cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of peptide hormone and neurotransmitter analogues

Abstract Peptides are being found to be increasingly important as hormones and neurotransmitters, and much reasearch is directed towards elucidating the physiological roles of these natural products in pain, reproduction, maintenance of blood glucose levels etc. In this review, Victor Hruby describes some of the conformational approaches that have led to significant insights into the chemical and physical properties of these compounds and so to the rational design of analogues with new and specific properties.
Fabrication and Characterization of MgO Bicrystals

High purity bicrystals of MgO have been grown using chemical vapor transport for the purpose of studying oxygen grain boundary diffusion. Preliminary data indicate preferential diffusion of oxygen along S 13 symmetric tilt boundaries. The measured grain boundary diffusivities were approximately 4 orders of magnitude higher than the corresponding bulk values. The activation energies for bulk and grain boundary diffusion were found to be equal to within experimental error, (≈ 3.9eV)
Intravenous access during out-of-hospital emergency care of noninjured patients: a population-based outcome study.

Study objective Advanced, out-of-hospital procedures such as intravenous access are commonly performed by emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, yet little evidence supports their use among noninjured patients. We evaluate the association between out-of-hospital, intravenous access and mortality among noninjured, non–cardiac arrest patients. Methods We analyzed a population-based cohort of adult (aged ≥18 years) noninjured, non–cardiac arrest patients transported by 4 advanced life support agencies to one of 16 hospitals from January 1, 2002, until December 31, 2006. We linked eligible EMS records to hospital administrative data and used multivariable logistic regression to determine the risk-adjusted association between out-of-hospital intravenous access and hospital mortality. We also tested whether this association differed by patient acuity by using a previously published, out-of-hospital triage score. Results Among 56,332 eligible patients, half (N=28,078; 50%) received out-of-hospital intravenous access from EMS personnel. Overall hospital mortality for patients who did and did not receive intravenous access was 3%. However, in multivariable analyses, the placement of out-of-hospital, intravenous access was associated with an overall reduction in odds of hospital mortality (odds ratio=0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56 to 0.81). The beneficial association of intravenous access appeared to depend on patient acuity ( P =.13 for interaction). For example, the odds ratio of mortality associated with intravenous access was 1.38 (95% CI 0.28 to 7.0) among patients with lowest acuity (score=0). In contrast, the odds ratio of mortality associated with intravenous access was 0.38 (95% CI 0.17 to 0.9) among patients with highest acuity (score ≥6). Conclusion In this population-based cohort, out-of-hospital efforts to establish intravenous access were associated with a reduction in hospital mortality among noninjured, non–cardiac arrest patients with the highest acuity. Reasons why this occurred (cause and effect) could not be determined in this model.
Topical ointment therapy benefits premature infants

Objective: Premature infants have an ineffective epidermal barrier. The aim of this study was to investigate the cutaneous and systemic effects of preservative-free topical ointment therapy in premature infants. Study design: We conducted a prospective, randomized study of 60 infants less than 33 weeks' estimated gestational age. The treated infants received therapy for 2 weeks with twice-daily preservative-free topical ointment therapy while the control group received no topical treatment or as-needed therapy with a waterin-oil emollient. Data collection included transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measurement, skin condition evaluations, fungal and quantitative bacterial skin cultures, analysis of fluid requirements, patterns of weight loss or gain, and the incidence of blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures positive for microorganisms. Results: We found that topical ointment therapy significantly decreased TEWL during the first 6 hours after the initial application. TEWL was decreased by 67% (p = 0.0001) when measured 30 minutes after application and 34% (p = 0.001) when measured 4 to 6 hours after application. We also observed significantly superior skin condition scores in the treated group on study days 7 and 14 (p = 0.001 and 0.0004, respectively). Quantitative bacterial cultures revealed significantly less colonization of the axilla on day 2, 3, or 4 and on day 14 (p = 0.008 and 0.04, respectively). The incidence of positive findings in blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid cultures was 3.3% in the treated group of infants versus 26.7% in the control group (p = 0.02). There was no statistical difference in the fluid requirements or patterns of weight gain or loss during the 2 weeks of the study. Conclusions: Preservative-free topical ointment therapy decreased TEWL for 6 hours after application, decreased the severity of dermatitis, and decreased bacterial colonization of axillary skin. Infants treated with ointment had fewer blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures positive for microorganisms. These data support the use of topical ointment therapy in very premature infants during the first weeks after birth.
Partitions with part difference conditions and Bressoud's conjecture

Abstract By employing Andrews' generalization of Watson's q-analogue of Whipple's theorem, Bressoud obtained an analytic identity, which specializes to most of the well-known theorems on partitions with part congruence conditions and difference conditions including the Rogers–Ramanujan identities. This led him to define two partition functions A and B depending on multiple parameters as combinatorial counterparts of his identity. Bressoud then proved that A = B for some very restricted choice of parameters and conjectured the equality to hold in full generality. We provide a proof of the conjecture for a much larger class of parameters, settling many cases of Bressoud's conjecture.
Over-the-counter and alternative medicines in the treatment of chronic vaginal symptoms

Objective To investigate the use of over-the-counter and alternative medicines in women with chronic vaginal symptoms. Methods One hundred five patients, referred by their gynecologists for evaluation of chronic vaginal symptoms, were interviewed about their use of over-the-counter and alternative medicines during the preceding year, the amount of money spent on each, and whether or not their physicians had been informed of these treatments. Results The mean age was 36 years, and one-half had finished college. The median symptom duration was 2 years. Seventy-seven (73.3%) patients had self-treated with over the-counter medications such as miconazole (74% of over-the-counter users), clotrimazole (38.2%), or povidone-iodine (13.2%). The median expenditure for over-the-counter use was $50 (range $2–1000). Forty-four (41.9%) had used alternative medicines, most frequently acidophilus pills orally (50%) or vaginally (11.4%), yogurt orally (20.5%) or vaginally (18.2%), vinegar douches (13.6%), and boric acid (13.6%). The median expenditure for alternative medicines was $35 (range $0-1200). Fewer physicians were aware of the use of alternative (70.5%) than of over-the-counter medicines (88.3%). Although most patients thought that vulvovaginal candidiasis was the cause of their symptoms, the most common diagnoses at initial presentation were candidiasis in 29 (27.6%), vulvar vestibulitis in 18 (17.1%), irritant dermatitis in 16 (15.2%), and bacterial vaginosis in 11 (10.5%). Women who actually had candidiasis were more likely to have used alternative medicines (odds ratio 2.31, 95% confidence interval 1.00, 5.42) than other patients. Conclusion Women with chronic vaginal symptoms often use over-the-counter and alternative medicines that add to health care costs and are unlikely to be of benefit.
Electroluminescence of Multicomponent Conjugated Polymers. 1. Roles of Polymer/Polymer Interfaces in Emission Enhancement and Voltage-Tunable Multicolor Emission in Semiconducting Polymer/Polymer Heterojunctions

Effects of the electronic structure of polymer/polymer interfaces on the electroluminescence efficiency and tunable multicolor emission of polymer heterojunction light-emitting diodes were explored by a series of 16 n-type conjugated polymers with varying electron affinities and ionization potentials in conjunction with poly(p-phenylenevinylene). Efficiency and luminance of diodes of the type indium−tin oxide/poly(p-phenylenevinylene)/n-type polymer/aluminum were maximized and were as high as 3% photons/electron and 820 cd/m2, respectively, when the energetics at the polymer/polymer interface favored electron transfer while disfavoring hole transfer. Energetic barrier to electron transfer at the polymer/polymer interface was more important to electroluminescence efficiency and diode luminance than injection barrier at the cathode/polymer interface. By a judicious choice of the relative layer thicknesses and the components of the bilayer heterojunctions, the rate of both electron and hole transfer across t...
The chemical and physical properties of interesterified milk fat fractions

Five fractions of anhydrous milk fat were obtained by fractional crystallization in the absence of solvent. The fractions were characterized, physically and chemically, before and after interesterification. Cholesterol tended to fractionate into the lowest-melting fraction. Slipping points of 38.5C, 32C, 28C, 22.5C, and 17C, respectively, were reflected in widely varying micropenetration curves, while differences in fatty acid composition were relatively small. The three higher-melting fractions, with very similar fatty acid compositions, had very similar physical properties after interesterification. Slipping points of 38C, 37C, 37C, 33C, and 32C, respectively, indicated that interesterification generally hardened the fractions. Interesterification altered the physical properties of lower-melting fractions more than the properties of higher-melting fractions. Interesterification caused some triglyceride degradation and some butyrate loss, but these factors could not fully explain the unequal physical property changes induced in the different fractions. Fractionation possibly tends to separate symmetrical triglycerides from their lower-melting, unsymmetrical isomers, yielding fractions with apparent differences in the degree of randomness of their triglyceride structure. Positioning of fatty acids within the triglyceride molecule seems to be a principal determinant of the physical properties of milk fat fractions.
Novel Proapoptotic Effect of Hepatocyte Growth Factor: Synergy with Palmitate to Cause Pancreatic β-Cell Apoptosis

Increasing evidence suggests that elevation of plasma fatty acids that often accompanies insulin resistance contributes to beta-cell insufficiency in obesity-related type 2 diabetes. Circulating levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) are increased in humans with metabolic syndrome and obesity. HGF is known to protect beta-cells against streptozotocin and during islet engraftment. However, whether HGF is a beta-cell prosurvival factor in situations of excessive lipid supply has not been deciphered. Mice overexpressing HGF in the beta-cell [rat insulin type II promoter (RIP)-HGF transgenic mice] fed with standard chow display improved glucose homeostasis and increased beta-cell mass and proliferation compared with normal littermates. However, after 15 wk of high-fat feeding, glucose homeostasis and beta-cell expansion and proliferation are indistinguishable between normal and transgenic mice. Interestingly, RIP-HGF transgenic mouse beta-cells and normal beta-cells treated with HGF display increased sensitivity to palmitate-mediated apoptosis in vitro. Palmitate completely eliminates Akt and Bad phosphorylation in RIP-HGF transgenic mouse islets. HGF-overexpressing islets also show significantly decreased AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha and acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase phosphorylation, diminished fatty acid oxidation, increased serine palmitoyltransferase expression, and enhanced ceramide formation compared with normal islets. Importantly, human islets overexpressing HGF also display increased beta-cell apoptosis in the presence of palmitate. Treatment of both mouse and human islet cells with the de novo ceramide synthesis inhibitors myriocin and fumonisin B1 abrogates beta-cell apoptosis induced by HGF and palmitate. Collectively, these studies indicate that HGF can be detrimental for beta-cell survival in an environment with excessive fatty acid supply.
Dynamic capsuloligamentous anatomy of the glenohumeral joint

Though many anatomic and biomechanical studies have been performed to elucidate capsuloligamentous anatomy of the glenohumeral joint, no previous studies have evaluated capsuloligamentous anatomy during rotator cuff contraction. The purpose of this study was to define and document the orientation and interrelationship between the glenohumeral ligaments during simulated rotator cuff contraction. Six fresh cadaveric shoulders were arthroscoped to document and grade ligamentous anatomy. The superior and middle glenohumeral ligaments and the anterior and posterior bands of the inferior glenohumeral ligament complex were labeled by an arthroscopicassisted technique with a linked metallic bead system. Shoulders were then placed onto an experimental apparatus that simulated rotator cuff function through computer-controlled servo-hydrolic actuators attached to the rotator cuff and biceps by a clamp and cable-and-pulley system. Simulated rotator cuff action and manual placement allowed shoulders to be placed into three positions of rotation (neutral, internal, and external) in three positions of scapular plane abduction (0°, 45°, 90°). Anteroposterior and axillary lateral plane radiographs were taken in each position to document orientation of all four ligaments. Both the superior and middle glenohumeral ligaments were maximally lengthened in 0° and 45° abduction and external rotation and appeared to shorten in all positions of abduction. The anterior and posterior bands of the inferior glenohumeral ligament complex maintained a cruciate orientation in all positions of abduction in the anteroposterior plane, except at 90° abduction and external rotation, where they are parallel. This cruciate orientation is due to the different location of the glenoid origin and humeral insertion of each band and may allow reciprocal tightening of each during rotation. The glenohumeral capsule is composed of discreet ligaments that undergo large charges in orientation during rotation. The superior and middle glenohumeral ligaments appear to complement the inferior glenohumeral ligaments, with the former tightening in adduction and the latter tightening in abduction. This relationship permits the large range of motion normally seen in the glenohumeral joint.
Delay-stable communications in simultaneous multicast networks

To properly operate closed industrial control networks, it is required that communication with nearly constant delay bounds be supported. In [24] the authors introduced FlexTDMA in order to provide this support, and with minimal delay-jitter in an asynchronous network, under unicast communication. In this paper we consider providing this support for simultaneous multicasting, and introduce the FlexTDMA++ protocol. Under this protocol, and with periodic on-off traffic that is directed to multiple receivers, frame losses and switch failures are managed in the presence of component clock drifts and bandwidth loads.
Superconducting optical single-photon detectors

We review the development of superconducting single-photon detectors. The devices are characterized by experimental quantum efficiency of ~8% for infrared photons, counting rate ~2 GHz, 18 ps jitter, and <0.01 per second dark counts
Tools for investigating peptide–protein interactions: peptide incorporation of environment-sensitive fluorophores through SPPS-based 'building block' approach

This protocol presents the synthesis and peptide incorporation of environment-sensitive fluorescent amino acids derived from the dimethylamino-phthalimide family. The procedure uses anhydride precursors of 4-dimethylaminophthalimide (4-DMAP) or 6-dimethylaminonaphthalimide (6-DMN), whose syntheses are described in a related protocol by these authors. In this study, the corresponding fluorescent amino acids can be readily obtained in Fmoc-protected form for convenient use as building blocks in solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). The time required to complete the procedure depends on the size and the number of peptides targeted. Alternatively, the chromophores can be incorporated directly after SPPS via on-resin derivatization of peptides, which is an option described in a related protocol by these authors.
Circular Favard length of the four-corner cantor set

Let $\mathcal{C}_{n}$ be the n-th generation in the construction of the middle-half Cantor set. The Cartesian square $\mathcal{K}_{n}$ of $\mathcal{C}_{n}$ consists of 4 n squares of side-length 4−n . We drop a circle of radius r on the plane and try to estimate from below the conditional probability of this circle to intersect $\mathcal{K}_{n}$ if it already intersects a disc containing $\mathcal{K}_{n}$ . If the radius is very large ≈4 n then clearly this should not differ too much from the usual Buffon needle probability. But it turns out that the best known lower bound (Bateman and Volberg in arXiv:0807.2953 , 2008) persists even when the radius is much smaller than this—r>Cn e suffices—and the intersection probability is at least $\frac{C_{\varepsilon}\log n}{n}$ . This suggests that the method of Bateman and Volberg ( arXiv:0807.2953 , 2008) may be of use in proving a certain estimate for the lacunary circular maximal function from Seeger et al. (Preprint, 2005).
From sedition to patriotism: performance, place, and the reinterpretation of American ethnic identity

Abstract Between the two World Wars, many Americans changed their attitudes toward ethnic minorities and their place within American civic culture. States such as Wisconsin, with its dense concentration of diverse immigrant groups, came under especially harsh fire during the Great War, only to be celebrated 20 years later as microcosms of a pluralist democracy. Although much has been written about this profound transformation of American ethnic identity from the perspective of «official culture», or those governing elites in power, less is known about the role of immigrant communities themselves in this change. Examination of the intertwining of ideology with the social manifestations of cultural performance in one Wisconsin community provides a way to interpret the elusive experience of ordinary people. In the case of two interwar Swiss American cultural performances, a view of ethnic culture emerges that sought to refashion a more inclusive definition of what it meant to be American. In the process of redefining their own identity, third generation Swiss strategically used such performance-based memory work. Their efforts not merely reflected, but shaped a discourse of ethnicity between the wars that became decreasingly antagonistic and gradually more open to ethnic and cultural difference.
Ab initio Studies, using the FSGO-pseudopotential method, of the electronic structure in group IV cluster molecules M(LH3)4; M, L = C, Si, Ge

Ab initio FSGO-pseudopotential studies are reported for the nine molecules M(LH3)4; M, L = C, Si, Ge. We report orbital energies, calculated geometries, bonding parameters, and predicted energies of reaction. Comparison with experimental data shows the results to be quite satisfactory. Comparison with the tetrahedral group IV solids affords some clues to the nature of the doped materials. The outstanding observation, from all parameters calculated, is the similarity of (Si, Ge) and their difference from carbon. Comments on possible stability of the compounds are ventured.
Growth and fabrication of quantum dots superluminescent diodes using the indium-flush technique: A new approach in controlling the bandwidth

Broadband superluminescent diodes incorporating multiple layers of InAs quantum dots (QDs), where the dots height was deliberately varied from one layer to another have been grown and characterized. We used the indium-flush process to accurately control the emission energy of each layer of dots, enabling us to reliability and predictably engineer the bandwidth of the overlapped layers. Photoluminescence spectrum of four combined layers of QDs with full-width at half-maximum of 125 nm at peak wavelength energy of 1.06 μm was obtained. A 3 dB bandwidth emission spectrum of 80 nm and output power of 1 mW was obtained under CW operation mode at room temperature.
Review of toxicity and trends in the use of tiagabine as reported to US poison centers from 2000 to 2012.

Background:Tiagabine is a novel antiepileptic that acts by increasing synaptic and extracellular gamma-aminobutyric acid concentrations. Information concerning overdose of tiagabine is limited. After introduction, an increasing number of off-label uses suggested that tiagabine use would increase. However in 2005 and 2008, warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were issued on the risk of seizures in non-epileptic and increased suicide ideation. We evaluated the temporal trends associated with these two warnings as well as clinical outcomes from tiagabine overdose.Method:A retrospective review of all single substance tiagabine exposures in National Poison Data System (NPDS) from 2000 to 2012.Results:A total of 2147 patients had ingested tiagabine, with a mean of 165 year−1. This was disproportionally distributed, with a steep rise leading up to 2004 (max 559 year−1) and then a significant decline (p < 0.05) between 2005 and 2006. The number of cases reported to NPDS mirrored the sales of tiaga...
Three theories for delays, clocks and security in wireless networks

We propose three theories, which can be regarded as attempts to characterize and establish guaranteed properties of wireless networks: (i) How and to what extent can we deliver packets with hard delay bounds? (ii) How and to what extent can we synchronize clocks in wireless networks? (iii) Can we develop provably secure protocols for the entire life-cycle of wireless networks that also optimize a utility measure while operating in a hostile environment? For the first problem, consider an access point serving several clients over unreliable wireless links. Suppose packets arrive for/from the clients, with each packet having a hard deadline, after which it is dropped. We characterize precisely the mix of delivery ratios, channel unreliabilities and hard deadline that the access point can guarantee, under some models. For the second problem, consider a wireless network where clocks at the nodes are linear, though with different rates (skews) and offsets. Nodes can exchange packets with their neighbors, with direction dependent delays. We characterize precisely to what extent clocks can and cannot be synchronized and delays determined. Under a random model the end-to-end error can be kept bounded irrespective of network size. Concerning the third problem, traditionally, wireless protocols have been developed to provide performance. As attacks are identified, the protocols are fortified against the identified vulnerabilities. However, holistic guarantees are not provided against other attacks. We seek to reverse this paradigm. We propose a provable approach that guarantees the protocol suite is secure when the nodes are subject to certain assumptions. The protocols take a set of good nodes mingled with unknown malicious nodes from primordial birth to an operating network, while attaining min-max of a utility function. The maximization is over protocols announced and followed by the good nodes, and the minimization is over all behaviors of the malicious nodes. Further, the malicious nodes are reduced to either cooperating or jamming. [Joint work with Vivek Borkar, Nikolaos Freris, Scott Graham, I-Hong Hou, Yih-Chun Hu, Jonathan Ponniah and Roberto Solis].
Investigation of Thermochemical Hydrogen Production via the Novel Thermo-Mechanical Stabilized Iron Oxide-Zirconia Porous Structure

In this study we have developed a unique method for synthesizing very reactive water splitting materials that will remain stable at temperatures as high as 1450 °C to efficiently produce clean hydrogen from concentrated solar energy. The hydrogen production for a laboratory scale reactor using a “Thermo-mechanical Stabilized Porous Structure” (TSPS) is experimentally investigated for oxidation and thermal reduction temperatures of 1200 and 1450 °C, respectively. The stability and reactivity of a 10 g TSPS over many consecutive oxidation and thermal reduction cycles for different particle size ranges has been investigated. The novel thermo-mechanical stabilization exploits sintering and controls the geometry of the matrix of particles inside the structure in a favorable manner so that the chemical reactivity of the structure remains intact. The experimental results demonstrate that this structure yields peak hydrogen production rates of 1–2 cm3/(min.gFe3O4) during the oxidation step at 1200 °C and the 30 minute thermal reduction step at 1450 ° C without noticeable degradation over many consecutive cycles. The hydrogen production rate is one of the highest yet reported in the open literature for thermochemical looping processes using thermal reduction. This novel process has strong potential for developing an enabling technology for efficient and commercially viable solar fuel production.© 2013 ASME
Geometric Methods for Modeling and Control of Free-Swimming Fin-Actuated Underwater Vehicles

In this paper, techniques from geometric mechanics and geometric nonlinear control theory are applied to modeling and construction of trajectory tracking algorithms for a free-swimming underwater vehicle that locomotes and maneuvers using a two-link actuated ldquotailrdquo and independently actuated ldquopectoral finrdquo bow planes. Restricting consideration of fluid forces to the simple effects of added mass and quasi-steady lift and drag, the resulting system model can be expressed in a control-affine structure. With particular choices of oscillatory actuation of the four system joints, maneuvers such as swimming forward, in and out of plane turning, surfacing, and diving can be constructed. Further, the vehicle and model can generate agile maneuvers such as snap turns. Trajectory tracking can then be produced using state error feedback. The methods are demonstrated both in simulation and in experiment using the University of Washington prototype fin-actuated underwater vehicle.
The D- And L-Isomers of Methadone Bind to the Non-Competitive Site on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) Receptor in Rat Forebrain and Spinal Cord

Racemic (dl)-methadone has antagonist activity at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. We evaluated dl-methadone, the opioid active (l-) and the opioid inactive (d-) isomers in competition binding assays. dl-Methadone and its d- and l- isomers exhibited low micromolar affinities for the [3H]MK-801-labeled non-competitive site of the NMDA receptor in both rat forebrain and spinal cord synaptic membranes, with Ki values and displacement curves similar to those of dextromethorphan, an established NMDA receptor antagonist. They lacked affinity at the [3H]CGS-19755-labeled competitive site of the NMDA receptor. Therefore, both methadone and its the d- and l- isomers differ from morphine, hydromorphone, and naltrexone in that they have non-competitive antagonist activity at the NMDA receptor. A non-opioid NMDA receptor antagonist, such as d-methadone, may improve the efficacy of morphine by attenuating the development of tolerance.
ARGONAUTE 6 bridges transposable element mRNA-derived siRNAs to the establishment of DNA methylation.

Abstract Transposable elements (TEs) generate mutations and chromosomal instability when active. To repress TE activity, eukaryotic cells evolved mechanisms to both degrade TE mRNAs into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and modify TE chromatin to epigenetically inhibit transcription. Since the populations of small RNAs that participate in TE post‐transcriptional regulation differ from those that establish RNA‐directed DNA methylation (RdDM), the mechanism through which transcriptionally active TEs transition from post‐transcriptional RNAi regulation to chromatin level control has remained unclear. We have identified the molecular mechanism of a plant pathway that functions to direct DNA methylation to transcriptionally active TEs. We demonstrated that 21–22 nucleotide (nt) siRNA degradation products from the RNAi of TE mRNAs are directly incorporated into the ARGONAUTE 6 (AGO6) protein and direct AGO6 to TE chromatin to guide its function in RdDM. We find that this pathway functions in reproductive precursor cells to primarily target long centromeric high‐copy transcriptionally active TEs for RdDM prior to gametogenesis. This study provides a direct mechanism that bridges the gap between the post‐transcriptional regulation of TEs and the establishment of TE epigenetic silencing.
Patient Mislabeling of Symptoms: Implications for Patient-Physician Communication and Medical Outcome

Mislabeling of symptoms was studied in a group of 587 chronic asthmatic patients. Results indicated a wide variation in both the frequency and type of mislabeling, with over 26 per cent of the patients mislabeling one or more nonairways obstruction symptom clusters as being an asthma attack. Several demographic and personality factors were found to correlate with mislabeling. Finally, mislabeling was associated with medical outcome, with mislabelers being 40 per cent more likely than nonmislabelers to be rehospitalized for their asthma within six months of discharge.
Isolation and functional characterization of a floral tissue-specific R2R3 MYB regulator from tobacco.

Tobacco is a commonly used heterologous system for studying combinatorial regulation of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway by the bHLH–MYB transcription factor (TF) complex in plants. However, little is known about the endogenous tobacco bHLH and MYB TFs involved in the pathway. Ectopic expression in tobacco of heterologous bHLH TF genes, such as maize Lc, leads to increased anthocyanin production in the reproductive tissues, suggesting the presence of a reproductive tissue-specific MYB TF that interacts with the Lc-like bHLH TFs. We isolated a gene (NtAn2) encoding a R2R3 MYB TF from developing tobacco flowers. NtAn2 shares high sequence homology with other known flavonoid-related MYB TFs and is mostly expressed in developing flowers. Constitutive ectopic expression of NtAn2 induces whole-plant anthocyanin production in tobacco and Arabidopsis. In transgenic tobacco and Arabidopsis expressing NtAn2, both subsets of early and late flavonoid pathway genes are up-regulated. Suppression of NtAn2 by RNAi in tobacco resulted in a white-flowered phenotype and the inhibition of the late pathway genes. Yeast two-hybrid assays demonstrated that NtAn2 can interact with five heterologous bHLH TFs known to induce anthocyanin synthesis in other species including maize, perilla, snapdragon and Arabidopsis. Bimolecular fluorescent complementation using split YFP demonstrated that NtAn2 interacts with Lc in tobacco cells and that the complex is localized to nuclei. Transient co-expression of NtAn2 and Lc or ArabidopsisTT8 in tobacco protoplasts activated the promoters of two key flavonoid pathway genes, chalconesynthase and dihydroflavonol reductase. These results suggest that NtAn2 is a key gene controlling anthocyanin production in reproductive tissues of tobacco.
Structural insights to the metal specificity of an archaeal member of the LigD 3′-phosphoesterase DNA repair enzyme family

LigD 3 0 -phosphoesterase (PE) enzymes perform end-healing reactions at DNA breaks. Here we characterize the 3 0 -ribonucleoside-resecting activity of Candidatus Korarchaeum PE. CkoPE prefers a single-stranded substrate versus a primer– template. Activity is abolished by vanadate (10 mM), but is less sensitive to phosphate (IC50 50 mM) or chloride (IC50 150 mM). The metal requirement is satisfied by manganese, cobalt, copper or cadmium, but not magnesium, calcium, nickel or zinc. Insights to CkoPE metal specificity were gained by solving new 1.5 A u crystal structures of CkoPE in complexes with Co 2+ and Zn 2+ . His9, His15 and Asp17 coordinate cobalt in an octahedral complex that includes a phosphate anion, which is in turn coordinated by Arg19 and His51. The cobalt and phosphate positions and the atomic contacts in the active site are virtually identical to those in the CkoPE · Mn 2+ structure. By contrast, Zn 2+ binds in the active site in a tetrahedral complex, wherein the position, orientation and atomic contacts of the phosphate are shifted and its interaction with His51 is lost. We conclude that: (i) PE selectively binds to ‘soft’ metals in either productive or non-productive modes and (ii) PE catalysis depends acutely on proper metal and scissile phosphate geometry.
Transient and crosstalk analysis of slightly lossy interconnection lines for wafer scale integration and wafer scale hybrid packaging-weak coupling case

An investigation is made of the transmission characteristics of wafer-scale interconnection lines which are modeled by weakly coupled lossy transmission lines. Laplace transform techniques and numerical methods are used to solve the coupled transmission-line equations in the weak coupling approximation. The authors obtain transient responses and crosstalk noise waveforms in the time domain. The modification of the coupling resulting from the losses is examined. The analysis indicates that while there is some increase in coupling resulting from the losses, the rise-time-dependent part of this coupling (which is a more severe component at high frequencies) is still suppressed for homogeneous dielectrics as is the case for lossless lines. However, other results seen in terminated lossless lines such as the absence of any coupling at the far end are degraded by the losses. A guide for determining the design parameters of the interconnection is presented along with some experimental results measured with actual fabricated wafer-scale test structures. >
The impact of adaptive capacity on disaster response and recovery: evidence supporting core community capabilities.

Introduction The aim of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between the development of adaptive capacity and disaster response and recovery outcomes. Hospitals and health care systems are a critical element in community planning for all phases of the disaster cycle. There is a lack of research, however, to validate the relationship between the development of these capabilities and improved response and recovery outcomes. Hypothesis/Problem Two hypotheses were formulated to address the research question. The first hypothesis argued that counties or parishes that developed adaptive capacity through pre-event planning, community engagement, training, and the use of national response frameworks would have improved response and recovery performance outcomes. The second hypothesis argued that adaptive capacity, along with response and recovery performance outcomes, predicts the trajectory of recovery progression. Methods This study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey methodology and existing community demographic data to explore the development of adaptive capacity and its ability to predict disaster response and recovery outcomes in communities affected by major disaster in 2011. A total of 333 counties and parishes were included in the final sample, providing a 95% confidence interval with a 5% margin of error. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Multiple, hierarchical, and robust regression were used to find the best fitting model. Multi-level modeling with random intercepts was used to control for the nesting effects associated with county, state, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) region sampling. Results Descriptive results provide a baseline assessment of adaptive capacity development at the community level. While controlling for other variables, hypothesis testing revealed that pre-event planning, community engagement, full-scale exercises, and use of national frameworks predicated overall response and recovery performance outcomes (R 2 = .43; F 13,303 = 13.34; P < .001). In terms of recovery progression, pre-event planning, overall response and recovery performance outcome, total time of disruption, and percent of people below poverty were significant (R 2 = .15; F14,302 = 4.53; P < .001). Conclusions Establishment of empirical data provides communities with reinforcement to continue resilience-building activities at the local level. However, findings from this study suggest that only full-scale exercises were significant in improving response and recovery outcomes. Implications for re-evaluation of disaster training warrant further exploration. Zukowski RS . The Impact of Adaptive Capacity on Disaster Response and Recovery: Evidence Supporting Core Community Capabilities. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(4):1-8 .
P-Selectin Expression on Platelets Determines Size and Stability of Platelet Aggregates

Background—P-selectin mediates rolling of platelets and leukocytes on activated endothelial cells. After platelet activation, P-selectin is translocated from intracellular granules to the external membrane, whereas fibrinogen aggregates platelets by bridging glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa between adjacent platelets. Methods and Results—In this study, we define a novel role for P-selectin in platelet aggregation. Expression of P-selectin on the platelet surface correlated strongly with the mean platelet aggregate size. Inhibition of P-selectin binding to its ligand by either monoclonal anti–P-selectin antibodies directed against the lectin domain or soluble human P-selectin reversed platelet aggregation even when added up to 5 minutes after activation; however, fibrinogen binding to platelets was not affected. This deaggregating effect significantly reduced the maximal size and number of platelet aggregates. When added 1 minute after platelet activation, anti–P-selectin antibody achieved 95% to 100% of the dea...
Genetic Determinants of Sudden Cardiac Death

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the final common end point of multiple disease processes. It results from a complex interplay of structural, metabolic, and genetic determinants. Although epidemiological risk factors such as age, prior myocardial infarction, and low ejection fraction are well established, this syndrome also has a strong genetic component. An understanding of the genetic contributions to risk could add substantially to the prediction and prevention of SCD. In this review, we explore the epidemiology, heritability, and allelic architecture of SCD and provide a detailed overview of the genetics of inherited electrophysiological and structural heart diseases that are potent risk factors for SCD. Each year, SCD claims >300 000 lives in the United States.1 Most cases, ≈80%, are related to underlying coronary artery disease. Fewer cases, ≈10% to 15%, are associated with an underlying nonischemic myopathic process such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Approximately 5% are estimated to have a primary defect of cardiac electrophysiology (eg, long-QT syndrome [LQTS] or Brugada syndrome [BS]).2 At the population level, the conventional cardiac risk factors are powerful risk factors for SCD. For example, diabetes mellitus is associated with a marked increase in risk of SCD (odds ratio=1.7 without microvascular disease; odds ratio=2.7 with microvascular disease).3 Among subjects with known coronary artery disease, smoking is linked to an increase in risk of SCD (hazard ratio=2.5).4 In a multivariate analysis from the Paris Prospective Study, a 42-mg/dL increase in total cholesterol (1 SD of the sample variation) was associated with a 23% increased risk of SCD. In the same analysis, an increase of 20 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure was associated with a 23% increase in the risk of SCD.5 Furthermore, data from the Framingham Heart Study demonstrate that left ventricular hypertrophy is a risk …
Implementation of a training set parallel algorithm for an automated fingerprint image comparison system

This paper addresses the problem of developing an efficient training set parallel algorithm (TSPA) for the training procedure of a neural network based fingerprint image comparison (FIC) system. The target architecture is assumed to be a coarse-grain distributed memory parallel architecture. Theoretical analysis and experimental results show that TSPA achieves almost linear speedup performance. This parallel algorithm is applicable to ANN training in general and is not dependent on the ANN architecture. However, TSP is amenable to a slow convergence rate. In order to reduce this effect, a modified TSPA using weighted contributions of synaptic connections is proposed. Experimental results show that this algorithm provides a fast convergence rate, while keeping the high speedup performance obtained. The above algorithms are implemented and tested on a 32-node CM-5.
Reducing wasted development time via continuous testing

Testing is often performed frequently during development to ensure software reliability by catching regression errors quickly. However, stopping frequently to test also wastes time by holding up development progress. User studies on real development projects indicate that these two sources of wasted time account for 10-15% of development time. These measurements use a novel technique for computing the wasted extra development time incurred by a delay in discovering a regression error. We present a model of developer behavior that infers developer beliefs from developer behavior, and that predicts developer behavior in new environments - in particular, when changing testing methodologies or tools to reduce wasted time. Changing test ordering or reporting reduces wasted time by 4-41% in our case study. Changing the frequency with which tests are run can reduce wasted time by 31-82% (but developers cannot know the ideal frequency except after the fact). We introduce and evaluate a new technique, continuous testing, that uses spare CPU resources to continuously run tests in the background, providing rapid feedback about test failures as as source code is edited. Continuous testing reduced wasted time by 92-98%, a substantial improvement over the other approaches. We have integrated continuous testing into two development environments, and are beginning user studies to evaluate its efficacy. We believe it has the potential to reduce the cost and improve the efficacy of testing and, as a result, to improve the reliability of delivered systems.
Mechanical Properties of Nanostructures

Structural integrity is of paramount importance in all devices. Load applied during the use of devices can result in component failure. Cracks can develop and propagate under tensile stresses, leading to failure. Knowledge of the mechanical properties of nanostructures is necessary for designing realistic MEMS/NEMS and BioMEMS/BioNEMS devices. Elastic and inelastic properties are needed to predict deformation from an applied load in the elastic and inelastic regimes, respectively. The strength property is needed to predict the allowable operating limit. Some of the properties of interest are hardness, elastic modulus, bending strength, fracture toughness and fatigue strength. Many of the mechanical properties are scale dependent therefore these should be measured at relevant scales. Atomic force microscopy and nanoindenters can be used satisfactorily to evaluate the mechanical properties of micro/nanoscale structures. Commonly used materials in MEMS/NEMS are single-crystal silicon and silicon-based materials, e.g., SiO2 and polysilicon films deposited by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition. An early study showed silicon to be a mechanically resilient material in addition to its favorable electronic properties. Single-crystal SiC deposited on large-area silicon substrates is used for high-temperature micro/nanosensors and actuators. Amorphous alloys can be formed on both metal and silicon substrates by sputtering and plating techniques, providing more flexibility in surface-integration. Electroless deposited Ni-P amorphous thin films have been used to construct microdevices, especially using the so-called LIGA techniques. Micro/nanodevices need conductors to provide power, as well as electrical/magnetic signals to make them functional. Electroplated gold films have found wide applications in electronic devices because of their ability to make thin films and process simply. Polymers, such as poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) are commonly used in BioMEMS/BioNEMS, such as micro/nanofluidic devices, because of ease of manufacturing and reduced cost. The use of polymers also offers a wide range of material properties to allow tailoring of biological interactions for improved biocompatibility. This chapter presents a review of mechanical property measurements on the micro/nanoscale of various materials of interest and stress and deformation analyses of nanostructures.
Max Weber's Politics and Political Education

In December, 1915, Max Weber published an article on "Bismarck's Foreign Policy and the Present" in the liberal Frankfurter Zeitung, inaugurating more than twenty political tracts written in the closing years of his life. During the same period the conceptual introduction to his monumental scientific treatise, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, was being written, as were the later parts of the Religionssoziologie dealing with China, India, and the ancient Hebrew community. With the possible exception of "Politics as a Vocation"-a brilliant summation of what was being said elsewhere in his work'-it is remarkable that our knowledge of Weber has been based almost exclusively on the scholarly volumes. By uncritically accepting the common distinction between "scholarship" and "partisanship," to cite the terms employed in a recent study, we have failed to do justice to the political concerns connecting the sociological analyses with the so-called "political writings."2 Since these writings contained a major theoretical critique of contemporary politics and addressed an extensive national audience in addition to the scientific community, they had considerable importance for Weber himself. Through them we begin to perceive the fundamental political nature of his thought, even in its more detached scientific expressions. This fact alone should give pause to those who still wish to see Weber as only a "pure scientist" quietly pursuing "value-free" inquiry. This latter onesided image of Weber, which has found its home in American social science, can be explained in part by the needs of the new science of society to develop and integrate