cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of a transposable antibiotic resistance element in Saccharomyces

Some eukaryotic genes can be expressed in bacteria but there are few examples of the expression of prokaryotic genes in eukaryotes1. Antibiotic G418 is a 2-deoxystreptamine antibiotic that is structurally related to gentamicin2 but has inhibitory activity against a much wider variety of pro- and eukaryotic organisms. In bacteria, resistance to G418 can be determined by several plasmid-encoded modifying enzymes3 and, in view of the broad spectrum of activity of G418, we considered that this antibiotic might be useful as a selective agent for the introduction of these antibiotic resistance genes into a eukaryotic organism such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Additional impetus for these experiments came from the knowledge that certain of the G418-resistance determinants in bacteria are carried on transposable elements4; a study of the properties of these elements in eukaryotes would be intriguing.
FTIR spectrum of benzene in a supersonic expansion

Abstract The 700 and 3050 cm−1 region of benzene seeded in argon is studied using Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectroscopy. Analysis of the sequence band structure in the 700 cm−1 region gave new anharmonic constants and values of Trot (79 ± 15 K) and Tvib (/2~160 K) which indicate a disequilibrium between the rotational and vibrational degrees of freedom. A band contour analysis of the 3050 cm−1 Fermi triad is used to obtain new values of the Coriolis coupling constants and band origins.
Increased Prevalence of Myopia in the United States Between 1971-1972 and 1999-2004

Objective To compare US population prevalence estimates for myopia in 1971-1972 and 1999-2004. Methods The 1971-1972 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey provided the earliest nationally representative estimates for US myopia prevalence; myopia was diagnosed by an algorithm using either lensometry, pinhole visual acuity, and presenting visual acuity (for presenting visual acuity ≥20/40) or retinoscopy (for presenting visual acuity ≤20/50). Using a similar method for diagnosing myopia, we examined data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to determine whether myopia prevalence had changed during the 30 years between the 2 surveys. Results Using the 1971-1972 method, the estimated prevalence of myopia in persons aged 12 to 54 years was significantly higher in 1999-2004 than in 1971-1972 (41.6% vs 25.0%, respectively; P P P −2.0 diopters [D]: 17.5% vs 13.4%, respectively [ P −7.9 D: 22.4% vs 11.4%, respectively [ P P Conclusions When using similar methods for each period, the prevalence of myopia in the United States appears to be substantially higher in 1999-2004 than 30 years earlier. Identifying modifiable risk factors for myopia could lead to the development of cost-effective interventional strategies.
Probing Conformational Changes of the Na+/K+ ATPase upon Ouabain Binding by using a Spectroscopic Approach

The Na+/K+ -ATPase is an integral membrane protein responsible for Na+ and K+ homeostasis, thereby fundamental for cellular life. It is formed mainly by two subunits: α and β. Ouabain, a cardiotonic derivative, binds to the ion permeation pathway of the Na+/K+ -ATPase within the α subunit. To gain further insights into the ouabain binding mechanism, we used a spectroscopic approach (LRET) to measure distances between a genetically encoded lanthanide binding tag (LBT; that binds Tb3+ with high affinity) and a cysteine-reactive fluorescent compound (Bodipy). We created energy transfer pairs by encoding LBTs in three of the external loops of the α subunit, connecting transmembrane helices (TM) 1-2, 3-4 and 9-10, and cysteines substituted in different positions of the β subunit. These constructs were expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Distances were estimated using the luminescence decays of donor only and sensitized emission, upon excitation with a 9-ns pulse at 266 nm. In each oocyte expressing a LBT-(Tb3+)-Bodipy pair, distance determinations were made in the absence, and in the presence of ouabain. The results suggest that upon binding of ouabain, all external loops move as if the extracellular end of the permeation pathway of the pump opens up in the presence of ouabain. Further, no significant movements of the β subunit were detected in the LRET experiments. With these determinations, molecular modeling of the LBT-(Tb3+)-Bodipy pair constructs were performed to build models corresponding to pump's conformations in the absence and presence of ouabain. These models suggest partial opening of the TM helices on the extracellular side. These changes will allow access of ouabain to its binding site, deep inside the permeation pathway. Supported by U54GM087519, GM030376 and NIH/NINDS Intramural Program.
The effect of sample viscosity on the deacylation of p-fluoro-trans-cinnamoylchymotrypsin

The deacylation of p-fluoro-trans-cinnamoylchymotrypsin at pH 5.0 in the presence of variable amounts of polyvinylpyrrolidone has been examined. The sample viscosity at the highest polymer concentration used was over 200 times greater than that of pure buffer but no effects on the deacylation kinetics were observed.
Hormonal contraception and headaches: what are the prescriber's options?

: This article will review evidence-based hormonal contraception prescribing options in the primary care setting for reproductive age women who experience headaches. Safe prescribing of hormonal contraception requires the nurse practitioner to be able to differentiate between the common primary headache phenotypes such as the migraine and the tension-type headache.
Unstructured mesh computations on CCMs

Abstract Configurable Computing Machines (CCMs) have been able to provide orders of magnitude increases in execution rates for applications such as image processing, signal processing, and automatic target recognition. This paper describes the use of CCMs to accelerate complex, large-scale scientific computations. These applications present a challenge for CCMs because of their large size, hundreds of thousands of lines of code, and the unstructured nature of the computations. This paper describes strategies for accelerating scientific computations on CCMs and demonstrates the effectiveness of one such strategy on the Annapolis Micro Systems WildForce board. Results from this implementation are analyzed.
Not A One-Size-Fits-All Solution: Lessons Learned From Implementing An Electronic Resources Management System in Three Days

Auraria Library purchased Innovative Interfaces, Inc.'s Millennium Electronic Resources Management (ERM) to manage data about acquisitions, licensing, troubleshooting, and usage statistics of electronic resources. After 3 days of implementation, the software vendor enabled resources records to display. As a result, the electronic resources team focused on creating a workflow for “coverage loads,” a process that enables data to display from the ERM system and 360 MARC Updates (see http://www.serialssolutions.com/360.marc-updates/). A year later, they reevaluated their workload and priorities, and decided to suppress resource records so that they could concentrate on their original goal of populating their ERM knowledgebase with information about their electronic resources. This case study highlights some of the lessons learned from this rapid implementation and offers a more detailed description of the “coverage load” procedures.
Brain-Specific Angiogenesis Inhibitor-1 Signaling, Regulation and Enrichment in the Postsynaptic Density

Brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor-1 (BAI1) is an adhesion G protein-coupled receptor that has been studied primarily for its anti-angiogenic and anti-tumorigenic properties. We found that overexpression of BAI1 results in activation of the Rho pathway via a Gα12/13-dependent mechanism, with truncation of the BAI1 N terminus resulting in a dramatic enhancement in receptor signaling. This constitutive activity of the truncated BAI1 mutant also resulted in enhanced downstream phosphorylation of ERK as well as increased receptor association with β-arrestin2 and increased ubiquitination of the receptor. To gain insights into the regulation of BAI1 signaling, we screened the C terminus of BAI1 against a proteomic array of PDZ domains to identify novel interacting partners. These screens revealed that the BAI1 C terminus interacts with a variety of PDZ domains from synaptic proteins, including MAGI-3. Removal of the BAI1 PDZ-binding motif resulted in attenuation of receptor signaling to Rho but had no effect on ERK activation. Conversely, co-expression with MAGI-3 was found to potentiate signaling to ERK by constitutively active BAI1 in a manner that was dependent on the PDZ-binding motif of the receptor. Biochemical fractionation studies revealed that BAI1 is highly enriched in post-synaptic density fractions, a finding consistent with our observations that BAI1 can interact with PDZ proteins known to be concentrated in the post-synaptic density. These findings demonstrate that BAI1 is a synaptic receptor that can activate both the Rho and ERK pathways, with the N-terminal and C-terminal regions of the receptor playing key roles in the regulation of BAI1 signaling activity. Background: BAI1 is an adhesion receptor; little is known about its signaling or localization. Results: BAI1 activates Rho in a G protein-dependent manner, binds to synaptic scaffold proteins, and is highly enriched in the postsynaptic density. Conclusion: BAI1 is a synaptic receptor that signals through G proteins. Significance: BAI1 may play a previously unappreciated role as a regulator of synaptic function.
Lattice gauge fields, principal bundles and the calculation of topological charge

SU2-valued lattice gauge fields are studied on a 4-dimensional simplicial lattice. Ifu has sufficiently small plaquette products, then there is a unique principal SU2-bundle ξ admitting transition functions, defined on the intersections of adjacent dual cells, which take values within π/8 ofu. An algorithm is explicitly given which associates an integer to everyu off a certain set of measure zero. This algorithm only involves evaluation of 4×4 determinants and the solution of quadratic equations. Whenu is as above, the integer produced is the second Chern number of ξ, i.e. the topological charge ofu.
Definition and properties of Lagrangian coherent structures from finite-time Lyapunov exponents in two-dimensional aperiodic flows

This paper develops the theory and computation of Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS), which are defined as ridges of Finite-Time Lyapunov Exponent (FTLE) fields. These ridges can be seen as finite-time mixing templates. Such a framework is common in dynamical systems theory for autonomous and time-periodic systems, in which examples of LCS are stable and unstable manifolds of fixed points and periodic orbits. The concepts defined in this paper remain applicable to flows with arbitrary time dependence and, in particular, to flows that are only defined (computed or measured) over a finite interval of time. Previous work has demonstrated the usefulness of FTLE fields and the associated LCSs for revealing the Lagrangian behavior of systems with general time dependence. However, ridges of the FTLE field need not be exactly advected with the flow. The main result of this paper is an estimate for the flux across an LCS, which shows that the flux is small, and in most cases negligible, for well-defined LCSs or those that rotate at a speed comparable to the local Eulerian velocity field, and are computed from FTLE fields with a sufficiently long integration time. Under these hypotheses, the structures represent nearly invariant manifolds even in systems with arbitrary time dependence. The results are illustrated on three examples. The first is a simplified dynamical model of a double-gyre flow. The second is surface current data collected by high-frequency radar stations along the coast of Florida and the third is unsteady separation over an airfoil. In all cases, the existence of LCSs governs the transport and it is verified numerically that the flux of particles through these distinguished lines is indeed negligible.
Rates of weight change for black and white Americans over a twenty year period.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the rate of weight gain over time among Americans by age, gender, and race. PARTICIPANTS: Scientific sample of 5117 Americans, ages 25–74?y in 1971 followed for 20?y. RESULTS: Rates of weight gain estimated by mixed effects models are highest among young adults and rates of weight loss are greatest among older adults. The overall shape of the growth curves are similar for men and women, black and white, in terms of both weight gain and weight loss. Rates are also affected by baseline body mass index (BMI=wt in kg/height in m2). CONCLUSIONS: Americans gain weight until middle age, stabilize, and begin to lose weight near age 60. Weight loss during old age is especially evident for obese Americans. The ability to accurately identify groups with increased risk and target them for obesity prevention will help combat the steady rise of overweight and obesity in America.
Lithium: A Promising Treatment for Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an inherited disorder that results in intellectual disability and a characteristic behavioral profile that includes autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sensory hypersensitivity, hyperarousal, and anxiety. The epigenetic silencing of FMR1 and the consequent absence of its protein product, FMRP, is the most common cause of fragile X. The development of animal models of fragile X syndrome 20 years ago has produced a considerable increase in our understanding of the consequences of the absence of FMRP on the structure and function of the nervous system. Some of the insights gained have led to proposals of treatment strategies that are based on cellular and molecular changes observed in animals lacking FMRP. One such proposal is treatment with lithium, a drug with a long history of clinical efficacy in psychiatry and a drug with newly described uses in degenerative disorders of the nervous system. Lithium treatment has been studied extensively in both mouse and fruit fly models of FXS, and it has been shown to reverse numerous behavioral, physiological, cellular, and molecular phenotypes. A report of a pilot clinical trial on a limited number of adult FXS patients indicated that measurable improvements in behavior and function were seen after 2 months of lithium treatment. A double-blind clinical trial of lithium treatment in FXS patients is now needed.
Review of current proposed technologies for mass storage systems

Several years ago, let us say 1965, there were few serious technological challengers for large main memories and file storage systems for computers. Magnetic cores and rotating magnetic disks were the undisputed champions. While there was no lack of alternatives in the mid 1960's, cores and disks still offered potential improvements which could not easily be challenged by other technologies. The status of computing systems has advanced to a point where currently, as in the past, larger and faster access storage is needed. While there still exists room for improvement in cores and disk technology, the tradeoffs between size, speed, and cost suggest that other technologies may now offer certain advantages. As a result, numerous technologies have appeared recently to offer alternatives for large storage systems. Some of the more notable proposed technologies currently receiving considerable attention in the published literature will be reviewed. After a discussion of the limitations and technical aspects of magnetic recording and a systems analysis of direct access storage, a review of the more advanced technologies of surface wave acoustics, magnetooptic beam addressed memories, magnetic bubbles, switchable resistances, and integrated circuit memories of various types is undertaken. A discussion of the device concept with a possible system implementation for mass storage is presented along with conceivable densities, speed, advantages and disadvantages, and inherent limitations. The essential conclusion is that when all the necessary requirements for a storage system are taken into consideration, none of the more advanced technologies have a clear-cut distinct appeal over any other. Each has its own special advantages and attraction but only at the expense of some other features, such as special operating environments (e.g., low temperature), special operating modes (e.g., shift register), a limited range of applicability, or limited potential for further improvements in performance. There remains room for other inventions, particularly for storage systems with access times considerably faster than mechanical devices (i.e., one millisecond) but slower and cheaper than commonplace electronic speeds (i.e., one microsecond). However, because of the stringent requirements imposed by storage systems and cost/performance tradeoffs, it does not appear likely that these will be forthcoming in the near future.
Effect of electrostatic interactions on rejection of capsular and spherical particles from porous membranes: theory and experiment.

Abstract Hypotheses Particle rejection from porous membranes will increase when particle and membrane carry like charges. The influence of charge on particle rejection can be modeled by first solving the Poisson–Boltzmann equation for the electrostatic particle–pore wall interaction energy, enabling one to predict the cross sectional particle concentration in a pore. Rejection coefficients can then be predicted by combining the Boltzmann factor with a hydrodynamic lag coefficient. Experiments Rejection experiments were conducted with three different spherical colloidal silica particles, a spherical virus (PRD1) and gold nanorods of two different aspect ratios (ratio of length to diameter). Track-etched polycarbonate microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes having nearly parallel pores of cylindrical cross-section were used. Experiments were conducted under conditions where both particle and membrane carried a negative charge as well as under conditions where surface charges had minimal impact. Experiments were designed to cover a broad range of dimensionless particle sizes under conditions when convection dominated particle transport. Findings Model predictions and experimental measurements demonstrate that particle rejection can be enhanced significantly when particle and pore carry like charges.
Femoral Neck Fractures: In the Bucket or on Top of the Neck?

Much controversy surrounds decision-making regarding hip arthroplasty for the treatment of acute displaced femoral neck fractures. These controversies include the decision on when prosthetic replacement is appropriate; when an attempt at open reduction and internal fixation is appropriate; which type of prosthesis to chose: monopolar, bipolar, or total hip arthroplasty; and the method of prosthetic fixation, cemented or uncemented. Generally, younger patients are treated with anatomic reduction and internal fixation, and older patients are treated with arthroplasty. Implant decisions regarding hemiarthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty, and component fixation strategy are based on activity and bone quality. Attention to detail is important to minimize complications, notably, dislocation.
Isolation and Characterization of RNA Polymerase rpoB Mutations That Alter Transcription Slippage during Elongation in Escherichia coli

Transcription fidelity is critical for maintaining the accurate flow of genetic information. The study of transcription fidelity has been limited because the intrinsic error rate of transcription is obscured by the higher error rate of translation, making identification of phenotypes associated with transcription infidelity challenging. Slippage of elongating RNA polymerase (RNAP) on homopolymeric A/T tracts in DNA represents a special type of transcription error leading to disruption of open reading frames in Escherichia coli mRNA. However, the regions in RNAP involved in elongation slippage and its molecular mechanism are unknown. We constructed an A/T tract that is out of frame relative to a downstream lacZ gene on the chromosome to examine transcriptional slippage during elongation. Further, we developed a genetic system that enabled us for the first time to isolate and characterize E. coli RNAP mutants with altered transcriptional slippage in vivo. We identified several amino acid residues in the β subunit of RNAP that affect slippage in vivo and in vitro. Interestingly, these highly clustered residues are located near the RNA strand of the RNA-DNA hybrid in the elongation complex. Our E. coli study complements an accompanying study of slippage by yeast RNAP II and provides the basis for future studies on the mechanism of transcription fidelity. Background: The domains in RNA polymerase involved in elongation slippage are unknown. Results: We isolated E. coli RNA polymerase rpoB mutants with altered transcriptional slippage. Conclusion: The fork domain of RNA polymerase controls slippage. Biochemical analysis of the mutants validates the genetic schemes. Significance: Our work sheds light on the mechanism for maintenance of RNA-DNA register during transcription.
Effects of different agricultural systems on soil quality in Northern Limón province, Costa Rica

Conversion of native rainforest ecosystems in Limon Province of Costa Rica to banana and pineapple monoculture has led to reductions in biodiversity and soil quality. Agroforestry management of cacao (Theobroma cacao) is an alternative system that may maintain the agricultural livelihood of the region while more closely mimicking native ecosystems. This study compared physical, biological and chemical soil quality indicators of a cacao plantation under organic agroforestry management with banana, pineapple, and pasture systems; a native forest nearby served as a control. For bulk density and earthworm analysis, 18 samples were collected between March and April 2012 from each ecosystem paired with 18 samples from the cacao. Cacao had a lower bulk density than banana and pineapple monocultures, but greater than the forest (p<0.05). Cacao also hosted a greater number and mass of earthworms than banana and pineapple (p<0.05), but similar to forest and pasture. For soil chemical characteristics, three composite samples were collected in March 2012 from each agroecosystem paired with three samples from the cacao plantation. Forest and pineapple ecosystems had the lowest pH, cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable nutrient cations, while cacao had the greatest (p<0.05). Total nutrient levels of P and N were slightly greater in banana, pineapple and pasture than in cacao; probably related to addition of chemical fertilizer and manure from cattle grazing. Forest and cacao also had greater %C, than other ecosystems, which is directly related to soil organic matter content (p<0.0001). Overall, cacao had more favorable physical, biological and chemical soil characteristics than banana and pineapple monocultures, while trends were less conclusive compared to the pastureland. While organic cacao was inferior to native forest in some soil characteristics such as bulk density and organic carbon, its soil quality did best mimic that of the native forest. This supports the organic cultivation of cacao as a desirable alternative to banana and pineapple monoculture.
Foreign direct investment, intellectual property rights, and wage inequality in China

Abstract This article incorporates foreign direct investment (FDI) and product differentiation in a general equilibrium trade model. The analysis shows that freer trade and FDI will upgrade China's technology, improve its skills of labor, and increase the competitiveness of local firms in the international market. At the same time, the relative wage of skilled labor to unskilled labor will rise. The size of this rise will be affected by the degree of protection for intellectual property rights. These theoretical results are consistent with empirical evidence. The analysis provides insights in coordinating policies on FDI, labor market reform, and intellectual property rights protection.
A novel, environmentally friendly sodium lauryl ether sulfate-, cocamidopropyl betaine-, cocamide monoethanolamine-containing buffer for MEKC on microfluidic devices

A new buffer has been developed for fast, high-efficiency separations of amino acids by MEKC. This buffer was more environmentally friendly than the most commonly used surfactant-containing buffers for MEKC separations. It used a commercially available dishwashing soap by Seventh Generation (Burlington, VT, USA), which contained three micelle-forming agents. The mixed micelles were composed of sodium lauryl ether sulfate (anionic), cocamidopropyl betaine (zwitterionic), and cocamide monoethanolamine (non-ionic). The optimized buffer contained 5.0% w/w Seventh Generation Free & Clear dishwashing soap, 10 mM sodium borate, and was completely void of organics. The lack of organics and the biodegradability of the surfactant molecules made this buffer more environmentally friendly than typical SDS-containing buffers. This new buffer also had a different selectivity and provided faster separations with higher separation efficiencies than SDS-based buffers. Fast separations of BODIPY FL labeled amino acids yielded peaks with separation efficiencies greater than 100,000 in less than 20 s.
Practical aspects of managing modern technical projects

Management has become as complex as the advanced systems being developed. It is recognized by government and industry that management ability and proper management tools and techniques contribute significantly to satisfactory project performance. The author addresses the practical aspects of managing modern technical projects with emphasis on those factors that experience has shown can cause the most trouble. The factors involve such issues as: when to use project management, the nature of the project management organization, the selection of personnel, and planning and control. >
Demonstrating a Self-Serving Bias:

A self-serving attributional bias is demonstrated in a classroom exercise. Students' self-descriptions reveal a bias toward reporting positive attributes, a result that allows for discussion of motivational and cognitive processes in attribution.
The metamorphic algorithm: a speaker mapping approach to data augmentation

Large vocabulary speaker-dependent speech recognition systems adjust to the acoustic peculiarities of each new speaker based on some enrolment data provided by this speaker. As the amount of data required increases with the sophistication of the underlying acoustic models, the enrolment may get lengthy. To streamline it, it is therefore desirable to make use of previously acquired speech data. The authors describe a data augmentation strategy based on a piecewise linear mapping between the feature space of a new speaker and that of a reference speaker. This speaker-normalizing mapping is used to transform the previously acquired data of the reference speaker onto the space of the new speaker. The performance of the resulting procedure, dubbed the metamorphic algorithm, is illustrated on an isolated utterance speech recognition task with a vocabulary of 20000 words. Results show that the metamorphic algorithm can substantially reduce the word error rate when only a limited amount of enrolment data is available. Alternatively, it leads to a level of performance comparable to that obtained when a much greater amount of enrolment data is required from the new speaker. In addition, it can also be used for tracking spectral evolution over time, thus providing a possible means for robust speaker self-adaptation. >
A dependence driven efficient dispatch scheme

The rename map table (RMT) access and the dependence check logic (DCL) delays scale unfavorably "with the dispatch width (DW) of a superscalar processor. It is a well-known program property that the results of most instructions are consumed within the following 4-6 instruction window. This program behavior can be exploited to reduce the rename delay by reducing the number of read/write ports in the RMT to significantly below the current 3 * DW. We propose an algorithm to dynamically allocate reduced number of RMT ports to instructions in the current dispatch window, matching dispatch resources to average needs rather than peak needs. This results in shorter RMT access delays as well as in lower energy in the dispatch stage. The IPC reduction due to rename map table read/write port contention in the proposed scheme stays within 2-4%. The cycle time saved can also be leveraged to support wider dispatch in the same cycle time in order to offset this degradation.
Convection in a rotating cylindrical annulus. Part 2. Transitions to asymmetric and vacillating flow

The instabilities of convection columns (also called thermal Rossby waves) in a cylindrical annulus rotating about its axis and heated from the outside are investigated as a function of the Prandtl number P and the Coriolis parameter η*. When this latter parameter is sufficiently large, it is found that the primary solution observed at the onset of convection becomes unstable when the Rayleigh number exceeds its critical value by a relatively small amount. Transitions occur to columnar convection which is non-symmetric with respect to the mid-plane of the small-gap annular layer. Further transitions introduce convection flows that vacillate in time or tend to split the row of columns into an inner and an outer row of separately propagating waves. Of special interest is the regime of non-symmetric convection, which exhibits decreasing Nusselt number with increasing Rayleigh number, and the indication of a period doubling sequence associated with vacillating convection.
Still Servants of Power

Baritz’s historical analysis demonstrated that in the first half of the 20th century, groups of social scientists in the service of management emerged, with their offerings being received warmly in general. The author’s reactions to an initial reading of Baritz’s story in the 1970s and a recent reading in the 1990s are presented. The principal intent of doing so is to stimulate other management researchers to question who they should serve.
Controlled comparison of BACTEC 13A, MYCO/F LYTIC, BacT/ALERT MB, and ISOLATOR 10 systems for detection of mycobacteremia.

To compare the performance of the BACTEC 13A (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, Md.), BACTEC MYCO/F LYTIC (Becton Dickinson), BacT/ALERT MB (bioMerieux, Durham, N.C.), and ISOLATOR 10 lysis-centrifugation (Wampole Laboratories, Cranbury, N.J.) systems for detection of mycobacteremia in adults, we inoculated 5-ml aliquots of blood from patients with suspected mycobacteremia into the bottle or tube required for each system. Of 600 sets tested, 85 (14%) yielded Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and 9 (2%) yielded other species of mycobacteria. Of 26 complete (three bottles and one tube) adequately filled (5 ± 1 ml) sets from which MAC was recovered, BACTEC 13A was positive for 19 (73%), BACTEC MYCO/F LYTIC was positive for 21 (81%), BacT/ALERT MB was positive for 22 (85%), and ISOLATOR 10 was positive for 21 (81%). Of the six possible two-way comparisons, the mean times to detection for the recovery of MAC from each bottle in positive adequately paired sets were 15.3 days for BACTEC 13A versus 12.8 days for MYCO/F LYTIC for 33 of 340 pairs, 14.1 days for BACTEC 13A versus 11.6 days for BacT/ALERT MB for 38 of 380 pairs, 12.6 days for BACTEC 13A versus 20.0 days for ISOLATOR 10 for 26 of 261 pairs, 12.8 days for BACTEC MYCO/F LYTIC versus 11.0 days for BacT/ALERT MB for 33 of 340 pairs, 13.2 days for BACTEC MYCO/F LYTIC versus 20.4 days for ISOLATOR 10 for 24 of 230 pairs, and 9.9 days for BacT/ALERT MB versus 19.0 days for ISOLATOR 10 for 24 of 257 pairs. There were no significant differences in yields between the systems. However, the mean time to detection differed significantly among the systems. The time to detection was shortest for BacT/ALERT MB, followed by BACTEC MYCO/F LYTIC and BACTEC 13A and then ISOLATOR 10. Although the numbers were too small for statistical comparison, the time to detection was substantially shorter for MAC than for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in the liquid systems. The continuously monitored systems (BACTEC MYCO/F LYTIC and BacT/ALERT MB) were as sensitive and, on balance, faster for the detection of MAC bacteremia than were the heretofore standard manual ISOLATOR 10 and radiometric BACTEC 13A systems.
Metabolic Impact of Adding a Thiazide Diuretic to Captopril

See related article, pp 800–805 Thiazide diuretics are among the antihypertensive agents that demonstrate effectiveness in improving cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, there has been concern regarding adverse metabolic effects of thiazide diuretics on insulin sensitivity in those predisposed to diabetes mellitus, such as those individuals who are overweight and have hypertension.1,2 In this regard, population-based studies suggest that incident or new-onset diabetes mellitus increased in groups randomized to thiazide-type diuretic treatment.3 Although the exact mechanism for thiazide-induced impairments in glucose metabolism has yet to be determined, groups have traditionally explored alterations in insulin metabolic signaling mechanisms, as it relates to (1) reductions in glucose disposal and (2) impairments in pancreatic β-cell insulin secretion (Figure). In contrast, therapies directed at reducing renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) have been observed to improve glucose metabolism.4 Figure. Obesity and hypertension predispose individuals to insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus through activation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS), and systemic and local tissue inflamation and oxidative stress. Use of thiazide-type diuretics enhance activation of the RAAS and impair insulin sensitivity through potential actions on skeletal muscle glucose disposal, pancreatic β-cell insulin secretion, and hepatic glucose production. Recent data would suggest that inhibition of the RAAS with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) attenuate the negative metabolic impact of thiazide diuretics through direct actions on early-phase pancreatic β-cell insulin secretion and hepatic insulin sensitivity. Diuretic-induced natiuresis stimulates …
Preparation of overlapping peptides of bovine retinal S-antigen and their localization by immunoblotting with peptide-specific antibodies

Bovine retinal S-antigen was cleaved by three chemical cleavage procedures including o-iodosobenzoic acid (IBA), mild acid and cyanogen bromide. The resultant peptides were used to study antibody-defined epitopes. Treatment with IBA, which cleaves primarily at tryptophanyl peptide bonds, produced at least 4 major fragments and several minor fragments. The peptides have been identified by their migration on SDS-PAGE and tested for their immunoreactivity to several affinity-purified anti-CNBr-peptide antibodies and to affinity-purified anti-IBA peptide antibodies. The presence of a single tryptophan residue 194 residues from the amino-terminus should result in 2 fragments of approximately 23,000 and 26,000 molecular weight based on the known size of intact S-antigen. The additional fragmentation is due to the presence of acid labile bonds and cleavage at IBA-sensitive tyrosyl residues associated with a side reaction. Western immunoblots using affinity-purified antibodies against the various IBA and CNBr pep...
THE NATURE OF DIFFERENCE: Forging Arab Asia at the American Museum of Natural History

Since 9/11, an increasing number of educational initiatives have called for facilitating intercultural understanding and knowledge of the Arab world. In terms of defusing conflict across cultural and religious lines, toleration is regarded as a key virtue, although this concept is not confined to a post-9/11 world. Inaugurated in 1980, the Hall of Asian Peoples at the American Museum of Natural History was designed with such an end in mind. The exhibition is framed by contradictory strands woven from the beliefs and ambitions of the curator, collector, and sponsors. An exploration of these themes enables us to analyze how culture itself is defined and politicized within a rubric of toleration. Furthermore, an examination of the exhibition hall's captions, labels, and catalogues reveals how an ethic of toleration can also become a means of regulating boundaries and creating a hierarchy of differences, and thereby generating a troubling political and intellectual undercurrent. From these subtexts, I aim to unravel the political and intellectual dimensions inherent in the process of forging representations of Asia, specifically “Arab Asia.”
CodeXt: Automatic Extraction of Obfuscated Attack Code from Memory Dump

In this paper, we present CodeXt—a novel malware code extraction framework built upon selective symbolic execution (S2E). Upon real-time detection of the attack, CodeXt is able to automatically and accurately pinpoint the exact start and boundaries of the attack code even if it is mingled with random bytes in the memory dump. CodeXt has a generic way of handling self-modifying code and multiple layers of encoding, and it can automatically extract the complete hidden and transient code protected by multiple layers of sophisticated encoders without using any signature or pattern of the decoder. To the best of our knowledge, CodeXt is the first tool that can automatically extract code protected by Metasploit’s polymorphic xor additive feedback encoder Shikata-Ga-Nai, as well as transient code protected by multi-layer incremental encoding.
Managed control of composite cloud systems

Cloud providers have just begun to provide primitive functionality enabling users to configure and easily provision resources, primarily in the infrastructure as a service domain. In order to effectively manage cloud resources in an automated fashion, systems must automate quality-of-service (QoS) metric measurement as a part of a larger usage management strategy. Collected metrics can then be used within control loops to manage and provision cloud resources. This basic approach can be scaled to monitor the use of system artifacts as well as simple QoS parameters, and can also address the needs of large systems spanning the boundaries of single service providers though the problem seems to moving toward intractability.
Relaciones, cada día

—15 desde que comence el primer estudio etnogra-fico sobre “clientelismo politico” en Argentina— y lo que el libro identifico como una ausencia gene-ralizada de estudios sobre el tema en el pais ya no es tal. Durante la ultima decada se han multiplica-do los estudios sobre la cuestion, dando lugar a lo que Szwarcberg (2010: 142) denomina un “inusi-tado interes” por el clientelismo y las maquinas politicas (Calvo y Murillo, 2004; Stokes, 2005; Re-mmer, 2007; Weitz-Shapiro, 2006; Giraudy, 2007; Szwarcberg, 2010). Los articulos presentados en este
Material and compositional properties of selectively demineralized cortical bone.

Timed immersion in buffered ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) was used to selectively alter the mineral content at each level in the cortical bone structural hierarchy. The effects on the mechanical behavior were investigated using a combination of experimental techniques which provide collectively a wide range of resolution (5 μm to 3mm). Optical microscopy and histological analysis demonstrated a heterogeneous structure consisting of a mineralized tissue core surrounded by a layer of demineralized tissue (collagen) whose thickness varied depending on the immersion time. The mechanical behaviors of treated samples with (intact) and without (core) the surrounding demineralized layer were evaluated using three-point flexure. Overall, the intact specimens became significantly less brittle with increased immersion time in buffered-EDTA. For the core specimens, there was a systematic decrease in the elastic flexural properties (E, σe, ee). The site-specific properties of the specimens were determined using microhardness testing, scanning acoustic microscopy, and wavelength dispersive analysis. The mineralization and site-specific properties of the mineralized cores were not significantly affected by buffered-EDTA immersion; however, histomorphometric analysis showed a decrease in the mineralized volume fraction via widening of the pre-existing vascular channels. The experimental hierarchy was effective in discerning site-specific property changes and the localized heterogeneities resulting from the buffered-EDTA treatment. Based on the results of this study, buffered-EDTA treatment can be used to facilitate the determination of material and physical properties of intact and demineralized tissues within a single cortical bone sample.
Patient-reported Needs, Non-motor Symptoms, and Quality of Life in Essential Tremor and Parkinson's Disease

Background: Non-motor symptoms, quality of life, service needs, and barriers to care of individuals with movement disorders are not well explored. This study assessed these domains within a sample of individuals with essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: A survey exploring symptoms, needs, and barriers to care was disseminated to a convenience sample (N596) of individuals with a primary diagnosis of ET (N519) or PD (N577). Results: Similarities in overall quality of life and impact on daily functioning were found across individuals with ET and PD. Noteworthy differences included endorsement of different types of service needs and utilization patterns and fewer non-motor symptoms reported among those with ET (M56.1, SD52.4) than those with PD (M510.4, SD53.4). Non-motor symptoms significantly impacted movement disorder-related quality of life for both diagnostic groups, but this relationship was stronger for individuals with ET, t(12)53.69, p50.003, b50.73 than with PD, t(56)54.00, p,0.001, b50.47. Individuals with ET also reported higher rates of stigma (31.6% vs. 7.8%) and greater impact of non-motor symptoms on emotional well-being, R 2 50.37, F(1, 13)57.17, p50.020. Discussion: This is the first study to describe and compare the needs, barriers to care, and impact on quality of life of two distinct movement disorder groups. Our results support the recent efforts of the field to identify interventions to address the non-motor symptoms of movement disorders and indicate need for greater appreciation of the specific differences in symptoms and quality of life experienced across movement disorder diagnoses.
There Ought to Be an Equation for That

An overriding interest in photosynthesis has propelled my wanderings from chemist to biochemist to plant physiologist and on to global topics. Equations and models have been organizing principles along the way. This fascination started as a reaction to difficulties with written communication, but it has proven to be quite useful in moving across different levels of organization. I conclude with some discussion of the importance of Earth system models for understanding and predicting how human activities may influence the climate, environment, and biota in the future, and some ideas about how disciplinary science might make larger contributions to this interdisciplinary problem.
Myeloablative Conditioning with PBSC Grafts for T Cell-Replete Haploidentical Donor Transplantation Using Posttransplant Cyclophosphamide

Relapse is the main cause of treatment failure after nonmyeloablative haploidentical transplant (haplo-HSCT). In an attempt to reduce relapse, we have developed a myeloablative (MA) haplo-HSCT approach utilizing posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PT/Cy) and peripheral blood stem cells as the stem cell source. We summarize the results of two consecutive clinical trials, using a busulfan-based (n = 20) and a TBI-based MA preparative regimen (n = 30), and analyze a larger cohort of 64 patients receiving MA haplo-HSCT. All patients have engrafted with full donor chimerism and no late graft failures. Grade III-IV acute GVHD and moderate-severe chronic GVHD occurred in 23% and 30%, respectively. One-year NRM was 10%. Predicted three-year overall survival, disease-free survival, and relapse were 53%, 53%, and 26%, respectively, in all patients and 79%, 74%, and 9%, respectively, in patients with a low/intermediate disease risk index (DRI). In multivariate analysis, DRI was the most significant predictor of survival and relapse. Use of TBI (versus busulfan) had no significant impact on survival but was associated with significantly less BK virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis. We contrast our results with other published reports of MA haplo-HSCT PT/Cy in the literature and attempt to define the comparative utility of MA haplo-HSCT to other methods of transplantation.
An Energy-Efficient Resource Allocation Algorithm with QoS Constraints for Heterogeneous Networks

In this paper, we propose an energy-efficient resource allocation scheme for multi-channel multi- cell networks. Our objective is to maximize the network energy efficiency subject to the minimum rate constraints for each user. We take into account both the static and transmit power consumption at base stations. We employ interference pricing and dual decomposition methods. The interference pricing scheme penalizes the base stations based on their marginal costs of interference to other users. This is leveraged to mitigate inter-sector interference and determine the optimal power levels, realizing the objective. Using dual decomposition techniques, we enforce the minimum rate constraints to be satisfied. To achieve faster convergence, we employ the Levenberg-Marquardt method in the power control phase. The proposed framework employs the fractional frequency reuse (FFR) scheme. We sequentially determine the cell-center boundaries, schedule the users in the frequency domain, and solve the power control problem. Simulation results demonstrate that the network energy efficiency can be significantly improved while reducing the user outages compared to the non-cooperative power allocation scheme.
RAPID TREADWEAR RATINGS WITH RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES.

Abstract Incorporation of radioactive isotopes in small surface areas of tire treads permits wear measurements by counting before and after wear. The isotope is limited to a depth of about ten mils so that the fraction of activity worn off is appreciable in a hundred miles or so. Such experiments were made with S35, Zn65O, and I125. The first two were applied to uncured tires in thin sheets chemically identical to the tread compounds. Zn65 was counted with a shielded Geiger—Muller tube. For S35, miniature specimens were cored from the tire treads, dissolved in hot xylene, and counted in an automatic, liquid scintillation counter. Filter paper was laminated to aluminum foil and dipped in a solution of iodine and Iodine-125 in toluene. Small disks or strips were applied to tire treads, usually after a break-in run of several hundred miles. The iodine diffuses rapidly into the rubber, combining stably in some compounds and otherwise being fixed by subsequent application of a solution of silver perchlorate in...