cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of altered genomic expression profiles in the senescent and diseased myocardium using cDNA microarrays.

Cardiac function deteriorates with aging or disease. Short term, any changes in heart function may be beneficial, but long term the alterations are often detrimental. At a molecular level, functional adaptations involve quantitative and qualitative changes in gene expression. Analysis of all the RNA transcripts present in a cell's population (transcriptome) offers unprecedented opportunities to map these transitions. Microarrays (chips), capable of evaluating thousands of transcripts in one assay, are ideal for transcriptome analyses. Gene expression profiling provides information about the dynamics of total genome expression in response to environmental changes and may point to candidate genes responsible for the cascade of events that result in disease or are a consequence of aging. The aim of this review is to describe how comparisons of cellular transcriptomes by cDNA array based techniques provide information about the dynamics of total gene expression, and how the results can be applied to the study of cardiovascular disease and aging.
Lactose malabsorption in Central Australian Aboriginal children hospitalized with acute enteritis

The prevalence and duration of lactose malabsorption was studied in 64 Central Australian Aboriginal children requiring hospitalization for acute enteritis. Lactose malabsorption was determined by the breath-hydrogen test. Sixty-nine per cent were shown to malabsorb lactose, a figure similar to that for well nourished urban European children, hospitalized for acute enteritis. Whereas 90 per cent of the European children became lactose-tolerant 1 month later, only three of 32 aboriginal children were lactose-tolerant after 3 months. Lactose malabsorption was also associated with more frequent hospitalizations in affected children. Coronavirus-like particles were the commonest agent isolated from Aboriginal children. The majority of the Aboriginal children were malnourished (< 80% standard weight for age) which may have been contributed to by their lactose malabsorption and explain why this failed to recover in the same way as European children. The possibility of lactose malabsorption must be taken into consideration when managing Aboriginal children with acute diarrhoeal disease and undernutrition. The use of the breath-hydrogen test allows an accurate diagnosis of lactose malabsorption to be made in Aboriginal children with diarrhoea so that appropriate dietary management can be instituted.
Isotope effects on enzyme-catalyzed reactions

Abstract Primary kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) have been used to identify rate-determining bond cleavages, whereas secondary KIEs have been employed to determine transition-state structures in enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Solvent KIEs, although generally applicable to the detection of solvent-exchangeable proton transfer, are complicated by potentially large effects on hydrogen-bonding and solvent structure. Studies to detect tunneling continue to entice kineticists because of the potential to determine the shape of kinetic barriers in enzyme reactions.
Bronchodilator Activity of Three New Drugs in Patients with Pulmonary Emphysema

Many therapeutic agents have been employed effectively for the relief of bronchospasm. Preparations in current clinical use have been shown to be more efficacious than older ones, but no single agent has proved entirely satisfactory. Therefore, the present study was undertaken in order to evaluate the bronchodilator properties of three new drugs. As will be demonstrated, extensive preliminary observations showed that only one of these appeared to offer definite indications of therapeutic value. The bronchodilator activityof this drug was then studied in greater detail. PART I. Method Seventeen male patients of average age 59, with intrinsic asthma or hypertrophic emphysema with clinical evidence of associated bronchospasm were studied. Ventilometric measurements of vital capacity, maximum breathing capacity, volume of deep respiration, and breathing reserve were made with the Collins ventilometer. Although a number of additional tests were employed in this and other studies, these four appeared, in the experience of this laboratory, to provide a simple but reliable clinical measure of lung function. Observations on each subject were made on each of four separate days. The drugs studied, and their dosages, were as follows: 1) Paveril phosphateR** a papaverine analogue - 50 mg. 2) Antrenylzt anticholinergic - 1.0 mg. 3) Drug 1313,tt adrenergic - 10 mg. Amlnophylline, 0.5 Gm., was separately administered as a basis for comparison.
Contact urticaria to cow milk

A patient with contact urticaria to cow milk is presented. Contact sensitivity was documented to whole cow milk, skim milk, commercial condensed milk, and milk heated to 80 degrees C for 30 min. Contact sensitivity was also documented to casein and lactalbumin. Unlike a previous report our patient's sensitivity to heated milk precluded its use in the diet. Thus, heating milk does not necessarily reduce allergenicity to its component proteins.
Target versus background characterization: second-generation wavelets and support vector machines

The problem of determining the difference between a target and the background is a very difficult and ill-posed problem, yet it is a problem constantly faced by engineers working in target detection and machine vision. Terms like target, background, and clutter are not well defined and are often used differently in every context. Clutter can be defined as a stationary noise process, anything non-target, or anything that looks like a target but is not. Targets can be defined by deformable templates, models, or by specific feature vectors. Models, templates and features must be defined before classification begins. Both models and feature vectors somehow hold the defining characteristics of the target, for example the gun barrel of a tank. Most importantly, feature vectors and models reduce the dimensionality of the problem making numerical methods possible. This paper explores several fairly recent techniques that provide promising new approaches to these old problems. Wavelets are used to de-trend images to eliminate deterministic components, and a trained support vector machine is used to classify the remaining complicated or stochastic components of the image. Ripely's K-function is used to study the spatial location of the wavelet coefficients. The support vector machine avoids the choice of a model or feature vector, and the wavelets provide a way to determine the non-predictability of the local image components. The K-function of the wavelet coefficients serves as a new clutter metric. The technique is tested on the TNO image set through several random simulations.
Test Set Reordering Using the Gate Exhaustive Test Metric

When a test set size is larger than desired, some patterns must be dropped. This paper presents a systematic method to reduce test set size; the method reorders a test set using the gate exhaustive test metric and truncates the test set to the desired size. To determine the effectiveness of the method, test sets with 1,556 test patterns were applied to 140 defective Stanford ELF18 test cores. The original test set required 758 test patterns to detect all defective cores, while the test set reordered using the presented method required 286 test patterns. The method also reduces the test application time for defective cores.
Our great opportunity.

Seventy-nine years ago, Elsie MacGill was on the exciting verge of becoming the first woman from Canada to receive a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, when, after experiencing flu-like symptoms for a few days, she woke up one morning to discover that she was completely paralyzed from the waist down.1 She was eventually diagnosed with acute infectious myelitis and was told she would never walk again. We have heard those words before. In 1929, times were tough enough for a woman who wanted to become an engineer … the addition of a disability such as this would seem to be too much to overcome. Well, MacGill finished her university tests from her hospital bed and received her degree. She was determined to not be bedridden and eventually used canes for mobility. During her recovery, while writing a magazine article titled Women on the Wing , she learned that it took very little strength to pilot a plane, and she developed an interest in aeronautics. She ended up pursuing further study at MIT and became a well-respected aircraft designer during the Second World War. She insisted on being a passenger on the test flights of each of the aircraft she helped design. Personally, I prefer my planes to be tested long before I ride in them! Although Elsie MacGill did not have the help of formal physical therapy, her story represents the kind of inspiring experiences we are privileged to witness on a regular basis in this great profession. Her story—and many others like it—remind me that opportunity is in the challenge, hope is in the desire, and value is in the effort (Figure). The profession of physical therapy is anchored in myriad opportunities that are rooted in the challenges we face, whether in the preparation of new colleagues, …
Introduction to the special issue: drugs, wars, military personnel, and veterans.

This special issue examines major structural, sociocultural, and behavioral issues surrounding substance use and misuse among US military personnel and veterans who served in recent military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This introduction provides a brief historical review of the US’s experiences of the linkages between war and substance use, misuse, and abuse. It then describes how the various topics covered in this issue span the military-veteran life course and explains the significance of each contribution.
ROLE OF THE PED GENE AND APOPTOSIS GENES IN CONTROL OF PREIMPLANTATION DEVELOPMENT

Purpose: The properties of the mouse Ped gene and the genes that mediate apoptosis in mediating preimplantation embryonic survival were reviewed. Methods: Preimplantation mouse oocytes and embryos were evaluated microscopically and biochemically for rate of development, degree of fragmentation, and gene expression to correlate these characteristics with embryo mortality. Biochemical assays included PCR for DNA analysis, RT-PCR for mRNA analysis, immuno-PCR for protein analysis, and TUNEL assay for assessment of apoptosis. Results: Using the mouse as a model system we have identified a gene that controls the rate of development, the Ped gene. The Ped gene product is a class Ib major histocompatibility complex protein called the Qa-2 antigen. Research to understand the molecular mechanisms of Ped gene action and to identify the human homologue of the Ped gene is under way. We have also shown using the mouse model, that fragmented embryos show the morphological and biochemical characteristics of apoptosis. Genes in the two major gene families that regulate apoptosis, the caspase and Bcl-2 families, are expressed in mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos. Conclusions: Preimplantation embryonic survival depends on two major morphological parameters: rate of development and degree of fragmentation. A fast rate of development and a low degree of fragmentation lead to a better chance of producing live offspring. Both rate of development and degree of fragmentation are genetically controlled, the former by the Ped gene and the latter most likely by genes that mediate apoptosis. It seems probable that regulation of apoptosis will prove to be a major mechanism that mediates oocyte and preimplantation embryonic survival.
Evaluating Modeled Intra- to Multidecadal Climate Variability Using Running Mann-Whitney Z Statistics

An analysis method previously used to detect observed intra- to multidecadal (IMD) climate regimes was adapted to compare observed and modeled IMD climate variations. Pending the availability of the more appropriate phase 5 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP-5) simulations, the method is demonstrated using CMIP-3 model simulations. Although the CMIP-3 experimental design will almost certainly prevent these model runs from reproducing features of historical IMD climate variability, these simulations allow for the demonstration of the method and illustrate how the models and observations disagree. This method samples a time series’s data rankings over moving time windows, converts those ranking sets to a Mann‐Whitney U statistic, and then normalizes the U statistic into a Z statistic. By detecting optimally significant IMD ranking regimes of arbitrary onset and varying duration, this process generates time series of Z values that are an adaptively low-passed and normalized transformation of the original time series. Principal component (PC) analysis of the Z series derived from observed annual temperatures at 92 U.S. grid locations during 1919‐2008 shows two dominant modes: a PC1 mode with cool temperatures before the late 1960s and warm temperatures after the mid-1980s, and a PC2 mode indicating a multidecadal temperature cycle over the Southeast. Using a graphic analysis of a Z error metric that compares modeled and observed Z series,thethreeCMIP-3modelsimulationstestedhereareshowntoreproducethePC1modebutnotthePC2 mode. By providing a way to compare grid-level IMD climate response patterns in observed and modeled data, this method can play a useful diagnostic role in future model development and decadal climate forecasting.
Too proud to let go: narcissistic entitlement as a barrier to forgiveness

Narcissistic entitlement impedes forgiveness in ways not captured by other robust predictors (e.g., offense severity, apology, relationship closeness, religiosity, Big Five personality factors), as demonstrated in 6 studies. Narcissistic entitlement involves expectations of special treatment and preoccupation with defending one's rights. In Study 1, entitlement predicted less forgiveness and greater insistence on repayment for a past offense. Complementary results emerged from Study 2, which used hypothetical transgressions, and Study 3, which assessed broad forgiveness dispositions. Study 4 examined associations with the Big Five, and Study 5 extended the findings to a laboratory context. Study 6 demonstrated that entitlement predicted diminished increases in forgiveness over time. Taken together, these results suggest that narcissistic entitlement is a robust, distinct predictor of unforgiveness.
Regulation of Drosophila TRPL Channels by Immunophilin FKBP59

Transient receptor potential and transient receptor potential-like (TRPL) are Ca2+-permeable cation channels found inDrosophila photoreceptor cells associated with large multimeric signaling complexes held together by the scaffolding protein, INAD. To identify novel proteins involved in channel regulation, Drosophila INAD was used as bait in a yeast two-hybrid screen of a Drosophila head cDNA library. Sequence analysis of one identified clone showed it to be identical to the Drosophila homolog of human FK506-binding protein, FKBP52 (previously known as FKBP59). To determine the function of dFKBP59, TRPL channels and dFKBP59 were co-expressed in Sf9 cells. Expression of dFKBP59 produced an inhibition of Ca2+influx via TRPL in fura-2 assays. Likewise, purified recombinant dFKBP59 produced a graded inhibition of TRPL single channel activity in excised inside-out patches when added to the cytoplasmic membrane surface. Immunoprecipitations from Sf9 cell lysates using recombinant tagged dFKBP59 and TRPL showed that these proteins directly interact with each other and with INAD. Addition of FK506 prior to immunoprecipitation resulted in a temperature-dependent dissociation of dFKBP59 and TRPL. Immunoprecipitations fromDrosophila S2 cells and from fly head lysates demonstrated that dFKBP59, but not dFKBP12, interacts with TRPL in vivo. Likewise, INAD immunoprecipitates with dFKBP59 from S2 cell and head lysates. Immunocytochemical evaluation of thin sections of fly heads revealed specific FKBP immunoreactivity associated with the eye. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that mutations of P702Q or P709Q in the highly conserved TRPL sequence701LPPPFNVLP709 eliminated interaction of the TRPL with dFKBP59. These results provide strong support for the hypothesis that immunophilin dFKBP59 is part of the TRPL-INAD signaling complex and plays an important role in modulation of channel activity via interaction with conserved leucyl-prolyl dipeptides located near the cytoplasmic mouth of the channel.
A natural M RNA reassortant arising from two species of plant- and insect-infecting bunyaviruses and comparison of its sequence and biological properties to parental species

Reassortment allows multicomponent viruses to exchange genome segments, a process well-documented in the vertebrate- and arthropod-infecting members of the family Bunyaviridae but not between distinct species of the plant- and insect-infecting members of the genus Tospovirus. Genome sequence comparisons of a virus causing severe tospovirus-like symptoms in Florida tomato with Groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV) and Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV) demonstrated that reassortment has occurred, with the large (L) and small (S) RNAs coming from GRSV and the medium (M) RNA coming from TCSV (i.e. L(G)M(T)S(G)). Neither parental genotype is known to occur in the U.S. suggesting that L(G)M(T)S(G) was introduced as a reassortant. L(G)M(T)S(G) was transmitted by western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis [Pergande]), and was not able to overcome the Sw5 resistance gene of tomato. Our demonstration of reassortment between GRSV and TCSV suggests caution in defining species within the family Bunyaviridae based on their ability to reassort.
The Mottling Gene, the Basis of Six Plumage Color Patterns in the Domestic Fowl

The tricolored plumage patterns known as speckled, mille fleur, porcelain, and spangled (Old English Game type) were studied along with the black and white mottled plumage pattern. Crosses between birds carrying these phenotypes showed the mo gene to be common to all of these plumage color patterns. Crosses between Speckled Sussex and Black-tailed White Japanese Bantams resulted in a new plumage color pattern in which silver replaced gold to change a tricolored to a bicolored pattern. The recessiveness of the mo gene was verified by crossing birds of the wild-type plumage coloration which differed only at the mo locus. Also, a hypothesis for the gene action of mo is offered to account for the many different phenotypes produced by it.
New mutations in flagellar motors identified by whole genome sequencing in Chlamydomonas

The building of a cilium or flagellum requires molecular motors and associated proteins that allow the relocation of proteins from the cell body to the distal end and the return of proteins to the cell body in a process termed intraflagellar transport (IFT). IFT trains are carried out by kinesin and back to the cell body by dynein. We used whole genome sequencing to identify the causative mutations for two temperature-sensitive flagellar assembly mutants in Chlamydomonas and validated the changes using reversion analysis. We examined the effect of these mutations on the localization of IFT81, an IFT complex B protein, the cytoplasmic dynein heavy chain (DHC1b), and the dynein light intermediate chain (D1bLIC). The strains, fla18 and fla24, have mutations in kinesin-2 and cytoplasmic dynein, respectively. The fla18 mutation alters the same glutamic acid (E24G) mutated in the fla10-14 allele (E24K). The fla18 strain loses flagella at 32°C more rapidly than the E24K allele but less rapidly than the fla10-1 allele. The fla18 mutant loses its flagella by detachment rather than by shortening. The fla24 mutation falls in cytoplasmic dynein and changes a completely conserved amino acid (L3243P) in an alpha helix in the AAA5 domain. The fla24 mutant loses its flagella by shortening within 6 hours at 32°C. DHC1b protein is reduced by 18-fold and D1bLIC is reduced by 16-fold at 21°C compared to wild-type cells. We identified two pseudorevertants (L3243S and L3243R), which remain flagellated at 32°C. Although fla24 cells assemble full-length flagella at 21°C, IFT81 protein localization is dramatically altered. Instead of localizing at the basal body and along the flagella, IFT81 is concentrated at the proximal end of the flagella. The pseudorevertants show wild-type IFT81 localization at 21°C, but proximal end localization of IFT81 at 32°C. The change in the AAA5 domain of the cytoplasmic dynein in fla24 may block the recycling of IFT trains after retrograde transport. It is clear that different alleles in the flagellar motors reveal different functions and roles. Multiple alleles will be important for understanding structure-function relationships.
Simultaneous discovery of rare and common segment variants

Copy number variant is an important type of genetic structural variation appearing in germline DNA, ranging from common to rare in a population. Both rare and common copy number variants have been reported to be associated with complex diseases, so it is therefore important to simultaneously identify both based on a large set of population samples. We develop a proportion adaptive segment selection procedure that automatically adjusts to the unknown proportions of the carriers of the segment variants. We characterize the detection boundary that separates the region where a segment variant is detectable by some method from the region where it cannot be detected. Although the detection boundaries are very different for the rare and common segment variants, it is shown that the proposed procedure can reliably identify both whenever they are detectable. Compared with methods for single sample analysis, this procedure gains power by pooling information from multiple samples. The method is applied to analyze neuroblastoma samples and identifies a large number of copy number variants that are missed by single-sample methods.
Lineage-specific Signaling in Melanocytes c-Kit STIMULATION RECRUITS p300/CBP TO MICROPHTHALMIA

During melanocyte development, the cytokine Steel factor activates its receptor c-Kit, initiating a signal transduction cascade, which is vital for lineage determination via unknown downstream nuclear targets. c-Kit has recently been found to trigger mitogen-activated protein kinase-mediated phosphorylation of Microphthalmia (Mi), a lineage-restricted transcription factor, which, like Steel factor and c-Kit, is essential for melanocyte development. This cascade results in increased Mi-dependent transcriptional reporter activity. Here we examine the mechanism by which Mi is activated by this pathway. Phosphorylation does not significantly alter Mi's nuclear localization, DNA binding, or dimerization. However, the transcriptional coactivator p300/CBP selectively associates with mitogen-activated protein kinase-phosphorylated Mi, even under conditions in which non-MAPK phospho-Mi is more abundant. Moreover, p300/CBP coactivates Mi transcriptional activity in a manner dependent upon this phosphorylation. Mi thus joins CREB as a transcription factor whose signal-responsive phosphorylation regulates coactivator recruitment, in this case modulating lineage development in melanocytes.
Potent synergy of ceftobiprole plus daptomycin against multiple strains of Staphylococcus aureus with various resistance phenotypes

Objectives: Ceftobiprole is a broad-spectrum cephalosporin that demonstrates activity against Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin, including strains with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides and lipopeptides. The addition of this agent provides a potential therapeutic option for difficult-to-treat infections. Synergy has been demonstrated between b-lactams combined with glycopeptides and lipopeptides against S. aureus. This study sought to determine whether ceftobiprole was synergistic with daptomycin, vancomycin or standard-of-care combination agents (gentamicin or rifampicin) against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains with varying degrees of vancomycin susceptibility. Methods: Broth microdilution MICs of ceftobiprole, daptomycin, vancomycin, rifampicin and gentamicin were evaluated for 20 MRSA isolates. Combination MICs were additionally evaluated in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of ceftobiprole to assess synergism. Time – kill curves for five representative isolates were performed utilizing combinations of ceftobiprole plus daptomycin, vancomycin, rifampicin and gentamicin to further quantify the degree of synergy for each regimen. Results: Ceftobiprole plus daptomycin represented the most potent combination with a 4-fold decrease in MIC and synergy against all strains evaluated in time– kill evaluations. Additionally, binding studies demonstrated enhanced daptomycin binding in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of ceftobiprole. Conclusions: The use of combination therapy with ceftobiprole may provide a needed addition for the treatment of Gram-positive infections resistant to daptomycin or vancomycin. Consistent with what has been observed with other b-lactams, ceftobiprole increased bodipy-tagged daptomycin binding on the surface of S. aureus, potentially explaining this potent synergy observed in time – kill evaluations. More detailed evaluation of ceftobiprole is warranted to better characterize observed synergy.
Rebalancing of the World Economy and Asia

We examine the issue of global rebalancing with much focus on East Asia, particularly China. For that purpose, we re-examine the determinants of current account balances applying updated data to the framework based on Chinn and Ito (2007). Based on our estimates, changes in the budget balance appear to be an important factor affecting current account balances for advanced current account deficit countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. We also find evidence for the effect of the “saving glut variables” on current account balances for emerging market countries. However, we also identify components of current account balances that cannot be explained by cross-country variation, but can be explained only by country-specific factors, suggesting that country-specific analysis is necessary to foresee the prospects of global rebalancing. For that purpose, we review the institutional aspects of China‟s development that has led to high saving in the country, particularly the factors that have contributed to high saving rates all three of the public, corporate, and household sectors. We find that all these factors are the outcome of the country‟s growth strategies and intricately intertwined with each other. These findings suggest that unless countries implement substantial policy changes, the global imbalances are unlikely to disappear.
Cerebellar Infarction in Adolescent Males Associated With Acute Marijuana Use

Objective. To demonstrate the clinical characteristics, radiologic findings, and neuropathologi- cal features of tetrahydrocannabinol-related posterior fossa ischemic stroke in adolescent patients. Design. A retrospective case and chart review of 3 cases encountered at a tertiary care institution over a span of 5 years. Setting. Inpatient and intensive care hospitalization units managing children and adolescents. Subjects. Male adolescent patients with ischemic cer- ebellar stroke after use of marijuana. Diagnostic Investigations. Computed tomography brain scans (3 subjects), magnetic resonance imaging brain study (1 subject), cerebral arteriography (1 subject), cerebellar biopsy (1 subject), and necropsy (2 subjects). Results. Three adolescent males had similar presen- tations of headache, fluctuating level of consciousness or lethargy, visual disturbance, and variable ataxia after self-administration of marijuana. They developed pri- mary cerebellar infarctions within days after the expo- sure that could not be attributed to supratentorial herni- ation syndromes and only minimally involved brainstem structures. Conclusions. Episodic marijuana use may represent a risk factor for stroke in childhood, particularly in the pos- terior circulation. Early recognition of the cerebellar stroke syndrome may allow prompt neurosurgical intervention, reducing morbidity. Pediatrics 2004;113:e365-e370. URL: http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/113/4/e365; isch- emic stroke, cerebral blood flow, marijuana, adolescent drug use.
Huanglongbing alters the structure and functional diversity of microbial communities associated with citrus rhizosphere.

The diversity and stability of bacterial communities present in the rhizosphere heavily influence soil and plant quality and ecosystem sustainability. The goal of this study is to understand how ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (known to cause Huanglongbing, HLB) influences the structure and functional potential of microbial communities associated with the citrus rhizosphere. Clone library sequencing and taxon/group-specific quantitative real-time PCR results showed that ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ infection restructured the native microbial community associated with citrus rhizosphere. Within the bacterial community, phylum Proteobacteria with various genera typically known as successful rhizosphere colonizers were significantly greater in clone libraries from healthy samples, whereas phylum Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, typically more dominant in the bulk soil were higher in ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’-infected samples. A comprehensive functional microarray GeoChip 3.0 was used to determine the effects of ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ infection on the functional diversity of rhizosphere microbial communities. GeoChip analysis showed that HLB disease has significant effects on various functional guilds of bacteria. Many genes involved in key ecological processes such as nitrogen cycling, carbon fixation, phosphorus utilization, metal homeostasis and resistance were significantly greater in healthy than in the ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’-infected citrus rhizosphere. Our results showed that the microbial community of the ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’-infected citrus rhizosphere has shifted away from using more easily degraded sources of carbon to the more recalcitrant forms. Overall, our study provides evidence that the change in plant physiology mediated by ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ infection could elicit shifts in the composition and functional potential of rhizosphere microbial communities. In the long term, these fluctuations might have important implications for the productivity and sustainability of citrusproducing agro-ecosystems. The ISME Journal (2012) 6, 363–383; doi:10.1038/ismej.2011.100; published online 28 July 2011 Subject Category: microbe–microbe and microbe–host interactions
A–movement and the EPP

The article argues that the EPP should be eliminated. It is shown that in a number of constructions the EPP does not hold at all. Where it does appear to hold, its effects follow from independent mechanisms of the grammar. EPP effects concerning the final landing site of A–movement follow from Case theory. Intermediate [Spec,IP]s are filled as a result of the requirement of successive cyclicity (i.e., locality); otherwise they remain empty, which is unexpected if the EPP were to hold. In particular, intermediate [Spec,IP]s remain empty in constructions involving expletive subjects, which I argue do not move at all. It is also argued that the requirement of successive cyclicity should not be tied to a property of intermediate heads, as in the feature–checking/filled–specifier requirement approach to successive cyclicity, but to a property of the movement itself.
Money Trouble in an African Art World: Copyright, Piracy, and the Politics of Culture in Postcolonial Mali

This article presents a genealogy of copyright and its criminalized corollary, piracy, through an emergent politics of culture in Mali, West Africa, over the past half-century. Emphasizing the production, circulation, and performance of music, this history reveals the steadily deepening social, political, and economic precarity that has shaped the subjectivity of the contemporary Malian artist. Framed as a critique, the essay brings the past to bear on the current era of neoliberalism and the anomic disjuncture between an unregulated free market and the disciplinary state institutions that neoliberal governmentality has produced within the Malian culture economy.
A Micro-Organic and Ecologic Investigation of Recent Sediments from Two Gulf Coast Cores: ABSTRACT

The relationship between the recoverable microorganic remains and the depositional environment of Recent sediments in two cores from the Gulf Coast area was studied. One continuous 3 3/4-foot core from Matagorda Delta was sectioned and studied every three inches in order to detect minute vertical variations. The second core from Galveston Bay was 63 feet long, but not continuous. Nine samples were studied, each sample representing an interval of two to three feet of sediment. The detailed analysis of the Matagorda core indicates three distinct depositional environments within the few feet of core. In descending order, these are marine, less marine, and more marine. In the 63 feet of Galveston core, analysis of samples gave an over-all picture of depositional environments, in descending order: marine, less marine, more marine, and continental. Therefore, the environments detected in the very detailed analysis of the continuous samples represent minor fluctuations in what shows up as a single environment in the longer core. The calcium carbonate content decreases with depth End_Page 347------------------------------ in both cores, suggesting some diagenetic effects after burial of the sediments and organic remains, rather than a direct relationship with foraminiferal and ostracodal populations. Foraminifera, Ostracoda, spores, and pollen are present in both cores. In addition, the core from Matagorda Delta contains hystrichosphaerids and the core from Galveston Bay contains diatoms. End_of_Article - Last_Page 348------------
Game Theory Meets Threshold Analysis: Reappraising the Paradoxes of Anarchy and Revolution

AbstractI resolve a previously unnoticed anomaly in the analysis of collective action problems. Some political theorists apply game theory to analyze the paradox of anarchy: War is apparently inevi...
To skeletonize the internal thoracic artery or not? Is that the question?

The internal thoracic artery (ITA) is the preferred conduit for surgical coronary artery revascularization because of superior long-term patency rates and observational evidence of improved long-term outcomes. It is usually harvested with a pedicle of surrounding tissue, presumably not to disrupt its viability and blood supply. Resultant hypoperfusion of the sternum and an increased rate of sternal wound infections, particularly when bilateral ITAs are used, have prompted certain surgeons to harvest the ITA in a skeletonized fashion, ie, without its surrounding tissue. Stripping the ITA from its surrounding tissues interrupts its nerve and blood supply and may hypothetically interfere with its function and reactivity. However, studies that have addressed this issue, including 2 randomized studies by Gaudino and his group,1,2 have provided convincing evidence that the integrity and reactivity of the skeletonized and pedicled ITA are similar. Article p 766 Currently, there is insufficient evidence to prompt the surgeon to harvest the ITA in a skeletonized fashion. Randomized studies comparing the skeletonized to the pedicled ITA are few, and most of the current knowledge on this subject comes from observational studies that offer insufficient evidence for or against skeletonization of the ITA.3 The report by Boodhwani et al, published in this issue of Circulation ,4 is a welcome addition to the literature because it provides the randomized intrapatient design necessary to address, more definitively, 3 questions that are pivotal in the comparative assessment of the skeletonized and pedicled ITA grafts. 1. Does skeletonization of the ITA improve sternal hypoperfusion compared with pedicle harvesting of the ITA? The study used standard nuclear imaging to evaluate sternal vascularity. It demonstrated a 17% increase in sternal perfusion on the side of the skeletonized artery compared with the side of the pedicled artery. Several previously published studies had provided good evidence of …
Capital tax competition and social security

The classic capital tax policy externality is studied in the presence of a social security program where both the benefits and taxes depend on wages in an overlapping generations economy with many countries and mobile capital. We study the response and welfare implications of a coordinated capital tax rate increase across countries competing for the mobile tax base on the initial generations, the transition, and the steady state. The tax increase is initially completely capitalized, but some of the burden is shifted to labor on the transition path and in the steady state. Several new welfare effects are uncovered including an effect involving the parameters of the social security program. Sufficient conditions are provided so that all current and future generations are better off from the reform. However, social security may reduce the gain to capital tax reform.
A biomechanical comparison of volar locked plating of intra-articular distal radius fractures: use of 4 versus 7 screws for distal fixation.

Purpose To determine whether the number of distal locking screws significantly affects stability of a cadaveric simulated distal radius fracture fixed with a volar locking plate. Methods We created AO/ASIF type C2 fractures in 10 matched pairs of human fresh-frozen cadaveric wrists and then fixed them using volar locking plates. The number of distal locking screws used was 4 screws or 7 screws in each wrist of the matched pair. We loaded the stabilized fractures cyclically to simulate 6 weeks of postoperative stressing during a therapy protocol and then loaded them to failure. Failure was defined as 2 mm or more of displacement of any fracture fragment as recorded by differential variable reluctance transducers. Results No wrists failed during the cyclic loading portion for either the 4- or 7-screw construct. The average initial stiffness of the 7-screw construct was 69 N/mm (±38) versus 48 N/mm (±14) for the 4-screw construct. The average failure load for the 7-screw construct was 139 N (±78) versus 108 N (±18) for the 4-screw construct. Neither of these differences was statistically significant. Conclusions Although there was a trend toward increased initial stiffness and higher failure load in fractures fixed distally with 7 locking screws, the results were not statistically significant compared with fractures fixed with only 4 screws. Both constructs can withstand forces likely encountered in early therapy protocols. Clinical relevance The use of extra distal locking screws when fixing distal radius fractures increases expense and may increase the risk of complications, such as extensor tendon irritation or rupture.
NanoCluster Itraconazole Formulations Provide a Potential Engineered Drug Particle Approach to Generate Effective Dry Powder Aerosols.

Abstract Background: Itraconazole (ITZ), a triazole antifungal agent, is a poorly water-soluble drug that is orally administered for treatment of fungal infections such as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and invasive aspergillosis (IA). ABPA is relatively well controlled but IA can be fatal, especially in immunosuppressed patients. Aerosolized ITZ delivered to the lung may provide a local treatment and prophylaxis against IA at the primary site of infection in the lungs. Variations of the percent fine particle fraction (FPF), the percent emitted dose, and the physical properties of the aerosol (e.g., crystallinity) can confound consistent delivery. Methods: ITZ NanoClusters were formulated via milling (top-down process) or precipitation (bottom-up process) without using any excipients. Itraconazole formulations (ITZ) were prepared by milling 1 gram of micronized itraconazole in 300 mL of fluid. The suspension was collected at 0.5, 1, and 2 hours milling time. Milled ITZ was compared to ITZ ...
Towards Defeasible Mappings for Tractable Description Logics

We present a novel approach to denote mappings between $$\mathcal {EL}$$-based ontologies which are defeasible in the sense that such a mapping only applies to individuals if this does not cause an inconsistency. This provides the advantage of handling exceptions automatically and thereby avoiding logical inconsistencies that may be caused due to the traditional type of mappings. We consider the case where mappings from many possibly heterogeneous ontologies are one-way links towards an overarching ontology. Questions can then be asked in terms of the concepts in the overarching ontology. We provide the formal semantics for the defeasible mappings and show that reasoning under such a setting is decidable even when the defeasible axioms apply to unknowns. Furthermore, we show that this semantics actually is strongly related to the idea of answer sets for logic programs.
Jacobian pattern synthesis and application for dynamic system ensembles using boolean linear fraction transformation

Simulation and analysis of complex, large-scale dynamic systems can be challenging. Complex system structures are difficult for systems engineers to explore and comprehend, and simulating large-scale systems often requires long computation time because of the size of the system equations. This paper introduces the Jacobian pattern for continuous dynamic systems. A Boolean linear fractional transformation (BLFT) computation is developed to compute the Jacobian pattern for a block diagram model by extending the existing Jacobian accumulation algorithm in the modeling and simulation environment Simulink. Applications illustrate faster simulation as well as the ability to better analyze and comprehend how variables on a dynamic system model affect one another.
Realizing the Promise of the Great Lakes Compact: A Policy Analysis for State Implementation

This article provides an overview of the Great Lakes as both a shared commons and a public trust. It outlines the challenges facing management of any commons and highlights the importance of the Public Trust Doctrine as a way to manage shared waters. This provides a backdrop for understanding and assessing the agreements and laws the Great Lakes States and Canadian Provinces have created to manage the Great Lakes Basin. The article starts with the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 and ends with the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and Agreement of 2005 (Compact), identifying progress and gaps. The author offers four areas where states can take action to improve the Great Lakes Compact, and assesses the water supply issues in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where the first request to divert water out of the Great Lakes under the Compact is projected.
Soft-Tissue Sarcomas: An Update for Radiologists Based on the Revised 2013 World Health Organization Classification

OBJECTIVE. Soft-tissue sarcomas are a diverse group of malignancies, and our rapidly improving understanding of their molecular pathogenesis and treatment is leading to better clinical outcomes. The revised 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of soft-tissue sarcomas introduced several important changes. We provide a comprehensive overview of the relevant changes for radiologists. CONCLUSION. Rapid advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis and molecular biology of soft-tissue sarcomas led to major revisions in the 2013 WHO classification. To provide optimal multidisciplinary patient care, radiologists must remain up-to-date with the latest developments in the field of soft-tissue sarcomas to best correlate the histologic and imaging features of the various types of tumors and understand the unique patterns of treatment response and disease recurrence.
The Kansas Squat Test Modality Comparison: Free Weights vs. Smith Machine.

Luebbers, PE and Fry, AC. The Kansas squat test modality comparison: free weights vs. smith machine. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2186-2193, 2016-Standardized methods of testing power are instrumental in planning and implementing training regimens for many athletes, and also in tracking training adaptations. Previous work has demonstrated that the Kansas squat test (KST) is a valid test for measuring indices of mean and peak power when compared with the Wingate anaerobic cycle test. Although the KST was designed for use with a Smith machine (SM), many power athletes use free weights for training. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using free weights (FW) for the KST by comparing it with the SM modality. Twenty-three track and field athletes participated (mean ± SD; weight, 69.7 ± 10.6 kg; age, 20.1 ± 1.1 years) in this study. Each completed familiarization sessions with the FW and SM modalities before data collection. A 1-repetition maximum squat was also determined for both the FW and SM. Correlation coefficients indicated significant relationships between the FW KST and SM KST on measures of peak test power (r = 0.955; p 0.05) or posttest lactate (r = 0.109; p > 0.05). Paired samples t-tests indicated that the FW KST resulted in significantly higher measures of peak power and mean power (p ≤ 0.01), although no differences were observed for relative fatigue or lactate (p > 0.05). These data indicate that the FW KST is a valid and feasible alternative to the SM KST in measuring peak and mean power.
Efficient entry of cell-penetrating peptide nona-arginine into adherent cells involves a transient increase in intracellular calcium.

Understanding the mechanism of entry of cationic peptides such as nona-arginine (R9) into cells remains an important challenge to their use as efficient drug-delivery vehicles. At nanomolar to low micromolar R9 concentrations and at physiological temperature, peptide entry involves endocytosis. In contrast, at a concentration ≥10 μM, R9 induces a very effective non-endocytic entry pathway specific for cationic peptides. We found that a similar entry pathway is induced at 1-2 μM concentrations of R9 if peptide application is accompanied by a rapid temperature drop to 15°C. Both at physiological and at sub-physiological temperatures, this entry mechanism was inhibited by depletion of the intracellular ATP pool. Intriguingly, we found that R9 at 10-20 μM and 37°C induces repetitive spikes in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. This Ca(2+) signalling correlated with the efficiency of the peptide entry. Pre-loading cells with the Ca(2+) chelator BAPTA (1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid) inhibited both Ca(2+) spikes and peptide entry, suggesting that an increase in intracellular Ca(2+) precedes and is required for peptide entry. One of the hallmarks of Ca(2+) signalling is a transient cell-surface exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS), a lipid normally residing only in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. Blocking the accessible PS with the PS-binding domain of lactadherin strongly inhibited non-endocytic R9 entry, suggesting the importance of PS externalization in this process. To conclude, we uncovered a novel mechanistic link between calcium signalling and entry of cationic peptides. This finding will enhance our understanding of the properties of plasma membrane and guide development of future drug-delivery vehicles.
Investigating therapies in ependymoma

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Ependymomas are a heterogeneous group of primary central nervous system neoplasms with varied clinical characteristics, pathologic appearances, survival outcomes, cytogenetic, gene expression, and epigenetic profiles. The variable outcomes with adjuvant radiotherapy and the meager success of cytotoxic chemotherapies point to a need to develop personalized, targeted therapies.Areas covered: This review provides an overview of clinical, pathologic, radiographic, prognostic, and treatment characteristics of ependymomas, summarizes recent discoveries in gene expression profiling, and future directions for the development of targeted and immunologic therapeutic strategies.Expert opinion: Translating the quickly accumulating molecular data into an improved system of grading, classification, prognostication, and therapeutic development will be necessary to improve patient outcomes.