cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of gene patents and licensing practices on access to genetic testing for hearing loss

Genetic testing for heritable hearing loss involves a mix of patented and unpatented genes, mutations and testing methods. More than half of all hearing loss is linked to inherited mutations, and five genes are most commonly tested for in the United States. There are no patents on three of these genes, but Athena Diagnostics holds exclusive licenses to test for a common mutation in the GJB2 gene associated with about 50% of all cases as well as mutations in the MTRNR1 gene. This fragmented intellectual property landscape made hearing loss a useful case study to assess whether patent rights in genetic testing can proliferate or overlap, and whether it is possible to gather the rights necessary to perform testing. Testing for hearing loss is widely available, primarily from academic medical centers. Based on literature reviews and interviews with researchers, research on the genetics of hearing loss has generally not been impeded by patents. There is no consistent evidence of a premium in testing prices attributable to patent status. Athena Diagnostics has, however, used its intellectual property to discourage other providers from offering some tests. There is no definitive answer about the suitability of current patenting and licensing of commonly tested genes because of continuing legal uncertainty about the extent of enforcement of patent rights. Clinicians have also expressed concerns that multiplex tests will be difficult to develop because of overlapping intellectual property and conflict with Athena's sole provider business model.
A study of the lipid constituents of bird's-foot trefoil (L. corniculatus)☆

Abstract The neutral and other non-acidic lipids of bird's-foot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus , have been isolated and identified. Among them are sterol esters, fatty acid methyl esters, triglycerides, free fatty acids and diglycerides. The fatty acids of these lipids along with the fatty acids from the total phospholipid fraction have been analyzed and a comparison made of the first and second harvest.
Spectrophotometric studies of interactions between various substrates in their binding to microsomal cytochrome P-450.

Abstract The question of whether liver microsomes contain a single cytochrome P-450 with broad substrate specificity or a multitude of different cytochromes P-450 with high substrate specificity has been examined by determining the patterns of spectral changes in the presence of various combinations of substrates. The results can be explained in terms of the existence of two spectrally distinguishable forms of cytochrome P-450, which can associate with various substrates to form complexes which are spectrally similar to, but not necessarily identical to, one or the other of these forms.
Altruism in suicide terror organizations

In recent years, much has been learned about the strategic and organizational contexts of suicide attacks. However, motivations of the agents who commit them remain difficult to explain. In part this is because standard models of social learning as well as Durkheimian notions of sacrificial behavior are inadequate in the face of the actions of human bombers. In addition, the importance of organizational structures and practices in reinforcing commitment on the part of suicide recruits is an under-explored factor in many analyses. This essay examines the potential applicability of evolutionary models of altruism to the understanding of commitment to suicide on the part of terrorist organizational recruits. Three evolutionary models of sacrificial behavior in nonhuman species and many categories of human behavior are explored cross-organizationally: reciprocity, inclusive fitness theory, and induced altruism. Reciprocal altruism is unlikely to be a major motivator in suicide attacks because the costs exhibited by attackers are too high to be adequately compensated. However, the role of evolved self-deception in perceptions of personal death, and thus of rewards in the afterlife, is potentially illuminating. Inclusive fitness theory can help explain the motivations of attackers because rewards to kin often are offered by organizations to suicide recruits. However, suicide bombers also often act out of revenge for the loss of or injury to relatives, and inclusive fitness theory generally, as well as more specific theoretical models of retaliatory aggression, may not adequately account for the bombers' actions. Predictions from induced altruism theory appear to be well supported because suicide terror organizations tend to be tightly structured around practices intended to maintain and reinforce commitment though the manipulation of kinship-recognition cues.
Changing Loosely Coupled Systems

In addition to comparing and contrasting loosely coupled systems with tightly coupled systems the purpose of this article is to explore the complexities of attempting to change loosely coupled systems. The change process is often in the direction of tightening a loosely coupled system but not always. Thus the intent is more exploratory than necessarily directional. Social network analysis is a popular and useful tool for understanding a loosely coupled system and serves the consulting process both diagnostically and as an intervention. A network is a common example of a loosely coupled system. There are two primary forms of network—external and internal. External networks are typically stand-alone organizations such as the Organization Development Network and internal networks are best understood as the informal organization within a large and probably highly bureaucratic system. Regarding change the objectives are different depending on which kind of network is being addressed. Other interventions that a...
Inactivation (desensitization) of the acetylcholine receptor in Electrophorus electricus membrane vesicles by carbamylcholine: comparison between ion flux and alpha-bungarotoxin binding.

The inactivation (desensitization) of the acetylcholine receptor by carbamylcholine, a stable analogue of acetylcholine, has been investigated in eel Ringer's solution, pH 7.0, 0 degrees C, by measurements of (i) ion flux and (ii) the kinetics of the reaction of [125I]-alpha-bungarotoxin with the receptor. The effect of preincubation with carbamylcholine is significantly different in the two types of measurement. In both the receptor-controlled flux of inorganic ions and the toxin-binding kinetics a biphasic process has been observed (Hess, G.P., Lipkowitz, S., Struve, G.E., 1978, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 75:1703; Hess, G.P. et al., 1975, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 64:1018; Bulger, J.E. et al., 1977, Biochemistry 16:684), only the initial fast phase of which is inhibited and the subsequent slow phase persists. However, preincubation with carbamylcholine per se has no effect on the toxin reaction. The results obtained are consistent with the proposal of Katz and Thesleff (Katz, B., Thesleff, S., 1957, J. Physiol. (London) 138:65) that the active form of the receptor is converted to an inactive form in the presence of acetylcholine receptor ligands, and with our previous experiments (Hess et al., 1978) which indicated that one receptor form is responsible for the initial fast phase of both the receptor-controlled ion flux and the toxin binding reaction, and that its conversion to the other form results in the slow phases in these two measurements.
The Rockefeller foundation program in the agricultural sciences

There are valid reasons for man's anxiety about his food supply. To increase the productivity of agriculture in the world, especially in those areas where agriculture is still underdeveloped, is a challenge of great urgency. The agricultural program of The Rockefeller Foundation was designed with this objective in mind. The agricultural program of the Foundation began in 1943 when the Mexican government and the Foundation inaugurated a cooperative effort initially implemented by a one-man mission. The Foundation has been concerned with problems of human welfare throughout the world since it was founded in 1913, and it had from the beginning given special emphasis to the improvement of public health. Since nutrition plays such a basic role in determining the level of public health, as well as the level of man's productivity and general well-being, it is not surprising that the officials of the Foundation became interested in agriculture as a means of improving nutrition. The decision to embark on an agricultural improvement program was not taken hastily, however. As a preparatory step, The Rockefeller Foundation in 1941 asked three distinguished scientists to study the situation in Mexico to determine whether it would be desirable and feasible for the Foundation to undertake a program in that country; and if so, to
Estrogen action in the regulation of cell proliferation, cell survival, and tumorigenesis in the rat anterior pituitary gland.

Estrogens act as important regulators of cell proliferation, cell survival, and differentiation in a variety of organ systems and tissues and have been implicated in the etiology of a variety of malignant cancers and benign tumors. The anterior pituitary gland of the rat provides an excellent model for the study of estrogen action in the regulation of cell proliferation and survival. Estrogens stimulate proliferation of the prolactin (PRL)-producing lactotroph and enhance lactotroph survival. Through these actions on lactotroph proliferation and survival, estrogens induce or contribute to the development of PRL-producing pituitary tumors in several rat strains. Data from our laboratory and others indicate that estrogen-induced pituitary growth is rat strain specific and segregates as a quantitative genetic trait in crosses between different rat strains. The purpose of this review is to summarize current know ledge pertaining to estrogen action in the regulation of cell proliferation, cell survival, and tumorigenesis in the anterior pituitary gland of the rat species, Rattus norvegicus, and to illustrate the advantages of the rat pituitary gland as a model for elucidating the mechanisms through which estrogens regulate these processes.
Electrical properties of hydrated collagen. II. Semiconductor properties.

The dc conductivity of hydrated bovine Achilles' tendon collagen has been determined as a function of hydration over a limited temperature range. At ambient temperature the conductivity changes from 10−15 (Ω cm)−1 in the dry state to about 10−8 (Ω cm)−1 at ∼24% water content by weight. For all temperatures the conductivity increases exponentially with hydration obeying σ(h) = A exp (βh), where h is a measure of the hydration, A is independent of temperature, and the parameter β ∼ T−1. It is shown that the data may be described by an impurity-type mechanism in which the effective activation energy for the process is dependent on temperature and hydration. Conduction is assumed to be electronic with the impurity (water) acting as a donor. In the solid state the effect of water on the conductivity is reversible indicating the absence of chemical alteration of the hydrated collagen.
Collapsing glomerulopathy: A clinically and pathologically distinct variant of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

Sixteen patients with renal biopsy findings of extensive focal glomerular capillary collapse, visceral epithelial cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia, and variable degrees of tubulointerstitial injury in the absence of evidence for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or intravenous drug abuse were prospectively identified by renal biopsy. The pathologic process was designated collapsing glomerulopathy to distinguish it from other patterns of focal glomerular sclerosis. The clinical and pathologic characteristics of these 16 patients were analyzed and compared to a group of 25 patients with noncollapsing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Thirteen of 16 patients with collapsing glomerulopathy were black as compared with 11 of 25 with FSGS (P = 0.018). The most common findings at presentation were hypertension and manifestations of the nephrotic syndrome. Although the duration of symptoms prior to presentation was no longer in the collapsing glomerulopathy group, the presenting mean serum creatinine was higher in patients with collapsing glomerulopathy than in those with noncollapsing FSGS (3.5 +/- 3.4 mg/dl vs. 1.3 0.6 mg/dl, P = 0.001). Twenty-four-hour urine protein excretion was also higher in the collapsing glomerulopathy group (13.2 +/- 7.7 g/day vs. 4.6 +/- 4.5 g/day FSGS, P = 0.005). The collapsing glomerulopathy patients had a mean age of 41.4 +/- 19.1 (range 19 to 81), a male-to-female ratio of 11:5 and a black-to-white ratio of 13:3. Renal survival, evaluated by life-table analysis, was markedly worse in collapsing glomerulopathy patients than in FSGS patients (P = 0.0004). It is proposed that collapsing glomerulopathy is a distinct entity characterized by black racial predominance, massive proteinuria, relatively rapidly progressive renal insufficiency, and distinctive pathologic findings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Using Data Fusion and Web Mining to Support Feature Location in Software

Data fusion is the process of integrating multiple sources of information such that their combination yields better results than if the data sources are used individually. This paper applies the idea of data fusion to feature location, the process of identifying the source code that implements specific functionality in software. A data fusion model for feature location is presented which defines new feature location techniques based on combining information from textual, dynamic, and web mining analyses applied to software. A novel contribution of the proposed model is the use of advanced web mining algorithms to analyze execution information during feature location. The results of an extensive evaluation indicate that the new feature location techniques based on web mining improve the effectiveness of existing approaches by as much as 62%.
Dynamics of energy transport in ternary molecular solids. II. Time evolution of naphthalene fluorescence

Abstract The spectrally resolved time-evolution of free and trapped singlet excitons was obtained at liquid-helium temperature for ternary crystals of perdeuteronaphthalene/naphthalene/betamethylnaphthalene (host/guest/supertrap). The naphthalene guest (donor) concentration varied between 0.30 and 0.99 mole fraction, while the supertrap (acceptor) concentrations were 10−4–10−5. At the lower guest concentrations (0.50 and below) the naphthalene-exciton decay time approaches the natural lifetime (≈ 122 ns). At higher concentrations, the decay is much shorter and extremely non-exponential. This behavior is inconsistent with simple homogeneous kinetics schemes that use a time-independent rate constant for energy transport. Above the percolation concentration (0.60 naphthalene) we fitted the experimental results with a random-flight-kinetic model, incorporating correlated random walks on the percolating guest cluster. The best fit was obtained for a “coherence length” (mean free path) of ≈ 102 lattice units. These results are in good agreement with previous steady-state studies on the same samples, and seem to indicate a partial coherence of the exciton transport in both pure and substitutionally disordered crystals at these low temperatures.
College Football Success: The Relationship Between Recruiting and Winning

College football has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry largely through the advent of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), television markets, and new network affiliations. Big-time programs generate millions of dollars for the athletic department and for the school through various avenues. Still, for teams to be successful, they must recruit talented athletes. This study examines the relationship between recruiting and on the field success. The automatic qualifying conferences to the BCS are examined through regression analysis to determine the relationship between recruiting success and on-the-field success. Regression analysis indicates that for teams in the SEC, the Big Ten, and the Big Twelve, 63% to 80% of a team's success in their respective conference can be attributed to successful recruiting practices. The implications that these findings have on recruiting budgets and on the path to winning on the field are presented.
“Reduced appendage”: A mutation affecting development of pupal and adult appendages of the moth, Plodia interpunctella

A mutant that results in the reduced length of pupal and adult appendages was isolated from a laboratory colony of the Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hubner). “Reduced appendage” (rda) was determined to be an autosomal recessive mutation that affects the development of pupal and adult appendages during the larval/pupal molt. The rda mutation had no observed effect on the larval phenotype. After pupation, the appendages of rda were reduced in size as compared with wild-type. In addition, unsclerotized cuticle underlying the pupal appendages was exposed and the establishment of the boundary between the unsclerotized and sclerotized pupal abdominal cuticle appeared normal even though the imaginal discs of rda did not evaginate normally. This demonstrates that rda affects only imaginal discs and that the morphogenesis of structures that were not derived from the imaginal discs were not dependent on interactions with evagination of imaginal discs. Although the rda phenotype resulted in shorter antennae, mouth parts, legs, and wings in pupae and adults, the mutation did not affect the number of cells comprising the imaginal discs or the pupal appendages. Cell counts showed that forewing imaginal discs and pupal forewings from the rda mutants contained the same number of cells as did the imaginal discs and wings from the wild-type strain. Thus, rda appears to affect processes related to disc evagination and not cell proliferation. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.1
Enhanced resistance of CXCR3 deficient mice to ocular HSV-1 infection is due to control of replication in the brain ependyma

CXCR3 deficient (CXCR3(-/-)) mice are resistant to ocular HSV-1 infection in that less mice develop encephalitis and succumb to infection in comparison to wild type (WT) animals. A region of the brain previously identified to be crucial for development of encephalitis was evaluated in HSV-1-infected CXCR3(-/-) and WT mice. In this region, known as the ependyma, viral titer, infiltrating leukocyte populations, and key anti-viral cytokine message levels were evaluated. We found that CXCR3(-/-) mice possessed significantly less HSV-1 and expressed significantly more IFN-β mRNA in the brain ependyma compared to WT animals during the development of encephalitis.
A disjunctive analysis of neonatal approach stimulus prepotence

Preliminary results of a disjunctive procedure developed to ascertain the relative attractiveness for domestic chicks of auditory and visual stimuli are promising. A detailed account of the procedure and initial results is presented. Seventy-two Canadian Athens random bred chicks were tested at 24 or 36 h posthatch. A repetitive tone (4 per sec, 50 msec duration, 500 Hz) served as the auditory stimulus, and a flickering light (3.5 flashes per sec, 0.8 foot candle) served as the visual stimulus. An age-dependent change in the attractiveness of auditory and visual stimuli obtained with the disjunctive procedure. No change in stimulus preference obtained when the stimuli were presented individually.
Effect of Lipid Recycling on the Finite Size of Lipid Rafts in Symmetric and Asymmetric Bilayers

The plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells is composed of various types of lipids and is thought to form lipid rafts, which are nanoscale domains, as a result of phase separation. It is well documented that giant unilamellar vesicles, composed of a saturated lipid, an unsaturated lipid and cholesterol, exhibit phase separation with large micron-scale domains, limited in size only by the finite size of the vesicle itself. In contrast, lipid domains in the plasma membrane are orders of magnitude smaller. The cause of the finite nanoscale size of these lipid rafts in biological systems remains poorly understood. The present research uses molecular dynamics of an implicit-solvent molecular model of self-assembled multi-component lipid membranes to investigate lipid recycling due to trafficking. In particular, the goal of this research is to investigate whether trafficking affects the size of lipid rafts. Our systematic simulations for varying recycling rate as well as the transbilayer lipid distribution and lipid composition in each leaflet show that the system achieves a non-equilibrium steady state with a microphase separation. The length scale of the micro-phase separated domains is found to decrease with increasing the rate of recycling. An extrapolation of our data to recycling rates comparable to biological values lead to an average domain size approaching the size of lipid rafts in plasma membranes.
Desynchronization of thermally-coupled first-order systems using economic model predictive control

We consider the thermal control of a building, in which multiple rooms are thermally coupled. It is known that in such a case, the temperature control systems for each room may become synchronized, which may deteriorate the performance in terms of power efficiency or fairness. In this paper, economic model predictive control (EMPC) is applied to solve this problem by making each room track a particular temperature trajectory. These trajectories may represent a desired solution of the coupled systems, or may even be infeasible set-points in case the desired solution is infeasible. By solving this economic tracking problem, desynchronization of the units is achieved. Simulations show that by tracking predetermined out-of-phase symmetric trajectories, performance in terms of both power efficiency and fairness can be improved.
Responding to the invisible student

Abstract As reflective writing plays a more prominent role in pedagogy and in assessment, teachers need a greater awareness of the assumptions they bring to the task of assigning and reading reflective texts. Beginning with the question, “What constitutes good reflection?” this study describes how one instructor used the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to explore her responses to the reflective writing produced by preservice English teachers. The author concludes that the MBTI can provide insight into how instructors assign, respond to, and evaluate student reflection; the MBTI can also be used to help teachers improve these practices. She offers suggestions for responding to different kinds of reflective writing and cautions against using reflective writing as a way to assess student understanding.
Making Merit: The Indian Institutes of Technology and the Social Life of Caste

The politics of meritocracy at the Indian Institutes of Technology illuminates the social life of caste in contemporary India. I argue that the IIT graduate's status depends on the transformation of privilege into merit, or the conversion of caste capital into modern capital. Analysis of this process calls for a relational approach to merit. My ethnographic research on the southeastern state of Tamilnadu, and on IIT Madras located in the state capital of Chennai, illuminates claims to merit, not simply as the transformation of capital but also as responses to subaltern assertion. Analyzing meritocracy in relation to subaltern politics allows us to see the contextual specificity of such claims: at one moment, they are articulated through the disavowal of caste, at another, through caste affiliation. This marking and unmarking of caste suggests a rethinking of meritocracy, typically assumed to be a modernist ideal that disclaims social embeddedness and disdains the particularisms of caste and race. I show instead that claims to collective belonging and to merit are eminently commensurable, and become more so when subaltern assertion forces privilege into the foreground. Rather than the progressive erasure of ascribed identities in favor of putatively universal ones, we are witnessing the re-articulation of caste as an explicit basis for merit and the generation of newly consolidated forms of upper-casteness.
The Relative Difficulty of Signed Arithmetic Story Problems for Primary Level Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students.

This study determines the relative difficulty and associated strategy use of arithmetic (addition and subtraction) story problems when presented in American Sign Language to primary level (K-3) deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Results showed that deaf and hard-of-hearing students may consider and respond to arithmetic story problems differently than their hearing peers, with the critical dimension in problem difficulty being based on the operation typically used to solve the problem, not the story within the problem. The types of strategies used by the students supported the order of problem difficulty. The visual-spatial nature of the problem presentation appeared not to assist the deaf and hard-of-hearing students in solving the problems. Factors that may have contributed to this pattern of problem difficulty are discussed so that educators can better align mathematics instruction to the thinking of the deaf child.
Secretion of soluble HLA-G by day 3 human embryos associated with higher pregnancy and implantation rates: assay of culture media using a new ELISA kit

Identification of chemical markers in human embryo culture media that relate to embryo quality and implantation potential could be an invaluable tool in embryo selection for transfer. Embryonic secretion of soluble human leukocyte antigen G (sHLA-G) has been postulated to be a marker for 'embryonic competence'. This study examines sHLA-G concentrations in day 3 culture media droplets of embryos that were selected for transfer, as well as those being cryopreserved. A total of 712 embryo culture supernatants from 83 patients were assayed. Soluble HLA-G was detected in 306 of the 712 samples tested. In the 58 transfers in which at least one embryo selected for embryo transfer was positive for sHLA-G, the pregnancy rate was 64% (37/58) and the implantation rate per embryo transferred was 38%. In contrast, patients receiving only embryos that were negative for sHLA-G had both a lower pregnancy rate of 36% (9/25; P < 0.05) and a decreased implantation rate (19%; P < 0.05). Expression of sHLA-G was also related to increasing cell stage. Concentration of sHLA-G in embryo culture media was variable and in the low range (3-10 ng/ml). These data suggest an association between implantation potential and embryonic secretion of sHLA-G. The commercial assay kit utilized allowed for same day assessment of sHLA-G secretion. Addition of sHLA-G status to traditional morphological criteria may be useful as a clinical tool for embryo selection.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid of Adeno-associated Satellite Virus

Staining patterns suggest that in the adeno-associated satellite virion there exist quasi single-stranded regions which are renatured after extraction to exhibit double strandedness.
Optimal Camera Network Configurations for Visual Tagging

Proper placement of cameras in a distributed smart camera network is an important design problem. Not only does it determine the coverage of the surveillance, but it also has a direct impact on the appearance of objects in the cameras which dictates the performance of all subsequent computer vision tasks. In this paper, we propose a generic camera placement model based on the visibility of objects at different cameras. Our motivation stems from the need of identifying and locating objects with distinctive visual features or ldquotags.rdquo This is a very common goal in computer vision with applications ranging from identifying soccer players by their jersey numbers to locating and recognizing faces of individuals. Our proposed framework places no restriction on the visual classification tasks. It incorporates realistic camera models, self occlusion of tags, and occlusion by other moving objects. It is also flexible enough to handle arbitrary-shaped three-dimensional environments. Using this framework, two novel binary integer programming (BIP) algorithms are proposed to find the optimal camera placement for ldquovisual taggingrdquo and a greedy implementation is developed to cope with the complexity of BIP. Extensive performance analysis is performed using Monte Carlo simulations, virtual environment simulations, and real-world experiments. We also demonstrate the usefulness of visual tagging through robust individual identification and obfuscation across multiple camera views for privacy protection.
Generalised insulin oedema after intensification of treatment with insulin analogues

We report a case of generalised insulin oedema after intensification of treatment with genetically modified insulin. This is the first case of generalised oedema in response to treatment with insulin analogues in a patient not insulin naive.
p38 MAP kinase-dependent regulation of endothelial cell permeability

We have previously shown that thrombin induces endothelial cell barrier dysfunction via cytoskeleton activation and contraction and have determined the important role of endothelial cell myosin lig...
Statistical reform in school psychology research: A synthesis

Statistical reform in school psychology research is discussed in terms of research designs, measurement issues, statistical modeling and analysis procedures, interpretation and reporting of statistical results, and finally statistics education. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 543–549, 2007.
Semiotics in the United States

A history of semiotics in the United States or elsewhere is not the same kind of history as that of other academic disciplines. For example, in the social sciences, e.g., anthropology, political science, economics, social psychology, jurisprudence, linguistics, each of these disciplined areas of inquiry can be mapped as a field with certain acknowledged provinces or conceptual universes of discourse. Such basic concepts for economics are supply and demand, exchange, distribution, the market, the dollar, capital, etc. Anthropology recognizes culture, kinship patterns, nonhuman as well as all human organizations for acculturation, and in general investigates all the areas common to the larger domain of social science. Jurisprudence maps out the relationship between theory and practice of law, and speculates on the reciprocity between legal systems and other value systems in society, including customary interpersonal behavior, which is not legally encoded.
Loss of WSTF results in spontaneous fluctuations of heterochromatin formation and resolution, combined with substantial changes to gene expression

Williams syndrome transcription factor (WSTF) is a multifaceted protein that is involved in several nuclear processes, including replication, transcription, and the DNA damage response. WSTF participates in a chromatin-remodeling complex with the ISWI ATPase, SNF2H, and is thought to contribute to the maintenance of heterochromatin, including at the human inactive X chromosome (Xi). WSTF is encoded by BAZ1B, and is one of twenty-eight genes that are hemizygously deleted in the genetic disorder Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS). To explore the function of WSTF, we performed zinc finger nuclease-assisted targeting of the BAZ1B gene and isolated several independent knockout clones in human cells. Our results show that, while heterochromatin at the Xi is unaltered, new inappropriate areas of heterochromatin spontaneously form and resolve throughout the nucleus, appearing as large DAPI-dense staining blocks, defined by histone H3 lysine-9 trimethylation and association of the proteins heterochromatin protein 1 and structural maintenance of chromosomes flexible hinge domain containing 1. In three independent mutants, the expression of a large number of genes were impacted, both up and down, by WSTF loss. Given the inappropriate appearance of regions of heterochromatin in BAZ1B knockout cells, it is evident that WSTF performs a critical role in maintaining chromatin and transcriptional states, a property that is likely compromised by WSTF haploinsufficiency in WBS patients.
A NEW GENUS AND NEW SPECIES OF THE SUBTRIBE CICADINA (HEMIPTERA: CICADIDAE: CICADINI)

A new genus, Qurana gen. nov. and a new species, Qurana ggoma sp. nov. of the subtribe Cicadina (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadini) are described from Cambodia. This new genus is allied to the genera Purana Distant, Calcagninus Distant, and Gudaba Distant but is distinguished by a long rostrum, a short male abdomen, a non-dentate pronotal collar, and a widely truncate uncus.
Novel methods of using proton-pump inhibitors

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are used widely in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. On-demand therapy with PPIs has been shown to be effective in patients with nonerosive reflux disease or mild erosive reflux disease. This strategy can reduce the cost of maintenance therapy and is appealing in patients with no evidence of mucosal disease. The long-term efficacy and safety of on-demand PPI therapy have not been established. Nocturnal reflux may be important in patients with complicated reflux disease or Barrett’s esophagus. Data on combining PPIs with H2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs) suggest that nocturnal gastric pH can be controlled by the administration of H2RAs at bedtime. There are few data on nocturnal symptoms, and some studies suggest that tachyphylaxis may develop with H2RA therapy. More data are required on the clinical effectiveness of combination therapy administered long-term. Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are used widely in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Although the disease is chronic in most patients, relapses occur infrequently in some patients. Many patients with GERD do not take maintenance medications daily. A significant disadvantage with all currently available PPIs is their relatively high cost. New approaches to managing patients with PPIs are designed to reduce the cost of maintenance therapy by decreasing the frequency of administration. These strategies of on-demand and intermittent PPI therapy are discussed in this article. Studies have suggested that many patients who currently are taking PPIs have a nocturnal drop in gastric pH that may last 1 hour or longer.
Cluster ions derived from sodium and potassium tetrafluoroborate and their collision induced dissociation in an ion trap mass spectrometer

Electrospray ionization was used to produce distributions of gas-phase cluster ions from solutions of sodium and potassium tetrafluoroborate. The majority of the cluster species followed the trend (MBF(4))(n)M(+), where M=Na and K. The values of n, for both salts, ranged from 1-15. Collision induced dissociation (MS/MS and MS(n)) in an ion trap mass spectrometer was used to determine the dissociation pathways for the cluster ions. The (NaBF(4))(n)Na(+) cluster ions fragmented via two pathways: (a) the loss of one or multiple neutral BF(3) molecules and (b) the loss of one or more NaBF(4) units. Of the two, the product ions corresponding to the loss of BF(3) units were more prominent. Unlike the Na salt, the (KBF(4))(n)K(+) cluster ions decomposed primarily by the loss of one or multiple KBF(4) units. Similar differences in dissociation behavior were observed when the heated transfer capillary, normally used to desolvate ions, was used to investigate cluster ion stability to thermal degradation and dissociation. The dissociation profiles (decrease in ion abundance with increasing activation amplitude) for several (NaF)(n)Na(+) and (KF)(n)K(+) cluster ions were measured and compared to probe the influence of the relative stability of the alkali fluorides (NaF and KF) on the dissociation behavior exhibited by the tetrafluoroborate cluster distributions. We found that the (NaF)(n)Na(+) cluster ions required higher activation amplitudes to induce fragmentation than the corresponding (KF)(n)K(+) species, indicative of stronger ionic bonding and higher gas-phase stability for the former. This in turn indicates that the reaction pathway involving only the loss of one or multiple units of BF(3), favored for the (NaBF(4))(n)Na(+) cluster series, but not for the analogous (KBF(4))(n)K(+) series, may be due to the high gas-phase stability of NaF, and relatively lower stability of KF, towards dissociation.
Measurement of slow crack growth in silicon and nickel mechanical devices

The design, modeling, and experimental tests results of both a single-crystal silicon and a polycrystalline nickel micromechanical device developed to evaluate fracture and fatigue of very small fractures are described. The devices are cantilever beams, approximately 300- mu m long. Electrodes excite the devices at resonance. Fatigue crack propagation or time dependent structural change is measured by detecting the shift in resonant frequency. In the silicon device, the frequency change is caused by the extension of a preexisting crack introduced near the fixed end of the cantilever. Experimental data are presented demonstrating time-dependent crack growth in silicon. This study indicates the possibility of crack growth in silicon structures, given the correct environment. Given the greater dislocation mobilities in metals and additional failure modes available in polysilicon, long-term crack growth should be included as a design consideration in the design of micromechanical structures. >
Medical Practitioners and Their Families as Patients

Objective: To explore diagnoses, treatment methods, compliance and outcome in a cohort of medical practitioners and their families seen in a private practice setting to identify characteristics of this group.Methods: A systematic retrospective case-note review was conducted of all medical practitioners, their partners and children seen in a private practice setting over 15 years, documenting mode of referral, diagnosis, attendances, mode of treatment, and outcome.Results: Seventy-seven medical families were identified, including 45 doctors, 21 partners and 11 offspring as the primary patient; 38 of the doctor group were self-referred. Doctors and their families were likely to accept treatment guidelines as recommended and to continue until a joint decision was made to terminate.Conclusions: Doctors presenting themselves for treatment in a private practice are a highly motivated and compliant group, who make significant changes in therapy. They defy directly the usual findings on ‘impaired physicians’ who ...
The Latency-Associated Nuclear Antigen of Rhesus Monkey Rhadinovirus Inhibits Viral Replication through Repression of Orf50/Rta Transcriptional Activation

Rhesus monkey rhadinovirus (RRV) is a gamma-2-herpesvirus that is closely related to Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus/human herpesvirus-8. We have previously reported that the transcript for RRV latency-associated nuclear antigen (R-LANA) is expressed during lytic replication in rhesus fibroblasts. In this article, we report the development of a latent culture system for RRV and show that mRNA specific for R-LANA is expressed during latency as well. We have characterized the R-LANA protein and demonstrate that it exhibits a nuclear speckled localization and possesses the ability to homodimerize. When expressed in rhesus fibroblasts, R-LANA can inhibit RRV lytic replication in vitro. We have investigated the mechanism behind this inhibition and find that, while R-LANA itself has very little effect on lytic promoters, it can dramatically decrease the transactivation function of RRV Orf50 (Rta), which is the major viral transcription factor. We further show that the mechanism for this repression involves the recruitment of histone deacetylase complexes (HDACs), because R-LANA's ability to repress Orf50 transactivation is completely reversed by the addition of the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA). We also report that TSA alone can significantly reactivate RRV from latently infected cells. We propose that the repressive effects of R-LANA on RRV Orf50 transactivation serve to downregulate the transcription of early genes at late times during the lytic cycle and also help to maintain viral latency by preventing viral reactivation.
School-wide positive behavior support and response to intervention: System similarities, distinctions, and research to date at the universal level of support.

Problem behavior is unfortunately a universal challenge in schools. While several evidence-based strategies are widely available to address problem behavior, educators continue to rely on ineffective strategies including exclusionary options and fail to build comprehensive school-wide systems necessary to truly realize effective intervention potential. A parallel challenge is to embed effective strategies at the first indication of risk to prevent problems from becoming chronic and intensive to the point specialized instruction is necessary. This chapter provides an overview of School-wide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS) within the context of building systems of early intervention/prevention that incorporate evidence-based practices and the potential of SW-PBS as a possible element of a social-behavioral response to intervention (RTI) framework that might allow for an improved special education evaluation process under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act category of seriously emotionally disturbed. The history and logic of SW-PBS, essential features, research to date, and implications for practice are discussed.
From Loci to Biology Functional Genomics of Genome-Wide Association for Coronary Disease

Genome-wide association studies have provided a rich collection of ≈ 58 coronary artery disease (CAD) loci that suggest the existence of previously unsuspected new biology relevant to atherosclerosis. However, these studies only identify genomic loci associated with CAD, and many questions remain even after a genomic locus is definitively implicated, including the nature of the causal variant(s) and the causal gene(s), as well as the directionality of effect. There are several tools that can be used for investigation of the functional genomics of these loci, and progress has been made on a limited number of novel CAD loci. New biology regarding atherosclerosis and CAD will be learned through the functional genomics of these loci, and the hope is that at least some of these new pathways relevant to CAD pathogenesis will yield new therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of CAD.
pH Control of Carrot Somatic Embryogenesis

Use of synthetic auxin to initiate and manage embryogenic cultures of carrot and other species is well established (1) even though a detailed understanding of what substances like 2,4-D do in these systems is obscure. Realization of a basic understanding of what is done procedurally and why it is done, i.e. knowing what physiological or developmental controls may be in place that need to be taken into account under a given set of circumstances, has been limited both because of the empiricism involved (2) and the unavailability for in depth study of cultures that comprise a given stage or conform to a narrow range of developmental parameters. Workers generally agree that it is not easy to achieve a highly responsive, morphologically uniform embryogenic culture of any plant, including the carrot. Efforts to synchronize cultures have been even less successful (3). Clearly a better understanding of induction, requirements for maintenance in a given growth mode, and control over somatic embryogenesis is required.
Effect of Ethanol on γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) and Other Amino Acids in Rat Brains

SummaryThe concentration of GABA was less in the hindbrain (in both the cerebellum and brain stem) than in the cerebrum of normal rats not given alcohol (control rats). Smaller amounts of the immediate precursor of GABA, glutamate, and its metabolites, glutamine and aspartate, were also found in the hindbrain than in the cerebrum. Administration of intoxicating doses of alcohol had no effect on the concentration of GABA in the hindbrain but produced small decreases in the concentrations of glutamate and aspartate.
BeCH2: the simplest metal carbene. High levels of theory.

The simplest metal carbene, BeCH2, is experimentally unknown. Its isomer, HBeCH, lies higher in energy, but has been detected by the infrared matrix isolation [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 6097]. In the present study the ground and low-lying excited states of the BeCH2 and HBeCH isomers were investigated using state-of-the-art ab initio methods, including coupled-cluster theory with up to full quadruple excitations (CCSDTQ), and complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) with multireference configuration interaction with single and double excitations (MRCISD). The relative energies were obtained using the focal point analysis combined with large correlation-consistent cc-pCVXZ basis sets (X = D, T, Q, 5) and were extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. The 3B1 state of BeCH2 (C2v symmetry) is the global minimum on the ground triplet potential energy surface (PES). The 3Σ– state of the linear isomer HBeCH is located 4.9 kcal mol–1 above the global minimum, at the CCSDTQ/CBS level of t...
Engineering Crystalline Grain of Hybrid Perovskites for High Efficiency Solar Cells and Beyond

The presentation provides the recent advances of our group in developing high efficiency organolead trihalide perovskites thin film and single crystal solar cells, and understanding how perovskite solar cells work.
Attainable Composition, Energy Consumption, and Entropy Generation Properties for Isothermal/Isobaric Reactor Networks

A methodology for the quantification of entropy generation and energy consumption in isothermal, isobaric reactor networks is presented. The proposed methodology employs the Infinite Dimensional State-space (IDEAS) conceptual framework, which is shown to be applicable to the problem under consideration. The IDEAS framework considers all possible reactor units, and all possible mixing and splitting interconnections among them. It will be shown mathematically that, under certain conditions, entropy generation and energy consumption are functions of only the inlet and outlet stream compositions and flow rates and are not dependent on the reactor network structure, as long as there exists a network able to deliver the considered outlets from the known inlets. This theoretical result provides the foundation for a graphical method that can quantify entropy generation and energy consumption, by first identifying the reactor network’s Attainable Region (AR) and then depicting the behavior of the entropy generatio...
Breastfeeding modifies the impact of diarrhoeal disease on relative weight: a longitudinal analysis of 2-12 month-old Filipino infants.

Undernutrition and diarrhoeal disease are major causes of infant mortality. We investigated the combined roles of breastfeeding and diarrhoea on infant size in 2940 infants from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. The study aimed to assess whether breastfeeding status modified the deficits associated with diarrhoeal disease. The primary exposures were combinations of current breastfeeding status (yes/no), the presence of diarrhoeal disease in previous week (yes/no) and a categorical survey variable (six surveys taken at bimonthly intervals when infants were 2-12 months of age). Relative weight (weight-for-length z-scores), calculated using the WHO growth standards, was estimated using sex-stratified, fixed-effects longitudinal models that also adjusted for energy from complementary foods. Post-estimation Wald tests were conducted to identify subgroup differences in relative weight. Diarrhoea was associated with reduced relative weight in both breastfed and non-breastfed infants of 6-12 months. Diarrhoea-related deficits in relative weight were significantly exacerbated in non-breastfed girls of 6 and 8 months. Importantly, in infants <6 months, being breastfed and having diarrhoea was still associated with greater relative weight compared with being non-breastfed and diarrhoea-free. Breastfeeding emerged as a strong contributor to relative weight in younger infants (<6 months) while diarrhoeal disease strongly contributed to deficits in relative weight in older infants (6-12 months). These findings underscore the importance of breastfeeding for promoting infant nutritional status in infants with or without diarrhoea from birth to 12 months.