cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ikaros Sets the Potential for Th17 Lineage Gene Expression through Effects on Chromatin State in Early T Cell Development

Th17 cells are important effectors of immunity to extracellular pathogens, particularly at mucosal surfaces, but they can also contribute to pathologic tissue inflammation and autoimmunity. Defining the multitude of factors that influence their development is therefore of paramount importance. Our previous studies using Ikaros−/− CD4+ T cells implicated Ikaros in Th1 versus Th2 lineage decisions. Here we demonstrate that Ikaros also regulates Th17 differentiation through its ability to promote expression of multiple Th17 lineage-determining genes, including Ahr, Runx1, Rorc, Il17a, and Il22. Ikaros exerts its influence on the chromatin remodeling of these loci at two distinct stages in CD4+ T helper cell development. In naive cells, Ikaros is required to limit repressive chromatin modifications at these gene loci, thus maintaining the potential for expression of the Th17 gene program. Subsequently, Ikaros is essential for the acquisition of permissive histone marks in response to Th17 polarizing signals. Additionally, Ikaros represses the expression of genes that limit Th17 development, including Foxp3 and Tbx21. These data define new targets of the action of Ikaros and indicate that Ikaros plays a critical role in CD4+ T cell differentiation by integrating specific cytokine cues and directing epigenetic modifications that facilitate activation or repression of relevant genes that drive T cell lineage choice.
The clinical significance of a single umbilical artery as an isolated finding on prenatal ultrasound

Objective To evaluate the perinatal outcome in fetuses with single umbilical artery detected on targeted prenatal ultrasound without other anomalies. Methods During a 3.5-year period, an isolated single umbilical artery was suspected on prenatal ultrasound examination in 57 fetuses evaluated at two referral centers. Targeted imaging to rule out concurrent fetal anomalies was normal in all cases. Pregnancy and perinatal outcome data were retrieved by review of the medical records or from conversations with referring physicians. Complete follow-up was available in 50 cases. Results A two-vessel umbilical cord was confirmed at birth in 50 neonates. The mean gestational age at delivery was 38.6 ± 2.8 weeks; the mean birth weight was 3202.8 ± 835.8 g. Seventeen patients (34%) underwent genetic amnio-centesis, and all fetuses had a normal karyotype. The only neonate ascertained to have a congenital anomaly after birth was diagnosed with total anomalous pulmonary venous return. This neonate underwent a corrective surgical procedure and is thriving with no apparent problems at 3.5 years of age. There were no perinatal deaths. Conclusion In the absence of additional sonographically detectable anomalies, an isolated single umbilical artery does not seem to affect clinical outcome and therefore should not alter routine obstetric management.
Chronic sun exposure alters both the content and distribution of dermal glycosaminoglycans

Chronic sun exposure leads to structural and functional alterations in exposed skin. Photoageing is a process distinct from the changes taking place due to chronological ageing. Unique alterations in the dermal extracellular matrix occur as a result of photoageing and are responsible for many of these physiological changes taking place in sun-damaged skin. Accompanying the deposition of abnormal elastic tissue, or solar elastosis, are significant alterations in dermal glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Accumulation of GAGs as a result of photoageing, as demonstrated in both humans and animal models of photoageing, seems almost paradoxical in view of the large amounts of GAGs present in the skin of newborns, making their skin well hydrated and supple, in sharp contrast to the weathered appearance of photoaged skin. We investigate the relative GAG content of photoaged skin using immunoperoxidase stains specific for hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulphate, and determine the location of these GAGs using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Our results demonstrate significant increases in GAG staining in sun-damaged vs. sun-protected skin from the same individuals, as measured by computer-based image analysis. Furthermore, confocal laser scanning microscopy reveals that the increased dermal GAGs in sun-damaged skin are deposited on the elastotic material of the superficial dermis of photodamaged skin, and not between collagen and elastic fibres as in normal skin. The abnormal location of GAGs on these fibres may explain the apparent paradoxical weathered appearance of photodamaged skin despite increased GAGs.
The Insertion of Singlet Silylene into Ethylene

Ab initio calculations at the minimal, split valence and extended basis set levels, both with and without electron correlation corrections, were used to study the insertion of singlet silylene into ethylene to form silacyclopropane. The least motion C2v path is symmetry forbidden and an artificial barrier of about 36 kcal/mol is found within C2v symmetry. Relaxation of symmetry to C, eliminates the symmetry forbiddenness of the reaction. The 3-21G and 6-31G* SCF calculations still predict a small barrier along this symmetry allowed path; however, the addition of second order correlation corrections results in the prediction of an insertion process with no barrier. The overall ΔE for the reaction is predicted by MP2/6-31G*//3-21G to be 47.9 kcal/mol.
Oral Bisphosphonates as a Cause of Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws: Clinical Findings, Assessment of Risks, and Preventive Strategies

Purpose Oral bisphosphonates are known to have potentially profound effects on oral health. A review of the evidence supporting answers to key clinical questions is necessary to assist surgeons in the care of their patients who are receiving oral bisphosphonates. Materials and Methods The literature is reviewed to address several questions, ie, what is the risk of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) in my patient on oral bisphosphonates? Why are so few cases of BRONJ attributable to oral bisphosphonate use? What is the importance of cofactors in the development of osteonecrosis? How major a clinical problem is BRONJ, typically, in the oral bisphosphonate patient? What dental procedures are associated with a risk of BRONJ? Are other findings apart from BRONJ of importance in the oral bisphosphonate patient? Are there proven strategies to prevent BRONJ in the oral bisphosphonate patient? Should my patient discontinue the use of oral bisphosphonates temporarily or permanently? Results A review of the evidence offers information that will help in clinical decision-making. In general, the risk of BRONJ is between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 100,000, but may increase to 1 in 300 after dental extraction. The great majority of BRONJ cases will likely remain in the intravenous population. Cofactors have not been firmly established, although smoking, steroid use, anemia, hypoxemia, diabetes, infection, and immune deficiency may be important. Rarely does BRONJ in the oral bisphosphonate patient appear to progress beyond stage 2, and many cases reverse with discontinuation of oral medication. Extraction is the only dental procedure shown to increase the risk of BRONJ. Dental implant therapy should be used with caution in the oral bisphosphonate patient. The benefits and risks of oral bisphosphonate use must be weighed individually and in consultation with the prescribing physician, before determining the need for temporary or permanent cessation of medication. Conclusion Emerging evidence supports clinical decisions in favor of the oral and maxillofacial surgery patient taking oral bisphosphonates.
Hand washing and hand disinfection:: more than your mother taught you

Hand washing is considered the single most important intervention for prevention of nosocomial infections in patients and health care workers. Unfortunately, compliance with standard protocols for hand hygiene in the health care environment, and especially within intensive care areas such as operating rooms and post-anesthesia care units, has been generally poor. In this article, we consider the current standards for hand hygiene as they pertain to the practice of anesthesiology. We discuss the consequences of poor compliance with hand washing practices for patient and health care provider safety. And we describe modern innovations in hand washing procedures and products that improve the opportunities for anesthesiologists to employ safe hand hygiene.
Empirical Study of Lane Changing in Urban Streets under Varying Traffic Conditions

This paper investigated the variations in accepted gaps and lane change durations with respect to different traffic flow rates on urban street. Data for accepted gaps and lane change durations were collected during the peak, off peak, and mid-day hours on normal working days to cover flow rates ranging from free flow to congested conditions. Descriptive statistics and best fit distributions were obtained for the collected data. Hypothesis testing using Mann-Whitney U Test proved that the mean size of accepted gaps was statistically different between free flow and congested conditions. The best fit distributions showed that a considerable number of drivers accepted smaller gaps during congested traffic conditions than in free flow conditions. However, lane change durations did not show any statistical difference between different flow rates. The findings from this study have direct implications on the gap acceptance and lane changing parameters used in microscopic traffic simulation, particularly during model calibration.
Water adsorption and Friction on thin film magnetic recording disks

Water adsorption isotherms were measured with two different types of perfluoropolyether lubricants, Zdol 4000 and Ztetraol 2000, on thin film magnetic recording disks. The adsorption isotherm provides the average water film thickness (areal density) as a function of relative humidity. The water film thickness was measured while varying the relative humidity (RH) in the range from dry air to 85%. The water film thickness for both types of lubricants increased with RH, and was independent of temperature between 20° and 50°C. The water film thickness at saturation RH was typically 0.44 nm (16/nm2) for Zdol and 0.25 nm (9/nm2) for Ztetraol. Friction measurements were performed on the same set of disks up to 70% RH. The maximum friction increased with RH, more for Zdol than for Ztetraol, and the friction with Ztetraol was much less than with Zdol. Brief exposure to condensing RH dramatically altered the friction and acoustic emission even at relatively high slider flying height. The altered frictional properti...
Characteristics of Action Potentials in Willow (Salix viminalis L.)

After application of electric stimuli (square DC pulses) extra- and intracellular potentials were recorded on willow shoots. The all-or-nothing law, strength-duration relation, and general characteristics of the action potential were investigated.By using inhibitors of ionic channels (tetraethylammonium, MnCl 2 , LaCl 3 ), the excitability of willow could be completely blocked. Treatment with the phosphorylation uncoupler dinitrophenol induced a depolarization and disappearance of excitability, indicating the participation of a metabolic component of the membrane potential. By using energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis, the distribution of chloride, potassium and calcium was measured in different tissues of non-stimulated and stimulated willow shoots
Alkylated poly(amino acids). I. Conformational properties of poly(Nε‐trimethyl‐L‐lysine) and poly(Nδ‐trimethyl‐L‐ornithine)

Poly(Ne-trimethyl-L-lysine), [Lys(Me3)]n, and poly(Nδ-trimethyl-L-ornithine), [Orn(Me3)]n, in sodium dodecylsulfate do not assume the β-structure or α-helix, respectively, of their parent polymers. In 0.5M Ca(ClO4)2 both [Lys(Me3)]n and [Orn(Me3)]n are aggregated and display CD spectra indicative of a regular, perhaps helical, structure. For [Lys]n and [Lys(Me3)]n, the T1 of the α-hydrogens are 0.379 and 0.230 sec, respectively, indicating greater rigidity for [Lys(Me3)]n. The CD spectrum of [Lys(Me3)]n at pH 8 is more heat resistant than that of [Lys]n. It is suggested that apolar interactions are more important in the methylated polymers than in the parent polymers.
Estradiol induces class I alcohol dehydrogenase activity and mRNA in kidney of female rats.

Abstract Rat kidney contains alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity which appears to be similar or identical to the class I ADH expressed in liver. Both tissues contain a 1.6-kb transcript which hybridizes with an ADH cDNA under stringent conditions. Kidney ADH activity is responsive to estradiol. The enzyme activity in the kidneys of shamoperated and ovariectomized animals was the same. Treatment of either group of animals by intramuscular injection of estradiol (1 mg/kg body wt/day) for 10 days induced ADH activity in kidney two- to threefold, whether the activity was expressed as U/g tissue, U/g protein, or U/mg DNA. Estradiol induced kidney ADH mRNA in both ovariectomized and sham-operated rats approximately twofold. Thus, induction of ADH mRNA accounts for the increase in ADH activity. In situ hybridization indicated that the ADH mRNA was present in the inner cortex and medulla of the kidney. Methylation patterns of the ADH gene were examined. The gene resides in a methylated region of chromatin without any of the typical features of a HpaII tiny fragment (HTF) island. Two MspI sites flanking the transcription start site are undermethylated in liver compared with kidney and spleen. This suggests that methylation of this gene may play a role in the tissue-specific expression of ADH.
Unusual stratospheric transport and mixing during the 2002 Antarctic winter

[1] Unusually large planetary wave activity in the 2002 Antarctic winter stratosphere weakened and warmed the polar vortex. Three minor warmings during August and early September preceded a late-September major warming when the middle stratospheric zonal winds reversed to easterly and the polar temperature increased by an additional 25 K. Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement (POAM III) ozone data at high southern latitudes show unusually large variability in 2002 compared to previous POAM III years (1998–2001). Analyses of air parcel transport indicate this variability is caused by large-scale isentropic transport. Diagnostics of transport and mixing show that during the major warming the lower stratospheric vortex remained intact, while the middle stratospheric vortex split into two pieces; one piece rapidly mixed with extravortex air, while the other returned to the pole as a much weaker and smaller vortex.
Public goods, group size, and the degree of rivalry

It is well established that the provision of a pure public good is increasing in group size if the good is normal. What I show is that if the good exhibits even a small degree of rivalry, then the individual level of consumption of the public good falls to zero in a large group. Thus, a strong version of Olson’s large group hypothesis applies to anything other than a pure public good. While individual consumption of the public good goes to zero in a large group, there is not a monotonicity result. If it is initially small, an increase in the group size may lead to an increase in the individual consumption of the public good.
Multi-decadal synthesis of benthic–pelagic coupling in the western arctic: Role of cross-shelf advective processes

Abstract Using geographic information systems (GIS) software and geostatistical techniques, we utilized three decades of water-column chlorophyll a data to examine the relative importance of autochthonous versus allochthonous sources of reduced carbon to benthic communities that occur from the northern Bering to the eastern Beaufort Sea shelf. Spatial trend analyses revealed areas of high benthic biomass (>300 g m−2) and chlorophyll (>150 mg m−2) on both the southern and northern Chukchi shelf; both areas are known as depositional centers for reduced organic matter that originates on the Bering Sea shelf and is advected northward in Anadyr and Bering shelf water masses. We found a significant correlation between biomass and chlorophyll a in the Chukchi Sea, reflective of the strong benthic–pelagic coupling in a system that is utilized heavily by benthic-feeding marine mammals. In contrast, there was no significant correlation between biomass and chlorophyll in the Beaufort Sea, which by comparison, is considerably less productive (biomass and chlorophyll,
Molecular epidemiology of rubella virus in Asia: utility for reduction in the burden of diseases due to congenital rubella syndrome.

AbstractBackground: Rubella is a mild disease mainly of infants, involving a rash and a fever. However, when women who have no immunity to rubella are infected during the early stage of pregnancy, their babies are often born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), which is characterized by a few disorders including deafness, cataracts and heart malformations. To prevent CRS, several strains of live attenuated rubella vaccine have been developed and introduced into immunization programs in many countries. In most Asian countries except Japan, Singapore and Taiwan, rubella remains uncontrolled, and the burden of diseases from CRS is high. In order to develop a control program to reduce the number of CRS cases in Asian countries, it is necessary to conduct a survey of rubella and CRS cases, and to then determine the genotype of the circulating rubella virus in each country. Methods: Cases of rubella and CRS, based on national reporting systems or active surveillance in the Asian countries, are summarized. Sequences of the E1 gene of the virus isolates from the Asian countries were compared by phylogenic analysis. Results: Recent studies of the molecular epidemiology of rubella virus worldwide revealed that there are two genotypes, and that genotype I is circulating almost worldwide, while genotype II is an Asian prototype restricted to the Asian continent. Genotype I viruses fall into a number of groups, some of which are geographically localized. Antigenically these two genotypes are cross-reactive and immunization with either virus results in immunity to all rubella viruses. Discussion: The hypotheses that rubella virus has evolved on the Asian continent is proposed. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized that a rubella immunization program can be combined with the measles immuization program. Inclusion of rubella in the expanded program of immunization (EPI) of measles would be ideal in Asian countries, as it would be efficient and cost effective to administer one injection containing a three-combined vaccine (MMR). It would also be desirable given that WHO require laboratory tests to confirm the presence of measles or rubella as part of it's measles control project, because rubella is often misdiagnosed as measles.
One-step one-phase synthesis of monodisperse noble-metallic nanoparticles and their colloidal crystals.

A variety of metallic nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution have been synthesized in a facile one-phase method in which amine−borane complexes are applied as reducing agents. It is particularly striking that large colloidal crystals with sizes up to tens of micrometers can directly form from the reaction mixtures without any further treatment. By using the synthetic route described, large-scale syntheses of both mono- and alloyed metallic nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution can be easily achieved.
Structural insights into the interactions between human IgE and its high affinity receptor FcεRI

Abstract The interaction of IgE antibodies with the high affinity IgE receptor, FceRI, is a key step in the initiation of anti-parasitic immunity and allergic reactions. Recent structural studies of the receptor, the IgE–Fc and the IgE–Fc:FceRI complex have revealed how these two proteins interact to prime mast cell responses to antigen. The structures have revealed a novel arrangement for the FceRI ectodomains that is also observed in homologous members of this antibody receptor family. The crystal structure of the IgE–Fc:FceRI complex clarified how a 1:1 complex between the antibody and receptor is formed, with the receptor binding each chain of the antibody Fc dimer. The IgE–Fc structure in the absence of the receptor revealed the potential for large conformational rearrangements within the IgE that may affect receptor binding. These studies provide the basis for further investigation of the specificity of antibody:receptor binding and for the development of new treatments for allergic hypersensitivities.
Neurocognitive and psychosocial correlates of hostility among persons in a post-acute phase of schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Persons with schizophrenia often have difficulty inhibiting hostile behaviors. While the correlates of hostility have been extensively explored in controlled settings, less is known about hostile behaviors and attitudes among outpatients who are in a post-acute phase of illness. Accordingly, this study examined the relationship of self-reported hostile behaviors and attitudes with measures of neurocognition, childhood physical abuse and hopelessness among 36 individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. In a stepwise multiple regression, poorer executive function and a history of childhood physical abuse significantly predicted behavioral hostility (R2 = .25, P < .05), while attitudinal hostility was uniquely predicted by hopelessness (R2 = .16, P < .05). Results suggest that behavioral hostility among persons in a stable phase of illness may be closely related to disinhibition and trauma history while hostile attitudes may be more closely linked with attitudes about current psychosocial circumstances. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Reconnecting With the Spirit of Workplace Ethnography: A Historical Review

We chronicle the early history of organizational research in which ethnography was an important methodological tool used to study workers’ experiences. Early applied psychologists and management researchers were conversant with leading ethnographies and cited their work, occasionally even doing ethnography themselves. Although there is currently a vibrant niche of organizational researchers who use ethnography, the vast majority of organizational researchers have relied less on workplace ethnographies, citing them infrequently. We outline benefits of ethnography and explain reasons why organizational researchers should reconnect with the spirit of ethnography, even if practical constraints keep them from conducting ethnographical work themselves. In addition, we provide a list of recommended workplace ethnographies that have been cited most frequently by organizational researchers.
Lectin Coprecipitative Isolation from Crudes by Little Rock Orange Ligand

Matrix ligands are intended for upstream use with dilute crudes on a large scale, splitting out soughtfor proteins by coprecipitating them as dense, protected aggregates. Matrix ligand coprecipitation is rapidly, quantitatively reversible, by pH shifting and trapping matrix ligands on ion exchange resin, releasing the sought-for protein. Four lectins, wheat germ agglutinin, peanut lectin, concanavalin A, and Phaseolus vulgaris (red kidney bean) lectins, were coprecipitated from crude extracts, 0.05 to 0.4% crude protein, in a single step using Little Rock Orange matrix ligand. All were compared in specific activities (erythrocyte agglutination) and in SDS‐ PAGE analysis with the four corresponding commercial lectins purified by affinity chromatography. All four matrix-coprecipitated ligands were specifically active within range of the corresponding vendor (Sigma Co.) affinity chromatography-purified lectins. The matrix ligand coprecipitative technique requires optimization of ligand‐protein (crude) ratios, denoted y, and determination of suitable pH ranges for coprecipitation relative to lectin isoelectric pH. These parameters control electrostatic ion pair association: ligand head anion binding to cationic target proteins. The coprecipitative and protective powers of new ligands like Little Rock Orange, their ability to scavenge sought-for lectins from dilute crudes, depend on ligand organic tail‐tail association. After the strong anion heads of ligands bind to cationic proteins, their organic tails stack and draw the ligand‐protein complexes together as aggregated coprecipitates. © 1998 Academic Press
Mild route to generate gaseous metal anions

Gaseous metal anions such as Na(-), K(-), Cs(-), and Ag(-) can be generated at ambient temperatures by the collision-induced dissociation of the anions of several dicarboxylic acid salts, including oxalate, maleate, fumarate, succinate, and glutamate salts. The formation of gaseous metal anions in this way is unprecedented because the metal is initially present in its cationic form. The mild process described here could facilitate novel applications of metal anions as selective reagents for gas-phase ion-molecule and ion-ion reactions. Ab initio calculations were used to describe the dissociation process for anions of the oxalate salts. The formation of alkalides occurs via production of a metal-carbon dioxide anion intermediate with a bidentate three-center two-electron bond to the metal. The metal atom acquires a partial negative charge in the intermediate structure.
Structural Key Bit Occurrence Frequencies and Dependencies in PubChem and Their Effect on Similarity Searches.

Little published literature exists on the 881 bit structural keys used by PubChem for categorizing and comparing the compounds present in its database. We characterized these structural keys by examining their frequencies of occurrence within the PubChem compound database. In addition, bit dependencies, defined as the universal presence of a bit given the presence of another, were determined. We show that the vast majority of bits are rarely set and that substantial numbers of dependencies exist. A comparison of similarity searches with five United States Food and Drug Administration approved drugs as reference compounds using the full structural keys versus a variant in which all dependent bits were removed was performed using the Tanimoto coefficient. These bit dependencies not only affect similarity scores, but also alter the compounds returned in similarity searching. Judicious selection of bits is needed to maintain sufficient ability to differentiate related compounds.
Predictors of mobile sexting among teens: Toward a new explanatory framework

This study posits a framework for conceptualizing the practice of adolescent sexting in order to help explain this behavior and inform decisions about whether and how to address it. Select theoretical propositions about the role of mobile communication in the “social emancipation” of youth were explicated and tested using a national survey of teens in the US. Drawing from this perspective, we hypothesized that sexting would be associated with levels of peer and family mobile connectivity, although in opposite ways, as well as parental control over the technology. As hypothesized, involvement in sexting was positively predicted by connectedness to peers through mobile communication and negatively predicted by connectedness to family. Although sexting was less likely with mobile connectedness to family, heavy-handed parental control over the technology was not a predictor. The discussion offers theoretical and practical implications of these and other findings, along with directions for future research.
A phenomenological theory of time dependent fluctuations above Tc

Abstract A phenomenological theory of time dependent fluctuations above order-disorder critical temperatures is presented. The theory combines Landau's treatment of critical fluctuations with an assumed kinetic equation for the fluctuations of the order parameter. The critical exponents associated with the energy spectrum of inelastically scattered neutrons, nuclear magnetic resonance linewidths, as well as ultrasonic attenuation and velocity changes are related. In particular, the role of nonlinearities in the ultrasonic velocity changes has been investigated.
Keynote: Is there anything more to learn about high performance processors?

The talk will begin with a historical discussion of innovations in processor architecture. In every case, the innovations that define current processors were actually developed decades ago. An important issue, then, is whether there are any new techniques waiting to be discovered. In order to continue making significant performance gains, a number of obstacles must be simultaneously overcome. These obstacles are described using an analytical performance model. The potential of a number of actively researched techniques will then be considered; these include deep pipelines, speculative multi-threading, and next-generation branch prediction. Finally, in light of the history, obstacles, and available techniques, the potential and direction of future innovations will be discussed.
Cervical pregnancy: 13 cases treated with suction curettage and balloon tamponade.

Objective With no single regimen recognized as the standard for the treatment of first trimester cervical pregnancy, this report offers a successful treatment option with suction curettage and balloon tamponade. Study Design This is a retrospective review, with institutional review board approval, of 13 consecutive first trimester cervical pregnancies, from 1995-2014, all treated with the same surgical technique by the author. Results Successful termination of thirteen consecutive first trimester cervical pregnancies, all treated with the same surgical technique: suction curettage with cervical canal balloon tamponade. Conclusion Cervical pregnancy is the rarest of ectopic pregnancies. Before the now common use of early pregnancy transvaginal ultrasound, cervical pregnancies were frequently diagnosed at the time of spontaneous abortion or reached the second trimester, both associated with life-threatening hemorrhage frequently requiring hysterectomy. With early transvaginal ultrasound, especially with 3 dimensional rendering, these implantations are easily identified and can successfully be terminated with a specialized suction curettage technique.
Gene and cell-mediated therapies for muscular dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating muscle disorder that affects 1 in 3500 boys. Despite years of research and considerable progress in understanding the molecular mechanism of the disease and advancement of therapeutic approaches, there is no cure for DMD. The current treatment options are limited to physiotherapy and corticosteroids, and although they provide a substantial improvement in affected children, they only slow the course of the disorder. On a more optimistic note, the most recent approaches either significantly alleviate or eliminate muscular dystrophy in murine and canine models of DMD and importantly, many of them are being tested in early phase human clinical trials. This review summarizes advancements that have been made in viral and non-viral gene therapy as well as stem cell therapy for DMD with a focus on the replacement and repair of the affected dystrophin gene.
A quality-of-information-aware framework for data models in wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks are used to monitor a given environment, such as indoor heating conditions or the micro-climate of glaciers. They offer a low-cost solution that provides a high data density. Usually the user of such a sensor network has a good idea of how, knowing the environment, the sensed values should behave. This idea can be expressed as a data model. Such models can be used to detect anomalies, compress data, or combine data from many inexpensive sensors to increase the quality of the measurements. This paper presents a framework to process arbitrary sensor-network data models. The framework can then be used to distribute the model processing into the wireless sensor network. Quality of information criteria are used to determine the performance of the models. A prototype of the framework is presented together with a comparison of two existing stochastic data model approaches for wireless sensor networks.
Phase delay of coupled modes in single-mode optical fibers.

The phase delay of the fundamental LP01 mode in a single-mode optical fiber is studied using periodic perturbation of the fiber axis. A large phase shift may be obtained through distortion-induced birefringence, with less than 1.5-dB coupling loss to the radiative modes.
Atypical soluble guanylyl cyclases in Drosophila can function as molecular oxygen sensors.

Conventional soluble guanylyl cyclases are heterodimeric enzymes that synthesize cGMP and are activated by nitric oxide. Recently, a separate class of soluble guanylyl cyclases has been identified that are only slightly activated by or are insensitive to nitric oxide. These atypical guanylyl cyclases include the vertebrate β2 subunit and examples from the invertebrates Manduca sexta, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Drosophila melanogaster. A member of this family, GCY-35 in C. elegans, was recently shown to be required for a behavioral response to low oxygen levels and may be directly regulated by oxygen (Gray, J. M., Karow, D. S., Lu, H., Chang, A. J., Chang, J. S., Ellis, R. E., Marletta, M. A., and Bargmann, C. I. (2004) Nature 430, 317–322). Drosophila contains three genes that code for atypical soluble guanylyl cyclases: Gyc-88E, Gyc-89Da, and Gyc-89Db. COS-7 cells co-transfected with Gyc-88E and Gyc-89Da or Gyc-89Db accumulate low levels of cGMP under normal atmospheric oxygen concentrations and are potently activated under anoxic conditions. The increase in activity is graded over oxygen concentrations of 0–21%, can be detected within 1 min of exposure to anoxic conditions and is blocked by the soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxaline-1-one (ODQ). Gyc-88E and Gyc-89Db are co-expressed in a subset of sensory neurons where they would be ideally situated to act as oxygen sensors. This is the first demonstration of a soluble guanylyl cyclase that is activated in response to changing oxygen concentrations.
Streptococcus pneumoniae Is Desiccation Tolerant and Infectious upon Rehydration

ABSTRACT Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a frequent colonizer of the nasopharynx and one of the leading causative agents of otitis media, pneumonia, and meningitis. The current literature asserts that S. pneumoniae is transmitted person to person via respiratory droplets; however, environmental surfaces (fomites) have been linked to the spread of other respiratory pathogens. Desiccation tolerance has been to shown to be essential for long-term survival on dry surfaces. This study investigated the survival and infectivity of S. pneumoniae following desiccation under ambient conditions. We recovered viable bacteria after all desiccation periods tested, ranging from 1 h to 4 weeks. Experiments conducted under nutrient limitation indicate that desiccation is a condition separate from starvation. Desiccation of an acapsular mutant and 15 different clinical isolates shows that S. pneumoniae desiccation tolerance is independent of the polysaccharide capsule and is a species-wide phenomenon, respectively. Experiments demonstrating that nondesiccated and desiccated S. pneumoniae strains colonize the nasopharynx at comparable levels, combined with their ability to survive long-term desiccation, suggest that fomites may serve as alternate sources of pneumococcal infection. IMPORTANCE Even with the advent of multivalent capsular polysaccharide conjugate vaccines, S. pneumoniae continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Every year, there are approximately 7 million cases of pneumococcus-based otitis media in the United States alone, while pneumococcal invasive diseases are responsible for more than 1 million deaths globally. It is believed that the human upper respiratory tract is the sole niche of S. pneumoniae and, thus, that spread occurs via close contact with an infected individual. In this study, we characterized the desiccation tolerance of S. pneumoniae and found that it can survive for many weeks postdehydration and retain infectivity. Our results suggest that desiccation tolerance is an inherent trait of this genetically variable species and that fomites may be a source of transmission.
Early Puberty, Negative Peer Influence, and Problem Behaviors in Adolescent Girls

OBJECTIVE: To determine how early puberty and peer deviance relate to trajectories of aggressive and delinquent behavior in early adolescence and whether these relationships differ by race/ethnicity. METHODS: In this longitudinal study, 2607 girls from 3 metropolitan areas and their parents were interviewed at ages 11, 13, and 16 years. Girls reported on their age of onset of menarche, best friend’s deviant behavior, delinquency, and physical, relational, and nonphysical aggression. Parents provided information on family sociodemographic characteristics and girls’ race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Sixteen percent of girls were classified as early maturers (defined by onset of menarche before age 11 years). Overall, relational and nonphysical aggression increased from age 11 to age 16, whereas delinquency and physical aggression remained stable. Early puberty was associated with elevated delinquency and physical aggression at age 11. The relationship with early puberty diminished over time for physical aggression but not for delinquency. Best friend’s deviant behavior was linked with higher levels of all problem behaviors, but the effect lessened over time for most outcomes. Early puberty was associated with a stronger link between best friend’s deviance and delinquency, suggesting increased vulnerability to negative peer influences among early-maturing girls. A similar vulnerability was observed for relational and nonphysical aggression among girls in the “other” racial/ethnic minority group only. CONCLUSIONS: Early puberty and friends’ deviance may increase the risk of problem behavior in young adolescent girls. Although many of these associations dissipate over time, early-maturing girls are at risk of persistently higher delinquency and stronger negative peer influences.
Note-On A Quantity Discount Pricing Model to Increase Vendor Profits

Monahan Monahan, James P. 1984. A quantity discount pricing model to increase vendor profits. Management Sci.30 June 720-726. develops a model for establishing an optimal quantity discount schedule from a vendor's viewpoint. In this note we show that this model is limited to the case where the vendor buys from another supplier. Incorporating vendor's inventory carrying costs, we develop a generalized version of Monahan's model and demonstrate its equivalence with the joint economic lot size approach suggested by Banerjee Banerjee, Avijit. 1986. A joint economic lot size model for purchaser and vendor. Decision Sci.17 Summer 292-311..
Making CP-nets (more) useful

Preferences have been studied in philosophy, economics, psychology, and computer science and have a wide range of applications, such as e-commerce, recommender systems, decision support systems, and control of automated systems. A variety of methods have been proposed for modeling preferences. The one that I consider here is that of conditional preference networks (CP-nets). First studied by Boutilier et al. (2004), CP-nets exploit the power of conditional ceteris paribus preference rules to enable (in many cases) a compact representation of human preferences.
Foreword: Interpreting - And Learning From? - Yet Another 'Meltdown'

This foreword to a symposium volume dedicated to lessons learned from the financial dramas of 2008-09, in addition to contextualizing the other published contributions, suggests that even quite clever people in recent decades have failed to look out for and preempt asset price bubbles and busts thanks to two misconceptions. The first misconception is that bubbles and busts would be incompatible with rationality on the part of financial market participants, hence cannot occur. This is a mistake because asset price bubbles and busts constitute what this author elsewhere calls 'recursive collective action problems,' a hallmark of which is precisely that they aggregate multiple individually rational actions into collectively calamitous outcomes. (Arms races, consumer price hyperinflations, liquidity traps and 'paradoxes of thrift' are other well known examples.) The second misconception is that bubbles and busts would be incompatible with informational efficiency on the part of financial markets, hence either cannot occur or at any rate cannot be known to be developing ahead of their occurring. This is a mistake for two reasons. First, because markets' informational efficiency is an attribute of their impoundment of available information, not all conceivable information; and information concerning precisely when indefinitely extensible credit will cease to be extended is just not available to private market actors. And second, because regulators with authority to collect or force disclosure of information concerning leverage accumulation economy-wide, growing spreads between finished goods prices and materials prices, or both can effectively fill the consequent gap. The piece concludes with a call for a forthrightly macroprudential, bubble-preemptive approach to financial regulation.
Six decades of dentinogenesis research. Historical and prospective views on phosphophoryn and dentin sialoprotein.

The molecular basis underlying the mineralization process associated with the conversion of predentin to dentin is poorly understood. What is clear is that a unique set of non-collagenous proteins (NCPs) participate in the nucleation process and in hydroxyapatite growth during dentin formation. Phosphophoryn (PP), the most abundant NCP in dentin, is secreted by odontoblasts and appears at the mineralization front. Dentin sialoprotein (DSP), another NCP, also appears at the mineralization front, but only accounts for 5–8% of the weight of dentin NCPs. Functionally, PP is believed to be directly involved in the nucleation process by virtue of its ability to bind to collagen type I, and its high affinity for calcium ions. Based on the analysis of the putative rat PP amino acid sequence, this latter activity is believed due to the highly phosphorylated character of PP, which results from the dual actions of casein kinases I and II at selected domains within PP. The precise role of DSP is currently unknown. In situ studies demonstrate that DSP is substantially expressed in odontoblasts and transiently expressed in preameloblasts. However, no information is currently available to directly explain DSP's role in mineralization. Genetically, we and others have now identified a novel DSP-PP bicistronic mammalian transcriptional unit, suggesting that the functional roles of these two NCPs may also be tightly coupled with respect to dentinogenesis. Certainly, further exciting studies are now needed to explain how this DSP-PP transcriptional unit is finally expressed; whether DSP and PP associate with one another, or with collagen at the mineralization front; and how selective mutations in either gene may influence dentin mineralization.
“We Are Engaged as a Band of Sisters”: Class and Domesticity in the Washingtonian Temperance Movement, 1840–1850

Throughout the winter and spring of 1842, the women of the Ladies' Chelsea Temperance Benevolent Society visited the houses, alleys, and streets of their Manhattan neighborhood searching for families and individuals who suffered from the ravages of alcohol. Led by "Directress" Bowrason, a butcher's wife, the Chelsea devotees of the Washingtonian temperance movement offered cash, clothing, and the message of abstinence from alcohol to impoverished inebriates. Among those aided were three women "restored" to sobriety by the actions of the female Washingtonians. The first woman was destitute, drunk, "nearly naked," and "sick from exposure" when members of the society found her. She was persuaded to take the pledge of total abstinence, food and medical care were provided for her, and society members helped her find employment and board. Later she became a "worthy member" of the organization. The second, a young woman who was destitute and "without friends," took the pledge and was clothed, boarded, and assisted in obtaining work with a sympathetic family. The third, a mother so poor and drunken that local authorities had taken her children from her, was able to resume care of her family after receiving help from the Washingtonian women.' News of these striking transformations may have caused admiration and amazement among those who read of the society's work in the pages of the Olive Plant andLadies' Temperance Advocate, a monthly newspaper dedicated to women's "systematic and persevering exertions" in aid of the Washingtonian temperance movement. But lest the sympathetic readers of the Olive Plant be overawed by the successes of the Chelsea women, the society's report ended with the modest claim, "We
Stabilizing the Zigzag Edge: Graphene Nanoribbons with Sterically Constrained Terminations

The zigzag edge of a graphene nanoribbon is predicted to support a spin-polarized edge state. However, this edge state only survives under a pure $s{p}^{2}$ termination, and it is difficult to produce thermodynamic conditions that favor a pure $s{p}^{2}$ termination of a graphene edge, since the edge carbons generally prefer to bond to two hydrogen atoms in $s{p}^{3}$ hybridization, rather than one hydrogen, as $s{p}^{2}$. We describe how to use the steric effects of large, bulky ligands to modify the thermodynamics of edge termination and favor the $s{p}^{2}$ edge during, e.g., chemical vapor deposition. Ab initio calculations demonstrate that these alternative terminations can support robust edge states across a broad range of thermodynamic conditions. This method of exploiting steric crowding effects along the one-dimensional edge of a two-dimensional system may be a general way to control edge reconstructions across a range of emerging single-layer systems.
RESEARCH ON HOTROLLING SCHEDULING FOR TUBE PRODUCTION

The planning and scheduling of steel tube production can be divided into rolling lot clustering and rolling lot sequencingThe rolling lot sequencing is the key because it directly effects on rolling productivityThe TSP sequencing model of the rolling lot has been established and the algorithm to solve this model is proposed based on analyzing for characteristics of rolling lot sequencingIt proves a scientific method for planning and scheduling of the steel tube productionAn example is given to show the use of this model and algorithm
Blood pressure response to mental stress

In a series of studies to explore the relationship of mental stress with blood pressure regulation, we have found that offspring of hypertensive parents exhibit a greater cardiovascular response to the stress of mental arithmetic compared to offspring of normotensive parents. The response is also greater in both adolescents and adults with borderline hypertension. However, there are racial differences in the stress-response pattern. In studying the interaction of sodium sensitivity with stress-reactivity, our data indicates that the cardiovascular response to central stress is not altered by sodium balance. The response to mental stress may be a useful marker for essential hypertension (EH), but does not appear to represent an isolated mechanism in the pathogenesis of EH.