cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Critical Elements of Classroom and Small-Group Instruction Promote Reading Success in All Children.

The components of effective reading instruction are the same whether the focus is prevention or intervention: phonemic awareness and phonemic decoding skills, fluency in word recognition and text processing, construction of meaning, vocabulary, spelling, and writing. Findings from evidence-based research show dramatic reductions in the incidence of reading failure when explicit instruction in these components is provided by the classroom teacher. To address the needs of children most at risk of reading failure, the same instructional components are relevant but they need to be made more explicit and comprehensive, more intensive, and more supportive in small-group or one-on-one formats. The argument is made that by coordinating research evidence from effective classroom reading instruction with effective small-group and one-on-one reading instruction we can meet the literacy needs of all children.
Tumor growth impedes natural-killer-cell maturation in the bone marrow

Natural-killer (NK)-cell dysfunction and IFN-γ deficiencies have been associated with increased incidence of both malignancy and infection. The immunologic basis of NK-cell defects in cancer-bearing hosts has not been extensively studied. Here, we demonstrate that multiple lineages of tumors, including thymoma, breast cancer, colon cancer, and melanoma cell lines, interrupt functional maturation during NK-cell development in the bone marrow. The immature NK cells in the periphery of tumor-bearing mice had impaired IFN-γ production but seemingly normal cytotoxicity. T cells are not involved in this NK maturation arrest, because T-cell depletion did not restore NK-cell development. Moreover, the extent of tumor-cell infiltration into the bone marrow does not correlate with defective NK maturation. Interestingly, the defect was associated with a significant reduction in the IL-15Rα+ cells in the non-T, non-NK compartment of bone marrow cells and restored by overexpression of IL-15. Our data demonstrate that tumor growth can impede functional maturation of NK cells, most likely by interrupting the requisite IL-15 signaling pathway. (Blood. 2006;108:246-252)
Risking our future: a comparative risk assessment of the burden of disease and injury in young people aged 10–24 years, 1990–2010

Abstract Background Although the health of young people aged 10–24 years is often ignored because of low mortality, understanding of the risk factors leading to disability and death for this age group is critically important. By focusing on prevention, premature mortality can be significantly reduced, and even greater health gains can be realised by preventing disability and death beyond age 24 years. Here, we present a comparative risk assessment for this age group and discuss variations by age, sex, and region. Methods We used data from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 Study. This study estimates disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributable to independent effects of 67 risk factors. Exposure distributions were estimated for 21 regions, both sexes, and by 5-year age groups. Findings From 1990 to 2010, the top three risk factors remained constant: drug and alcohol use (accounting for 6·4% of DALYs for young people), undernutrition (3·8%), and occupational hazards (3·3%). In 2010, sex abuse and interpersonal violence surpassed poor water and sanitation as the fourth largest risk factor for this age group globally. The breakdown of leading risk factors varies by sex, with abuse and interpersonal violence being a larger risk than alcohol and drug use for females in every age group. Interpretation Identification of the leading risk factors in young people aged 10–24 years presents an opportunity for large reductions in DALYs by identifying targets for prevention efforts. The leading risk factor, alcohol and drug use, continues to be a top risk factor beyond age 24 years, so prevention efforts targeted at young people could have an even greater effect than reducing the DALYs attributable to this age group. These top risk factors illustrate the global transition away from maternal and childhood conditions, but the lingering presence of undernutrition, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, shows that there is still work to be done on these fronts. Funding None.
Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 expression in non-tumorous cirrhotic liver is higher when hepatoma is beyond milan criteria

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly vascular tumor. Angiogenesis in HCC is mediated at least in part by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is expressed in HCC and surrounding cirrhotic tissue. VEGF mediates its angiogenic effects through multiple receptors including VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFr2, KDR/FLK-1), The distribution and clinical significance of VEGFr2 expression in HCC and cirrhotic liver in the setting of liver transplantation have not been tissue site specific evaluated. Immunohistochemical staining for VEGFr2 was performed in 78 liver explants from patients with HCC undergoing liver transplantation. VEGFr2 levels in HCC were significantly increased compared to adjacent, nontumorous cirrhotic liver areas (P < 0.05). VEGFr2 levels were significantly higher in the veins and sinusoids of poorly differentiated tumors (P < 0.05). VEGFr2 levels in the tumors were not significantly different between patients within and beyond Milan criteria. However, VEGFr2 levels were significantly higher in the arteries of non-tumorous liver in patients beyond Milan criteria (P < 0.05). No significant association was observed between VEGFr2 levels and the presence of tumor vascular invasion or recurrence post transplantation. These findings suggest that VEGFr2 up-regulation is a feature of poor differentiation and tumor progression. Further investigation is needed to assess the value of angiogenesis modulation in preventing tumor formation and/or progression in cirrhotic patients.
B. anthracis edema toxin increases cAMP levels and inhibits phenylephrine-stimulated contraction in a rat aortic ring model

B. anthracis edema toxin (ET) and lethal toxin (LT) are each composed of protective antigen (PA), necessary for toxin uptake by host cells, and their respective toxic moieties, edema factor (EF) an...
Determining Interference Between Parts in CAD STEP Files for Automatic Assembly Planning

In this paper, a neutral file format—STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product model data) is used to transfer geometrical data from CAD tools to assembly analysis tools. JSDAI (Standard Data Access Interface for STEP binding to JAVA) is used to read geometrical data from the CAD STEP files. After all necessary geometrical data is extracted from the CAD STEP files, the interference relationships between parts are analyzed. The methods developed for using JSDAI to extract geometrical data from CAD STEP files and for determining interference relationships between parts in the assemblies are introduced. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1861473#
Fine mapping of the Rj4 locus, a gene controlling nodulation specificity in soybean

Leguminous plants have the ability to make their own nitrogen fertilizer by forming a root nodule symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria, collectively called rhizobia. This biological process plays a critical role in sustainable agriculture because it reduces the need for external nitrogen input. One remarkable property of legume–rhizobial symbiosis is its high level of specificity, which occurs at both inter- and intra-species levels and takes place at multiple phases of the interaction, ranging from initial bacterial infection and nodulation to late nodule development associated with nitrogen fixation. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms controlling symbiotic specificity will facilitate the development of new crop varieties with improved agronomic potential for nitrogen-fixing symbiosis. In this report, we describe fine mapping of the Rj4 locus, a gene controlling nodulation specificity in soybean (Glycine max). The Rj4 allele prevents the host plant from nodulation with many strains of Bradyrhizobium elkanii, which are frequently present in soils of the southeastern USA. Since B. elkanii strains are poor symbiotic partners of soybean, cultivars containing an Rj4 allele are considered favorable. We have delimited the Rj4 locus within a 57-kb genomic region on soybean chromosome 1. The data reported here will facilitate positional cloning of the Rj4 gene and the development of genetic markers for marker-assisted selection in soybean.
Relationship between Expression Levels and Atherogenesis in Scavenger Receptor Class B, Type I Transgenics

Both in vitro and in vivostudies of scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) have implicated it as a likely participant in the metabolism of HDL cholesterol. To investigate the effect of SR-BI on atherogenesis, we examined two lines of SR-BI transgenic mice with high (10-fold increases) and low (2-fold increases) SR-BI expression in an inbred mouse background hemizygous for a human apolipoprotein (apo) B transgene. Unlike non-HDL cholesterol levels that minimally differed in the various groups of animals, HDL cholesterol levels were inversely related to SR-BI expression. Mice with the low expression SR-BI transgene had a 50% reduction in HDL cholesterol, whereas the high expression SR-BI transgene was associated with 2-fold decreases in HDL cholesterol as well as dramatic alterations in HDL composition and size including the near absence of α-migrating particles as determined by two-dimensional electrophoresis. The low expression SR-BI/apo B transgenics had more than a 2-fold decrease in the development of diet-induced fatty streak lesions compared with the apo B transgenics (4448 ± 1908 μm2/aorta to 10133 ± 4035 μm2/aorta; p
Inhalation Anesthetics Change the Domain Structure of Model Ternary Lipid Raft Membranes

The mechanism of action for volatile anesthetics remains obscure despite clinical use for over 150 years. No single ion channel or protein receptor appears necessary and sufficient to account for anesthetic action, and the physical effects of volatile anesthetics on homogeneous model membranes appear too small to produce anesthesia. We recently reported that halothane changes the domain structure of a binary lipid mixture1, increasing the ratio of disordered phase to ordered phase.We have now studied two ternary model lipid raft mixtures with X-ray diffraction: Dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC)/dipalmitylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC)/cholesterol, and Dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC)/sphingomyelin (porcine)/cholesterol. Multi-layers were prepared upon glass slides, hydrated overnight at 98% relative humidity, and maintained at 27.0 ± 0.1 C on a Peltier-controlled stage in a sealed X-ray chamber. Volatile anesthetics were introduced as solutions in hexadecane. For both raft mixtures, two series of lamellar diffraction peaks are observed, with d-spacings differing by about 10%. These correspond to the liquid ordered phase and the liquid disordered phase. The relative intensities of diffraction for these phases change with increasing temperature and anesthetic concentration, both favoring the liquid disordered phase.A variety of different volatile anesthetics--halothane, isoflurane, chloroform, and hexane_all produce significant increases in the ratios of liquid disordered to liquid ordered lipid phases in these mixtures. These shifts occur at clinically relevant concentrations and are reversible upon withdrawal of anesthetic. There were no consistent effects of the anesthetics on the d-spacings of the lipid layers.These findings suggest that some effects of volatile anesthetics may be mediated through physical changes in membrane domain structures that interact with membrane proteins.1. Weinrich, M., Nanda, H., et al., Halothane changes the domain structure of a binary lipid membrane. Langmuir, 2012. 28(10): p. 4723-8.
The separation of DNA segments attached to proteins

Abstract A simple assay for DNA segments bearing tightly bound proteins is described. This assay depends on the observation that proteins, of any type tested, bind quantitatively to glass fiber filters. When a protein is firmly attached to DNA, this DNA segment is retained while DNA not associated with protein will pass through the filter. Depending on the preparation of DNA, backgrounds as low as 3 × 10−4 of the input DNA have been obtained. Using this technique it should be possible to specifically recover 1 restriction segment in 3000 that happens to be firmly bound to a protein. The protein or DNA-protein complex can be released by very dilute sodium dodecyl sulfate and after its removal by dialysis, nearly complete rebinding can be achieved. The procedure should find some use in removing traces of protein from DNA solutions as well as for the determination of proteins themselves. Single chain DNA and RNA are not retained but backgrounds are higher, ca. 2 × 10−2. The procedure should have some application to single chain DNA and RNA-protein complexes.
Sex differences in behavioral and neural cross-sensitization and escalated cocaine taking as a result of episodic social defeat stress in rats

Episodic social defeat stress results in cross-sensitization to cocaine, characterized by augmentation of locomotor activity, dopamine (DA) levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and cocaine self-administration during a 24-h “binge” in male rats. However, females are more vulnerable than males at each phase of cocaine addiction, and while these sex differences have been replicated in rats, the role of social stress in females remains largely neglected. This study examined sex and estrous cycle differences in behavioral and dopaminergic cross-sensitization to cocaine, as well as cocaine taking in an unlimited-access self-administration “binge.” Long-Evans rats underwent episodic social defeat and were assessed 10 days later for either (1) behavioral sensitization, as determined by locomotor activity in response to acute cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.), (2) neural sensitization, as determined by in vivo microdialysis of DA in the NAc shell in response to acute cocaine, or (3) intravenous self-administration of cocaine (0.3 mg/kg/infusion) in an unlimited-access “binge.” Social defeat stress resulted in behavioral and dopaminergic cross-sensitization in both sexes, but the effect was larger and longer lasting in stressed females. Furthermore, while stress engendered a longer “binge” in both sexes, females had a significantly longer “binge” duration than males. These data suggest that socially stressed females exhibit a larger and longer lasting behavioral and neural cross-sensitization, as well as more dysregulated cocaine taking, than males possibly due to different alterations in the dopaminergic response in the NAc. Furthermore, estrogens appear to play a facilitatory role in both behavioral and dopaminergic sensitization.
Single-parenting: a case of class division on ideas of marriage and motherhood

R. bras. Est. Pop., Rio de Janeiro, v. 29, n. 1, p. 213-216, jan./jun. 2012 * PhD Candidate in Sociology and Demography at University of California, Berkeley and Capes/FULBRIGHT Fellow. 1 One possible explanation for this is that stepparents do not have the same motivation to invest in their stepchildren as they have to invest in their own biological children (BIBLATZ; RAFTERY, 1999). Another explanation is the fact that stepfamilies are more likely to move and suffer from disruptions in access to community resources (MCLANAHAN; SANDEFUR, 1997). Single-parenting: a case of class division on ideas of marriage and motherhood
Creativity profile of university and conservatory music students

Abstract: Music students in conservatories appear to be driven, single minded, highly gifted individuals. Little research has been done concerning the differences, if any, between music students who choose to study in conservatory settings and those who choose a university. The creative potential, preference for high energy activities, and personality characteristics of music majors at the New England Conservatory of Music and at the University of Wisconsin were compared. Instruments used were: Barron‐Welsh Revised Art Scale, Adjective Check List (ACL) Creativity Scales, Drawing Task, and Action Preference Test. Results indicated that the conservatory students scored significantly higher on the Action Preference test than the university music students; otherwise the two populations appeared very similar. The 63 music students were significantly more creative than normative groups but not as creative as art students. They were distinctly different from norm groups on 19 scales of the ACL. Their preference ...
Endothelial cells grown on permeable membrane supports

Endothelial cells from a variety of vascular beds can be isolated, purified, grown in culture, passaged, and established as a confluent monolayer on membrane supports. The culture of endothelial cells from porcine pulmonary artery, porcine aorta, porcine coronary arteries, bovine adipose tissue microvessels, human foreskin microvessels, and human umbilical vein is described. Once isolated, these cells can be cultured on membrane supports forming a confluent monolayer. The integrity of the monolayer, its relation to other cells, and its function as a barrier or transport system can be studied. Attention to the details of isolation, purification, and seeding are critical to the establishment of an intact monolayer.
Perceived human rights and support for new democracies: lessons from Mexico

Political elites in emerging democracies are likely to promise improvements on human rights. From an empirical perspective, however, emerging democracies tend to perform rather poorly in this domain. Given this tension between elite rhetoric and performance, it is important to examine the extent to which citizens in emerging democracies evaluate democracy and new democratic leaders' performance on the bases of their perceptions of respect for human rights. This topic remains largely unexplored and conventional wisdom suggests that economic satisfaction, not human rights concerns, drives individuals' support for democracy. We aim to fill this gap in the literature by investigating the extent to which specific and diffuse political support is related to individuals' perceptions of respect for human rights in the context of an emerging democracy. Taking advantage of two representative survey data sets from Mexico from 2003 and 2010, our empirical findings suggest that citizens are more likely to support thei...
Relationship of plumage variability, size and sex to social dominance in Harris' sparrows

Abstract In a previous paper I suggested that the plumage variability associated with signalling properties might be of a two-state nature and reflect age-signalling in Harris' sparrows (Zonotrichia querula). To test this idea, I investigated the degree to which the signal might be correlated with dominance status in captive flocks. Rohwer's plumage index was estimated and 15 other variables were examined (seven morphological and eight plumage characteristics) to evaluate measures that could be associated with dominance rank. In general, dark-throated birds dominated light-throated birds as expected but, within these broad classes, throat colour was not a close predictor of dominance status in small groups of birds. In the large group (27 birds), dominance rank was correlated to the plumage rank of adult females. The best overall predictor of dominance was wing length. Analysis of quantitative measurement of plumage characteristics showed that blackness on the throat, forehead and lores were correlated and appear to be the basis of Rohwer's index. In addition, a high degree of individual variability in pattern of breast spotting was documented and may function in individual recognition.
The minimum average daily solar radiation in the United States during December for a tilted flat-plate collector

Abstract The minimum average daily solar radiation in the United States during the month of December for a tilted flat-plate collector is presented by means of lines of constant radiation density on a map. Such data are useful in determining the economic feasibility of photovoltaic power generating systems where a given daily demand power is required.
Dissociating compatibility effects and distractor costs in the additional singleton paradigm.

The interpretation of identity compatibility effects associated with irrelevant items outside the nominal focus of attention has fueled much of the debate over early versus late selection and perceptual load theory. However, compatibility effects have also played a role in the debate over the extent to which the involuntary allocation of spatial attention (i.e., attentional capture) is completely stimulus-driven or whether it is contingent on top-down control settings. For example, in the context of the additional singleton paradigm, irrelevant color singletons have been found to produce not only an overall cost in search performance but also significant compatibility effects. This combination of search costs and compatibility effects has been taken as evidence that spatial attention is indeed allocated in a bottom-up fashion to the salient but irrelevant singletons. However, it is possible that compatibility effects in the additional singleton paradigm reflect parallel processing of identity associated with low perceptual load rather than an involuntary shift of spatial attention. In the present experiments, manipulations of load were incorporated into the traditional additional singleton paradigm. Under low load conditions, both search costs and compatibility effects were obtained, replicating previous studies. Under high load conditions, search costs were still present, but compatibility effects were eliminated. This dissociation suggests that the costs associated with irrelevant singletons may reflect filtering processes rather than the allocation of spatial attention.
Processing and properties of high aspect ratio ferroelectric structures

High aspect ratio (/spl ges/50:1) ferroelectric structures are potentially applicable in areas such as tunable photonic devices, sensors and actuators. In this work high aspect ratio structures of Pb(Zr/sub x/, Ti/sub 1-x/)O/sub 3/, and LaNiO/sub 3//Pb(Zr/sub x/,Ti/sub 1-x/)O/sub 3//LaNiO/sub 3/ tri-layers were prepared by vacuum infiltration of meso-porous Si templates. Pyrolysis was done at 300/spl deg/C for 2 min. Reactive ion etching followed by XeF/sub 2/ isotropic Si etching was utilized to release the embedded PZT structures from the Si template. The released structures were annealed at 700/spl deg/C for 1 min. in order to induce crystallization. These 2D ferroelectric photonic structures exhibited a TE-mode band gap in the infrared region between 4.0 - 4.4 microns in wavelength, which was found to be consistent with the theoretical photonic band gap calculations.
Teleoperation: the language of the human hand

Teleoperation is examined from the viewpoint of the human hand and handcontrollers. Alternative handcontroller, including hand grip concepts are briefly reviewed and evaluated. A 'universal' Force-Reflecting Handcontroller (FRHC) developed and utilized by the Advanced Teleoperation System project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is described in some detail. It generalizes the bilateral (force-reflecting) manipulator control technique through force-torque sensor referenced and computer aided control, and elevates teleoperation to new levels of performance possibilities. Performance experiments are quoted, conducted on generic and application oriented (simulated satellite repair) tasks. Future plans are briefly discussed. They include integration of FRHC with DATAHAND capabilities and with an anthropomorphic master glove which is the ultimate capability for full utilization of the 'language of the human hand' in teleoperation. >
Community-based employment: Experiences of adults who use AAC

A survey was employed to investigate the experiences of adults using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) who were successfully employed in community-based jobs. Twenty-five AAC users responded to the survey, representing a range of disabilities, ages, educational backgrounds, literacy skill levels, and communication systems. Respondents were employed in a variety of jobs including clerical positions, laborers, public educators and consumer advocates, and educational/therapy aides; the majority of the respondents were employed in disability-related services. By far, the majority of the respondents reported satisfaction with their job duties, immediate supervisors, coworkers, and current salaries; however, 40% of the respondents were dissatisfied with their opportunities for advancement. The results of the survey are discussed with recommendations for improving employment opportunities for AAC users and directions for future research.
Collective privacy management in social networks

Social Networking is one of the major technological phenomena of the Web 2.0, with hundreds of millions of people participating. Social networks enable a form of self expression for users, and help them to socialize and share content with other users. In spite of the fact that content sharing represents one of the prominent features of existing Social Network sites, Social Networks yet do not support any mechanism for collaborative management of privacy settings for shared content. In this paper, we model the problem of collaborative enforcement of privacy policies on shared data by using game theory. In particular, we propose a solution that offers automated ways to share images based on an extended notion of content ownership. Building upon the Clarke-Tax mechanism, we describe a simple mechanism that promotes truthfulness, and that rewards users who promote co-ownership. We integrate our design with inference techniques that free the users from the burden of manually selecting privacy preferences for each picture. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time such a protection mechanism for Social Networking has been proposed. In the paper, we also show a proof-of-concept application, which we implemented in the context of Facebook, one of today's most popular social networks. We show that supporting these type of solutions is not also feasible, but can be implemented through a minimal increase in overhead to end-users.
Deletion Mutagenesis of the Cytochrome b559 Protein Inactivates the Reaction Center of Photosystem II.

In green plant-like photosynthesis, oxygen evolution is catalyzed by a thylakoid membrane-bound protein complex, photosystem II. Cytochrome b559, a protein component of the reaction center of this complex, is absent in a genetically engineered mutant of the cyanobacterium, Synechocystis 6803 [Pakrasi, H.B., Williams, J.G.K., and Arntzen, C.J. (1988). EMBO J. 7, 325-332]. In this mutant, the genes psbE and psbF, encoding cytochrome b559, were deleted by targeted mutagenesis. Two other protein components, D1 and D2 of the photosystem II reaction center, are also absent in this mutant. However, two chlorophyll-binding proteins, CP47 and CP43, as well as a manganese-stabilizing extrinsic protein component of photosystem II are stably assembled in the thylakoids of this mutant. Thus, this deletion mutation destabilizes the reaction center of photosystem II only. The mutant also lacks a fluorescence maximum peak at 695 nm (at 77 K) even though the CP47 protein, considered to be the origin of this fluorescence peak, is present in this mutant. We propose that the fluorescence at 695 nm originates from an interaction between the reaction center of photosystem II and CP47. The deletion mutant shows the absence of variable fluorescence at room temperature, indicating that its photosystem II complex is photochemically inactive. Also, photoreduction of QA, the primary acceptor quinone in photosystem II, could not be detected in the mutant. We conclude that cytochrome b559 plays at least an essential structural role in the reaction center of photosystem II.
Branch behavior of a commercial OLTP workload on Intel IA32 processors

This paper presents a detailed branch characterization of an Oracle based commercial on-line transaction processing workload, Oracle Database Benchmark (ODB), running on an IA32 processor. We ran a well-tuned ODB on Simics, a full system simulator, to collect the instruction traces used in this study. We compare the branch behavior of ODB with the branch behaviors of gcc, gzip and mcf from the SPECINT 2000 benchmark suite. Contrary to the popular belief that databases have unpredictable branches, we show that using larger predictors that capture enough branch history information, and using branch prediction schemes that reduce aliasing, conditional branches in ODB are more predictable than in gcc, gzip and mcf Due to frequent context switching in ODB, a hardware return address stack is ineffective in predicting return addresses for ODB. Based on further analysis, we propose and evaluate an enhanced return address predictor, which reduces return address mispredictions in ODB by 40%.
A Novel Cellular Protein, p60, Interacting with both Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Regulatory Proteins ICP22 and ICP0 Is Modified in a Cell-Type-Specific Manner and Is Recruited to the Nucleus after Infection

Herpes simplex virus 1 encodes two multifunctional regulatory proteins, infected-cell proteins 22 and 0 (ICP22 and ICP0). ICP0 is a promiscuous transactivator, whereas ICP22 is required in vivo and for efficient replication and expression of a subset of late (gamma2) genes in rodent or rabbit cell lines and in primary human cell strains (restrictive cells) but not in HEp-2 or Vero (permissive) cells. We report the identification in the yeast two-hybrid system of a cellular protein designated p60 that interacts with ICP22. This protein (apparent Mr of 60,000) has not been previously described and has no known motifs. Analyses of p60 revealed the following. (i) p60 bound fast-migrating, underprocessed wild-type ICP22 and ICP22 lacking the carboxyl-terminal 24 amino acids but not ICP22 lacking the carboxyl-terminal 40 amino acids, whereas the previously identified cellular protein p78 (R. Bruni and B. Roizman, J. Virol. 72:8525-8531, 1998) bound all forms of ICP22. The interaction of p60 with only one isoform of ICP22 supports that hypothesis that each isoform of herpes simplex virus proteins performs a specific function that may be different from that of other isoforms. (ii) p60 also bound ICP0; the binding of ICP0 was independent of that of ICP22. (iii) p60 localized in uninfected rabbit skin cells in both nuclei and cytoplasm. In rabbit skin cells infected with wild-type virus, p60 was posttranslationally processed to a higher apparent Mr but was not redistributed. Posttranslational processing required the presence of the genes encoding ICP22 and UL13 protein kinase. (iv) In uninfected HEp-2 cells, p60 localized primarily in nuclei. Soon after infection with wild-type virus, the p60 localized in discrete small nuclear structures with ICP0. Late in infection, both ICP0 and p60 tended to disperse but p60 did not change in apparent Mr. The localization of p60 was independent of ICP22, but p60 tended to be more localized in small nuclear structures and less dispersed in cells infected with mutants lacking the genes encoding the UL13 or US3 protein kinases. The results suggest that posttranslational modification of p60 is mediated either by ICP0 (permissive cells) or by ICP22 and UL13 protein kinase (restrictive rabbit skin cells) and that the restrictive phenotype of rabbit skin cells may be related to the failure to process p60 by mutants lacking the genes encoding UL13 or ICP22.
The analysis of multivariate interval‐censored survival data

This paper considers a marginal approach for the analysis of the effect of covariates on multivariate interval-censored survival data.Interval censoring of multivariate events can occur when the events are not directly observable but are detected by periodically performing clinical examinations or laboratory tests. The method assumes the marginal distribution for each event is based on a discrete analogue of the proportional hazards model for interval-censored data. A robust estimator for the covariance matrix is developed that accounts for the correlation between events. A simulation study comparing the performance of this method and a midpoint imputation approach indicates the parameter estimates from the proposed method are less biased. Furthermore, even when the events are only modestly correlated, ignoring the correlation can result in erroneous variance estimators. The method is illustrated using data from an ongoing clinical trial involving subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Small‐angle x‐ray and neutron scattering studies of amorphous polymer blends

Dilute mixtures of poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), poly(p-iodostyrene) (PpIS) in polystyrene, and deuterated polystyrene (d-PS) in protonated poly(o-chlorostyrene) (PoCIS) were investigated by means of small-angle x-ray scattering and small-angle neutron scattering. The radii of gyration of PCL in PVC and of d-PS in PoCIS were found to be expanded over the θ values by 50 and 30%, respectively. Values of the second virial coefficient were positive although errors prevented definitive evaluation of the interaction parameter. PpIS was found to aggregate, with both the radius of gyration and molecular weight increasing with concentration. Concentrated mixtures of PCL and PVC were also investigated by using the Debye–Bueche correlation function analysis. Correlation distances indicated good mixing throughout the entire composition range.
The Role of Grain Boundary Engineering on the High Temperature Creep of Ferritic-Martensitic Alloy T91

Ferritic-Martensitic alloys are expected to play a major role in supercritical water reactor internals. These steels offer better swelling resistance than austenitic alloys but may suffer from grain boundary or matrix creep and loss of strength at higher temperatures and unacceptably low toughness at lower temperatures. The focus of this investigation is to improve the creep resistance of T91 by grain boundary engineering. By increasing the fraction of coincident site lattice (CSL), or special boundaries, the grain boundaries are strengthened against sliding and deformation, thus improving the creep resistance. Thermo-mechanical treatment for coincident site lattice enhancement of T91 has already been developed. High temperature (500°C) creep experiments in argon are conducted to assess the effectiveness of the CSL enhanced microstructure on the creep rate. Experimental analysis shows that the CSL-enhanced condition results in a lower creep rate by a factor of 3-4 as-compared to A/R condition for T91 at a temperature of 500°C and in the stress range of 200–225 MPa by reducing the effective stress.
Ratings of voice attractiveness predict sexual behavior and body configuration

Abstract We investigated the relationship between ratings of voice attractiveness and sexually dimorphic differences in shoulder-to-hip ratios (SHR) and waist-to-hip ratios (WHR), as well as different features of sexual behavior. Opposite-sex voice attractiveness ratings were positively correlated with SHR in males and negatively correlated with WHR in females. For both sexes, ratings of opposite-sex voice attractiveness also predicted reported age of first sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, number of extra-pair copulation (EPC) partners, and number of partners that they had intercourse with that were involved in another relationship (i.e., were themselves chosen as an EPC partner). Coupled with previous findings showing a relationship between voice attractiveness and bilateral symmetry, these results provide additional evidence that the sound of a person's voice may serve as an important multidimensional fitness indicator.
Nearest-neighbor thermodynamics of deoxyinosine pairs in DNA duplexes

Nearest-neighbor thermodynamic parameters of the 'universal pairing base' deoxyinosine were determined for the pairs I.C, I.A, I.T, I.G and I.I adjacent to G.C and A.T pairs. Ultraviolet absorbance melting curves were measured and non-linear regression performed on 84 oligonucleotide duplexes with 9 or 12 bp lengths. These data were combined with data for 13 inosine containing duplexes from the literature. Multiple linear regression was used to solve for the 32 nearest-neighbor unknowns. The parameters predict the T(m) for all sequences within 1.2 degrees C on average. The general trend in decreasing stability is I.C > I.A > I.T approximately I. G > I.I. The stability trend for the base pair 5' of the I.X pair is G.C > C.G > A.T > T.A. The stability trend for the base pair 3' of I.X is the same. These trends indicate a complex interplay between H-bonding, nearest-neighbor stacking, and mismatch geometry. A survey of 14 tandem inosine pairs and 8 tandem self-complementary inosine pairs is also provided. These results may be used in the design of degenerate PCR primers and for degenerate microarray probes.
Pooled results of two small trials with few events show a non-significant trend towards increased risk of intracerebral haemorrhage in people with Alzheimer's disease

Commentary on: H Thoonsen, E Richard, P Bentham, et al.. Aspirin in Alzheimer9s disease: increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage: cause for concern?Stroke2010;41:2690–2.
Towards the Body Shape Design of a Hydrodynamically Stable Robotic Boxfish

Ostraciiform fish such as the boxfish are known for their ability to swim smoothly through turbulent waters of coral reefs and their excellent maneuverability. These characteristics are desirable in an micro underwater vehicle. Biologists have recently found that the boxfish's body shape generates self-correcting trimming forces by shedding counter rotating vortices to compensate for the instabilities in turbulent water. The purpose of this work is to study the effect of body shape on self-correcting vortex generation and use these results to design the outer body shape of a Micro Underwater Vehicle mimicking a real boxfish. To this end, computer Aided Design and Engineering (CAD/CAE) tools such as solid modeling software and fluid flow simulation software were used for analysis and comparison of different body shapes. In this paper we present the numerical simulation results for two varieties of boxfish, namely the Spotted boxfish the Buffalo trunkfish, and the results were used to derive key design guidelines for a suitable body shape that can exhibit the desired self-correcting mechanism. Based on the results an outer shape has been rapid prototyped in two halves that can be mounted on either side of the robot chassis.
Perceived Sexist Events and Feminist Identity Development Attitudes Links to Women's Psychological Distress

Data from 104 undergraduate and 83 faculty/staff women indicated that perceived sexist events, measured by the Schedule of Sexist Events Scale (SSE), along with Passive Acceptance (PA), Revelation (R), and Embeddedness-Emanation (EE) attitudes, measured by the Feminist Identity Development Scale (FIDS), each related positively to women's psychological distress, measured by the General Severity Index (GSI) of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). When social desirability, age, and socioeconomic status (SES) were entered as covariates in a multiple regression analysis, however, only recent perceived sexist events and PA accounted for unique variance in distress. In addition, PA tentatively was supported as a moderator of the relation between recent perceived sexist events and distress. Finally, PA scores related negatively, and R, EE, and Active Commitment scores related positively to perceived sexist events; beyond covariates, only PA and R scores accounted for unique variance in lifetime perceived sexist eve...
The Impact of Cystic Fibrosis and PSTI/SPINK1 Gene Mutations on Susceptibility to Chronic Pancreatitis

This article reviews current concepts regarding the pathobiology of cystic fibrosis pancreatic disease. It summarizes recent studies on the relationship between CFTR mutations and pancreatitis, and it reviews several unresolved issues in the field.
Crystal structure of thiamin pyrophosphokinase.

Thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) is a coenzyme derived from vitamin B1 (thiamin). TPP synthesis in eukaryotes requires thiamin pyrophosphokinase (TPK), which catalyzes the transfer of a pyrophosphate group from ATP to thiamin. TPP is essential for central metabolic processes, including the formation of acetyl CoA from glucose and the Krebs cycle. Deficiencies in human thiamin metabolism result in beriberi and Wernicke encephalopathy. The crystal structure of mouse TPK was determined by multiwavelength anomalous diffraction at 2.4 A resolution, and the structure of TPK complexed with thiamin has been refined at 1.9 A resolution. The TPK polypeptide folds as an alpha/beta-domain and a beta-sandwich domain, which share a central ten-stranded mixed beta-sheet. TPK subunits associate as a dimer, and thiamin is bound in the dimer interface. Despite lacking apparent sequence homology with other proteins, the alpha/beta-domain resembles the Rossman fold and is similar to other kinase structures, including another pyrophosphokinase and a thiamin biosynthetic enzyme. Comparison of mouse and yeast TPK structures reveals differences that could be exploited in developing species-specific inhibitors of potential use as antimicrobial agents.
A Guide to Planning and Executing a Surgical Randomized Controlled Trial

Evidence-based medicine requires that treatments given to patients demonstrate effectiveness. The randomized controlled trial (RCT) has become the preeminent study design to assess the efficacy of treatments. Randomized controlled trials are frequently used to evaluate pharmaceutical treatments but are less often used in surgery. The lack of surgical RCTs is partly due to ethical and methodological concerns associated with surgical interventions. We provide a guide to planning and conducting a surgical RCT.
Electromigration in On-Chip Single/Dual Damascene Cu Interconnections

The electromigration lifetime in multilevel Cu damascene interconnects has been investigated. The Cu lifetime was strongly influenced by the diffusion barrier liner at the cathode end of the line. This partial blocking boundary at the Cu via/Cu line interface can drastically change the Cu lifetime. A triple-log-normal function was used to analyze the failure distribution in a dual-damascene interconnect. The failure mechanism in the Cu line/Cu via dual-damascene line with thin liner at the interface was similar to the result obtained when testing a single stripe with large reservoirs. The electromigration activation energies for unpassivated Cu lines tested in nitrogen and forming gas (N 2 + 5% H 2 ) were found to be 0.7 and 0.9 ± 0.1 eV, respectively.
Growth Responses of Escherichia coli to the Surfactant Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonate

When strains of Escherichia coli are grown in broth cultures containing the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (NaDDBS), they exhibit unique growth responses. After 20 to 24 hr of incubation, they become slimy and viscous, and an addition of ethanol to the supernatant liquid yields a distinctive white, fibrous precipitate. The production of this material was shown to be dependent on the presence of NaDDBS in the medium. This precipitate from E. coli ATCC 11303 was found to contain 41 to 53% protein, 10 to 11% deoxyribonucleic acid, 6.8 to 7.4% ribonucleic acid, 15 to 25% carbohydrate, and 9% lipid. It is distinctive from naturally occurring E. coli slimes in several respects. Our data suggest that its formation is the primary result of the leakage of intracellular components into the medium. However, the rate of cell proliferation indicates a partial but not complete or lethal lysis. A limited utilization of NaDDBS as a carbon source was also shown.
How to Shorten the Follow-up Period in Parole Studies

One of the major problems of correctional research in such areas as parole violation has been the need for a follow-up period of two or more years after all parolees have been released. The following article proposes, through the secondary analysis of a rigidly scientific study, that for policy purposes this lengthy follow-up period can be shortened to no more than one year, and possibly no more than six months after the beginning of a study. The results suggest the possibility of cheaper and more flexible studies.
Housing affordability and family well‐being: Results from the housing voucher evaluation

Abstract The Effects of Housing Vouchers on Welfare Families was an experimental evaluation that examined the effects of housing assistance on low‐income families eligible for or receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Household‐based rental vouchers were provided to participants under the Welfare to Work Voucher program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 2000 through 2004. Vouchers were randomly assigned to eligible program participants in six sites across the country, sample members were tracked over about five years, and the effects of vouchers on homelessness and crowding, household composition, housing mobility, neighborhood quality, employment and earnings, and other aspects of family well‐being were measured. Vouchers significantly reduced homelessness, crowding, household size, and the incidence of living with relatives or friends, but had no effect on marriage or cohabitation. Vouchers increased housing mobility, while reducing the number of subseque...
A Continuity Correction for Discrete Barrier Options

The payoff of a barrier option depends on whether or not a specified asset price, index, or rate reaches a specified level during the life of the option. Most models for pricing barrier options assume continuous monitoring of the barrier; under this assumption, the option can often be priced in closed form. Many (if not most) real contracts with barrier provisions specify discrete monitoring instants; there are essentially no formulas for pricing these options, and even numerical pricing is difficult. We show, however, that discrete barrier options can be priced with remarkable accuracy using continuous barrier formulas by applying a simple continuity correction to the barrier. The correction shifts the barrier away from the underlying by a factor of exp.flae p 1t/, wherefl… 0:5826,ae is the underlying volatility, and1t is the time between monitoring instants. The correction is justified both theoretically and experimentally.
Construction management applications: challenges in developing execution control plans

The objective of automated planners is to synthesize sequences of actions (called policies in MDP frameworks) that will achieve a predetermined goal given a fully or partially observable formal representation of the domain. In contrast, the main characteristic of project management is the greater emphasis on plan execution under uncertainty as opposed to plan synthesis. This paper explains the need to transition from automated plan synthesis to plan management and identifies the challenges for the planning and scheduling communities using examples of construction projects.
Strategies for the Treatment of Alcoholism

Alcoholism is an exceedingly common and serious problem in our society. State-of-the-art estimation procedures place the number of alcohol-dependent persons in the United States at approximately 9 million with an additional 6 million persons diagnosable as nondependent alcohol abusers. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are most prevalent among younger males. For both genders these problems tend to decrease with age (Williams, Grant, Harford, & Noble, 1989).