cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inactivation of YME2/RNA12, which encodes an integral inner mitochondrial membrane protein, causes increased escape of DNA from mitochondria to the nucleus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Inactivation of the yeast nuclear gene YMe2 causes an increased rate of DNA escape from mitochondria to the nucleus. Mutations in yme2 also show genetic interactions with yme1, a second gene that affects DNA escape from mitochondria to the nucleus. The yme1 cold-sensitive growth phenotype is suppressed by yme2 mutations. In addition, yme1 yme2 double mutants exhibit a synthetic growth defect on ethanol-glycerol medium at 30 degrees C. YME2 was isolated by complementation of the synthetic growth defect of yme1 yme2 strains and was found to be identical with the previously cloned RNA12 gene. The dominant temperature-sensitive mutation RNA12-1 prevents growth of yeast cells at 37 degrees C. YME2 encodes a protein with a predicted molecular weight of 96,681 and is an integral inner mitochondrial membrane protein. The larger carboxyl-terminal domain of the YME2 gene product faces the intermembrane space. Null alleles of yme2 display the same genetic interactions with yme1 and high rate of DNA escape from mitochondria as do the originally isolated yme2 mutant strains. Disruption of yme2 causes a strain-dependent growth defect on nonfermentable carbon sources.
'Good' and 'Evil': The Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Political Activity

To determine if corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate political activity are economic substitutes or economic complements, I assemble and analyze the largest dataset possible from existing data sources incorporating both types of non-market behavior. Examining the joint distribution of an index of firms' CSR behavior and an indicator of whether or not firms lobby reveals that firms at both the positive and the negative extremes of social responsibility are more likely to have been politically active. Regressing the CSR index and a measure of lobbying intensity, individually, on Tobin's Q allows me to test whether CSR and corporate political activity separately enhance firms' value; regressing an interaction between the CSR index and the measure of lobbying intensity on Tobin's Q, allows me to test whether they play complementary roles in enhancing firms' value. Higher CSR ratings, more intensive lobbying, and the interaction between the CSR rating and lobbying intensity all appear to increase value when comparing firms; however, when each firm is studied over time, only the interaction between CSR rating and lobbying intensity appear to increase firm value. Taken together this suggests that firms' CSR positions work as an economic complement to its political activity rather than a substitute—jointly the two types of non-market behavior increase a firm's value, while independently each activity is more difficult to reconcile and perhaps may simply be symptomatic of some other inherently unobservable firm-fixed characteristic such as 'good management'. Illustrative cases round-out the large dataset analysis.
Multilayer-coated micro-grating array for x-ray phase-contrast imaging

X-ray imaging techniques based on grating interferometers rely on transmission gratings to detect x-ray refraction and scattering in a sample. Gratings periods below 2 microns are challenging to realize due to the high aspect ratio of the structures. We propose a method to fabricate transmission gratings with sub-micron periods over centimeter areas by multilayer coating of a staircase (echelle) substrate. The advantage of this approach is the high aspect ratio of multilayer coating and the large area of the echelle substrate. The staircase pattern is etched on the surface of a silicon wafer through anisotropic etching. Multiple layers are deposited on the horizontal surfaces of the stairs by magnetron sputtering in a single run. The layers alternate between two materials of different absorption coefficients or refractive indices. The layer thickness d is designed to be (stair height)/2N, where 2N is the total number of layers. The incident xray beam is parallel to the layers and oblique to the wafer surface. Each stair of the echelle substrate forms a micro grating of period 2d, and the array of micro gratings together act as a single grating over a large area given the right continuity conditions. The grating period potentially can be below 100 nm. We present theoretical description of wave diffraction by the grating array, and results of the first fabrication test with magnetron sputtering deposition.
Pulmonary Changes in Neonatal Sepsis Due to Group B β-Hemolytic Streptococcus: Relation to Hyaline Membrane Disease

The radiographic changes of hyaline membrane disease were seen in seven of eight infants with group B beta-hemolytic streptococcal sepsis. Hyaline membranes were found throughout the lungs of all six infants who were examined after death. The most striking finding was the presence of group B streptococci within the membranes of five infants. Streptococci were so numerous in one instance that they comprised the bulk of the membrane. Another infant uas thought to have classical hyaline membrane disease until numerous group B streptococci were found within the membranes when lung sections were examined with special stains. No other organisms were identified within the membranes of any infant. These findings suggest that infection with group B streptococcus may cause a syndrome clinically and radiologically indistinguishable from hyaline membrane disease.
Speaker Evaluation Measures of Language Attitudes: Evidence of Information-Processing Effects.

Language attitudes are often inferred from hearers' evaluative reactions to speech variations. However, the study of information processing suggests that speaker evaluations may also be sensitive to the conditions under which hearers develop impressions of speakers. If so, even greater caution should be exercised in the use of such evaluations as a measure of language attitudes. In order to test the potential effect of information processing on speaker evaluations, an experiment was conducted in which hearers evaluated speakers under a condition of time constraint, and again under a condition representative of a typical language attitude study. Results indicated that evaluations of a female African-American Vernacular English speaker were affected. A subsequent experiment provides evidence regarding the likelihood of an alternative explanation for these results.
The development of mental representations as a problem solving activity

Abstract This study examined the development of mental representations in problem solving situations. The study incorporated a constructivist perspective on learning, including the view that mental representations evolve as mathematical conceptions. Fourteen first-year college students were interviewed as they solved a set of similar algebra word problems. All interviews were videotaped and written transcripts of the solvers' verbal responses were prepared. The analysis of the solvers' solution activity focused on identifying and describing their cognitive actions in resolving genuinely problematic situations they faced while solving the tasks. The results of the analysis included a description of three increasingly abstract levels of structural knowledge. The results suggest a framework for a theory of representation that is activity-based, and consistent with a view of knowledge based on the idea of viability.
A family of G protein βγ subunits translocate reversibly from the plasma membrane to endomembranes on receptor activation.

The present model of G protein activation by G protein-coupled receptors exclusively localizes their activation and function to the plasma membrane (PM). Observation of the spatiotemporal response of G protein subunits in a living cell to receptor activation showed that 6 of the 12 members of the G protein γ subunit family translocate specifically from the PM to endomembranes. The γ subunits translocate as βγ complexes, whereas the α subunit is retained on the PM. Depending on the γ subunit, translocation occurs predominantly to the Golgi complex or the endoplasmic reticulum. The rate of translocation also varies with the γ subunit type. Different γ subunits, thus, confer distinct spatiotemporal properties to translocation. A striking relationship exists between the amino acid sequences of various γ subunits and their translocation properties. γ subunits with similar translocation properties are more closely related to each other. Consistent with this relationship, introducing residues conserved in translocating subunits into a non-translocating subunit results in a gain of function. Inhibitors of vesicle-mediated trafficking and palmitoylation suggest that translocation is diffusion-mediated and controlled by acylation similar to the shuttling of G protein subunits (Chisari, M., Saini, D. K., Kalyanaraman, V., and Gautam, N. (2007) J. Biol. Chem. 282, 24092–24098). These results suggest that the continual testing of cytosolic surfaces of cell membranes by G protein subunits facilitates an activated cell surface receptor to direct potentially active G protein βγ subunits to intracellular membranes.
TRENDS IN THE CONCENTRATION OF PERSONAL WEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES, 1958 TO 1976

The trend in the concentration of U.S. wealth from 1958 through 1976 is examined in some detail and summary data are used to extend the period over which the trend is observed back to 1922. The data suggests a long-run secular decline in the concentration of U.S. wealth with a rather sharp decline in 1976, the last year for which measurements were made. Although the secular decline in wealth concentration is supported by numerous observations across 50 years, the precipitous decline measured between 1972 and 1976 should be interpreted with caution because it undoubtedly reflects the substantial downward revaluation which occurred in the stock market from 1972 (most recent previous observation) to 1976. This is not to argue that wealth holders at the top of the distribution were not made significantly less affluent by the revaluation, but that the 1976 observation includes a large cyclical component. Future observations which include the subsequent upward revaluation in the stock market are expected to show levels of concentration comparable to or only slightly below those for 1958 through 1972.
Determination of principal reynolds stresses in pulsatile flows after elliptical filtering of discrete velocity measurements

The purpose of this study was to develop a method to accurately determine mean velocities and Reynolds stresses in pulsatile flows. The pulsatile flow used to develop this method was produced within a transparent model of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Velocity measurements were taken at locations within the LVAD using a two-component laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) system. At each measurement location, as many as 4096 realizations of two coincident orthogonal velocity components were collected during preselected time windows over the pump cycle. The number of realizations was varied to determine how the number of data points collected affects the accuracy of the results. The duration of the time windows was varied to determine the maximum window size consistent with an assumption of pseudostationary flow. Erroneous velocity realizations were discarded from individual data sets by implementing successive elliptical filters on the velocity components. The mean velocities and principal Reynolds stresses were determined for each of the filtered data sets. The filtering technique, while eliminating less than 5 percent of the original data points, significantly reduced the computed Reynolds stresses. The results indicate that, with proper filtering, reasonable accuracy can be achieved using a velocity data set of 250 points, provided the time window is small enough to ensure pseudostationary flow (typically 20 to 40 ms). The results also reveal that the time window which is required to assume pseudostationary flow varies with location and cycle time and can range from 100 ms to less than 20 ms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Ground-state and P-wave charmed baryons in a consistent quark model with hyperfine interactions

Masses of the various ground-state and negative-parity baryons containing one charmed quark are calculated using a parameter set developed for the noncharmed baryons. The sole additional parameter needed, m/sub c/, is obtained by fitting to the observed mass of ..lambda../sub c/(1/2)/sup +/. The resulting calculated value of the mass of ..sigma../sub c/(1/2)/sup +/ is in reasonable agreement with experimental values.
Determination of Poisson's Ratio Dynamically

THIS communication describes a novel and practically useful experimental method for determining Poisson's ratio dynamically. The basis of the method is as follows.
Shared spatial representations for physical locations and location words in bilinguals' primary language.

For monolinguals, the Simon effect is eliminated when Simon task trials are intermixed with ones in which participants respond to the words left and right with incompatibly mapped keypresses. For bilingual Dutch/ French speakers, this result has been shown to occur when the words are in Dutch (their first and primary language), but not when they are in French. To dissociate the influence of order in which the languages were learned from whether the language was the primary one currently being used, we tested bilinguals who learned Spanish or Vietnamese as their first language but for whom English became their primary language. For both groups, the incompatible location-word mapping influenced performance of the Simon task when the words were in English but not when they were in the first language. These findings indicate that the strength of language, not order of acquisition, is the critical factor.
Low Energy Properties of ( n , n ) Carbon Nanotubes

According to band theory, an ideal undoped (n,n) carbon nanotube is metallic. We show that the electron-electron interaction causes it to become Mott insulating with a spin gap. More interestingly, upon doping it develops superconducting fluctuations. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Evaluation of the pancreaticobiliary ductal systems by intraductal US

The technical evolution of EUS has led to the development of small-diameter (~2 mm) intraductal ultrasound (IDUS) probes that can be passed through standard endoscopes directly into the bile and pancreatic ducts. IDUS probes are useful for evaluating a variety of biliary and pancreatic disorders (Table 1). Acoustic coupling is optimized by the tubular anatomy of both ducts, which are fluid filled and normally only slightly larger in diameter than the probe itself. These probes image at higher frequencies (12-30 MHz) than dedicated echoendoscopes and therefore provide greater image resolution (0.07-0.18 mm) compared with dedicated echoendoscopes.1 Experience with IDUS was first reported by Martin et al.2 and Silverstein et al.3 in 1989. The small diameter, flexibility, and image quality offered by these devices makes them ideal for evaluating a variety of biliary and pancreatic diseases, luminal stenoses in particular.
Effects of emotional conditioning on early visual processing: Temporal dynamics revealed by ERP single-trial analysis

Studies using event-related potentials (ERPs) have shown that affectively arousing stimuli enhance attention and perception. In addition, simple neutral stimuli, when paired with emotionally engaging unconditioned stimuli (i.e., the CS+) in classical conditioning paradigms, were found to evoke increased sensory responses as learning progresses, compared to responses elicited by the same stimuli not paired with a noxious stimulus (CS−). To date the detailed trial-to-trial temporal dynamics of this sensory facilitation process is not known. Signal averaging required for the ERP analysis eliminates trial-to-trial information of temporal cortical dynamics. In the current study, a novel single-trial analysis method called Analysis of Single-trial ERP and Ongoing activity (ASEO) was adopted to study the detailed electrocortical dynamics of sensory processing during classical aversive conditioning. Focusing on the P1 component of the ERP evoked by simple grating patterns serving as CS+ and CS−, we found that over a session of conditioning trials, there were three phases of P1 amplitude changes for both CS+ and CS−: (1) an initial decrease phase, (2) a subsequent increase phase, and (3) a final habituating phase. Tests on the rates of P1 amplitude changes in each of the three phases between CS+ and CS− conditions revealed differential effects of CS+ and CS− for all three phases. No such effects were found for a session of control trials where the same grating patterns were paired with checkerboards. We interpret these results as providing evidence supporting the view that emotional experience can modulate early visual processing and dynamics of perceptual learning. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Determination of heart rate variability with an electronic stethoscope

Heart rate variability (HRV) is widely used to characterize cardiac autonomic function by measuring beat-to-beat alterations in heart rate. Decreased HRV has been found predictive of worse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. HRV is determined from time intervals between QRS complexes recorded by electrocardiography (ECG) for several minutes to 24 h. Although cardiac auscultation with a stethoscope is performed routinely on patients, the human ear cannot detect heart sound time intervals. The electronic stethoscope digitally processes heart sounds, from which cardiac time intervals can be obtained. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of obtaining HRV from electronically recorded heart sounds. We prospectively studied 50 subjects with and without CV risk factors/disease and simultaneously recorded single lead ECG and heart sounds for 2 min. Time and frequency measures of HRV were calculated from R–R and S1–S1 intervals and were compared using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). The majority of the indices were strongly correlated (ICC 0.73–1.0), while the remaining indices were moderately correlated (ICC 0.56–0.63). In conclusion, we found HRV measures determined from S1–S1 are in agreement with those determined by single lead ECG, and we demonstrate and discuss differences in the measures in detail. In addition to characterizing cardiac murmurs and time intervals, the electronic stethoscope holds promise as a convenient low-cost tool to determine HRV in the hospital and outpatient settings as a practical extension of the physical examination.
Building supply chain collaboration: a typology of collaborative approaches

Purpose – This research aims to examine the characteristics, requirements, benefits, and barriers to various collaborative relationships and proposes a typology of collaborative approaches.Design/methodology/approach – The research discusses insights and observations from exploratory interviews with 21 managers from ten different manufacturers and retailers.Findings – A typology of three types of collaborative approaches (collaborative transaction management; collaborative event management; and collaborative process management) is proposed. The three collaborative approaches are compared and contrasted. Benefits and limitations associated with each type of collaboration are discussed.Practical implications – Managers can use the typology to assess current collaborations and seek ways to improve current collaborative efforts. Managers can also use the typology to develop collaborative strategies across a broad spectrum of relationships in order to determine which type of collaboration best fits each indivi...
The crystal structure of Li3.75Si0.75P0.25O4 and ionic conductivity in tetrahedral structures

Abstract The crystal structure of Li4−xSi1−xPxO4 (x = 0.25), a member of the solid solution series between Li4SiO4 and Li3PO4, was determined by X-ray diffraction and refined to an R = 0.038 for 478Fobs. The space group is P12 1 m1 and the cell constants are a = 5.1157(6), b = 6.1162(9), c = 5.3088(8) A and β = 90.40(1)°. It is isostructural with disordered Li4SiO4 and with the substructure of ordered Li4SiO4. The ionic conductivity of Li3.75Si0.75P0.25O4 is more than three orders of magnitude higher than for ordered Li4SiO4 for which it is 10−5(Ωm)−1 at room temperature. All Li sites are only partially occupied. The highest probability of close LiLi approaches exists between the octahedral site and an adjoining tetrahedral location. These two sites define a lithium pathway parallel to the b-direction in the structure.
Mode shape expansion techniques for prediction : Experimental evaluation

Mode shape expansion techniques fall under four broad categories. Spatial interpolation methods use geometric information to infer mode shapes at unmeasured locations. Direct methods use the dynamic equations of motion to obtain closed-form solutions to the expanded eigenvectors. These methods can be interpreted as constrained optimization problems. Projection methods use a least-squares formulation that also can be formulated through constrained optimization. Error methods use a formulation that can account for uncertainties in the measurements and in the prediction. This includes penalty methods and the new expansion techniques based on least-squares minimization techniques with quadratic inequality constraints (LSQI). Some of these expansion techniques are selected herein for evaluation using the full set of experimental data obtained on the microprecision interferometer test bed. Both a pretest and an updated analytical model are considered in the trade study. The robustness of these methods is verified with respect to measurement noise, model deficiency, number of measured degrees of freedom, and accelerometer location. It is shown that the proposed LSQI method has the best performance and can reliably predict mode shapes, even in very adverse situations.
An analysis of the brittle to ductile transition in polycrystalline ice under tension

Abstract Concepts of dislocation micromechanics and of fracture mechanics have been used to derive a quantitative criterion for the brittle/ductile transition in polycrystalline ice under tension. The criterion is written in terms of a critical grain size dc, which is expressed as a function of both environmental parameters (temperature, strain rate) and material parameters (fracture toughness, lattice resistance to dislocation glide, grain boundary resistance to the propagation of slip). For d > d c the ice is considered to be brittle; for d c , it is ductile. While detailed experiments are needed to test the analysis, comparisons show reasonable agreement between theory and the limited data available.
Oxytocin and dendrite remodeling in the hypothalamus

Abstract For most people, their quality of life depends on their successful interdependence with others, which requires sophisticated social cognition, communication, and emotional bonds. Across the lifespan, new bonds must be forged and maintained, and conspecific menaces must be managed. The dynamic nature of the human social landscape suggests ongoing specific alterations in neural circuitry across several brain systems to subserve social behavior. To discover the biological mechanisms that contribute to normal social activities, animal models of social behavior have been developed. One valuable model system has been female rat sexual behavior, which is governed by cyclic variation of ovarian hormones. This behavior is modulated by the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) through its actions in the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMH). The fluctuation of this behavior is associated with dendrite remodeling, like several other examples of behavioral plasticity. This review compares hormone-induced plasticity in the VMH with other examples of dendrite plasticity across the mammalian nervous system, namely the neurobehavioral paradigms of environmental enrichment, chronic stress, and incentive sensitization, which affect the neocortex, hippocampal formation, and ventral striatum, respectively. This comparison suggests that the effects of ovarian hormones on VMH neurons in rats, given the simple dendritic arbor and short time course for dendrite remodeling, provide a dual opportunity for mechanistic and functional studies that will shed light on i) the neural actions of OT that regulate social behavior and, ii) behaviorally relevant dendrite regulation in a variety of brain structures. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior.
The State of the Art in Heart Transplantation

Cardiac transplantation is in its fourth decade as a treatment for end-stage cardiomyopathy and heart failure. It has reached a mature stage in its development as an effective treatment and many issues are settled with respect to best practices. However, there are many areas of ongoing research and significant advances that are continually being recognized. What constitutes ‘State of the Art' in heart transplantation? This review focuses on developments in the pretransplant, peritransplant, and posttransplant phases of the care of the potential heart transplant recipient.
Negacyclic duadic codes

This paper extends the concepts from cyclic duadic codes to negacyclic codes over F"q (q an odd prime power) of oddly even length. Generalizations of defining sets, multipliers, splittings, even-like and odd-like codes are given. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the existence of self-dual negacyclic codes over F"q and the existence of splittings of 2N, where N is odd. Other negacyclic codes can be extended by two coordinates in a way to create self-dual codes with familiar parameters.
Polarization study on the solid electrolyte Cu16Rb4I7+xCl20-(7+x) (0≲x≲1)

Abstract The electronic conductivities of the copper ion conductors Cu 16 Rb 4 Cl 12 I 8 and Cu 16 Rb 4 Cl 13 I 7 have been measured by a d.c. polarization technique. The concentrations of electron holes in these materials were determined as a function of temperature from an analysis of transient currents in polarized cells. The electronic conductivity exhibits an activation energy of 1 eV and a room-temperature value of 5×10 −16 (ω cm) −1 . The electron hole concentration ranges from 10 9 cm −3 at room temperature to about 10 11 cm −3 at 130°C, and the transference number for the electron holes ranged from 10 −15 at 25°C to 10 −11 at 140°C.
On the lack of inverses in fuzzy arithmetic

Abstract It is first noted that fuzzy numbers don't have inverses under addition and multiplication. This presents problems in solving fuzzy equations. A procedure based upon calculating the consistency of two fuzzy propositions is then presented as a means of imprecisely solving fuzzy equations.
On a bottleneck bipartition conjecture of Erdös

For a graphG, let γ(U,V)=max{e(U), e(V)} for a bipartition (U, V) ofV(G) withUυV=V(G),UφV=O. Define γ(G)=min(U,V){γ(U,V)}. Paul Erdős conjectures\(\gamma (G)/e(G) \leqslant {1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 4}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 4} + O\left( {1/\sqrt {e(G)} } \right)\). This paper verifies the conjecture and shows\(\gamma (G)/e(G) \leqslant {1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 4}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 4}\left( {1 + \sqrt {2/e(G)} } \right)\).
Not Just "Situaciones de la Vida": Professionalization and Indigenous Language Revitalization in the Andes.

Within discourses of language endangerment, life stages such as child language acquisition, adolescent language shift, and the death of community elders figure prominently, but what of the role of other, intermediate life stages during adulthood and professional life in the course of language obsolescence or revitalization? Drawing from long-term ethnographic research in the Andes, this article examines narratives and classroom interaction of Indigenous Andeans in an intercultural bilingual education master's program, to argue that professional formation enters into a dynamic with these individuals' personal language policies, marking their adult lives with stronger identification with Indigenous language and culture. This work suggests that these instances of language planning from the bottom-up in a global/local space of professional development are one way these Indigenous educators push back against Indigenous language endangerment.
Power losses and energy efficiency of multi-wheel drive vehicles: A method for evaluation

Abstract The article is concerned with assessing and providing energy and, accordingly, fuel efficiency of multi-wheel drive vehicles. It is shown that the energy efficiency depends on the distribution of power between the wheels, which, in its turn, is determined to a large extent by the driveline system and its power dividing units that are installed in the interaxle and interwheel drives of vehicles. The distribution of power between the wheels affects not only the vehicle’s slip efficiency, but also the mechanical efficiency of the driveline system as such, which should be taken into account in design. A method for assessing the energy efficiency of various vehicles involved in separate as well as combined traction and transportation work is presented.
Large linear plasmids of Borrelia species that cause relapsing fever

ABSTRACT Borrelia species of relapsing fever (RF) and Lyme disease (LD) lineages have linear chromosomes and both linear and circular plasmids. Unique to RF species, and little characterized to date, are large linear plasmids of ∼160 kb, or ∼10% of the genome. By a combination of Sanger and next-generation methods, we determined the sequences of large linear plasmids of two New World species: Borrelia hermsii, to completion of its 174-kb length, and B. turicatae, partially to 114 kb of its 150 kb. These sequences were then compared to corresponding sequences of the Old World species B. duttonii and B. recurrentis and to plasmid sequences of LD Borrelia species. The large plasmids were largely colinear, except for their left ends, about 27 kb of which was inverted in New World species. Approximately 60% of the B. hermsii lp174 plasmid sequence was repetitive for 6 types of sequence, and half of its open reading frames encoded hypothetical proteins not discernibly similar to proteins in the database. The central ∼25 kb of all 4 linear plasmids was syntenic for orthologous genes for plasmid maintenance or partitioning in Borrelia species. Of all the sequenced linear and circular plasmids in Borrelia species, the large plasmid9s putative partition/replication genes were most similar to those of the 54-kb linear plasmids of LD species. Further evidence for shared ancestry was the observation that two of the hypothetical proteins were predicted to be structurally similar to the LD species9 CspA proteins, which are encoded on the 54-kb plasmids.
Perspective: a tale of two curricula: a case for evidence-based education?

Abstract In discussing the major curricular reform at one medical school and the subsequent challenges in identifying which changes contributed to outcome, the author argues for the practice of evidence-based education, which could allow a systematic examination of medical training by applying principles similar to evidence-based medicine in clinical practice. Although the medical school accreditation process provides general oversight of medical education at the national level, the faculty at each medical school has local responsibility over content and design. Therefore, curricular evolution has proceeded separately at different schools, and published cross-institutional studies are few because most schools' experiments with reform do not incorporate data generation for outcomes analysis. The author believes it is time to ask the hard questions, to design the studies, and to seek objective answers on which to base informed decisions concerning the future construct of medical training in the United States and elsewhere.
Automated Detection of Critical Results in Radiology Reports

The goal of this study was to develop and validate text-mining algorithms to automatically identify radiology reports containing critical results including tension or increasing/new large pneumothorax, acute pulmonary embolism, acute cholecystitis, acute appendicitis, ectopic pregnancy, scrotal torsion, unexplained free intraperitoneal air, new or increasing intracranial hemorrhage, and malpositioned tubes and lines. The algorithms were developed using rule-based approaches and designed to search for common words and phrases in radiology reports that indicate critical results. Certain text-mining features were utilized such as wildcards, stemming, negation detection, proximity matching, and expanded searches with applicable synonyms. To further improve accuracy, the algorithms utilized modality and exam-specific queries, searched under the “Impression” field of the radiology report, and excluded reports with a low level of diagnostic certainty. Algorithm accuracy was determined using precision, recall, and F-measure using human review as the reference standard. The overall accuracy (F-measure) of the algorithms ranged from 81% to 100%, with a mean precision and recall of 96% and 91%, respectively. These algorithms can be applied to radiology report databases for quality assurance and accreditation, integrated with existing dashboards for display and monitoring, and ported to other institutions for their own use.
Patient Attitudes and Psychological Considerations in Dialysis Discontinuation

The authors surveyed 36 adult patients who were maintained with chronic renal dialysis concerning their attitudes about dialysis discontinuation. Few subjects reported having ever considered stopping the life-support treatment. When asked to consider 12 hypothetical scenarios in which they might consider stopping treatment (e.g., onset of dementia or blindness), most subjects would still not consider discontinuation. Consideration of dialysis discontinuation was directly correlated with the patient's educational level. Follow-up after 1 year underscored the substantial differences between the responses the subjects gave to the 12 hypothetical scenarios and their real-life responses when they were later faced with decisions to actually terminate treatment. Psychiatrists have an opportunity to participate in the complex clinical and ethical decisions associated with advance directives and patients' right to refuse life-support treatment.
The drug lag issue: the debate seen from an international perspective.

This article reviews the literature related to the "drug lag" issue, i.e., the issue of whether important new drugs are introduced relatively late, or, in certain cases, are introduced at all, in a particular country. The literature can be divided into two main parts: studies primarily related to the delay in introduction of new drugs and studies primarily related to the number of introduced new drugs. Most studies have found the United States, Sweden, and Norway to have a long delay in the introduction of new drugs. The United Kingdom and (West) Germany in general have the shortest delay. There are also large differences in the number of introduced new drugs. In most studies, the United States and Norway have introduced far fewer new drugs than any other industrialized country. In general (West) Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy have introduced the largest number of new drugs. One of the reviewed studies presented a relationship between regulatory processing time and delay in introduction. Another study found an increasing influence of regulatory stringency on the number of introduced new drugs in a country. If a country's aim is to decrease the delay in introduction and/or to increase the introduction of important new drugs, a review of the local regulatory agencies and the regulations seems worthwhile.
Quantification of pre-eruptive exsolved gas contents in silicic magmas

WATER, carbon dioxide and sulphur are important in the evolution of magmas1,2and the physics of volcanic eruptions3,4. These volatile constituents occur in magmas as dissolved species in silicate melt, but can also form bubbles of exsolved gas if the magma is gas-saturated5. Quantifying the total (dissolved plus exsolved) pre-eruptive concentrations of magmatic volatiles is essential for understanding a wide range of magmatic processes. We present a method for quantifying both the amount and distribution of pre-eruptive exsolved gas in a crystallizing silicic magma body. Application to the 0.76-Myr-old6 Bishop rhyolitic tuff in eastern California reveals a pre-eruptive gradient in exsolved gas, with gas contents varying from less than 2 wt% in the deeper regions of the magma body to nearly 6 wt% near the top. This gradient would have promoted stable stratification of the magma body because exsolved gas lowers bulk magma density. More generally, exsolved gas in silicic magmas could contribute to the formation of many hydrothermal ore deposits and to the fluxes of volatile species from volcanic systems.
Aquifer Test Analysis in Nonradial Flow Regimes: A Case Study

A low-rate aquifer pumping test was conducted in a folded and fractured limestone formation in the Conasauga Group of East Tennessee. An elongate drawdown pattern was observed, suggesting that pumping response was controlled by a highly conductive zone associated with a pair of anticlinal folds that bisect the test site. This drawdown pattern, the nonlinearity of graphs of observation well drawdown versus the log10 of time, and the existence of a linear relationship between drawdown and the square root of pumping time indicate that flow in response to pumping was nonradial. Thus, use of pumping test interpretive techniques based on radial flow models would be invalid. This situation may occur frequently when pumping tests are done in low-permeability media, because fractures and other discontinuities often dominate the hydraulic behavior of low-permeability media. The solution technique used to estimate aquifer parameters (Gringarten and Witherspoon, (1972) treats the fold axes as a highly conductive vertical fracture in an anisotropic matrix of much lower hydraulic conductivity. The complexity of both the site and the solution technique necessitated iterative trial-and-error variable substitution to estimate aquifer parameters. The resulting solution includes estimates of matrix transmissivity in two directions, the storage coefficient of the matrix, and the effective length and location of the master fracture. Estimates of hydraulic parameters lack the apparent precision of values that would be generated by radial flow techniques, but they are consistent with geologic conditions at the site and present a clearer picture of the hydrogeologic regime than could be obtained with other investigative techniques. The solution technique used, whose field application has not been described previously in published literature, makes it possible to interpret the results of aquifer tests in complex hydrogeologic settings. This and related analytical techniques for other nonradial flow situations may prove useful in other hydrogeologic investigations in low-permeability media affected by folds, faults, fractures, or solution channels.
Aplysia CPEB Can Form Prion-like Multimers in Sensory Neurons that Contribute to Long-Term Facilitation

Prions are proteins that can assume at least two distinct conformational states, one of which is dominant and self-perpetuating. Previously we found that a translation regulator CPEB from Aplysia, ApCPEB, that stabilizes activity-dependent changes in synaptic efficacy can display prion-like properties in yeast. Here we find that, when exogenously expressed in sensory neurons, ApCPEB can form an amyloidogenic self-sustaining multimer, consistent with it being a prion-like protein. In addition, we find that conversion of both the exogenous and the endogenous ApCPEB to the multimeric state is enhanced by the neurotransmitter serotonin and that an antibody that recognizes preferentially the multimeric ApCPEB blocks persistence of synaptic facilitation. These results are consistent with the idea that ApCPEB can act as a self-sustaining prion-like protein in the nervous system and thereby might allow the activity-dependent change in synaptic efficacy to persist for long periods of time.
Augmentation of immunoglobulin production in connective tissue disorders

Abstract We investigated the relationship of soluble factors to the polyclonal elevations of immunoglobulin (Ig) noted in 29 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 19 patients with other connective tissue diseases. A soluble amplifying factor (AF), found in the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) culture fluids of untreated SLE patients, stimulated Ig synthesis by normal PBMC significantly more ( P 11 S) and small (9 S) components by standard physical methods. These data suggest that AF may be composed of immune complexes or aggregates and may be related pathogenically to the elevated Ig levels in patients with SLE.
Teacher Validation of the Martinek-Zaichkowsky Self-Concept Scale for Children with Mildly Mentally Retarded Children

The purpose of this study was to obtain a measure of concurrent validity for the Martinek-Ziachkowsky Self-Concept Scale for Children (M-ZSCSC) with respect to young handicapped children. The subjects consisted of 90 educable mentally retarded children and their 29 first grade teachers. A comparison of student performance on the M-ZSCSC and teacher ratings of students using the M-ZSCSC was conducted. The results of the study yielded composite and factor coefficients which were significant at the .01 level.
The sports medicine literature 2013

Concussion is one of the most widely discussed topics in sports medicine. The general public has an increasing awareness about closed head injuries and the devastating effects they can have on athletes. Some sports are changing the way the game is played—from adding protective equipment in women’s lacrosse to enforcing stricter rules against aggression in ice hockey. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that emergency departments (ED) in the United States treat an estimated 173,285 sportsand recreationrelated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in children and adolescents (from birth to 19 years of age) every year [1]. During the past decade, ED visits for injuries, including concussions, increased by 60% [1]. There is no ideal diagnostic test for concussion that physicians can rely upon, making the diagnosis difficult. Furthermore, physicians often find it challenging to facilitate a safe return to play for athletes. The consensus statement on sports concussion and management issues is intended to be a guide for sports medicine and other clinicians who treat such patients; importantly, this statement is not an expression of standard of care, as noted by the authors. The consensus conference presented a non-government, non-advocacy panel of researchers in clinical medicine, sports medicine, neuroscience, athletic training, neuroimaging, and sports science. The goal was to give balanced, objective, and knowledgeable review of the topic—concussion in sport. The consensus statement defines concussion as a complex pathophysiologic process that affects the brain and is induced by biomechanical forces. It is characterized by the following features [1]: caused by a direct blow to the head, or elsewhere on body, transmitting an “impulsive” force to the head; [2] evolving injury, typically resulting in the rapid onset of short-lived impairment of neurologic function, which resolves spontaneously over a number of minutes to hours; [3] acute clinical symptoms reflect a functional disturbance rather than a structural injury; [4] images obtained during the diagnostic process are normal; and recovery to normal function within 7 to 10 days (note that recovery time can be longer in children and adolescents). The statement describes the signs and
The association between silica exposure and development of ANCA-associated vasculitis: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Crystalline silica is among the environmental exposures associated with increased risk of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Silica exposure has also been related to the development of ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV), but past studies appear to conflict as to the presence and magnitude of the associated risks of disease. We aimed to conduct a systematic review of the existing studies and meta-analysis of their results.
Behavioral effects of enrichment on pair‐housed juvenile rhesus monkeys

Among captive primates, inanimate environmental enrichment can lead to measurable changes in behavior indicative of an improvement in psychological well-being. Although this has been demonstrated repeatedly for singly caged primates, the relationship is not as well studied for pairhoused animals. Study of the pair-housed setting has become increasingly relevant because of the social housing mandate of the Animal Welfare Act regulations. We therefore observed 68 juvenile rhesus monkeys born in 1988 and 1989 and living in mixed-sex pairs from the ages of 2 to 3 years. All pairs were compatible. Half of the pairs received two types of enrichment, while the remaining pairs served as controls. Enriched and control juvenile subjects differed in the amount of time that they spent being inactive, playing, and drinking, but did not differ in the amount of time they spent interacting with their partner. Grooming and play were the two most common socially directed activities in both groups, a species-appropriate pattern. Males played more and vocalized less than did females. Overall, enriched and control subjects spent equivalent amounts of time located within a social distance of one another, but there was some difference between groups in allocation of behaviors while near the pairmate. Environmental enhancers were frequently utilized, and led to relatively small changes in behavior between control and enriched subjects, suggesting that the presence of a partner for juvenile rhesus monkeys acts as a form of enrichment that may dilute the effects of inanimate environmental enhancements. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.