cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Species differences in ligand affinity at central A3-adenosine receptors

Binding affinities of purine derivatives at A3 adenosine receptors in different species were compared. Binding was carried out using the novel high affinity agonist ligand [125I]AB-MECA (3-iodo-4-aminobenzyladenosine-5′-N-methyluronamide) in the presence of 1.0 μM XAC (8-[4-[[[[(2-aminoethyl)amino]carbonyl]methyl]oxy]phenyl]-1,3-dipropylxanthin), an A1- and A2a-adenosine antagonist. XAC was added to eliminate binding to non-A3 receptors. In rat brain membranes [125I]AB-MECA exhibited saturable, specific binding with a Kd of 2.28 nM and a Bmax of 43 fmol/mg protein. The affinity of [125I]AB-MECA at the gerbil and rabbit brain A3-receptors was similar to the rat, suggesting that the affinity of this agonist is not highly species dependent. The affinity of various xanthine derivatives was measured in [125I]AB-MECA competition binding assays. Gerbil and rabbit brain A3-receptors were similar in the affinity of antagonists whose potency order in both species was: BWA522 ≥ CPX > XCC, XAC, SPX, BWA1433 > theophylline. The affinities of 8-arylxanthines at the rat, rabbit, and gerbil brain A3 receptors were considerably less than the previously reported affinities at cloned sheep and human A3 receptors. Species differences in agonist affinity were assessed by comparing Ki values at cloned rat brain A3 receptors expressed in CHO cells with cloned sheep and human A3 receptors. Human and rat brain A3 receptors were highly similar in the relative affinities of agonists, and sheep brain A3 receptors were unlike either human or rat A3 receptors in agonist affinity. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
THE ETIOLOGIC AGENTS OF VARICELLA AND HERPES ZOSTER : SEROLOGIC STUDIES WITH THE VIRUSES AS PROPAGATED IN VITRO

The preparation of antigenic materials capable of specific fixation of complement in the presence of convalescent phase sera from patients with varicella and herpes zoster is described. Satisfactory antigens were obtained by the repetitive harvest and subsequent concentration of the pooled nutrient fluids from bottle cultures of human embryonic skin-muscle tissue or of monkey kidney tissue infected with varicella or herpes zoster viruses. Specific fixation of complement was also demonstrated with antigens prepared from extracts of the infected cell sheets harvested from bottle cultures. In individuals with varicella, complement-fixing antibody usually appeared in the serum 4 or 5 days after the development of the exanthem and further significant increases in titer were characteristically observed during the 2nd week of illness. The complement-fixing antibody response in herpes zoster tended to follow the same pattern as in varicella, with the exception that in sera from some individuals relatively high titers were present in the acute phase specimen. Complement-fixing antigens prepared from varicella strains or from a zoster strain reacted to essentially the same degree with convalescent sera from the homologous and the heterologous clinical entities. The varicella-zoster antigens did not fix complement in the presence of paired sera obtained from a limited number of individuals with primary infections due to herpes simplex virus or from individuals with generalized vaccinia infection. Specific inhibition in vitro of the focal cytopathic process produced by the varicella-zoster viruses was demonstrated. This was accomplished by the incorporation of the sera under test as constituents of nutrient media of the cultures, either prior to or at the time of their inoculation with virus. The neutralization of focal cytopathogenicity thus obtained was relative in degree and never absolute; it was therefore assayed by repetitive counts of the number of focal lesions per culture in the various test groups. Inhibition of varicella-zoster viral cytopathogenicity occurred in the presence of convalescent serum from either clinical entity. The results of the immunologic studies with the viruses of herpes zoster and varicella as propagated in vitro are considered as providing further evidence in support of the concept of the close relationship and probable identity of the two agents.
Multiple pathological fractures and delayed union associated with lead exposure in a German Shepherd Dog.

Case report An 8-year-old 40.8-kg intact male German Shepherd Dog was evaluated for bilateral antebrachial fractures. Radiographs revealed osteopenia and comminuted proximal diaphyseal fractures of the left radius and ulna, and proximal articular fracture of the right ulna. A dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan confirmed decreased bone mineral density. Bone mineral analysis collected at the time of definitive surgical repair demonstrated high lead concentration. Analysis further demonstrated normal bone calcium and phosphorus concentrations. Serum lead concentration was normal. The left radial and ulnar fractures were surgically stabilised with an external fixator. The right ulnar fracture was splinted. The left antebrachial fractures were palpably unstable at 12 weeks after surgery. Moderate callus formation and incomplete bone union were present at 17 weeks postoperatively. The dog was re-presented 15 months later for right metacarpal and left metatarsal fractures, which were managed conservatively. Complete bone union of the right radial and ulnar fractures was not present at that time. Conclusion Excessive lead accumulation in bone should be considered as a differential diagnosis for increased susceptibility to pathologic fracture and delayed fracture healing in dogs.
Cavitation in linear bubbles

Recent work has developed a beautiful model system for studying the energy focusing and heating power of collapsing bubbles. The bubble is effectively one-dimensional and the collapse and heating can be quantitatively measured. Thermal effects are shown to play an essential role in the time-dependent dynamics.
More Than a Lack of Control External Explanations Can Evoke Compassion for Outgroups by Increasing Perceptions of Suffering (Independent of Perceived Control)

People’s explanations for social events powerfully affect their socioemotional responses. We examine why explanations affect emotions, with a specific focus on how external explanations for negative aspects of an outgroup can create compassion for the outgroup. The dominant model of these processes suggests that external explanations can reduce perceived control and that compassion is evoked when negative aspects of an outgroup are perceived as beyond their control. We agree that perceived control is important, but we propose a model in which explanations also affect perceived suffering of an outgroup, and that perceived suffering is an additional mechanism connecting external explanations to compassion. Studies are presented that support our integrative dual-mediation model and that pinpoint factors—depth of cognitive processing, expansive sense of identity—that modulate the extent to which the external explanation/perceived suffering mechanism evokes compassion.
Feature conjunctions and auditory sensory memory

This study sought to obtain additional evidence that transient auditory memory stores information about conjunctions of features on an automatic basis. The mismatch negativity of event-related potentials was employed because its operations are based on information that is stored in transient auditory memory. The mismatch negativity was found to be elicited by a tone that differed from standard tones in a combination of its perceived location and frequency. The result lends further support to the hypothesis that the system upon which the mismatch negativity relies processes stimuli in an holistic manner.
Has Successful Terror Gone to Ground

This article considers all 87 attacks worldwide against air and rail transport systems that killed at least two passengers over the 30-year period of 1982-2011. The data offer strong and statistically significant evidence that successful acts of terror have "gone to ground" in recent years: attacks against aviation were concentrated early in the three decades studied whereas those against rail were concentrated later. Recent data are used to make estimates of absolute and comparative risk for frequent flyers and subway/rail commuters. Point estimates in the "status quo" case imply that mortality risk from successful acts of terror was very low on both modes of transportation and that, whereas risk per trip is higher for air travelers than subway/rail commuters, the rail commuters experience greater risk per year than the frequent flyers. Language: en
A Randomized, Controlled Trial to Determine Whether Continued Ribavirin Monotherapy in Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Patients Who Responded to Interferon-Ribavirin Combination Therapy Will Enhance Sustained Virologic Response

This study assessed the use of ribavirin monotherapy to enhance sustained virologic response in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients who achieved virologic response to interferon (IFN)-ribavirin combination therapy. Patients who had chronic HCV infection and prior relapse were retreated with IFN-ribavirin for 6 months. Patients with an end-of-treatment virologic response were assigned randomly to either stop use of both IFN and ribavirin or to continue use of ribavirin as monotherapy for an additional 6 months. HCV RNA became undetectable during treatment in 46 patients, who then entered the randomized trial. Sustained virologic response was observed in 13 of 26 patients who continued ribavirin monotherapy and in 15 of 20 patients who stopped use of both IFN and ribavirin (P, not significant). Sustained virologic response was significantly more common in patients with HCV genotype non-1 (75% vs. 56%) and in patients with a virus titer < 2 x 10 6 copies/mL (93% vs. 43%). The results indicate that continuing ribavirin monotherapy after achieving a virologic response does not improve sustained virologic response.
A phase-space formulation for elastic-wave traveltime tomography

We adopt a recent work in Chung, Qian, Uhlmann and Zhao (Inverse Problems, 23(2007) 309-329) to develop a phase space method for reconstructing pressure wave speed and shear wave speed of an elastic medium from travel time measurements. The method is based on the so-called Stefanov-Uhlmann identity which links two Riemannian metrics with their travel time information. We design a numerical algorithm to solve the resulting inverse problem. The algorithm is a hybrid approach that combines both Lagrangian and Eulerian formulations. In particular the Lagrangian formulation in phase space can take into account multiple arrival times naturally, while the Eulerian formulation for wave speeds allows us to compute the solution in physical space. Numerical examples are shown to validate the method.
A coordinate descent algorithm for sparse positive definite matrix estimation

This paper proposes a coordinate descent CD algorithm that can be used for estimating sparse positive definite matrices. Positive definite matrix estimation is frequently encountered in multivariate statistics, such as estimation of the precision and covariance matrices. The proposed CD algorithm proceeds in a forward stagewise fashion, and iteratively updates the current estimated matrix at either one diagonal entry or two symmetric off-diagonal entries. To assure the positive definiteness of the estimated matrices, the updating step size needs to be appropriately determined based on a simple sufficient and necessary condition. Furthermore, as each iteration updates only one or two coordinates, the sparsity in the estimated matrix can be achieved by early stopping the iteration. Extensive numerical experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the CD algorithm for estimation of the precision and covariance matrices. The CD algorithm is further extended to graph clustering and delivers superior performance as well. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining, 2013
Reduced endothelial NO-cGMP vascular relaxation pathway during TNF-α-induced hypertension in pregnant rats

Placental ischemia during pregnancy is thought to release cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which may contribute to the increased vascular resistance associated with pregnancy-indu...
Using Natural Language Processing to Improve Efficiency of Manual Chart Abstraction in Research: The Case of Breast Cancer Recurrence

The increasing availability of electronic health records (EHRs) creates opportunities for automated extraction of information from clinical text. We hypothesized that natural language processing (NLP) could substantially reduce the burden of manual abstraction in studies examining outcomes, like cancer recurrence, that are documented in unstructured clinical text, such as progress notes, radiology reports, and pathology reports. We developed an NLP-based system using open-source software to process electronic clinical notes from 1995 to 2012 for women with early-stage incident breast cancers to identify whether and when recurrences were diagnosed. We developed and evaluated the system using clinical notes from 1,472 patients receiving EHR-documented care in an integrated health care system in the Pacific Northwest. A separate study provided the patient-level reference standard for recurrence status and date. The NLP-based system correctly identified 92% of recurrences and estimated diagnosis dates within 30 days for 88% of these. Specificity was 96%. The NLP-based system overlooked 5 of 65 recurrences, 4 because electronic documents were unavailable. The NLP-based system identified 5 other recurrences incorrectly classified as nonrecurrent in the reference standard. If used in similar cohorts, NLP could reduce by 90% the number of EHR charts abstracted to identify confirmed breast cancer recurrence cases at a rate comparable to traditional abstraction.
Adolescents' responses to the gender valence of cigarette advertising imagery: The role of affect and the self-concept

The studies presented in this manuscript evaluated the role that affect and the self-concept play in adolescent never smokers' reactions to the gender valence of cigarette advertising imagery. Study 1 (n=29; 59% female) revealed that adolescent females have more positive affective reactions to female-valenced cigarette advertising imagery compared to male-valenced cigarette advertising imagery. Study 2 (n=101; 56% female) revealed that adolescent females viewed female-valenced cigarette advertising imagery as more relevant to their self-concepts compared to male-valenced cigarette advertising imagery. Across both studies, male adolescents did not respond differently as a function of the gender valence of cigarette advertising imagery. Thus, female-valenced cigarette advertising imagery may have specific effects on never smoking female adolescents by enhancing positive affect and suggesting that women who smoke hold the same characteristics as do the young women themselves.
Genome-Wide Pleiotropy of Osteoporosis-Related Phenotypes: The Framingham Study

Genome-wide association studies offer an unbiased approach to identify new candidate genes for osteoporosis. We examined the Affymetrix 500K + 50K SNP GeneChip marker sets for associations with multiple osteoporosis-related traits at various skeletal sites, including bone mineral density (BMD, hip and spine), heel ultrasound, and hip geometric indices in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. We evaluated 433,510 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 2073 women (mean age 65 years), members of two-generational families. Variance components analysis was performed to estimate phenotypic, genetic, and environmental correlations (ρP, ρG, and ρE) among bone traits. Linear mixed-effects models were used to test associations between SNPs and multivariable-adjusted trait values. We evaluated the proportion of SNPs associated with pairs of the traits at a nominal significance threshold α = 0.01. We found substantial correlation between the proportion of associated SNPs and the ρP and ρG (r = 0.91 and 0.84, respectively) but much lower with ρE (r = 0.38). Thus, for example, hip and spine BMD had 6.8% associated SNPs in common, corresponding to ρP = 0.55 and ρG = 0.66 between them. Fewer SNPs were associated with both BMD and any of the hip geometric traits (eg, femoral neck and shaft width, section moduli, neck shaft angle, and neck length); ρG between BMD and geometric traits ranged from −0.24 to +0.40. In conclusion, we examined relationships between osteoporosis-related traits based on genome-wide associations. Most of the similarity between the quantitative bone phenotypes may be attributed to pleiotropic effects of genes. This knowledge may prove helpful in defining the best phenotypes to be used in genetic studies of osteoporosis. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Optimal scenario tree reductions for the stochastic unit commitment problem

Scenario tree reductions of multi-period stochastic processes have been used as an important technique in obtaining good approximate solutions of multi-period convex stochastic programs. The scenario reduction step is aimed often at optimal approximation of the underlying stochastic process. We provide a new fast computationally cheap scenario tree reduction procedure and describe its approximation capabilities. Our context is the stochastic Unit Commitment Problem, the stochastic version of a problem that is at the heart of many modern energy markets. Its solution determines wholesale contracts between energy producers and energy consumers a day before actual transactions. We show that the new technique performs better than earlier prescriptions in obtaining approximations to the original program. However, these techniques of approximating only the underlying distributions without attention to the cost functions may produce weaker approximations of the optimal solution value; we provide a couple of illustrations to this point.
Protein secretion systems in Mycobacteria

Mycobacteria have a unique cell-envelope structure which protects the bacteria from the extracellular environment by limiting access to noxious molecules from the outside. This extremely hydrophobic and thick barrier also poses a unique problem for the export of bacterial products. Here we review the multiple protein secretion pathways in Mycobacteria, including the general secretion pathway and the Twin-Arginine Transporter, with an emphasis on the ESX-1 alternate secretion system. This newly identified protein secretion system is required for growth during infection and has provided insight into how M. tuberculosis manipulates the host immune response during infection.
Decentralized H/sub 2/ optimal control with pole regional constraints

In this paper, we present a method for synthesis of decentralized H/sub 2/ optimal controllers with regional pole constraints. These constraints are described directly in terms of the spectrum of the closed loop matrix rather than by Lyapunov equations or LMI forms, enabling the consideration of a more general and practical pole regions as well as partial pole constraints. The method of multipliers is used to relax the constraints, and the system H/sub 2/ norm, rather than some upper bound or auxiliary cost, can be minimized. This approach can also be used to optimize the static output feedback matrix with arbitrary controller-structure constraints. The design of passive tuned-mass dampers is given as an example to illustrate the algorithm and its application.
Clinical usefulness of the oral ascorbic acid tolerance test in scurvy.

T IlE ascorbic acid content of blood serum (or plasma) reflects within limits the dietary intake of this nutrient. When, however, the concentration approaches zero the simple demonstration of an absence of vitamin C from the serum does not permit one to predict the tissue stores of the vitamin. The concentration of ascorbic acid in the plasma approaches zero some weeks prior to the appearance of clinically detectable lesions of scurvy.’ The ascorbic acid content of the white cellplatelet layer is a somewhat more sensitive index of tissue stores, but this tedious and difficult determination is not readily adapted to routine use. There is need for a simple, reliable and informative measure of ascorbic acid nutriture whenever the concentration of the vitamin in the serum has dropped to the vanishing point. Several years ago the reports of Wolfer et al.,2 Butler and Cushman3 and Kajdi4 attracted the attention of one of us toward the possibility of using a “saturation” or “tolerance” type of test to estimate tissue levels of the vitamin. Usefulness was noted of one such procedure which measures serum ascorbic acid in establishing the diagnosis of scurvy in adults’ but the evidence for this usefulness in spontaneously developing scurvy has not previously been published. The purpose of this report is to present
Dissipation in Metal Welded Bellows and Its Consequences for Sub-Kelvin Refrigerators

The energy dissipation of welded bellows due to flexure is measured for several types of Senior Flexonics welded bellows at 1.4 K. The energy dissipated by the bellows is found to vary from 0 to 350 μJ/cycle for strokes between 0 and 1 cm. The results are non-dimensionalized using the manufacturer’s specifications in an attempt to generate a characteristic equation to estimate the energy dissipation rate for the entire family of Senior Flexonics bellows. The dissipation rates are compared to the overall losses in a superfluid Stirling refrigerator that have used this type of bellows. The losses due to bellows flexure account for less than 5% of the overall Stirling refrigerator losses. An ultra-low temperature isothermal expander made using these bellows is modeled using a 3% 3He-4He mixture. The results suggest that the expander built with these bellows can provide cooling below 100 mK.
How Learning in an Inverted Classroom Influences Cooperation, Innovation and Task Orientation.

Recent technological developments have given rise to blended learning classrooms. An inverted (or flipped) classroom is a specific type of blended learning design that uses technology to move lectures outside the classroom and uses learning activities to move practice with concepts inside the classroom. This article compares the learning environments of an inverted introductory statistics class with a traditional introductory statistics class at the same university. This mixed-methods research study used the College and University Classroom Environment Inventory (CUCEI), field notes, interviews and focus groups to investigate the learning environments of these two classrooms. Students in the inverted classroom were less satisfied with how the classroom structure oriented them to the learning tasks in the course, but they became more open to cooperative learning and innovative teaching methods. These findings are discussed in terms of how they contribute to the stability and connectedness of classroom learning communities.
Orthostatic Hypotension and Cardiovascular Risk

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) results from a failure of neural and circulatory mechanisms to compensate for the reduction in venous return that normally occurs on assuming the upright posture. OH is defined as a fall in systolic blood pressure of ≥20 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of ≥10 mm Hg measured within 3 minutes of standing.1 OH can result from side effects of medications, intravascular volume loss, systemic diseases that involve autonomic nerves (eg, diabetes mellitus or amyloidosis), and, in rare cases, it can be the initial sign of a primary autonomic failure syndrome (multiple system atrophy, pure autonomic failure, and Parkinson’s disease). Severe OH can be a dramatic medical condition, with affected patients unable to stand but for few seconds before disabling symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion and syncope ensue. Asymptomatic OH is a far more common condition, but one that is often unrecognized. It is a frequent finding in the elderly, with prevalence reported between 6% and 35% or more, depending on the age group and associated comorbidities.2,3 During the past 2 decades, evidence from cross-sectional and longitudinal epidemiological studies has identified OH as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and all-cause mortality.4 In prospective studies, the presence of OH at baseline increased the risk of subsequent adverse outcomes, including stroke,5 coronary heart disease,6 and all-cause mortality.2,4,7,8 In this …
CELLULAR AND BEHAVIORAL STUDIES OF LEARNING AND MEMORY IN SIMPLER SYSTEMS

Publisher Summary The studies into the cellular bases of learning and memory utilize a “model systems” approach. This strategy is that of the general biologist who seeks an understanding of the general characteristics of living systems. It has been shown that if posterior nerve connectives from the first thoracic ganglion are cut prior to training one of the first legs, no transfer of any information relevant to the training passes to the posterior ganglia. This implies that the transfer of training information is neural. The transfer occurs if either connective is cut as well as if both connectives are intact. Therefore, there appears to be redundancy in the information carried by the two connectives with respect to leg-lift learning in the first ganglion. This chapter describes the systems that represent different ways of discovering the cellular mechanisms responsible for learning and memory. It is believed that such mechanisms would prove to be widely distributed throughout the animal kingdom.
Design of Solid Rocket Engine

This paper presents both experiment and simulation of alumina molten flow in a solid rocket motor (SRM), when the propellant combusts, the aluminum is oxidized into alumina (Al2O3) which, under the right flow conditions, tends to agglomerate into molten droplets, impinge on the chamber walls, and then flow along the nozzle wall. Such agglomerates can cause erosive damage. The goal of the present study is to characterize the agglomerate flow within the nozzle section by studying the breakup process of a liquid film that flows along the wall of a straight channel while a high-speed gas moves over it. We have used an unsteady-flow Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes code (URANS) to investigate the interaction of the liquid film flow with the gas flow, and analyzed the breakup process for different flow conditions. The rate of the wave breakup was characterized by introducing a breakup-length-scale for various flow conditions based on the Volume Fraction (VF) of the liquid, which is an indicator of a two-phase flow liquid breakup level. A smaller breakup-length-scale means that smaller drops have been created during the breakup process. The study covers the breakup and fluid behaviors based on different gas-liquid momentum flux ratios, different surface tension and viscosity settings, different Ohnesorge numbers (Oh), and different Weber numbers. Both water and molten aluminum flows were considered in the simulation studies. The analysis demonstrates an effective method of correlating the liquid breakup with the main flow conditions in the nozzle channel path.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Preparation of Chromosomes for Light Microscopy Utilizing an Agar Fixation Procedure

SummaryA rapid reliable agar fixation method for delineation of chromosomes has been applied to suspensions of cultured and uncultured mammalian cells. Various stages of mitosis have been observed in these cells by controlling the osmotic strength of the agar. The technic is also of value for preparing cell suspensions for routine staining procedures.
Seismic Collapse Safety and Behavior of Modern Reinforced Concrete Moment Frame Buildings

A primary goal of seismic design requirements of building codes is to protect the life safety of building inhabitants during extreme earthquakes. Fundamentally, this requires that the likelihood of structural collapse be at an acceptably low level. However, building codes and standards are largely empirical in nature, such that the implied collapse safety is not known. The primary objective of this study is to quantitatively predict the collapse safety of twelve modern reinforced concrete (RC) special moment frame (SMF) buildings designed according to the governing provisions of the 2003 IBC [ICC 2003], ASCE7-02 [ASCE 2002], and the ACI 318-02 [ACI 2002]. In particular, this study examines the effects of building height on collapse performance and the related effects of building height on static overstrength, building deformation capacity (as measured by roof and interstory drifts at collapse), and the collapse mechanism. The secondary objective is to examine how changes to the required minimum base shear introduced in the 2005 edition of ASCE7 [ASCE 2005] affect collapse safety. These predictions of collapse safety are made using tools and methods that have been developed by the authors and other researchers in the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center, including careful consideration of the important uncertainties associated with ground motion variability and uncertainty in nonlinear structural response. The twelve buildings examined in this paper are part of a more extensive study, which provides further details on the assessment methods and finding for a broader set of buildings [Haselton, 2006].
Abstract 286: Structural Determinants Of Thermodynamic Stability And Actin-binding Function Of Dystrophin And Utrophin

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is an incurable disease, and affects all types of muscles. The decreased function of heart muscles causes heart problems such as cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. A deficiency in functional dystrophin protein in muscle cells triggers the onset of Duchenne MD and Becker MD. Utrophin is the closest homologue of dystrophin and is being tested as a protein drug to replace the loss of functional dystrophin in human patients. However, utrophin is less stable and binds to actin through a different mode of contact when compared with dystrophin. To optimize utrophin as the protein drug, we first need to understand how its molecular structure controls its stability and function. Utrophin and dystrophin bind to actin using tandem calponin-homology (CH) domains at their N-terminus. Individual CH domains of utrophin and dystrophin are very similar in amino acid sequence and their three dimensional structures. The major difference is in their relative orientation around the linker region that connects the two CH domains. To determine the role of the linker, we designed constructs with linkers switched between utrophin and dystrophin. Our results indicate that the tandem CH domain of utrophin with dystrophin linker (UDL) is more stable than that of utrophin but less stable than that of dystrophin. Similarly, tandem CH domain of dystrophin with utrophin linker (DUL) is less stable than that of dystrophin but more stable than that of utrophin. Kinetic folding and unfolding studies suggest that the linker predominantly affects the folding rate rather than the unfolding rate. In addition to stability and folding, the linker also controls protein aggregation. UDL is more prone to aggregation when compared with that of utrophin, whereas DUL is less prone to aggregation when compared with that of dystrophin. These results indicate that the linker plays a major role in controlling the stability and function of tandem CH domains, and further suggests that it is possible to engineer utrophin to behave precisely like dystrophin based on their molecular structures.
Social values and biodiversity conservation in a dynamic world

Understanding what shape values (which ultimately shape human behavior) will help improve the effectiveness of conservation solutions that depend on public support. To contribute to this understanding, we investigated the influence of societal-level changes, such as modernization, on values in a multilevel framework. We collected survey responses (n = 4183) to questionnaires mailed to a random selection of households within each county in Washington (U.S.A.) (response rate 32%). We used multilevel modeling to determine the relationship between modernization (e.g., county-level urbanization, wealth, and education) and wildlife value orientations (values that shape thought about wildlife) while controlling for individual-level sociodemographics. We then explored how values influence conservation support at different levels (e.g., individual and county) and how values explain conservation support in a case study of public responses to wolf (Canis lupis) recovery. We found positive associations between county-level examples of modernization and mutualism (a wildlife value orientation that prioritizes the perceived needs of wildlife) independent of a respondent's sociodemographics, and negative associations between modernization and domination (a wildlife value orientation that prioritizes human needs). Our results suggest that context has an additive impact on one's values; certain locations exhibited domination values, whereas others exhibited a mix of value types. This finding is important because actions that restrict human interests to promote biodiversity were negatively associated with domination and positively associated with mutualism. In the wolf case study, mutualism was strongly correlated with less social conflict over wolf recovery in many, but not all, counties (e.g., Pearson's r correlation = 0.59 in one county and a nonsignificant correlation in another). Our findings suggest that modernization operates on values within a state with implications for biodiversity, but other factors in addition to values must be investigated to fully understand what leads to proconservation behavior.
EEG and Seizure Manifestations of Cerebral Folate Deficiency

Researchers from Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC report the EEG and seizure manifestations in 2 patients with folate receptor autoimmune antibody-mediated primary cerebral folate deficiency.
O papel do exercício físico na prevenção das quedas nos idosos: uma revisão baseada na evidência

Objectives: Falls are defined as events in which a person comes to rest inadvertently on the ground or floor or other lower level. They do not happen by chance, but can be predicted through the assessment of risk factors. The elderly population is more vulnerable. It is estimated that 30% of people aged 65 or more fall at least once a year. This represents a potentially preventable cause of disability and high health care costs. The aim of this study is to determine the benefits of physical exercise (PE) in the prevention of falls in the elderly. Data sources: MEDLINE and evidence-based medicine databases. Review methods: Research of clinical guidelines, meta-analyses (MA), systematic reviews (SR) and randomized controlled clinical trials, published between January 2010 and September 2014, using the MeSH terms: ACCIDENTAL FALLS, ACCIDENT PREVENTION, AGED and EXERCISE. Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT) was utilized for the assignment of levels of evidence and strength of recommendations. Results: We found 203 articles. Five met the inclusion criteria, including three MA and two SR. There is evidence that exercise programs to prevent falls in older people not only reduce the incidence of falls but also prevent injuries arising from falls. Many of the risk factors for falls are correctable by well-designed exercise programs. These are equally effective if practiced at home. The most effective type of PE in the prevention of falls in the elderly is balance training. PE programs are more effective if prolonged in time and of greater intensity (a greater number of hours and at least twice a week). Conclusions: PE programs should be recommended because they are effective in decreasing the number and risk of falls in the elderly (Strength of Recommendation A).
High Resolution NMR Investigation of Nucleic Acid Structures

During the past 10–15 years high resolution NMR has been widely used to investigate the structure of proteins in solution. Surprisingly, the use of this powerful technique in the investigation of polynucleotide structures is of much more recent origin [1–3]. Part of the delay is due to the fact that early attempts to use NMR in the study of high molecular weight (say 30,000) DNA and RNA samples were quite disappointing. The other problem arises from the fact that so many resonances are located in the same spectral regions that very high resolution spectrometers are required. The development of the 220 MHz and especially the 300 MHz spectrometers has helped to overcome some of these problems. The other breakthrough was the discovery by Kearns and Shulman of a set of especially downfield shifted resonances arising from the presence of Watson-Crick base pairs in double helices of RNA [4, 5]. These studies laid the ground work for using NMR to obtain structural information about RNA and DNA molecules in solution that cannot presently be obtained by any other technique. Before discussing the way in which NMR is used in these structural studies, I first want to briefly comment on some of the important roles which the various polynucleotides play in biochemical processes.
Automatic Syllabus Classification Using Support Vector Machines

Syllabi are important educational resources. Gathering syllabi that are freely available and creating useful services on top of the collection presents great value for the educational community. However, searching for a syllabus on the Web using a generic search engine is an error-prone process and often yields too many irrelevant links. In this chapter, we describe our empirical study on automatic syllabus classification using Support Vector Machines (SVM) to filter noise out from search results. We describe various steps in the classification process from training data preparation, feature selection, and classifier building using SVMs. Empirical results are provided and discussed. We hope our reported work will also benefit people who are interested in building other genre-specific repositories.
Brands, Friends, & Viral Advertising: A Social Exchange Perspective on the Ad Referral Processes

Abstract Advertisers worldwide are designing advertising with an eye toward viral activity particularly within social networking sites such as Facebook. Yet, little is known about the social processes at play when ads are shared. Taking a consumer-centric approach, this study investigates the social processes central to ads going viral within the Social Web. Conducting a national online experiment, the intertwining roles of brand relationships, interpersonal relationships, and sharing motivations in the social exchange of advertising are explored by testing two proposed referral decision-making processes: referral and referral acceptance. Results suggest that brand relationships and interpersonal relationships impact referral of ads within SNSs, and brand relationships interact with sharing motivations to impact decisions; specifically, brand relationships are conduits for ensuring reciprocal altruism in exchange, but their influence is tempered within stronger interpersonal relationships. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Advancing Research on Evaluation Through the Study of Context

The importance of context in shaping evaluation practice is broadly accepted. Still, there is much to be learned about context, and we remain at the early stages of this process. In this chapter, we describe a framework for organizing and focusing ideas for conducting research on evaluation context. We hope that this tool will be a source of inspiration for future studies of context, thus contributing to a deeper and higher quality evaluation knowledge base.
Characterization of Hippo Pathway Components by Gene Inactivation

The Hippo pathway is important for regulating tissue homeostasis, and its dysregulation has been implicated in human cancer. However, it is not well understood how the Hippo pathway becomes dysregulated because few mutations in core Hippo pathway components have been identified. Therefore, much work in the Hippo field has focused on identifying upstream regulators, and a complex Hippo interactome has been identified. Nevertheless, it is not always clear which components are the most physiologically relevant in regulating YAP/TAZ. To provide an overview of important Hippo pathway components, we created knockout cell lines for many of these components and compared their relative contributions to YAP/TAZ regulation in response to a wide range of physiological signals. By this approach, we provide an overview of the functional importance of many Hippo pathway components and demonstrate NF2 and RHOA as important regulators of YAP/TAZ and TAOK1/3 as direct kinases for LATS1/2.
Stereocontrolled Formation of a [4.4]Heterospiro Ring System with Unexpected Inversion of Configuration at the Spirocenter.

Stereoselective construction of the 1,3-diazaspiro[4.4]nonane core skeleton of massadine and related dimeric pyrrole–imidazole alkaloids is a synthetic challenge. We describe herein the synthesis of all C13/14 diastereomers of this spiro molecule through controlled oxidation and epimerization of the C13 spirocenter under mild acidic conditions.
Pregnancy complicated by foetal abdominal mass: Fetiform teratoma versus foetus-in-fetu.

Foetus-in-fetu is a rare condition in which one ‘twin’ is found inside the other, with a prevalence of only one in 500,000 pregnancies. The embryo-pathogenesis is a manifestation of anomalous monoz...
Abstract 528: Response of Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity to Heat Stress is Attenuated in Chronic Heart Failure

Cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) rises during heat stress in normal humans. Recently, we showed that this response is attenuated in chronic heart failure (CHF), even though the skin sympathetic nerve activity response to heat stress was not attenuated. Of note, heat stress evokes significant increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in healthy individuals. This effect may allow flow to be distributed to other tissues. The MSNA response to heat stress in CHF has not been reported. We postulated that in CHF the MSNA response to heat stress is attenuated. Passive whole body heating was applied with water-perfused suits on 9 male (60 ± 3 yrs) patients with stable class II-III CHF and 9 age-matched male healthy subjects. Whole body heating induced similar increases in skin temperature (~4 °C), internal temperature (~0.6 °C), similar reduction in blood pressure, and similar increase in heart rate. The elevation in forearm CVC in CHF patients was significantly lower than that in healthy control subjects (102 ± 29 vs. 312 ± 54 units, P P P P > 0.15, N = 6; two-factor ANOVA with repeated measure on one factor). Moreover, the MSNA change by heating in CHF was significantly lower than that in the controls (6.2 ± 2.6 to 14.1 ± 1.5 bursts/min; 43 ± 45 to 316 ± 34 units/min; both P
Robust observer-based control of nonlinear dynamical systems with state constraints

Abstract In this paper, we design a variable structure observer-based control system that guarantees asymptotic convergence of the plant’s trajectory to the equilibrium point despite matched and unmatched uncertainties in the plant dynamics. Our control laws are functions of the estimated plant state and the proposed framework allows employing any estimator or observer, such as the Walcott and Żak observer, as long as the estimated state converges asymptotically to the plant state. Barrier Lyapunov functions guarantee that the closed-loop system’s trajectory verifies the state constraints. This study is the first of its kind, since recently variable structure control architectures have been adapted to account for constraints on the state space or allow output-feedback, but observer-based variable structure control in the presence of state constraints has not been attempted before. A numerical simulation involving the roll dynamics of an unstable aircraft, whose aerodynamic coefficients are unknown, illustrates our theoretical framework.
Trait stacking in modern agriculture: application of genome editing tools.

Advances in plant transgenic technology in the 20th century overcame the major hurdle for transfer of genetic material between species. This not only enabled fundamental insights into plant biology, but also revolutionized commercial agriculture. Adoption of transgenic plants in industrial agriculture has reduced pesticide application, while bringing significant increase in crop yields and farmers9 profits. The progress made in transgenic technology over the last three decades paved the way mainly for simple single-gene insect and herbicide tolerance (HT) trait products. Modern agriculture demands stacking and pyramiding of complex traits that provide broad-spectrum insect and HT with other agronomic traits. In addition, more recent developments in genome editing provide unique opportunities to create precise on-demand genome modifications to enhance crop productivity. The major challenge for the plant biotech industry therefore remains to combine multiple forms of traits needed to create commercially viable stacked product. This review provides a historical perspective of conventional breeding stacks, current status of molecular stacks and future developments needed to enable genome-editing technology for trait stacking.
A role for total pancreatectomy and islet autotransplant in the treatment of chronic pancreatitis

A Role for Total Pancreatectomy and Islet Autotransplant in the Treatment of Chronic Pancreatitis
"We Are the Product": Public Reactions to Online Data Sharing and Privacy Controversies in the Media

As online platforms increasingly collect large amounts of data about their users, there has been growing public concern about privacy around issues such as data sharing. Controversies around practices perceived as surprising or even unethical often highlight patterns of privacy attitudes when they spark conversation in the media. This paper examines public reaction "in the wild" to two data sharing controversies that were the focus of media attention-regarding the social media and communication services Facebook and WhatsApp, as well as the email service unroll.me. These controversies instigated discussion of data privacy and ethics, accessibility of website policies, notions of responsibility for privacy, cost-benefit analyses, and strategies for privacy management such as non-use. An analysis of reactions and interactions captured by comments on news articles not only reveals information about pervasive privacy attitudes, but also suggests communication and design strategies that could benefit both platforms and users.