cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vertebral Osteomyelitis in Intravenous Drug Abusers: Report of Three Cases and Review of the Literature

Three cases of vertebral osteomyelitis in intravenous drug abusers are described, and 64 cases in the literature are reviewed. The patients were almost exclusively heroin users from the United States, were predominantly male, and were frequently of black or Hispanic ethnic background. Symptoms were present for less than threemonths in 81% of patients. On admission to the hospital, fever was seen in 42%, transient neurologic deficits in 15%, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 91%, and leukocytosis in 35%. Twenty-two percent of patients with initially normal X rays had spinal abnormalities detected by tomography and technetium bone scan. A strikingly high incidence (27%) of cervical spine involvement was found. Gram-negative aerobic bacilli accounted for 82% of infections, and Pseudomonas species comprised 66% of the total. Ninety-two percent of the patients responded to parenteral antibiotic therapy administered for four weeks or longer. Patients experiencing relapses responded to a second course of therapy. The prognosis for intravenous drug abusers with vertebral osteomyelitis appeared to be good with appropriate therapy, and no deaths or permanent neurologic sequelae were seen.
Quantum disorder, duality, and fractional statistics in 2+1 dimensions

A low-energy equivalence between two apparently unrelated Lagrangians with fractional statistics is reported. Exploiting this equivalence, it is possible to study the quantum disordered phase of the nonlinear sigma model with Hopf term. It is found that the quasi-particles in the disordered phase also have fractional statistics. There appears to be a dual relationship between the ordered and disordered phases.
Hardware-software cosynthesis for digital systems

As system design grows increasingly complex, the use of predesigned components, such as general-purpose microprocessors can simplify synthesized hardware. While the problems in designing systems that contain processors and application-specific integrated circuit chips are not new, computer-aided synthesis of such heterogeneous or mixed systems poses unique problems. The authors demonstrate the feasibility of synthesizing heterogeneous systems by using timing constraints to delegate tasks between hardware and software so that performance requirements can be met. System functionality is captured using the HardwareC hardware description language. The synthesis of an Ethernet-based network coprocessor is discussed as an example. >
Strength is a major factor in balance, gait, and the occurrence of falls

We studied the effects of lower extremity strength as well as gait and balance on the occurrence of falls in nursing home residents. Nursing home residents with a history of falls had less than half of the knee and ankle strength of nonfalling subjects residing in the same home. The differences were more prominent at the ankle than the knee, and were most pronounced in the ankle dorsiflexors, where they were one-tenth that of controls. Also of note was the fact that this same group of fallers had slowed gait velocity (58% of control) as well as an impaired response to postural perturbation as determined on the Postural Stress Test (55% of control). In a recently completed study we measured strength as balance (EquiTest balance platform) of community-dwelling subjects. The occurrence of loss of balance during the sensory organization test was correlated with diminished lower extremity (Pearson R = -.36, p = .001) as well as ankle dorsi and plantar flexion moments (Pearson R = -.37, p = .001). Using a logistic regression model, we demonstrated an independent effect of strength on the odds ratio of an SOT-LOB; for each newtonmeter per kg increase in strength there was a 20% decrease (95% CI, .74-87) in the odds ratio. The data from both nursing home and community-dwelling subjects indicate a strong relationship of lower extremity strength to balance and gait. The nursing home studies demonstrated an association between these functions and the occurrence of falls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Synergistic Inhibition of the Lethal Fungal Pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis: The Combined Effect of Symbiotic Bacterial Metabolites and Antimicrobial Peptides of the Frog Rana muscosa

A powerful mechanism for protection against disease in animals is synergy between metabolites present in the natural microbiota of the host and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) produced by the host. We studied this method of protection in amphibians in regard to the lethal disease chytridiomycosis, which is caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). In this study, we show that the AMPs of Rana muscosa, as well as the metabolite 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG) from Pseudomonas fluorescens, a bacterial species normally found on the skin of R. muscosa, were inhibitory to the growth of Bd in vitro. When both AMPs and 2,4-DAPG were used in growth inhibition assays, they worked synergistically to inhibit the growth of Bd. This synergy resulted in reduced minimum concentrations necessary for inhibition by either 2,4-DAPG or AMPs. This inhibitory concentration of AMPs did not inhibit the growth of a P. fluorescens strain that produced 2,4-DAPG in vitro, although its growth was inhibited at higher peptide concentrations. These data suggest that the AMPs secreted onto frog skin and the metabolites secreted by the resident beneficial bacteria may work synergistically to enhance protection against Bd infection on amphibian skin. These results may aid conservation efforts to augment amphibian skins' resistance to chytridiomycosis by introducing anti-Bd bacterial species that work synergistically with amphibian AMPs.
Stochastic rock physics inversion for thickness, lithology, porosity, and saturation

We use a site-specific rock physics transform between porosity, mineralogy, and fluid and the elastic-wave velocity to invert seismic amplitude data for thickness, clay content, total porosity, and saturation. The implementation is Bayesian, and the results are probabilistic values of the reservoir properties, given seismic measurements and well data. This method is focused on an exploration setting where minimal data exist and requires a prior interpretation of the seismic data. Regularized sampling of the prior distributions is performed within the reservoir to generate a complete set of three-layer earth models, followed by a rock physics transform to elastic properties. Combined with shale properties from well-data for overburden and underlying units, synthetic seismic data accompanies each earth model. Then a full grid search is performed to obtain the synthetic traces that best match the real data. The underlying reservoir properties are used to construct the trace-by-trace posterior distributions. We performed this technique on well and seismic data from offshore west South Africa. The posterior distributions provided the ability to predict measured values of porosity and thickness with uncertain predictions of lithology and saturation.
Kinetic mechanisms of glycine requirement for N-methyl-D-aspartate channel activation.

Abstract Glycine potentiates N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated responses via its interaction with a strychnine-insensitive glycine recognition site. We have previously shown that the potent glycine receptor antagonist 7-chlorokynurenic acid (7C1-KYN) dose-dependently inhibits [ 3 H]MK-801 binding to the PCP receptor and that this effect is reversed by glycine. [ 3 H]MK-801 binding to the PCP receptor within the NMDA receptor-gated ion channel is a measure of channel activation. Association of PCP receptor ligands is biexponential with the fast component of binding serving as a marker of activated NMDA channels. In the present study we utilize 7C1-KYN as a probe of the kinetic mechanism of the glycine effect upon NMDA receptor functioning. In the presence of l -glutamate, incubation with 7Cl-KYN completely abolished the fast component of [ 3 H]MK-801 association in 4 out of 5 experiments. In the fifth experiment where the fast component was detected, it accounted for less than half of that seen in the presence of l -glutamate alone. 7Cl-KYN-induced inhibition of the fast component of [ 3 H]MK-801 association was reversed by the addition of glycine. Since the fast component represents ligand binding to the PCP receptor via the open NMDA channel, selective reduction of this component by 7Cl-KYN indicates that glycine receptor antagonists reduce the probability of channel opening, and also that the selective reduction in the component of [ 3 H]MK-801 binding that manifest fast kinetics can serve as a marker for glycine antagonists.
Transient QRS changes simulating myocardial infarction associated with shock and severe metabolic stress

Abstract Two patients are presented who, under conditions of shock and severe metabolic stress, manifested transient Q waves in their electrocardiograms simulating myocardial infarction. The absence of clinical features and enzyme elevations as well as the transient nature of the electrocardiographic changes deny the likelihood of true infarction. Other clinical situations associated with this phenomenon are briefly reviewed and the concept of electrically silent areas of myocardium, without cell death, is discussed as an explanation.
The optimal tax for maximum economic yield: Fishery regulation under rational expectations☆

Abstract This paper examines the optimal tax to achieve maximum economic yield (MEY) exploitation in a rational expectations model of a competitive open-access fishery. To analyze the dynamic evolution of resource use a structural model which explains the relationship between the firm and the industry is presented. The unregulated equilibrium is contrasted with the potential MEY. Conditions under which the unregulated equilibrium will be MEY are explored. In addition, a tax is devised which will cause non-MEY competitive exploitation to become MEY when the tax is implemented.
Site-directed mutagenesis for quantitation of base-base interactions at defined sites

Two alkylation products implicated in initiation of carcinogenesis are O6-alkylguanine (m6G) and O4-alkylthymine (m4T). We have used site-specific insertion of these derivatives into oligonucleotides and measured the kinetic constants of various pairings, using both prokaryotic and eukaryotic polymerases for replication. Preliminary data are also reported for another carcinogen product, N2,3-ethenodeoxyguanosine ( epsilon G). The immediate neighbor bases play an important role in determining the frequency of specific changed basepairing and subsequent elongation of the annealed primer. However, both m4T and m6G prefer to form a type of G.T pairing which would lead to the transitions: G.C----A.T or T.A----C.G. The enzymes were the Klenow fragment of E. coli DNA polymerase I (Kf), engineered 3'----5' exonuclease-free Kf (exo-free Kf), polymerase alpha-primase complex from Drosophila melanogaster or calf thymus, and human immunodeficient virus-I reverse transcriptase (HIV-I RT). All enzymes led to approximately the same frequency of transitions. It is postulated that the mutation frequency at a given site is primarily a function of the structure of the sequence around the target site.
A model of the primary cosmic ray spectra

Abstract We have collected published experimental measurements of the galactic cosmic ray spectra of the primary elements, H, He, C, O, Ne, Mg, Si and Fe in the energy range from 45 MeV/nucleon to 1 TeV/nucleon in the years 1963–1987. We have fit these data with a solution to the spherically symmetric diffusion equation using boundary spectra which are a solution of the cosmic ray propagation equation in the leaky-box model. In this work, we show how the energy spectra of these elements at 1AU are represented by this model.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Seeded Nanofibrous Laminates Mimic the Multi-Scale Form and Function of the Annulus Fibrosus

The annulus fibrosus (AF) of the intervertebral disc is a multi-lamellar fibrocartilage that, together with the nucleus pulposus, confers mechanical support and flexibility to the spine. Function of the AF is predicated on a high degree of structural organization over multiple length scales: aligned collagen fibers reside within each lamella, and the direction of alignment alternates between adjacent lamellae from +30° to −30° with respect to the transverse axis of the spine. Electrospinning permits fabrication of scaffolds consisting of aligned arrays of nanofibers, and has proven effective for directing the alignment of both cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition [1–3]. We recently employed electrospinning to engineer the primary functional unit of the AF, a single lamella [4]. However, it remains a challenge to engineer a multi-lamellar tissue that replicates the cross-ply fiber architecture of the native AF. Moreover, relatively few studies have considered functional properties of engineered AF, and, when measured, tensile properties of these constructs have been inferior to native AF [4]. In this study, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were seeded onto aligned nanofibrous scaffolds organized into bi-lamellar constructs with opposing or parallel fiber orientations, and their functional maturation was evaluated with time. Additionally, we determined a novel role for inter-lamellar ECM in reinforcing the tensile response of bilayers, and confirmed this mechanism by testing acellular bilayers with controllable interface properties.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Long Patch Base Excision Repair in Mammalian Mitochondrial Genomes

The mitochondrial genome is highly susceptible to damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated endogenously as a byproduct of respiration. ROS-induced DNA lesions, including oxidized bases, abasic (AP) sites, and oxidized AP sites, cause DNA strand breaks and are repaired via the base excision repair (BER) pathway in both the nucleus and mitochondria. Repair of damaged bases and AP sites involving 1-nucleotide incorporation, named single nucleotide (SN)-BER, was observed with mitochondrial and nuclear extracts. During SN-BER, the 5′-phosphodeoxyribose (dRP) moiety, generated by AP-endonuclease (APE1), is removed by the lyase activity of DNA polymerase γ (pol γ) and polymerase β in the mitochondria and nucleus, respectively. However, the repair of oxidized deoxyribose fragments at the 5′ terminus after strand break would require 5′-exo/endonuclease activity that is provided by the flap endonuclease (FEN-1) in the nucleus, resulting in multinucleotide repair patch (long patch (LP)-BER). Here we show the presence of a 5′-exo/endonuclease in the mitochondrial extracts of mouse and human cells that is involved in the repair of a lyase-resistant AP site analog via multinucleotide incorporation, upstream and downstream to the lesion site. We conclude that LP-BER also occurs in the mitochondria requiring the 5′-exo/endonuclease and pol γ with 3′-exonuclease activity. Although a FEN-1 antibody cross-reacting species was detected in the mitochondria, it was absent in the LP-BER-proficient APE1 immunocomplex isolated from the mitochondrial extract that contains APE1, pol γ, and DNA ligase 3. The LP-BER activity was marginally affected in FEN-1-depleted mitochondrial extracts, further supporting the involvement of an unidentified 5′-exo/endonuclease in mitochondrial LP-BER.
Echocardiographic Findings in Discrete Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis

Echographic features of three patients with discrete subvalvular aortic stenosis are presented. These include a narrowed area of the left ventricular outflow tract just below the aortic valve cusps in all cases. A high-intensity but thin echo was seen in the high left ventricular outflow tract at the level of the mitral annulus in one patient with a subaortic diaphragm. In one of the three patients abnormality of aortic cusp motion was suggested as well.
Component Groups of Centralizers of Nilpotents in Complex Symmetric Spaces

Abstract Let G be the adjoint group of a simple Lie algebra g , and let KC → Aut( p C) be the complexified isotropy representation at the identity coset of the corresponding symmetric space. If e ∈ p C is nilpotent, we consider the centralizer of e in KC. We show that the conjugacy classes of the component group of this centralizer can be described in terms generalizing the Bala–Carter classification of nilpotent orbits in the complexification of g .
Assessment of bone health in children and adolescents with cancer: promises and pitfalls of current techniques.

During childhood and adolescence, skeletal development is characterized by gender-, face-, and maturation-specific increases in cortical dimensions and trabecular density. Children with cancer have multiple risk factors for impuired bone mineralization, including delayed growth and maturation, sex hormone deficiencies, decreasal physical activity and biomechanical loading of the skeleton, glucocorticoid and other immunosuppressive therapies, growth hormone deficiency, and malnutrition. This review outlines the expected gains in bone dimensions, mineral content and strength during childhood and adolescence. Varied threats to bone health in the child with cancer are summarized, with special attention to potential effects on bone formation and resorption in the growing skeleton. The strengths and limitations of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative computed tomography (QCT) techniques in the assessment of the different disease-related effects on bone strength are discussed, and alternative analytic approaches explored.
Effects of azimuthal asymmetry on ULF waves in the dipole magnetosphere

The properties of the coupling of compressional and transverse ULF waves strongly depend on the azimuthal wavenumber m. The authors investigate these effects in a numerical model of ULF wave propagation in a dipolar magnetosphere. As the azimuthal wave number m becomes larger, the frequencies of the global modes are increased, each coupling location is shifted toward the plasmapause, and the wave energy of global compressional modes in the magnetosphere is confined to a smaller region near the magnetopause. These conclusions are qualitatively consistent with previous analytical and numerical models. It is suggested that the radial dependence of the azimuthal wavelength in the dipole geometry is important to the propagation of compressional waves. This effect is not present in either box or cylindrical models, in which the azimuthal wavelength does not depend on the radial distance, and can be distinguished from effects arising from the inhomogeneity of the Alfven speed. On the other hand, the Alfven shear modes are found to have periods independent of m.
PROFESSIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILES OF THE MIGRATING AND NON‐MIGRATING LARGE PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM CPA

Because the larger public accounting firm represents a merged professional-organizational structure, CPAs who function in this environment can encounter several professional-organizational conflicts which appear to be related to career satisfaction and job migration plans. The specific types of professional and organizational conflicts and deprivations experienced by the large-firm CPA are explored using data on 264 public accountants representing four national public accounting firms. CPAs who planned to migrate are compared with those who planned to remain with the firm on nine professional and organizational issues (e.g., administration, rules and procedures, colleague relationship, decision-making); the implications of this behavioral analysis are related to several dimensions of the large-firm hiring practices and training programs. The “educational sub-culture” from which the newer staff member emerges is examined also for its possible role in creating several of the issues identified in the study.
Diffusion of noninteracting particles into a semi-infinite lattice.

Consider a gas of noninteracting particles diffusing into a semi-infinite lattice, ${Z}^{+}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${Z}^{D\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$, subject to exclusion of double occupancy. An exact closed set of equations can be obtained and solved (in closed form) for the single-site occupancies or densities. Equations for the n-site occupancies couple only to such functions for n and n-1 sites, as for an infinite lattice. Their analysis reveals that negative pair correlations develop during this process, reflecting the propensity for diffusion to reduce density inhomogeneities and fluctuations.
A Study on the Effect of Flexible Electrodes and Passive Layers on the Performance of Dielectric Elastomer Membranes

This paper investigates the effect of flexible electrodes and passive layers on the electromechanical performance of dielectric elastomer membranes. Four compliant electrodes were tested: carbon grease, silver grease, graphite spray, and graphite powder. The test setup consisted of a clamped diaphragm subject to an inflation pressure and an electric field. The electrode experiments show that both silver grease and carbon grease are the most effective electrodes of those tested. Passive layer tests were performed in three groups according to the position of the added layers relative to the actuator: (i) passive layer placed on top of the actuator, (ii) passive layer on the bottom of the actuator, and (iii) passive layers on both the bottom and top of the actuator. For the passive layer tests, the results show that adding elastic layers dramatically changes the mechanical response of the actuator but does not change the electrical response significantly. The ability to use capacitance measurements to determine the membrane's deformation state is investigated. The experiments demonstrate that capacitance measurements can indeed be used for mechanical sensing.© 2006 ASME
Abstract IA10: Spreading of X-chromosome inactivation via a hierarchy of defined Polycomb stations

Abstract X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) achieves dosage balance in mammals by repressing one of two X-chromosomes in females. During XCI, the long noncoding Xist RNA and Polycomb proteins spread along the inactive X (Xi) to initiate chromosome-wide silencing. Although inactivation is known to commence at the X-inactivation center (Xic), how it propagates remains unknown. We have examined allele-specific binding of Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and chromatin composition during XCI, and generate a chromosome-wide profile of Xi and Xa (active X) at nucleosome-resolution. Initially, Polycomb proteins are localized to a limited number of sites along the X. As Xist RNA spreads in cis during the XCI process, thousands of additional sites are recruited. PRC2 and H3K27 methylation spread along a gradient in an Xi-specific manner not seen on autosomes. Our findings suggest that XCI is governed by a hierarchy of defined Polycomb stations that spread H3K27 methylation in cis. Citation Format: Stefan F. Pinter, Yesu Jeon, Toshiro K. Ohsumi, Mark Borowsky, Jeannie T. Lee, Ruslan I. Sadreyev, Eda Yildirim. Spreading of X-chromosome inactivation via a hierarchy of defined Polycomb stations [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Noncoding RNAs and Cancer; 2012 Jan 8-11; Miami Beach, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(2 Suppl):Abstract nr IA10.
Studies on the antiglucocorticoid action of progesterone in rat thymocytes: early in vitro effects.

Abstract Progesterone was found to exhibit antiglucocorticoid properties in rat thymocytes, as indicated by its ability to compete effectively for triamcinolone acetonide (TA) binding sites as well as to inhibit the biochemical effects of TA. In a cell free system, progesterone competitively inhibited the binding of TA to glucocorticoid-specific binding sites and was more effective than the antiglucocorticoid cortexolone in this respect. Progesterone at 10−7−10−6M antagonized the inhibitory effect of 5 × 10−8TA on RNA metabolism, although it was inactive by itself as an inhibitor of [3H]-uricline uptake and incorporation into thymocyte RNA; this antagonism was not due to competition by progesterone for TA uptake into the cells. Progesterone was less efficient than cortisol or TA in depleting the cytosol receptors. However, unlike the glucocorticoid agonists which formed a temperature-dependent, salt extractable nuclear bound complex, progesterone was bound tightly to a fraction in the 27,000 g pellet which was unaffected by changes in the incubation temperature or salt extraction conditions. Additional binding of progesterone was observed in cells pre-saturated with TA. suggesting the presence in rat thymocytes of progesterone binding components other than the glucocorticoid receptors.
Searching for voting patterns in post-communist Poland's sejm elections

Abstract This article explores associations between participation and party voting and a number of socio-economic variables observed at the voivodship level in Poland's 1993 Sejm elections. It further identifies similarities and differences between the impact of those factors in the 1991 and 1993 elections. The regression estimates indicate that 1993 was not a “reproduction” of 1991. In the most recent election, increases in voting participation accounted for the great upsurge in support for parties of the left, while socio-economic factors were of lesser significance. Moreover, a geographical political cleavage, not previously identified in other voting studies, had an important influence on both participation and party voting.
Metal alkoxides: models for metal oxides. XIII: NMR spectroscopic and theoretical investigations into the reduction of alkynes bonded to hexaalkoxides of dimolybdenum and ditungsten

Abstract In reactions between M 2 (OR) 6 (py) x compounds, where M = Mo and W, R = Np (Np = neopentyl), i -Pr and t -Bu, x = 0 or 2, and alkynes (1:1 stoichiometry) in hydrocarbon/pyridine solvents at or below room temperature, M 2 (OR) 6 (py) x (μ-C 2 R 2 ) complexes are formed and have previously been shown to adopt one of three different structural types. Based on the local coordination geometry about each metal atom, these structural types can be described as octahedral-octahedral, I , octahedral-trigonal-bipyramidal, II , and trigonal-bipyramidal-trigonal-bipyramidal, III . All Mo 2 (μ-C 2 R 2 ) containing complexes adopt structure I while the W 2 (μ-C 2 R 2 ) complexes adopt one of I , II , or III , depending on the alkyne and the alkoxide. A comparison of structures and CC bond distances in the μ-C 2 R 2 ligand reveals that the CC bond distance is dependent on the structural type and increases in the order I II III and Mo 1 J 13 C 13 C for the M 2 (μ-C 2 H 2 ) moieties show an inverse correlation with d (CC). Fenske-Hall molecular orbital calculations performed on the model compounds M 2 (OH) 6 (NH 3 ) x (μ-C 2 H 2 ), where M = Mo and W and x = 1 or 2, reveal that the major factor contributing to the reduction of the alkyne in I , II , and III , is the local coordination geometry about each metal atom. Trigonal-bipyramidal coordinated metals and monoalkoxy-bridged M 2 (μ-C 2 R 2 ) complexes reduce the alkyne more than octahedral coordinated metal atoms and di-alkoxy-bridged structures, respectively. The reduction of the alkynes for M = W > Mo can be traced to the relative orbital energetics and radial extension of the metal atomic orbitals. The influence of the supplemental Lewis base ligand NH 3 is found to be small. The effect of alkoxide π-donation is seen in calculations employing a frozen π orbital approach. It is demonstrated that alkoxide π-donation to the metal atom enhances metal π back-donation into the alkyne π* orbitals.
One-phase CCD: a new approach to charge-coupled device clocking

A new approach to charge-coupled device (CCD) clocking has been developed that uses a single clock signal and dc bias on a device structure previously used for two-phase clocking. The one-phase approach results in improved operation by simplifying the clock circuit, reducing power consumption, and simplifying scanning of large CCD arrays.
Pacific sea-surface temperature related to rain in California

CALIFORNIA is experiencing the worst drought in modern history, and there is much concern and speculation about future rainfall prospects. We recently succeeded in relating South Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SST) to rain in northeastern Brazil1, and here we use similar methods to relate sea surface temperatures over the North Pacific Ocean to rainfall in California. We found December SST in the north-east Pacific off Washington to have a limited but definite predictive value, and to account for about 45% of the variation in California rainfall for the period February–April.
Effects of Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin on Whole-Body, Splanchnic, and Leg Protein Metabolism

Context: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by insulin resistance to glucose metabolism. Most studies suggest that protein metabolism is unaffected by T2D, but regional protein metabolism and response to multiple doses of insulin have not been examined. Objective: Our objective was to determine whether insulin regulation of splanchnic and leg protein metabolism are affected by T2D during hyperglycemia and graded insulin levels. Design and Setting: We conducted a cross-sectional study at an academic medical center. Participants: T2D and non-T2D adults were matched for age (62 yr) and body mass index (30 kg/m2). Interventions: Glucose was maintained at approximately 9 mmol/liter while insulin was infused at three progressively higher rates, achieving circulating concentrations of approximately 150, 350, and 700 pmol/liter, respectively. Main Outcome Measures: Protein kinetics were measured using labeled phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr). Results: Whole-body protein breakdown and synthesis rates wer...
Histone H3 Thr 45 phosphorylation is a replication-associated post-translational modification in S. cerevisiae

Post-translational histone modifications are crucial for the regulation of numerous DNA-templated processes, and are thought to mediate both alteration of chromatin dynamics and recruitment of effector proteins to specific regions of the genome. In particular, histone Ser/Thr phosphorylation regulates multiple nuclear functions in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, including transcription, DNA damage repair, mitosis, apoptosis and sporulation. Although modifications to chromatin during replication remain poorly understood, a number of recent studies have described acetylation of the histone H3 N-terminal alpha-helix (alphaN helix) at Lys 56 as a modification that is important for maintenance of genomic integrity during DNA replication and repair. Here, we report phosphorylation of H3 Thr 45 (H3-T45), a histone modification also located within the H3 alphaN helix in S. cerevisiae. Thr 45 phosphorylation peaks during DNA replication, and is mediated by the S phase kinase Cdc7-Dbf4 as part of a multiprotein complex identified in this study. Furthermore, loss of phosphorylated H3-T45 causes phenotypes consistent with replicative defects, and prolonged replication stress results in H3-T45 phosphorylation accumulation over time. Notably, the phenotypes described here are independent of Lys 56 acetylation status, and combinatorial mutations to both Thr 45 and Lys 56 of H3 cause synthetic growth defects. Together, these data identify and characterize H3-T45 phosphorylation as a replication-associated histone modification in budding yeast.
Ted Saad's contributions to IEEE's historical activities

Theodore Saad (1920 – 2011) was a unique individual who is well-known in at least three spheres: as a prominent engineer/entrepreneur, as a tireless IEEE volunteer, and as a civic volunteer and philanthropist in the Boston area. His engineering career was launched at the MIT Rad Lab during World War II, and was followed by important work including both the founding of a successful company (Sage Industries) and a key industry periodical (The Microwave Journal). His IEEE career included terms as President of the IEEE Microwave Theory & Techniques Society and as a member of the Board of Directors of the IEEE Foundation. His technological accomplishments and IEEE service led him to be named a Life Fellow of IEEE. His Boston civic activity included various leadership roles in Concert Opera Boston and generous support of his alma mater, MIT. What may be less known is that Ted was a pioneer in organizing, promoting and championing the idea that IEEE has a responsibility to be active in preserving and promoting the history of IEEE, its members, their professions and the related technologies. This paper enhances the record by summarizing Ted's contributions to IEEE's historical activities.
Social Skills intervention planning for preschoolers: Using the SSiS-Rating Scales to identify target behaviors valued by parents and teachers

Teachers’ and parents’ importance ratings of social behaviors for 95 preschoolers were examined using the Social Skills Improvement System–Rating Scales (Gresham & Elliott, 2008). Multivariate anal...
THE EQUILIBRIUM OF CRYSTAL SURFACES.

Abstract : The purpose of this paper is to review the basic principles underlying the theory of crystal surfaces, giving particular attention to the phenomenological thermodynamic point of view. The basic equation for the equilibrium of crystal surfaces is discussed from a general viewpoint. It will be emphasized that there are two main differences with respect to the situation in the case of fluid surfaces: a) The surface energy is anisotropic in a crystal and isotropic in a fluid b) In crystals the existence of surface stresses and connected volume stress must be taken in account. Macroscopic equilibrium will be considered. In it will be discussed the two main classical problems, faceting and equilibrium shape of small crystals. Microscopic equilibrium is also considered.
Thrombin and Vascular Development: A Sticky Subject

Formation of the vasculature is an essential step in embryogenesis. It was observed decades ago that the vasculature and the intravascular blood compartment, which uses the former as a means of transportation, develop in a close spatial and temporal relationship. In this review, we discuss the role of the blood coagulation system as a tool to coordinate angiogenesis. Several mouse models lacking coagulation factors result in impaired thrombin generation and display a phenotype of disturbed cardiovascular development. Similar phenotypes are observed in mouse models of impaired thrombin binding to its cellular receptor, protease-activated receptor-1, or of disrupted signaling via G proteins. Most interestingly, the available data provide evidence that thrombin signaling in vascular development cannot be explained by a model based only on the classic extrinsic and intrinsic coagulation pathways. Because angiogenesis in adults follows the same signaling patterns as angiogenesis in embryos, it is important to learn about these pathways, hoping that they may serve as therapeutic targets in cardiovascular disease.
Generation of high-modulation-index RF analog signals using a silicon microring resonator

We propose a compact silicon microring-based analog modulator for generation of 10-GHz sub-octave analog signals, which exhibit high optical modulation-index of up to 46% and carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR) of 57 dB. In fiber transmission, the CNR can be improved further by 10 dB with chromatic dispersion.
Study of domain structure in linear and crosslinked polyurethanes using pulsed proton NMR

Pulsed proton magnetic resonance was used to study the domain structure of a series of polyurethanes which had been crosslinked to various degrees at 210/sup 0/C. The difference between segmental mobility of the hard and soft phases decreases with crosslinking. The fraction of rigid segments in the linear material decreases in two distinct stages as the temperature increases, while the fraction of rigid segments in the crosslinked material decreases in a continuous fashion as the temperature increases. Crosslinking also decreases the rate of domain formation following thermal treatment. These effects are attributed to the inability of the segments in the crosslinked material to completely segregate into domains.
Diet-induced obesity associated with steatosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation in liver.

Abstract Background Obesity induces steatosis and increases oxidative stress, as well as chronic inflammation in the liver. The balance between lipogenesis and lipolysis is disrupted in obese animals. At a cellular level, the changes in metabolic sensors and energy regulators are poorly understood. We hypothesized that diet-induced steatosis increases oxidative stress, inflammation, and changes the metabolic regulators to promote energy storage in mice. The setting was a university-affiliated basic science research laboratory. Methods Four-week-old C57BL mice were fed a high-fat diet (n = 8) or regular chow (n = 8) for 7 weeks. The liver sections were stained for fat content and immunofluorescence. Liver homogenates were used for protein analysis by immunoblotting and mRNA analysis by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The gels were quantified using densitometry P ≤ .05 was considered significant. Results The high-fat diet upregulated protein kinase-C atypical isoforms ζ and λ and decreased glucose tolerance and the interaction of insulin receptor substrate 2 with phosphoinositide kinase-3. The high-fat diet increased the transcriptional factors liver X receptor (4321 ± 98 versus 2981 ± 80) and carbohydrate response element-binding protein (5132 ± 135 versus 3076 ± 91), the lipogenesis genes fatty acid binding protein 5, stearoyl-co-enzyme A desaturase-1, and acetyl-co-enzyme A carboxylase protein, and fatty acid synthesis. The high-fat diet decreased 5′-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (2561 ± 78 versus 1765 ± 65), glucokinase-3β (2.214 ± 34 versus 3356 ± 86), and SIRT1 (2015 ± 76 versus 3567 ± 104) and increased tumor necrosis factor-α (3415 ± 112 versus 2042 ± 65), nuclear factor kappa B (5123 ± 201 versus 2562 ± 103), cyclooxygenase-2 (4230 ± 113 versus 2473 ± 98), nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (3501 ± 106 versus 1600 ± 69) and reactive oxygen species production (all P Conclusion A high-fat diet impairs glucose tolerance and hepatic insulin signaling, upregulates transcriptional and translational activities that promote lipogenesis, cytokine production, proinflammatory signaling, and oxidative stress, and downregulates lipolysis. Understanding the complex cellular signals triggered by obesity might have profound clinical implications.
A General-Purpose Multiterminal DC Load-Flow

This paper presents a novel method for solving the load-flow problem of a general multiterminal dc network in an integrated ac-dc system. The method can handle a great variety of converter controls and operating conditions of the dc system. It has also the ability to handle discrete tap-step and tap limits of the converter transformer, to impose overcurrent limit at the terminal and to represent the combined behavior of the converter control and tap changer during steady-state and transient conditions; all within the iterative procedure. This method iterates directly on the dc voltage equations using a digital current reference balancer to update the dc currents. Since the digital current reference balancer has a simple closed form solution, the computation effort per iteration is extremely small. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the various features of the method. The convergence characteristic of the method is good. Storage requirement is only a few percent of that required by other techniques which manipulate with the full Jacobian matrix. Test results showed that the method is considerably faster than previous dc load-flow techniques.
COMMON NERVE BLOCKS IN CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT

Anesthesiologists have become increasingly involved with the management of chronic pain patients in the operating room, on the surgical floor, and in the outpatient pain facility setting (often interdisciplinary). Based upon the authors' practice of regional anesthesia, the most specific contribution to chronic pain management arguably remains the practice of diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic injections of the neuraxis, peripheral nerves, and the autonomic nervous system.
Statistical debugging for real-world performance problems

Design and implementation defects that lead to inefficient computation widely exist in software. These defects are difficult to avoid and discover. They lead to severe performance degradation and energy waste during production runs, and are becoming increasingly critical with the meager increase of single-core hardware performance and the increasing concerns about energy constraints. Effective tools that diagnose performance problems and point out the inefficiency root cause are sorely needed. The state of the art of performance diagnosis is preliminary. Profiling can identify the functions that consume the most computation resources, but can neither identify the ones that waste the most resources nor explain why. Performance-bug detectors can identify specific type of inefficient computation, but are not suited for diagnosing general performance problems. Effective failure diagnosis techniques, such as statistical debugging, have been proposed for functional bugs. However, whether they work for performance problems is still an open question. In this paper, we first conduct an empirical study to understand how performance problems are observed and reported by real-world users. Our study shows that statistical debugging is a natural fit for diagnosing performance problems, which are often observed through comparison-based approaches and reported together with both good and bad inputs. We then thoroughly investigate different design points in statistical debugging, including three different predicates and two different types of statistical models, to understand which design point works the best for performance diagnosis. Finally, we study how some unique nature of performance bugs allows sampling techniques to lower the overhead of run-time performance diagnosis without extending the diagnosis latency.
A general bioeconomic simulation model for annual-crop marine fisheries

Abstract A generalized bioeconomic simulation model of annual-crop marine fisheries is described and its use in marine fisheries management is demonstrated. The biological submodel represents the recruitment of new organisms into the fishery, the movement of organisms from one fishing area to another and from one depth to another, the growth of organisms and the mortality of organisms resulting both from natural causes and from fishing. The economic submodel represents the fishing effort exerted on each resource species, the monetary costs of fishing, the value of the harvest and the rent (or excess profits) to the fishery. Basic dynamics of the model results from changes in the number of organisms in the fishery over time, which can be summarized as a set of difference equations of the general form ΔN / Δt = R + I − E − M − F where ΔN / Δt is the net change in number of organisms in the fishery over time, R is recruitment, I is immigration, E is emigration, M is natural mortality and F is fishing mortality. R is a driving variable, whereas I, E, M and F are functions of the state of the system at any given point in time. The model can be run in a deterministic or stochastic mode. Values for parameters affecting rates of recruitment, movement, growth, natural mortality and fishing mortality can be selected from uniform, triangular or normal distributions. Use of the model within a fisheries-management framework is demonstrated by evaluating several management alternatives for the pink shrimp ( Penaeus duorarum ) fishery on the Tortugas grounds in the Gulf of Mexico. Steps involved in use of the model, including parameterization, validation, sensitivity analysis and stochastic simulations of management policies, are explained.
Sociocultural practices relating to obstetrics and gynecology in a community of West Africa

Abstract The cultural beliefs and practices relating to fertility, pregnancy, delivery, and care of the newborn infant among the Yoruba of West Africa have been reviewed. Some of the effects of these practices upon the health of the mother and the infant have been assessed. An understanding of these culture patterns is important to the physician who attempts to improve maternal care in the developing countries.
Decoding Brain States Based on Magnetoencephalography From Prespecified Cortical Regions

Brain state decoding based on whole-head MEG has been extensively studied over the past decade. Recent MEG applications pose an emerging need of decoding brain states based on MEG signals originating from prespecified cortical regions. Toward this goal, we propose a novel region-of-interest-constrained discriminant analysis algorithm (RDA) in this paper. RDA integrates linear classification and beamspace transformation into a unified framework by formulating a constrained optimization problem. Our experimental results based on human subjects demonstrate that RDA can efficiently extract the discriminant pattern from prespecified cortical regions to accurately distinguish different brain states.
An Introduction to this Special Issue: Animal Models of Human Chemosensory Perception and Behavior

In this Special Issue of Chemosensory Perception, the important link connecting chemosensory work in animals to human perception and behavior is highlighted. Historically, the use of animal models has been instrumental in developing our understanding of the human condition. Tremendous insight and scientific advancement has been made through the development of applicable animal models. In the case of the chemical senses, this has been especially true as animal models have been used to identify the key proteins involved in chemosensory transduction; to investigate the neural code underpinning taste, smell, and chemesthetic sensations; and, more recently, to examine the function of taste and smell receptors in roles other than gustation and olfaction. Linking results from animal and human studies is critically important to the chemical senses discipline. For those scientists whose techniques and interests focus primarily on human perception, a clear understanding of the molecular and physiological phenomena underpinning chemosensation provides a fundamental platform upon which to base further hypotheses. On the other hand, the impact of animal work is greatest when findings are translated to human significance.Moreover, the chemosensory community is unique in that the largest global industry—food, beverage, and consumer products—is a direct beneficiary of the research efforts and can leverage results to improve the quality, healthiness, and acceptance of products in this category. As such, translatable findings help fuel the economic engine of this important industrial sector. In the current Special Issue of Chemosensory Perception, six papers have been authored with the intent to provide human relevance to chemosensory studies completed using animals. The articles represent a small collection of the numerous animal studies that have contributed to our current knowledge, yet provide broad perspective covering topics of interest within chemosensation. Three of the articles focus on the sense of taste and provide evidence that data obtained in rodents are relevant to understanding appetitive taste processing and ingestive behavior, as well as offering key insights related to human issues of obesity and weight management. The fourth article concerns olfaction and posits an interesting role of the lung in retronasal odor perception. The last two articles focus on chemesthesis, particularly the remarkable overlap of trigeminal chemosensitivity obtained from animals and human psychophysical work as well as the role of thermosensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in touch, temperature, and pain sensation. I would like to thank the authors for contributing these papers and acknowledge their time and dedication to preparing these manuscripts. As an advocate of linking human perception and behavior to underlying neurobiological mechanisms, I believe the content of this Special Issue of Chemosensory Perception makes an important contribution to the field of chemosensation. I hope you agree.