cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insulin and Metabolic Stress Stimulate Multisite Serine/Threonine Phosphorylation of Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 and Inhibit Tyrosine Phosphorylation

IRS1 and IRS2 are key substrates of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase. Mass spectrometry reveals more than 50 phosphorylated IRS1 serine and threonine residues (Ser(P)/Thr(P) residues) in IRS1 from insulin-stimulated cells or human tissues. We investigated a subset of IRS1 Ser(P)/Thr(P) residues using a newly developed panel of 25 phospho-specific monoclonal antibodies (αpS/TmAbIrs1). CHO cells overexpressing the human insulin receptor and rat IRS1 were stimulated with insulin in the absence or presence of inhibitors of the PI3K → Akt → mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) → S6 kinase or MEK pathways. Nearly all IRS1 Ser(P)/Thr(P) residues were stimulated by insulin and significantly suppressed by PI3K inhibition; fewer were suppressed by Akt or mTOR inhibition, and none were suppressed by MEK inhibition. Insulin-stimulated Irs1 tyrosine phosphorylation (Tyr(P)Irs1) was enhanced by inhibition of the PI3K → Akt → mTOR pathway and correlated with decreased Ser(P)-302Irs1, Ser(P)-307Irs1, Ser(P)-318Irs1, Ser(P)-325Irs1, and Ser(P)-346Irs1. Metabolic stress modeled by anisomycin, thapsigargin, or tunicamycin increased many of the same Ser(P)/Thr(P) residues as insulin, some of which (Ser(P)-302Irs1, Ser(P)-307Irs1, and four others) correlated significantly with impaired insulin-stimulated Tyr(P)Irs1. Thus, IRS1 Ser(P)/Thr(P) is an integrated response to insulin stimulation and metabolic stress, which associates with reduced Tyr(P)Irs1 in CHOIR/IRS1 cells.
A wave propagation method for hyperbolic systems on the sphere

Presented in this work is an explicit finite volume method for solving general hyperbolic systems on the surface of a sphere. Applications where such systems arise include passive tracer advection in the atmosphere, shallow water models of the ocean and atmosphere, and shallow water magnetohydrodynamic models of the solar tachocline. The method is based on the curved manifold wave propagation algorithm of Rossmanith, Bale, and LeVeque [A wave propagation algorithm for hyperbolic systems on curved manifolds, J. Comput. Phys. 199 (2004) 631-662], which makes use of parallel transport to approximate geometric source terms and orthonormal Riemann solvers to carry out characteristic decompositions. This approach employs TVD wave limiters, which allows the method to be accurate for both smooth solutions and solutions in which large gradients or discontinuities can occur in the form of material interfaces or shock waves. The numerical grid used in this work is the cubed sphere grid of Ronchi, Iacono, and Paolucci [The 'cubed sphere': a new method for the solution of partial differential equations in spherical geometry, J. Comput. Phys. 124 (1996) 93-114], which covers the sphere with nearly uniform resolution using six identical grid patches with grid lines lying on great circles. Boundary conditions across grid patches are applied either through direct copying from neighboring grid cells in the case of scalar equations or 1D interpolation along great circles in the case of more complicated systems. The resulting numerical method is applied to several test problems for the advection equation, the shallow water equations, and the shallow water magnetohydrodynamic (SMHD) equations. For the SMHD equations, we make use of an unstaggered constrained transport method to maintain a discrete divergence-free magnetic field.
Mechanism for the hydrogen sulfide-induced growth limitation in wetland macrophytes

Hydrogen sulfide, a phytotoxin that often accumulates in anoxic marine and freshwater marsh soils, suppressed the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), the enzyme that catalyzes the terminal step in alcoholic fermentation, in the roots of two wetland macrophytes. This inhibition of root ADH activity with increasing sulfide concentration was associated with decreases in root total adenine nucleotide pool (ATP + ADP + AMP), the adenylate energy charge ratio (AEC), nitrogen uptake (percent recovery of rSNH,+-N) and growth (leaf elongation). These responses were species-specific with a greater negative impact in the freshwater marsh species that naturally inhabits low-sulfide environments. These findings lend support to the hypotheses that ADH activity, as a mcasurc of fermcntative metabolism, is important in maintaining the root energy status of wetland plants under hypoxic-anoxic conditions, that there is a significant negative effect of H,S on the anoxic production of energy in these roots, and that an important negative effect of H,S on plant growth is an inhibition of the energy-dependent process of N uptake.
Performance analysis of a generalized concurrent error detection procedure

A general procedure for error detection in complex systems, called the data block capture and analysis monitoring process, is described and analyzed. It is assumed that, in addition to being exposed to potential external fault sources, a complex system will in general always contain embedded hardware and software fault mechanisms which can cause the system to perform incorrect computations and/or produce incorrect output. Thus, in operation, the system continuously moves back and forth between error and no-error states. These external fault sources or internal fault mechanisms are extremely difficult to detect. The data block capture and analysis monitoring process is concerned with detecting deviations from the normal performance of the system, known as errors, which are symptomatic of fault conditions. The process consists of repeatedly recording a fixed amount of data from a set of predetermined observation lines of the system being monitored (i.e. capturing a block of data) and then analyzing the captured block in an attempt to determine whether the system is functioning correctly. >
A Decision-Theoretic Framework for Opportunistic Spectrum Access

Built on a hierarchical access structure with primary and secondary users, opportunistic spectrum access improves spectrum efficiency while maintaining compatibility with legacy wireless systems. The basic idea is to allow secondary users to exploit instantaneous spectrum availability while limiting the interference to primary users. In this article, we identify basic components, fundamental trade-offs, and practical constraints in opportunistic spectrum access. We introduce a decision-theoretic framework based on the theory of partially observable Markov decision processes. This framework allows us to systematically tackle the optimal integrated design and quantitatively characterize the interaction between signal processing for opportunity identification and networking for opportunity exploitation. A discussion of open problems, potential applications, and recent developments is also provided.
MCAT Elements and the TEF-1 Family of Transcription Factors in Muscle Development and Disease

MCAT elements are located in the promoter-enhancer regions of cardiac, smooth, and skeletal muscle-specific genes including cardiac troponin T, β-myosin heavy chain, smooth muscle α-actin, and skeletal α-actin, and play a key role in the regulation of these genes during muscle development and disease. The binding factors of MCAT elements are members of the transcriptional enhancer factor-1 (TEF-1) family. However, it has not been fully understood how these transcription factors confer cell-specific expression in muscle, because their expression patterns are relatively broad. Results of recent studies revealed multiple mechanisms whereby TEF-1 family members control MCAT element-dependent muscle-specific gene expression, including posttranslational modifications of TEF-1 family members, the presence of muscle-selective TEF-1 cofactors, and cell-selective control of TEF-1 accessibility to MCAT elements. In addition, of particular interest, recent studies regarding MCAT element-dependent transcription of the myocardin gene and the smooth muscle α-actin gene in muscle provide evidence for the transcriptional diversity among distinct cell types and subtypes. This article summarizes the role of MCAT elements and the TEF-1 family of transcription factors in muscle development and disease, and reviews recent progress in our understanding of the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms involved in MCAT element-dependent muscle-specific gene expression.
Abiotic reaction of iodate with sphagnum peat and other natural organic matter

Previous studies have shown that iodine (including 129I) can be strongly retained in organic-rich surface soils and sediment and that a large fraction of soluble iodine may be associated with dissolved humic material. Iodate (IO3−) reacts with natural organic matter (NOM) producing either hypoiodous acid (HIO) or I2 as an intermediate. This intermediate is subsequently incorporated into the organic matter. Based on reactions of model compounds, we infer that iodine reacts with peat by aromatic substitution of hydrogen on phenolic constituents of the peat. Alternatively, the intermediate, HIO or I2, may be reduced to iodide (I−). The pH (and temperature) dependence of the IO3− reaction (reduction) has been explored with sphagnum peat, alkali lignin, and several model compounds. The incorporation of iodine into NOM has been verified by pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Model compound studies indicate that reduction of IO3− to HIO may result from reaction with hydroquinone (or semiquinone) moieties of the peat.
Dehydrogenation, disproportionation and transfer hydrogenation reactions of formic acid catalyzed by molybdenum hydride compounds

The cyclopentadienyl molybdenum hydride compounds, CpRMo(PMe3)3−x(CO)xH (CpR = Cp, Cp*; x = 0, 1, 2 or 3), are catalysts for the dehydrogenation of formic acid, with the most active catalysts having the composition CpRMo(PMe3)2(CO)H. The mechanism of the catalytic cycle is proposed to involve (i) protonation of the molybdenum hydride complex, (ii) elimination of H2 and coordination of formate, and (iii) decarboxylation of the formate ligand to regenerate the hydride species. NMR spectroscopy indicates that the nature of the resting state depends on the composition of the catalyst. For example, (i) the resting states for the CpMo(CO)3H and CpMo(PMe3)(CO)2H systems are the hydride complexes themselves, (ii) the resting state for the CpMo(PMe3)3H system is the protonated species [CpMo(PMe3)3H2]+, and (iii) the resting state for the CpMo(PMe3)2(CO)H system is the formate complex, CpMo(PMe3)2(CO)(κ1-O2CH), in the presence of a high concentration of formic acid, but CpMo(PMe3)2(CO)H when the concentration of acid is low. While CO2 and H2 are the principal products of the catalytic reaction induced by CpRMo(PMe3)3−x(CO)xH, methanol and methyl formate are also observed. The generation of methanol is a consequence of disproportionation of formic acid, while methyl formate is a product of subsequent esterification. The disproportionation of formic acid is a manifestation of a transfer hydrogenation reaction, which may also be applied to the reduction of aldehydes and ketones. Thus, CpMo(CO)3H also catalyzes the reduction of a variety of ketones and aldehydes to alcohols by formic acid, via a mechanism that involves ionic hydrogenation.
CARBON NANOTUBE BASED NONVOLATILE MEMORY DEVICES

The technology progress and increasing high density demand have driven the nonvolatile memory devices into nanometer scale region. There is an urgent need of new materials to address the high programming voltage and current leakage problems in the current flash memory devices. As one of the most important nanomaterials with excellent mechanical and electronic properties, carbon nanotube has been explored for various nonvolatile memory applications. While earlier proposals of "bucky shuttle" memories and nanoelectromechanical memories remain as concepts due to fabrication difficulty, recent studies have experimentally demonstrated various prototypes of nonvolatile memory cells based on nanotube field-effect-transistor and discrete charge storage bits, which include nano-floating gate memory cells using metal nanocrystals, oxide-nitride-oxide memory stack, and more simpler trap-in-oxide memory devices. Despite of the very limited research results, distinct advantages of high charging efficiency at low operation voltage has been demonstrated. Single-electron charging effect has been observed in the nanotube memory device with quantum dot floating gates. The good memory performance even with primitive memory cells is attributed to the excellent electrostatic coupling of the unique one-dimensional nanotube channel with the floating gate and the control gate, which gives extraordinary charge sensibility and high current injection efficiency. Further improvement is expected on the retention time at room temperature and programming speed if the most advanced fabrication technology were used to make the nanotube based memory cells.
CMOS source-coupled logic for mixed-mode VLSI

A fully differential source-coupled logic technique intended for mixed-mode applications has been developed. Implemented in 2- mu m CMOS technology with a 5.0-V supply, the minimum propagation delay is about 750 ps with an 800-mV logic swing. Power supply current spikes are reduced by about two orders of magnitude compared to conventional static CMOS logic. >
Acute liver failure caused by herpes simplex virus in a pregnant patient: Is there a potential role for therapeutic plasma exchange?

A young woman presented with a febrile illness in the third trimester of pregnancy. Laboratory investigation revealed severe acute hepatitis with thrombocytopenia and coagulopathy. Liver injury progressed despite emergent caesarian section and delivery of a healthy infant. Therefore, therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) was performed on three consecutive days post-partum for a presumed diagnosis of acute liver failure (ALF) associated with pregnancy due to hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP) or acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP). Treatment with TPE was followed by biochemical and clinical improvement but during her recovery herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection was diagnosed serologically and confirmed histologically. Changes in the immune system during pregnancy make pregnant patients more susceptible to acute HSV hepatitis, HSV-related ALF, and death. The disease is characterized by massive hepatic inflammation with hepatocyte necrosis, mediated by both direct viral cytotoxicity and the innate humoral immune response. TPE may have a therapeutic role in acute inflammatory disorders such as HSV hepatitis by reducing viral load and attenuating systemic inflammation and liver cell injury. Further investigation is needed to clarify this potential effect. The roles of vigilance, clinical suspicion, and currently accepted therapies are emphasized.
Constituency of the Antigrowth Movement: A Comparison of the Growth Orientations of Urban Status Groups

This study tested the "status-growth hypothesis," which holds that antigrowth values are more pervasive among middle- and upper-class persons than those in blue-collar positions. Businessmen, howev...
The timetable for allopolyploidy in flowering plants

BACKGROUND Our understanding of the processes and dynamics of allopolyploid speciation, the long-term consequences of ploidal change, and the genetic and chromosomal changes in new emerged allopolyploids has substantially increased during the past few decades. Yet we remain uncertain about the time since lineage divergence when two taxa are capable of spawning such entities. Indeed, the matter has seemed intractable. Knowledge of the window of opportunity for allopolyploid production is very important because it provides temporal insight into a key evolutionary process, and a temporal reference against which other modes of speciation may be measured. SCOPE This Viewpoint paper reviews and integrates published information on the crossability of herbaceous species and the fertility of their hybrids in relation to species' divergence times. Despite limitations in methodology and sampling, the estimated times to hybrid sterility are somewhat congruent across disparate lineages. Whereas the waiting time for hybrid sterility is roughly 4-5 million years, the waiting time for cross-incompatibility is roughly 8-10 million years, sometimes considerably more. Strict allopolyploids may be formed in the intervening time window. The progenitors of several allopolyploids diverged between 4 and 6 million years before allopolyploid synthesis, as expected. This is the first study to propose a general temporal framework for strict allopolyploidy. This Viewpoint paper hopefully will stimulate interest in studying the tempo of speciation and the tempo of reproductive isolation in general.
Relaxation of Proton Conductivity and Stress in Proton Exchange Membranes Under Strain

The stress relaxation and proton conductivity of Nafion 117 membrane (N117-H) and sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymer membrane with 35% sulfonation (BPSH35) in acid forms were investigated under uniaxial loading conditions. The results showed that when the membranes were stretched, their proton conductivities in the direction of the strain initially increased compared to the unstretched films. The absolute increases in proton conductivities were larger at higher temperatures. It was also observed that proton conductivities relaxed exponentially with time at 30°C. In addition, the stress relaxation of N117-H and BPSH35 films under both atmospheric and an immersed (in deionized water) condition was measured. The stresses were found to relax more rapidly than the proton conductivity at the same strains. An explanation for the above phenomena is developed based on speculated changes in the channel connectivity and length of proton conduction pathway in the hydrophilic channels, accompanied by the rotation, reorientation, and disentanglements of the polymer chains in the hydrophobic domains.
Sleep well, breathe well, age well

Sleep-disordered breathing such as that occurring during obstructive sleep apnea is the most common sleep disorder and has been linked to dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In a small cohort of elderly women, sleep-disordered breathing was shown to increase the prospective risk of cognitive decline. However, any contribution of sleep-disordered breathing to dementia risk at a younger age, as well as the effect of treatment of sleep-disordered breathing using positive airway pressure (PAP), has not been explored. Osorio and colleagues now examine data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) to determine the effect of sleep-disordered breathing on the age of onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD. They analyzed three groups from the ADNI data set: those with self-reported sleep-disordered breathing, those reporting no sleep-disordered breathing, and those with self-reported sleep-disordered breathing who undertook PAP treatment. Due to the nature of the ADNI data set, which is collected from many sites, the investigators performed their analysis three times, each time with increasingly stringent entry criteria. They used Kaplan-Meyer survival analysis, with Cox regression for covariates that may affect AD risk, to compare the age of MCI and AD onset in the three groups. The mean age of MCI onset was much earlier in those with sleep-disordered breathing, remarkably 11 to 12 years earlier than for those without sleep-disordered breathing. The age of onset of AD was about 5 years earlier in the sleep-disordered breathing group, in the most stringent analysis. However, those with sleep-disordered breathing who undertook PAP treatment showed a 10-year delay in onset of MCI compared with those with sleep-disordered breathing who did not have treatment. This suggested that PAP treatment neutralized the effect of sleep-disordered breathing on the risk of developing MCI and AD. Brain changes seen in AD such as the accumulation of amyloid plaques are present years before any symptoms emerge. The data of Osorio et al. suggest that sleep-disordered breathing accelerates the progression from asymptomatic brain change to MCI, and then in some cases to AD. More importantly, these are the first data suggesting that treatment with PAP can “rescue” the sleep-disordered breathing group from early cognitive decline. The study is limited by using self-reporting to define sleep-disordered breathing and PAP usage; however, this would have biased the study towards the null. Additionally, due to missing data, 69% of potential participants were excluded from even the most permissive analysis. Even so, the study provides clinically useful evidence to support PAP treatment for sleep-disordered breathing, specifically to reduce the risk of cognitive decline. R. S. Osorio et al ., Sleep-disordered breathing advances cognitive decline in the elderly. Neurology 10.1212/WNL.0000000000001566 (2015). [[Full Text]][1] [1]: http://www.neurology.org/content/early/2015/04/15/WNL.0000000000001566.full.pdf+html
A second transthyretin mutation at position 33 (Leu/Phe) associated with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy

Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood lymphocytes of a patient with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) and the transthyretin (TTR) gene examined for sequence mutations. Polymerase chain reaction was used to asymmetrically amplify the TTR exons. Direct DNA sequencing of the PCR product revealed a C for T mutation at the first base of codon 33 located in exon 2 of one transthyretin gene. This resulted in a substitution of leucine for phenylalanine at position 33. Exons 3 and 4 were examined and found to be normal. The mutation creates a novel DdeI restriction site at the point of the mutation.
Optimization of ultra-long MQW semiconductor optical amplifiers for all-optical 40-Gb/s wavelength conversion

Detailed study of cross-phase modulation wavelength conversion based on ultra-long semiconductor optical amplifier is implemented to optimize the extinction ratio and pattern dependence. Error free 40 Gb/s wavelength conversion is demonstrated.
Piscirickettsia salmonis: a Gram‐negative intracellular bacterial pathogen of fish

Piscirickettsia salmonis is the first Gram-negative, intracellular bacterial pathogen isolated from fish and is a significant cause of mortality in salmonid fish. Recent reports of P. salmonis or P. salmonis-like organisms from new fish hosts and geographic regions have increased the interest in the bacterium. In this review, the important characteristics of the bacterium including recent taxonomic changes, features of the disease caused by the bacterium including transmission, hosts, reservoirs, diagnostic procedures, and current approaches for prevention and treatment have been discussed. The reader is also directed to other reviews concerning the bacterium and the disease it causes (Fryer & Lannan 1994, 1996; Almendras & Fuentealba 1997; Lannan, Bartholomew & Fryer 1999; House & Fryer 2002; Mauel & Miller 2002).
Robust construction of the Camera Network Complex for topology recovery

While performing tasks such as estimating the topology of camera network coverage or coordinate-free object tracking and navigation, knowledge of camera position and other geometric constraints about the environment are considered unnecessary. Instead, topological information captured by the construction of a simplicial representation called the CN-Complex can be utilized to perform these tasks. This representation can be thought of as a generalization of the so-called vision graph of a camera network. The construction of this simplicial complex consists of two steps: the decomposition of the camera coverage through the detection of occlusion events, and the discovery of overlapping areas between the multiple decomposed regions. In this paper, we present an algorithm for performing both of these tasks in the presence of multiple targets and noisy observations. The algorithm exploits temporal correlations of the detections to estimate probabilities of overlap in a distributed manner. No correspondence, appearance models, or tracking are utilized. Instead of applying a single threshold on the probabilities, we analyze the persistence of the topological features in our representation through a filtration process. We demonstrate the validity of our approach through simulation and an experimental setup.
Nitrite oxidation of myoglobin in perfused myocardium: implications for energy coupling in respiration.

Nitrite oxidation of oxymyoglobin in perfused rat myocardium under nonlimiting oxygen produces a detectable 1H nuclear magnetic resonance metmyoglobin (metMb) signal at -3.9 ppm. When the myocardium is perfused with 10 mM infused nitrite, myoglobin (Mb) oxidation becomes apparent. As the MbO2 gamma CH3 Val E11 signal intensity decreases, the metMb signal intensity at -3.9 ppm increases. At the same time the 31P high-energy phosphate signals, rate pressure product, and lactate formation exhibit significant alterations. Myocardial oxygen consumption, however, remains constant. The data indicate that Mb oxidation does not limit myocardial respiration but does reduce energy production. Pulse-recovery experiments further demonstrate that a transient perfusion with 2 mM infused nitrite depresses the contractile function, which does not recover during reperfusion with oxygenated, nitrite-free buffer. The findings support the view that either Mb mediates energy coupling or nitrite directly uncouples energy production in myocardium. They also reveal a glimpse of the intracellular reductase activity that maintains the Mb in the Fe (II) state.
Adoption of Sarbanes‐Oxley Act in China: Antecedents and Consequences of Separate Auditing

This study examined Chinese public companies’ reactions to regulations imposed by the Enterprise Internal Control Standard (the Chinese version of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act). We found some Chinese public companies used separate CPA firms to audit their internal control over financial reporting and financial statements – a practice that has not been addressed in prior studies on SOX adoption. In this paper, we examine the antecedents and consequences of separate auditing. First, because audit quality is an important aim of the Enterprise Internal Control Standard, we tested the influence of separate auditing on audit quality. Moreover, we theorized and hypothesized that a company's decision to employ separate auditing was influenced by the presence and proportion of directors on the board who performed multiple functions, thus affecting their concerns about the company's internal and external relations. An empirical analysis of 113 public Chinese companies that voluntarily disclosed and audited their internal control reports confirmed our hypotheses. Contribution to the literature, practical implications, and limitations are also discussed.
Failure of Seminal Plasma to Enter the Uterus and Oviducts of the Rabbit Following Artificial Insemination

Twelve adult does in estrus were artificially inseminated with 1ml of semen from bucks that had received injections of 3 H-thymidine 22 to 32days previously. The ejaculates contained radioactive seminal plasma and unlabeled sperm. The reproductive tracts of the does were removed at selected intervals after insemination, divided into segments of no more than 300mg, and processed for scintillation counting. Significant levels of radioactivity were never detected in any uterine or oviductal segment. The technique was capable of detecting as little as 1.5×10 −4 ml of semen in a segment. These results demonstrate that seminal plasma is not transported from the vagina into the uterus or oviducts in the rabbit, emphasizing the importance of the motility of spermatozoa in their passage to the site of fertilization.
Intrinsic noise in a Rb laser-excited optical filter

Narrow-bandwidth optical sources are readily available. However, tunable narrow-bandwidth wide field-of-view optical filters are not available. The laser-excited optical filters (LEOFs) presented here are in principle tunable narrow-bandwidth wide field-of-view optical filters. These filters can simultaneously provide high-resolution (0.001-nm), wide field-of-view (±90°), high-quantum-efficiency, and electrically tunable optical filtering. These devices are ideally suited for extracting weak narrow-bandwidth signals buried in strong nonresonant optical background radiation. Potential applications of these filters include laser communications, laser radar, detection of Raman radiation, and atomic spectroscopy.
Determination of the Validity and Reliability of a Modified Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale and Osteoporosis Self-Efficacy Scale to Include Vitamin D

Background/Purpose: Osteoporosis health beliefs and osteoporosis self-efficacy scales are commonly used in determining educational needs towards osteoporosis prevention but lack vitamin D content. This study examined the validity and reliability of Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS) and Osteoporosis Self Efficacy Scale (OSES) modified scales which included vitamin D content in order to be used in studies to increase vitamin D and calcium intakes for prevention of osteoporosis. Methods: Participants were a convenience sample of 153 college-aged adults at a Midwestern university. Factor analysis, Cronbach ?, and Intra-class correlation coefficients determined validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the modified scales. Results: The OHBS-D Cronbach ? was r = .82; subscales ranged from .75-.87. The OSES-D Cronbach ? was r = .98; subscales ranged from .96-.98. Total ICC for OHBS-D and OSES-D was .79 and .97 respectively. Factor analysis extracted eight factors for the OHBS-D and three factors for the OSES-D, which explained 52.2% and 82.2% of the total variance in all variables accounted for by each factor respectively. Conclusion: The modified scales were valid and reliable indicating they could be used to determine osteoporosis related health beliefs and self-efficacy.
Diagnostic dilemma in CNS Behçet's disease

A 23-year-old gentleman presented to the emergency department with new onset neurological dysfunction and painful oral and genital ulcers. Biopsies of the lesions noted non-specific inflammatory changes. MRI of the brain revealed a large mass-like lesion involving the pons, medulla, midbrain and surrounding cerebral tissue with T2 signal enhancement that was not amenable for biopsy. Both the ulcer biopsy results and the MRI findings could be attributed to either central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma or CNS Behcet9s disease. A diagnosis of CNS Behcet9s disease was thought to be most likely based on the clinical presentation and MRI findings. He was treated with high-dose immunosuppression and made a significant recovery.
Response of Early- and Late-Developing Broilers to Nutritionally Adequate and Restrictive Feeding Regimens During the Summer

Abstract Male broilers, characterized as either early- or late-developing based on their growth characteristics, were compared under summer conditions in their response to an adequate feeding regimen designed to optimize growth and a restrictive one intended to minimize late mortality. Accordingly, the early-developing strain grew faster initially, whereas the late-developing strain had the advantage prior to marketing. Ultimately, both strains had similar body weights at 49 d of age. Both broiler sources also responded similarly to each of the feeding regimens. Under summer conditions, adequate nutrition enabled reasonable growth rate throughout production, but restriction of effective protein relative to energy severely limited performance without an advantage to mortality. Differences in chilled carcass weights after processing paralleled differences in live body weight. Fillet yields and their physical dimensions were similar between strain-crosses, but they were both reduced as a consequence of using the restrictive regimen.
National Tax Lien Registry

The national lien registry proposal would create a single national online registry to record IRS liens and to undo liens when the underlying obligation is paid or discharged. The ease of a Web-based system would make lien practice easier for both the IRS and the taxpayer.The proposal is made as a part of the Shelf Project, a collaboration by tax professionals to develop and perfect proposals to help Congress when it needs to raise revenue. Shelf Project proposals are intended to raise revenue, defend the tax base, follow the money, and improve the rationality and efficiency of the tax system. The tax community can propose, follow, or edit proposals at http://www.taxshelf.org. A longer description of the Shelf Project can be found at ‘‘The Shelf Project: Revenue-Raising Projects That Defend the Tax Base,’’ Tax Notes, Dec. 10, 2007, p. 1077, Doc 2007-22632, 2007 TNT 238-37.Shelf Project proposals follow the format of a congressional tax committee report in explaining current law, what is wrong with it, and how to fix it.Copyright 2008 T. Keith Fogg.
Towards Identity in Linked Data.

Many Linked Data applications have come to rely on owl:sameAs for linking datasets. However, the current semantics for owl:sameAs assert that identity entails isomorphism, or that if a=b, then all statements of a and b are shared by both. This becomes problematic when dealing with provenance, context, and imperfect representations, all of which are endemic issues in Linked Data. Merging provenance can be problematic or even catastrophic in biomedical applications that demand access to provenance information. We use examples in biospecimen management, experimental metadata representations, and personal identity in Friend-of-a-Friend (FOAF) to demonstrate some of the problems that can arise with the use of owl:sameAs. We also show that the existence of an isomorphic owl:sameAs can be inconsistent with current expectations in a number of our use cases. We present a solution that allows the extraction of isomorphic statements without requiring their direct assertion. We also introduce a set of identity properties that can be extended for domain-specific purposes while maintaining clarity of definition within each property.
The Witch, the Household and the Community: Isobel Young in East Barns, 1580–1629

Isobel Young had land, wealth and power. Most of her life looks successful by early modern Standards. In her prime from 1590 to 1622, Young wielded influence over many people in her Community. She was a competent, perhaps skilled, household manager. Her husband, George Smith, was the proprietor (holding a feu, a heritable lease) of a produc- tive piece of land in East Barns in the parish of Dunbar, a fertile area of Scotland. She had four sons who brought wives into the household; she may also have had daughters. As well as Controlling the labour of at least twelve servants, she also held sway over tenants and households to whom she lent money and leased land. In 1622, her eldest son John combined Smith’s holding with his own — doubling the family’s holding at a time when other comparable East Barns families either stayed the same or declined.
RUNX1 Directly Regulates Band 3 Transcription.

RUNX1 (AML1 or CBFA2) regulates the expression of a number of genes important to hematopoiesis. Gene knockout studies demonstrated that a heterodimeric complex of RUNX1 and its DNA binding partner, core binding factor-beta (CBFbeta), is essential for definitive hematopoiesis. Here, we report that RUNX1 directly represses expression of the Band 3 gene prior to terminal erythroid differentiation. Band 3 is one of four major components of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton and is important for maintenance of cytoskeletal architecture and electroneutral Cl-/HCO3− exchange across the red cell membrane. Band 3 expression, like that of beta-globin , increases dramatically with terminal erythroid differentiation. In a previous study, we identified an upstream region in the mouse Band 3 gene designated as B3URE (for Band 3 upstream regulatory region) bound by multiple transcription factors, including TAL1 (also known as SCL), RUNX1, Ldb1, and GATA1, that acts as an orientation- and position-independent and tissue-specific repressive element. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis showed that RUNX1 was associated with the B3URE in intact MEL cells and electrophoretic mobility shift analysis confirmed specific RUNX1 interaction with RUNX1 binding sites in the B3URE. Together with CBFbeta, RUNX1 inhibited reporter activity from a construct linking the B3URE with 1 kb of Band 3 promoter in transiently transfected MEL but not COS cells. DNA affinity precipitation analysis with wild-type and mutant oligos established that RUNX1 and CBFbeta in MEL cell nuclear extracts could interact with the B3URE in vitro and suggested that RUNX1 recruits TAL1 and Ldb1 to DNA. Northern blot and quantitative real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that enforced expression of RUNX1 dramatically inhibited dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)-induced Band 3 gene expression. Quantitative ChIP analysis showed that histone acetylation in the B3URE increased more than 4-fold, while histone methylation decreased ~50% after 3 days of DMSO-induced differentiation. Over the same time frame, the promoter region underwent significantly less acetylation but more extensive demethylation. Finally, changes in B3URE acetylation and methylation were attenuated and inhibited, respectively, in RUNX1-transfected MEL cells relative to vector controls. In sum, these results demonstrate that the Band 3 gene is a direct target of RUNX1 in erythroid cells and indicate that the B3URE contributes to the tightly regulated expression of this gene in differentiating erythroid progenitors. One mechanism by which RUNX1 regulates Band 3 transcription may be by influencing histone acetylation/methylation in this upstream regulatory region.
Middle Pleistocene Homo Crania from Broken Hill and Petralona: Morphology, Metric Comparisons, and Evolutionary Relationships

A fossilized human cranium was discovered by miners quarrying at Broken Hill (now Kabwe) in 1921. Broken Hill is one of the best preserved hominins ever recovered from a later Middle Pleistocene locality. Remarkably, no comprehensive descriptive or comparative account has been published since 1928. Overall, Broken Hill resembles Homo erectus . The frontal is flattened with midline keeling, the vault is low, and the massive face is “hafted” to the braincase in such a way as to accentuate facial projection. At the same time, there are apomorphic features shared with later humans. Brain size is 1280 cm3, the temporal squama is arch-shaped, and the upper scale of the occipital is expanded relative to its lower nuchal portion. Specialized characters of the temporomandibular joint region include a raised articular tubercle and a sphenoid spine. Reorientation of the nasal aperture and placement of the incisive canal suggest that the face may be more nearly vertical than in H. erectus. It is apparent that Broken Hill is similar to other African crania from Bodo, Ndutu, and Elandsfontein as well as European fossils including Arago and Petralona. However, the systematic position of these hominins remains controversial. The material has been grouped into a series of grades within a broad H. sapiens category. A very different reading of the record recognizes multiple, distinct taxa and suggests that speciation must have occurred repeatedly throughout the Pleistocene. Still another perspective holds that differences among the African and European specimens are minor and can be attributed to geography and intragroup variation. It is argued that many of the fossils belong together in one widely dispersed taxon. If the Mauer mandible is included within this hypodigm, then the appropriate name is H. heidelbergensis . Treated in a broad sense, H. heidelbergensis is ancestral to both H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens . This study will provide a detailed account of the morphology of Broken Hill and its similarities to other Middle Pleistocene hominins from Africa. Comparisons will include Arago, Petralona, and assemblages such as Sima de los Huesos. My approach will address the taxonomic utility of characters of the vault, cranial base and face, species-level systematics, and evolutionary relationships.
U.S. maritime strategy: a dangerous game

U.S. naval operations near Soviet territory could prompt Moscow to use nuclear weapons to protect the remainder of its strategic deterrent — the first step in what could be uncontrolled nuclear escalation.
Speaking in Tongues: Can International Graduate Students Read International Graduate Admissions Materials?.

A recent Educational Testing Services report (2016) found that international graduate students with a TOEFL score of 80—the minimum average TOEFL score for graduate admission in the United States—usually possess reading subscores of 20, equating to a 12 th -grade reading comprehension level. However, one public flagship university’s international graduate student admissions instructions are written at a 17 th -grade reading comprehension level, or, a 27-30 band on the reading section of the TOEFL. This study seeks to answer the question, “Do U.S. graduate programs compose admissions materials at unreadable levels compared to these programs’ minimum reading comprehension levels for international graduate student admission?” Findings reveal average public flagship international graduate student admissions materials are written above 15 th -grade reading comprehension levels, with select flagships composing these materials at 19th grade reading levels. Implications for practitioners and policymakers, as well as areas of future research, are addressed.
Nucleic acid synthesis in bacteria infected by T-even bacteriophages

Nous avons etudie la sequence des syntheses d’acides nucleiques et de proteines dans E. Coli infecte par T2 , comme un modele du controle genetique de la synthese d’un polymere et de certains types de differenciation. Apres que l’ADN viral est entre dans la bacterie, il y a synthese de plusieurs constituants necessaires pour la multiplication du virus. L’injection de l’ADN viral conduit a la formation d’un nouvel ARN qui, des les premieres minutes, determine la production rapide et la specificite d’une proteine virale et de 14 nouveaux enzymes importants dans la synthese de l’ADN viral. Environ 7 minutes apres l’infection, l’ADN viral est forme ; en meme temps, une partie du nouvel ARN est specifiquement degrade et la production d’enzymes commence a s’arreter. Ainsi qu’on le voit dans des extraits a-cellulaires, les produits de l’ARN (ribonucleotides libres) sont convertis en desoxyribonucleotides, et fournissent ainsi des precurseurs immediats pour la synthese de l’ADN. L’enzyme necessaire a cette conversion apparait tardivement; son fonctionnement a cet instant amorce la rapide synthese de l’ADN viral. Peu apres que l’ADN viral commence a s’accumuler, la synthese enzymatique est remplacee presque entierement par la production d’au moins 8 proteines virales specifiques.
Research on Children and Television: A Review of 1980

(1981). Research on Children and Television: A Review of 1980. Annals of the International Communication Association: Vol. 5, Communication Yearbook 5, pp. 353-368.
Implementation and use of cloud-based electronic lab notebook in a bioprocess engineering teaching laboratory

Electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) are better equipped than paper lab notebooks (PLNs) to handle present-day life science and engineering experiments that generate large data sets and require high levels of data integrity. But limited training and a lack of workforce with ELN knowledge have restricted the use of ELN in academic and industry research laboratories which still rely on cumbersome PLNs for recordkeeping. We used LabArchives, a cloud-based ELN in our bioprocess engineering lab course to train students in electronic record keeping, good documentation practices (GDPs), and data integrity. Implementation of ELN in the bioprocess engineering lab course, an analysis of user experiences, and our development actions to improve ELN training are presented here. ELN improved pedagogy and learning outcomes of the lab course through stream lined workflow, quick data recording and archiving, and enhanced data sharing and collaboration. It also enabled superior data integrity, simplified information exchange, and allowed real-time and remote monitoring of experiments. Several attributes related to positive user experiences of ELN improved between the two subsequent years in which ELN was offered. Student responses also indicate that ELN is better than PLN for compliance. We demonstrated that ELN can be successfully implemented in a lab course with significant benefits to pedagogy, GDP training, and data integrity. The methods and processes presented here for ELN implementation can be adapted to many types of laboratory experiments.
Innovative ESP Teaching Practices and Materials Development

As tertiary-level students progress in their studies, they reach a point where they need to read and write the genres valued in their chosen disciplines. The transition from general academic English to English for specific purposes (ESP) begins at this juncture. ESP instruction facilitates this transition by equipping students with the language and genre-analysis skills needed to access their respective disciplinary genres. In this chapter, we introduce two approaches to ESP instruction that can be sequenced to ease students’ progression toward disciplinary literacy. With the read–and–notice approach, ESP students are guided in noticing, comparing, and contrasting written disciplinary conventions. This pre-production stage serves as preparation for the later read–analyze and write approach. To illustrate what can be accomplished with both approaches, we highlight innovative teaching practices and materials developed specifically for students in an organic chemistry lab and in a subsequent reading-and-writing intensive course for chemistry majors. Particular attention is paid to an online read-and-notice module integrated into an organic chemistry lab. Examples from ten online assignments are provided, and implications for other disciplines are discussed.
Ten-year weight gain is associated with elevated fasting insulin levels and precedes glucose elevation.

BACKGROUND Numerous studies have examined the relationship between endogenous insulin and weight change with mixed results. This study examined the relationship between fasting insulin levels, insulin resistance (IR), and 10-year weight change by glycaemic stage. METHODS Using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014, 3840 participants were divided into 6 groups based on fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels. Fasting insulin concentrations were dichotomized into <25th percentile (normal) and ≥25th percentile (elevated). Ten-year weight change associated with fasting insulin was assessed by glycaemic stage. RESULTS Average weight change over a 10-year period was higher in individuals with elevated insulin levels compared to the first quartile (1.40 lbs. vs 11.12 lbs, P < .0001). Across all groups, a 1 μU increase in fasting insulin levels resulted in a 0.52-pound increase in weight (P < .0001). Similarly, an increase in HOMA-IR was associated with increase in weight (1.32 lbs per IR unit, P < .0001). Marginal increases in weight were most pronounced in the normal insulin groups compared to elevated insulin groups and diminished as glycaemic stage progressed. CONCLUSIONS Elevated fasting insulin level was positively associated with weight gain. The impact of fasting insulin and IR on weight gain preceded hyperglycaemia and diminished as glycaemic stage progressed.