cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Financing dental care in the US: A contest of means not thought

The marketplace has determined the financing of dental services in the US for both philosophical and historical reasons. However, professional dental policy has been influenced by the financial solutions proposed by medicine and the advocates of socialized health care. Market-based dental financial policy has been more successful for middle to higher socioeconomic populations by controlling costs while maintaining a high standard of dental care, preserving choice of provider, and stimulating competition between dental care providers for individuals and dental benefit programs for insured individual. Yet, this financial approach has been less successful for middle to lower socioeconomic populations including the aging population. For these service populations, governmental financing of dental services has provided a “safety-net.” However, neither financial policy has been able to develop their own financial system for providing a high standard of dental services to all socioeconomic peoples who choose to access dental services. This result has given rise to a mixed bag of approach constituted on various different political, economic, and social agendas. Debate continues between public and private sectors regarding financing dental services. Thus, financially vulnerable consumers must be aware of private charitable and governmental programs from which to obtain dental services.
The Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands, politically divided between the UK and USA, are a widespread island grouping at the northernmost end of the Lesser Antilles. Spanning nearly 135 km2, the Virgin Islands consist of eight primary islands including (from north to south) Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke, Tortola, St. Thomas, St. John, Water Island, and St. Croix. In addition to these main islands, several other smaller surrounding islands and cays fall under the jurisdiction of the Virgin Islands. Despite, or perhaps due to, broader spatial distribution, the Virgin Islands host a myriad of unique landscapes and landforms including volcanoes, valleys, reefs, and geologic anomalies.
Collaborative Rewriting in Cuba’s Teatro Escambray

This chapter considers the role of rewriting in the broad theatrical sense through an examination of the different published versions of the play El paraiso recobrao by the Cuban theater group Teatro Escambray, a group that formed at the end of the 1960s as a response to the claim that theater was too distant from the people and made revision and collaboration a central tenet to their originating purpose.
Abstract TP143: Early Angiographic Neovascularization Response to EDAS Surgery in Adults with Intracranial Arterial Stenosis

Introduction: Significant neovascularization following indirect revascularization procedures, such as encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS), has traditionally been considered to develop slowly over time. However, a recent study of angiography following indirect revascularization procedures demonstrated early signs of revascularization as early as 4 days following surgery. While we have previously published demonstration of robust revascularization at 6 months and later following surgery, here we present a subset of patients, all with non-moyamoya intracranial arterial stenosis (IAS), with earlier angiographic evaluation following EDAS. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed charts of adult patients who have undergone EDAS for non-moyamoya IAS. These early angiograms were evaluated for signs of revascularization and graded according to the scale presented by Perren et al (1, no sign of neoangiogenesis; 2, one-to-four new transcortical vessels; 3, > four new transcortical vessels). Results: Ten patients (mean age 43 years, 8 females) were found with follow-up cerebral angiography within 6 months of surgery (1 each at 1, 2 & 3 mo, 2 at 1.5 mo, 3 at 5 mo, and 4 at 6 mo). All angiograms demonstrated neovascularity, regardless of underlying diagnosis, including scores of 3 (extensive neoangiogenesis) in 80% of cases as early as 1.5 months after surgery. Two patients had grade 2 at 1 & 2 months. Clinically, all patients’ ischemic symptomatology has resolved. Six patients have had no symptoms since surgery while 4 patients had transient episodes consistent with ischemia (TIA) that all resolved by 2 weeks post-operatively (3 at 1 week and 1 at 2 weeks). No patient suffered stroke following EDAS. Conclusion: This series adds to the growing evidence that indirect revascularization procedures can lead to significant neovascularity in a shorter time frame than previously expected in adult patients, including those with non-moyamoya IAS. Further study is required to better define the time course of neoangiogenesis and to evaluate angiogenic mechanisms that contribute to the success of this procedure.
What Happened to the Employed During the Great Recession? A U.S. Population Study of Net Change in Employee Insecurity, Health, and Organizational Commitment.

Abstract This study explored the effects of the Great Recession on U.S. workers who remain employed. The first goal was to assess net population change in job and employment insecurity, physical and mental health, and affective organizational commitment. The second goal was to explore job and employment insecurity as parallel mediators of the associations between the Great Recession and the health and affective organizational commitment outcomes. Data came from two national surveys of U.S. workers that occurred before the recession ( N = 2354) and during the recession ( N = 2322). The results show that the recession was associated with a net increase in both job and employment insecurity, though the increase in employment insecurity was 3.4 times larger than the increase in job insecurity. The recession was associated with a net decrease in physical and mental health and affective organizational commitment. Finally, job and employment insecurity partially mediated the association of the recession with physical health and fully mediated its association with mental health. Job insecurity, but not employment insecurity, partially mediated the association of the recession with affective organizational commitment. The results underscore the importance of research that furthers our understanding of how macroeconomic events affect those who remain employed, and that takes a broad view of employee insecurity regarding continuity of employment.
Attempted suicide and oxytocin-related gene polymorphisms.

Abstract Background Oxytocin may moderate prosocial behaviors, but has also been implicated in negative mental health outcomes. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), rs53576, and a SNP of the CD38 gene, which regulates oxytocin secretion, rs3796863, have been associated with depression and suicidal ideation. Methods We conducted an exploratory study investigating the relationship of these two SNPs to history of suicide attempt. Secondary analyses explored relationships of genotype with sex, diagnosis, history of abuse, depression, suicidal ideation, and attachment and personality traits. Subjects were depressed adults with DSM-IV major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 161) or bipolar disorder (BD; n = 75). Results The A allele of rs53576 was associated with suicide attempt history. A differential effect of rs3796863 genotype on suicide attempt risk was found by diagnosis. In the BD sample, CC and AC genotypes were associated with higher odds of suicide attempt compared to AA, while in the MDD sample, AC subjects were more likely than CC subjects to have made an attempt. Limitations Our assessment of social sensitivity was limited to measures of attachment style and abuse history and did not differentiate between types of abuse. Plasma oxytocin was not measured. Conclusions These findings add to evidence for the involvement of oxytocin in suicide attempts and identify a potential biomarker for differentiating depressed attempters from non-attempters.
The Role of Germinal Epithelium and Spermatogenesis in the Privileged Survival of Intratesticular Grafts

The testis is an immunologically privileged site. Since earlier studies excluded testicular steroid production as an essential factor, the present study evaluates the role of germ cells and spermatogenesis in the privileged survival of allografts within the testis. We used a Sertoli cell-only testis model and adolescent unilateral cryptorchidism in inbred rats to eliminate germ cells and spermatogenesis selectively. Parathyroid allografts were implanted into these sites, normal testes and beneath the renal capsule (a nonprivileged site) in appropriately matched controls. With at least 15 rats in each group, privileged allograft survival was shown to be unaffected by eliminating germ cells and spermatogenesis (p less than .005). Experimental evidence suggests the presence of an active process which incidentally permits privileged allograft survival within the testis, but which exists teleologically to protect the developing sperm from autoimmune attack. This is in addition to the passive anatomical separation provided by the blood-testis barrier. Our cumulative data strongly implicates the Sertoli cell in this process.
Factor IXHollywood: substitution of Pro55 by Ala in the first epidermal growth factor-like domain

Factor IX is a multidomain protein essential for hemostasis. We describe a mutation in a patient affecting the first epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain of the protein. All exons and the promoter region of the gene were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction method, and sequenced. Only a single mutation (C----G), that predicts the substitution of Pro55 by Ala in the first EGF domain was found in the patient's gene. This mutation leads to new restriction sites for four enzymes. One new site (Nsi) was tested in the amplified exon IV fragment and was shown to provide a rapid and reliable marker for carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis in the affected family. The factor IX protein, termed factor IXHollywood (IXHW), was isolated to homogeneity from the patient's plasma. As compared with normal factor IX (IXN), IXHW contained the same amount of gamma-carboxy glutamic acid but twice the amount of beta-OH aspartic acid. Both IXHW and IXN contained no detectable free -SH groups. Further, IXHW could be readily cleaved to yield a factor IXa-like molecule by factor Xla/Ca2+. However, IXaHW (compared with IXaN) activated factor X approximately twofold slower in the presence of Ca2+ and phospholipid (PL), and 8- to 12-fold slower in the presence of Ca2+, PL, and factor VIIIa. Additionally, IXaHW had only approximately 10% of the activity of IXaN in an aPTT assay. In agreement with the nuclear magnetic resonance-derived structure of EGF, the Chou-Fasman algorithm strongly predicted a beta turn involving residues Asn-Pro55-Cys-Leu in IXN. Replacement of Pro55 by Ala gave a fourfold decrease in the beta turn probability for this peptide, suggesting a change(s) in the secondary structure in the EGF domain of IXHW. Since this domain of IXN is thought to have one high-affinity Ca2+ binding site and may be involved in PL and/or factor VIIIa binding, the localized secondary structural changes in IXHW could lead to distortion of the binding site(s) for the cofactor(s) and, thus, a dysfunctional molecule.
Reoperative Surgery for Prostate Cancer

The best treatment for prostate cancer is an individualized choice specific to each patient. The decision to undergo prostate cancer surgery is based on several factors including the patient’s preoperative health status, ability to gain oncologic control, and the patient’s previous surgical history. When considering a patient for radical prostatectomy (RP), previous prostate surgery must be considered. Reoperative surgery for prostate cancer can be associated with technical challenges that may impact the long-term functional and oncologic outcomes. Previous prostate procedures can vary from treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) to primary local therapy for prostate cancer. Thus, one must be aware of the added challenges and risks that such surgical history portends and relate this information to the patient prior to radical prostatectomy. In this chapter, we seek to outline how previous prostate surgery impacts the technical aspects and outcomes of both primary and salvage radical prostatectomy in patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate.
Surface Control of Cell Polarity, the Plane of Cell Division, and Cell Fate in Fucus Embryos

When spherical zygotes of the brown alga Fucus are subjected to a gradient of light during the first several hours after fertilization, a bud or rhizoid is formed on the shaded side of the zygote at 14 hours. This polar growth is followed by an asymmetric cell division at 24 hours, with the cell plate always oriented perpendicular to the light axis. The resulting embryo is comprised of two unequal cells; the smaller, more elongated rhizoid cell emerges from the shaded region of the embryo, while the larger, more rounded thallus cell is on the lighted side. These cells differ not only in shape but in organellar content and molecular composition, both in the cytoplasm and cell wall. It is clear that within the first 24 hours after fertilization, external gradients imposed on the zygote can establish a polarity which results in the differentiation of the first two cells of the embryo and sets the developmental axis for the whole organism (Fowler 0026 Quatrano 1995; Quatrano & Shaw 1997).
Development of Reinforcement Learning Algorithm for 2-DOF Helicopter Model

This paper examines a reinforcement learning strategy for controlling a two degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) helicopter. The pitch and yaw angles are regulated to their corresponding reference angles by applying appropriate actuator commands (input voltages) to the main and tail rotors of a 2-DOF helicopter using the proposed reinforcement learning [herein called the approximate dynamic programming (ADP)] strategy. Furthermore, the proposed strategy has the ability to configure the 2-DOF helicopter to track time-varying reference angles. The proposed ADP technique is capable of dealing with coupling effects between the rigid body structure and propeller dynamics associated with the 2-DOF helicopter model considered in this work. A set of computer simulations is conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. The performance of the proposed algorithm is also compared to that of a conventional linear-quadratic regulator (LQR).
Effect of blinding on completion rate of patient-reported outcome measures in FDA cancer trial submissions, 2007-2017.

6572Background: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are commonly included in clinical trial data submitted for FDA review. Open-label designs are frequent in cancer trials. Between-arm differences in ...
Reliability and Validity of NCLEX-RN© State Pass Rate Standards.

Aim The aim of the study was to determine whether state NCLEX-RN pass rate standards for nursing education programs are valid and reliable. Background Nursing education programs must meet minimum NCLEX-RN pass rate standards imposed on them by state regulatory bodies. The standards suggest validity and reliability issues. Method To compute descriptive statistics and reliability coefficients to evaluate state pass rate standards, the study used a database of statutes and regulations that establish pass rate standards and a database of NCLEX-RN pass rates for 2,157 nursing programs in 45 states for 2010 to 2016. Results There is substantial variation in state pass rate standards. Nursing education program pass rates are not stable over time, suggesting there may be problems with reliability and validity. Conclusion State nursing boards should consider revising pass rate standards to make them more consistent and improve the reliability of pass rate violation determinations.
Navigating community development: Harnessing comparative advantages to create strategic partnerships, by Robert O. Zdenek and Dee Walsh

Robert Zdenek and Dee Walsh’s Navigating Community Development: Harnessing Comparative Advantages to Create Strategic Partnerships offers a road map for building strong and healthy communities in t...
Use of infrared imaging for structure from motion assessment of heat loss in buildings

Statistics released by the U.S. Department of Energy show that the buildings sector accounts for 40% of primary energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions, making it essential to reduce their energy consumption to meet national energy, environmental, and cost reduction initiatives. One of the major areas of energy consumption in buildings are heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; therefore, reducing heat losses in the structure can help increase the thermal performance of the building. Infrared (IR) imaging and the use of thermal cameras have been very effective for quantifying the thermal efficiency of a system and addressing damages in the structure. At the same time, improvements made in computer-based vision systems made Structure from Motion (SfM), a very promising technique for performing a visual inspection of large-sized systems or structures. SfM is photogrammetric range imaging technique that makes it possible to obtain three-dimensional (3D) renderings from a cloud of two-dimensional images. This research analyzes the feasibility of combining these two techniques to identify the locations of energy loss in buildings and residential homes from multiple perspectives enabling an autonomous inspection. In this study, a proof of concept laboratory experiment is performed. In particular, several tests are executed on a lab-scale structure representing a model home. Different levels of insulation distributed on the structure’s surface are used to determine the combined capability of SfM and IR images in creating a 3D virtual rendering of the structure that illustrates the locations of significant energy loss. Also, the possibility of embedding this system on an unmanned platform (e.g., drone) for expediting the inspection process is considered.
Information Science Education in the United States: Characteristics and Curricula

Les formations offertes en science de l'information aux Etats-Unis sont examinees afin d'etablir, ce qui, en general, constitue une specialisation en sciences de l'information dans l'enseignement superieur, et d'avoir une idee plus claire du statut actuel des formations en ce domaine. L'etude repose sur l'examen des brochures editees par les departements offrant une telle formation en vue d'identifier le contenu des cours. Cette etude comporte: une definition de la science de l'information, une revue de la litterature du domaine, l'expose de la methodologie adoptee, l'analyse des resultats obtenus. Cette etude permet de faire le point sur la realite de la formation dispensee et donc de reflechir de facon positive aux changements a y apporter. (INTD)
The protective effect of intraperitoneal splenic autotransplants in mice exposed to an aerosolized suspension of type III Streptococcus pneumoniae

Splenosis has been shown to occur after traumatic injury to the spleen. It is postulated that this is the mechanism for the low incidence of bacterial infection in this group of patients when compared to those who undergo splenectomy for other reasons. Therefore, we studied the effect of exposure to an aerosolized suspension of type III Streptococcus pneumoniae on splenectomized mice who had either all or half of their splenic tissue cut up and reimplanted into the abdominal cavity 8 wk prior to bacterial exposure. It was determined that the mortality experience of these two groups of mice was similar to each other and no different from the sham control group, although all three groups had a statistically significant lower mortality experience than the splenectomized control group. This study demonstrates that splenosis in mice can protect against aerosolized bacterial infection.
I never knew anyone who peed on themselves on purpose: Exploring adolescent and adult women's lay language and discourse about bladder health and function.

Aims This analysis explored and characterized adolescent and adult women's lay language and discourse related to bladder health/function. Methods Forty-four focus groups were conducted across seven United States research centers with 360 adolescents and adult women, organized by six age categories. Multilevel content analyses classified emergent themes. A transdisciplinary lens and inductive approach guided data interpretation. Interpretive insights were validated by a community engagement panel. Results A repertoire of bladder function terms emerged, including explicit functional terms, formal and polite euphemistic terms, and informal familiar terms, as well as cultural and regional metaphors and idioms. Terminology usage was historically grounded, developmental, and cumulative across the life course. Lay discourse was contextual and affectively valent, suggesting unspoken, commonly understood, situation-based "rules" for talking about bladder function. Discourse appeared to be siloed within family and friendship circles. Adolescents and adult women often described, rather than named, bladder sensations or problems. Terminology for bladder issues tended to minimize severity and frequency, with medical language only relevant to extreme examples and not applicable to mild episodes. Conclusions A definitional discordance between medical and lay views of bladder problems was identified, signifying a need to clarify the meaning of medical terms for lay persons. Adolescents and adult women do not have or use standardized precise terminology for bladder health and function, relying instead on social convention and interpersonal context. Findings can be used to foster shared understandings between lay persons and health professionals, informing development of clinical, research, and public health initiatives to promote bladder health.
Diversity Beyond Non-discrimination: From Structural Injustices to Participatory Institutions

This essay reflects on deficiencies in existing accounts of diversity understood simply as non-discrimination. Her critique of contemporary policies suggests new directions for enhancing diversity. She proposes that to effectively apply the notion of diversity to business and other institutions, then, we will need to problematize the understanding of firms (especially corporate ones) and their role in social and economic life more generally. By drawing on her own conception of equal positive freedom, Gould demands the relevance not only of notions of redistribution and recognition, but points to the importance of solidarity, an understanding of the social ontology of diversity, and a juxtaposition of a more relational account of the diverse individuals and of groups to existing aggregative interpretations. She further provides brief suggestions of new forms of participative and cooperative management of firms and their potential impact in work contexts and in society more generally.
A Quality Improvement Initiative to Prevent and Control a Methicillin Resistant Staph aureus (MRSA) Cluster in a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Background Drug resistant organisms, such as MRSA, pose a serious threat to vulnerable, hospitalized, ill neonates. Guidelines and practices for managing MRSA in the NICU setting vary from no screening or treatment to universal screening with decolonization. Local Problem. The routine screening protocol for MRSA colonization in our NICU required collecting admission surface cultures for MRSA colonization only for neonates transferred from outside institutions, while neonates born at our institution received no screening. A significant increase in the number of MRSA cases was detected, and our NICU team employed Quality …
HYPERCOAGULABLE STATE IN A PATIENT WITH ACUTE MYOCARDITIS AND ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME RESULTING IN INTRA- AND EXTRA-CARDIAC THROMBOEMBOLISM

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease involving myocardium. It can be acute, sub-acute or chronic and presentation may vary. We present a case of acute myocarditis with acute coronary syndrome complicated by intra-cardiac and extra-cardiac thromboembolism. A 30-year-old male with a recent history
A framework for the resilience analysis of electric infrastructure systems including temporary generation systems

Abstract A quantitative framework is developed to assess the resilience of an electric infrastructure system, including the contributions of temporary service systems. The framework incorporates five dimensions of resilience – robustness, resourcefulness, redundancy, rapidity, and readjust-ability – under various setups for supplementary generation. It differentiates and prioritizes affected end-users. Notional examples illustrate the framework. The formula-based framework demonstrates the resilience contribution of temporary distributed generation (DG) technologies, and shows how differentiating among affected end-users supports the assessment of system resilience.
The effects of anthropogenic marine debris on the behavior of the purple shore crab, Hemigrapsus nudus

Abstract Anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) is exponentially accumulating in intertidal zones around the world. Because AMD is often mixed in with natural substrates such as rocks and pieces of driftwood, we explored if the purple shore crab (Hemigrapsus nudus) showed preference or avoidance behaviors for natural and AMD substrates in a laboratory setting. Crabs showed a preference for natural substrates and avoided substrates such as glass jars, chip bags, and plastic boxes. With micro and macro plastics piling up in littoral zones around the world, future studies will elucidate if and how the patterns seen in this crab compared to other species.
Design and Experimental Verification of Low Cost Ferrite PM-Assisted Synchronous Reluctance Motor

Conventional interior permanent magnet (PM) synchronous motors face several challenging issues such as high cost and limited resources. PM-assisted synchronous reluctance motor will be an appealing alternative to eliminate the use of rare-earth magnets, which is evolved from pure synchronous reluctance motor. This paper presents the design, analysis, and experimental verification of low-cost ferrite PM-assisted synchronous reluctance motor. The theory and background of synchronous reluctance and PM-assisted synchronous reluctance motor are discussed firstly. The design and optimization of a reluctance rotor to maximize reluctance torque contribution are investigated. The proposed low-cost PM-assisted synchronous reluctance motor was manufactured and verified by experiment. Finally, the size and cost of proposed PM-assisted synchronous reluctance motor are compared to conventional rare-earth interior PM motor.
Asteroseismology of Eclipsing Binary Stars

Eclipsing binaries have long served as benchmark systems to measure fundamental properties of stars. In recent decades, asteroseismology—the study of stellar pulsations—has emerged as a powerful new tool to study the structure and evolution of stars across the H–R diagram. Pulsating stars in eclipsing binary systems are particularly valuable since fundamental properties such as radii and masses can then be determined using two independent techniques. Furthermore, independently measured properties from binary orbits can be used to improve asteroseismic modelling for pulsating stars in which mode identifications are not straightforward. This chapter provides a review of asteroseismic detections in eclipsing binary stars, with a focus on space-based missions such as CoRoT and Kepler and empirical tests of asteroseismic scaling relations for stochastic (‘solar-like’) oscillations.
Fabricating Transnational Capitalism: A Collaborative Ethnography of Italian-Chinese Global Fashion: LISA ROFEL & SYLVIA J. YANAGISAKO Durham and London, Duke University Press, 2019

At the end of January 2020, three weeks before Italy reported its first Corona virus infection, the Chinese community of Prato, around fifty thousand people—a quarter of this small northern textile...
Data Driven Exploration of Network Connectivity in task-fMRI of Focal Hand Dystonia

Background: Dystonia is a network level brain disorder with limited understanding of interactions between functional networks. Prior studies have demonstrated abnormalities both between and within functional networks. However, these findings were based on a hypothesis driven region of interest (ROI) approach or used resting state fMRI to extrapolate network differences in task-specific dystonia called writers cramp (WC). As a result, it remains unclear if these same networks would be active during the actual performance of a dystonic task. It9s also unclear from prior studies which networks play a role in the primary disease versus a compensatory region. Lastly, neuroimaging studies have used sequencing tapping task with equal motor performance to study networks changes due to concern that differences in motor performance during the dystonic writing task may confound the findings. Objective: The aim of this research study was: 1) to use a data driven approach on a task-specific focal dystonia to understand network level interactions during task-fMRI, 2) to determine if differences in observed network level could distinguish between brain regions of primary vs compensatory change in task-specific dystonia, and 3) if sequence tapping task captured similar level network changes as the dystonic writing task. Methods: We used the data-driven independent component analysis to compare functional network correlation with task time course and network connectivity during 3 motor tasks of writing, sequence tapping and finger flexion-extension. Results: Our analysis shows that in WC there is significantly decreased correlation of the basal ganglia and increased correlation of the orbitofrontal network to the writing task time course. Analysis of network connectivity showed significantly decreased connectivity of the basal ganglia to the left sensorimotor network specifically during the writing task in WC patients. We also showed significantly increased correlation of the cerebellum to the orbitofrontal and parietal networks. Conclusions: Collectively, our analysis supports a global network disorders in which the basal ganglia plays a primary role in the disease mechanism while the cerebellum plays a role as a compensatory network, partially through increased connectivity to the orbitofrontal network, a region important in motor planning. Our analysis also shows that the sequence tapping task does not capture the same network level dysfunction as the primary dystonic task. Our study is the first to apply a purely data-driven approach to understand network interactions in WC dystonia patients during task performance.
Effect of the lysosomotropic agent chloroquine on mTORC1 activation and protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle.

BACKGROUND Previous work in HEK-293 cells demonstrated the importance of amino acid-induced mTORC1 translocation to the lysosomal surface for stimulating mTORC1 kinase activity and protein synthesis. This study tested the conservation of this amino acid sensing mechanism in human skeletal muscle by treating subjects with chloroquine-a lysosomotropic agent that induces in vitro and in vivo lysosome dysfunction. METHODS mTORC1 signaling and muscle protein synthesis (MPS) were determined in vivo in a randomized controlled trial of 14 subjects (10 M, 4 F; 26 ± 4 year) that ingested 10 g of essential amino acids (EAA) after receiving 750 mg of chloroquine (CHQ, n = 7) or serving as controls (CON, n = 7; no chloroquine). Additionally, differentiated C2C12 cells were used to assess mTORC1 signaling and myotube protein synthesis (MyPS) in the presence and absence of leucine and the lysosomotropic agent chloroquine. RESULTS mTORC1, S6K1, 4E-BP1 and rpS6 phosphorylation increased in both CON and CHQ 1 h post EAA ingestion (P < 0.05). MPS increased similarly in both groups (CON, P = 0.06; CHQ, P < 0.05). In contrast, in C2C12 cells, 1 mM leucine increased mTORC1 and S6K1 phosphorylation (P < 0.05), which was inhibited by 2 mg/ml chloroquine. Chloroquine (2 mg/ml) was sufficient to disrupt mTORC1 signaling, and MyPS. CONCLUSIONS Chloroquine did not inhibit amino acid-induced activation of mTORC1 signaling and skeletal MPS in humans as it does in C2C12 muscle cells. Therefore, different in vivo experimental approaches are required for confirming the precise role of the lysosome and amino acid sensing in human skeletal muscle. Trial registration NCT00891696. Registered 29 April 2009.
SHAPER: A Web Server for Fast and Accurate SHAPE Reactivity Prediction

Selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE) chemical probing serves as a convenient and efficient experiment technique for providing information about RNA local flexibility. The local structural information contained in SHAPE reactivity data can be used as constraints in 2D/3D structure predictions. Here, we present SHAPE predictoR (SHAPER), a web server for fast and accurate SHAPE reactivity prediction. The main purpose of the SHAPER web server is to provide a portal that uses experimental SHAPE data to refine 2D/3D RNA structure selection. Input structures for the SHAPER server can be obtained through experimental or computational modeling. The SHAPER server can accept RNA structures with single or multiple conformations, and the predicted SHAPE profile and correlation with experimental SHAPE data (if provided) for each conformation can be freely downloaded through the web portal. The SHAPER web server is available at http://rna.physics.missouri.edu/shaper/.
Teaching Case: Can Smithtown Make ‘Something Out of Nothing’?

Smithtown, MO is based on an actual town in Missouri, but names and details have been anonymized. This version of the case is posted without its detailed endnotes, so the town cannot be identified (the footnoted version with endnotes can be distributed after the in-class discussion). This case sets out Smithtown’s situation circa 1965, and that situation is bleak. America is shifting to a service economy; manufacturing and agriculture are shrinking on a relative (and in some cases, absolute) basis. Summarized simplistically, Smithtown is a low educational attainment community in what is shifting to become a high educational attainment economy. For our purposes, we assume the town is evaluating a move towards creating a visitor-based economy (VBE) (e.g., tourism, sports, gambling, themed festivals, etc.). Its only real assets are: A small local tourism industry, a location within driving distance of several larger cities, as well as cheap land and cheap labor. So, can Smithtown pull itself up by its bootstraps to create a vibrant VBE sector? And if so, what might it look like? (For purposes of the class discussion, we ignore other potential non-VBE strategies.) Or, alternatively, is the town destined to tread water and/or decline, as so many smaller American towns have done? In the in-class discussion, we will reveal what really happened and look at Smithtown today.
Fairness Properties of Face Recognition and Obfuscation Systems.

The proliferation of automated facial recognition in various commercial and government sectors has caused significant privacy concerns for individuals. A recent and popular approach to address these privacy concerns is to employ evasion attacks against the metric embedding networks powering facial recognition systems. Face obfuscation systems generate imperceptible perturbations, when added to an image, cause the facial recognition system to misidentify the user. The key to these approaches is the generation of perturbations using a pre-trained metric embedding network followed by their application to an online system, whose model might be proprietary. This dependence of face obfuscation on metric embedding networks, which are known to be unfair in the context of facial recognition, surfaces the question of demographic fairness -- \textit{are there demographic disparities in the performance of face obfuscation systems?} To address this question, we perform an analytical and empirical exploration of the performance of recent face obfuscation systems that rely on deep embedding networks. We find that metric embedding networks are demographically aware; they cluster faces in the embedding space based on their demographic attributes. We observe that this effect carries through to the face obfuscation systems: faces belonging to minority groups incur reduced utility compared to those from majority groups. For example, the disparity in average obfuscation success rate on the online Face++ API can reach up to 20 percentage points. Further, for some demographic groups, the average perturbation size increases by up to 17\% when choosing a target identity belonging to a different demographic group versus the same demographic group. Finally, we present a simple analytical model to provide insights into these phenomena.
Contemporary Christianities in Southeast Asia: Challenges and Opportunities

This is a guest editor's introduction to the special issue "Christianities in Southeast Asia"
Ether-Linked Lipids in Neoplasms of Man and Animals: Methods of Measurement and the Occurrence and Nature of the Alkyl and Alk-1-Enyl Moieties

Naturally occurring glycerolipids containing ether bonds can be classified according to two structural types: alkyl (I), and aik-1-enyl (II).
Replacing nature in environmental studies and sciences

The concept and practice of place is an important answer to two questions posed at the outset: what is the environment of environmental studies and sciences (ESS), and what sort of ecoliteracy do we need today? Yet place is more than it has often been understood in ESS, where notions of the local and the natural have loomed large. Scholarship from the field of geography can help ESS reframe environment and ecoliteracy in a manner amenable to the contemporary world. Place has been a century-long conversation in English-language geography, building on traditional regional approaches and running to recent work, paralleling contemporary notions of geographical imaginations, in which places are now understood as diverse nodes in larger hybrid nature-culture networks, and senses of place are now understood as “glocal” identities. Contemporary geographical approaches to place challenge common associations with nature and the local; and ESS may feel a bit like “everything studies and sciences” as a result. But ecoliteracy could become a new knowledge and practice of the larger connections that define place, and this deeper sense of place could suggest to our students a deeper way of dwelling on Earth.
Role of protein kinase C in the regulation of glucose transport in the rat adipose cell. Translocation of glucose transporters without stimulation of glucose transport activity.

The possible role of protein kinase C in the regulation of glucose transport in the rat adipose cell has been examined. Both insulin and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulate 3-O-methylglucose transport in the intact cell ein association with the subcellular redistribution of glucose transporters from the low density microsomes to the plasma membranes, as assessed by cytochalasin B binding. In addition, the actions of insulin and PMA on glucose transport activity and glucose transporter redistribution are additive. Furthermore, PMA accelerates insulin's stimulation of glucose transport activity, reducing the t1/2 from 3.2 +/- 0.4 to 2.1 +/- 0.2 min (mean +/- S.E.). However, the effect of PMA on glucose transport activity is approximately 10% of that for insulin whereas its effect on glucose transporter redistribution is approximately 50% of the insulin response. Immunoblots of the GLUT1 and GLUT4 glucose transporter isoforms in subcellular membrane fractions also demonstrate that the translocations of GLUT1 in response to PMA and insulin are of similar magnitude whereas the translocation of GLUT4 in response to insulin is markedly greater than that in response to PMA. Thus, glucose transport activity in the intact cell with PMA and insulin correlates more closely with the appearance of GLUT4 in the plasma membrane than cytochalasin B-assayable glucose transporters. Although these data do not clarify the potential role of protein kinase C in the mechanism of insulin action, they do suggest that the mechanisms through which insulin and PMA stimulate glucose transport are distinct but interactive.
Effects of dexamethasone on leukocyte counts in pregnant sheep and fetal lambs

Abstract In adult nonpregnant animals and human beings, glucocorticosteroids increase circulating leukocytes (predominantly neutrophils) and decrease lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils. We were interested in studying effects of glucocorticoids on leukocyte counts during pregnancy to determine any differences between responses in the nonpregnant and pregnant states. After general anesthesia was administered, we placed catheters in a carotid artery and a jugular vein in pregnant sheep and in fetal lambs. Six days after surgery, we administered dexamethasone intravenously to the mother (0.2 mg. per kilogram) or to the fetus (0.06 mg. per kilogram) and obtained maternal and fetal jugular venous blood samples immediately before (control) and 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after steroid injection. administration of dexamethasone to the mother significantly increased total leukocyte and neutrophil counts (leukocytes per cubic millimeter blood) and decreased lymphocyte and eosinophil counts, but it did not change monocyte counts. Leukocyte counts returmed to control values within 48 hours. Administration of dexamsthasone to the fetus rapidly increased total leukocyte and neutrophil counts, decreased monocyte and eosinophil counts, and had no effect on lymphocyte counts. Fetal leukocyte counts returned to control values by 24 hours after dexamethasone injection. Our results suggest that maternal and fetal leukocytes can respond to glucocorticoids as they do in the adult nonpregnant state.
Polypeptide chain initiation in Caulobacter crescentus without initiation factor IF-1.

Abstract Two subspecies of initiation factor IF-2 have been isolated from ribosomal washes of Caulobacter crescentus and purified to homogeneity. Both factors, C-IF-2a and b, have the same functional properties and are interchangeable with Escherichia coli IF-2 for the formation of initiation complexes with either E. coli or C. crescentus ribosomes. The C. crescentus ribosomal wash contains no detectable IF-1 activity and the formation of initiation complexes with C. crescentus ribosomes has no requirement for added IF-1. With E. coli ribosomes C-IF-2a or b, or the crude C. crescentus ribosomal wash, must be supplemented with E. coli IF-1 for optimum initiation complex formation. IF-1 activity resides in C. crescentus salt-washed 30 S subunits.
Beyond the Visible--Microscopy, Nature, and Art

In the early 19th century, advances in microscopy suddenly opened a clear window into the invisible world of cells and bacteria. In her essay, L. Gamwell describes how these discoveries inspired Art Nouveau artists to add oozing shapes and swirling flagella to their design vocabulary. By 1900, the facades of modern architecture were adorned with protozoa, and artists were painting pictures inspired by deadly microorganisms to symbolize the dark secrets of their psyches. The development of the electron microscope has enabled the ever smaller realms of molecules and viruses to be visualized. These microscopic worlds continue to inspire artists and designers to this day.
Integration Before Entry?: Immigration Control through Language and Country Knowledge Requirements

This paper sets out to answer two related questions: (1) what is the major motivation behind integration-from-abroad requirements, which include tests and language courses administered at a migrant’s point of origin?, and (2) what accounts for differences between new programs? After considering the significance and empirical differences of pre-entry integration programs in Western European states, I illustrate how mandatory language and country knowledge training from abroad primarily represent a decisive, strategic, and growingly effective instrument for immigration control. I root the political opportunity for integration controls in supranational, EU Directives on Family Reunification and Status of Third Country Nationals. I also look more closely at the Dutch Civic Integration from Abroad exam to show the effects of controls on family-based visa categories and certain nationalities affected by this “integration” test. Following this examination of the Dutch model, I account for differences between state practices by discussing the process of policy learning and the role of domestic blocking factors, including cost, feasibility, and judicial opposition. I conclude that this stratified convergence in immigration policy yields important consequences not only on the immigration experience itself but also a critical rethinking on the role and instrumentalism of integration in contemporary ethnic relations.
Dynamic adaptivity: enabling technology for emerging wireless systems

The paper provides some preliminary discussion of a project, funded under the NSF Combined Research and Curriculum Development (CRCD) program, whose purpose is to develop applications-oriented courseware in the area of adaptive signal processing for wireless communication systems.
Quantifying surface areas of clays by atomic force microscopy

Rapid and accurate determination of the surface area of three kaolinite clay standards, taking into account the complex microtopography of the particles, was achieved using atomic force microscopy images and computerized image analysis. All surface areas were determined to within 3%. Edge surface area is 18.2–30.0% of the total surface area depending on the particular kaolinite standard. Specific surface areas agree to within 4% of published values determined by the BET method. The approach can be applied to clay and nanoparticle samples too small in quantity for BET analysis, since it requires ~11 orders of magnitude less material.
Presynaptic serotonin receptors regulate [3H]serotonin release from rat spinal cord synaptosomes

Superfused rat spinal cord synaptosomes were studied to determine if inhibitory serotonin (5-HT) receptors (autoreceptors) exist on spinal serotonergic nerve terminals. Exogenous 5-HT (1-50 nM) produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of K+-induced [3H]5-HT release but did not affect basal [3H]5-HT release. A 32-44% inhibition was produced by 30 nM 5-HT. The inhibitory effect of 30 nM 5-HT was effectively antagonized by 100 nM metitepine, a 5-HT autoreceptor antagonist. The results provide evidence for the existence of 5-HT autoreceptors in rat spinal cord tissue.