cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chromosomal Region of the Cystic Fibrosis Gene in Yeast Artificial Chromosomes: A Model for Human Genome Mapping

A general strategy for cloning and mapping large regions of human DNA with yeast artificial chromosomes (YAC's) is described. It relies on the use of the polymerase chain reaction to detect DNA landmarks called sequence-tagged sites (STS's) within YAC clones. The method was applied to the region of human chromosome 7 containing the cystic fibrosis (CF) gene. Thirty YAC clones from this region were analyzed, and a contig map that spans more than 1,500,000 base pairs was assembled. Individual YAC's as large as 790 kilobase pairs and containing the entire CF gene were constructed in vivo by meiotic recombination in yeast between pairs of overlapping YAC's.
Electronic excitations of the rare-gases in the solid phase☆

Abstract We present the results of a simple non-structural approach to the study of the exciton levels in solid rare-gases. We start from the excited states of the free atom and we introduce the solid state effects only through the dielectric constant ϵ0 and the effective mass μ. The agreement with the most recent and accurate experimental data is complete for the observed exciton levels in all solid rare-gases. We also provide accurate values for the energy gaps Eg and the effective masses μ.
Structure of an anti-HIV-1 hammerhead ribozyme complex with a 17-mer DNA substrate analog of HIV-1 gag RNA and a mechanism for the cleavage reaction: 750 MHz NMR and computer experiments

The structure of an anti-HIV-1 ribozyme-DNA abortive substrate complex was investigated by 750 MHz NMR and computer modeling experiments. The ribozyme was a chimeric molecule with 30 residues-18 DNA nucleotides, and 12 RNA residues in the conserved core. The DNA substrate analog had 17 residues. The chimeric ribozyme and the DNA substrate formed a shortened ribozyme-abortive substrate complex of 47 nucleotides with two DNA stems (stems I and III) and a loop consisting of the conserved core residues. Circular dichroism spectra showed that the DNA stems assume A-family conformation at the NMR concentration and a temperature of 15 degrees C, contrary to the conventional wisdom that DNA duplexes in aqueous solution populate entirely in the B-form. It is proposed that the A-family RNA residues at the core expand the A-family initiated at the core into the DNA stems because of the large free energy requirement for the formation of A/B junctions. Assignments of the base H8/H6 protons and H1' of the 47 residues were made by a NOESY walk. In addition to the methyl groups of all T's, the imino resonances of stems I and III and AH2's were assigned from appropriate NOESY walks. The extracted NMR data along with available crystallographic data, were used to derive a structural model of the complex. Stems I and III of the final model displayed a remarkable similarity to the A form of DNA; in stem III, a GC base pair was found to be moving into the floor of the minor groove defined by flanking AT pairs; data suggest the formation of a buckled rhombic structure with the adjacent pair; in addition, the base pair at the interface of stem III and the loop region displayed deformed geometry. The loop with the catalytic core, and the immediate region of the stems displayed conformational multiplicity within the NMR time scale. A catalytic mechanism for ribozyme action based on the derived structure, and consistent with biochemical data in the literature, is proposed. The complex between the anti HIV-1 gag ribozyme and its abortive DNA substrate manifests in the detection of a continuous track of A.T base pairs; this suggests that the interaction between the ribozyme and its DNA substrate is stronger than the one observed in the case of the free ribozyme where the bases in stem I and stem III regions interact strongly with the ribozyme core region (Sarma, R. H., et al. FEBS Letters 375, 317-23, 1995). The complex formation provides certain guidelines in the design of suitable therapeutic ribozymes. If the residues in the ribozyme stem regions interact with the conserved core, it may either prevent or interfere with the formation of a catalytically active tertiary structure.
Achievement Goal Theory and Affect: An Asymmetrical Bidirectional Model

This article discusses the research on the relations between achievement goals and develops a conceptual model based on a review of extant literature. The model distinguishes between moods and emotions and the relative roles of perceived classroom goal structures and personal goals. In this article, it is suggested that the relation between achievement goals and affect is asymmetrical and bidirectional. However, given differences in the conceptualization and measurement of affect, the empirical findings are somewhat inconsistent and difficult to interpret in some studies. Thus, there is a clear need for more research on the dynamics of achievement goals and affect in classroom settings.
The Heliospheric Hydrogen Distribution: A Multifluid Model

We investigate the self-consistent interaction of the local interstellar cloud (LIC) and solar wind, focusing on its manifestations in the heliospheric hydrogen (H) distribution. This system is modeled hydrodynamically as a fluid proton-electron plasma and three H fluids, each arising from charge exchange production within three distinct plasma environments. Perhaps our most significant finding is that, based on the Dalgarno cross section, thermalizing H-H collisions are crucial to determining the heliospheric H distribution. Hot secondary H atoms produced from charge exchange with the solar wind will be thermalized with the bulk of the cooler LIC H distribution. This thermalization should be complete for the postheliospheric H beyond ~108 downstream from the Sun. Observed along nearby downstream interstellar sightlines, we may expect to see temperatures of order 105 K in the bulk of the postheliospheric-traversal H distribution. Recent observations along the Sirius sightline by Bertin et al. may be explainable in these terms. Based on the Dalgarno cross section for thermalizing H-proton collisions without charge transfer, this interaction should be important as well. This implies that previous charge exchange-only models have underestimated the degree of H-proton coupling and thereby the efficiency of heliospheric filtration of LIC H. The variation among published values of the charge exchange cross section is 40% at 1 eV. We find that this variation will affect predictions of the H density at 50 AU by a similar factor. We performed calculations using the larger of the charge exchange cross sections to conclude that the proton density in the LIC is not likely greater than a few ×10-2 cm-3. We show densities, temperatures, and radial velocities of the three H fluids along the sight lines of some nearby stars for one of these calculations, using an LIC proton density of 0.1 cm-3. Results from a first crude model of the effects of H-H collisions are given in an appendix.
Sum-rate of MIMO two-way relaying with imperfect CSI

In this paper we analyze pilot-aided channel estimation for the multiple-input multiple-output amplify-and-forward two-way relay channel. We use a linear minimum mean-square estimator for estimating the composite channel at each communicating terminal and by using the notion of “worst-case noise” we derive lower-bounds for the transmission sum-rate in both directions of the established bi-directional relay link.
Pemphigus Vulgaris and Pemphigus Foliaceus Antibodies are Pathogenic in Plasminogen Activator Knockout Mice

Previous studies have suggested that urokinase plasminogen activator is required for blister formation in pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus. Other studies, however, have shown that downregulation of plasminogen activator does not inhibit blisters induced by pemphigus immunoglobulin G. To eliminate the possibility that small amounts of urokinase plasminogen activator might be sufficient for blister formation, we passively transferred pemphigus immunoglobulin G to urokinase plasminogen activator knockout neonatal mice. Pemphigus foliaceus and pemphigus vulgaris immunoglobulin G caused gross blisters and acantholysis in the superficial and suprabasal epidermis, respectively, to the same degree in knockout and control mice, demonstrating that urokinase plasminogen activator is not absolutely required for antibody-induced blisters. Some studies have shown elevated tissue-type plasminogen activator in pemphigus lesions. Tissue-type plasminogen activator, however, is not necessary for blister formation, because pemphigus foliaceus and pemphigus vulgaris immunoglobulin G caused blisters to the same degree in tissue-type plasminogen activator knockout and control mice. To rule out that one plasminogen activator might compensate for the other in the knockout mice, we bred urokinase plasminogen activator, tissue-type plasminogen activator double knockouts. After passive transfer of pemphigus foliaceus and pemphigus vulgaris immunoglobulin G these mice blistered to the same degree as the single knockout and control mice, and histology indicated blisters at the expected level of the epidermis. These data definitively demonstrate that plasminogen activator is not necessary for pemphigus immunoglobulin G to induce acantholysis in the neonatal mouse model of pemphigus.
Ontogeny of positional behavior and support use among Colobus angolensis palliatus of the Diani Forest, Kenya.

In this project I studied black and white colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis palliatus) inhabiting the Diani Forest of south coastal Kenya to test whether activity budgets, positional behavior, and support use differed among individuals in three age categories (juveniles, subadults, and adults). Data for three habituated groups were collected from June to August 2012 and from May to July 2014. Instantaneous sampling and pooled data were used to create overall behavior profiles for the three age categories. Activity budgets differed significantly among the categories. Adults rested more and moved less, subadults socialized more, and juveniles moved more often than individuals in the other two age categories. Support use differed, with juveniles and subadults accessing smaller supports more frequently (i.e., juveniles: bough 19.4 %, branch 57.9 %, twig 13.5 %; subadult: bough 18.6 %, branch 64.5 %, twig 8.2 %) whereas adults preferred larger supports (i.e., adults: bough 32.1 %, branch 54.0 %, twig 5.3 %). Despite different support use, locomotor profiles were remarkably consistent among age categories (i.e., ranges: quadrupedal walk 35.0–45.2 %, bound 17.5–25.3 %, climb 11.2–22.7 %, leap 15.1–19.9 %). Sitting was the predominant posture, accounting for 89.5–92.5 % of the posture observed for all age categories. Overall positional profiles of adults and subadults were statistically indistinguishable whereas juveniles differed significantly from adults but not from subadults. It is hypothesized that the different frequency of specific locomotor behaviors, for example bounding, is attributable to morphological changes associated with ontogeny. Nonetheless, these findings support the notion that primates achieve adult-like positional behavior competence during the juvenile life stage.
Pulse-width modulated control of electromechanical systems

A pulse-width modulated control for a class of electromechanical system models is designed. It is shown how approximate feedback linearization, based on the integral manifold approach, can be achieved in an average sense. A correction term to the duty ratio is included which, in an application to electromechanical actuators, compensates for the electrical transients that cause torque ripple. Although designed on the basis of a model obtained through averaging, simulations show that the correction term improves the trajectory tracking performance of the actual system. >
Erroneous Assumptions: Popular Belief in the Effectiveness of Torture Interrogation

People generally believe that torture is effective despite strong counterclaims by experienced military interrogators and intelligence experts. This article challenges us to reexamine some of our basic assumptions about torture by presenting four psychological factors—primarily errors and biases in human judgment—that help account for this mistaken popular belief.
A controlled trial of topical nitroglycerin in a New Zealand white rabbit model of brown recluse spider envenomation

Abstract Study Objectives: Topical nitroglycerin has been reported to prevent skin necrosis from brown recluse spider bites, but this has never been scientifically tested. This study attempts to assess the effects of topical nitroglycerin on experimental Loxosceles reclusa envenomations. Methods: We performed a randomized, blinded, controlled study in an animal care facility. Twenty-four New Zealand white rabbits were experimentally envenomated by means of subcutaneous injection with 20 μg of brown recluse spider venom. Rabbits were randomized to 1 of 2 experimental groups. The treatment group received 1 in of 2% topical nitroglycerin ointment every 6 hours for 3 days applied directly to the envenomation site. The control group received the vehicle without nitroglycerin. Gross examination of the lesions and measurements of the areas of the lesions were made daily. Creatine phosphokinase (CPK), blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels were measured on days 0, 5, and 10. Lesions were excised after 10 days and examined by a blinded pathologist, who measured the area of necrosis and quantified inflammation and edema using a standard wound-healing score. For all values, mean values plus SD were determined. All comparisons made over multiple time points were assessed for significance by using a repeated-measures analysis of variance followed by Fisher least significant difference and Scheffe post hoc comparisons. A P value of.05 or less was used to determine significance. The Student's t test was used to compare the means of single measures. Significance was determined by using 95% confidence intervals. Comparisons of total area of necrosis were made with the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test because of the heavy positive skew of the data. Results: Skin necrosis developed in all animals. Mean values of the lesion area were not significantly different over time between the 2 groups of animals. At day 10, the median area of necrosis was 22.3 cm 2 for the treatment group and 15.4 cm 2 for the control group ( P =.12). The inflammation score was 3.33±0.78 for the treatment group and 2.79±1.29 for the control group ( P Conclusion: At the dose used in this experiment, topical nitroglycerin did not prevent skin necrosis, increased inflammation score, and increased serum CPK levels. The results of this study do not support the use of topical nitroglycerin in the treatment of L reclusa envenomation and suggest that systemic toxicity could be increased. [Lowry BP, Bradfield JF, Carroll RG, Brewer K, Meggs WJ. A controlled trial of topical nitroglycerine in a New Zealand white rabbit model of brown recluse spider envenomation. Ann Emerg Med. February 2001;37:161-165.]
Dosisbestimmungen für die60Co-Teletherapie nach dem Dekrementlinienverfahren

Die Werte der Dosisleistung in einem Stehfeld konnen als Produkt aus einem Dosisleistungswert in Luft, dem Gewebe-Luft-Verhaltnis und der relativen Feldverteilung dargestellt werden. Die relative Feldverteilung last sich aus der Dosisverteilung langs zweier charakteristischer Geraden mit Hilfe der Dekrementlinien bestimmen. Durch Uberlagerung einer Vielzahl von Stehfeldern gewinnt man Dosisverteilungen bei Bewegungsbestrahlungen. Auf den abgeleiteten Beziehungen ist ein Rechenprogramm zur Aufstellung von Bestrahlungsplanen fur alle ublichen Bestrahlungstechniken mit60Co-Geraten aufgebaut. Die Berechnung der Stehfeldverteilungen erfolgt unter Verwendung einer analytischen Darstellung fur die Dosisverteilung langs des Zentralstrahls und experimenteller Daten in der dazu senkrechten Richtung. Das Rechenprogramm liefert sowohl Dosisplane, die zur Bestimmung von absoluten Dosisangaben dienen, als auch geeignet normierte Verteilungen. Auserdem ist die anschauliche Darstellung der Ergebnisse in Form von Isodosen durch Ausdruck vorgegebener Dosisintervalle mit einheitlichen Drucksymbolen moglich.
Turning biodefense dollars into products

Five years after the US anthrax attacks, and more than two years after BioShield legislation was ratified, a survey reveals that biodefense funding has thus far produced only a handful of products for clinical development.
Intraoperative diagnosis of aortic dissection using transesophageal echocardiography

U NLIKE transthoracic echocardiography, the transesophageal approach provides an excellent view of the thoracic aorta along with more consistently adequate views of the cardiac structures.rJ The increasing use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) by anesthesiologists to monitor cardiac function during cardiac and aortic surgery provides the opportunity to gain expertise in assessing normal aortic anatomy and pathology.’ Dissections of the aorta may occur acutely during cardiac surgery.J.5 The diagnosis is usually made by observation of a hematoma in the aortic wall or by the occurrence of profound hypotension when a femoral arterial perfusion cannula is used.” Use of TEE to evaluate intraoperative aortic dissections after the clinical diagnosis was made has been described.’ This article reports the use of TEE in two patients to immediately diagnose intraoperatively aortic dissections, allowing appropriate therapy.
Aqueous geochemistry of the Thermopolis hydrothermal system, southern Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, U.S.A.

The Thermopolis hydrothermal system is located in the southern portion of the Bighorn Basin, in and around the town of Thermopolis, in northwest Wyoming. It is the largest hydrothermal system in Wyoming outside of Yellowstone National Park. The system includes hot springs, travertine deposits, and thermal wells. Published models for the hydrothermal system propose the Owl Creek Mountains as the recharge zone, simple conductive heating at depth, and resurfacing of thermal waters up the Thermopolis Anticline. The geochemistry of the thermal waters of three active hot springs—Big Spring, White Sulphur Spring, and Teepee Fountain—is similar in composition and characteristic of carbonate or carbonate-bearing siliciclastic aquifers. Previous studies of the Thermopolis hydrothermal system postulate that the thermal waters are a mixture of waters from Paleozoic formations. Major element geochemical analyses available for waters from these formations are not of sufficient quality to determine whether the thermal waters are a mixture of the Paleozoic aquifers. In the time frame of this study (one year), the geochemistry of all three springs was constant through all four seasons, spanning spring snowmelt and recharge as well as late-summer and fall dryness. This relationship is consistent with a deep source not influenced by shallow, local hydrogeology. Anomalies are evident in the historic data set for the geochemistry of Big Spring. We speculate that anomalies occurring between 1906 and 1926 suggest mixing of source waters of Big Spring with waters from a siliciclastic formation, and that anomalies occurring between 1926 and 1933 suggest mixing with waters from a formation containing gypsum or anhydrite. Decreased concentrations measured in our study—relative to concentrations measured between 1933 and 1976—may reflect mixing of thermal waters with more dilute waters. Current data are not sufficient to rigorously test these suggestions, and events of sufficient scale taking place in these timeframes have not been identified.
Natural history of HIV-associated esophageal disease in the era of protease inhibitor therapy.

The aim of this study was to determine the outcome of patients with HIV-associated esophageal disease refractory to empiric antifungal therapy, both before and after the introduction of protease inhibitors. We reviewed the medical records of 629 consecutive HIV-infected patients with odynophagia, dysphagia, or both esophageal symptoms refractory to at least one week of empiric antifungal therapy who underwent endoscopy between January 1992 and January 1997 at Bellevue Hospital Center. Endoscopy identified an etiology in 96.2% of patients, with cytomegalovirus ulcers (40.0%) and idiopathic ulcers of the esophagus (26.6%) being the most common lesions found. Overall, 91.4% of patients had a response to disease-specific therapy. In patients taking protease inhibitors, recurrent symptoms were less common (26.5% vs 36.7%, P = 0.03) and median survival was longer (172 vs 125 weeks, P = 0.006) than in those who were not treated with these potent antiretroviral medications. Protease inhibitors have had a positive impact on the outcome of HIV-associated esophageal disease.
Roles for jasmonate- and ethylene-induced transcription factors in the ability of Arabidopsis to respond differentially to damage caused by two insect herbivores

Plant responses to insects and wounding involve substantial transcriptional reprogramming that integrates hormonal, metabolic, and physiological events. The ability to respond differentially to various stresses, including wounding, generally involves hormone signaling and trans-acting regulatory factors. Evidence of the importance of transcription factors (TFs) in responses to insects is also accumulating. However, the relationships among hormone signaling, TF activity, and ability to respond specifically to different insects are uncertain. We examined transcriptional and hormonal changes in Arabidopsis thaliana after herbivory by larvae of two lepidopteran species, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) and Pieris rapae L. over a 24-h time course. Transcriptional responses to the two insects differed and were frequently weaker or absent in response to the specialist P. rapae. Using microarray analysis and qRT-PCR, we found 141 TFs, including many AP2/ERFs (Ethylene Response Factors) and selected defense-related genes, to be differentially regulated in response to the two insect species or wounding. Jasmonic Acid (JA), JA-isoleucine (JA-IL), and ethylene production by Arabidopsis plants increased after attack by both insect species. However, the amounts and timing of ethylene production differed between the two herbivory treatments. Our results support the hypothesis that the different responses to these two insects involve modifications of JA-signaling events and activation of different subsets of ERF TFs, resulting in different degrees of divergence from responses to wounding alone.
Rivaroxaban for the Long-term Treatment of Spontaneous Ovarian Vein Thrombosis Caused by Factor V Leiden Homozygosity

Objective: To report a case where rivaroxaban was used in the management of an ovarian vein thrombosis and to briefly review the literature, pathophysiology, and clinical implications therein. Case Summary: A 30-year-old previously healthy woman was diagnosed with acute, spontaneous, left-ovarian vein thrombosis (OVT) with proximal extension into the renal vein. After initial catheter-directed thrombolysis with tPA, angioplasty of the left renal vein, and heparinoid treatment, rivaroxaban was begun for long-term anticoagulation. Three months after her index event she was symptom free, with complete resolution of her thrombosis and no adverse effects or bleeding complications from rivaroxaban. To our knowledge, this is the first report of OVT successfully treated with rivaroxaban. Discussion: OVT is a rare but potentially fatal cause of abdominal pain that may pose diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas. Factor V Leiden (FVL) homozygosity, an uncommon but severe inherited thrombophilia, increases the risk of ...
Laryngeal fracture after coughing

Nontraumatic laryngeal fractures are exceedingly rare disease entities. Only 3 prior instances have been described in the medical literature (Br Med J 1950;1:1052; Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp 2007;58:73-4; Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2012;147:801-2). We present a case of thyroid cartilage fracture and associated phlegmon formation after a vigorous coughing spell in a 47-year-old man. On presentation, the patient's symptoms included the triad of odynophagia, dysphagia, and dysphonia as well as diffuse swelling and tenderness over the thyroid cartilage. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mildly displaced anterior thyroid cartilage fracture as well as a phlegmon in the strap muscle compartment adjacent to the fracture (Figs. 1 and 2). Intravenous dexamethasone and antibiotics were initiated, and the patient was admitted to the medical intensive care unit. On fiberoptic examination with the flexible laryngoscope, the patient was found to have slightto-moderate watery edema of the right aryepiglottic fold and right greater than left arytenoid cartilages. After 48 hours, the patient's neck swelling and pain significantly improved. On hospital day 4, the patient was discharged with a course of oral antibiotics. One week later, the patient reported only mild odynophagia and persistent dysphonia. He otherwise felt well and was tolerating fluids and soft food without difficulty. A preexisting, congenital abnormality resulting in a focal weakness in the thyroid cartilage might predispose patients to nontraumatic fractures (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2012;147:801-2). Patients in prior case reports of nontraumatic laryngeal fractures presented with similar symptoms (Table). The triad of odynophagia, dysphagia, and dysphonia after a severe coughing or sneezing episode should raise the clinician's suspicion of a thyroid cartilage fracture.
Role of the Innate Immune Response and Tumor Immunity Associated with Simian Virus 40 Large Tumor Antigen

We examined properties of the innate immune response against the tumor-specific antigen simian virus 40 (SV40) large tumor antigen (Tag) following experimental pulmonary metastasis in naive mice. Approximately 14 days after mKSA tumor cell challenge, expression of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and RANTES was upregulated in splenocytes harvested from mice, as assessed by flow cytometry and antibody array assays. This response was hypothesized to activate and induce tumor-directed NK cell lysis since IL-2-stimulated NK cells mediated tumor cell destruction in vitro. The necessary function of NK cells was further validated in vivo through selected antibody depletion of NK cells, which resulted in an overwhelming lung tumor burden relative to that in animals receiving a control rabbit IgG depletion regimen. Interestingly, mice achieved increased protection from experimental pulmonary metastasis when NK cells were further activated indirectly through in vivo administration of poly(I:C), a Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) agonist. In a separate study, mice receiving treatments of poly(I:C) and recombinant SV40 Tag protein immunization mounted effective tumor immunity in an established experimental pulmonary metastasis setting. Initiating broad-based immunity with poly(I:C) was observed to induce a Th1 bias in the SV40 Tag antibody response that led to successful antitumor responses not observed in animals treated only with poly(I:C) or SV40 Tag. These data have direct implications for immunotherapeutic strategies incorporating methods to elicit inflammatory reactions, particularly NK cell-driven lysis, against malignant cell types that express a tumor-specific antigen such as SV40 Tag.
Identification of geologic contrasts from landscape dissection pattern: An application to the Cascade Range, Oregon, USA

This paper demonstrates the plausibility of inferring the spatial variability of geology from topographically derived landscape dissection patterns. This enables surveying large regions for spatial variability in geology, for which direct remote sensing is not feasible, by studying variability in dissection pattern, a feature extracted straight off from digital elevation model data. Dissection pattern is obtained automatically by a novel algorithm, especially designed to delineate the valleys with high accuracy in order to reflect spatial variability in dissection density. The dissection pattern is encapsulated by a continuous map of drainage density, a raster variable best suited for showing spatial variability of dissection. Such a map, constructed for the study area in the Cascade Range, Oregon, USA, shows a sharp discontinuity in the dissection pattern, indicating change in underlying geology. Possible factors controlling the dissection pattern such as climate, local and regional slopes, vegetation, and geology are examined, and geology has been found to be the dominant controlling factor. The dissection contrast coincides with the boundary between the Western and High Cascades, two geologic provinces with different rock ages and types. The older and less permeable Western Cascades are associated with denser dissection pattern, whereas the younger and more permeable High Cascades correspond to less dissected pattern. This new mapping method can be applied to locations where topography is the only readily available data, and the generated map could be used to extract previously unknown geologic or environmental information.
New Results on the Microstructure of Amorphous Silicon as Observed by Internal Friction

The authors have measured the low temperature internal friction (Q{sup {minus}1}) of amorphous silicon (a-Si) films. Electron-beam evaporation leads to the well-known temperature-independent Q{sub 0}{sup {minus}1} plateau common to all amorphous solids. For hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) with about 1 at.% H produced by hot wire chemical vapor deposition, however, the value of Q{sub 0}{sup {minus}1} is over two hundred times smaller than for e-beam a-Si. This is the first observation of an amorphous solid without any significant low energy excitations. This finding offers the opportunity to study amorphous solids containing controlled densities of tunneling defects, and thus to explore their nature.
Vegetation succession among and within structural layers following wildfire in managed forests

Question: How does vegetation develop during the initial period following severe wildfire in managed forests? Location: Southwestern Oregon, USA. Methods: In severely burned plantations, dynamics of (1) shrub, herbaceous, and cryptogam richness; (2) cover; (3) topographic, overstory, and site influences were characterized on two contrasting aspects 2 to 4 years following fire. Analysis of variance was used to examine change in structural layer richness and cover over time. Non-metric multidimensional scaling, multi-response permutation procedure, and indicator species analysis were used to evaluate changes in community composition over time. Results: Vegetation established rapidly following wildfire in burned plantations, following an initial floristics model of succession among structural layers. Succession within structural layers followed a combination of initial and relay floristic models. Succession occurred simultaneously within and among structural layers following wildfire, but at different rates and with different drivers. Stochastic (fire severity and site history) and deterministic (species life history traits, topography, and pre-disturbance plant community) factors determined starting points of succession. Multiple successional trajectories were evident in early succession. Conclusions: Mixed conifer forests are resilient to interacting effects of natural and human-caused disturbances. Predicting the development of vegetation communities following disturbances requires an understanding of the various successional components, such as succession among and within structural layers, and the fire regime. Succession among and within structural layers can follow different successional models and trajectories, occurs at different rates, and is affected by multiple interacting factors.
Retinoic acid treatment of human leiomyoma cells transformed the cell phenotype to one strongly resembling myometrial cells

BACKGROUND Uterine leiomyomas are clinically significant tumours that may develop due to an altered differentiation pathway. We have previously identified a dysregulated retinoic acid (RA) pathway that reduced retinoic exposure in human leiomyoma surgical specimens, and have shown that the leiomyoma phenotype was characterized by excessive and disorganized extracellular matrix (ECM). OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to determine the impact of RA exposure on the disrupted ECM phenotype of leiomyomas. DESIGN AND METHODS Study of immortalized and molecularly confirmed cells generated from surgical specimens of spontaneous uterine leiomyoma and matched myometrium. RESULTS Immortalized leiomyoma and myometrial cells retained the molecular characteristics of their progenitor tissue. Proliferation of leiomyoma cells was inhibited by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). Furthermore, there was a dose-dependent decrease in soluble extracellular collagen protein in ATRA-treated leiomyoma cells. Exposure of leiomyoma cells to ATRA resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of templates for specific ECM protein production including collagen 1, collagen 4, fibronectin and versican. Notably, expression levels in treated leiomyoma cells approached those found in myometrial cells. These mRNA alterations translated into altered protein. Down-regulation was also observed among the RA pathway genes such as CYP26A1 with exposure to ATRA. Finally, ATRA down-regulated TGF-beta3 mRNA expression and the TGF-beta regulated genes in leiomyoma cells. CONCLUSION Exposure of leiomyomas to ATRA down-regulated cell proliferation, ECM formation, RA metabolism and TGF-beta regulation, suggesting that RA exposure can alter the leiomyoma phenotype to one that more closely approximates normal myometrium.
The meaning of a game: Stereotypes, video game commentary and color-blind racism

Scholars have begun to explore how conversations occurring in entertainment publics often extend into discussions on broader social issues. Media sociologists have described entertainment publics that engage in such discussions as aesthetic public spheres. This article is among the first to adopt this framework to study video game commentary. To do so, I examine the debate over Resident Evil 5’s (RE5) racially problematic imagery on the popular Internet discussion forum NeoGAF. Forum posters participating in this debate present multiple understandings of racism and video games’ social significance. Posters also construct two competing narratives about what they describe as America’s problematic racial hypersensitivity and racism’s enduring presence. My analysis indicates that video game publics are clearly capable of functioning as an aesthetic public sphere, but such discussions predominantly rely on prevailing racial discourses in civil society. Posters primarily incorporate principles from color-blind racism to reject the idea that RE5’s imagery is troubling and to characterize the game’s critics as racists themselves. In doing so, these posters ignore contemporary forms of inequality and marginalize those looking to discuss these issues. Consequently, my findings highlight how the particular discourses adopted by aesthetic public spheres promote society’s existing power dynamics.
The Effects of Allostatic Load on Racial/Ethnic Mortality Differences in the United States

This study expands on previous findings of racial/ethnic and allostatic load (AL) associations with mortality by addressing whether differential AL levels by race/ethnicity may explain all-cause mortality differences. This study used data from the third National Health and Nutrition Survey public-use file, gathered between 1988 and 1994, with up to 18 years of mortality follow-up (n = 11,733). AL scores were calculated using a 10-biomarker algorithm based on clinically determined thresholds. Results of discrete-time hazard models suggest that AL is associated with increased mortality risks, independent of other factors, including race/ethnicity and SES. The results also suggest that the AL–mortality association is stronger for non-Hispanic blacks than for non-Hispanic whites, and that at low levels of AL observed mortality differences between non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites are non-significant. These findings suggest that mortality differences between non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites may be the result of how early life exposure causes premature aging and increased mortality risks. More attention to resource allocation and local environments is needed to understand why non-Hispanic blacks experience premature aging that leads to differential mortality risks compared to non-Hispanic whites.
Comparison of Two Methods of Infesting Cotton Bolls with Pink Bollworm (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) Eggs

A technique was developed to infest cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., bolls artificially with eggs of pink boll worm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders). The technique is applicable to both field and greenhouse experimentation. Pink bollworm eggs are suspended in a solution of xanthan gum prepared by dissolving the powdered gum in distilled water. This viscous solution allowed eggs to remain suspended, yet was fluid enough to distribute eggs evenly in the liquid. Cotton bolls of known age were inoculated with a droplet of the suspension with the use of an automatic repeating pipette. After the droplet dried, the eggs adhered to the surface of the boll and larvae emerged freely. Seed damage caused by PBW was not significantly different when bolls were infested by this method compared with a method in which 1-cm2 egg papers were placed on the bolls under the calyx, nor was seed damage significantly different than in naturally infested bolls. Time required to infest bolls using the egg suspension method was significantly less than that required to infest bolls using the egg paper method.
Observations on bacterial interaction.

SummaryAn inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus bifidus var. pennsylvaniens on Lactobacillus bifidus has been demonstrated. A similar effect of L. bifidus var. pennsylvanicus on Escherichia coli was indicated.
MIDAS: Multidisciplinary Interactive Design and Analysis System - Integration of ASTROS and I-DEAS

MIDAS presents a seamless graphical integration of ASTROS and I-DEAS. It addresses all the ASTROS application features such as multiple disciplines (statics, dynamics, aerodynamics, etc), multiple boundary conditions, and multiple solution capabilities (analysis and optimization). MIDAS provides a graphical environment to generate structural and aerodynamic models, carry out analysis and/or optimization studies and what-if parametric studies, and visualize and evaluate results. Airframe and automotive industries using ASTROS as their design tool can benefit significantly by using such a graphical, integrated and automated platform as MIDAS.
Further Notes on Eoxenos Laboulbenei Peyerimhoff with a Description of the Male

In 1933 the writers published a preliminary account ( 4 )[1][1] of their finding of this insect in southern France and gave at the same time a resume of the previous findings by Laboulbene ( 2 ) and de Peyerimhoff ( 5 ). The triungulinid and last-stage larvae of both sexes and the adult female were described. [1]: #fn-1
Missing the forest for the trees: The world around us and surgical treatment of endocarditis

Abstract There has been a dramatic increase in intravenous drug abuse (IVDA)–related deaths in midlife Americans. Nowhere is this more profound than in rural Appalachia, with Kentucky in the midst of the epidemic. The causes of this finding are multifactorial and likely related to social, economic, legal, and population factors. Evidence suggests that the economic middle class is shrinking. The traditionally white midlife demographic that used to comprise more than 80% of the US middle class now accounts for less than 60%. Along with this shrinking middle class come the inevitable trappings of poverty, including drug abuse. Population-based data reveal that the shrinking middle class is associated with a significant rise in drug abuse in the population that traditionally made up the middle class; that is, white, midlife Americans. In Kentucky, the drug of choice for abuse has changed during the past 2 decades, largely related to law enforcement and political efforts. Efforts to control drug abuse have, however, suppressed availability and use of 1 substance only to have another move to the forefront. For example, during this time abuse has shifted from methamphetamine at the turn of the century to narcotic pills during the early 2000s to intravenous injection of heroin beginning around 2010. Along with this shift in the drug of choice for abuse came an alarming trend in mortality associated with IVDA, both in Kentucky and nationally, including the need for surgical correction of IVDA-related endocarditis. Thoracic surgeons have tended to avoid or ignore the greater problems that caused the epidemic of IVDA-related endocarditis. Perhaps it is time for thoracic surgeons to give a stronger voice to the societal issues that loom in the background of this epidemic.
Structure of the Human Factor VIII C2 Domain in Complex with the 3E6 Inhibitory Antibody.

Blood coagulation factor VIII is a glycoprotein cofactor that is essential for the intrinsic pathway of the blood coagulation cascade. Inhibitory antibodies arise either spontaneously or in response to therapeutic infusion of functional factor VIII into hemophilia A patients, many of which are specific to the factor VIII C2 domain. The immune response is largely parsed into "classical" and "non-classical" inhibitory antibodies, which bind to opposing faces cooperatively. In this study, the 2.61 A resolution structure of the C2 domain in complex with the antigen-binding fragment of the 3E6 classical inhibitory antibody is reported. The binding interface is largely conserved when aligned with the previously determined structure of the C2 domain in complex with two antibodies simultaneously. Further inspection of the B factors for the C2 domain in various X-ray crystal structures indicates that 3E6 antibody binding decreases the thermal motion behavior of surface loops in the C2 domain on the opposing face, thereby suggesting that cooperative antibody binding is a dynamic effect. Understanding the structural nature of the immune response to factor VIII following hemophilia A treatment will help lead to the development of better therapeutic reagents.
VWF, ADAMTS13, and acute coronary syndromes.

In this issue of Blood, Pedrazzini et al1 have taken an important step toward revitalizing our view of coronary artery thrombosis and providing a new target for the pharmacologic treatment of acute coronary syndromes (ACS).
When To Hospitalize in Congestive Heart Failure

Mandatory for impending pulmonary edema, hospitalization is also indicated for the minority of patients who no longer respond to the measures that permit most to be treated at home. Hospitalization gives the physician an opportunity to improve his application of the three “D's” of therapy-digitalis, diuretics, and diet-in the particular case, and to determine why the patient has become refractory to treatment.
What is feasible with imaging human brain function and connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging

When we consider all of the methods we employ to detect brain function, from electrophysiology to optical techniques to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we do not really have a ‘golden technique’ that meets all of the needs for studying the brain. We have methods, each of which has significant limitations but provide often complimentary information. Clearly, there are many questions that need to be answered about fMRI, which unlike other methods, allows us to study the human brain. However, there are also extraordinary accomplishments or demonstration of the feasibility of reaching new and previously unexpected scales of function in the human brain. This article reviews some of the work we have pursued, often with extensive collaborations with other co-workers, towards understanding the underlying mechanisms of the methodology, defining its limitations, and developing solutions to advance it. No doubt, our knowledge of human brain function has vastly expanded since the introduction of fMRI. However, methods and instrumentation in this dynamic field have evolved to a state that discoveries about the human brain based on fMRI principles, together with information garnered at a much finer spatial and temporal scale through other methods, are poised to significantly accelerate in the next decade. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Interpreting BOLD: a dialogue between cognitive and cellular neuroscience’.
Geodesic saliency using background priors

Generic object level saliency detection is important for many vision tasks. Previous approaches are mostly built on the prior that "appearance contrast between objects and backgrounds is high". Although various computational models have been developed, the problem remains challenging and huge behavioral discrepancies between previous approaches can be observed. This suggest that the problem may still be highly ill-posed by using this prior only. In this work, we tackle the problem from a different viewpoint: we focus more on the background instead of the object. We exploit two common priors about backgrounds in natural images, namely boundary and connectivity priors, to provide more clues for the problem. Accordingly, we propose a novel saliency measure called geodesic saliency. It is intuitive, easy to interpret and allows fast implementation. Furthermore, it is complementary to previous approaches, because it benefits more from background priors while previous approaches do not. Evaluation on two databases validates that geodesic saliency achieves superior results and outperforms previous approaches by a large margin, in both accuracy and speed (2 ms per image). This illustrates that appropriate prior exploitation is helpful for the ill-posed saliency detection problem.
Towards persistent cooperative marine robotics

This work describes the ongoing effort to derive methods to collectively direct a heterogeneous group of vehicles trajectories, velocities, communication rates and sampling rates by the navigational accuracy required, energy consumption, communication performance and observational goals. These methods are being experimentally validated through field trials during the Summer and Fall of 2016. Initial results demonstrate the utility of using fine scale regional oceanographic models as a tool to locate features of interest; inform the spatial extents, bandwidth and power usage of both satellite and acoustic communication methods; and provide data on the performance and energy usage of the acoustically aided and dead-reckoned navigation methods.
Adipose tissue in 2016: Advances in the understanding of adipose tissue biology.

Adipose tissues have a central role in energy homeostasis, as they secrete adipokines and regulate energy storage and dissipation. Novel adipokines from white, brown and beige adipocytes have been identified in 2016. Identifying the specific receptors for each adipokine is pivotal for developing greater insights into the fat-derived signalling pathways that regulate energy homeostasis.
“The Little Hot-Bed of Fresco Painting”: Queen Victoria’s Garden Pavilion at Buckingham Palace

In the early 1840s, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert authorized the construction of a small summer house in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. This chapter surveys how that pavilion became the unlikely location for an artistic “experiment” in which the medium of fresco painting became associated with British nationalism. It tracks Prince Albert’s careful planning, his relationship with Ludwig Gruner as his adviser, and the thoroughgoing German influences which ironically defined the pavilion’s aspirations to express British artistic talents and aesthetic identity. The chapter concludes by exploring Queen Victoria’s own reactions to the project as well as the building’s ultimate fate.