cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of increased phenotypic variance on the evolutionary outcomes of generalized major‐gene models

Summary The study of generalized major-gene models has been extended to accommodate selective, assortative mating mechanisms. In this formulation the consequences of amplified phenotypic variance on the major gene frequency are investigated. It is shown that the rate of approach to the equilibrium state is slowed under attenuated assortative mating tendencies and/or with increased environmental noise. Also, an increased phenotypic variance induces more skewness in the nature of the gene frequencies, i.e. a less ‘central’ polymorphic expression. Where strong positive assortative mating occurs, a population fixation state results. Negative assortment generally facilitates the stability of a ‘central’ polymorphism.
Maximizing the diversity of participants in a phase II clinical trial of optical technologies to detect cervical neoplasia

Introduction. We compare the racial and ethnic demographics of our participants with the populations where our clinics are located (Texas and British Columbia) and investigate the reasons cited for participation. Methods. We compared the distribution of participants by race/ethnicity to numbers from the 2000 United States Census and the 2001 Census of Canada. Each participant recorded her reasons for enrolling in the trial in her own words. This information was then categorized for analysis. For participants who provided more than one reason for participation, their responses were weighted accordingly to sum 100% for each race. All analyses were performed using SPSS v12.0 (SPSS, Chicago). Results. In all, 1850 women participated in the study. Except for Asians in the Vancouver population and Native Americans in both populations, all minorities were recruited in proportions in excess of their respective proportions in the general population. Distinct differences in the reasons for participating between sites were noted. Houston patients were more likely to cite concern for one's own health as a reason for participating. On the other hand, Vancouver patients were more likely to cite helping others. This trend was found in both the screening and diagnostic populations. Conclusions. We attribute our success in recruiting minorities to community outreach, our multicultural staff, and efforts to provide uniform care at all sites.
Distributing Journals to the World

In 2001, a number of initiatives began for distributing research journals to parts of the world where they are otherwise not accessible. This “Balance Point” reports on two publishers whose journals are now more broadly available in developing nations. HighWire Press offers both a free back issue archive and a developing countries initiative. Blackwell Publishing is working with a Russian consortium to make journals available to Russian universities and with nongovernmental organizations to provide free or nearly free access to biomedical journals in a number of developing nations. Serials Review 2002; 28:113–115.
Banking biological collections: data warehousing, data mining, and data dilemmas in genomics and global health policy.

While DNA databases may offer the opportunity to (1) assess population-based prevalence of specific genes and variants, (2) simplify the search for molecular markers, (3) improve targeted drug discove
POINT DEFECT IN SILVER HALIDES.DETERMINATION OF IONIC TRANSPORT PROCESSES IN SILVER HALIDES

A review is given of the many experimental methods and theoretical concepts used to elucidate the nature of ionic transport processes in these interesting materials. AgCl and AgBr are simple ionic crystals displaying unusually large conductivity and diffusion near the melting point, comparable to many superionic conductors. From conductivity in pure and doped samples it is established that Frenkel defects are dominant, with interstitial cations appreciably more mobile than cation vacancies. Comparison of silver tracer diffusion to theoretical correlation factors shows that interstitial silver ions move by at least two kinds of interstitialcy or knock-on processes. This picture is confirmed by isotope effect measurements, which indicate that the non-collinear interstitialcy jump is quite complicated. More elaborate computer analysis of conductivity results, taking into account short and long range coulomb interactions and using chi-square statistical tests, yields a large high temperature anomaly that is only partly accounted for by the Debye- Huckel-Lidiard treatment. New conductivity measurements with improved experimental techniques explore the very large anomaly in AgBr, and the results are compared to recent observations for diffusion of sodium in these crystals. All evidence strongly suggests an anomalous rise in defect concentration caused by a general softening of the lattice.
Analysis of backup route reoptimization algorithms for optical shared mesh networks

In an optical mesh network operation, lightpaths are setup when requested, without prior knowledge of future requests. The concerns of increasing the sharing of backup paths and reducing capacity consumption are addressed on a best-of-now basis. As the number of lightpaths increases, it is possible to reroute existing paths to increase sharing further and free up more network capacity. This paper proposes several rerouting algorithms and compares their performance on test networks. All the described algorithms reroute the backup paths only and do not affect ongoing service. Also, the effect of network load factor and the number of lightpaths on the rerouting gain is examined.
Regulation of proenkephalin expression in C6 rat glioma cells

The expression of proenkephalin (PENK) mRNA in C6 rat glioma cells was stimulated by norepinephrine (a beta-adrenergic agonist) and markedly enhanced by the addition of dexamethasone (a glucocorticoid agonist) to the culture medium, although dexamethasone alone exhibited no significant increase in PENK mRNA. Furthermore, no induction of glucocorticoid-response-element (GRE)-binding proteins was detectable. In contrast, the stimulation of PENK mRNA expression was not observed with a protein kinase C activator, 12-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), which stimulated the expression of c-fos and c-jun mRNA and their proto-oncoproteins (c-Fos and c-Jun). In addition, an AP-1 activity was induced by TPA and an induction of a kappaB-like binding activity was found with TPA plus cycloheximide-treated cells. Together, they suggest that activation of PENK gene in C6 cells is probably mediated mainly through the, beta-adrenergic agonist-elicited cyclic AMP signal pathway, and induction of AP-1 and kappaB-like binding activities appear not to participate in gene activation. Interestingly, the Western blot data showed no increase in intracellular levels of proenkephalin between control and treated cells. However, a marked increase in immunoreactivities for proenkephalin and its derivative, [Met(5)]-enkephalin was detected in medium and a lesser elevation in cells from modulator-treated cell culture through the time course. These results indicated that there was an association between an increase in PENK mRNA expression and an elevation of proenkephalins, and subsequently, the synthesized proenkephalins were released into the medium.
Rayleigh hypothesis in scattering problems

It is shown that the validity of the Rayleigh hypothesis is dependent on the distribution of singularities in the analytic continuation of the exterior scattered field; the hypothesis is fulfilled if, and only if, these are concentrated in a sufficiently small domain. Conclusions reached by Burrows in a recent letter are criticised.
Catch Rates and Selectivity among Three Trap Types in the U.S. South Atlantic Black Sea Bass Commercial Trap Fishery

Abstract We compared selectivity and catch rates of black sea bass Centropristis striata between two experimental trap types: back-panel traps (50.8-mm-mesh back panels; 38.1-mm mesh in all other panels), which represent the new legal minimum mesh configuration; and all-panel traps (50.8-mm mesh in all panels), which are electively used by a subset of fishers. Catches in both experimental trap types were compared with catches in control traps (38.1-mm mesh in all panels). Traps were fished from October 2006 to March 2007 in waters 12–30 m deep in Onslow Bay, North Carolina. Correlation analyses were used to examine postrelease condition of discarded black sea bass in relation to fish density in traps and capture depth. We found that mean catch rates of sublegal-sized black sea bass (<254 mm total length) were lower for control traps than for both experimental traps and were lower for back-panel traps than for all-panel traps; however, catch rates of legal-sized fish were not different among trap types. Me...
Activation of Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products: A Mechanism for Chronic Vascular Dysfunction in Diabetic Vasculopathy and Atherosclerosis

Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell surface molecules and engages diverse ligands relevant to distinct pathological processes. One class of RAGE ligands includes glycoxidation products, termed advanced glycation end products, which occur in diabetes, at sites of oxidant stress in tissues, and in renal failure and amyloidoses. RAGE also functions as a signal transduction receptor for amyloid beta peptide, known to accumulate in Alzheimer disease in both affected brain parenchyma and cerebral vasculature. Interaction of RAGE with these ligands enhances receptor expression and initiates a positive feedback loop whereby receptor occupancy triggers increased RAGE expression, thereby perpetuating another wave of cellular activation. Sustained expression of RAGE by critical target cells, including endothelium, smooth muscle cells, mononuclear phagocytes, and neurons, in proximity to these ligands, sets the stage for chronic cellular activation and tissue damage. In a model of accelerated atherosclerosis associated with diabetes in genetically manipulated mice, blockade of cell surface RAGE by infusion of a soluble, truncated form of the receptor completely suppressed enhanced formation of vascular lesions. Amelioration of atherosclerosis in these diabetic/atherosclerotic animals by soluble RAGE occurred in the absence of changes in plasma lipids or glycemia, emphasizing the contribution of a lipid- and glycemia-independent mechanism(s) to atherogenesis, which we postulate to be interaction of RAGE with its ligands. Future studies using mice in which RAGE expression has been genetically manipulated and with selective low molecular weight RAGE inhibitors will be required to definitively assign a critical role for RAGE activation in diabetic vasculopathy. However, sustained receptor expression in a microenvironment with a plethora of ligand makes possible prolonged receptor stimulation, suggesting that interaction of cellular RAGE with its ligands could be a factor contributing to a range of important chronic disorders.
Characterization of Products Derived from Aprindine Hydrochloride Photolysis

Abstract An investigation of the products resulting from the photolysis of aprindine hydrochloride is described. The compounds were characterized by GLC spiking experiments and combined GLC-mass spectrometry. In some cases, R f values derived from TLC and/or preparative TLC and subsequent high-resolution mass spectral measurements also were employed for identification.
Modeling targeted ivermectin treatment for controlling river blindness.

There is considerable host heterogeneity in exposure to onchocerciasis. We incorporate this heterogeneity into a model of onchocerciasis transmission that we use to evaluate intervention strategies targeting specific portions of the human population for treatment with ivermectin. Our model predicts that targeted allocation of ivermectin in a highly heterogeneous population will reduce the public health burden of onchocerciasis using 20–25% of the doses of untargeted allocation. Targeted allocation therefore poses significantly lower risk of adverse effects, while potentially delaying the emergence and spread of ivermectin resistance, relative to untargeted allocation.
Clustersheddy: load shedding using moving clusters over spatio-temporal data streams

Moving object environments are characterized by large numbers of objects continuously sending location updates. At times, data arrival rates may spike up, causing the load on the system to exceed its capacity. This may result in increased output latencies, potentially leading to invalid or obsolete answers. Dropping data randomly, the most frequently used approach in the literature for load shedding, may adversely affect the accuracy of the results. We thus propose a load shedding technique customized for spatio-temporal stream data. In our model, spatio-temporal properties, such as location, time, direction and speed over time, serve as critical factors in the load shedding decision. The main idea is to abstract similarly moving objects into moving clusters which serve as summaries of their members' movement. Based on resource restrictions, members within clusters may be selectively discarded, while their locations are being approximated by their respective moving clusters. Our experimental study illustrates the performance gains achieved by our load-shedding framework and the tradeoff between the amount of data shed and the result accuracy.
Decentralized consensus protocols with multi-port communication

The authors develop efficient decentralized consensus protocols for a distributed system with multi-port communication. Two classes of decentralized consensus protocols are considered: the one without an initiator and the one with an initiator. The case of one-port communication is first presented, i.e., each node can send out one message in one step, and then results are derived for the case of multi-port communication, i.e., each node can send out more than one message in one step. Given an arbitrary number of nodes in a system, the proposed protocols can reach the consensus in the minimal numbers of message steps. The number of messages incurred by each algorithm is also derived. >
Transverse versus vertical camera port incision in robotic radical prostatectomy: effect on incisional hernias and cosmesis.

Objective To examine the incidence of incisional hernias (IHs) and propose a simple modification to reduce the incidence of IHs. Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) historically uses a vertical midline camera port incision to extract the prostate. Methods Of 900 consecutive RARPs, the initial 735 had a vertical and subsequent 165 transverse incisions. Two methods were used to identify IHs: clinic visits noted in the prospective database and screening using electronic mail. We compared the baseline factors between the vertical IH and IH-free cohorts. The maximal scar width was recorded in 178 consecutive men presenting to our clinic: vertical (n = 107) and transverse (n = 71). Results IHs occurred significantly more often after a vertical incision (5.3% vs 0.6%, P = .005). The IH rates after a vertical incision could be estimated to be as great as 16.7% (18 of 108) using the electronic mail respondents or as low as 3.3% (21 of 627) according to clinic follow-up. On univariate analysis, baseline age, International Index of Erectile Function 5-item questionnaire, prostate weight, bother score (all P ≤ .05), and body mass index ( P = .058) were associated with an increased risk of an IH. After adjusting for baseline factors on multivariate logistic regression analysis, the relative odds of developing an IH with a vertical versus transverse incision was 11 (95% confidence interval 1.5-82). The average maximal scar width was reduced from 5.5 to 2.0 mm ( P Conclusion In the present sample population, the vertical IH rate was estimated to be potentially as low as 3.3% or as great as 16.7%. On multivariate analysis, a greater body mass index and larger prostate size significantly increased the risk of hernia development. Transverse incisions dramatically reduced the rate of IHs and the maximal scar width. The IH rates varied significantly by reporting method.
Learning Long-Distance Phonotactics

This article shows that specific properties of long-distance phonotactic patterns derived from consonantal harmony patterns (Hansson 2001, Rose and Walker 2004) follow from a learner that generalizes only on the basis of the order of sounds, not the distance between them. The proposed learner is simple, efficient, and provably correct, and does not require an a priori notion of tier or projection (contra the model in Hayes and Wilson 2008); nor does it rely on the additional structure provided by Optimality Theory grammars (Prince and Smolensky 1993, 2004) or grammars in the principles-and-parameters framework (Chomsky 1981, Dresher and Kaye 1990, Gibson and Wexler 1994). Not only does the noncounting nature of nonlocal dependencies automatically follow from the way the learner generalizes, it also explains the absence of blocking patterns from the typology. Finally, the learner lends support to the idea that long-distance phonotactic patterns are phenomenologically distinct from spreading patterns, contra the hypothesis of Strict Locality (Gafos 1999, et seq.).
El dilema chino: estrategias de desarrollo económico emprendidas por Estados pequeños en Sudamérica

The three most prominent trends in South America in the 2000s have been: 1) the rapid expansion of trade and borrowing ties with China; 2) the collapse of both regional and multilateral trade negotiating venues since 2006; and, 3) the quick recovery of most South American countries from the 2008-10 global financial crisis. This paper analyzes the ways in which these three trends have converged and shaped the choice of development strategy in Chile and Peru, which have the strongest trade ties with China in the entire Latin American region when measured as a percent of GDP. Indeed, both countries have sought to stake out their own paths by negotiating separate bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with China and the US. Yet, although making these respective policy choices may well represent the most viable way forward for small emerging market countries which have consolidated macroeconomic reforms and are prepared to take their economic strategy to the next level, the political implications of this development path have already become more complicated than expected.
Chronic pulmonary hypertension increases fetal lung cGMP phosphodiesterase activity

An experimental ovine fetal model for perinatal pulmonary hypertension of the neonate (PPHN) was characterized by altered pulmonary vasoreactivity and structure. Because past studies had suggested impaired nitric oxide-cGMP cascade in this experimental model, we hypothesized that elevated phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity may contribute to altered vascular reactivity and structure in experimental PPHN. Therefore, we studied the effects of the PDE inhibitors zaprinast and dipyridamole on fetal pulmonary vascular resistance and PDE5 activity, protein, mRNA, and localization in normal and pulmonary hypertensive fetal lambs. Infusion of dipyridamole and zaprinast lowered pulmonary vascular resistance by 55 and 35%, respectively, in hypertensive animals. In comparison with control animals, lung cGMP PDE activity was elevated in hypertensive fetal lambs (150%). Increased PDE5 activity was not associated with either an increased PDE5 protein or mRNA level. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated that PDE5 was localized to vascular smooth muscle. We concluded that PDE5 activity was increased in experimental PPHN, possibly by posttranslational phosphorylation. We speculated that these increases in cGMP PDE activity contributed to altered pulmonary vasoreactivity in experimental perinatal pulmonary hypertension.
Loss of serum bicarbonate after discordant liver xenotransplantation.

It is a concern in liver xenotransplantation (XTx) that discordant combinations might not be sufficiently compatible for physiologic functioning in the recipient. Closer examination of the guinea pig- (GP) to-rat liver XTx model uncovered potential incompatibilities in bile production between these species. GP (along with rabbits) have the greatest bile flow rate of all species studied.1 Additionally, there is a fundamental difference between the two species in the rate of bile excretion. Bile flow in rats is bile acid dependent, whereas the rate in GP is independent of bile acid; the latter is believed to be driven osmotically by bicarbonate.2 Because bile flow is 4 times greater in GP than in rats, we tested whether the different excretion mechanisms would affect HCO3− blood levels and pH in rat recipients of GP liver xenografts (Xeno).
Parameterized Non-Gaussian Variational Gate Timing Analysis

As technology scales down, timing verification of digital integrated circuits becomes an extremely difficult task due to the gate and wire variability. Therefore, statistical timing analysis (denoted by sigmaTA) is becoming unavoidable. In this paper, two new approaches for doing variational gate TA for Gaussian and non-Gaussian sources of variation in parameterized sigmaTA are presented. To start, a variational RC-pi load is approximated by using a canonical first-order model. Next, an accurate variational gate TA (VGTA) technique, which accounts for variational RC-pi loads, variational input transitions, and a variation-aware gate library, is introduced. The proposed method relies on static effective-capacitance-calculation method and its variational form. Experimental results demonstrate that VGTA exhibits an average error of 4% for gate delay and output transition time with respect to the Monte Carlo simulation with 104 samples. Next, a more efficient VGTA [called Fast VGTA (F-VGTA)] based on a single-iteration variational effective capacitance calculation is presented. Experimental results show that F-VGTA achieves an average error of 7% for gate delay and output transition time with respect to the Monte Carlo simulation with 104 samples but with runtimes that are about two times faster than VGTA.
High-Current Photodetectors as Efficient, Linear, and High-Power RF Output Stages

Recent progress in high-current photodiodes now makes it possible to efficiently generate over 26 dBm of RF power directly from the output of a photodiode. This paper describes two photodetector designs which demonstrate excellent large- and small-signal behavior. Maximum small-signal compression currents have increased to over 700 mA at 300 MHz. Output RF power amplifier stage efficiencies of over 45% (class AB operation) and 35% (class A) have been achieved from 0.3 to 6 GHz with RF power outputs over 26 dBm. The linearity figure of merit (LFOM) is also shown to be greater than 50, leading to the possibility of implementing very high linearity RF power amplifiers in the future.
Research Note: Performance of Broiler Breeders Reared Under Different Lighting Regimens

Abstract Two groups of broiler-breeder pullets were reared to 4 wk of age with 23 h of light per day (5.4 lx). At4 wk of age, one group of the pullets was placed in a dark-out house and provided with 8 h of light (5.4 lx at bird level) until they were 18 wk of age followed by 10 h of light to 20 wk of age. At 20 wk of age, they were provided with natural light (approximately 200 to 400 lx) until they were 22 wk of age, 14 h of light to 24 wk of age, 15 h of light to 40 wk of age, 16 h of light to 49 wk of age, 17 h of light to 59 wk of age, and 18 h of light until the end of the experiment at 72 wk of age. At 4 wk of age, the other group of pullets was placed in a lighted house and gradually reduced from 23 h (approximately 200 to 400 lx) to 15 h of light per day at 24 wk of age. Subsequently, they received the same amount and intensity of light as the pullets in the dark-out house. Pullets were weighed at regular intervals and fed the amount of feed necessary to retain the BW recommended by the breeder. During the rearing period, the pullets in the dark-out house consumed significantly less feed per pullet (P
Natural Variation in a Subtelomeric Region of Arabidopsis: Implications for the Genomic Dynamics of a Chromosome End

We investigated genome dynamics at a chromosome end in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana through a study of natural variation in 35 wild accessions. We focused on the single-copy subtelomeric region of chromosome 1 north (∼3.5 kb), which represents the relatively simple organization of subtelomeric regions in this species. PCR fragment-length variation across the subtelomeric region indicated that the 1.4-kb distal region showed elevated structural variation relative to the centromere-proximal region. Examination of nucleotide sequences from this 1.4-kb region revealed diverse DNA rearrangements, including an inversion, several deletions, and an insertion of a retrotransposon LTR. The structures at the deletion and inversion breakpoints are characteristic of simple deletion-associated nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) events. There was strong linkage disequilibrium between the distal subtelomeric region and the proximal telomere, which contains degenerate and variant telomeric repeats. Variation in the proximal telomere was characterized by the expansion and deletion of blocks of repeats. Our sample of accessions documented two independent chromosome-healing events associated with terminal deletions of the subtelomeric region as well as the capture of a scrambled mitochondrial DNA segment in the proximal telomeric array. This natural variation study highlights the variety of genomic events that drive the fluidity of chromosome termini.
Ehrlichia chaffeensis Exploits Host SUMOylation Pathways To Mediate Effector-Host Interactions and Promote Intracellular Survival

Ehrlichia chaffeensis is an obligately intracellular Gram-negative bacterium that selectively infects mononuclear phagocytes. We recently reported that E. chaffeensis utilizes a type 1 secretion (T1S) system to export tandem repeat protein (TRP) effectors and demonstrated that these effectors interact with a functionally diverse array of host proteins. By way of these interactions, TRP effectors modulate host cell functions; however, the molecular basis of these interactions and their roles in ehrlichial pathobiology are not well defined. In this study, we describe the first bacterial protein posttranslational modification (PTM) by the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO). The E. chaffeensis T1S effector TRP120 is conjugated to SUMO at a carboxy-terminal canonical consensus SUMO conjugation motif in vitro and in human cells. In human cells, TRP120 was selectively conjugated with SUMO2/3 isoforms. Disruption of TRP120 SUMOylation perturbed interactions with known host proteins, through predicted SUMO interaction motif-dependent and -independent mechanisms. E. chaffeensis infection did not result in dramatic changes in the global host SUMOylated protein profile, but a robust colocalization of predominately SUMO1 with ehrlichial inclusions was observed. Inhibiting the SUMO pathway with a small-molecule inhibitor had a significant impact on E. chaffeensis replication and recruitment of the TRP120-interacting protein polycomb group ring finger protein 5 (PCGF5) to the inclusion, indicating that the SUMO pathway is critical for intracellular survival. This study reveals the novel exploitation of the SUMO pathway by Ehrlichia, which facilitates effector-eukaryote interactions necessary to usurp the host and create a permissive intracellular niche.
Plant clonality, mutation, diplontic selection and mutational meltdown

Apomixis is a very common characteristic in vascular plants. It occurs in two general forms: either subversion of the sexual system (agamospermous seeds or apogamous sporophytes in non-seed plants) or vegetative reproduction. In this communication, only the mutational consequences of vegetative reproduction are considered. Vegetative reproduction involves the replication of apical meristems, especially shoot apical meristems. Three general types of shoot apical meristems occur in the vascular plants: single tetrahedral apical initial, unstratified with impermanent initials and stratified with impermanent initials. Each meristem type has different consequences with regard to mutation, diplontic selection and the possibility of mutational meltdown.
A revised macroevolutionary history for Ordovician–Early Silurian crinoids

Abstract Much of what is known about the long-term history of biodiversity and rates of taxonomic evolution in the fossil record derives from literature-based compilations of fossil stratigraphic ranges. It has been suggested that taxonomic and stratigraphic errors in these compilations are randomly distributed and, therefore, introduce no significant bias to macroevolutionary patterns. Here we compare a new, comprehensive global database of Ordovician and Early Silurian crinoids to Sepkoski's global genus compendium. Approximately 44% of the crinoid genera resolved to substage in Sepkoski's compendium are taxonomically inaccurate (i.e., invalid, nomina dubia, or column genera) or have incorrect first and/ or last occurrences. Errors in Sepkoski's compendium result from incomplete coverage of existing taxonomic work and incorrect stratigraphic correlations that, in some cases, are propagated throughout the taxonomic literature. Stratigraphic range errors are nonrandomly distributed among substages in Sepk...
Nephritogenic Immune Responses Involving Basement Membrane and Other Antigens in or of the Glomerulus

The immune response, normally a life-protecting device, can injure and destroy body tissue, and lead to such diseases as glomerulonephritis and tubulointerstitial nephritis. Studies in experimental animals begun over 70 years ago, and similar studies in man over the past 10 to 15 years, have identified two ways in which the humoral immune system can lead to renal injury (Wilson and Dixon, 1976). These two mechanisms can be divided for purposes of discussion into groups, dependent on the physical state of the antigens involved. The first group of reactions, involves soluble antigens that react with antibody to form immune complexes (Dixon, 1963). If the soluble antigens are present in the circulation, circulating immune complexes form and later deposit nonspecifically in vascular sites throughout the body, including the glomeruli and peritubular capillaries. If the soluble antigens are in the extravascular renal tissue, an Arthus—like immune complex formation occurs in the interstitium, leading to a localized immune complex disease at the site of reaction (Unanue et al., 1967; Klassen et al., 1971). It should be noted that immune complexes remain in equilibrium with antigen or antibody present in the body fluids, so that the composition of an immune complex deposit may be continually modified (Wilson and Dixon, 1978). Immune complexes actually can be dissolved and removed from the site of injury if a state of great antigen excess is achieved (Wilson, 1974).
Paying the Toll for Glucose Regulation: A Central Role for TLR3

Innate immunity is now known to impact tissue metabolic responses with members of the Toll-like receptor 2 and 4 (TLR 2/4) family implicated in dyslipidemia. However, the impact of other TLR proteins on metabolic regulation has remained poorly understood. In this issue of Diabetes , Strodthoff et al. (1) provide interesting new evidence that TLR3 regulates glucose metabolism though the modulation of insulin levels in both rodents and humans. These findings reveal a new area of investigation in regulating glucose metabolism beyond fatty acid modulation of TLR 2/4 that may have the potential to reveal novel therapeutic targets. TLRs are critical to the regulation of innate immune responses. TLRs are transmembrane proteins that contain leucine-rich repeat domains capable of binding to conserved pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). The PAMPS are comprised of bacterial, parasitic, or viral components, and the binding of these PAMPS to the extracellular domain of TLRs results in the activation of intracellular adaptor molecules. The two most common and studied downstream molecular adaptors are the myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and Toll-interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF). Almost all identified TLRs signal through MyD88 except for TLR3. In contrast, only TLR3 and TLR4 signal via TRIF (2). The activation of MyD88 and TRIF results in a signaling cascade that leads to the formation of proinflammatory mediators. TLR3 is able to …
Images That Transform: Analyzing Visual Culture That Changes People's Minds

Images are becoming pervasive on local and global levels. Through advertising, video games, fine art, television, movies, and other forms of imagery, viewers may now encounter more information through visual sources than they do through written texts. Not only do people have more access to imagery now than in the past; they see greater numbers of images with increasing sophistication and complexity. And yet, the educational possibilities of visual culture are used at only a fraction of their potential in school.
G326(P) Caseseries: all that wheezes is not asthma

Aims To illustrate that although asthma is a common cause for wheezing, there should be high index of suspicion for rarer causes when either the presentation or the response to treatment is atypical. Methods Retrospective review of case notes. Results A 12 year old girl had worsening shortness of breath and wheeze on minimal exertion over a year. She had been diagnosed with asthma and received multiple courses of oral and inhaled steroids with minimal improvement. On chest auscultation she had an inspiratory and expiratory wheeze, more noticeable when she laughed. A chest x-ray showed bulbous widening of the superior mediastinum (Figure 1a). A flow volume loop suggested extrinsic intrathoracic airway compression. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a mediastinal cystic mass compressing the distal trachea suggesting a foregut duplication (Figure 1b); this was removed thoracoscopically. A 3 year old girl diagnosed with asthma by her GP presented with a worsening cough and wheeze for 3 months. She presented with an exacerbation of symptoms. On examination there was a biphasic wheeze on lying flat. Due to foreign travel, a chest x-ray was requested revealing a large foreign body (Figure 2a). A button battery was retrieved endoscopy from her oesophagus. There was no tracheoeophageal fistula found on rigid bronchoscopy. A 4 year old girl presented with a worsening wheeze and wet cough for 1 year. She had received antibiotics and inhalers from her GP. On examination, there was decreased air entry unilaterally. A chest x-ray showed an extensive opacity in the left hemithorax causing mediastinal shift (Figure 3a). A CT scan showed a large cystic mass (Figure 3b). This was a cystic teratoma requiring resection. A 1 year old girl had a similar history, findings on examination and imaging to this, which was also a teratoma (Figure 4a). Conclusion Routine imaging is not required to assess asthma, but if symptoms and signs are unusual or there is worsening of symptoms despite treatment, it should be considered, to seek alternative diagnoses. Assessment of asthma should include questioning the diagnosis at every clinic review as ‘all that wheezes is not asthma’.
Beryllium BioBank: 2. Lymphocyte proliferation testing.

Objective:To incrementally improve the use of beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (LPT) results.Methods:Beryllium BioBank data were analyzed for 532 subjects in three groups: beryllium-exposed, sensitized, or chronic beryllium disease. Predictor variables were LPT stimulation index (SI) at the d
The Narrows, Virginia Earthquake of March 8, 1968

The Narrows, Virginia earthquake of March 8, 1968 was located at 37.3° N., 80.8° W., with an origin time of 05:38:15.2 GMT. The Eastern Tennessee crustal model of Steinhart and Meyer (1961) was employed for this location, and the resulting travel-time residuals for seven stations showed a standard deviation of 0.4 second. This fit to the observed travel times implies that the Eastern Tennessee model may be more appropriate for the region than the standard Jeffreys-Bullen crustal model. Macroseismic data for the earthquake gave a maximum intensity (MM) of IV and a felt area of approximately 3200 square miles.
Functional Connectivity Between the Temporoparietal Cortex and Cerebellum in Autism Spectrum Disorder

The neural basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not yet understood. ASD is marked by social deficits and is strongly associated with cerebellar abnormalities. We studied the organization and cerebellar connectivity of the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), an area that plays a crucial role in social cognition. We applied localized independent component analysis to resting-state fMRI data from autistic and neurotypical adolescents to yield an unbiased parcellation of the bilateral TPJ into 11 independent components (ICs). A comparison between neurotypical and autistic adolescents showed that the organization of the TPJ was not significantly altered in ASD. Second, we used the time courses of the TPJ ICs as spatially unbiased "seeds" for a functional connectivity analysis applied to voxels within the cerebellum. We found that the cerebellum contained a fine-grained, lateralized map of the TPJ. The connectivity of the TPJ subdivisions with cerebellar zones showed one striking difference in ASD. The right dorsal TPJ showed markedly less connectivity with the left Crus II. Disturbed cerebellar input to this key region for cognition and multimodal integration may contribute to social deficits in ASD. The findings might also suggest that the right TPJ and/or left Crus II are potential targets for noninvasive brain stimulation therapies.
Using a Community of Practice to Support Technology Integration in Speech-Language Pathologist Instruction:

Technology tools are in the beginning stages of integration into instructional practices of speech-language pathologists (SLPs). The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of SLPs, as...
Predicting, preventing, and identifying delirium after cardiac surgery

Delirium after cardiac surgery is a major problem. The exact mechanisms behind delirium are not understood. Potential pathways of delirium include neurotransmitter interference, global cognitive disorder, and neuroinflammation. Several predisposing and precipitating risk factors have been identified for postoperative delirium. The development of delirium following cardiac surgery is associated with worse outcomes in the perioperative period. Multiple interventions are being explored for the prevention and treatment of delirium. Studies investigating the potential roles of biomarkers in delirium as well as pharmacological interventions to reduce the incidence and duration of delirium are necessary to mitigate this negative outcome.
Application of(un) cooked wheat koji made by material in the production of yellow rice wine

The traditional fermentation technology of rice wine including uncooked wheat starter,cooked wheat starter and mixed uncooked and cooked wheat starter were investigated in this paper.The saccharifying power,liquefying power and proteolytic power of uncooked wheat starter were the lowest,which leads to low initial fermentation speed,slow and insufficiency fermentation.In comparison,the three parameters of cooked wheat starter were the highest.The three parameters of mixed uncooked and cooked wheat starter were medium compared with those of cooked wheat starter and uncooked wheat starter.The optimal ratio of uncooked and cooked wheat koji was 9∶1.These results could provide a good reference for traditional process of rice wine.
The blood composition of dairy calves reared under conventional and rapid-growth systems.

SUMMARY Blood samples were taken from two groups of female calves, at regular intervals from 3–9 months of age. One group, composed of 70 calves reared on a rapid-growth system, was fed on a high plane of nutrition, while the other group, composed of 39 calves reared under a conventional system, was fed on a low plane of nutrition. The average blood concentrations of rapidly reared calves were higher than those of conventionally reared calves for blood glucose, serum urea nitrogen, serum inorganic phosphate (P
MO-D-PinS Room/Hall E-02: Multiparametric Fuctional Imaging in Radiation Therapy

MRI, with its excellent soft tissue contrast and its ability to provide physiological as well as anatomical information, is becoming increasingly used in radiation therapy for treatment planning, image-guided radiation therapy, and treatment evaluation. This session will explore solutions to integrating MRI into the simulation process. Obstacles for using MRI for simulation include distortions and artifacts, image acquisition speed, complexity of imaging techniques, and lack of electron density information. Partners in Solutions presents vendor representatives who will present their approaches to meeting these challenges and others. An increased awareness of how MRI simulation works will allow physicists to better understand and use this powerful technique. The speakers are all employees who are presenting information about their company's products.
Gender Counts: Defining the Core Genetic Profile of Polycythemia Vera.

Intra-abdominal venous thrombosis and exuberant extramedullary hematopoiesis leading to painful splenomegaly and hepatomegaly are two of the most serious consequences of polycythemia vera. Although polycythemia vera is slightly more common in men, both of these complications appear to be more common in women, in whom the disease also presents at an earlier age. We previously reported that polycythemia vera peripheral blood (pb) CD34+ cells could be distinguished from their immunophenotypically similar normal counterparts by gene expression profiling. We, therefore, hypothesized that phenotypic differences in disease behavior between men and women with polycythemia vera were a consequence of gender-based genotypic differences and have employed gene expression profiling to examine this issue. For this purpose, cRNA was prepared from the total RNA of pb CD34+ cells of eleven polycythemia vera patients and six normal controls purified by immunomagnetic bead chromatography. The cRNA was hybridized to an Affymetrix HU133 high-density oligonucleotide microarray chip representing 22,000 genes. Approximately 30–45 % of chip genes were recorded as present in the RNA samples. GC-RMA (Robust Multiarray Analysis) was used for normalization, to adjust for probe effects and for signal estimation. A parametric empirical Bayes statistical modeling method was used for differential gene expression analysis between the patients and controls. A posterior probability of >0.5 was taken to indicate significant differential gene expression. As previously reported, all polycythemia vera patients could be unequivocally distinguished from the controls, indicating that gene expression profiling can be employed as diagnostic test for polycythemia vera. With respect to gender, comparing male patients with male controls, 1106 genes were differentially expressed in the patient group; comparing female patients with female controls, 461 genes were differentially expressed in the patient group. Using unsupervised hierarchical clustering, the control patients segregated as a single group while the polycythemia vera patients segregated into two groups based on exuberant extramedullary hematopoiesis but this segregation was not gender-based despite the marked differences in gender-specific gene expression. Importantly, however, after eliminating gender-specific genes, only 93 genes were concordantly expressed in the male and female patients (59 up regulated and 34 down regulated). This small group appears to represent core genes in polycythemia vera whose behavior may be modified by gender-specific genes but the specific up regulation or repression of which is essential for disease expression. These data indicate that gender-specific effects on gene expression must be addressed in order to determine the basic genetic signature of a hematologic malignancy and they also define a core genetic profile in polycythemia vera.
Uncolored random tensors, melon diagrams, and the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev models

Certain models with rank-3 tensor degrees of freedom have been shown by Gurau and collaborators to possess a novel large $N$ limit, where ${g}^{2}{N}^{3}$ is held fixed. In this limit the perturbative expansion in the quartic coupling constant, $g$, is dominated by a special class of ``melon'' diagrams. We study ``uncolored'' models of this type, which contain a single copy of real rank-3 tensor. Its three indices are distinguishable; therefore, the models possess $O(N{)}^{3}$ symmetry with the tensor field transforming in the tri-fundamental representation. Such uncolored models also possess the large $N$ limit dominated by the melon diagrams. The quantum mechanics of a real anticommuting tensor therefore has a similar large $N$ limit to the model recently introduced by Witten as an implementation of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model which does not require disorder. Gauging the $O(N{)}^{3}$ symmetry in our quantum mechanical model removes the nonsinglet states; therefore, one can search for its well-defined gravity dual. We point out, however, that the model possesses a vast number of gauge-invariant operators involving higher powers of the tensor field, suggesting that the complete gravity dual will be intricate. We also discuss the quantum mechanics of a complex 3-index anticommuting tensor, which has $U(N{)}^{2}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}O(N)$ symmetry and argue that it is equivalent in the large $N$ limit to a version of SYK model with complex fermions. Finally, we discuss similar models of a commuting tensor in dimension $d$. While the quartic interaction is not positive definite, we construct the large $N$ Schwinger-Dyson equation for the two-point function and show that its solution is consistent with conformal invariance. We carry out a perturbative check of this result using the $4\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ expansion.
Submillisecond-response nematic liquid crystals for augmented reality displays

We report a new nematic liquid crystal (LC) mixture with an ultra-low rotational viscosity (γ1 = 53.4 mPas @ 35°C), relatively high birefringence (Δn ≈0.15), and moderate dielectric anisotropy (Δe = −2.80 @ 35°C). When employed in a liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) projector with RGB light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a sub-millisecond response time is obtained without the need for complicated overdrive circuitry. Such a fast response time enables field sequential color display, which not only triples the optical efficiency and resolution density, but also greatly suppresses the image blur and color breakup. Moreover, the required cell gap is 1.2 µm, which is still manageable for high-yield manufacturing. We believe this mixture would find widespread applications for the emerging augmented reality displays.