cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Repeated B motifs in the human immunodeficiency virus type I long terminal repeat enhancer region do not exhibit cooperative factor binding

Abstract The enhancer element of the human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-I) long terminal repeat (LTR) contains two copies of nearly identical sequences AGGGACTTTCC (3G sequence) and GGGGACTTTCC (4G sequence) that are important in transcriptional regulation. A single copy of the 4G sequence is found in the NF-kappa B site of the immunoglobulin kappa-chain enhancer. Only the 4G motif in the HIV enhancer is bound by cellular proteins in extracts prepared from unstimulated HeLa cells, whereas the 3G and 4G motifs are bound by factors in extracts prepared from HeLa cells treated with phorbol esters [phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)] and lymphoid cells. To determine if this change in binding to the HIV enhancer was due to phosphorylation of a cellular protein, partially purified PMA-treated HeLa nuclear extracts were digested with calf intestinal phosphatase. Phosphatase digestion of nuclear extracts from PMA-treated HeLa cells markedly decreased factor binding to the HIV enhancer. Accordingly, phosphorylation of the DNA binding protein itself, or an inhibitor protein present in the partially purified extract, must mediate binding to the recognition sequence. Binding studies confirmed that each of the enhancer sequences was capable of binding factors independent of the activity of the other site and that the HIV enhancer was occupied by only one factor at any one time. Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays using mutants in either one or both HIV enhancer repeats revealed that each site was capable of functioning as a tat-inducible enhancer element in PMA-treated HeLa cells. These results suggest that the 3G and 4G motifs in the HIV enhancer function independently and that duplication in the HIV enhancer augments activity by a mechanism distinct from cooperative binding of NF-kappa B.
The Supermatrix Technique: A Simple Framework for Hypothesis Testing with Missing Data.

We present a new paradigm that allows simplified testing of multiparameter hypotheses in the presence of incomplete data. The proposed technique is a straight-forward procedure that combines the benefits of two powerful data analytic tools: multiple imputation and nested-model χ2 difference testing. A Monte Carlo simulation study was conducted to assess the performance of the proposed technique. Full information maximum likelihood (FIML) and single regression imputation were included as comparison conditions against which the performance of the suggested technique was judged. The imputation-based conditions demonstrated much higher convergence rates than the FIML conditions. Δχ2 statistics derived from the proposed technique were more accurate than such statistics derived from both the FIML conditions and the regression imputation conditions. Limitations of the current work and suggestions for future directions are also addressed.
Factor adjustment implications of a free trade agreement between the United States and Thailand

Abstract Changes in intra-industry specialization indicators are used to assess factor adjustment pressures that may be experienced by U.S. and Thai industries from a proposed U.S.–Thailand Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Many industries experienced large increases in intra-industry trade over the 2000–2008 period. Ten U.S. industries are found to be candidates for factor adjustment pressures based on past experiences. These industries account for 38% of all U.S. imports from Thailand and 4% of imports from all trading partners. Results also show that nine Thai industries face possible adjustment pressures. These industries account for 9% of Thai imports from the United States. An FTA should result in a larger increase in U.S. exports to Thailand than U.S. imports from Thailand because Thai exporters face much lower tariffs in the U.S. market than do U.S. exporters in the Thai market.
Systematic determination of the peptide acceptor preferences for the human UDP-Gal:glycoprotein-α-GalNAc β3 galactosyltranferase (T-synthase)

Mucin-type protein O-glycosylation is initiated by the addition of α-GalNAc to Ser/Thr residues of a polypeptide chain. The addition of β-Gal to GalNAc by the UDP-Gal:glycoprotein-α-GalNAc β3 galactosyltransferase (T-synthase), forming the Core 1 structure (β-Gal(1-3)-α-GalNAc-O-Ser/Thr), is a common and biologically significant subsequent step in O-glycan biosynthesis. What dictates the sites of Core 1 glycosylation is poorly understood; however, the peptide sequence and neighboring glycosylation effects have been implicated. To systematically address the role of the peptide sequence on the specificity of T-synthase, we used the oriented random glycopeptide: GAGAXXXX(T-O-GalNAc)XXXXAGAG (where X = G, A, P, V, I, F, Y, S, N, D, E, H, R, and K) as a substrate. The Core 1 glycosylated product was isolated on immobilized PNA (Arachis hypogaea) lectin and its composition determined by Edman amino acid sequencing for comparison with the initial substrate composition, from which transferase preferences were obtained. From these studies, elevated preferences for Gly at the +1 position with moderately high preferences for Phe and Tyr in the +3 position relative to the acceptor Thr-O-GalNAc were found. A number of smaller Pro enhancements were also observed. Basic residues, i.e., Lys, Arg, and His, in any position were disfavored, suggesting electrostatic interactions as an additional important component modulating transferase specificity. This work suggests that there are indeed subtle specific and nonspecific protein-targeting sequence motifs for this transferase.
Effects of solvent polarity and solvent viscosity on the fluorescent properties of molecular rotors and related probes

Fluorescent molecular rotors belong to a group of twisted intramolecular charge transfer complexes (TICT) whose photophysical characteristics depend on their environment. In this study, the influence of solvent polarity and viscosity on several representative TICT compounds (three Coumarin derivatives, 4,4-dimethylaminobenzonitrile DMABN, 9-(dicyanovinyl)-julolidine DCVJ), was examined. While solvent polarity caused a bathochromic shift of peak emission in all compounds, this shift was lowest in the case of molecular rotors. Peak intensity was influenced strongly by solvent viscosity in DMABN and the molecular rotors, but polarity and viscosity influences cannot be separated with DMABN. Coumarins, on the other hand, did not show viscosity sensitivity. This study shows the unique suitability of molecular rotors as fluorescent viscosity sensors.
Cross-Fertilization of Engineering Education Research and Development

There is considerable concern over the slow rate of dissemination of proven engineering education innovations (Borrego et al. 2010). One possible cause of the slow rate of dissemination is that engineering educators in different engineering disciplines rarely communicate with one another. To study this issue, we analyzed the citations in all the 2009 papers in the nine U.S. engineering education journals and the proceedings listed in Table 1. This guest editorial presents data and recommendations for the Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice. Because none of the engineering or science education journals can unilaterally solve the problems caused by lack of crossfertilization and low rates of dissemination, results for other journals and proceedings are published in the following companion guest editorials: Journal of STEM Education, the Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Meeting, and the Proceedings of the Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference (Wankat 2011c); Chemical Engineering Education (Wankat 2011a); and IEEE Transactions on Education (Wankat 2011b).
Removing Satellite Equatorial Crossing Time Biases from the OLR and HRC Datasets

Abstract The objective of this study is to examine the impacts from satellite equatorial crossing time (ECT) changes on the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and highly reflective cloud (HRC) datasets and to design appropriate and robust methods to remove these satellite-dependent biases. The OLR record covers the period from June 1974 to July 1996 and is on a 2.5° grid extending from 30°S to 30°N over the global Tropics. The HRC record covers the period from January 1971 to December 1987 and is on a 2° grid extending from 25°S to 25°N over the global Tropics. Rotated empirical orthogonal function analysis (REOF) is performed on both the monthly OLR and HRC anomalies to help distinguish between artificial modes of variability and those associated with real variability. Results from the analysis show that significant errors are introduced by changes in the satellite ECT, and they appear differently in the two datasets. The primary satellite-related bias in the OLR appears as the fourth REOF mode, which acc...
Notes on Serfdom in Western and Eastern Europe

The purpose of the following observations on serfdom in Western and Eastern Europe is to call attention to some of the problems, in part methodological ones, that arise in attempts to analyze the system of serfdom as a social institution in space and time.
Correlation of histology, viral load, and in situ viral detection in hepatic biopsies from patients with liver transplants secondary to hepatitis C infection.

The diagnosis of hepatitis C infection in the setting of liver transplantation in based on several variables, including histopathologic changes and the presence of viral RNA in the serum. It may be difficult to differentiate acute rejection from recurrent viral hepatitis in liver biopsies from patients who received liver transplants for end-stage hepatitis C infection. The purpose of this study was to analyzed the histologic features, viral load, and in situ viral detection in 37 biopsies taken from 25 people who underwent liver transplant for end-stage hepatitis C infection. Hepatitis C antigen was detected in 9 of 37 (24%) biopsies using immunohistochemistry; the detection rate increased to 19 of 37 (51%) using reverse transcriptase in situ polymerase chain reaction for viral cDNA. Hepatitis E cDNA was detected in 4 of 37 (11%) cases, hepatitis G cDNA in 3 of 37 (8%) cases and in 1 case cytomegalovirus was noted; with several cases of dual infection, 22 of 37 (59%) of tissues were positive for at least 1 virus. Histologic parameters that significantly correlated with in situ viral detection included single-cell hepatocyte necrosis (P = 0.02), bile duct damage (P = 0.03), lymphoid aggregates (P = 0.02), and cholestasis (P = 0.01). Further, a serum viral load exceeding 1,250,000 viral equivalents/ml was strongly correlated with in situ viral detection in the liver (P = 0.01). We conclude that certain histologic features and an increased viral load are highly correlated with the in situ detection of viral RNA in the liver, which is consistent with recurrent viral infection.
Fables of the Common Core: The True Standards and Their Role in Utah

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is a nationwide initiative to further regulate the education system—beyond No Child Left Behind—by implementing benchmarks that demand competency across a range of disciplines. CCSS intends to regulate what and how information is taught to U.S. children in order to level their overall competency with children from other nations who tend to statistically outperform them. However, CCSS is a major source of confusion for parents and educators who are unsure which organizations—governmental or nonprofit—control the development and implementation of the standards. This confusion has led to several misconceptions that continue to frustrate the public. This essay examines the foundation and principles of CCSS, ultimately bringing to light and responding to those misconceptions that still exist today. This paper discusses CCSS as a national movement and concludes by examining the economic and social ramifications in relation to Utah and its adoption of CCSS.
Survey of institutions with multiple pharmacy residency programs.

Purpose The processes used by institutions to manage and coordinate multiple pharmacy residency programs were evaluated. Methods An 18-question survey was developed. The survey was distributed via e-mail to all University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) member institutions. The survey request was e-mailed to the pharmacy director of each hospital. Respondents submitted their information in an unblinded process. The survey was completed between May 31, 2011, and June 29, 2011. Respondents who indicated that their institution did not have four or more residency programs did not complete the remaining survey questions. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze survey responses. Results Of the 236 surveys distributed, 43 (18%) were completed. Of these, 28 had at least four unique residency programs. The majority of specific duties related to residencies (i.e., budgeting, project development, compliance with residency standards, scheduling of rotations and operations, and residency showcase preparation) were primarily the responsibility of the residency program director (RPD), residency activities coordinator, chief resident, or department chair or director. All of the programs surveyed had a residency program advisory committee (RAC). A majority of the programs (96%) had only one advisory committee overseeing both their postgraduate year 1 and postgraduate year 2 programs. The majority of respondents (60%) reported utilizing part-time administrative support for the residency programs; the remaining 40% reported no administrative support. Conclusion UHC organizations with multiple pharmacy residency programs placed the majority of the responsibility for programs on the RPD, residency activities coordinator (where that model was used), and the pharmacy department chair. All programs utilized an RAC to govern the residency programs at their sites.
Anthropometric estimation of maternal body composition in late gestation.

Objective: To construct a model to estimate maternal body composition in late gestation using anthropometric measurements. Methods: Twenty healthy pregnant women at 30 weeks’ gestation had estimates of body composition using hydrodensitometry, with corrections for residual lung volume, and total body water using H218O (development group). Total body water was estimated from 18O abundances measured by gas-isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. Maternal age, height, weight, and seven skinfold sites were correlated with fat mass using stepwise regression analysis. The anthropometric model to estimate fat mass was then tested prospectively in a second group of 20 subjects and correlated with underwater weighing and total body water measurements (validation group). Statistical analysis used χ2, paired t and Wilcoxon sign-rank tests. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in maternal demographics between groups. The fat mass of development group subjects using underwater weighing and total body water was 22.7 ± 7.6 kg. Using the development group, a model was derived that explained 91% of the variance in fat mass by underwater weighing and total body water using maternal weight and triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac skinfolds (r2 = 0.91, P < .001). When tested prospectively in the validation group, the correlation remained statistically significant (r2 = 0.89, P < .001). There was no statistically significant (P = .88) difference between the anthropometric estimates of fat mass and underwater weighing and total body water measurements (95% confidence interval −2.476, 2.748 kg of fat mass). Conclusion: This anthropometric model can be used to predict maternal fat mass in late gestation.
Building a bridge between aprotic and protic ionic liquids

ILs of dications with linked protic and aprotic centres have been prepared. They have rich H-bonding and a Bronsted acid–base character like small ΔpKa protic ILs, but very low apparent vapour pressures, more akin to aprotic ILs.
An event-based method for microphone array speech enhancement

This paper presents the multi-channel multi-pulse (MCMP) algorithm for the enhancement of speech degraded by reverberations and additive noise. The enhanced speech is synthesized from a sequence of impulses exciting a linear predictive filter. The excitation signal is computed from a nonlinear process which uses impulse clustering of the multi-channel speech data to discriminate portions of the linear prediction residual produced by the desired speech signal from those due to multipath effects and uncorrelated noise. The MCMP algorithm is shown to be capable of identifying and attenuating reverberant portions of the speech signal as well as reducing the effects of additive noise.
Wyner-Ziv video side estimator: conventional motion search methods revisited

Side estimation plays an important role in Wyner-Ziv video coding. In this paper, we examine the use of two conventional motion search methods to improve side estimation. Unlike motion estimators used in conventional video encoders, side estimators do not have access to the original frame. This difference leads to some interesting observations concerning conventional motion search methods. Analytical and simulation results show that while multi-reference motion search is still effective, side estimators are not as sensitive to motion search pixel accuracies.
Prenylated prelamin A interacts with Narf, a novel nuclear protein.

Abstract Prelamin A is farnesylated and methylated on the cysteine residue of a carboxyl-terminal CaaX motif. In the nucleus, prelamin A is processed to lamin A by endoproteolytic removal of the final 18 amino acids, including the farnesylated cysteine residue. Using the yeast two-hybrid assay, we isolated a novel human protein, Narf, that binds the carboxyl-terminal tail of prelamin A. Narf has limited homology to iron-only bacterial hydrogenases and eukaryotic proteins of unknown function. Narf is encoded by a 2-kilobase mRNA expressed in all human cell lines and tissues examined. The protein is detected in the nuclear fraction of HeLa cell lysates on Western blots and can be extracted from nuclear envelopes with 0.5 m NaCl. When a FLAG epitope-tagged Narf is expressed in HeLa cells, it is exclusively nuclear and partially co-localizes with the nuclear lamina. The farnesylation status of prelamin A determines its ability to bind to Narf. Inhibition of farnesyltransferase and mutation or deletion of the CaaXmotif from the prelamin A tail domain inhibits Narf binding in yeast two-hybrid and in vitro binding assays. The prenyl-dependent binding of Narf to prelamin A is an important first step in understanding the functional significance of the lamin A precursor.
The Detection of Cortical Spike Activity at the Human Scalp

Spike activity has a much wider energy spectrum than does postsynaptic activity. Under the assumption that the frequency spectrum of spike activity ranges from dc to 1000 Hz, the prediction was made that high-frequency electrical activity could be modulated by sensory stimulation and might well be detectable at the human scalp. This prediction was borne out in experiments that were successful in detecting the modulation of activity between 300 and 1000 Hz. This band was selected to suppress the major effects of the low-frequency classical brain waves. A control experiment was conducted in which any surviving harmonics of the classical evoked potential were markedly reduced. The high-frequency activity was essentially unaffected, thereby substantiating the hypothesis that this kind of activity is different from brain waves. It was also shown that the effect is related to the specific frequency of the stimulus and it is not attributable to either a general increase or a redistribution of brain activity. It is suggested that the high-frequency or spike activity might furnish the basis for a better correlation between electrophysiological data and sensory experience than does the classical evoked response.
Test response compaction using multiplexed parity trees

Built-in self-testing requires test response streams from many observation points to be merged (space compaction) and compressed (time compaction) into a short signature. The compaction circuits should be transparent to error propagation in order to minimize aliasing, which occurs when a faulty response maps to the fault-free signature. We investigate the use of multiplexed parity trees (MPTs) for zero-aliasing space compaction. MPTs combine the error propagation properties of multiplexers and parity trees, and ensure zero aliasing via multistep compaction. We present two design techniques based on MPTs-output selection and fanout insertion-that eliminate aliasing for both deterministic and pseudorandom test sets. Our experiments with the ISCAS benchmark circuits show that zero aliasing can be achieved with small test sets and moderate hardware overhead. We also demonstrate that a very high percentage of single stuck-line faults in the compaction circuit are detected by the test patterns applied to the circuit under test.
The two-box model of climate: limitations and applications to planetary habitability and maximum entropy production studies

The ‘two-box model’ of planetary climate is discussed. This model has been used to demonstrate consistency of the equator–pole temperature gradient on Earth, Mars and Titan with what would be predicted from a principle of maximum entropy production (MEP). While useful for exposition and for generating first-order estimates of planetary heat transports, it has too low a resolution to investigate climate systems with strong feedbacks. A two-box MEP model agrees well with the observed day : night temperature contrast observed on the extrasolar planet HD 189733b.
Is there anything new in Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia? Changes in P. jirovecii pneumonia over the course of the AIDS epidemic.

The epidemiological characteristics and outcome of HIV-associated Pneumocystis jirovedi pneumonia (PCP) have shifted multiple times over the course of the AIDS epidemic. Despite the availability of HAART, PCP remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The article by Walzer et al. [1] in this issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases summarizes the experience with HIV-associated PCP over a 21-
Effects of Iron-Oxide Nanoparticle Surface Chemistry on Uptake Kinetics and Cytotoxicity in CHO-K1 Cells

Superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) show great promise for multiple applications in biomedicine. While a number of studies have examined their safety profile, the toxicity of these particles on reproductive organs remains uncertain. The goal of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of starch-coated, aminated, and PEGylated SPIONs on a cell line derived from Chinese Hamster ovaries (CHO-K1 cells). We evaluated the effect of particle diameter (50 and 100 nm) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain length (2k, 5k and 20k Da) on the cytotoxicity of SPIONs by investigating cell viability using the tetrazolium dye 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and sulforhodamine B (SRB) assays. The kinetics and extent of SPION uptake by CHO-K1 cells was also studied, as well as the resulting generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cell toxicity profiles of SPIONs correlated strongly with their cellular uptake kinetics, which was strongly dependent on surface properties of the particles. PEGylation caused a decrease in both uptake and cytotoxicity compared to aminated SPIONs. Interestingly, 2k Da PEG-modifed SPIONs displayed the lowest cellular uptake and cytotoxicity among all studied particles. These results emphasize the importance of surface coatings when engineering nanoparticles for biomedical applications.
A benchmark of excitonic couplings derived from atomic transition charges.

In this report we benchmark Coulombic excitonic couplings between various pairs of chromophores calculated using transition charges localized on the atoms of each monomer chromophore, as derived from a Mulliken population analysis of the monomeric transition densities. The systems studied are dimers of 1-methylthymine, 1-methylcytosine, 2-amino-9-methylpurine, all-trans-1,3,5-hexatriene, all-trans-1,3,5,7-octatetraene, trans-stilbene, naphthalene, perylenediimide, and dithia-anthracenophane. Transition densities are taken from different single-reference electronic structure excited state methods: time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), configuration-interaction singles (CIS), and semiempirical methods based on intermediate neglect of differential overlap. Comparisons of these results with full ab initio calculations of the electronic couplings using a supersystem are made, as are comparisons with experimental data. Results show that the transition charges do a good job of reproducing the supersy...
Persistent homology of toroidal sliding window embeddings

In this paper we study the persistent homology of sliding window embeddings of quasi-periodic signals. That is, functions which are sums of harmonics with different periods, and in particular, those having incommensurate frequencies. The resulting sliding window point-clouds, in this case, are (dense in) high-dimensional tori. We prove theorems which guide the choice of window size and embedding dimension, and describe the associated persistent homology.
Existence of Acoustic Surface Plasmons in Semiconducting Superlattices

Seminfinite semiconducting superlattices display a new type of Landau damping free collective surface excitations which correspond to electronic plasma oscillations localized near the boundaries of the stack. Under various particular conditions an extra branch of acoustic surface plasmons exists in type-II superlattices whose group velocity can be controlled by sample preparation.
The Primacy of Philosophical Experience

In the foregoing discussion we have traced Scheler’s arguments for the primacy of value-cognition over all other forms of cognition and willing. And we have taken the measure of his insistence that in the material ethics of values it is the Person which serves as the ultimate moral concept. When Scheler turns his attention to ‘The Nature of Philosophy’ in his On the Eternal in Man, these two definitive themes are telescoped, with the result that philosophical knowledge becomes a feature of the moral bearing of the philosopher.
Characteristics of Young Adults Enrolled Through the Affordable Care Act-Dependent Coverage Expansion.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine sociodemographic and health care–related characteristics of young adults covered through the Affordable Care Act (ACA)–dependent coverage expansion. Methods Our sample consisted of 36,802 young adults aged 19–25 years from 2011 to 2014 National Health Interview Survey. Sociodemographic differences among young adults with the four insurance types were described: privately insured under parents, privately insured under self/spouse, publicly insured, and uninsured. Multivariable logistic models were fitted to compare those covered under parent with those covered through other traditional insurance types, in terms of the following outcomes: health status, health behaviors, insurance history and experience, access to care, care utilization, and receipt of preventive service, controlling for sociodemographic factors. Results Young adults who were covered under their parents' insurance were most likely to be college students and non-Hispanic whites. These young adults also had more stable insurance, better access to care, better care utilization patterns, and reported better health status, compared to their peers. Conclusions The beneficiaries of the ACA-dependent coverage expansion were more likely to be college students from families with high socioeconomic status. Coverage under parents was associated with improved access to care and health outcomes among young adults. The enrollees through the ACA represent the healthiest subgroup of young adults and those with the best care utilization patterns, suggesting that the added cost relative to premium for insurers from this population will likely be minimal.
Circulating tumor cells in breast cancer: applications in personalized medicine

Recent technological advancements in rare cell analysis have facilitated the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood of patients diagnosed with breast and other types of cancers. Numerous clinical studies involving the enumeration of CTCs in breast cancer patients have unequivocally demonstrated the prognostic value of these cells. Evidence from recent molecular studies indicates that CTCs may be potential surrogate markers for systemic disease. As such, real-time assessment of therapeutic biomarkers in breast CTCs, such as the estrogen receptor (ER) and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), may have a tremendous impact in guiding-targeted cancer therapy. In this review, we discuss the clinical implications of CTC detection and its potential utility for personalized medicine in breast cancer.
Abstract TP280: Resveratrol Preconditioning Alters MicroRNA Expression Profiles to Induce Neuroprotection Against Ischemic Stroke

Resveratrol is a neutraceutical polyphenol that has been shown to improve outcome in several disease models including cancer, atherosclerosis and neurodegeneration. Resveratrol treatment prior to inducing experimental ischemic stroke results in neuroprotection reminiscent of ischemic preconditioning, a well-established mode of organ-specific tolerance to ischemia. MicroRNA are known to play a significant role in post-ischemic brain damage and plasticity. Recent studies also showed their involvement in ischemic tolerance induced by surgical preconditioning (a short duration middle cerebral artery occlusion). As resveratrol is known to be well-tolerated and easy to deliver, it is a better option than surgical preconditioning. Hence, we tested if resveratrol treatment induces changes in microRNA expression profiles with a goal to identify those microRNAs that are critical to inducing ischemic tolerance. When adult male C57BL/6J mice treated with resveratrol (10 mg/kg; i.p.) were subjected to a 1h transient middle cerebral artery occlusion after 3 days, the infarct volume (measured at 3 days of reperfusion) was significantly smaller compared to vehicle injected group (by ∼54%; p 3-fold) at both the time points studied compared to vehicle control (n =3 arrays/group). Of these, 30 were altered by >5-fold (17 up- and 13 were down-regulated). Bioinformatics analysis showed that axon guidance, transcriptional misregulation and Wnt signaling are the major biological pathways of the targets of the resveratrol-responsive microRNAs. Thus, our data shows that the ischemic tolerance afforded by resveratrol preconditioning might be mediated by microRNAs that target neuroprotective pathways.
Chronic oral methylene blue treatment in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.

A single acute low-dose methylene blue (MB), an FDA-grandfathered drug, has been shown to ameliorate behavioral deficits and reduces MRI-defined infarct volume in experimental ischemic stroke when administered intravenously or intraperitoneally. The efficacy of chronic MB treatment in ischemic stroke remains unknown. In a randomized, double-blinded and vehicle-controlled design, we investigated the efficacy of chronic oral MB administration in ischemic stroke longitudinally up to 60 days post injury using MRI and behavioral tests, with end-point histology. The major findings were chronic oral MB treatment, compared to vehicle, i) improves functional behavioral outcomes starting on day 7 and up to 60 days, ii) reduces MRI-defined total lesion volumes from day 14 and up to 60 days where some initial abnormal MRI-defined core and perfusion-diffusion mismatch were salvaged, iii) reduces white-matter damage, iv) gray matter and white matter damages are consistent with Nissl stains and Black Gold stain histology. These findings provide further evidence that long-term oral administration of low-dose MB is safe and has positive therapeutic effects in chronic ischemic stroke.
Combating Sexual Assault With the Military Ethic: Exploring Culture, Military Institutions, and Norms-Based Preventive Policy

This article explores sexual assault within the military by focusing on the role of norms and institutional culture. This article asserts that poor impulse control is, in part, at the root of sexua...
Predicting the future of signaling for 2018

In this Editorial, the Chief Scientific Editor of Science Signaling predicts some of the emerging areas to watch for advances in signaling research in 2018.
Impact of ureteral stricture and treatment choice on long-term graft survival in kidney transplantation.

We aimed to evaluate the influence of urological complications occurring within the first year after kidney transplantation on long-term patient and graft outcomes, and sought to examine the impact of the management approach of ureteral strictures on long-term graft function. We collected data on urological complications occurring within the first year posttransplant. Graft survivals, patient survival, and rejection rates were compared between recipients with and without urological complications. Male gender of the recipient, delayed graft function, and donor age were found to be significant risk factors for urological complications after kidney transplantation (P < .05). Death censored graft survival analysis showed that only ureteral strictures had a negative impact on long-term graft survival (P = .0009) compared to other complications. Death censored graft survival was significantly shorter in kidney recipients managed initially with minimally invasive approach when compared to the recipients with no stricture (P = .001). However, graft survival was not statistically different in patients managed initially with open surgery (P = .47). Ureteral strictures following kidney transplantation appear to be strongly negatively correlated with long-term graft survival. Our analysis suggests that kidney recipients with ureteral stricture should be managed initially with open surgery, with better long-term graft survival.
Addressing social determinants of health in an ambulatory setting: quasi-experimental controlled study of a curricular intervention for residents.

Academic medical centers in the USA disproportionately care for low-income populations.1 Although several medical organizations now recommend social determinants of health (SDH) curricula be incorporated into internal medicine (IM) residency training, programs have been slow to respond.2–4 While models screening for SDH in adult-care settings have been described,5 there have been no published trials of SDH education targeting IM residents. We implemented a pilot SDH educational intervention to improve resident knowledge, confidence, and ability to address patients’ unmet social needs.
Selective Phosphorylation of a G Protein within Permeabilized and Intact Platelets Caused by Activators of Protein Kinase C

Phosphorylation of Gi by the phospholipid- and Ca2+-dependent enzyme protein kinase C has been proposed as a mechanism by which phorbol esters and certain agonists either attenuate inhibition of adenylyl cyclase or impair stimulation of phospholipase C (Jakobs, et al., 1985; Orellana et al., 1987; Smith et al., 1987; Pyne et al., 1989). Support for the phosphorylation of Giα is provided by the occurrence of this modification for one or more forms of Giα in solution with partially purified protein kinase C (Katada et al., 1985). Indeed, phosphorylation of the purified subunit(s) can also be accomplished with cAMP dependent and insulin receptor kinases (O’Brien et al., 1987; Krupinski et al., 1988; Watanabe et al., 1988). The occurrence of phosphorylation within the cell itself, however, has not been fully documented, nor have functional correlates of phosphorylation been established. In unstimulated rat hepatocytes incubated with [32P] H3PO4, a 41-kDa phosphoprotein can be immunoprecipitated with a Giα-directed antiserum (Rothenberg and Kahn, 1988; Pyne et al., 1989). Treatment of these cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13- acetate (PMA) results in a modest (i.e., 70%) increase in incorporated phosphate, while treatment with insulin has no effect. Incorporation of radiolabel into proteins having isoelectric or immunologic properties similar to Giα has also been reported for PMA-treated human platelets (Halenda et al., 1986; Crouch and Lapetina, 1988). The identities of these proteins as Giα, however, have not been rigorously established.
Laser welding in the pipeline industry

The construction of pipelines, in the plant or in the field, is an expensive process that requires reproducible high-quality welds because of the possible environmental and economic effects of weld defects, particularly those leading to breaks. This requirement has been accentuated by the shift to highstrength low-alloy (HSLA) steels for pipelines, with increasingly stringent demands on welding procedures. Rothwell et al.1 report that “As new materials and design approaches for the pipeline construction industry are developed and economic pressures increase, methods which revolve around craft skills and arbitrary workmanship standards become less appropriate… given the intrinsically repetitive nature of cross-country pipeline welding, new, mechanized and automatic approaches will be sought, in which the quality of welds, and the way in which it is assessed, are related to prior engineering decision, rather than to individual craft performance in the field.”
GLYCOLYSIS IN CULTURED CELLS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses glycolysis in cultured cells. Weinhouse's report states that mitochondrial fractions from tumor cells can impose a quantitative aberrant metabolism on normal cytoplasm. The chapter presents a scenario in which cells transformed by tumor viruses lose contact inhibition; under such circumstances, the aerobic glycolysis rises again to the level of the nontransformed cells before their density rises high enough to elicit contact inhibition. The mitochondria from young optimally growing cells would also impose aberrant metabolism on normal cytoplasm. The increase in glucose permease after transformation of cells by tumor viruses seems a specific alteration.
Fertility after ectopic pregnancy.

Objectives To compare pregnancy rates (PRs) after radical or conservative surgical treatment for tubal pregnancy over a 12.5-year interval (minimum of 3 years) and to assess the relative contribution of various risk factors to future fertility performance. Design A retrospective cohort study examining the influence of various risk factors on PRs with stepwise discriminant analysis using a jackknife-type validation program. Patients Eighty-eight Olmsted County, Minnesota, women who presented over a 10-year interval with their first ectopic pregnancy (EP), undergoing either radical or conservative surgery at laparotomy, who actively attempted conception after surgery and who were available for follow-up at Mayo Clinic. Main Outcome Measures The primary end point for analysis was the occurrence of a livebirth or EP at 3 years of follow-up after the index EP. Results No difference in PR was identified in patients treated with radical or conservative surgery. Patients who underwent conservative surgery had a higher risk of subsequent EP. Patients with a prior history of infertility had significantly reduced fertility potential. Conclusions Prior history of infertility was the most significant determinant for fertility potential after surgical treatment for EP. Patients with prior infertility had markedly impaired fertility after surgical treatment of EP, and outcome was not influenced by choice of surgical procedures. Patients without prior infertility had comparable encouraging fertility potential with both conservative and radical therapy. These findings have relevance for future management of infertility in affected patients.
Creativity Without Copyright: Anarchist Publishers and their Approaches to Copyright Protection

This paper offers an analysis of the intersection between anarchism and copyright law by drawing on interviews with publishers working for anarchist and radical presses operating in the United States. Given the ideological commitment of anarchists to a critique of property rights within a capitalist system, it can be hypothesized that anarchist publishers would be less likely to endorse a system of copyright than mainstream book publishers. However, anarchist publishers operate within a capitalist system and must theorize their use (or lack of use) of copyright within a framework unsuited for their ultimate goals. Ultimately, anarchist publishers offer an opportunity to investigate the theory and practice of anarchism as it is confronted by a capitalist system of property protection – copyright law.
Histopathology of Bordetella pertussis in the Baboon Model

ABSTRACT Pertussis is a severe respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. The classic symptoms of pertussis include paroxysmal coughing with an inspiratory whoop, posttussive vomiting, cyanosis, and persistent coryzal symptoms. Infants under 2 months of age experience more severe disease, with most deaths occurring in this age group. Most of what is known about the pathology of pertussis in humans is from the evaluation of fatal human infant cases. The baboon model of pertussis provides the opportunity to evaluate the histopathology of severe but nonfatal pertussis. The baboon model recapitulates the characteristic clinical signs of pertussis observed in humans, including leukocytosis, paroxysmal coughing, mucus production, heavy colonization of the airway, and transmission of the bacteria between hosts. As in humans, baboons demonstrate age-related differences in clinical presentation, with younger animals experiencing more severe disease. We examined the histopathology of 5- to 6-week-old baboons, with the findings being similar to those reported for fatal human infant cases. In juvenile baboons, we found that the disease is highly inflammatory and concentrated to the lungs with signs of disease that would typically be diagnosed as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and bronchopneumonia. In contrast, no significant pathology was observed in the trachea. Histopathological changes in the trachea were limited to cellular infiltrates and mucus production. Immunohistostaining revealed that the bacteria were localized to the surface of the ciliated epithelium in the conducting airways. Our observations provide important insights into the pathology of pertussis in typical, severe but nonfatal pertussis cases in a very relevant animal model.
“Sleeping in a boundary” constructing the meaning of health in a refugee camp

Sociopolitical discourses surrounding refugee migration and resettlement are characterized by divisiveness, assumptions, and fear. When these discussions are grounded in the narratives of women refugees a deeper understanding of issues impacting health, family, and resilience emerges. We examine how 26 Karen women living in camps along the Thai-Burma border construct meaning around health, in relation to livelihoods. Through directed content analysis, themes emerged: precursors to achieving health, health and livelihoods, and position and agency. Women identified barriers and facilitators to health, identified a dynamic relationship between health and livelihoods, and described their position and agency in the systems they navigate.
What is Competitive Advantage and How Do You Know When You Have it

We provide an analysis of the major perspectives on competitive advantage in the canon of literature, identifying areas of contention, with particular attention to the question of measurement. We define competitive advantage as superior market performance driven by a concatenation of strategies that disrupt the performance of competitors. We assert that without this concatenation of strategies, competitive advantage is not sustainable over time. Initially we use Compustat data for 4,909 firms from the U.S. manufacturing sector from 1980 to 2007 to assess the validity of different proxies for competitive advantage. We also apply different statistical techniques to assess the volatility of performance metrics over time.
Stomatal conductance, xylem water transport, and root traits underpin improved performance under drought and well-watered conditions across a diverse panel of maize inbred lines

Abstract We evaluated sixteen traits related to water acquisition and transport, stomatal conductance, and photosynthesis within a diverse panel of maize inbred lines, founders of the U.S. maize nested association mapping (NAM) population, with the aim to determine which traits confer improved growth under water deficit and well-watered conditions. Lasso regression revealed that three key traits explained meaningful and independent proportions of variation in total end-of-season biomass under deficit irrigation (multiple r2 = 0.86): 1) the maximal net CO2 assimilation rate (P = 0.007), 2) the achievable stomatal conductance during the hottest part of the day (P = 0.005), and 3) the width-to-depth ratio of the root system at the seedling stage (P = 0.060), i.e., initial deep root system development facilitated growth. Under well-watered conditions, maximal stomatal conductance in the morning (P = 0.014) and the width-to-depth ratio of the root system (P = 0.043) were identified as key traits contributing to improved performance (multiple r2 = 0.68). Structural equation models revealed that growth under water deficit was linked more strongly to stomatal conductance occurring during the middle of the day (std coef = 0.75; P = 0.006), rather than the maximal stomatal conductance (std coef = −0.25; P = 0.368). In turn, the maintenance of stomatal conductance through the middle of the day depended on the capacity of the xylem tissue to supply water (per unit cross-sectional area) (std coef = 0.48; P = 0.046). Aligned with the transport of water to the stomata and growth, root system depth ( r = 0.77; P = 0.003) and width-to-depth ratio ( r = −0.55; P = 0.064) at seedling stages were also correlated with the capacity of the xylem to transport water, thus suggesting close coordination between root, xylem, and stomatal traits to achieve greater growth under water deficit and well-watered conditions. We propose that maize performance under the drought conditions considered here, could likely be improved via lower stomatal sensitivity to hydraulic and atmospheric cues, greater xylem conductivity, and a deeper, but not necessarily more extensive, root system.
Heavy ion beam acceleration in the first three cryomodules at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University

The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) being constructed at Michigan State University [J. Wei et al., The FRIB superconducting linac---status and plans, LINAC'16, Lansing, MI, p. 1, http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/AccelConf/linac2016/papers/mo1a01.pdf] is based on a cw superconducting linear accelerator which is designed to deliver unprecedented 400 kW heavy ion beam power to the fragmentation target. The installation of the accelerator equipment is approaching completion and multistage beam commissioning activities started in the summer of 2017 with expected completion in 2021. A room-temperature test electron cyclotron resonance ion source, ARTEMIS, provided argon and krypton beams for the commissioning of the low energy beam transport, a radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ), the medium energy beam transport (MEBT) and the first three accelerating cryomodules. The commissioning of the first linac segment (LS1), composed of 15 cryomodules, is planned in the spring of 2019. This paper describes the first results of experimental beam dynamics studies in the LEBT, RFQ, MEBT and the first three cryomodules with comparison to the numerical simulations.