cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Criteria to determine likelihood of brain injury during explosive events

The occurrence of blast-induced brain injury in individuals serving in Iraq and Afghanistan is dramatically higher than in past conflicts. This has been attributed in part to the prevalence of roadside improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. There is a call from the military medical community to reduce the reliance on victim self-reporting as the primary diagnosis technique to determine the likelihood of brain injury after a blast. This study demonstrates the ability to establish criteria which correlates easily measured parameters to the probability of cerebral contusion and, thus, brain injury. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to establish the environment from a full range of threats. This is combined with bond graph modeling of varying levels of fidelity to estimate the dynamics of the skull and brain. Results clearly show that a boundary exists in the threat parameter space that determines whether brain injury is probable.
The clinical potential of sphingolipid-based therapeutics.

The era of sphingolipid-based therapeutics is upon us. A large body of work has been accumulating that demonstrates the distinct biological roles of sphingolipids in maintaining a homeostatic environment and in responding to environmental stimuli to regulate cellular processes. It is thus necessary to further investigate alterations in sphingolipid-metabolism in pathological conditions and, in turn, try to exploit altered sphingolipid-me- tabolizing enzymes and their metabolites as therapeutic targets. This review will examine how advances in the fields of drug delivery, drug discovery, synthetic chemistry, enzyme replacement therapy, immunobiology, infectious disease and nanotechnology have delivered the potential and promise of utilizing and/or targeting sphingolipid metabolites as therapies for diverse diseases.
Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome and reproduction.

Purpose of reviewTo review the recent diagnostic criteria, clinical implications, and therapeutic protocols for antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS).Recent findingsMuch has been learned in the recent years concerning the diagnosis of and clinical implications associated with the APS. A number of
Conformational energy calculations on glycosylated turns in glycoproteins

Analysis of the amino acid sequence of glycoproteins has suggested the β-turn as a likely site of glycosylation in glycoproteins. According to this model, the peptide chain traverses the interior of a globular protein, reversing its direction at the protein surface, a likely point for the attachment of hydrophilic carbohydrate residues. In order to search for plausible conformations of glycosylated β-turns in asparagine-linked glycoproteins, we have adapted the conformational energy calculation method of Scheraga and coworkers for use in carbohydrates. The parameters for nonbonded and hydrogen-bonded interactions have been published, and electrostatic parameters are derived from a CNDO calculation on a model glycopeptide. Our results indicate that the orientation of the glycosyl amide bond having the amide proton nearly trans to the anomeric proton of the sugar has the lowest energy. Although CD and nmr experiments in our laboratory have consistently found this conformation, our calculations show the conformation having these two protons in a cis relationship to lie very close in energy. Calculations on the glycopeptide linkage model, α-N-acetyl, δ-N(2-acetamido-1,2-dideoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-N′-methyl-L-asparaginyl amide show that several distinct geometries are allowed for glycosylated β-turns. For a type I β-turn, three conformations of the glycosylated side chain are found within 4 kcal of the minimum, while two conformations of the glycosylated side chain are allowed for a type II turn. The hydrogen-bonded C7 conformation is also allowed. Stereoviews of the low-energy conformations reveal no major hydrogen-bonding interaction between the peptide and sugar.
Dynamics of peptides with fixed geometry: kinetic energy terms and potential energy derivatives as functions of dihedral angles

Expressions are derived for computing the kinetic energy of a peptide with fixed geometry, in terms of dihedral angles as generalized coordinates; other expressions required for the solution of Lagrange's equations are also presented. The peptide is regarded as held stationary at one end. We also outline the computations that are needed in calculating the components of the third derivative of a potential energy function that consists of a sum of pairwise interatomic interactions.
Do Big Five personality traits associated with self-control influence the regulation of anger and aggression?☆

Abstract This study examined whether Big Five personality traits associated with the ability to exhibit self-control would moderate the anger–aggression link. A total of 126 participants (63 women) completed personality measures. In a separate experimental session, participants wrote an essay and then received either positive or negative feedback from a fictitious participant. Participants were given the opportunity to aggress against the supposed other person. Baseline and post-experimental emotions were assessed. EEG was recorded to measure activity in midfrontal, lateral-frontal, and parietal areas. Results replicated previous findings that anger is associated with left relative to right prefrontal asymmetry and aggression. Conscientiousness was negatively associated with anger and relative left prefrontal asymmetry. Conscientiousness also moderated the link between anger and aggression. Agreeableness was positively associated with anger, but only when levels of conscientiousness were low.
Diels-alder cycloaddition of tetrachlorothiophene-S,S-dioxide to azulene

Abstract The cycloaddition of tetrachlorothiophene-S,S-dioxide to azulene occurs across the 1- and 2-positions to give 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenz[a]azulene.
Alzheimer's Dementia: Performance on parallel forms of the Dementia Assessment Battery

Fifty-four patients with Alzheimer's disease performed on the Dementia Assessment Battery that comprised of finger tapping, forward digit span, naming, verbal memory, visual memory, Token Test, digit cancellation, word-list generation, symbol-digit substitution, and copying geometric designs. Four forms of the battery were administered at weekly intervals. The equivalence of the forms, the relative difficulty of the tests, retest reliability, and factorial composition of the battery are presented. Performance improved with repetition. Impairments in visuo-spatial and verbal abilities were independent of each other. The fragility of the patients' working memory was identified as a main cause for their poor recall. The importance of "component analysis" in individual assessment is illustrated.
A hydrogen leakage detection system using self-powered wireless hydrogen sensor nodes

Abstract A self-powered wireless hydrogen sensor node has been designed and developed from a system level approach. By using multi-source energy harvesting circuitry such as scavenged or “reclaimed” energy from light emitting and vibrational sources as the source of power for commercial low power microcontrollers, amplifiers, and RF transmitters, the sensor node is capable of conditioning and deciphering the output of hydrogen sensitive ZnO nanorods sensors. Upon the detection of a discernible amount of hydrogen, the system will ‘wake’ from an idle state to create a wireless data communication link to relay the detection of hydrogen to a central monitoring station. Two modes of operation were designed for the use of hydrogen detection. The first mode would sense for the presence of hydrogen above a set threshold, and alert a central monitoring station of the detection of significant levels of hydrogen. In the second mode of operation, actual hydrogen concentrations starting as low as 10 ppm are relayed to the receiver to track the amount of hydrogen present.
Crystal growth, structural characterization and magnetic properties of Ca3CuRhO6, Ca3Co1.34Rh0.66O6 and Ca3FeRhO6

Abstract Single crystals of Ca3CuRhO6, Ca3Co1.34Rh0.66O6 and Ca3FeRhO6 were synthesized by high temperature flux growth in molten K2CO3 and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. While Ca3Co1.34Rh0.66O6 and Ca3FeRhO6 crystallize with trigonal (rhombohedral) symmetry in the space group R 3 c , Z=6: Ca3Co1.34Rh0.66O6 a=9.161(1) A, c=10.601(2) A; Ca3FeRhO6 a=9.1884(3) A, c=10.7750(4) A; Ca3CuRhO6 adopts a monoclinic distortion of the K4CdCl6 structure in the space group C2/c, Z=4: a=9.004(2) A, b=9.218(2) A, c=6.453(1) A, β=91.672(5). All crystals of Ca3CuRhO6 examined were twinned by pseudo-merohedry. Ca3CuRhO6, Ca3Co1.34Rh0.66O6, and Ca3FeRhO6 are structurally related and contain infinite one-dimensional chains of alternating face-sharing RhO6 octahedra and MO6 trigonal prisms. In the monoclinic modification, the copper atoms are displaced from the center of the trigonal prism toward one of the rectangular faces adopting a pseudo-square planar configuration. The magnetic properties of Ca3CuRhO6, Ca3Co1.34Rh0.66O6, and Ca3FeRhO6 are discussed.
The infrared spectra of organic thiocyanates and isothiocyanates

Abstract The infrared spectra of several organic thiocyanates and isothiocyanates have been studied. The thiocyanates and the isothiocyanates can be distinguished by their characteristic vibration frequencies around 2140 cm−1 and between 2060–2105 cm−1, respectively. These respective frequencies serve as an analytical tool for distinguishing these isomers both singly and in mixtures.
Neurogranin provides a kinetic proof reading mechanism for decoding Ca2+signals that may govern the induction of synaptic plasticity

At excitatory synapses of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, the activation of postsynaptic calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) by calmodulin (CaM) during a brief high magnitude elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca]i) results in LTP induction. Conversely, the same protein, CaM, activates PP2B (calcineurin) during a prolonged modest rise of [Ca]i that induces LTD [1,2]. We would like to understand the mechanism by which the same protein (CaM) can activate one process while suppressing the other?
Distribution of tin in brain subcellular fractions following the administration of trimethyl tin and triethyl tin to the rat

The time course of tin distribution in homogenates and subcellular fractions of rat brain was determined following the acute administration of trimethyl tin (TMT) and triethyl tin (TET) to the rat. Exposure to TMT resulted in lower concentrations but greater persistence of tin in subcellular fractions compared to exposure to TET. A delayed accumulation of tin in the mitochondrial fraction was observed following the administration of TMT but not TET. Analysis of total protein and mitochondrial markers did not reveal differences between the compositions of mitochondrial fractions prepared from control and TMT-treated subjects.
On the phase diagram of finite-temperature QCD in the presence of dynamical quarks☆

Abstract We study finite-temperature QCD at intermediate values of the bare quark mass m by pseudofermions Monte Carlo for three fermionic flavors on 6 3 × 4 and 8 3 × 2 lattices. On the 6 3 × 4 lattice we study the finite-temperature deconfining and chiral restoration transitions up to values of m for which the critical coupling β c is the same as the pure gauge case. On the 8 3 × 2 lattice we carry on a direct comparison between the pseudofermions method and the hopping parameter expansion for intermediate values of m : we conclude that in this region of values of m the two methods give different results.
Morphology and electronic structure of the Ca/Si(111) system

Abstract The Ca/Si(1 1 1) system has been studied using reflection high-energy electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), synchrotron radiation photoemission, and first-principles total-energy calculations. This system forms a series of odd-order n×1 (n=3,5,7,…) reconstructions that culminate with a 2×1 phase at 0.5 ML. Our results indicate that the honeycomb-chain-channel (HCC) model accounts well for the observed data from the 3×1 surface. We propose a model for the 2×1 phase based upon π-bonded Seiwatz Si chains, and explain the intermediate odd-order phases as appropriate combinations of the 2×1 Seiwatz chains and 3×1 HCC chains. Calculated surface energies based on this model correctly predict that for increasing Ca coverage, the 3×1, 5×1, and 2×1 phases will each appear as stable phases. Simulated STM images are in excellent agreement with experiment. The Ca 3×1 phase exhibits a suppression of emission at the Fermi level and a local 2a (a=0.38 nm ) corrugation along the rows in STM images, both of which are consistent with the formation of either a charge-density wave or a one-dimensional correlated insulator.
Root Causes of Errant Ordered Radiology Exams: Results of a Needs Assessment

A comprehensive needs assessment was conducted at ATA hospital to determine the root causes of a high number of errant radiology orders from requesting physicians. The Human Performance Technology Model, Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model, and Rummler and Brache's Nine Performance Variables Model guided the needs assessment process. Three solutions were proposed. The development of the long-term solution, a software utility, has been initiated. The Behavior Engineering Model was used to identify possible solutions to post-training performance gaps identified during the evaluation.
Sellars on Hume and Kant on Representing Complexes

In his graduate-seminar lectures on Kant—published as Kant and Pre-Kantian Themes (Sellars 2002)—Wilfrid Sellars argues that because Hume cannot distinguish between a vivacious idea and an idea of something vivacious he cannot account for the human ability to represent temporally complex states of affairs. The first section of this paper aims to show that this argument is not properly aimed at the historical Hume who can, on a proper reading, distinguish these kinds of representations. This is not, however, Sellars’ only argument for this conclusion. The next section of this paper continues with a discussion of an argument that Sellars presents on Kant’s behalf in Science and Metaphysics, and its key Kantian premise that, pace Hume, only conceptual representations can represent any complex states of affairs as such. The conclusion of this discussion is that Sellars does indeed present compelling reasons for rejecting a Humean account, reasons centred on the ambiguity of the associative structure of mental representation (which Sellars subsequently replaces with inferential structure). The paper concludes with an examination of the sense in which non-conceptual representations—such as those that Hume considers—represent and the role that these play in conceptual representation for both Sellars and Kant.
Spectrum of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial infection.

PURPOSE: To organize pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTMB) infections into a classification system based on clinical and radiographic features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Scientific literature was reviewed and organized into a framework of clinical-radiographic syndromes of NTMB infection. RESULTS: NTMB infection was classified into five clinical-radiographic syndromes. The "classical" form radiographically mimics tuberculosis. It is seen predominantly in white male patients with underlying chronic obstructive lung disease. "Nonclassical" disease radiographically appears as nodular infiltrates and bronchiectasis in a sporadic distribution. It characteristically occurs in elderly women without underlying chronic illness. Asymptomatic nodules are another manifestation. Immunocompromised individuals develop disseminated infection, often with few or no pulmonary symptoms but various chest radiographic manifestations. Patients with achalasia have a radiographic appearance that most often resembles aspirati...
Effect of puromycin on RNA synthesis in HeLa cells.

Abstract Sedimentation analyses of RNA from HeLa cells have revealed that rapidly-labeled RNA sediments faster in a sucrose gradient than ribosomal RNA ( Scherrer and Darnell, 1962 ). This RNA fraction is confined to the nucleus and its synthesis is prevented by a low level (0.01 μg/ml) of actinomycin D ( Tamaoki and Mueller, 1962 ). Recent papers by Perry (1963) and Scherrer et al. (1963) indicate that at least two kinds of RNA are present in the rapidly sedimenting fraction: (1) a precursor RNA which converts into ribosomal RNA in the presence of actinomycin D, and (2) DNA-like RNA which is capable of forming a hybrid with HeLa cell DNA and stimulates amino acid incorporation in a cell-free E . coli system. In this paper, the effect of puromycin on RNA metabolism in HeLa cells will be presented. The data illustrate that the synthesis and turnover of a fraction of the heavy RNA continued in the presence of puromycin, whereas the introduction of guanine-8-C14 into other classes of RNA (28 and 16s) was blocked by puromycin.
Blood pressure and heart rate changes accompanying classical eyeblink conditioning in the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

In two experiments employing 38 rabbits differential classical conditioning of heart rate, blood pressure, and corneoretinal potential (CRP) response were examined using l-sec and 4-sec interstimulus intervals ISI respectively. The conditioned response consisted of HK decelerations and DP depressor responses early in conditioning. However, many, but not all, animals revealed pressor responses and HR accelerations after the CRP discrimination was acquired. Significant correlations were also obtained between BP pressor responses, HR accelerations, and the frequency of CRP CRs. These results were discussed within the context of the orienting and defense reflexes.
Protective Actions of the Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 (VMAT2) in Monoaminergic Neurons

Vesicular monoamine transporters (VMATs) are responsible for the packaging of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and epinephrine into synaptic vesicles. These proteins evolved from precursors in the major facilitator superfamily of transporters and are among the members of the toxin extruding antiporter family. While the primary function of VMATs is to sequester neurotransmitters within vesicles, they can also translocate toxicants away from cytosolic sites of action. In the case of dopamine, this dual role of VMAT2 is combined-dopamine is more readily oxidized in the cytosol where it can cause oxidative stress so packaging into vesicles serves two purposes: neurotransmission and neuroprotection. Furthermore, the deleterious effects of exogenous toxicants on dopamine neurons, such as MPTP, can be attenuated by VMAT2 activity. The active metabolite of MPTP can be kept within vesicles and prevented from disrupting mitochondrial function thereby sparing the dopamine neuron. The highly addictive drug methamphetamine is also neurotoxic to dopamine neurons by using dopamine itself to destroy the axon terminals. Methamphetamine interferes with vesicular sequestration and increases the production of dopamine, escalating the amount in the cytosol and leading to oxidative damage of terminal components. Vesicular transport seems to resist this process by sequestering much of the excess dopamine, which is illustrated by the enhanced methamphetamine neurotoxicity in VMAT2-deficient mice. It is increasingly evident that VMAT2 provides neuroprotection from both endogenous and exogenous toxicants and that while VMAT2 has been adapted by eukaryotes for synaptic transmission, it is derived from phylogenetically ancient proteins that originally evolved for the purpose of cellular protection.
Effect of dimethyl sulfoxide on the in vitro and in vivo bactericidal activity of human and mouse neutrophils and mononuclear phagocytes.

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is reported to have antiinflammatory activity in various systems. Since resistance to bacterial infection can be thought of as a specialized type of inflamation, we were interested in determining the effect of DMSO on phagocyte bactericidal activity. The results indicated that in vitro DMSO treatment of human and mouse neutrophils and mononuclear phagocytes caused a dose-dependent inhibition of the killing ofEscherichia coli andListeria monocytogenes. However, pretreatment of mice with DMSO in vivo caused only a slight decrease in the subsequent in vitro bactericidal activity of neutrophils and macrophages from those mice. In addition, repeated injection of mice with a physiologically relevant dosage of DMSO did not enhance the lethality of eitherE. coli orL. monocytogenes, nor did it affect the clearance of a sublethalListeria challenge from the spleen and liver. These results suggest that clinical usage of DMSO should not predispose human subjects to bacterial infection.
Free Vibration Studies of Classical Beams/Rods with Lumped Masses at Boundaries Using an Approach Based on Wave Vibration

Vibrations in beams/rods with lumped masses at boundaries are normally not covered in introductory vibration textbooks. An effort is made here to formulate a concise and systematic approach to the study of the relatively complex vibration problems pertaining to such structures. An exact analytical solution is obtained for bending, torsional, and longitudinal vibration analysis based on a wave vibration approach. The reflection matrices corresponding to bending, torsional, and longitudinal incident vibration waves at the end mass are derived from classical vibration theories; these are then assembled with propagation matrices and reflection matrices at classical boundaries to form a systematic approach to the analysis of free vibration. Numerical examples are presented, comparisons with results available in the literature are made and good agreements are reached.
Autism: Etiology, differential diagnosis, and behavioral assessment update

Significant advances in neurophysiological and psychopharmacological research necessitates updating professionals in the etiology, differential diagnosis, and general assessment considerations of autism. A review of the DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria is followed by an extensive description of etiological theories based on recent advances in neurobiological research. The article describes components of making a differential diagnosis of autism from mental retardation, schizophrenia, and developmental language/speech disorders and delineates the psychometric properties of cognitive ability and behavioral rating instruments frequently used with this population. Pharmacological treatment and behavioral intervention issues are reviewed.
Numerical Modelling of Instantaneous Plate Tectonics

Assuming lithospheric plates to be rigid, we systematically invert 68 spreading rates, 62 fracture zones trends and 10^6 earthquake slip vectors simultaneously to obtain a self-consistent model of instantaneous relative motions for eleven major plates. The inverse problem is linearized and solved iteratively by a maximum likelihood procedure. Because the uncertainties in the data are small, Gaussian statistics are shown to be adequate. The use of a linear theory permits (1) the calculation of the uncertainties in the various angular velocity vectors caused by uncertainties in the data, and (2) quantitative examination of the distribution of information within the data set. The existence of a self-consistent model satisfying all the data is strong justification of the rigid plate assumption. Slow movement between North and South America is shown to be resolvable. We then invert the trends of 20 linear island chains and aseismic ridges under the assumptions that they represent the directions of plate motions over a set of hot spots fixed with respect to each other. We conclude that these hot spots have had no significant relative motions in the last 10 My.
Chlorine Dioxide for Reduction of Postharvest Pathogen Inoculum during Handling of Tree Fruits.

Alternatives to hypochlorous acid and fungicides are needed for treatment of fruit and fruit-handling facilities. Chlorine dioxide was evaluated and found effective against common postharvest decay fungi and against filamentous fungi occurring on fruit packinghouse surfaces. In vitro tests with conidial or sporangiospore suspensions of Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium expansum, Mucor piriformis, and Cryptosporiopsis perennans demonstrated >99% spore mortality within 1 min when the fungi were exposed to aqueous chlorine dioxide at 3 or 5 μg · ml-1. Longer exposure times were necessary to achieve similar spore mortalities with 1 μg · ml-1. Of the fungi tested, B. cinerea and P. expansum were the least sensitive to ClO2. In comparison with the number recovered from untreated control areas, the number of filamentous fungi recovered was significantly lower in swipe tests from hard surfaces such as belts and pads in a commercial apple and pear packinghouse after treatment of surfaces with a 14.0- to 18.0-μg · ml-1 ClO2 foam formulation. Chlorine dioxide has desirable properties as a sanitizing agent for postharvest decay management when residues of postharvest fungicides are not desired or allowed.
The object coordination class applied to wave pulses: analysing student reasoning in wave physics

Detailed investigations of student reasoning show that students approach the topic of wave physics using both event-like and object-like descriptions of wavepulses, but primarily focus on object properties in their reasoning. Student responses to interview and written questions are analysed using diSessa and Sherin's coordination class model which suggests that student use of specific reasoning resources is guided by possibly unconscious cues. Here, the term reasoning resources is used in a general fashion to describe any of the smaller grain size models of reasoning (p-prims, facets of knowledge, intuitive rules, etc) rather than theoretically ambiguous (mis)conceptions. Student applications of reasoning resources, including one previously undocumented, are described. Though the coordination class model is extremely helpful in organising the research data, problematic aspects of the model are also discussed.
Propensity to Consume Farm Family Disposable Income from Separate Sources

Farm family disposable income is generated from farm operations, off‐farm sources, and government payments. If these three income components are fungible (a dollar from one source is a perfect substitute for a dollar from another source), then the propensities to consume each should be the same. This study examines the farm family propensity to consume from separate income sources. Results indicate that the propensity to consume off‐farm income and government payments is higher than the propensity to consume farm income.
Talking Academic Blues

Will Teach for Food: Academic Labor in Crisis. Cary Nelson. ed. Foreword by Barbara Ehrenreich. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1997.
Prediction of chip morphology and segmentation during the machining of titanium alloys

Chip morphology and segmentation play a predominant role in determining machinability and tool wear during the machining of titanium alloys. At lower cutting speeds the chip is often discontinuous, while the chip becomes serrated as the cutting speeds are increased. In this paper a new interpretation of chip segmentation in the cutting of Ti–6Al–4V is presented. It is based on an implicit, Lagrangian, non-isothermal rigid–viscoplastic finite element simulation of orthogonal machining of Ti–6Al–4V in which a dynamic flow stress model based on high strain rate and high temperature, and a ductile fracture criterion based on the strain energy are applied to the crack initiation during the chip segmentation. This model is verified by comparison with experimental results. It is shown from the simulation results that as the cutting speeds are increased the stress state near the tool tip changes, leading to the crack propagation shifting from the tool tip to the free surface of the deformed chip in the shear zone. This change in crack initiation and propagation is the primary reason for the chip changing from the discontinuous to a segregated continuous morphology. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Temperature dependence of DC and RF characteristics of AlInAs/GaInAs HBT's

Device characteristics of compositionally graded AlInAs/GaInAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) measured and analyzed from cryogenic temperatures up to 250 degrees C are discussed. Excellent stability in DC and RF performance is observed at elevated temperatures, which is desirable for high-speed and high-density integrated circuit applications. DC current gain exhibits about 10% variation over the entire measured temperature range. F/sub T/ and f/sub max/ at 125 degrees C decreased by approximately 10% from their room-temperature values while improving steadily when the device was cooled down to near-liquid-helium temperature, the common-emitter breakdown voltage is 8.0 V at room temperature and reduces to 7.5 V at 125 degrees C. Likewise, the collector-base breakdown voltage and the base-emitter breakdown voltage reduce by about 0.5 V over the same temperature range. The breakdown voltages increase significantly at cryogenic temperatures. The low turn-on voltage and excellent low-temperature characteristics make the AlInAs/GaInAs HBT attractive for cryogenic applications. >
Breaking in: human metapneumovirus fusion and entry.

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a leading cause of respiratory infection that causes upper airway and severe lower respiratory tract infections. HMPV infection is initiated by viral surface glycoproteins that attach to cellular receptors and mediate virus membrane fusion with cellular membranes. Most paramyxoviruses use two viral glycoproteins to facilitate virus entry—an attachment protein and a fusion (F) protein. However, membrane fusion for the human paramyxoviruses in the Pneumovirus subfamily, HMPV and respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV), is unique in that the F protein drives fusion in the absence of a separate viral attachment protein. Thus, pneumovirus F proteins can perform the necessary functions for virus entry, i.e., attachment and fusion. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the understanding of how HMPV F mediates both attachment and fusion. We review the requirements for HMPV viral surface glycoproteins during entry and infection, and review the identification of cellular receptors for HMPV F. We also review our current understanding of how HMPV F mediates fusion, concentrating on structural regions of the protein that appear to be critical for membrane fusion activity. Finally, we illuminate key unanswered questions and suggest how further studies can elucidate how this clinically important paramyxovirus fusion protein may have evolved to initiate infection by a unique mechanism.
TimeAware test suite prioritization

Regression test prioritization is often performed in a time constrained execution environment in which testing only occurs for a fixed time period. For example, many organizations rely upon nightly building and regression testing of their applications every time source code changes are committed to a version control repository. This paper presents a regression test prioritization technique that uses a genetic algorithm to reorder test suites in light of testing time constraints. Experiment results indicate that our prioritization approach frequently yields higher average percentage of faults detected (APFD) values, for two case study applications, when basic block level coverage is used instead of method level coverage. The experiments also reveal fundamental trade offs in the performance of time-aware prioritization. This paper shows that our prioritization technique is appropriate for many regression testing environments and explains how the baseline approach can be extended to operate in additional time constrained testing circumstances.
EMBRYONIC CHICK INTESTINE IN ORGAN CULTURE A Unique System for the Study of the Intestinal Calcium Absorptive Mechanism

Duodena from 20-day-old chick embryos can be maintained in large scale organ culture on specially designed stainless-steel grids in contact with serum-free medium for 48 h with excellent preservation of mucosal structure at both the light and electron microscope levels. Although mitotic rate was subnormal, several other factors attest to the essential viability of the cultured intestine: L-leucine incorporation into protein, as well as the synthesis of a specific vitamin D3-induced calcium-binding protein (CaBP), increased over a 48-h culture period, and the electropotential gradient across the intestine was maintained throughout the culture period as was a concentration gradient for calcium. The tissue responded to vitamin D3 in the medium by synthesizing the calcium-binding protein within 6 h and by exhibiting enhanced 45Ca uptake within 12–24 h. Concentrations of vitamin D3, or its 25-hydroxylated derivative, higher than necessary for CaBP induction, also increased the activity of alkaline phosphatase. The 1,25-dihydroxylated derivative of vitamin D3, at a level extremely potent in CaBP induction, did not stimulate alkaline phosphatase. Mucosal to serosal transport of 45Ca could also be measured in everted duodenal sacs, subsequent to culture under similar conditions, and was also increased by vitamin D3 in the medium. Other embryonic organs, esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, lung, skin, and muscle, did not produce CaBP in response to vitamin D3 in the culture medium. However, CaBP-synthesizing capacity was present in the entire intestinal tract, exclusive of the rectum. 59Fe and 32P uptake by cultured duodenum were also stimulated by vitamin D3. The system has proven quite useful in the study of the vitamin D-mediated calcium absorptive mechanism but should be applicable to the study of the absorption of other nutrients, drugs, hormones, etc., as well as other studies of intestinal function.
Generalized random rotation perturbation for vertically partitioned data sets

Random rotation is one of the common perturbation approaches for privacy preserving data classification, in which the data matrix is multiplied by a random rotation matrix before publishing in order to preserve data privacy. One distinct advantage of this approach is that it can maintain the geometric properties of the data matrix, so several categories of classifiers that are based on the geometric properties of the data can achieve similar accuracy on the transformed data as that on the original data. In this paper, we generalize this idea to the situation where the data matrix is assumed to be vertically partitioned into several sub-matrices and held by different owners. Each data holder can choose a rotation matrix randomly and independently to perturb their individual data. Then they all send the transformed data to a third party, who collects all of them and forms a whole data set for data mining or other analysis purposes. We show that under such a scheme the geometric properties of the data set is also preserved and thus it can maintain the accuracy of many classifiers and clustering techniques applied on the transformed data as on the original data. This method enables us to develop efficient centralized data mining algorithms instead of distributed algorithms to preserve privacy. Experiments on real data sets show that such generalization is effective for vertically partitioned data sets.
Islamic Traditions of Modernity Gender, Class, and Islam in a Transnational Women’s Education Project

Women’s education has been central to discourses that have sought to modernize developing and Muslim societies. Based on ethnographic data collected from women teachers from rural and low-income communities of Pakistan, the article shows how being a parhi likhi (educated) woman implies acquiring a privileged subject position making claims to middle-class and Islamic morality, and engaging in specific struggles within, rather than against, the institutions of family, community, and Islam. This focus on the lived experiences of educated Muslim women complicates the prevalent narrative of modernity that presents women’s education and gender empowerment as an expression of individual women’s choice and free will against the oppressive frameworks of family, community, and Islam.
Norovirus Immunity and the Great Escape

Noroviruses (NoVs), members of the Calicivirus family, are small, positive-polarity RNA viruses and the most important cause of human foodborne viral gastroenteritis worldwide. These viruses cause gastrointestinal disease, resulting in recurrent bouts of vomiting and diarrhea that typically last 24–48 hours. NoVs are transmitted via the fecal–oral route, most commonly through infected food or water or person-to-person contact, and result in 267 million infections [1] and over 200,000 deaths each year, mostly in infants and the elderly [2]. Vaccines and therapeutics are under development but face considerable challenges as there is no cell-culture system or small-animal model for human disease, and these viruses are highly heterogeneous and undergo antigenic variation in response to human herd immunity, further complicating our understanding of the complex immune interactions that regulate susceptibility and disease. Despite these limitations, considerable progress has been made in understanding NoV adaptive immunity. This article discusses our current understanding of virus–host immune interactions that regulate host susceptibility, virus evolution, and protective immunity. We focus on virion structure, serologic relationships among strains, molecular mechanisms governing the changing antigenic landscape of human NoVs over time, cellular immunity, and relationships between human herd immunity, antigenic variation, and histoblood group antigen (HBGA) recognition, which are predicted to drive the emergence of new outbreak strains that target different human populations and/or afford escape from protective herd immunity. We discuss the implications of these observations on future vaccine design. Specific Host and Virus Genetic Factors Influence NoV Susceptibility, Evolution, and Immunity
Loss of Trop2 causes ErbB3 activation through a neuregulin-1- dependent mechanism in the mesenchymal subtype of HNSCC

In head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC), four intrinsic subtypes (or groups) have been identified, and each one possesses a unique biology that will require specific treatment strategies. We previously reported that mesenchymal (group 2) tumors exhibit reduced levels of Trop2 expression. In this study, we investigated the functional role of Trop2 in HNSCC and find that loss results in autocrine activation of the EGFR family member ErbB3 via neuregulin-1. Trop2 localizes to both the cell surface and cytosol of HNSCC cells and forms a complex with neuregulin-1, which is predominantly cytosolic. Inactivation of Trop2 increases the concentration of neuregulin-1 at the cell surface where it is cleaved to activate ErbB3. In primary HNSCC, detection of ErbB3 activation was limited to Trop2 negative tumors. An analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) HNSCC dataset confirms enrichment for ErbB3 activity in mesenchymal tumors. Notably, Trop2 loss triggers sensitivity to anti-ErbB3 antibodies, which results in reduced proliferation and tumorigenic growth of Trop2 negative HNSCC cancer cells. These results uncover a molecular mechanism by which tumor cells control the amount of cell-surface neuregulin-1 available for cleavage and ErbB3 activation. Moreover, we demonstrate that Trop2 is a potential surrogate biomarker to identify tumors with ErbB3 activation and may therefore respond to anti-ErbB3 therapeutics.
Utilization of Methionine and Methionine Hydroxy Analog by Rumen Microorganisms in Vitro

Abstract When incubated with rumen fluid under suitable conditions, methionine hydroxy analog, calcium acts like methionine in preventing inhibition of cellulose digestion by ethionine and in forming methanethiol and dimethyl sulfide. When inocula were from an animal receiving only cellulose, corn starch, urea, and water, cellulose digestion in vitro was depressed but less in the presence of methionine than in its absence. In all of these reactions, methionine appeared to function more effectively than did the methionine hydroxy analog. When methionine- 14 C was incubated with rumen fluid, radioactivity was detected in methionine, methionine sulfoxide, carbon dioxide, mercaptan (presumably methanethiol), and protein.
Life Among the Axons

A blink in history’s eye has brought us an understanding of electricity, and with it a revolution in human life. From the frog leg twitch experiments of Galvani and the batteries of Volta, we have progressed to telegraphs, motors, telephones, computers, and the Internet. In the same period, the ubiquitous role of electricity in animal and plant life has become clear. A great milestone in this journey was the elucidation of electrical signaling by Hodgkin & Huxley in 1952. This chapter gives a personal account of a small part of this story, the transformation of the rather abstract electrical conductances of Hodgkin & Huxley into the more tangible gated ion channel.
ON THE SUPERIORITY OF FIXED FEE OVER AUCTION IN TECHNOLOGY LICENSING

In this note, we identify conditions under which a fixed-fee policy is superior to an auction in technology licensing by an outsider innovator. We find that, even in cases involving a minimum degree of asymmetry among downstream firms, fixed-fee licensing can generate a strictly higher revenue than an auction, but the same can never be true in cases where issuing multiple licenses is optimal.
Unicorns or Tiger Woods: Are Lie Detection Experts Myths or Rarities? A Response to On Lie Detection “Wizards” by Bond and Uysal

Bond and Uysal (this issue) complain that expert lie detectors identified by O'Sullivan and Ekman (2004) are statistical flukes. They ignore one class of experts we have identified and misrepresent the procedures we use to identify the others. They also question the psychometric validity of the measures and protocol used. Many of their points are addressed in the chapter they criticize. The fruitfulness of the O'Sullivan-Ekman protocol is illustrated with respect to improved identification of expert lie detectors, as well as a replicated pattern of errors made by experts from different professional groups. The statistical arguments offered confuse the theoretical use of the binomial with the empirical use of the normal distribution. Data are provided that may clarify this distinction
In vitro susceptibility of rabbit strains of Cloostridium spirofome to antimicrobial agents

Carman, R.J. and Wilkins, T.D., 1991. In vitro susceptibility of rabbit strains of Clostridium spiroforme to antimicrobial agents. Vet. Microbiol., 28:391-397. Using an agar dilution method we measured the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12 antimicrobial agents against 11 strains ofiota-toxigenic strains of Clostridium spiroforme. Each strain was isolated from a separate outbreak of toxic diarrhoea of rabbits. Vancomycin and bacitracin, both agents used to treat intestinal clostridioses of humans and other animals, had a relatively high MIC (8/~g/ml or more ). Metronidazole was uniformly active against C. spiroforme. With M1C of 8/~g/ml or more, both lincomycin ( 11 strains) and erythromycin (9 strains) were relatively inactive against C. spiroforme; conversely, penicillin G was active (MIC for 8 strains was 0.5/tg/ml or less ). Exposure to any one of these drugs has been implicated as a predisposing factor for C. spiroforme mediated diarrhoea of rabbits. The greatest variation in MIC was seen for erythromycin (8-fold), penicillin G (8-fold) and tetracycline (16-fold).
Application of AIM and MBPE techniques to accelerate modeling of 3-D periodic structures with non-orthogonal lattices composed of inhomogeneous bianisotropic media

We present an efficient method for modeling 3-D doubly periodic structures over a wide frequency range based on hybrid finite element/boundary integral (FEBI) methods. The 3-D periodic structures can be represented as non-orthogonal lattices composed of inhomogeneous bianisotropic media with arbitrary metallic patches. Triangular prismatic volume elements were utilized to mesh the unit cell, which provided a great deal of flexibility in modeling complex planar geometries of arbitrary shape. The adaptive integral method (AIM) was applied to speed up the calculation of the matrix-vector product for the BI part within the iterative solver. Furthermore, a model-based parameter estimation (MBPE) technique was proposed for the wide-band interpolation of sparse impedance matrix elements in the BI portion for near field components that were used in the AIM. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by the presented numerical results. To demonstrate the flexibility of the proposed method in modeling arbitrarily shaped elements of frequency selective surfaces (FSS), we included simulation results for an FSS with a non-orthogonal lattice and two elliptical shaped patches embedded in bianisotropic media.
Failure Time for a Redundant Repairable System of Two Dissimilar Elements

The distribution of time to failure for a system consisting of two dissimilar elements or subsystems operating redundantly and susceptible to repair is discussed. It is assumed that the times to failure for the two system elements are independent random variables from possibly different exponential distributions, and that the repair times peculiar to each element are independently distributed in an arbitrary fashion. For this basic model a derivation is given of the Laplace-Stieltjes transform of the distribution function of time to system failure, i.e, the time until both elements are simultaneously down for repair, measured from an instant at which both are operating. An explicit formula is given for the mean or expected time to system failure, a natural approximation to the latter is exhibited, and numerical comparisons indicate the quality of this approximation for various repair time distributions. In a second model the possibility of system failures due to overloading the remaining element after a single element failure is explicitly recognized. The assumptions made for the basic model are augmented by a stochastic process describing the random occurrence of overloads. Numerical examples are given. Finally, it is shown how the above models may be easily modified to account for delays in initiating repairs resulting from only occasional system surveillance, and to account for random catastrophic failures.
Carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae carrying New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase gene (NDM-1) in Taiwan

The spread of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase gene (NDM-1)-producing bacteria has become a growing concern to the medical community worldwide. In this study, we reported 4 NDM-1-positive Enterobacteriaceae isolates recovered from two Taiwanese patients having travel history. The β-lactamase genetic background, antimicrobial susceptibility, clonal relationships, and plasmid sizes of the NDM-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae were investigated. This report highlights the alarming introduction of NDM-1 gene among Enterobacteriaceae in Taiwan.