cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An activin mutant with disrupted ALK4 binding blocks signaling via type II receptors

Activins control many physiologic and pathophysiologic processes in multiple tissues and, like other TGF-β superfamily members, signal via type II (ActRII/IIB) and type I (ALK4) receptor serine kinases. ActRII/IIB are promiscuous receptors known to bind at least a dozen TGF-β superfamily ligands including activins, myostatin, several BMPs, and nodal. Here we utilize a new screening procedure to rapidly identify activin-A mutants with loss of signaling activity. Our goal was to identify activin-A mutants able to bind ActRII but unable to bind ALK4 and which would be, therefore, candidate type II activin receptor antagonists. Using the structure of BMP-2 bound to its type I receptor (ALK3) as a guide, we introduced mutations in the context of the inhibin βA cDNA and assessed the signaling activity of the resulting mutant proteins. We identified several mutants in the finger (M91E, I105E, M108A) and wrist (activin A/activin C chimera, S60P, I63P) regions of activin-A with reduced signaling activity. Of these the M108A mutant displayed the lowest signaling activity while retaining wild-type-like affinity for ActRII. Unlike wild-type activin-A, the M108A mutant was unable to form a cross-linked complex with ALK4 in the presence of ActRII indicating that its ability to bind ALK4 was disrupted. This data suggested that the M108A mutant might be capable of modulating signaling of activin and related ligands. Indeed, the M108A mutant antagonized activin-A and myostatin, but not TGF-β, signaling in 293T cells, indicating it may be generally capable of blocking ligands that signal via ActRII/IIB.
A full-field reflection-mode digital gradient sensing method for measuring orthogonal slopes and curvatures of thin structures

A full-field optical technique capable of measuring angular deflections of light rays reflected off specularly reflective planar surfaces is developed. The method is aided by 2D digital image correlation to measure angular deflection of light rays. The principle of the method is described and the governing equations that relate light ray deflections to surface slopes are presented. The method is demonstrated by measuring the orthogonal surface slopes of a circumferentially clamped silicon wafer subjected to a central load and are shown to be in good agreement with the analytical solutions. The curvature fields are also computed by taking advantage of differentiation schemes integral to digital image correlation algorithms. The method is utilized to successfully quantify relatively small surface slopes of the order of 10−5 rad caused by a curing layer of spin-coated epoxy on a thin (100 µm) silicon wafer.
Uniformity in the basal metabolic rate of marsupials: its causes and consequences

Gran parte de la variacion (98,5) en la tasa metabolica basal de 70 especies de marsupiales se correlaciona con la masa corporal, aunque las especies de tierras bajas tienes tasas basales mayores que las de tierras altas, y las especies subterraneas tienes BMR’s menores que las no subterraneas. Colectivamente, estos factores dan cuenta de un 99.2 % en la variacion de la BMR de los marsupiales. Los marsupiales difieren de los euterios por no tener especies con altas BMR’s, esto segun los estandares generales para mamiferos. Esto ocurre, incluso a pesar de consumir vertebrados o pastos, estos ultimos, habitos troficos asociados con altas BMR en mamiferos euterios. La ausencia de altas tasas basales en marsupiales refleja la ausencia de correlacion entre la tasa de produccion con BMR, una correlacion que si esta presente en euterios. Estas diferencias tienen dos consecuencias: (1) los marsupiales son menos tolerantes a ambientes frios que los euterios, y (2) los marsupiales coexisten con los euterios solo cuando sus habitos alimentarios estan asociados a BMR’s bajos y ademas cuando cuando los euterios poseen tasas de reproduccion bajas. En Australia y Sudamerica los marsupials carnivoros se diversificaron en ausencia de euterios equivalentes. La importacion de los dingos Australianos por los humanos, parece ser la causa inmediata de la extincion de los tilacinos y del demonio de Tasmania. Cuando se termino de formar el puente de Panama los carnivoros de Sudamerica fueron reemplazados por euterios. Los macropodos, que poseen BMR`s mas bajas que los pastoreadores euterios, sobreviven en Australia central pues probablemente son capaces de tolerar ambientes xericos, mientras que los herbivoros domesticos requieres de la provision humana de agua
Minimum cost selection of secondary indexes for formatted files

Secondary indexes are often used in database management systems for secondary key retrieval. Although their use can improve retrieval time significantly, the cost of index maintenance and storage increases the overhead of the file processing application. The optimal set of indexed secondary keys for a particular application depends on a number of application dependent factors. In this paper a cost function is developed for the evaluation of candidate indexing choices and applied to the optimization of index selection. Factors accounted for include file size, the relative rates of retrieval and maintenance and the distribution of retrieval and maintenance over the candidate keys, index structure, and system charging rates. Among the results demonstrated are the increased effectiveness of secondary indexes for large files, the effect of the relative rates of retrieval and maintenance, the greater cost of allowing for arbitrarily formulated queries, and the impact on cost of the use of different index structures.
Polypoid lingual lesion.

A 45-year-old white woman presented with a smooth, sessile, pink, exophytic, polypoid mass on the ventral surface of her tongue. The lesion was asymptomatic and the patient had not been aware of it. The lesion measured approximately 4.0 1.0 cm in its largest dimensions (Fig. 1). The patient’s medical history was significant for type II diabetes, asthma, arthritis, kidney dysfunction, hyperlipidemia, and previous lumbar spine injury. She reported a 20-year smoking history but denied alcohol use.
Morphological changes occurring in the developing chick choroid plexus.

The present study was undertaken to observe the morphological changes which take place during the histogenetic development of the chick telencephalic choroid plexus between the eighth and twentieth day of embryonic life. The plexuses were removed under the dissecting microscope and processed by freezedrying. The paraffin-embedded sections were stained according to Cowdry's method for mitochondria and with Periodic Acid Schiff's reagent for glycorgen. The sections were viewed using bright light and phase optics. The most pertinent findings involved (1) a change in the epithelium from a pseudostratified to a low columnar cell type and (2) an increase in the number of mitochondria with their final distribution pattern being at the brush border of the choroidal epithelium. These changes developed between the ninth and twelfth day and became stabilized by the sixteenth day. The significance of the morphological changes and the possible correlation between the mitochondrial location and number and some physiological features of active transport is discussed.
A Framework for Incorporating Object‐Oriented Software Engineering in the Undergraduate Curriculum

The recent ACM/IEEE Computing Curricula ‘91 report identifies important and recurring concepts that pervade computer science. These include complexity of large programs, the concept of binding, abstract data types, evolution of requirements, levels of abstraction, and the importance of software reuse. We present an improved curriculum for the software oriented courses that better addresses these concepts. The major objective of the proposed curriculum is the introduction of the concept of components as building blocks for creating solutions to software design problems. Component‐based software engineering is currently best facilitated by the object‐oriented approach through reuse of available class libraries and application frameworks. Based on our experience in the use of the object‐oriented approach for the introductory programming courses as compared to past instruction using a predominantly procedural‐oriented point of view, we believe that our approach can be successfully integrated into the computer...
The mentally ill offender treatment and crime reduction act of 2004: Problems and prospects

As the United States has engaged in record levels of incarceration, there has been a concomitant rise in the number of persons incarcerated afflicted with severe mental illness (SMI) including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. Legislation aimed at diverting SMI persons away from incarceration and toward treatment has been recently developed. This paper reviews the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 (MIOTCRA), and the potential of outpatient commitment laws to work in tandem with the experimental mental health courts program the MIOTCRA of 2004 helped to create.
Recent experimental and clinical findings in the skeleton associated with loss of estrogen hormone or estrogen receptor activity.

Studies on rodent models and rare human disorders of estrogen production or response have revealed an increased complexity of the actions of estrogen on bone. ERα disruption in human males results in delayed epiphyseal maturation, tall stature, trabecular thinning, marked cortical thinning, genu valgum and significantly reduced cortical vBMD, but trabecular number is preserved and there is normal to increased periosteal expansion. Aromatase deficiency results overall in a similar phenotype, although less is known about skeletal architecture. Importantly, estrogen replacement in these individuals, even if provided late in the third decade, may normalize aBMD. Less certain is whether there is complete recovery of normal skeletal architecture and strength. Rodent models, in general, are consistent with the human phenotype but are confounded by inherent differences between mouse and human physiology and issues regarding the completeness of the different knock-out lines. Both human and rodent studies suggest that residual effects of estrogen through ERβ, truncated ERα forms or nonclassical estrogen receptors might account for different phenotypes in the hERKO man, aromatase deficient subjects and rodents. Importantly, androgen, particularly by preserving trabecular number and augmenting both periosteal and epiphyseal growth, also has significant actions on bone.
Topiramate use in alprazolam addiction

Alprazolam is successful in reducing anxiety but has a high addictive/misuse potential. Topiramate is a novel anticonvulsant which has been used as a mood stabilizer. Other anticonvulsants, such as carbamazepine and valproate, have been used in alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal. Topiramate has recently been used in alcohol, cocaine and opiates withdrawal. There has been also one report of topiramate use in midazolam withdrawal. In our case of a patient with recurrent major depressive disorder, subthreshold anxiety disorder and addiction to alprazolam, topiramate appears to be efficient and safe in alprazolam withdrawal.
Microvessels from Alzheimer’s Disease Brains Kill Neurons in Vitro

Understanding the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease is of widespread interest because it is an increasingly prevalent disorder that is progressive, fatal, and currently untreatable. The dementia of Alzheimer's disease is caused by neuronal cell death. We demonstrate for the first time that blood vessels isolated from the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients can directly kill neurons in vitro . Either direct co-culture of Alzheimer's disease microvessels with neurons or incubation of cultured neurons with conditioned medium from microvessels results in neuronal cell death. In contrast, vessels from elderly nondemented donors are significantly ( P
Liquid Crystalline Bispropargyl Thermosets

A series of rigid-rod bispropargyl thermoset monomers have been synthesized. These monomers were examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and hot stage polarized optical microscopy. Enantiotropic or monotropic nematic liquid crystalline phases were observed for all but two monomers. Partial curing of these reactive liquid crystalline monomers resulted in the formation of stable liquid crystalline phases with broad nematic phase after partial curing. DSC investigations indicated that the onset temperature of thermally induced cross-linking was approximately 260 C and insensitive to the phase type. The rate of cure was insensitive to the phase in which the cure occurred due to the unusual reaction mechanism for the propargyl end group.
Uncertainties in the minimum resolvable temperature difference measurement

The Minimum Resolvable Temperature Difference (MRTD or MRT) is the most widely accepted and inclusive figure of merit for describing a thermal imaging system's performance. It is the product of analytic mathematical models and traditional man-in-loop system hardware performance measurements that describe IR systems. MRT is a basis for thermal field performance model predictions and is commonly used in specification of thermal imagers. The MRT test is subjective because it requires human observers to just discern increasingly smaller 4-bar patterns as a function of temperature differences between bars and the background. When performed by trained observers, the MRT test is an accurate measure of sensitivity as a function of spatial resolution. The ability to resolve 4-bar patterns varies between observers. Furthermore, MRT is a psychophysical task, for which biases are unavoidable. In this paper, uncertainties in MRT measurements are reported for individual trained observers and between observers as functions of some biases, such as random and fixed pattern noise. For this paper, virtual MRTs were performed on a new, custom visual acuity test simulator, developed for NVESD, that allows precise control over significant sensor and display parameters, and these results are compared. Through a process of eliminating sources of MRT variability, we have been able to quantify the observer variability.
Theory of Choice in Bandit, Information Sampling and Foraging Tasks

Decision making has been studied with a wide array of tasks. Here we examine the theoretical structure of bandit, information sampling and foraging tasks. These tasks move beyond tasks where the choice in the current trial does not affect future expected rewards. We have modeled these tasks using Markov decision processes (MDPs). MDPs provide a general framework for modeling tasks in which decisions affect the information on which future choices will be made. Under the assumption that agents are maximizing expected rewards, MDPs provide normative solutions. We find that all three classes of tasks pose choices among actions which trade-off immediate and future expected rewards. The tasks drive these trade-offs in unique ways, however. For bandit and information sampling tasks, increasing uncertainty or the time horizon shifts value to actions that pay-off in the future. Correspondingly, decreasing uncertainty increases the relative value of actions that pay-off immediately. For foraging tasks the time-horizon plays the dominant role, as choices do not affect future uncertainty in these tasks.
Pentagonal aggregation of virus particles.

Virus aggregates with a unique fivefotd axis have been observed in the electron microscope.
Diamond for high-heat-load synchrotron x-ray applications

Synchrotron facilities worldwide provide scientists with useful radiation in the ultraviolet to the x-ray regime. Third-generation synchrotron sources win deliver photon fluxes in the 10{sup 15} photons/s/0.1%BW range, with brilliance on the order of 10{sup 18} photons/s/0.1%BW/mrad{sup 2}/mm{sup 2}. Along with the increase in flux and brilliance is an increase in the power and power densities of the x-ray beam. Depending on the particular insertion device, the x-ray beam can have total power in excess of 10 kW and peak power, density of more than 400 W/mm{sup 2}. Such high heat loads are a major challenge in the design and fabrication of x-ray beamline components. The superior thermal and mechanical properties of diamond make it a good candidate as material in these components. Single crystal diamonds can be used as x-ray monochromators, while polycrystalline or CVD diamonds can be used in a variety of ways on the front-end beamline components. This paper discusses the issues regarding the feasibility of using diamond in third-generation synchrotron beamline components.
Mammalian tyrosinase. Structural and functional interrelationship of isozymes

Abstract The isozymes of tyrosinase from normal and malignant melanocytes were studied; the data indicates that each consists of a basic tyrosinase polypeptide, and differs by post-translational modifications. T3 represents the de novo form of the enzyme; it is converted to T1 in vivo by the addition of sialic acids and neutral sugars, and in turn, to T4 by complexing with melanosomal membrane constituents. The T2 isomer is suggested to be an artefact of the electrophoretic procedure, and due to deamidation of T3. It is shown that the apparent kinetics of enzyme activity are unaffected by any of these modifications.
Comparison of second cancer risk due to out-of-field doses from 6-MV IMRT and proton therapy based on 6 pediatric patient treatment plans

Abstract Background and purpose This study compared 6-MV IMRT and proton therapy in terms of organ specific second cancer lifetime attributable risks (LARs) caused by scattered and secondary out-of-field radiation. Materials and methods Based on simulated organ doses, excess relative and excess absolute risk models were applied to assess organ-specific LARs. Two treatment sites (cranium and central spine) were considered involving six treatment volumes and six patient ages (9-month, 4-year, 8-year, 11-year, 14-year, and adult). Results The LARs for thyroid cancer from a 6 cm diameter field treating a brain lesion in a 4-year old patient were estimated to be 1.1% and 0.3% in passive proton therapy and IMRT, respectively. However, estimated LARs for bladder cancer, more than 25 cm from the field edge for the same patient and treatment field, were estimated to be 0.2% and 0.02% from IMRT and proton therapy, respectively. Risks for proton beam scanning was found to be an order of magnitude smaller compared to passive proton therapy. Conclusion In terms of out-of-field risks, IMRT offers advantage close to the primary field and an increasing advantage for passive proton therapy is noticed with increasing distance to the field. Scanning proton beam therapy shows the lowest risks.
Glove: A Bespoke Website Fingerprinting Defense

Website fingerprinting attacks have recently emerged as a serious threat against web browsing privacy mechanisms, such as SSL, Tor, and encrypting tunnels. Researchers have proposed numerous attacks and defenses, and the Tor project currently includes both network- and browser-level defenses against these attacks, but published defenses have high overhead, poor security, or both.In this paper we present preliminary results of {Glove}, a new SSH based defense. Glove is based on the observation that current defenses are expensive not because website traces are different, but because the defense, operating blindly, does not know how to add cover traffic and therefore, puts it everywhere. Instead, Glove uses existing knowledge of a websites traces to add cover traffic conservatively while maintaining high levels of security. Further, Glove satisfies the information theoretic definitions of security defined in prior work -- i.e., it is resistant to any fingerprinting adversary. Our simulations show that Glove performs better than all currently proposed SSH based defenses in terms of the security-overhead trade-off.
Regulatory Effects and Strategic Global Staffing Profiles: Beyond Cost Concerns in Evaluating Offshore Location Attractiveness

The practice of offshoring—staffing all or part of a business outside the home country—has proliferated to such an extent that the question for most multinational corporations (MNCs) is where, not if, some or all of its labor forces should be located beyond geopolitical borders. It remains an open question, however, where and under what conditions the hoped-for advantages of offshore staffing are best realized. While cost savings continue to play the major role for most companies, both quality and availability of worker skills and administrative and regulatory contexts of labor markets have increasingly influenced global staffing decision processes. This paper has two purposes: to examine the extent to which employment laws and other regulatory factors can impact—beyond cost concerns alone—the decision where to offshore, and to offer a methodology for developing attractiveness profiles that can help governments, service providers, and MNCs evaluate and improve the match between staffing needs and labor market characteristics. By examining financial considerations in conjunction with administrative and regulatory effects, the parties can better manage ongoing expansion of offshore staffing arrangements beyond more established locations such as India, China, and Malaysia. Strategic implications of a trend toward nearshoring—relocating offshore operations closer to or within the home country—are also discussed.
Shear Stress Increases the Residence Time of Adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Although ubiquitous, the processes by which bacteria colonize surfaces remain poorly understood. Here we report results for the influence of the wall shear stress on the early-stage adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 on glass and polydimethylsiloxane surfaces. We use image analysis to measure the residence time of each adhering bacterium under flow. Our main finding is that, on either surface, the characteristic residence time of bacteria increases approximately linearly as the shear stress increases (∼0–3.5 Pa). To investigate this phenomenon, we used mutant strains defective in surface organelles (type I pili, type IV pili, or the flagellum) or extracellular matrix production. Our results show that, although these bacterial surface features influence the frequency of adhesion events and the early-stage detachment probability, none of them is responsible for the trend in the shear-enhanced adhesion time. These observations bring what we believe are new insights into the mechanism of bacterial attachment in shear flows, and suggest a role for other intrinsic features of the cell surface, or a dynamic cell response to shear stress.
Erratum to: Deconstructing Reparative Therapy: An Examination of the Processes Involved When Attempting to Change Sexual Orientation

Reparative therapy is a process through which reparative therapists believe they can and should make heterosexuals out of homosexuals. At the present time, most professional regulating bodies have banned the use of reparative therapy. In addition, reparative therapy is not supported by any reliable quantitative or qualitative studies. In spite of the lack of empirical substantiation, reparative therapists continue to practice, arguing that prior quantitative studies, as well as client self-determination, validate their methods. With a knowledge base originally grounded in psychoanalytic theory, current applications of reparative therapy cross not only scientific and psychological, but also social, political, and religious boundaries. The current trend promoting reparative therapy occurs through the conglomeration of the social, political, and religious dimensions of organizations that champion the cause of creating former homosexuals. Persons who identify as former homosexuals espouse the saving graces of a mixture of reparative therapy with various forms of religious counseling, on occasion offered by faith-based providers. The purpose of this paper is shed new light on the process and theory behind reparative therapy. This paper will attempt to provide social work clinicians with the knowledge necessary to understand and formulate an informed opinion about the use of reparative therapy for homosexuality.
Helicopter Flight Training Through Serious Aviation Gaming

The notion of Serious Games dates to at least 1970. More recently leaders also identified gaming technology as a possible disruptive technology. If off-the-shelf PC-based aviation games and the vas...
Development of the concept of mean temperatures in the analysis of radiative heat transfer in an inhomogeneous non-isothermal non-gray medium

Concepts of an emission mean temperature and a transmission mean temperature are introduced and shown to be effective and necessary in characterizing the radiative emission and transmission of an inhomogeneous non-isothermal non-gray medium. Based on a two zone model for a CO2/H2O/N2 mixture, the mathematical behavior of these two mean temperatures and their dependence on the temperature and the partial pressure of the absorbing gases of the two zones are illustrated. Results show that the average temperature is not appropriate to be used in the prediction of radiative emission and transmission in practical engineering systems.
Social Networks and Political Participation

In recent years, the study of political participation has benefited from growing attention to the study of social networks. Historically, most explanations for political participation have focused on characteristics of individuals. Although these individual-level correlates do a “pretty good” job of predicting who participates, incorporating social networks deepens our understanding of the factors that lead people to express voice in the democratic process. Even though the participation literature has long been split between scholars who favor a focus on individuals and others who emphasize social networks, the two approaches need not be in tension. Instead, they complement one another. The individualistic factors known to correlate with participation—including education, religious attendance, political knowledge, political conviction, and civic duty—all have a social dimension.
In vitro metabolism of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-derived metabolites GLP-1(9-36)amide and GLP-1(28-36)amide in mouse and human hepatocytes.

Previous studies have revealed that the glucoincretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)(7-36)amide is metabolized by dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) and neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP) to yield GLP-1(9-36)amide and GLP-1(28-36)amide, respectively, as the principal metabolites. Contrary to the previous notion that GLP-1(7-36)amide metabolites are pharmacologically inactive, recent studies have demonstrated cardioprotective and insulinomimetic effects with both GLP-1(9-36)amide and GLP-1(28-36)amide in animals and humans. In the present work, we examined the metabolic stability of the two GLP-1(7-36)amide metabolites in cryopreserved hepatocytes, which have been used to demonstrate the in vitro insulin-like effects of GLP-1(9-36)amide and GLP-1(28-36)amide on gluconeogenesis. To examine the metabolic stability of the GLP-1(7-36)amide metabolites, a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry assay was developed for the quantitation of the intact peptides in hepatocyte incubations. GLP-1(9-36)amide and GLP-1(28-36)amide were rapidly metabolized in mouse [GLP-1(9-36)amide: t1/2 = 52 minutes; GLP-1(28-36)amide: t1/2 = 13 minutes] and human hepatocytes [GLP-1(9-36)amide: t1/2 = 180 minutes; GLP-1(28-36)amide: t1/2 = 24 minutes), yielding a variety of N-terminal cleavage products that were characterized using mass spectrometry. Metabolism at the C terminus was not observed for either peptides. The DPP-IV and NEP inhibitors diprotin A and phosphoramidon, respectively, did not induce resistance in the two peptides toward proteolytic cleavage. Overall, our in vitro findings raise the intriguing possibility that the insulinomimetic effects of GLP-1(9-36)amide and GLP-1(28-36)amide on gluconeogenesis and oxidative stress might be due, at least in part, to the actions of additional downstream metabolites, which are obtained from the enzymatic cleavage of the peptide backbone in the parent compounds.
Topographic analysis of the capitellum and distal femoral condyle: finding the best match for treating osteochondral defects of the humeral capitellum.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the donor zone of most congruent topographic match by comparing 4 donorsitesfromthefemurwith4 potential recipientsitesofosteochondritisdissecansatthecapitellum.Methods: Computed tomography was performed on 5 right elbows and 6 right medial and 6 right lateral distal femoral hemicondyles, which included the femoral notch. Three-dimensional computed tomography models were created and exported into point-cloud models. A local coordinate map of the distal humerus and distal femoral articular surfaces was created. The capitellum was compared withthemedial and lateraldistalfemoralcondyles, with2 donorzonesin eachcondyle(medial trochleaand medial intercondylar notch or lateral trochlea and lateral intercondylar notch). In each capitellum 4 combinations of 10-mm defects were simulated (central and lateral, 30 � and 45 � anterior to shaft of humerus), resulting in 480 capitellum-femur comparative combinations being tested. The capitellum surfaces were virtually placed on a point on the femoral articular surface in 3-dimensional space. The least distances (i.e., the shortest distance from the point in question to the corresponding point in space) between the point clouds on the distal humerus and distal femoral articular surfaces were calculated. Results: There was a less than 0.1-mm difference in the topographic articular surface match among the 4 commonly used donor sites of the distalfemurand4recipientsitesofthecapitellum.However,thebestmatchforanygiven10-mmcapitellardefect(central30 � , central 45 � , lateral 30 � , and lateral 45 � ) was the same such that the lateral trochlea on the femur always yielded the best fit compared with the 3 other graft locations (P < .005). Conclusions: Our results indicate that there is a less than 0.1-mm difference in the topographic articular surface match among the 4 commonly used donor sites of the distal femur and the capitellum. The findings suggest that all 4 donor sitesprovideclosearticularmatchingforthe capitellumarticularsurface,with thelateraltrochleaarticularsurfaceprovidingthebestmatch.ClinicalRelevance: Thesedatasuggestthatasingledonorplug may be obtained from multiple sites in the knee and placed into capitellar lesions with an excellent topographic articular surfacematch.The findingsofourstudywill beusefultosurgeonswhenmanagingcapitellarosteochondritisdissecanslesions.
Low-level PGAS computing on many-core processors with TSHMEM

Diminishing returns from increased clock frequencies and instruction-level parallelism have forced computer architects to adopt architectures that exploit wider parallelism through multiple processor cores. While emerging many-core architectures have progressed at a remarkable rate, concerns arise regarding the performance and productivity of numerous parallel-programming tools for application development. Development of parallel applications on many-core processors often requires developers to familiarize themselves with unique characteristics of a target platform while attempting to maximize performance and maintain correctness of their applications. The family of partitioned global address space PGAS programming models comprises the current state of the art in balancing performance and programmability. One such PGAS approach is SHMEM, a lightweight, shared-memory programming library that has demonstrated high performance and productivity potential for parallel-computing systems with distributed-memory architectures. In the paper, we present research, design, and analysis of a new SHMEM infrastructure specifically crafted for low-level PGAS on modern and emerging many-core processors featuring dozens of cores and more. Our approach with a new library known as TSHMEM is investigated and evaluated atop two generations of Tilera architectures, which are among the most sophisticated and scalable many-core processors to date, and is intended to enable similar libraries atop other architectures now emerging. In developing TSHMEM, we explore design decisions and their impact on parallel performance for the Tilera TILE-Gx and TILEPro many-core architectures, and then evaluate the designs and algorithms within TSHMEM through microbenchmarking and applications studies with other communication libraries. Our results with barrier primitives provided by the Tilera libraries show dissimilar performance between the TILE-Gx and TILEPro; therefore, TSHMEM's barrier design takes an alternative approach and leverages the on-chip mesh network to provide consistent low-latency performance. In addition, our experiments with TSHMEM show that naive collective algorithms consistently outperformed linear distributed collective algorithms when executed in an SMP-centric environment. In leveraging these insights for the design of TSHMEM, our approach outperforms the OpenSHMEM reference implementation, achieves similar to positive performance over OpenMP and OSHMPI atop MPICH, and supports similar libraries in delivering high-performance parallel computing to emerging many-core systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Admission control for hard real-time connections in ATM LANs

A CAC algorithm must efficiently determine if a new connection can be admitted by verifying that its QoS requirements can be met without violating those of previously admitted connections. In hard real-time systems, the QoS requirements are specified in terms of end-to-end cell deadlines and no cell loss due to buffer overflow. A CAC algorithm must account for interdependencies among connections caused by statistical multiplexing of cells in ATM networks. Arbitrarity of network topology may lead to cyclic dependencies among various connections. We present an efficient CAC algorithm that addresses the above issues. The algorithm uses a traffic descriptor called the maximum traffic rate function to effectively compute bounds on end-to-end delays of connections and buffer requirements within the network. Our work differs from most previous work in that it does not require traffic restoration inside the network.
Rapid and Reversible Nuclear Accumulation of Cytoplasmic tRNA in Response to Nutrient Availability

Cytoplasmic tRNAs have recently been found to accumulate in the nucleus during amino acid starvation in yeast. The mechanism and regulation by which tRNAs return to the nucleus are unclear. Here, we show accumulation of cytoplasmic tRNA in the nucleus also occurs during glucose starvation. Nuclear accumulation of tRNA in response to acute glucose or amino acid starvation is rapid, reversible, requires no new transcription, and is independent of the aminoacylation status of tRNA. Gradual depletion of nutrients also results in the accrual of tRNA in the nucleus. Distinct signal transduction pathways seem to be involved in the accumulation of cytoplasmic tRNA in the nucleus in response to amino acid versus glucose starvation. These findings suggest tRNA nucleocytoplasmic distribution may play a role in gene expression in response to nutritional stress.
Connection management for wavelength-routed WDM networks

In wavelength-routed WDM networks, a control mechanism is required to set up and take down all-optical connections. Upon the arrival of a connection request, this mechanism must be able to select a route, assign a wavelength to the connection, and configure the appropriate optical switches in the network. The mechanism must also be able to provide updates to reflect which wavelengths are currently being used on each link so that the nodes may make informed routing decisions. We investigate and compare different distributed control mechanisms for establishing all-optical connections in a wavelength-routed WDM network.
A Mutant S3 RNase of Petunia inflata Lacking RNase Activity Has an Allele-Specific Dominant Negative Effect on Self-Incompatibility Interactions.

Gametophytic self-incompatibility in the Solanaceae is controlled by a multiallelic locus called the S locus. Growth of pollen tubes in the pistil is inhibited when the pollen has one of the two S alleles carried by the pistil. The products of a number of pistil S alleles[mdash]S proteins or S RNases[mdash]have been identified, and their role in controlling the pistil9s ability to reject self-pollen has been positively established. In contrast, the existence of pollen S allele products has so far been inferred entirely from genetic evidence. Here, we introduced a modified S3 gene of Petunia inflata encoding an S3 RNase lacking RNase activity into P. inflata plants of the S2S3 genotype to determine whether the production of the mutant protein, designated S3(H93R), would have any effect on the ability of the transgenic plants to reject S2 and S3 pollen. Analysis of the self-incompatibility behavior of 49 primary transgenic plants and the progeny of three plants (H30, H37, and H40) that produced S3(H93R) in addition to producing wild-type levels of endogenous S2 and S3 RNases revealed that S3(H93R) had a dominant negative effect on the function of the S3 RNase in rejecting self-pollen; however, it had no effect on the function of the S2 RNase. One likely explanation of the results is that S3(H93R) competes with the S3 RNase for binding to a common molecule, which is presumably the product of the pollen S3 allele.
Significance of Changes in R Wave Amplitude During Treadmill Stress Testing: Angiographic Correlation

Coronary angiograms and treadmill stress tests were reviewed in 89 patients. Changes in R wave amplitude were measured in the control and immediate postexercise periods. Of 45 patients with normal coronary arteries, 41 (91 percent) had a decrease in R wave amplitude (P less than 0.01); 3 (7 percent) had an increase in amplitude, including 2 with abnormal left ventriculograms. The remaining patient (2 percent) had abnormal wall motion but no change in R wave amplitude. Among the 44 patients with significant coronary artery disease (70 percent or greater luminal narrowing in one or more vessels), R wave amplitude increased after exercise in 26 (59 percent) with more severe coronary artery disease. R wave amplitude decreased in 18 patients (41 percent) with normal or minimally abnormal resting ventriculograms and less severe coronary artery disease (P less than 0.01). Changes in R wave amplitude reflect ventricular function, an increase in R wave amplitude reflecting more severe dysfunction and severe coronary narrowing. A decreased R wave amplitude indicates normal or minimal dysfunction and is strongly associated with normal coronary angiograms.
Refeeding syndrome in cancer patients.

Summary Background: Refeeding syndrome (RFS) is a common, yet underappreciated, constellation of electrolyte derangements that typically occurs in acutely ill, malnourished hospitalised patients who are administered glucose solutions or other forms of intravenous or enteral nutrition. Discussion: The hallmark of RFS is hypophosphataemia, but hypokalaemia and hypomagnesaemia are also common. Patients with various types of malignancies are at-risk for RFS, but very little exists in the oncologic literature about this disorder. Conclusions: As RFS can have many adverse metabolic, cardiovascular, haematologic and neurologic complications, practicing oncologist needs to be aware of the pathophysiology, risk factors and clinical manifestations to promptly recognise this important, and potentially fatal, metabolic disorder.
Reply to Kennedy, et al.

TO THE EDITOR—We thank Kennedy et al [1] for their thoughtful response to our article on a harm reduction approach to breastfeeding among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women in the United States [2]. This is just the type of dialogue we hoped to inspire with our proposed framework. We agree that formula feeding is often a foregone conclusion in high-resource settings; we have concerns that, if not discussed, women may intermittently breastfeed, which—as pointed out—is a higher-risk scenario for lactational HIV transmission. Kennedy et al caution on the risks of opening the door to breastfeeding advocates; perhaps this framework is the opportunity to begin a dialogue with breastfeeding advocates and lactation consultants to understand how we can best support women living with HIV in remaining engaged in care and managing the stigmas associated with HIV and/or not breastfeeding. The data simply do not support a platform to advocate for women living with HIV in resource-rich settings to breastfeed. Understanding the details of each woman’s history of adherence to antiretrovirals, her motivation to breastfeed, and her understanding of the risks to her child illuminates what strategies may be useful to support her in keeping her baby free of HIV. We agree that the desires of the mother may be in conflict with rights of the child. Like other challenging scenarios faced by obstetric providers, balancing the rights of the mother and infant requires a collaborative team effort. For this reason, we value a multidisciplinary, team approach to supporting a woman to remain engaged in care and counseling her about what is known and not known about lactational HIV transmission. In this regard, co-managing this topic with a pediatrician or pediatric infectious disease specialist prior to delivery is advised. Pediatric infectious disease specialists are, appropriately, very cautious in discussing this topic and, in our experience, the vast majority of women ultimately choose replacement feeding following this risk reduction counseling model. Although there may be drawbacks to generalizing data from resource-limited settings to North America, we expect that the risks in our setting are lower than in areas of limited resources. In the few cases where a woman has opted to breastfeed and remained in care, we continue women on antiretrovirals while breastfeeding (World Health Organization [WHO] Option B), and the pediatricians have simultaneously maintained breastfeeding infants on antiretrovirals until fully weaned (WHO Option A). The community event described by Kennedy et al is to be commended and is inspiring. We look forward to their forthcoming systematic review on this subject and to continuing this conversation.
The effects of changes in utilization and technological advancements of cross-sectional imaging on radiologist workload.

Rationale and Objectives To examine the effect of changes in utilization and advances in cross-sectional imaging on radiologists' workload. Materials and Methods All computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations performed at a single institution between 1999 and 2010 were identified and associated with the total number of images for each examination. Annual trends in institutional numbers of interpreted examinations and images were translated to changes in daily workload for the individual radiologist by normalizing to the number of dedicated daily CT and MRI work assignments, assuming a 255-day/8-hour work day schedule. Temporal changes in institutional and individual workload were assessed by Sen's slope analysis (Q = median slope) and Mann–Kendall test (Z = Z statistic). Results From 1999 to 2010, a total of 1,517,149 cross-sectional imaging studies (CT = 994,471; MRI = 522,678) comprising 539,210,581 images (CT = 339,830,947; MRI = 199,379,634) were evaluated at our institution. Total annual cross-sectional studies steadily increased from 84,409 in 1999 to 147,336 in 2010, representing a twofold increase in workload (Q = 6465/year, Z = 4.2, P Conclusions Imaging volumes have grown at a disproportionate rate to imaging utilization increases at our institution. The average radiologist interpreting CT or MRI examinations must now interpret one image every 3–4 seconds in an 8-hour workday to meet workload demands.
Biosorption of Metal Ions from Aqueous Solutions

Abstract Copper biosorption from aqueous solutions by calcium alginate is reported in this paper. The experimental section includes potentiometric titrations of biosorbents, batch equilibrium and kinetic studies of copper biosorption, as well as fixed-bed biosorption experiments. The potentiometric titration results show that the surface charge increases with decreasing pH. The biosorption of copper strongly depends on solution pH; the metal ion binding increases from 0 to 90 percent in pH ranging from 1.5 to 5.0. In addition, a decrease in ionic strength results in an increase of copper ion removal. Kinetic studies indicate that mass transfer plays an important role in the biosorption rate. Furthermore, a fixed-bed biosorption experiment shows that calcium alginate has a significant capacity for copper ion removal. The two-pK Basic Stern model successfully represents the surface charge and equilibrium biosorption experimental data. The calculation results demonstrate that the copper removal may result fr...
Axenic growth of Giardia lamblia in Diamond's TPS-1 medium

Abstract A strain of Giardia lamblia was gradually adapted to grow in Diamond's TPS-1 medium. The parasites grew luxuriantly and formed a monolayer on the surface of the culture vessels. When G. lamblia was inoculated into fresh medium, the population of the parasites grew from 22,000 cells/ml to peak numbers of 2·1 × 106/ml in six days with a generation time of 12·2 hours at 37 °C. After a few days of incubation a sediment could be seen at the bottom of the tubes which contained a multitude of free-swimming Giardia as well as clumps of them The sediment sometimes also contained many rings of Giardia. The rings were usually associated with dead Giardia cells containing a large bubble. Two, three and sometimes as many as six Giardia were seen surrounding the bubble. The bubble probably provides additional surface area to which the Giardia may attach.
Ponatinib A New Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor for the Treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and Philadelphia Chromosome–Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Objective: To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical trials, adverse effects, and formulary considerations of ponatinib, a pan-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). Data Sources: A literature search of articles published between January 1966 and June 2013 was performed using PubMed with the following search terms: ponatinib, AP24534, and Iclusig. ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc, was contacted for unpublished information. Other sources included American Society of Hematology abstracts, the Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Web site, and clinicaltrials.gov. Study Selection/Data Extraction: Included articles and abstracts were published in English and contain information about ponatinib, particularly in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or Philadelphia chromosome–positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Data Synthesis: Following the phase II PACE trial, ponatinib was approved for the treatment of patients with chronic-phase (CP), accelerated-phase...