cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Females prefer noninfected males as mates in the grain beetle Tenebrio molitor: evidence in pre- and postcopulatory behaviours

We examined the effects of infection by the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta on mate choice in a wild strain of grain beetle, Tenebrio molitor. Female beetles mate multiply, so both precopulatory and postcopulatory behaviours are important to sexual selection in this species. When virgin females were allowed to choose between tethered males, one infected and one noninfected, they spent more time near and copulated more often with noninfected males than with infected males. During the 90-min trials, the majority (65%) of control females, presented with two noninfected males, copulated with both males at least once. However, females presented with one infected and one noninfected male were much less likely (30%) to be polyandrous. Among monogamous females, 81% mated exclusively with the noninfected male. Within the group of polyandrous females, contact with the second male was made earlier for those that copulated first with the infected male. Mass of males also influenced female remating behaviour. Females that first mated with larger males copulated fewer times than females that mated with smaller males. Infected males were not less sexually responsive than noninfected males, so these results are consistent with female mate choice. Overall, these results demonstrate that female beetles prefer noninfected males in both precopulatory and postcopulatory choice.
Structure and thermal behavior studies of ZrO2 treated by different concentrations of sulfuric acid

Abstract The acid strength of ZrO2 was enhanced after it was treated with H2SO4 or other SOx sources. This research investigated how this H2SO4 treatment affects the ZrO2 material from the structural point of view. A series of ZrO2 samples. which were prepared through the solution method with different sulfuric acid concentrations, were studied by X-ray diffraction and thermal analyses to reveal the correlation between the physical properties of the samples and the concentration of the acid. XRD results indicated that the yield of ZrO2 with tetragonal form declined with the concentration of the acid and vanished as its concentration became higher than 1N. Also, the crystallinity of the samples became poor with the increase of the concentration of the acid. The thermal analysis showed that the amounts of acid (or SO2) absorbed by the samples were proportional to the concentration of sulfuric acid.
The isolation and structure of titanium bromide compounds containing 2,6-diphenylphenoxide ligation; terminal and bridging ligand effects on Ti–Ti interactions

The titanium aryloxy bromides [Ti(OC6H3Ph2-2,6)2Br2] 1 and [(2,6-Ph2C6H3O)2Ti(μ-Br)2Ti(OC6H3Ph2-2,6)2] 2 have been isolated and structurally characterized. Compound 1 adopts a pseudo-tetrahedral environment about titanium while 2 contains an edge-shared bis(tetrahedral) coordination geometry. The Ti–Ti distance is 3.0308(8) A in 2. A comparison of these compounds with their chloride counterparts as well as cyclopentadiene analogues has been made. The Ti–Ti distance in the compounds [Cp′2Ti(μ-X)2TiCp′2] (Cp′ = methylcyclopentadienyl) increases as the bridging ligand X is changed from Cl to Br. In contrast this parameter is almost identical in the aryloxide compounds [(ArO)2Ti(μ-X)2Ti(OAr)2] (ArO = 2,6-diphenylphenoxide), due to the presence of a titanium–titanium bonding interaction.
On the relation of interactive computing to computer science

Recognition of computer science as a research and educational field in its own right began only a decade ago. The computer science mainstream has been focused upon the understanding and creation of discourse between humans and, more specifically, between humans and their informational resources, both human and machine. This is in contrast with the common and predominate institutional view that the computer is an arithmetic engine. The present and potential informational resources valuable to a human require little concern for arithmetic. The human value of informational resources results through aiding the human's ability to externalize models of issues, things, or events, i.e., the key to understanding and then communicating, Interactive computing issues will continue to be the driving force of computer science resulting in eventual common awareness that the computer is a populist communications medium.
Progression of heart failure: is protein kinase a hyperphosphorylation of the ryanodine receptor a contributing factor?

The cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2)/Ca2+ release channel on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is regulated by evolutionarily highly conserved signaling pathways that control excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in the heart. Phosphorylation of RyR2 by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) plays a key role in regulating the channel in response to stress via activation of the sympathetic nervous system (the “fight-or-flight response”).1 Maladaptive PKA hyperphosphorylation of RyR2 in failing hearts alters channel function, which may cause depletion of SR Ca2+ and diastolic release of SR Ca2+. This can initiate delayed afterdepolarizations that trigger ventricular arrhythmias.1 Mutations in RyR2 recently have been identified in patients with catecholaminergic induced sudden cardiac death (SCD).2–4⇓⇓ There may be a direct link between the PKA hyperphosphorylation of RyR2 that occurs during the progression of heart failure and fatal cardiac arrhythmias. Regulation of cardiac EC coupling by the release of Ca2+ from the SR via RyR2 in cardiomyocytes, known as Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR), has been appreciated for more than a decade.5,6⇓ Furthermore, it is well known that the amplitude of the Ca2+ transient generated by SR Ca2+ release determines contractile force in cardiomyocytes. The systems that regulate SR Ca2+ release include: (1) the triggers (predominantly Ca2+ influx through the voltage-gated Ca2+ channel on the plasma membrane); (2) the SR Ca2+ release channel or type 2 RyR2; and (3) the SR Ca2+ reuptake pump (SERCA2a) and its regulator phospholamban. These systems (trigger, release, and reuptake) are modulated by signaling pathways, including the β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) signaling pathway (ie, phosphorylation by PKA). Activation of the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress results in elevation of cAMP levels and activation of PKA. Phosphorylation of RyR2 may not correlate directly …
Student Response to a Technology-Rich Cooperative Learning Environment

Student perceptions of how classroom environment impacts learning before and after a major renovation are explored. The research question is "How do students perceive the physical and technological factors of their classroom environment in terms of impact on learning?" A survey in four general categories and five specific technology categories was administered in nine courses before and eight courses after the upgrade. Results demonstrate statistically significant improvements from 0.7 to 1.3 out of 5 points in perceived impact on learning for general aspects of the environment, with group work experiencing the greatest movement. Before renovation, 22% of students felt negatively impacted and another 25% felt no impact on learning from the facility. After renovation, 98% of students felt positive impacts on learning. For specific technologies, all categories were perceived as potentially beneficial before renovation, and LCD projectors, Smart Boards, and octagonal tables made greater impacts than expected. These results demonstrate the value of creating educational environments aligned with best practices and ABET a-k criteria.
Femoroacetabular Impingement: Screening and Definitive Imaging

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a recently described entity that occurs when there is impaction of the femoralheadorneckonthelabrumandacetabularrimofthe pelvis secondary to either acquired or developmental abnormality of the femoral head and or acetabulum. 1,2 This abnormal osseous morphology leads to chronic impaction at the extremes of range of motion and subsequent damage of the labrum and articular cartilage. It is critical for the radiologist to have a thorough understanding of this entity because FAI is currently believed to be an important contributor to the early development of osteoarthritis in young patients. However, the natural history of this disorder has not been established, and there is some controversy about the significance of radiologic manifestations of FAI because they can be seen in asymptomatic individuals. The role of the radiologist in the assessment of FAI is 2-fold, screening and definitive evaluation. Screening is usually performed through plain radiography but the findings of FAI may also be recognized on wide field-of-view (FOV) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (MRI) of the pelvis that is frequently performed for the general evaluation of hip pain. The interpreting radiologist must be sensitive to often subtle findings that may indicate that FAI is responsible or contributing to pain in young patients. Definitive evaluation is usually performed with dedicated imaging of the symptomatic hip by MRI arthrography although noncontrast imaging and, to a lesser extent, computed tomography (CT) have roles in the assessment of suspected FAI.
Licensing Strategies in the Presence of Patent Thickets

Many key industries (e.g., biomedical, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and information technologies) are characterized by cumulative innovations, where the introduction of a new product or service often requires many complementary technologies. When these technologies are protected by intellectual property rights owned by many firms, patent thickets exist, which researchers have argued may hinder the development of cumulative innovations. Specifically, patent thickets may lead to excessive royalty burdens for potential licensees, which is called “royalty stacking,” and if such costs are passed on to consumers, prices of products based on cumulative technologies will be driven up, dubbed as “double marginalization.” The literature, however, does not address these issues under different forms of licensing contracts. This article develops a game-theoretic model where a downstream firm seeks to license N patents that read on its product from upstream firms. It discusses a variety of licensing forms widely used in practice and attempts to discover whether royalty stacking and double marginalization occur under these forms of licenses. It also studies the impact of bargaining power between parties. It is found that when patent ownership becomes more fragmented, neither royalty stacking nor double marginalization occurs under profit-based royalty, fixed fee, and hybrid licenses. Such problems occur only under pure quantity-based or pure revenue-based royalty licenses when the downstream firm's bargaining power is low. It is also shown that no matter how fragmented the ownership structure of patent is, hybrid licenses consisting of a fixed fee and a quantity- or revenue-based royalty rate lead to the same market outcomes as a fully integrated firm that owns all the patents and the downstream market. This article has interesting implications for both research and practice. First, the results show that even under the same patent ownership structure, different forms of licenses lead to quite different market outcomes. Therefore, it is suggested that firms and policy makers pay more attention to contractual forms of licenses when trying to minimize the negative impact of patent thickets. Second, the extant literature has largely assumed that quantity-based royalties are used, where double marginalization is the most severe. In practice, revenue-based royalties are most common, under which double marginalization is much milder. Third, the results show that patent pools can be most effective in mitigating royalty stacking and double marginalization when quantity-based or revenue-based royalties are the sole or primary payment form, especially when downstream firms have low bargaining power.
Controlled active exploration of uncalibrated environments

Flexible operation of a robotic agent in an uncalibrated environment requires the ability to recover unknown or partially known parameters of the workspace through sensing. Of the sensors available to a robotic agent, visual sensors provide information that is richer and more complete than other sensors. In this paper we present robust techniques for the derivation of depth from feature points on a target's surface and for the accurate and high-speed tracking of moving targets. We use these techniques in a system that operates with little or no a priori knowledge of the object- and camera-related parameters to robustly determine such object-related parameters as velocity and depth. Such determination of extrinsic environmental parameters is essential for performing higher level tasks such as inspection, exploration, tracking, grasping, and collision-free motion planning. For both applications, we use the Minnesota Robotic Visual Tracker (a single visual sensor mounted on the end-effector of a robotic manipulator combined with a real-time vision system) to automatically select feature points on surfaces, to derive an estimate of the environmental parameter in question, and to supply a control vector based upon these estimates to guide the manipulator. >
Synthesis of (17R)- and (17S)-17-hydroxy-14, 15-secoandrost-4-en-15-yn-3-one and the X-ray crystal structure of the (17S)-diastereomer.

Abstract (17R,S)-17-Hydroxy-14,15-secoandrost-4-en-15-yn-3-one has been shown previously to be a mechanism-based inactivator of rat liver 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. This manuscript describes the synthesis of this diastereomeric 14,15-secosteroid from [2S-(2α,4aα,4bβ,10aβ)]-1,2,3,4a,4b,7,9,10,10a-decahydro-2,4b-dimethyl-7-oxo-2-phenanthrenecarboxylic acid methyl ester. The separation of this diastereomeric 14,15-secosteroid into (17R)- and (17S)-17-hydroxy-14,15-secoandrost-4-en-15-yn-3-one was accomplished by HPLC separation of the (S)-1-[(4-methylphenyl)sulphonyl]-2-pyrrolidinecarboxylate derivatives on a silica column. The crystal structure of (17S)-17-hydroxy-14,15-secoandrost-4-en-15-yn-3-one was then solved by X-ray diffraction analysis to establish unambiguously the absolute configuration of the diastereomeric 14,15-secosteroid.
On the Optimality of the Golden Code

In this note, we prove the optimality of the Golden Code inside the class of cyclic algebras based codes. In doing so, we get better insight on these algebraic codes, not only in dimension 2, but more generally for higher dimension, and summarizing the different approaches tried so far to optimize them, we derive design strategies that we believe are the key to either show the optimality of existing codes or give a way to improve them.
A review of electrical and thermal multistress aging models

A review of the methods and models used in lifetime studies of solid insulators under single- and multiple-stress conditions is presented. The statistical methods used with this type of data are briefly described. These statistical methods include the two-parameter Weibull distribution and log-normal distribution, which are the two distributions most frequently used in aging studies. The most attention is given to lifetime models under multiple stresses which have recently generated considerable interest. In particular, several models under combined electrical and thermal stresses are presented and their applicability is analyzed and discussed. These include the multistress models proposed by L. Simoni (1981) and T.S. Ramu (1985), both using the inverse power law for electrical aging, the exponential model by B. Fallou et al. (1979), and the probabilistic model by G.C. Montanari and M. Cacciari (1989). The trend in the development of these models is discussed. >
Isolation of DNA Aptamers Using Micro Free Flow Electrophoresis

A micro free flow electrophoresis (μFFE) device was used to select DNA aptamers for human immunoglobulin E (IgE). The continuous nature of μFFE allowed 1.8 × 1014 sequences to be introduced over a period of 30 min, a 300-fold improvement in library size over capillary electrophoresis based selections (CE-SELEX). Four rounds of selection were performed within four days. Aptamers with low nM dissociation constants for IgE were identified after a single round of μFFE selection.
Spoiled Group Identities and Backstage Work: A Theory of Stigma Management Rehearsals

How do persons with a stigmatized identity learn potential responses to discrimination and harassment? Drawing on three and a half years of ethnographic data, this paper demonstrates how members of...
Femoral Artery Pseudoaneurysms: Risk Factors, Prevalence, and Treatment Options

Femoral artery pseudoaneurysms (PSA or false aneurysm) develop in about 1% of patients undergoing procedures that require femoral artery cannulation. PSA prolong hospitalization, consuming health-care resources, and result in significant morbidity. We designed a study to review the prevalence, risk factors, and treatment of PSA. We performed a retrospective, case-controlled study of patients diagnosed with PSA at a large, urban, tertiary-care teaching hospital. We reviewed 48 patients with PSA for our study. The estimated prevalence of PSA was 0.28%, with identical rates found for procedures done in the interventional radiology department and in the cardiac catheterization suite. Logistic regression identified three independent risk factors for developing PSA: being female (odds ratio 2.62), having an intervention performed (odds ratio 3.22), and not having a closure device used (odds ratio 10.2). Patients with PSA had longer hospital length of stay than that of patients without PSA. We found no statistically significant difference in failure or complication rates for the four treatment options and that spontaneous resolution of PSA does not correlate with its size. Thrombin injection and observation are effective, low-complication treatment options.
Towards Designing Secure Online Games

The multiplayer gaming industry has become very successful in Asia. With the growth of online gaming, there has been an amazing growth in online gamingrelated crime, especially in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) [1]. In Taiwan, more than 37% of criminal cases relate to online gaming crime with most offenders in the age range of 15-20 years [5]. Most of these crimes can be attributed to the fact that these online games were not designed to be secure. This paper applies a design for security approach to MMORPGs and then examines what crimes could have been avoided if the games were designed to be secure from the beginning. The approach also uncovers some potential new threats and gives countermeasures for them.
Contributions to Neutropenia from PFAAP5 (N4BP2L2), a Novel Protein Mediating Transcriptional Repressor Cooperation between Gfi1 and Neutrophil Elastase

“Neutropenia” refers to deficient numbers of neutrophils, the most abundant type of white blood cell. Two main forms of inherited neutropenia are cyclic neutropenia, in which neutrophil counts oscillate with a 21-day frequency, and severe congenital neutropenia, in which static neutropenia may evolve at times into leukemia. Mutations of ELA2, encoding the protease neutrophil elastase, can cause both disorders. Among other genes, severe congenital neutropenia can also result from mutations affecting the transcriptional repressor Gfi1, one of whose genetic targets is ELA2, suggesting that the two act through similar mechanisms. In order to identify components of a common pathway regulating neutrophil production, we conducted yeast two-hybrid screens with Gfi1 and neutrophil elastase and detected a novel protein, PFAAP5 (also known as N4BP2L2), interacting with both. Expression of PFAAP5 allows neutrophil elastase to potentiate the repression of Gfi1 target genes, as determined by reporter assays, RNA interference, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and impairment of neutrophil differentiation in HSCs with PFAAP5 depletion, thus delineating a mechanism through which neutrophil elastase could regulate its own synthesis. Our findings are consistent with theoretical models of cyclic neutropenia proposing that its periodicity can be explained through disturbance of a feedback circuit in which mature neutrophils inhibit cell proliferation, thereby homeostatically regulating progenitor populations.
Support vector based battery state of charge estimator

Abstract This paper investigates the use of a support vector machine (SVM) to estimate the state-of-charge (SOC) of a large-scale lithium-ion-polymer (LiP) battery pack. The SOC of a battery cannot be measured directly and must be estimated from measurable battery parameters such as current and voltage. The coulomb counting SOC estimator has been used in many applications but it has many drawbacks [S. Piller, M. Perrin, Methods for state-of-charge determination and their application, J. Power Sources 96 (2001) 113–120]. The proposed SVM based solution not only removes the drawbacks of the coulomb counting SOC estimator but also produces accurate SOC estimates, using industry standard US06 [V.H. Johnson, A.A. Pesaran, T. Sack, Temperature-dependent battery models for high-power lithium-ion batteries, in: Presented at the 17th Annual Electric Vehicle Symposium Montreal, Canada, October 15–18, 2000. The paper is downloadable at website http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy01osti/28716.pdf ] aggressive driving cycle test procedures. The proposed SOC estimator extracts support vectors from a battery operation history then uses only these support vectors to estimate SOC, resulting in minimal computation load and suitable for real-time embedded system applications.
Wind Profiler Observations over the Central Equatorial Pacific: Optimizing Processing to Improve Quality and Height Coverage

Abstract UHF (boundary layer) and VHF (troposphere–stratosphere) wind profilers have operated at Christmas Island (2°N, 157°W) in the central equatorial Pacific from 1986 to 2002. Observed profiles of winds are sparse over the tropical oceans, but these are critical for understanding convective organization and the interaction of convection and waves. While the zonal winds below about 10 km have previously shown good agreement with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) reanalysis (RI), significant differences were found above a height of 10 km that were attributed to the low detectability of the wind signal in the profiler observations. Meridional winds at all levels show less agreement, with differences attributed to errors of representativeness and the sparseness of observations in the region. This paper builds on previous work using the Christmas Island wind profilers and presents the results of reprocessing the 17-yr profiler record with...
Structure Equations of Finsler Metrics

Sprays induced by Finsler metrics are much more special. In this case, we have not only the fundamental tensor, but also the Cartan torsion and the Landsberg curvature. In this chapter, we will study the relationship among these quantities.
Perceptions of Bias-Motivated Assault Against Bisexual Individuals

This study investigated the understanding of a criminal act (i.e., assault) as a hate crime as well as the perceptions of the victim and defendant in such scenarios based on perceived bisexual orientation of the victim for participants who either reported being an advocate for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community or not. In the presented scenario gender of the victim and defendant were held constant (male/male vs. female/female) and sexual orientation of the defendant was varied in each condition (gay or lesbian vs. heterosexual) as was the stated orientation of the victim (gay or lesbian vs. bisexual vs. heterosexual). Results indicated significant differences for belief that the crime was a hate crime, beliefs that the defendant's actions were not the results of the victim's sexual orientation, credibility of the victim, and victim and defendant blame.
Biodiversity on the Urban Landscape

This essay, which provides an overview of recent urban biodiversity research, highlights the field’s basic principles by drawing from specific results that have emerged from the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES). Because in urban ecosystems, the structure of plant and animal communities are jointly determined by both anthropogenic and natural processes, cities provide an opportune setting to examine general ecological questions concerning community disturbance, patch dynamics, and species invasion. The study of urban habitats also introduces new theoretical questions that are posed by the extreme heterogeneity of the landscape, and the division of land into multiple parcels, each under separate ownership and control. From an applied perspective, urban areas potentially serve as venues for educating the public on the value of biodiversity and for promoting certain species assemblages that are likely to provide ecosystem services and improve the quality of life of nearby human residents. Urban biodiversity researchers face a number of daunting methodological challenges, including (a) the task of integrating community dynamics from the local scale to the regional scale (the metacommunity approach) and (b) clearly isolating evolutionary changes in species that have become adapted to the urban environment.
The Effects of Inter-Agent Variation on Developing Stable and Robust Teams.

This paper provides a formal analysis of a multi-agent task allocationproblem and how variation in agent behavior in the form of responseprobabilities can be used to build redundancy in the multi-agent system (MAS).In problems where experience is beneficial redundancy provides an MASwith a back-up pool of actors if the primary actors are unavailable.We examine how to ensure a complete team of agents needed fora particular task will be formed, as well as two different ways ofdetermining how to ensure some level of redundancy.
Microstructural Characterization of Yttria-Doped Zirconia Coatings with Electron Microprobe Wavelength Dispersive Compositional Mapping

The use of digital electron microprobe x-ray compositional mapping with wavelength dispersive spectrometers to understand the microstructure of yttria stabilized zirconia thermal barrier coatings is described. Data from quantification of element x-ray maps can be utilized to infer what phase or phases are present. Analysis of a plasma-sprayed coating prepared from a fused and crushed feedstock is compared to an annealed specimen of the same material.
The Psychotherapy of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

EMDR( Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is one of the first therapy to treat PTSD patient. It integrate aspects of a variety of theoretical orientations and can provide rapid clinical results compare to other treatment.There is fruitful studies to analysis its validity,but it is still need more serious controlled study to assess EMDR.
The Use of Percutaneous Antegrade Renal Perfusion in Kidney Transplant Recipients

AbstractPercutaneous antegrade renal perfusion under ultrasound control may be performed safely in human renal transplant recipients with dilated pelviocaliceal systems. The study can be useful to define whether the presence of anatomic changes is accompanied by significant functional obstruction.
On the frontiers of Europe, not all musket balls were round; accuracy and penetration of various types of military small arms munitions from the mid seventeenth century to the early eighteenth century

While many armies began to adopt large calibre weapons in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, frontier conflicts in the outer reaches of Europe and in North America have provided evidence for the retention of smaller calibres, particularly evidenced through the archaeological recovery of ammunition. Present within these assemblages are various forms of non-standard ammunition — i.e. not round — including bullets with casting sprues still attached at the time of firing. This paper provides an assessment of the combat effectiveness of these various types of ammunition through a series of firing tests using replicated ammunition.
Left Ventricular Assist Device Inflow Angle and Pump Positional Change Over Time Adverse Impact on Left Ventricular Assist Device Function.

Background This study investigates the impact of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) inflow cannula angulation, pump positional change over time, and the incidence of thrombotic pump dysfunction in a large cohort of HeartMate II (HM2) patients. Methods Patients (n = 326) who received primary HM2 LVAD between January 2008 and December 2013 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who underwent pump exchange (PE) for pump dysfunction, patients who had pump dysfunction (PD) but did not require pump exchange, and patients with normal LVAD pump dysfunction (NL) were compared. Pump positional change and angle of the inflow cannula with respect to the angle between inflow cannula and the LVAD body (IL angle) were measured from routine chest radiograph at postoperation, before discharge, and follow-up. Pump positional change was assessed based on pump positional differences between discharge and follow-up. Patients were also grouped by IL acute angulation (less than 65 degrees) and pump positional change. Results There were 21, 15, and 290 patients in the PE group, PD group, and NL group, respectively. There were significant differences in IL angle between PE and NL at all timepoints: postoperation (PD 63.6 ± 12.5, NL 70.6 ± 12.3; p = 0.018), before discharge (PD 64.4 ± 12.8, NL 69.5 ± 10.5; p = 0.039), and follow-up (PD 62.6 ± 14.2, NL 67.9 ± 11.2; p = 0.002). However, the IL angle was insignificant between PE and PD groups and between PD and NL groups. Sixty-seven percent of the PE group had pump positional change as opposed to 36% of the NL group ( p = 0.019). Eighty-four of 101 patients with pump positional change and 75 of 91 patients with acute angulation at postoperation did not have pump dysfunction. Conclusions Pump positional change may contribute to LVAD dysfunction or failure, but it does not entirely account for observed pump dysfunction or failure.
Substrate Specificity of SAMHD1 Triphosphohydrolase Activity Is Controlled by Deoxyribonucleoside Triphosphates and Phosphorylation at Thr592

The sterile alpha motif (SAM) and histidine-aspartate (HD) domain containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) constitute a triphosphohydrolase that converts deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) into deoxyribonucleosides and triphosphates. SAMHD1 exists in multiple states. The monomer and apo- or GTP-bound dimer are catalytically inactive. Binding of dNTP at allosteric site 2 (AS2), adjacent to GTP-binding allosteric site 1 (AS1), induces formation of the tetramer, the catalytically active form. We have developed an enzyme kinetic assay, tailored to control specific dNTP binding at each site, allowing us to determine the kinetic binding parameters of individual dNTPs at both the AS2 and catalytic sites for all possible combinations of dNTP binding at both sites. Here, we show that the apparent Km values of dNTPs at AS2 vary in the order of dCTP < dGTP < dATP < dTTP. Interestingly, dCTP binding at AS2 significantly reduces the dCTP hydrolysis rate, which is restored to a rate comparable to that of other dNTPs upon d...
Prospective evaluation of a bivalirudin to warfarin transition nomogram

Bivalirudin may cause a falsely prolonged international normalized ratio (INR) that complicates the discontinuation of bivalirudin when used as a bridge to warfarin. To prospectively validate our novel bivalirudin to warfarin transition nomogram, adult patients who received bivalirudin as a bridge to warfarin between July 2015 and June 2016 were prospectively evaluated, utilizing our predictive nomogram. The major outcome of our analysis was the correlation between the predicted change in INR upon bivalirudin discontinuation based on the nomogram, and the actual change in INR upon bivalirudin discontinuation. The major outcome was analyzed using the Pearson’s correlation test. A Pearson’s correlation coefficient >0.6 was considered to be a strong correlation. Bivalirudin was used as a bridge to warfarin in 29 patients. The majority of patients (86%) included in the analysis had a ventricular assist device. The median initial bivalirudin rate was 0.07 mg/kg/h and the mean increase in INR when starting bivalirudin was 0.6. The mean final weight-based bivalirudin rate was 0.08 mg/kg/h and the mean change in INR after stopping bivalirudin was 0.7. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the predicted change in INR upon bivalirudin discontinuation and the actual change in INR upon bivalirudin discontinuation was 0.86 (p < 0.001). After bivalirudin discontinuation, 68% of patients had a therapeutic INR. The results of this prospective analysis successfully validated our novel bivalirudin to warfarin transition nomogram. There was a very strong correlation between the predicted change and actual change in INR upon bivalirudin discontinuation.
The Future of Disparagement: How Trademark Law Suppresses Freedom of Speech

Do you want your children to live in a world where everyone is placed in a category depending on their race, gender, or economic status? A recent case concerning the Asian-American rock band “The Slants” and their unsuccessful attempt to gain trademark protection where their application was denied because the examining attorney determined that the mark was disparaging to Asian-American society as a whole. The Latham Act, which codifies Trademark Law, holds a mark is disparaging when that society as a whole considers the mark to be offensive. However, in practice the examining attorney makes the decision, which should be viewed as unconstitutional as it may violate First and Fifth Amendment fundamental rights. Similarly, the Washington Redskin’s mark came under fire for its offensive nature, yet polls showed the majority of Native Americans did not find the mark offensive. The Sons of the Confederate Veterans sought to place a confederate flag on a Texas license plate; the court denied the mark due its offensive nature, but used a public poll to gather opinions of Texans. Some offensive marks have received protection, but if polls of the referenced group were taken, the marks likely would be considered disparaging. Thus, to allow the examining attorney to decide whether a mark is offensive to any referenced society, even if that individual is not a member of that society, seems unethical and would further separate us as human beings.
Glutamine Transporters Are Targets of Multiple Oncogenic Signaling Pathways in Prostate Cancer

Despite the known importance of androgen receptor (AR) signaling in prostate cancer, the processes downstream of AR that drive disease development and progression remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap has thus limited the ability to treat cancer. Here, it is demonstrated that androgens increase the metabolism of glutamine in prostate cancer cells. This metabolism was required for maximal cell growth under conditions of serum starvation. Mechanistically, AR signaling promoted glutamine metabolism by increasing the expression of the glutamine transporters SLC1A4 and SLC1A5, genes commonly overexpressed in prostate cancer. Correspondingly, gene expression signatures of AR activity correlated with SLC1A4 and SLC1A5 mRNA levels in clinical cohorts. Interestingly, MYC, a canonical oncogene in prostate cancer and previously described master regulator of glutamine metabolism, was only a context-dependent regulator of SLC1A4 and SLC1A5 levels, being unable to regulate either transporter in PTEN wild-type cells. In contrast, rapamycin was able to decrease the androgen-mediated expression of SLC1A4 and SLC1A5 independent of PTEN status, indicating that mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) was needed for maximal AR-mediated glutamine uptake and prostate cancer cell growth. Taken together, these data indicate that three well-established oncogenic drivers (AR, MYC, and mTOR) function by converging to collectively increase the expression of glutamine transporters, thereby promoting glutamine uptake and subsequent prostate cancer cell growth.Implications: AR, MYC, and mTOR converge to increase glutamine uptake and metabolism in prostate cancer through increasing the levels of glutamine transporters. Mol Cancer Res; 15(8); 1017-28. ©2017 AACR.
Simultaneous optical sectioning and super resolution in 2D-SIM using tunable structured illumination

Optical-sectioned images with super-resolution enhancement is achieved by combining the information in data obtained from a tunable structured illumination microscope. The system can easily switch between two fringe patterns required for optical sectioning and super-resolution.
Fast Content Delivery via Distributed Caching and Small Cell Cooperation

The demand for higher and higher wireless data rates is driven by the popularity of mobile video content delivery through wireless devices such as tablets and smartphones. To achieve unprecedented mobile content delivery speeds while reducing backhaul cost and delay, in this paper we propose a new system architecture that combines two recent ideas, distributed caching of content in small cells (FemtoCaching), and, cooperative transmissions from nearby base stations (Coordinated Multi-Point). A key characteristic of the proposed architecture is the interdependence between the caching strategy and the physical layer coordination. Specifically, the caching strategy may cache different content in nearby base stations (BSs) to maximize the cache hit ratio, or cache the same content in multiple nearby BSs such that the corresponding BSs can transmit concurrently, e.g., to multiple users using zero-forcing beamforming, and achieve multiplexing gains. Such interdependency allows a joint cross-layer optimization. Given the popularity distribution of the content, the available cache size, and the network topology, we devise near-optimal strategies of caching such that the system throughput is maximized or the system delay is minimized. Under realistic scenarios and assumptions, our analytical and simulation results show that our system yields significantly faster content delivery, which can be one order of magnitude faster than that of legacy systems.
Health sciences libraries in the United States: new directions

This article is the third in a series in this regular feature. The intention of the series is to look at important global developments in health science libraries. These articles will serve as a road map, describing the key changes in the field and exploring factors driving these changes. The present article by the current president of the Medical Library Association outlines two important developments in the United States. The topics chosen for consideration are national initiatives in the United States impacting health sciences libraries and librarians and enhanced roles for U.S. health sciences librarians in providing support for research. J.M.
Reasons for Student Engagement in Extra-Class Communication

This study extends instructional communication research on extra-class communication (ECC) by presenting an integrative analysis comparing the explanatory utility of student- and instructor-oriented reasons for student engagement in frequent ECC. Results from 495 college students suggested that student-oriented reasons, specifically the relational and functional student motives, were the only significant, positive predictors of students’ perceptions of frequent ECC engagement. Other student motives (excuse making, participation, sycophancy) and perceptions of instructor approachability did not significantly predict perceived frequency of ECC engagement.
Executive Intelligence: What All Great Leaders Have

(2007). Executive Intelligence: What All Great Leaders Have. Quality Management Journal: Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 58-59.
Out of balance in the Arctic.

As human activities lead to rising greenhouse gas concentrations in Earth's atmosphere, less incoming solar energy is released back into space, causing a net energy gain that increases global temperatures. The consequence of climate change for polar bears can likewise be understood in terms of an energy imbalance. Sea ice melting reduces the opportunities for polar bears to capture seals (see the photo), leaving them at risk of expending more energy in the pursuit of food than they can obtain. The magnitude of this imbalance is determined by their rate of energy use. On page 568 of this issue, Pagano et al. ( 1 ) quantify the energy expense of wild polar bears and show that it is higher than previously estimated.
Existence and construction of Galilean invariant z ≠2 theories

We prove a no-go theorem for the construction of a Galilean boost invariant and $z\ensuremath{\ne}2$ anisotropic scale invariant field theory with a finite dimensional basis of fields. Two point correlators in such theories, we show, grow unboundedly with spatial separation. Correlators of theories with an infinite dimensional basis of fields, for example, labeled by a continuous parameter, do not necessarily exhibit this bad behavior. Hence, such theories behave effectively as if in one extra dimension. Embedding the symmetry algebra into the conformal algebra of one higher dimension also reveals the existence of an internal continuous parameter. Consideration of isometries shows that the nonrelativistic holographic picture assumes a canonical form, where the bulk gravitational theory lives in a space-time with one extra dimension. This can be contrasted with the original proposal by Balasubramanian and McGreevy, and by Son, where the metric of a ($d+2$)-dimensional space-time is proposed to be dual of a $d$-dimensional field theory. We provide explicit examples of theories living at fixed point with anisotropic scaling exponent $z=\frac{2\ensuremath{\ell}}{\ensuremath{\ell}+1}$, $\ensuremath{\ell}\ensuremath{\in}\mathbb{Z}$.
To Honor and Obey: Trafficking in 'Mail-Order Brides'

The "mail-order bride" industry has become more popular and more visible with globalization and the ubiquity of the Internet. This article explores historical aspects of arranged marriage and forced prostitution in the U.S., and modern-day connections between international marriage brokers and traffickers in women and girls. U.S. immigration law and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act provide some protections for trafficked women, but for those who met spouses through a marriage broker, abuse - even including forced prostitution - is more likely to be seen as domestic violence than as a form of trafficking in women.
Image-guided osteoplastic frontal sinusotomy.

BACKGROUND: A 6-ft Caldwell radiograph template and transillumination, typically, are used to elucidate the frontal sinus outline for osteoplastic frontal sinusotomy (OFS). These techniques can be fraught with imprecision. The consequences of imprecise OFS may result in significant complications. Computer-aided surgery may offer a safe and accurate alternative to these techniques in selected cases. Several disadvantages were noted with early computer-aided assistance. Current infrared and electromagnetic systems have eliminated many of these disadvantages. We describe our technique and experience with an infrared image-guidance system (The LandmarX Evolution; Medtronic Xomed, Jacksonville, FL) to create a precise OFS that maximizes exposure while minimizing morbidity. METHODS: We describe the use of an infrared image guidance system, the LandmarX Evolution for OFS in three cases. RESULTS: The LandmarX Evolution allowed for accurate placement of the OFS in each of the three cases and successful treatment of two symptomatic frontal sinus osteomas and a recurrent inverted papilloma. No complications were encountered. CONCLUSION: Image-guided OFS results in a confident and accurate entry into the frontal sinus. Image-guided OFS creation should be considered for select cases (i.e., complete opacification and altered anatomy) where performing an OFS by standard techniques may increase the complication rate. More experience with the technique and increased accessibility to image-guided equipment must be made possible before establishing this technique as a standard.
Chapter 29 – Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease that can cause severe joint destruction and disability, with subsequent high morbidity and mortality. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are the cornerstones of RA treatment. They not only relieve joint pain, swelling, and stiffness but also slow the radiographic progression of disease. Over the last 10–15 years, a new class of disease-modifying medications, biologic agents, has been added to the armementarium of DMARDs, and they are highly effective. However, there remains considerable heterogeneity in patients’ response to these agents. Pharmacogenetics may offer a reliable means of predicting an individual patient’s response to a given DMARD prior to initiation of therapy. In this chapter, we review the current literature on the pharmacogenetics of traditional and biologic DMARDS in RA. Pharmacogenetics holds the promise of individualizing RA drug therapy.
Fibrin glue application through the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope: Closure of bronchopleural fistulas

Closure of bronchopleural fistulas can be accomplished by applying fibrin glue through a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope. The advantages of this method include the avoidance of general anesthesia and thoracotomy and the excellent extended access to the bronchial tree provided by the flexible bronchoscope.
Isolation of a 300 kDa, Au∼1400 Gold Compound, the Standard 3.6 nm Capstone to a Series of Plasmonic Nanocrystals Protected by Aliphatic-like Thiolates

Disclosed herein is a method to obtain the ∼300 kDa gold–hexanethiolate compound, extracted from the Faradaurate series of smaller (3) and larger (1) homologues, thereby permitting the first measurement of its distinctive properties by methods including mass spectrometry, optical spectroscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray scattering, and diffraction. The results suggest a monocrystalline metallic core (free of twinning planes) of ∼3.1 nm minimum dimension, which supports a clear plasmonic optical response, along with a diffuse exterior shell. An idealized model to account for this (and smaller) members of the series is proposed based on the completion of a convex core of regular truncated-octahedral (TO) morphology, that is, the TO (5,5) crystallite comprising 1289 sites. The diffuse layer may comprise the 240 S sites (thiolate sulfur headgroups) and 96 Au-adatom sites, giving a total composition (1385,240) and a molar mass of ∼301.0 kDa (90.7% Au). The ∼300 and ∼400 kDa gold compounds contain Au∼1400 and A...
Intratumor Heterogeneity: Biological and Clinical Implications

Abstract Tumors are composed of heterogeneous populations of cells that differ in size, morphology, genetic profile, gene expression, and growth rate. This intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) contributes to tumor progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. The clinical implications of such heterogeneity are profound, given that the identification of distinct subpopulations within a tumor may predict disease outcome or treatment response. Recent advances in molecular analysis technologies have identified tremendous ITH and clonal evolution. While these studies have enhanced our understanding of ITH, the utilization of this knowledge to guide decision-making in routine clinical practice seems distant. In this chapter, we discuss the different levels at which solid tumors display ITH including genetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, spatial, and phenotypic heterogeneity. We highlight the clinical implications of such heterogeneity, current limitations in the field and potential strategies to overcome ITH and improve therapies.