cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanomanufacturing of Smart and Connected Bioelectronics Through Nanomaterial Printing, Hybrid Material Integration, and Soft Packaging

Recent advances in microfabrication technologies, materials engineering, and packaging strategies have enabled the development of electronics that are flexible and conformable to the human skin. However, achieving the compatibilities with living tissues came at the costs of low-yield and low-scale manufacturing techniques, including high-vacuum processes and photolithography, limiting the use of such electronics to conceptual demonstrations. Here, we introduce a comprehensive strategy to manufacture soft bioelectronics that combines nanomaterial printing, hybrid material integration, and soft-material packaging. We leverage nanomaterial printing using aerosols as the new enabling manufacturing technique with the potential to resolve the issues inherent with bio-interfaced thin-film electronics based on MEMS processes. Biocompatible graphene and polyimide are chosen as the conductive and insulating layer for the printed electrodes for their superb electrical properties-the conductivity of the printed graphene is $5\times 10^{4}\ \mathrm{S}/\mathrm{m}$ , and the dielectric constant of the printed polyimide is 3.0. Also, the combination of graphene, silver nanoparticles, and polyimide enables a successful printing of nanomembrane circuit interconnects. The advanced performance of the printed electrode with integrated soft electronics is described within the context of electrophysiology. Examples include monitoring real-time electrocardiograms, electromyograms, galvanic skin responses, and applications in human-machine interfaces and animal research.
Oxacillin plus ertapenem combination therapy leads to rapid blood culture clearance and positive outcomes among patients with persistent MSSA bacteraemia: a case series

Background Bloodstream infections caused by MSSA are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Traditional treatment of MSSA bacteraemia includes an IV antistaphylococcal β-lactam and surgical source control when indicated. Objectives To evaluate the time to blood culture clearance as well as in-hospital and 90 day mortality in patients with persistent MSSA bacteraemia treated with combination antistaphylococcal penicillin plus carbapenem therapy. Methods Consecutive patients with persistent MSSA bacteraemia treated with combination therapy were identified by study investigators and reviewed by independent clinicians. The decision to initiate combination therapy was made by the consulting clinician or by the institution's multidisciplinary endocarditis team. Results Among 10 patients with a median of 5 days of persistent MSSA bacteraemia, treatment with an antistaphylococcal penicillin plus carbapenem led to sterilization of blood cultures in all patients. Blood culture clearance occurred in a median of 1 day and patients received a median of 6 days of combination treatment. Four of seven patients who underwent source control of their primary site of infection cleared their bacteraemia on combination therapy prior to the surgical intervention. All patients survived to hospital discharge and 90 days post-discharge. Conclusions These data extend prior findings and provide further evidence that suggests the potential benefits of combination therapy among patients with persistent MSSA bacteraemia.
A Comparative Study of Dark Patterns Across Web and Mobile Modalities

Dark patterns are user interface elements that can influence a person's behavior against their intentions or best interests. Prior work identified these patterns in websites and mobile apps, but little is known about how the design of platforms might impact dark pattern manifestations and related human vulnerabilities. In this paper, we conduct a comparative study of mobile application, mobile browser, and web browser versions of 105 popular services to investigate variations in dark patterns across modalities. We perform manual tests, identify dark patterns in each service, and examine how they persist or differ by modality. Our findings show that while services can employ some dark patterns equally across modalities, many dark patterns vary between platforms, and that these differences saddle people with inconsistent experiences of autonomy, privacy, and control. We conclude by discussing broader implications for policymakers and practitioners, and provide suggestions for furthering dark patterns research.
Police Violence Reduces Civilian Cooperation and Engagement with Law Enforcement

How do high-profile acts of police brutality affect public trust and cooperation with law enforcement? To investigate this question, we develop a new measure of civilian crime reporting that isolates changes in community engagement with police from underlying changes in crime: the ratio of police-related 911 calls to gunshots detected by ShotSpotter technology. Examining detailed data from eight major American cities, we show a sharp drop in both the call-to-shot ratio and 911 call volume immediately after the police murder of George Floyd in May 2020. Notably, reporting rates decreased significantly in both non-white and white neighborhoods across the country. These effects persist for several months, and we find little evidence that they were reversed by the conviction of Floyd’s murderer. Together, the results illustrate how acts of police violence may destroy a key input into effective law enforcement and public safety: civilian engagement and reporting.
Chapter 1 Intracellular pH Regulation

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of intracellular pH (pHi) and its regulation in symmetrical cells, considering the normal values of pHi, alteration of pHi by exposure of the cell to weak acids or bases, and cellular regulation of pHi. Over the years, two general methods of measuring intracellular pH have become widely accepted. The first, based upon the distribution of a weak acid or base across the plasma membrane, was introduced for use with erythrocytes by Fridericia and E. J. Warburg in the 1920s. The second method employs a pH-sensitive glass microelectrode to measure pHi directly and was first used by Caldwell in 1954. Experiments show that pHi is readily decreased by exposure of cells to weak acids, such as CO 2 , and increased by exposure to weak bases, such as NH 3 . When pHi is reduced, a pHi-regulating system responds by attempting to return pHi toward normal. In several invertebrate cells, this regulating system operates by exchanging external HCO 3 - , for internal Cl - , the energy for the exchange apparently being provided by the downhill entry of Na + , or, perhaps, by the hydrolysis of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP). In mammalian systems such as mouse soleus muscle, pHi regulation is apparently accomplished by independent Na + –H + and HCO 3 - –Cl - exchangers.
Micronutrients in Human Milk: A Global Perspective

Given the importance of breast milk for providing micronutrients (MN) in the first 6-24 mo our objective is to determine if its MN content is adequate in populations with poor dietary quality and how it is affected by maternal supplementation. We developed methods, including HPLC-MS/MS, to analyze multiple MN simultaneously in the milk matrix improving accuracy and efficiency of older methods. Available samples collected at 2-4 mo lactation were identified from multiple countries. Average population concentrations were expressed as % of those accepted by the IOM when setting DRIs for infants and lactation. Examples of the large differences in composition include: B1, 60% in India; riboflavin, 70% India, 30% Malawi, 20% Philippines and 10% in Bangladesh; niacin, 10-20% (including California); B6, 220% California, 80% India, Malawi and Bangladesh, and 20% Philippines; B12, 60% Malawi, 30% India, and a very low 20% in Guatemala. Supplementation of HIV+ women in Malawi with 1X RDA from 0-6 mo of lactation inc...
An empirical evaluation of deadlock detection in software architecture specifications

Developing and maintaining largedscale software systems is very expensive. The concept of software architecture has recently emerged as a way to support the evolution of largedscale software systems. Several architecture description languages (ADLs) have been proposed to support the specification of software architectures. However, current ADLs do not provide strong support for the analysis of software architecture properties. On the other hand, various analysis tools have been developed for system analysis in the formal verification community. In this paper, we make two contributions. First, for the tools which are applicable to the property analysis of software architectures, we establish a connection between different analysis tools and the software systems modeled by architecture description languages. Second, we conduct experiments to study the performance of four different analysis tools in detecting deadlocks. Based on these experiments, we are able to compare the efficiency of these analysis tools in verifying certain software properties.
Neurotoxin from Venom of the Cobra, Naja naja siamensis: PURIFICATION AND RADIOACTIVE LABELING

The principal neurotoxin of the cobra, Naja naja siamensis (Naja naja kaouthis), was purified by chromatography on, successively, phosphocellulose, Sephadex G-50, and carboxymethylcellulose. A 4 3/10-fold increase in specific toxicity was obtained. The product was shown to be homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 4.3 and pH 7.0. Antibodies to the toxin were prepared by inoculating rabbits with toxin adsorbed onto bentonite. The neurotoxin was radioactively labeled by reaction with pyridoxal phosphate, followed by reduction of the Schiff's base with tritiated sodium borohydride. Two radioactive toxin derivatives were purified and separated from untreated toxin by phosphocellulose chromatography. A specific activity of 2 Ci per millimole has been obtained by this method. Pyridoxal phosphate-coupled toxin was identified by strong fluorescence emission at 395 nm upon excitation at 331 nm. Labeled toxin retained 50% of its original potency and was shown to block the action of acetylcholine at the motor end plate. In this respect, the pharmacological properties of the toxin remained unchanged by the labeling reaction.
52 Gb/s 16:1 transmitter in 0.13 μm SiGe BiCMOS technology

A52-Gb/s 16:1 quarter-rate clocking transmitter for high-speed serial data transmission is designed to utilise 0.13-mum SiGe bipolar complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (BiCMOS) technology. The quarter-rate transmitter consists of a 16:1 multiplexer (MUX), a voltage-controlled ring oscillator, a phase-locked loop (PLL), a pseudorandom data generator and an output amplifier. The voltage-controlled ring oscillator has a wide tuning range from 11 to 22 GHz with feedforward loop and delay interpolation. A continuous model of a third-order PLL is developed and used to optimise loop filter parameters and to estimate the PLL performance in a simulation. The PLL achieves a low phase noise of -124.6 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset. The 16:1 MUX features quarter-rate clock multiplexing with multi-phase voltage-controlled oscillator clocks. In the design of a 16:1 MUX, an edge-channelling 4:1 MUX is used to alleviate a duty cycle and a jitter problem.
Inertial Confinement Fusion Target Filling at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Capability to fill inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets with DT has recently been established at the Weapons Engineering Tritium Facility (WETF) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The target filling system provides DT-filled glass targets for the U.S. National ICF Program. Tritium storage, purification, mixing, analysis, and high pressure capabilities at WETF are used to provide DT at pressures up to 400 atm to a target filling cell that can operate at temperatures to 400{degree}C. Isotopically pure tritium is obtained from the Tritium Systems Test Assembly at LANL, and typically has purities of 99% tritium or better. At WETF, a palladium-silver diffuser is used for removal of decay {sup 3}He from tritium prior to mixing with deuterium. After preparation, DT mixtures are stored in a passivated volume to minimize impurity accumulation from stainless steel. Analysis of tritium and DT mixtures is performed with a quadrupole mass spectrometer/beta scintillation detector system that utilizes an analytical technique previously developed at LANL to provide hydrogen isotope, helium, and impurity analysis. Glass targets are filled in aluminum eggcrates. The target filling cell has been designed to contain two eggcrates while maintaining isothermal conditions across the eggcrates during diffusion filling of targets. Results from amore » cryogenic condensation technique performed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have confirmed the fill pressures. 3 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.« less
A Cys374Tyr homozygous mutation of platelet glycoprotein IIIa (beta 3) in a Chinese patient with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia

A 20-year-old woman from a consanguineous family in the Hunan Province of the People's Republic of China was diagnosed as having Glanzmann's thrombasthenia based on (1) nearly a lifelong history of epistaxis, gum bleeding, petechiae, and purpura; (2) severe menorrhagia resulting in anemia and need for whole-blood transfusion; (3) normal coagulation assays; (4) prolonged bleeding time; (5) absent clot retraction; (6) decreased glass bead retention; (7) absent platelet aggregation in response to adenine diphosphate, epinephrine, and collagen; and (8) normal initial slope of platelet aggregation in response to ristocetin, but with a diminished maximal extent. The patient's platelets had a decreased level of platelet fibrinogen, but the deficiency was not as severe as in other Glanzmann's thrombasthenia patients. As judged by monoclonal antibody binding studies, surface glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa (alpha IIb beta 3) expression was less than 15% of normal and alpha v beta 3 vitronectin receptor expression was 15% to 19% of normal, suggesting that the defect was in GPIIIa (beta 3). Immunoblotting of platelet lysates demonstrated decreased levels of GPIIb (approximately 30% to 35% of normal) and GPIIIa (approximately 10% of normal), and the GPIIb had undergone normal maturational processing into GPIIb heavy and light chains. Sequence analysis of the patient's GPIIIa RNA identified a G to A mutation at nucleotide 1219, predicting a Cys to Tyr substitution at residue 374. The patient's parents, who are first cousins, are asymptomatic and have only minor reductions in platelet aggregation. Direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction-amplified cDNA and GPIIIa exon VIII indicated that the patient is homozygous and her parents are heterozygous for the mutation. Transient transfection studies in Chinese hamster ovary cells indicated that the mutation results in an 85% to 90% reduction in GPIIb/IIIa surface expression, but these cells retain the ability to mediate adhesion to immobilized fibrinogen. The relative preservation of platelet fibrinogen despite the very low level of platelet surface GPIIb/IIIa expression in this patient raises some interesting questions regarding the mechanism of fibrinogen uptake and the pathophysiology of Glanzmann's thrombasthenia.
Crime and Punishment in the National Basketball Association

This chapter investigates the overlap between National Basketball Association (NBA) referees, the league’s on-court rule enforcers, and the impact of player violence and aggression on individual salary, team wins, and team revenue. The authors’ meta-analysis highlights emerging research on the role of referees in regulating the sport and describes systematic referee bias in connection with race, league profits, and social pressure in the literature. More narrowly, and in contrast to several high-profile media reports, the authors unearth little to no evidence of NBA referees being biased against specific players, coaches, or team owners. With personal fouls as a proxy for player-level aggression, the analysis finds that players who commit more fouls earn lower salaries and hurt their respective team’s chances of winning. Using the high-profile example of Shaquille O’Neal, the authors also demonstrate how O’Neal’s inability to make free throws had a detrimental impact on how many wins he helped produce for his team and a negative effect on his team’s revenue. Such results reveal the overlapping tension between the NBA’s player discipline protocol, efforts toward referee consistency, and certain marketing and public relation goals the league may have.
Chimeric calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase in tobacco: differential regulation by calmodulin isoforms

cDNA clones of chimeric Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK) from tobacco (TCCaMK-1 and TCCaMK-2) were isolated and characterized. The polypeptides encoded by TCCaMK-1 and TCCaMK-2 have 15 different amino acid substitutions, yet they both contain a total of 517 amino acids. Northern analysis revealed that CCaMK is expressed in a stage-specific manner during anther development. Messenger RNA was detected when tobacco bud sizes were between 0.5 cm and 1.0 cm. The appearance of mRNA coincided with meiosis and became undetectable at later stages of anther development. The reverse polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification assay using isoform-specific primers showed that both of the CCaMK mRNAs were expressed in anther with similar expression patterns. The CCaMK protein expressed in Escherichia coli showed Ca2+-dependent autophosphorylation and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent substrate phosphorylation. Calmodulin isoforms (PCM1 and PCM6) had differential effects on the regulation of autophosphorylation and substrate phosphorylation of tobacco CCaMK, but not lily CCaMK. The evolutionary tree of plant serine/threonine protein kinases revealed that calmodulin-dependent kinases form one subgroup that is distinctly different from Ca2+-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) and other serine/threonine kinases in plants.
Mining biomolecular data using background knowledge and artificial neural networks

Biomolecular data mining is the activity of finding significant information in protein, DNA and RNA molecules. The significant information may refer to motifs, clusters, genes, protein signatures and classification rules. This chapter presents an example of biomolecular data mining: the recognition of promoters in DNA. We propose a two-level ensemble of classifiers to recognize E. Coli promoter sequences. The first-level classifiers include three Bayesian neural networks that learn from three different feature sets. The outputs of the first-level classifiers are combined in the second level to give the final result. To enhance the recognition rate, we use the background knowledge (i.e., the characteristics of the promoter sequences) and employ new techniques to extract high-level features from the sequences. We also use an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm to locate the binding sites of the promoter sequences. Empirical study shows that a precision rate of 95% is achieved, indicating an excellent performance of the proposed approach.
Transscleral Delivery of Bioactive Protein to the Choroid and Retina

Purpose To investigate the feasibility of transscleral drug delivery to the choroid and retina. Methods An osmotic pump was used to deliver IgG across the sclera of pigmented rabbits, and levels were measured in the choroid, retina, vitreous humor, aqueous humor, orbit, and plasma over 28 days. This method was then used to deliver an anti-intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) monoclonal antibody (mAb), and its effect on inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced leukostasis in the choroid and retina was determined by measuring tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Results Levels of retinal and choroidal IgG were significantly higher than baseline at all points up to 28 days (P 0.05). MPO activity in the choroid of eyes treated with anti-ICAM-1 mAb was 80% less (P = 0.01) than in eyes receiving an equal rate of delivery of an isotype control antibody. Inhibition of MPO activity in the retina was 70% (P = 0.01). The plasma concentration of anti-ICAM-1 mAb was 31,000-fold less than the concentration in the osmotic pump. Conclusions Minimally invasive transscleral delivery can be used to deliver therapeutic levels of bioactive drugs to the choroid and retina with negligible systemic absorption. This method of ocular drug delivery may be used in the treatment of a variety of chorioretinal disorders.
Correlation of MR imaging findings with intraoperative findings after cervical spine trauma.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There are limited data correlating MR imaging and anatomic findings of ligamentous injury in cervical spine trauma. This study compares acute MR imaging with surgical observations of disk/ligamentous injury after blunt cervical trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with acute cervical spine trauma who underwent preoperative MR imaging and surgery from 1998 to 2001 were identified. MR imaging was obtained within 48 hours of injury for most patients. All scans included sagittal T1, T2 fat-saturated, and short tau inversion recovery sequences. At surgery, extent of injury at the operated level was recorded on a standardized form for either anterior or posterior structures or both depending upon the operative approach. MR examinations were separately evaluated by 2 readers blinded to the intraoperative findings. Radiologic and surgical findings were then correlated. RESULTS: Of 31 patients, an anterior surgical approach was chosen in 17 patients and a posterior approach in 13 patients. In one patient anterior and posterior approaches were utilized. Seventy-one percent of patients had spinal cord injury on MR imaging. MR imaging was highly sensitive for injury to disk (93%), posterior longitudinal ligament (93%), and interspinous soft tissues (100%), but it was less sensitive for injury to the anterior longitudinal ligament (71%) and ligamentum flavum (67%). For most ligamentous structures, there was limited agreement between specific MR imaging findings and injury at surgery. CONCLUSION: In acute cervical spine trauma, MR imaging has moderate to high sensitivity for injury to specific ligamentous structures but limited agreement between specific MR imaging findings and injury at surgery. MR imaging may overestimate the extent of disruptive injury when compared with intraoperative findings, with potential clinical consequences.
Sustained reductions in time to antibiotic delivery in febrile immunocompromised children: results of a quality improvement collaborative

Background Timely delivery of antibiotics to febrile immunocompromised (F&I) paediatric patients in the emergency department (ED) and outpatient clinic reduces morbidity and mortality. Objective The aim of this quality improvement initiative was to increase the percentage of F&I patients who received antibiotics within goal in the clinic and ED from 25% to 90%. Methods Using the Model of Improvement, we performed Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to design, test and implement high-reliability interventions to decrease time to antibiotics. Pre-arrival interventions were tested and implemented, followed by post-arrival interventions in the ED. Many processes were spread successfully to the outpatient clinic. The Chronic Care Model was used, in addition to active family engagement, to inform and improve processes. Results The study period was from January 2010 to January 2015. Pre-arrival planning improved our F&I time to antibiotics in the ED from 137 to 88 min. This was sustained until October 2012, when further interventions including a pre-arrival huddle decreased the median time to 90%. In September 2014, we implemented a rapid response team to improve reliable venous access in the ED, which increased our mean percentage of patients receiving timely antibiotics to its highest rate (95%). Conclusions This stepwise approach with pre-arrival planning using the Chronic Care Model, followed by standardisation of processes, created a sustainable improvement of timely antibiotic delivery in F&I patients.
Threaded structure and blue luminescence of (CuCN)20(Piperazine)7

The structurally unique and highly luminescent 20 : 7 complex of CuCN with piperazine (Pip) was formed under aqueous conditions; its structure reveals two interpenetrated 2D sub-networks in 6 : 1 ratio: (CuCN)2(Pip) and (CuCN)8(Pip), the latter consisting of Cu18(CN)16(Pip)2 macrocycles.
Fröhlich conduction in spin-density waves.

Application du modele de Hubbard anisotropique , a l'etude des proprietes de transport des ondes de densite de spin dans les conducteurs inorganiques, dans le cadre de la theorie du champ moyen. Mise en evidence d'une conduction de type Frohlich. En particulier, on obtient l'hamiltonien de phase, qui decrit la dynamique des phasons en termes de parametres microscopiques. Analyse de la conductivite micro-ondes, de la conductivite non-ohmique, et de la propagation du son dans l'onde de densite de spin
Calcium Stimulation of Ammonium Absorption In Radish

Fenn, L. B. and Taylor, R. M. 1988. Calcium Stimulation of NH4 absorption in plants. International Society of Root Research, Symposium on Plant Roots and Their Environment, Uppsala, Sweden. August 21-26, 1988. Numerous investigations have been conducted to determine the possibility of calcium (Ca) stimulated ammonium (NH4) absorption by plants. Greenhouse and field studies on vegetable crops, field row crops and ornamental foliage crops show significant growth increases from increasing Ca:NH4 ratios. Increased root growth was normally the first plant response, with especially large root responses observed in onions, radishes and bermuda grass. Direct measurements of Ca stimulated NH4 absorption were obtained with 15N in greenhouse trials. As Ca concentrations were increased, a general increase in 15NH4 absorption rates was obtained in all plant species tested. The Ca stimulated NH4 absorption phenomenon in plants is probably best explained by the “Viets Effect” which describes the use of Ca or Mg to increase plant absorption of K. While increased NH4 absorption effectively increases plant growth, additional K absorption does not. A great deal of literature has been compiled on stimulated K absorption, with current research data showing that NH4 absorption also increases in the presence of increasing Ca.
Calcium concretions in the gills of a freshwater mussel serve as a calcium reservoir during periods of hypoxia

The gill of the freshwater mussel, Ligumia subrostrata, is composed of 25% calcium concretions on a dry weight basis. These concretions are located extracellularly in the connective tissue of the gill. The concretions have a lamellar structure and occur singly, multiply, and in clumps. The concretions are composed primarily of calcium phosphate and an organic matrix. The concretions are more numerous toward the base of the gill and less frequent in the tip of the gill. The average size of the concretions is 2–3 μm. The concretions are not solubilized in animals exposed to prolonged hypoxic conditions. Instead, as calcium increases in the blood under hypoxic conditions the percentage of the gill dry weight attributed to concretion material increases and the calcium content of the concretion material is elevated. The calcium content of the concretions also is inversely correlated with blood pH. This study indicated that the concretion material in the gills was not mobilized under hypoxic conditions, but served as a calcium reservoir during periods in which the animal was liberating calcium from other sites.
Rapid intraspecific evolution of miRNA and siRNA genes in the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

RNA silencing, or RNA interference (RNAi) in metazoans mediates development, reduces viral infection and limits transposon mobility. RNA silencing involves 21–30 nucleotide RNAs classified into microRNA (miRNA), exogenous and endogenous small interfering RNAs (siRNA), and Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA). Knock-out, silencing and mutagenesis of genes in the exogenous siRNA (exo-siRNA) regulatory network demonstrate the importance of this RNAi pathway in antiviral immunity in Drosophila and mosquitoes. In Drosophila, genes encoding components for processing exo-siRNAs are among the fastest evolving 3% of all genes, suggesting that infection with pathogenic RNA viruses may drive diversifying selection in their host. In contrast, paralogous miRNA pathway genes do not evolve more rapidly than the genome average. Silencing of exo-siRNA pathway genes in mosquitoes orally infected with arboviruses leads to increased viral replication, but little is known about the comparative patterns of molecular evolution among the exo-siRNA and miRNA pathways genes in mosquitoes. We generated nearly complete sequences of all exons of major miRNA and siRNA pathway genes dicer-1 and dicer-2, argonaute-1 and argonaute-2, and r3d1 and r2d2 in 104 Aedes aegypti mosquitoes collected from six distinct geographic populations and analyzed their genetic diversity. The ratio of replacement to silent amino acid substitutions was 1.4 fold higher in dicer-2 than in dicer-1, 27.4 fold higher in argonaute-2 than in argonaute-1 and similar in r2d2 and r3d1. Positive selection was supported in 32% of non-synonymous sites in dicer-1, in 47% of sites in dicer-2, in 30% of sites in argonaute-1, in all sites in argonaute-2, in 22% of sites in r3d1 and in 55% of sites in r2d2. Unlike Drosophila, in Ae. aegypti, both exo-siRNA and miRNA pathway genes appear to be undergoing rapid, positive, diversifying selection. Furthermore, refractoriness of mosquitoes to infection with dengue virus was significantly positively correlated for nucleotide diversity indices in dicer-2.
Cyclic voltammetry at TCNQ and TTF-TCNQ modified platinum electrodes: A study of the glucose oxidase/glucose and galactose oxidase/galactose systems

Abstract Recent work has shown that the synthetic metal TTF-TCNQ can be used as an electrode material for the oxidation of enzymes containing the prosthetic group flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). This direct electron transfer (direct in the sence that oxygen is not a mediator) between reduced enzyme and electrode, a process which does not occur to any measurable extent at a typical metal electrode, is not very well understood. In the present work, electron transfer between reduced glucose oxidase and TTF-TCNQ is investigated using cyclic voltammetry, and it is also shown that TCNQ itself can mediate this electron transfer between the enzyme and a platinum electrode. In addition to the glucose oxidase studies, cyclic voltammetric experiments have been performed on the galactose oxidase system, which contains a copper redox center rather than FAD. The results of these experiments demonstrate that the catalytic ability of TTF-TCNQ in enzyme-based electrochemical sensors is quite general.
Influence of nephrectomy and renal pedicle ligation on the activity of liver arginase in rats.

SummaryLiver arginase activity is significantly increased after bilateral nephrectomy and also after ligation of the renal arteries in rats. This reaches a maximum within 24 hours after ligation of the arteries as compared with 72 hours after removal of the kidneys. The possibility is considered that the marked increase in arginase activity is a compensatory mechanism for a deficiency in renal arginine formation.
Binding of the global response regulator protein CovR to the sag promoter of Streptococcus pyogenes reveals a new mode of CovR-DNA interaction.

CovR (CsrR) is a response regulator of gene expression in Streptococcus pyogenes. It regulates ∼15% of the genome, including the genes encoding several streptococcal virulence factors, and acts primarily as a repressor rather than an activator of transcription. We showed that in vitro, CovR is sufficient to repress transcription from the sag promoter, which directs the expression of streptolysin S, a hemolysin that can damage the membranes of eukaryotic cells and subcellular organelles. Repression was stimulated 10-fold by phosphorylation of CovR with acetyl phosphate. In contrast to binding at the has and cov promoters, which direct the expression of genes involved in capsule biosynthesis and of CovR itself, binding of CovR to Psag was highly cooperative. CovR bound to two extended regions of Psag, an upstream region overlapping the -35 and -10 promoter elements and a downstream region overlapping the translation initiation signals of the sagA gene. Each of these regions contains only a single consensus CovR binding sequence, ATTARA, which at the has promoter defines individual sites to which CovR binds non-cooperatively. At Phas and Pcov the T residues in the sequence ATTARA are important for CovR binding. However, using uracil interference experiments we find that although the ATTARA sequence in the Psag upstream region contains thymine residues important for CovR binding, important thymine residues in the Psag downstream region are located outside this sequence. Furthermore, again in contrast to its behavior at the has and cov promoters where phosphorylation of CovR leads to a 2–3-fold increase in DNA binding affinity, binding of CovR to the sag promoter was stimulated 8–32-fold by phosphorylation. We suggest that these differences in CovR binding mean that individual promoters will be repressed at different intracellular levels of phosphorylated CovR, permitting differences in the response of members of the CovR regulon to environmental and internal metabolic signals.
Grain Size-Dependent Alteration and the Magnetization of Oceanic Basalts

Unblocking temperatures of natural remanent magnetization were found to extend well above the dominant Curie points in samples of oceanic basalts from the axis of the East Pacific Rise. This phenomenon is attributed to the natural presence in the basalts of three related magnetic phases: an abundant fine-grained and preferentially oxidized titanomagnetite that carries most of the natural remanent magnetism, a few coarser and less oxidized grains of titanomagnetite that account for most of the high-field magnetic properties, and a small contribution to both the natural remanent magnetism and high-field magnetic properties from magnetite that may be due to the disproportionation of the oxidized titanomagnetite under sea-floor conditions. This model is consistent with evidence from the Central Anomaly magnetic high that the original magnetization acquired by oceanic basalts upon cooling is rapidly altered and accounts for the lack of sensitivity of bulk rock magnetic parameters to the degree of alteration of the remanence carrier in oceanic basalts.
Biosensing with optical microcavities

The artificial resonances of dielectric optical microcavities can be used to enhance the detection sensitivity of evanescent-wave optical fluorescence biosensors to the binding of a labeled analyte to a biospecific monolayer. Microcavity sensors offer the high sensitivity of a slab waveguide evanescent fluorescence sensor of much larger sensing surface area. Alternatively, when compared to a slab waveguide of the same area, microcavity based sensors offer much improved sensitivity. In either case, the required number of bound analytes is dramatically reduced. These scaling relations are highly conducive to achieving large sensing arrays with small sample volumes.
Strategies for Creating A Learning Organization

Abstract Managers having a hard time turning their organizations into learning ones may be having difficulty because there is more than one way to create a learning organization. Equally confounding is that there is more than one way to define what a learning organization is. This article gives IT managers a working definition of a learning organization along with six strategies for creating one. These strategies may also be used to revitalize an organization's learning initiative.
Observation and Simulation of Surface Waves in Two Water Supply Reservoirs

Observations and model predictions of progressive surface waves were made for Cannonsville and Schoharie Reservoirs, located in southeastern New York State. These reservoirs are deep with steep bottom slopes and relatively small fetch. The Donelan/Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab model, a parametric second-generation wave model was applied to these reservoirs assuming deep water throughout the domain. This assumption was based on the relatively small waves and steep bottom slopes, resulting in a very narrow region of wave interaction with the bottom along a lee shore. Previous applications of this model have been for water bodies with larger fetch. Observations of wave characteristics were made near the shoreline at two sites in Cannonsville and one site in Schoharie using submerged pressure sensors, from which the height of larger waves was determined. Model hindcasts were made for the observation periods with model inputs being wind speed and direction and water surface elevation. The model performed well in simulating significant wave height determined from observations. Some implications of the use of wave model simulations to predict sediment resuspension in these and other deep lakes and reservoirs are discussed.
Universal lossless source coding with the Burrows Wheeler transform

The Burrows Wheeler transform (1994) is a reversible sequence transformation used in a variety of practical lossless source-coding algorithms. In each, the BWT is followed by a lossless source code that attempts to exploit the natural ordering of the BWT coefficients. BWT-based compression schemes are widely touted as low-complexity algorithms giving lossless coding rates better than those of the Ziv-Lempel codes (commonly known as LZ'77 and LZ'78) and almost as good as those achieved by prediction by partial matching (PPM) algorithms. To date, the coding performance claims have been made primarily on the basis of experimental results. This work gives a theoretical evaluation of BWT-based coding. The main results of this theoretical evaluation include: (1) statistical characterizations of the BWT output on both finite strings and sequences of length n /spl rarr/ /spl infin/, (2) a variety of very simple new techniques for BWT-based lossless source coding, and (3) proofs of the universality and bounds on the rates of convergence of both new and existing BWT-based codes for finite-memory and stationary ergodic sources. The end result is a theoretical justification and validation of the experimentally derived conclusions: BWT-based lossless source codes achieve universal lossless coding performance that converges to the optimal coding performance more quickly than the rate of convergence observed in Ziv-Lempel style codes and, for some BWT-based codes, within a constant factor of the optimal rate of convergence for finite-memory sources.
Condylomata acuminata of the bladder: A rare cause of intraluminal-filling defects

Condylomata acuminata is a sexually transmitted disease commonly affecting the mucocutaneous surfaces of the anogenital region [1–3]. Extension to the bladder is exceedingly rare [2–7]. We present a case of condylomata acuminata causing intraluminal-filling defects of the bladder in a patient being evaluated for chronic urinary tract infections.
Twin analysis of odor identification and perception

Abstract Findings from the first twin analysis using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) and a phenyl ethyl alcohol (PEA) threshold detection test are presented. A genetic influence on odor identification was suggested for males, but not for females, consistent with previous twin research on physical measures. In addition, female,. scored significantly higher on the UPSIT than males. A curvilinear age trend for odor identification was detected for males, but not for females. In contrast, neither genetic, age, nor gender effects were suggested for PEA sensitivity. Performance on the olfactory tests was unrelated to scores on standard measures of intelligence.
Real-time and robust estimation of biodiesel blends

Biodiesel as a renewable alternative fuel produces lower exhaust emissions with the exception of nitrogen oxides (NOx) when compared to the conventional diesel fuel. Reducing nitrogen oxides produced from engines running on biodiesel requires proper engine controller adaptations that are linked to the specifics of the fuel blend. Therefore, online estimation of fuel blend is a critical step in allowing diesel engines to maintain performance while simultaneously meeting emission requirements when operating on biodiesel blends. Presented in this paper are three different model-based biodiesel blend estimation strategies using: (i) crankshaft torsionals, (ii) NOx emissions measurement from the exhaust stream, and (iii) oxygen content measurement of the exhaust stream using a wide-band UEGO sensor. Each approach is investigated in terms of the accuracy and robustness to sensor errors. A sensitivity analysis is conducted for each method to quantify robustness of the proposed fuel blend estimation methods.
In-Situ Infrared Study of CO2 Adsorption on SBA-15 Grafted with γ-(Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane

CO2 adsorption/desorption on SBA-15 grafted with γ-(aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTS) has been studied by infrared spectroscopy coupled with temperature-programmed desorption. SBA-15, a mesoporous silica material with a uniform pore size of 21 nm and a surface area of 200−230 m2/g, provides an OH functional group for grafting of γ-(aminopropyl)triethoxysilane. The amine-grafted SBA-15 adsorbed CO2 as carbonates and bicarbonates with a total capacity of 200−400 μmol/g. The heat of CO2 desorption was determined to be 3.2−4.5 kJ/mol in the presence of H2O and 6.6−11.0 kJ/mol in the absence of H2O during temperature-programmed desorption. Repeated CO2 adsorption/desorption CO2 cycles shifted the desorption peak temperature downward and decreased the heat of CO2 adsorption.
Structure, Sythesis and Absolute Configuration of Leptosphaerin, a Metabolite of the Marine Ascomycete Leptosphaeria oraemaris.

A structure 3 erroneously deduced for the marine fungal metabolite leptosphaerin on the basis of spectroscopic evidence and an ambiguous x-ray analysis was disproved by synthesis. An alternative formulation 1, including its absolute configuration, was confirmed by a stereospecific synthesis that began with condensation of the acetonide 8 of (R)-glyceraldehyde with the dianion from(Z)-N-methyl-2-benzyloxy-3-phenylthioacrylamide (34). The derived α-hydroxy lactone 43 was converted to the enamide moiety of leptosphaerin via decomposition of azidolactone 45. Leptosphaerin is thus the γ-lactone of (4S,5R)-2-acetamido-4,5,6-trihydroxy-2-hexenoic acid and, as such, is a derivative of a D amino hexose.
Can creative destruction be destroyed? Military IR&D and destruction along the value-added chain

We elaborate a supply chain innovation matrix that can be applied to both commercial and military supply chains. By shifting the analysis from a focal firm to industry structure, we argue that the market structure of the entire supply chain functions as a major moderating variable in determining both the timing and adoption of innovations, both for commercial and military markets. We extend work on supply chain resource dependency by drawing a distinction between market-structure-induced resource dependency and supplier over-reliance on a customer in a competitive market. This has policy implications for the organization of military industrial research and development (IR&D). Joint service research and development (Jointness) will certainly bring about innovation, but it will be incremental, reinforcing established military hierarchies. Policy makers may need to add this probable consequence when comparing Jointness and inter-service rivalry. The cost savings inherent in Jointness may unwittingly sustain a military force unready for fighting the next war.
Modeling Pipeline Corrosion under a Disbonded Coating Under the Influence of Underneath Flow

Abstract Laboratory and field experience revealed an increased corrosion rate of pipeline steel under disbonded coatings when aerated water flows underneath. The quantitative effect of the flow vel...
Physiological diagnosis and surgical treatment of recurrent limb shaking : Case report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE : Although recurrent limb shaking has been observed in patients with carotid occlusion, its cause, method of diagnosis, and definitive treatment have yet to be fully elucidated. This report examines the cerebrovascular physiology of a patient with recurrent limb shaking by means of xenon-enhanced computed tomographic (XeCT) scanning. By measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reserve capacity, we were able to confirm both the clinical diagnosis and the response to treatment on physiological grounds. CLINICAL PRESENTATION : The patient is a 49-year-old man who presented with frequent brief attacks of left arm and leg shaking that occurred at standing or coughing. After cervical radiation therapy for a laryngeal carcinoma, he was found to have bilateral carotid occlusion with minimal collateral development. XeCT scans revealed borderline ischemic perfusion and lack of cerebrovascular reserve in response to an acetazolamide vasodilatory challenge. INTERVENTION : The patient underwent a right superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery bypass to augment cerebral perfusion. CONCLUSION : After the procedure, the patient's limb shaking attacks ceased. The postoperative XeCT scan showed improved CBF and a return of cerebrovascular reserve capacity. Recurrent limb shaking is a manifestation of decreased CBF. Quantitative XeCT CBF studies coupled with vasodilatory challenge is an important way to assess patients with cerebrovascular disorders and thus identify individuals who will benefit from cerebral revascularization.
Spectral HRTF enhancement for improved vertical-polar auditory localization

Head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) can be a valuable tool for adding realistic spatial attributes to arbitrary sounds presented over stereo headphones. However, in practice, HRTF-based virtual audio displays are rarely able to approach the same level of localization accuracy that would be expected for listeners attending to real sound sources in the free field. In this paper, we present a novel HRTF enhancement technique that systematically increases the salience of the direction-dependent spectral cues that listeners use to determine the elevations of sound sources. The technique is shown to produce substantial improvements in localization accuracy in the vertical-polar dimension for individualized and non-individualized HRTFs, without negatively impacting performance in the left-right localization dimension.
Mechanisms and models of TDP-43 proteinopathies

Background Abnormal distribution, modification and aggregation of transactivation response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP43) are the hallmarks of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, especially frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Results To explore the pathogenic properties of mutant forms of TDP-43, we generated and characterized two mouse lines expressing human TDP-43 carrying the M337V mutation (hTDP-43M337V). We found hTDP-43M337V was expressed primarily in the nuclei of neurons in the brain and spinal cord, intranuclear and cytoplasmic phosphorylated TDP43 aggregates were frequently detected, and the levels of TDP-43 LMW products of ~25 kDa and ~35 kDa species were also increased. Overexpression of hTDP-43M337V dramatically down regulated the levels of mouse TDP-43 (mTDP-43) protein and RNA, indicating TDP-43 levels are tightly controlled in mammalian systems. TDP43M337V mice displayed reactive gliosis, widespread ubiquitination, chromatolysis, gait abnormalities, and early lethality. Abnormal cytoplasmic mitochondrial aggregates and abnormal phosphorylated tau were also detected in the mice. Conclusion While overexpression of hTDP-43 in wild-type TDP-43 and TDP-43M337V mouse models produces similar phenotypes, our results suggest that overexpression of the hTDP-43M337V can cause neuronal dysfunction due to its effect on a number of cell organelles and proteins, such as mitochondria and TDP-43, that are critical for neuronal activity.