superoxide dismutase activity and the unexplained death of this organism after completion of exponential growth.
Science to Practice: Can MR Elastography Be Used to Detect Early Steatohepatitis in Fatty Liver Disease?

While conventional imaging technologies can be used to diagnose nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, liver biopsy is currently regarded as the only reliable way to distinguish between fatty liver and steatohepatitis; unfortunately, liver biopsy has a risk of complications ranging from minor to lethal, is expensive, and is affected by substantial sampling error.
The Cyclical Response of U.S. Income Inequality: some new Empirical Results

This article tests the hypothesis that inequality in the personal distribution of income as measured by the Gini coefficient is related to cyclical economic activity and a secular time trend for the 1947-1973 period in the United States. New empirical results are obtained by utilizing time-series regression analysis on disaggregated population subgroups for male individuals classified by race, age, and occupation. The empirical results indicate that statistically significant links between income inequality and macroeconomic activity do exist in the U.S. economy, and particularly strong support is found for apositive influence of unemployment on inequality in the distribution of income.
Construct validity of a questionnaire to measure the type of fluid intake and type of urinary incontinence.

Objective: to determine the reproducibility and construct validity of the Questionnaire Based Voiding Diary (QVD) for measuring the type and volume of fluid intake and the type of urinary incontinence. Methods: 250 women completed the QVD, a 48-hour bladder diary and underwent complete urogynecologic evaluation to determine a final clinical diagnosis. The questionnaire was re-administered after a 2-week period with no change in treatment, and 2-3 months later following treatment of urinary symptoms. Results: The reproducibility of the fluid intake, output, fluid intake behavior and urinary symptom subscales of the QVD was 0.68-0.92. Correlation of the fluid intake scale of the QVD with the 48-hour voiding diary for determining the type and volume of fluid intake was high (r = 0.65-0.83, P < 0.01). High correlations were noted between the fluid intake behavior scale and urinary frequency (r = 0.82, P < .01), urgency (r = 0.77, P < .01) and urge incontinence (r = 0.71, P < .01). The median total fluid intake and mean urinary symptom score was significantly lower in responders (2074 mL, 10.2 ± 3.3) than non-responders (2347 mL, 18.5 ± 4.6). As compared to the final clinical diagnosis, the sensitivity, specificity and positive likelihood ratio of the QVD for the diagnosis of predominant stress urinary incontinence are 86%, 66% and 2.6 and for predominant urge incontinence 82%, 79% and 4.0 respectively. Conclusion: The QVD provides clinically meaningful information on the type and volume of fluid intake and the type of urinary incontinence at the initial office visit. Neurourol. Urodynam. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30: 1597–1602, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Functional Assessment of Self-Initiated Maladaptive Behaviors: A Case Study

This study sought to perform a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and develop a data-based behavior intervention plan (BIP) in order to address a student’s maladaptive behaviors as exhibited in the regular education classroom setting. Of particular interest in this study was the finding that the FBA failed consistently to identify many of the environmental variables that interacted with the student’s likelihood of demonstrating a wide range of severe problem behaviors. Nevertheless, interventions based on social skills and self-control strategies were sufficient to reduce the frequency of most problem behaviors and concurrently improve the student’s level of academic performance. During a reversal-of-treatment, the student showed elevated levels of problem behavior; however, with the reinstatement of the treatment protocol, the student’s behavior improved substantially. The role of private events and rule-governed behavior is discussed within the context of conducting FBAs and developing data-based treatment protocols.
Comparison of albumin receptors expressed on bovine and human group G streptococci.

The albumin receptor expressed by bovine group G streptococci was extracted and affinity purified. The protein was characterized for species reactivity, and monospecific antibodies were prepared to the purified receptor. The bovine group G albumin receptor was compared functionally, antigenically, and for DNA homology with the albumin-binding protein expressed by human group G streptococci. In agreement with previous reports, the albumin-binding activity of human strains was mediated by a unique domain of the type III immunoglobulin G-Fc-binding molecule, protein G. The albumin receptor expressed by bovine group G strains was found to lack any immunoglobulin G-binding potential but displayed a wider profile of species albumin reactivity than protein G. Both albumin receptors could inhibit the binding of the other to immobilized human serum albumin, and each displayed similar binding properties. Antigenic comparison of the two albumin receptors demonstrated a low level of cross-reactivity; however comparison at the DNA level, using an oligonucleotide probe specific for the albumin-binding region of protein G, demonstrated that the two albumin receptors expressed by human and bovine group G streptococcal strains do not display significant homology. Images
Novel Therapies for Hepatitis C: Insights from the Structure of the Virus

For the first time since the discovery of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), therapeutic options for hepatitis C have expanded. Several agents directly effective against HCV are now in development, including both direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) and host cofactor inhibitors. DAAs have been developed to inhibit several HCV proteins, including the NS3/4A serine protease, the NS5B RNA polymerase, NS5A, and NS4B. Host cofactor inhibitors include, but are not limited to, cyclophilin inhibitors, miR122 antagonists, and statins. Development of these agents represents a major advance in HCV therapeutics. This review provides a guide to HCV drugs in various stages of development, including an introduction to their mechanism of action, state of clinical development, efficacy, and side effects.
Accurate template-based correction of brain MRI intensity distortion with application to dementia and aging

This paper examines an alternative approach to separating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) intensity inhomogeneity from underlying tissue-intensity structure using a direct template-based paradigm. This permits the explicit spatial modeling of subtle intensity variations present in normal anatomy which may confound common retrospective correction techniques using criteria derived from a global intensity model. A fine-scale entropy driven spatial normalisation procedure is employed to map intensity distorted MR images to a tissue reference template. This allows a direct estimation of the relative bias field between template and subject MR images, from the ratio of their low-pass filtered intensity values. A tissue template for an aging individual is constructed and used to correct distortion in a set of data acquired as part of a study on dementia. A careful validation based on manual segmentation and correction of nine datasets with a range of anatomies and distortion levels is carried out. This reveals a consistent improvement in the removal of global intensity variation in terms of the agreement with a global manual bias estimate, and in the reduction in the coefficient of intensity variation in manually delineated regions of white matter.
Impact of imperfect CSI estimation on multidimensional communication systems over a Rayleigh fading channel

A general multidimensional communication system, with a background of DS/SS, is proposed, where a set of orthogonal functions is used to form the signal space and a maximum likelihood (ML) detector is used in the receiver. The error rate is evaluated for both non-fading and Rayleigh fading channels under the conditions of imperfect channel state information (CSI). Numerical results are provided to show the effect in the CSI estimation on the error rates of the systems, and some general conclusions are presented based on these results. In general, we find that errors of the CSI estimation can seriously degrade the system performance, especially under good channel conditions (such as non-fading conditions).
Progresses in PMU testing and calibration

Phasor Measurement Units (PMU), based on the synchronized measurement technology, are basic building blocks of wide-area monitoring, protection and control (WAMPAC) systems. The overall system performance of such WAMPAC systems highly relies on the proper functioning of all PMUs of the system that conform to the same high performance standards. However, ensuring a uniform performance compliance of all PMUs of a large-scale WAMPAC system remains a major challenge today. Lack of performance requirement for synchrophasor measurement under non-steady-state system conditions, and no standardized test guidelines and procedures for verifying whether the phasor measurement of a PMU under steady-state system conditions conforms to the IEEE C37.118 standard are two major issues in the proper PMU testing and calibration. There is also a lack of specialized test equipment for performing such conformance testing efficiently. Recognizing the importance of PMU testing and calibration, progresses have been made in the US and Brazil through a number of ongoing activities for addressing these issues.
Interconnect Modeling and Design With Consideration of Inductance

Given the growing importance of interconnects in performance, reliability, cost, and power dissipation for high-performance circuits and systems, interconnect modeling and optimization has been an active research area [1]. However, most existing work on interconnect modeling and optimization assumes an RC interconnect model, which becomes increasingly inadequate as the on-chip inductive effect gains prominence in gigahertz designs. A simple rule of thumb is that the inductance should be considered if resistance R and reactance ωL have similar values, where L is inductance and ω = 2πf with f being the operating frequency. In Figure 1(a), we compare R and ωL under different operating frequencies. We used the three-dimensional electromagnetic field solver Fast Henry [2] to compute R and ωL for a typical global interconnect, which is 0.8µm wide, 2µm tall, and 2000µm long. One may easily see that ωL starts to outweigh the resistance at the operating frequency of approximate one gigahertz. As the operating frequency is larger than the clock frequency due to the harmonic effect,1 on-chip inductance should be considered in the layout design for circuits of gigahertz clock frequencies.
Miniature high-throughput chemosensing of yield, ee, and absolute configuration from crude reaction mixtures

High-throughput experimentation (HTE) has emerged as a widely used technology that accelerates discovery and optimization processes with parallel small-scale reaction setups. A high-throughput screening (HTS) method capable of comprehensive analysis of crude asymmetric reaction mixtures (eliminating product derivatization or isolation) would provide transformative impact by matching the pace of HTE. We report how spontaneous in situ construction of stereodynamic metal probes from readily available, inexpensive starting materials can be applied to chiroptical chemosensing of the total amount, enantiomeric excess (ee), and absolute configuration of a wide variety of amines, diamines, amino alcohols, amino acids, carboxylic acids, α-hydroxy acids, and diols. This advance and HTS potential are highlighted with the analysis of 1 mg of crude reaction mixtures of a catalytic asymmetric reaction. This operationally simple assay uses a robust mix-and-measure protocol, is amenable to microscale platforms and automation, and provides critical time efficiency and sustainability advantages over traditional serial methods.
Assessment of bone mineral content in children

Quantitative digital radiography (QDR) is a new technique for measuring bone mineral content that offers improved precision, shorter study times, and less radiation exposure than single-photon absorptiometry (SPA), dual-photon absorptiometry (DPA), and quantitative computed tomography (CT) scanning. To evaluate application of QDR to a pediatric population, the bone mineral density (BMD) of both proximal femurs and lumbar spine was determined in 20 normal children aged 4-15 years. Duplicate measures indicated a precision less than 2%. A small left side/right side difference was sometimes found in the BMD of the proximal femurs. This difference was not related to age, sex, or handedness, and there was no history of significant injury to, or problems with, either lower extremity. QDR will greatly enhance early evaluation and treatment of many conditions that adversely affect the immature skeleton.
Adding Feedforward Blade Pitch Control for Load Mitigation in Wind Turbines: Non-Causal Series Expansion, Preview Control, and Optimized FIR Filter Methods

Combined feedback/feedforward blade pitch control is compared to industry standard feedback control when simulated in realistic turbulent winds. The feedforward controllers are designed to reduce fatigue loads, increasing turbine lifetime and therefore reducing the cost of energy. Three feedforward designs are studied: Non-Causal Series Expansion, Preview Control, and Optimized FIR Filter. The input to the feedforward controller is a measurement of incoming wind speed, which could potentially be provided by lidar. Noncausal series expansion and Preview Control methods reduce blade root loads but increase tower bending in simulation results. The optimized FIR filter reduces loads overall, keeps pitch rates low, and maintains rotor speed regulation and power capture, while using imperfect wind measurements provided by a lidar model.
Comments on Turner: Must Sociological Theory and Sociological Practice be so Far Apart?:

It's both an honor and a delight to write a short response to Jon Turner's article. Jon and I began our teaching careers together at the University of Hawaii in 1968. In the intervening years, I've had the highest respect for his contributions to the discipline, and this response gives me an opportunity to tell him so publicly. When Jon delivered this keynote address at the 1996 meetings of the California Sociological Association, I felt I was present at a major turning point in sociology. Now that I've been able to read and study the revised paper, I am convinced more than ever that it can be just such a defining moment in the history of our discipline. While I will spend much of this rejoinder picking nits, I want to begin by making it clear that I agree absolutely with Jon's major premise: that sociology needs to establish engineering applications and that sociologists need to stop being embarrassed about it. "Social engineering" has had an ominous ring for some time, and sociologists have been reluctant to open themselves up to that allegation. By default, we have left attempts at social engineering in the hands of politicians and ideologues. And when sociologists have spoken out most strongly on matters of social policy, we have done so more on the basis of ideology than science. I am firmly committed to the (ideological) view that sociology can and should make a difference. I am annoyed to see economists and psychologists taken more seriously by the general public than sociologists, and I intend to see that change during my lifetime. Now the quibbling. I think Jon rightly points to the shortcomings of survey research, but I think he errs in seeming to single it out as the root of our problems on the methods side. Ironically, he cites the survey research of The American Soldier as an exemplar for how theory, methods, and application should work together. If surveys do not always, or even often, work hand in hand with theory, that's the fault of the practitioners, not of the method. After all, to conduct an empirical examination of the pattern variables, Talcott Parsons collaborated with Sam Stouffer to design and conduct a student survey. My feeling is that any of our methods, qualitative or quantitative, obtrusive or not, can be used as powerfully as Jon recommends. We must, however, commit ourselves to doing it. We need to do sociology as though it mattered; if we don't it won't. Next, I have a different take on the practice community. Jon suggests practitioners have become largely ideological, but I don't see that. During my term on the
Concentration-dependent aggregation patterns of conjugated bile salts in aqueous sodium chloride solutions

Based on light scattering intensity measurements, a critical concentration for micelle formation can be assigned to sodium taurodeoxycholate in aqueous electrolyte solutions. For sodium taurocholate a progressive aggregation even at very low concentrations of bile salt is indicated. Surface tension and diffusion coefficients are also reported.
Safety isn't simple

But researchers David Hofmann and Adam Stetzer, from Purdue University, say we shouldn't be so quick to blame the victim. Their recent field research sheds some light on the complex relationship between work group factors and individual employees' safety-related behaviors. Hofmann and Stetzer's research adds support to the growing recognition among safety experts that organizational factors can, and do, influence safety performance.
Selective pressures on clutch size in the gall maker Asteromyia carbonifera

The insect AsteromnvNia carbonijera (Diptera; Cecidomyiidae) has a life history that entails larval development in a gall with several sibs, maturation of a single batch of gametes during pupal development, and an ephemeral adult existence that includes many ovipositional events, each of which results in formation of a gall. Ecological factors acting on both the adult and larval stages were evaluated to determine the selective pressure they exert on the number of eggs deposited per ovipositional site (i.e., clutch size). Optimal clutch size is determined by a balance between the fitness per offspring, which is depen- dent on clutch size, and the number of clutches mothers can deposit in their brief life-span. As clutch size increased, so did sibling competition, with the result of smaller size and lower fecundity for larvae developing in large clutches. Larval survivorship was lower in small clutches because of differential attack by parasitoids. From the offspring's viewpoint, benefits of small clutch size out- weighed the deficits, since those deposited in clutches of one enjoyed the greatest potential fitness. A model was constructed indicating that when mothers experience no risk of mortality, optimal clutch size from their viewpoint is also one. However as the risk of mortality between ovipositional events increases, females are unlikely to survive to deposit all their eggs. When fewer clutches can be formed, females will be selected to deposit several eggs per clutch, since this results in the development of many moderately fecund offspring whose aggregate fitness is greater than that of the few highly fecund offspring that would result if one egg were deposited per site.
The chromosomes of Neurospora tetrasperma.

A comparison of McClintock's recent report (1945) on the structure and number of chromosomes in Neurospora crassa Shear & Dodge with earlier studies on this and related species brings out the possibility that significant variation exists in the morphology of the chromosomes of this genus. The present widespread interest in the physiological genetics of Neurospora emphasizes the need of an intensive cytological confirmation of pertinent genetic data in this genus. McClintock's study contrasted with other cytological investigations on the Ascomycetes may also lead to the conclusion that N. crassa is unique among fungi in possessing meiotic chromosomes large enough for easy study. However, her results were obtained with smear techniques not available to earlier workers in this field, and it is possible that these divergent reports are due to the use of different methods of preparation rather than to inherent differences in the species themselves. The purpose of this study is to investigate another species of Neurospora by similar smear techniques in order to determine whether the reported differences in the chromosomes are real or artifactual. McClintock has reported a number of strains of N. crassa with seven haploid chromosomes. Beadle (1946), on McClintock's authority, also cites the haploid number as seven in this species whereas Lindegren and Rumann (1938) had previously reported its haploid number as six to nine. In the closely related eight spored species, N. sitophila Shear & Dodge, Wilcox (1928) figures six haploid chromosomes. Dodge (1927) does not state the chromosome number in the homothallic four spored species N. tetrasperma Shear & Dodge, but his figures lead to the conclusion that
The role of quantity surveyors in the international construction arena

The quantity surveying profession is unpopular in some countries, such as the USA. However, in the international construction arena, quantity surveyors have renowned construction competencies and are widely involved in construction projects. They have different names in different countries ‒ e.g. cost engineer, building economist, cost manager, or construction accountant. In spite of the different names, they have significant skills that have evolved to meet the increasing and changing needs of clients, especially in the international construction arena. This research investigated the roles of quantity surveyors and the complexities they may find in international construction. A literature review and survey questionnaire were used to investigate the roles, complexities, and the level of competition from other construction professionals. The results showed that quantity surveyors had many roles in construction, with a majority of them acting as representatives of clients in construction projects. Also, the...
A review of the research on compliance in patients with diabetes mellitus

This article summarized the current status of compliance in patients with diabetes mellitus,and analyzed the influential factors,including age,educational level,income,health belief,social support and diabetes related knowledge.Then,the countermeasure were proposed to improve patients' compliance.It indudes reinforcing health education,establishing correct attitude and health belief,gaining more support from family and society.