cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing 2 Ibuprofen Formulations in Patients with Acute Odontogenic Pain.

Abstract Introduction Ibuprofen sodium dihydrate, a new formulation of ibuprofen, was introduced with the claim of faster onset of analgesia. Most of the data on this new ibuprofen formulation are drawn from studies using the oral surgery model. Because this model differs significantly from the endodontic pain model, we conducted a study comparing ibuprofen sodium dihydrate with conventional ibuprofen acid in endodontic pain patients. Methods This randomized, double-masked study recruited subjects experiencing moderate to severe pain from a tooth diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis and symptomatic apical periodontitis ( n = 41). Subjects were randomized to receive 400 mg ibuprofen acid (Advil; Pfizer, Madison, NJ) or an equivalent dose of 512 mg ibuprofen sodium dihydrate (Advil Sodium, Pfizer). The outcome measures were time to onset of 50% pain relief recorded using a stopwatch, reduction in spontaneous pain experienced on a 100-mm visual analog scale, and change in mechanical allodynia measured using a bite force transducer. The last 2 measures were obtained before and 60 minutes after administration of the drug. Results The median time to onset of 50% pain relief after administration of ibuprofen sodium dihydrate was significantly faster compared with ibuprofen acid (26.5 vs 44 minutes, P = .08). Ibuprofen sodium dihydrate provided a greater reduction in spontaneous pain (50.8% vs 33.3%, P P > .05). Conclusions In endodontic pain patients, a single dose of ibuprofen sodium dihydrate provides faster onset of pain relief and a greater reduction in spontaneous and evoked pain compared with ibuprofen acid.
Thrombin Inhibits NF-κb and RhoA Pathways in Cytokine-Stimulated Vascular Endothelial Cells When EPCR Is Occupied by Protein C.

We recently demonstrated that the occupancy of endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) by protein C switches the PAR-1-dependent signaling specificity of thrombin from a permeability-enhancing to a barrier-protective response in endothelial cells. To determine whether the occupancy of EPCR by protein C renders thrombin a protective enzyme, thus up-regulating the expression of signaling molecules in the antiinflammatory pathways, we investigated the effects of thrombin and thrombin receptor agonist peptides (TRAP) on TNF-a-stimulated HUVECs in the absence and presence of the catalytically inactive protein C-S195A by monitoring the expression of cell surface adhesion molecules (VCAM- 1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin), adhesion of neutrophils to cytokine-stimulated endothelial cells, regulation of the Rho family of small GTPases and the activation of nuclear factorkB (NF-kB) pathway. Analysis of the results indicates that both thrombin and TRAP initiate proinflammatory responses in endothelial cells, thus neither thrombin nor TRAP influenced the proinflammatory effects of TNF-a in the absence of the protein C mutant. Interestingly, however, the occupancy of EPCR by the protein C mutant switched the PAR-1-dependent signaling specificity of thrombin and TRAP, thus leading to inhibition of the expression of all three adhesion molecules as well as the binding of neutrophils to TNFa-stimulated endothelial cells. Furthermore, similar to activated protein C, both thrombin and TRAP activated Rac1 and inhibited the activation of RhoA and NF-kB pathways in response to TNF-a in cells pretreated with protein C-S195A. Based on these results we conclude that when EPCR is bound by its natural ligand protein C, the cleavage of PAR-1 by thrombin initiates antiinflammatory responses in vascular endothelial cells.
A metabolic switch controls intestinal differentiation downstream of Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC).

Colon cancer remains an important problem in healthcare. Cancer researchers are looking for new ways to detect the disease earlier and treat it more effectively. This is challenging because many of the genetic and molecular causes of colon cancer are still poorly understood. Mutations in the gene that encodes a protein called APC are one of the major causes of the disease. The APC protein normally keeps cells from growing and dividing too fast or in an uncontrolled way and is hence referred to as a tumor suppressor. For example, APC induces stem cells in the intestine to develop into specialized cells that keep the gut working normally. Mutations in tumor suppressor genes are common in many cancers. Other research has shown that cancer cells must reprogram their own metabolism – in other words, all the chemical processes that keep the cell alive – to meet the demands of proliferating rapidly. In particular, recent studies reveal that colon cancer cells produce less of a protein called mpc1, which is involved in metabolism. These discoveries raised the following questions: does APC have an additional role in maintaining normal metabolism in cells by controlling how much mpc1 is produced? Do mutations in the gene for APC lead to colon cancer because they alter the cell’s metabolism? Sandoval et al. have now discovered a connection between APC and changes in cancer cells that help them to adapt to a new metabolic program. Experiments with zebrafish – a model animal that is now commonly used in the field of cancer biology – showed that APC acts via mpc1 to regulate how the cell uses energy. This regulation goes awry in colon cells that have abnormal APC activity; however, restoring the cell’s metabolism back to normal was enough to induce cells in the intestine to develop properly. Together, these findings suggest that restoring the normal balance of energy production in colon cancer cells may be an effective way to make the cells behave normally. This hypothesis remains to be tested and, if confirmed, further studies will be needed to determine whether it will lead to new treatments for colon cancer in humans.
Multiscale Simulations of High Performance Capacitors and Nanoelectronic Devices

Recent advances in theoretical methods combined with the advent of massively-parallel supercomputers allow one to reliably simulate the properties of complex materials and device structures from .first principles. We describe applications in two general areas: (i) novel polymer composites for ultrahigh density capacitors, necessary for pulsed power applications, such as electric discharges, power conditioning, and dense electronic circuitry, and (ii) electronic properties of graphene nanoribbons, which are candidate materials for ultraspeed electronics and spintronics. Polypropylene is an excellent capacitor dielectric that, however, has already reached its energy density limit. We investigate polypropylene-alumina nanocomposites and show that the dielectric permittivity of the composite can be significantly enhanced. For sufficiently dispersed alumina, the composite should still exhibit the excellent stability and high breakdown .field of pure polypropylene. We have also investigated Poly-Vinylidene Fluoride (PVDF)-based copolymers and show that in addition to co-polymer of VDF-chlorotrifluoroethylene [P(VDFCTFE)], P(VDF-TeFE) can also be a high energy density material, provided an appropriate TeFE concentration and dispersion is achieved. We present a composition range where its energy density would be similar to that of P(VDF-CTFE). For graphene nanoribbons, we report the results of extensive ab initio investigations of the properties of edge states, .nding that the edge-related peaks in the local density of states depend on spin polarization, and that defects at zigzag edges and/or higher-index edges can switch o. The polarization, leading to a non-magnetic ribbon. Our results explain differences between disparate scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments as due to spin-polarized and unpolarized edges, respectively.
The effects of sunfish on spotted salamander oviposition, hatching time, and larval survival

Introduced species have negative effects on amphibian populations by reducing local recruitment and consuming larvae before metamorphosis. Fish can naturally colonize ponds periodically because of flooding and connectivity with river floodplains. However, many fish introductions have been intentional for commercial, recreational, and biocontrol purposes. In southeast Missouri (USA), Ambystoma maculatum will attempt to breed in ponds even if introduced fish ( Lepomis spp.) are present. We predicted that fish would have negative effects on salamander oviposition, hatching success and timing, and larval survival. In order to evaluate the effects of introduced fish on A. maculatum across life stages, we conducted pond surveys and a series of mesocosm experiments. Using field surveys, A . maculatum deposited significantly fewer eggs in ponds with fish. In short-term mesocosm experiments, we found that hatching time was not significantly affected by deposition site or fish cues, however, hatching success was lower for eggs deposited in fish ponds. No A. maculatum larvae survived when fish were present, regardless of egg deposition site. Our study is important because we found that, unless a female avoids depositing eggs with fish, one fish species can have profound effects on larval amphibian persistence. Therefore, small-scale fish introductions for recreation can act as a potential source for reduced recruitment and an increased risk of local extinction.
Black Body Politics in College

In recent decades, the presence and visibility of Black women’s natural hair has increased, along with Black women’s conscious decision to vocalize social experiences related to hair texture, styling, and how those aesthetics and associated politics are inextricably linked to skin hue.
Catholics and Evangelicals: Does Donald Trump Mean the End of the Religious Right?

The conservative Catholic–evangelical alliance is the topic of Neil J. Young’s chapter. Donald J. Trump surprised many observers not only by heavily winning the evangelical vote but by taking a majority (52%) of the Catholic vote. As Young points out, in 2016, many observers took the Republican presidential nominee’s bellicose rhetoric and reports of his unsavory personal conduct as evidence that he would lose some substantial evangelical and especially Catholic support in the election. Reports of the eventual political demise of the Religious Right—many of which came to the fore in 2016—have missed its endurance as a grassroots movement or theological development and not merely as an ordinary interest group. Nonetheless, the Religious Right is a potentially fragile alliance of mostly evangelicals, Catholics, and some Mormons and in 2016, a combination of potent social issues and a Supreme Court vacancy powered the alliance to support an admittedly flawed GOP nominee as a necessary compromise.
N addition undermines N supplied by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to native perennial grasses

Abstract Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form associations with plants and are ubiquitous in grassland and agriculture ecosystems. AMF are known to contribute to plant nitrogen (N) uptake, but the importance of AMF to ecosystem N cycling and overall plant N nutrition remains unclear, particularly in the context of agroecosystems. AMF abundance typically declines under N addition, but how this affects AMF function and subsequent N transfer to plants is unknown. We measured plant yield and plant N content in relation to AMF abundance and function under different soil N conditions, using both an N-addition experiment and a survey across perennial grassland sites with varying soil N levels. We used AMF root colonization to assess AMF abundance, but the presence of AMF does not necessarily relate to function ( i.e. nutrient transfer with host plant), so we also used an allometric ratio of AMF structures and AMF fatty acid biomarkers as an index of AMF function. N addition significantly decreased AMF abundance by an average of 27%, and decreased function by an average of 42%, as measured by the allometric ratio. This pattern was supported by our survey study where soil N was negatively correlated with AMF abundance and function. In addition, plant N was positively related to higher levels of AMF allocation to nutrient transfer structures within host roots. Demonstrating these relationships across varying soil N levels at eight sites supported the hypothesis that AMF benefit perennial grasses by increasing N uptake. This is particularly important for perennial grasses grown for bioenergy because managing for higher AMF abundance and function may reduce or eliminate incentives for costly and environmentally problematic N addition.
Who does she think she is? Women, leadership and the 'B'(ias) word

Objective: Despite the increasing number of women in professional fields, women are under-represented in leadership roles. The goal of this paper is to identify potential explanations for the gende...
Novel properties and biology of scrapie prions.

Over the past 40 years, an impressive array of data has been accumulated indicating that many features of scrapie, kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), and Gerstmann-Straussler syndrome (GSS) are not typical of infectious diseases. Furthermore, the past two decades have witnessed the collection of numerous experimental results which argue strongly that the scrapie agent is a novel pathogen. To distinguish the scrapie and CJD agents from viroids and viruses, the term “prion” was introduced (Prusiner 1982). Although scrapie can be transmitted to animals by inoculation with extracts of diseased tissue, whether infection features in the spread of natural scrapie is unclear (Parry 1962, 1983; M’Gowan 1914; Westaway et al. 1989; Hourrigan et al. 1979; Gordon 1966; Dickinson et al. 1965; Dickinson 1976). Some investigators have proposed that natural scrapie is a genetic disease and that its transmissibility is incidental (Parry 1962, 1983) while others have argued vehemently that natural scrapie is an infectious disease (Dickinson et al. 1965; Dickinson 1976).
A positive feedback loop between prolactin and STAT5 promotes angiogenesis

The signal transduction events that orchestrate cellular activities required for angiogenesis remain incompletely understood. We and others recently described that proangiogenic mediators such as fibroblast growth factors can activate members of the signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) family. STAT5 activation is necessary and sufficient to induce migration, invasion and tube formation of endothelial cells. STAT5 effects on endothelial cells require the secretion of the prolactin (PRL) family member proliferin-1 (PLF1) in mice and PRL in humans. In human endothelial cells, PRL activates the PRL receptor (PRLR) resulting in MAPK and STAT5 activation, thus closing a positive feedback loop. In vivo, endothelial cell-derived PRL is expected to combine with PRL of tumor cell and pituitary origin to raise the concentration of this polypeptide hormone in the tumor microenvironment. Thus, PRL may stimulate tumor angiogenesis via autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine pathways. The disruption of tumor angiogenesis by interfering with PRL signaling may offer an attractive target for therapeutic intervention.
Successful Advance Care Planning in a Rural Nursing Home

Background:Advance care planning (ACP) often culminates in the completion of advance care directives (ACD), which is a written record of informed decisions specifying the type and extent of desired...
Small but spiny: the evolution of antipredator defenses in Madagascar tenrecs

Various mammalian taxa have evolved different morphological adaptations to aid in preventing death by predators, including spines, quills, dermal plates, and noxious chemical sprays. The development of these traits has previously been linked to intermediate body size, an openness of habitat, and smaller relative brain sizes, as well as a low metabolic rate and insectivorous diet. One family, Tenrecidae, contains several species that have evolved spines despite a small body size. We investigated the ecological factors that favored the evolution of spines within this group, focusing on conspicuousness to predators through body size and openness of habitat. We compiled hair and spine measurements along with natural history data and ran comparative phylogenetic analyses to study the morphological and ecological factors that favored the evolution of these antipredator defenses. We show that as tenrecs evolved a larger body size and moved into a more open habitat, they were more likely to evolve spines, and as more robust spines evolved, relative brain size decreased. We discuss the suite of changes that occur during the transition from non-spiny forest-dwelling tenrecs into larger spiny tenrecines with smaller brains and aposematic coloration.
Stable Postfullerene Solar Cells via Direct C–H Arylation Polymerization. Morphology–Performance Relationships

The scope of the environmentally benign direct C–H arylation polymerization (DARP) process is validated and significantly extended in the synthesis of a high-performance benzodithiophene-based copolymer series, PBDT(Ar)-FTTE, with previously untested and systematically varied heteroaryl (Ar) substituents. Bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells (PSCs) containing the high-performance nonfullerene acceptor (NFA) ITIC-Th and DARP-derived donors are fabricated and evaluated, yielding PCEs as high as 8%. The relationships between Ar-sensitive copolymer structure, BHJ morphology, and PSC performance are elucidated through in-depth characterization of structural order, phase separation, and charge transport using SCLC, AFM, GIWAXS, R-SoXS, and NEXAFS measurements, which conclusively demonstrate the important effects of Ar-tunable, dimensionally smaller, and well-blended copolymer domains for maximum PSC performance. Smaller BHJ copolymer domains having greater ITIC-Th miscibility definitively correlate wit...
Direct oral anticoagulants and warfarin for venous thromboembolism treatment: Trends from 2012 to 2017.

Background Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), namely rivaroxaban, apixaban, dabigatran, and edoxaban, are now included together with warfarin as standards of care for the primary treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The extent to which the DOACs have been adopted since receiving US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval is unknown. Objective To document temporal trends in oral anticoagulant (OAC) prescriptions among anticoagulant-naive patients initiating OACs for VTE primary treatment in the United States and to report participant characteristics by OAC prescribed for the year 2017. Methods MarketScan databases for years 2012 through 2017 were used to identify VTE cases and comorbidities using International Classification of Diseases codes and prescriptions for OACs via outpatient pharmaceutical claims data. Results The 137 203 VTE cases were on average (± standard deviation) 56.7 ± 16.0 years old and 49.9% female. Warfarin was prescribed to 98.7% of VTE patients receiving an OAC in quarter 1 (January through March) of 2012. By quarter 4 (October through December) of 2017, warfarin was prescribed to 17.5%, while rivaroxaban was prescribed to 42.7%, apixaban to 38.6%, dabigatran to 1.3%, and edoxaban to <0.1%. In 2017, the comorbidity burden was highest among patients prescribed warfarin, intermediate among patients prescribed apixaban, and lowest among patients prescribed rivaroxaban. Conclusions Rivaroxaban and apixaban use to treat VTE has increased dramatically since receiving FDA approval, whereas warfarin use has plummeted. Dabigatran and edoxaban are infrequently prescribed. Given widespread usage of rivaroxaban and apixaban, there is a need for continued monitoring of the comparative effectiveness of these OAC therapies in real-world settings.
Effectiveness of a Kansas City, Jail-Based Intervention to Improve Cervical Health Literacy and Screening, One-Year Post-Intervention:

Purpose:To assess effectiveness, 1-year post-intervention, of a program delivered in jails with women to improve cervical health literacy (CHL) and up-to-date Papanicolaou (Pap) screening.Design:Pr...
Th-17 Lymphocytes, Not Regulatory T Cells, Mediate Immune Regulation of Bone Marrow Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Induce Osteoclast Activation in Multiple Myeloma.

The bone marrow of myeloma patients is a reservoir of marrow infiltrating lymphocytes (MILs) that upon activation with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies show significant tumor specificity against both mature myeloma plasma cells and their clonotypic precursors, whereas activated peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) fail to demonstrate any tumor specificity. Here we examine the major differences between MILs and PBLs of both myeloma patients and normal donors. In myeloma, CD4 + /CD25 + MILs lack a regulatory T-cell (Treg) phenotype as shown by the absence of FoxP3 expression and the inability to suppress tumor-specific proliferation of effector T cells. In contrast, the CD4 + /CD25 + PBLs express FoxP3 and suppress tumor specific proliferation. Analysis of MILs and PBLs from normal individuals reveals the exact opposite (more Tregs in the marrow than blood). Considering the abundance of plasma cell-derived IL-6 in myeloma marrow, we hypothesize that IL-6 skewing of MILs towards the effector Th17 phenotype could explain the reciprocal paucity of Tregs in myeloma and relative abundance in normal bone marrows. Intracellular staining shows increased expression of IL-17 in myeloma CD4 MILs (2.7%) as compared to either myeloma PBLs (0.02%) or normal MILs (0.7%). The Th17 cytokine secretion pattern also appears more pronounced in myeloma-derived MILs as compared to either myeloma PBLs or normal MILs respectively (see table). Th17 T cells have recently been implicated in osteoclastogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, bone marrow serum IL-17 levels correlate with the degree of lytic bone disease. In experiments utilizing M-CSF and RANK-L as the osteoclast differentiation medium, we show that the addition of IL-17 to the culture medium increases the number of mature osteoclasts by 2.3 fold whereas γIFN reduces mature osteoclast numbers by 80%. These findings explain the profound differences seen in MILs of normal and myeloma patients and implicate Th17 MILs in the generation of lytic bone disease. Activation of myeloma MILs with anti-CD3/CD28 skews the population from Th17 to a γIFN-producing Th1 phenotype. As such, targeting Th17 T cells or utilizing adoptive T cell therapy with activated, γIFN-producing MILs may represent a novel therapeutic mechanism to target osteoclastogenesis and reduce bone disease in myeloma.
Populist Paranoia and International Law

This chapter examines American populism in relation to international law with a focus on the administration of Donald Trump. While populism has been a regular influence in American political life, it has not always been overtly hostile to international legal norms in the fashion of the present administration. Earlier forms of populism (such as those of William Jennings Bryant and George Wallace) opposed political and economic elites but were not overtly hostile to international norms. Rather, the current populist movement is not exclusively anti-elitist in the fashion of traditional populism but is rather better understood as a form of political paranoia. By defaulting to the posture that international laws are contrary to American interests, the Trump administration has effectively cast doubt on all international agreements and obligations that were not ratified by the president himself. Such a paranoid disposition better characterizes and explains the administration’s international legal posture than does either traditional anti-elitist populism or traditional conservative realism and exceptionalism.
Radiographic Trends for Infield Recurrence After Radiosurgery for Cerebral Metastases.

Objective Recurrence following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for the treatment of cerebral metastases is not uncommon. Recurrence can represent recurrent tumor and/or radiation necrosis. The radiographic response to Gamma Knife (GK) treatment is variable with some remaining stable, some decreasing in size, some increasing in size, while some may show a combination of all three. For tumors that demonstrate progression on MRI, the question to intervene with additional surgical or radiation therapy and the timing of such intervention remains debatable. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed surveillance MRIs of post-GK cerebral metastases to determine if radiographic trends are a predictor of infield progression. Methods A retrospective review of cerebral metastases treated with GK radiosurgery with at least two consecutive post-GK MRI scans was performed. Infield progression was defined by new enhancement increased by at least 25% in two out of three dimensions on two consecutive scans. Primary endpoints for infield recurrence were either continued observation, therapeutic intervention, or withdrawal of care. Results A total of 579 cerebral metastases were treated with GK radiosurgery. A total of 123 metastases demonstrated radiographic progression on one follow-up MRI scan. Of those, 75% demonstrated continued progression follow-up imaging, while 25% stabilized or regressed. For post-GK metastases demonstrating progression on two consecutive MRI scans, 85% of lesions continued to progress, whereas only 15% demonstrated stabilization or regression. A total of 91% of lesions either require intervention or demonstrate continued progression with observation at this timepoint. Cumulatively 100% of metastases with radiographic progression on ≥3 consecutive MRIs went on to need further intervention. Conclusion Approximately one-fourth of infield recurrence demonstrating progression on the first surveillance MRI will stabilize or regress. Those demonstrating infield progression on two consecutive MRI scans should be considered treatment failures. Early interventions before tumor volume increases in size or patients require high-dose steroids maybe beneficial.
Opposing directions of stage-specific body length change in a close relative of C. elegans

Background: Body size is a fundamental organismal trait. However, as body size and ecological contexts change across developmental time, evolutionary divergence may cause unexpected patterns of body size diversity among developmental stages. This may be particularly evident in polyphenic developmental stages specialized for dispersal. The dauer larva is such a stage in nematodes, and Caenorhabditis species disperse by traveling on invertebrate carriers. Here, we describe the morphology of the dispersal dauer larva of the nematode Caenorhabditis inopinata, whose adults can grow to be nearly twice as long as its close relative, the model organism C. elegans. Results: We find that the C. inopinata dauer larva is shorter and fatter than those of its close relatives C. elegans, C. briggsae, and C. tropicalis, despite its much longer adult stage. Additionally, some C. inopinata dauer larvae were ensheathed, an apparent novelty in this lineage reminiscent of the infective juveniles of parasitic nematodes. We also found abundant variation in dauer formation frequency among twenty-four wild isolates of C. inopinata, with many strains unable to produce dauer larvae under laboratory conditions. Conclusion: Most Caenorhabditis species thrive on rotting plants and disperse on snails, slugs, or isopods (among others) whereas C. inopinata is ecologically divergent and thrives in fresh Ficus septica figs and disperses on their pollinating wasps. These wasps are at least an order of magnitude smaller in length than the vectors of other Caenorhabditis species. While there is some unknown factor of the fig environment that promotes elongated body size in C. inopinata adults, the smaller size of its fig wasp carrier may be driving the reduced body length of its dauer larva. Thus ecological divergence across multiple developmental stages can promote unexpected and opposing changes in body size within a single species.
Thistledown velvet ants in the Desert Mimicry Ring and the evolution of white coloration: Müllerian mimicry, camouflage and thermal ecology.

Adaptive coloration among animals is one of the most recognizable outcomes of natural selection. Here, we investigate evolutionary drivers of white coloration in velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillida...
Caching with Delayed Hits

Caches are at the heart of latency-sensitive systems. In this paper, we identify a growing challenge for the design of latency-minimizing caches called delayed hits. Delayed hits occur at high throughput, when multiple requests to the same object queue up before an outstanding cache miss is resolved. This effect increases latencies beyond the predictions of traditional caching models and simulations; in fact, caching algorithms are designed as if delayed hits simply didn't exist. We show that traditional caching strategies -- even so called 'optimal' algorithms -- can fail to minimize latency in the presence of delayed hits. We design a new, latency-optimal offline caching algorithm called belatedly which reduces average latencies by up to 45% compared to the traditional, hit-rate optimal Belady's algorithm. Using belatedly as our guide, we show that incorporating an object's 'aggregate delay' into online caching heuristics can improve latencies for practical caching systems by up to 40%. We implement a prototype, Minimum-AggregateDelay (mad), within a CDN caching node. Using a CDN production trace and backends deployed in different geographic locations, we show that mad can reduce latencies by 12-18% depending on the backend RTTs.
Wireless queues in Poisson interference fields: the continuum between zero and infinite mobility

This paper considers the time evolution of a queue that is placed in a Poisson point process of moving wireless interferers. The queue evolves according to an external arrival process and a time-varying service process that is a function of the SINR that it experiences. Static configurations of interferers result in infinite queue workload with positive probability. In contrast, a velocity-independent stability condition for the queue is established in the case where interferers possess any non-zero mobility that results in displacements that are both independent across interferers and with a distribution which is invariant to interferer positions. The proof leverages mixing properties of point processes under non-zero mobility. The effects of increasing mobility on statistical averages of queueing metrics are studied, and convex ordering tools are used to establish that faster moving interferers result in a queue workload that is dominated in the increasing convex sense by a queue workload resulting from slower interferers. As a corollary, it is shown that mean queue workload and mean delay improve as network mobility increases. It is shown that there is positive correlation between SINR level-crossing events at finitely separated time points. The notion of correlation between interference over time is made precise via an explicit correlation function. System behaviour is empirically analyzed using discrete-event simulation and the impact of the mobility model on system level performance is evaluated.
Clostridioides difficile: Sometimes It Pays To Be Difficult.

In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, publications from Bushman et al. (2020) and Knippel et al. (2020) outline elements of host epithelial damage or inflammation that Clostridioides difficile subverts, enabling continued growth. These mechanisms provide insight into how this important pathogen influences the gut environment to promote its metabolic strategy during infection.
Chemical Basis for the Use of Selenocysteine

Since the discovery of selenocysteine as the 21st amino acid in the genetic code, two streams of thought have dominated the question of why selenium is used to replace sulfur in enzyme active sites in the form of selenocysteine. These ideas are that selenocysteine is (i) a “relic of the anaerobic world” and (ii) “catalytically superior” to the use of sulfur as cysteine. This latter idea is due to the experimental finding that the replacement of selenocysteine with cysteine in enzyme active sites results in a large drop in catalytic activity, and has been interpreted to mean that selenocysteine is essential for catalyzing the formation of product from substrate. We and others have previously proposed that selenocysteine is not catalytically essential since cysteine homologs of selenocysteine enzymes exist and catalyze their enzymatic reactions with comparable efficiency. Here, and elsewhere, we discuss the idea that the use of selenocysteine confers an enzyme with the ability to resist irreversible inactivation by oxidation.
Geriatric Engineering: An Engineering Systems Design Approach to Human Aging.

This article explores the development of an interdisciplinary Geriatric Engineering 5-year Bachelor of Science degree program. The process evolved over 5 years and began with exploring the need, precedents, and data acquisition from target individuals 60 to 92 years of age. The economics of aging necessitates training engineers to design and implement systems that drastically reduce costs. The literature search confirmed the need for medical and engineering collaboration. The precedents for a medical-engineering curriculum were found to exist in several graduate MD/MS Engineering programs. Finally, data were gathered from several hundred over 60-year olds, via a research questionnaire and interviews that supported that technology assistance to promote independent living was desired by a significant portion of older individuals. With confirmatory data in hand, geriatric engineering courses were introduced in 2017 at an engineering college. Feedback of more than 100 students who completed these courses was positive. An Advisory Board, composed of medical companies, hospitals, and target population individuals, supported a Geriatrics Engineering minor. The college's undergraduate curriculum committee then established a minor in Geriatric Engineering in 2019, as the next logical step in the process toward developing a bachelor's degree. In conclusion, student feedback from several years of Geriatric Engineering courses, data from individuals over 60 and an advisory board support the next step of creating a Geriatric Engineering Bachelor's degree. Student evaluations/perceptions of the courses were positive. Data and feedback indicate that there is a need for a dedicated undergraduate Geriatric Engineering program.
Exploring functional connectivity correlates of problem solving under stress (P2.1-007)

Objective: Examine effects of stress on functional connectivity (FC) during verbal problem-solving. Background: Previous research demonstrated psychosocial stress impairs verbal problem solving requiring cognitive flexibility, an effect modified by genetic susceptibility to stress. Herein, we assessed effects of stress on the neural circuitry of this, examining effects on FC in brain regions activated during a verbal problem-solving task, while exploring effects of genetic susceptibility as well as gender. Design/Methods: Forty-five healthy participants were genotyped for presence of at least one copy of the stress-susceptible short (S)-allele of the polymorphism in the promotor region of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4), or homozygosity for the long (L)-allele. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed in two separate sessions. FC was assessed during performance of the compound remote associate (CRA) task, interleaved with the Montreal Imaging Stress Test to induce stress at one session, or a no stress control task during the other. Session order (stress/no stress) was counterbalanced. Results: In agreement with previous work, a trend towards a stressXgenotype interaction effect on CRA solution latency (p=0.06) was observed. A stressXgenderXgene interaction was found for FC between left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) and left middle temporal gyrus (LMTG) (p=0.03), driven by greater increase in FC among females with an S-allele (p=0.03), but greater increase in FC among males with the L-allele (p=0.04) with stress. Among L-allele participants, LMTG-LIFG FC changes were related to CRA performance changes with stress (p=0.035). Among S-allele participants, LMTG-L posterior cingulate FC changes were related to performance changes with stress (p=0.029). Conclusions: The connectivity associated with differential effects of stress on problem solving according to genotype further interacts with gender. Effects of stress on performance are also associated with changes in LMTG connectivity. Future work will need to assess clinical populations, effects of interventions, and potential as a biomarker for cognitive effects of stress. Disclosure: Dr. Beversdorf has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Best Doctors, YAMO pharmaceuticals . Dr. Beversdorf has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Nair has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hegarty has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ferguson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hecht has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Avanir Pharmaceuticals . Dr. Tilley has nothing to disclose. Dr. Christ has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with BioMarin Pharmaceutical Company.
Sustaining the Environment

Agricultural activities have had a definite impact upon the surrounding environment. Effects that have been noted include water, soil, and air pollution. In turn, indirect effects upon animal and even human life have been observed. Unhappily these impacts have resulted in a reduction of environmental quality.
Liar, Liar, Jury's the Trier? The Future of Neuroscience-Based Credibility Assessment and the Court

Neuroscience-based credibility-assessment tests have recently become increasingly mainstream, purportedly able to determine whether an individual is lying to a certain set of questions (the Control Question Test) or whether an individual recognizes information that only a liable person would recognize (the Concealed Information Test). Courts have hesitated to admit these tests as evidence for two primary reasons. First, following the general standard that credibility assessment is a matter solely for the trier of fact, courts exclude the evidence because it impinges on the province of the jury. Second, because these methods have not been rigorously tested in realistic scenarios, courts rule that they do not meet the Daubert criteria for admissibility of expert testimony. This Comment argues that while neuroscience-based credibility-assessment methods should not currently be admissible under the Daubert standard, they may become admissible with more research, and the courts should avoid creating precedent that would preclude their admissibility once reliability issues are addressed. Specifically, credibility assessment should not be left entirely to the trier of fact because social science evidence indicates that laypeople are poor at making credibility-assessment judgments based on behavioral cues. Additionally, even if courts continue to rule that evidence assessing whether a witness is telling the truth invades the province of the jury, this should not preclude neuroscience-based credibility assessment that merely shows that an individual recognizes something related to the issue at hand.
Reasons for Reason-giving in a Public-Opinion Survey

This paper explores why respondents to a telephone public-opinion survey often give reasons for answering as they do, even though reason-giving is neither required nor encouraged and it is difficult to see the reasons as attempts to deal with disagreement. We find that respondents give reasons for the policy claims they make in their answers three times as frequently as they give reasons for value or factual claims, that their reasons tend to involve appeals to personal experience, and that they often talk about their thought processes, especially when the evidentiary stakes are high. We then explore several ways of explaining these findings. We suggest that one useful approach is to see the reason-giving in the survey interviews as deliberative, reflexive argumentation of the sort described as `critical thinking. We further suggest that the reason such argumentation is often conducted out loud in the interviews, rather than internally, is that it functions in the service of rhetorical ethos, in particular the need to display the fact that one is human, with human autonomy and agency. Doing this may be particularly important in contexts such as anonymous survey interviews in which people are at risk of being treated like machines.
Examination of the roles of transcription factor Sp1-binding sites and an octamer motif in trans induction of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene.

Abstract Herpes simplex virus mutants with both Sp1-binding sites in the thymidine kinase (tk) promoter inactivated or an octamer motif deleted were at most modestly impaired for tk expression. Thus, no cellular transcription factor that binds upstream of the tk TATA box is solely required for trans induction of this gene.
Effect of pump depletion on the noise figure of distributed Raman amplifiers

We experimentally and theoretically investigate the degradation of noise figure of backward-pumped distributed Raman amplifier due to pump depletion.
Genetic analysis of pleiotropic negative sporulation mutants in Bacillus subtilis.

Genetic studies were undertaken on 14 pleiotropic negative sporulation mutants. These mutants ( spoA ) which are blocked early in the sporulation process were found to map near the terminus of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome in a region enriched in genes involved in spore formation. Two- and three-factor crosses by transduction and transformation led to the conclusion that the pleiotropic spoA mutations formed a linked cluster. The genetic distance across the cluster calculated from transformation data was compatible with the mutant sites defining a single gene. Suppressor studies revealed that either a nonsense or missense mutation in the spoA locus generated a pleiotropic negative phenotype. It was concluded that the locus codes for a protein, and the absence of this protein is responsible for the pleiotropic phenotype.
The location of middle mediastinal pheochromocytomas.

Eight middle mediastinal pheochromocytomas were located by means of 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy. The exact anatomic location of the lesions was confirmed by means of dynamic computed tomographic scanning following bolus injection of contrast medium. In all but one case the lesion had not been detected prior to scintigraphy despite extensive investigations including arteriography, venography with sampling, computed tomography with infusion of contrast medium, and in some cases surgical exploration of the abdomen and chest. Accurate anatomic location of the lesion permitted resection of five lesions from the cardiac atria and one from the aortopulmonary window. A sixth case in which an atrial pheochromocytoma was found by coronary angiography was not cured by resection of the primary tumor, and 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy revealed extensive metastases. Thus 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy has been of considerable value in the location of pheochromocytomas of the middle mediastinum, which may be a more frequent site than previously recognized.
Confronting the ‘Sacred and Unchangeable’: The Obligation to Modify Cultural Patterns under the Women’s Discrimination Treaty

Article 5(a) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (“CEDAW”) provides that states parties shall take all appropriate measures “[t]o modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women.” Farther-reaching and broader than any other treaty provision, its vague language provides little guidance to states parties as to the role and function of the article. Filling a gap in the scholarship on CEDAW, the Author employs an empirical approach, drawing conclusions from a review of the entirety of the jurisprudence of the CEDAW Committee. The Author finds that the article has both interpretive and substantive roles to play, allowing the Committee to take a pragmatic view toward cultural change and demand ever more robust measures of countries that have achieved legal equality and reduced more observable discriminatory patterns and practices.
Residential Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Department of Veterans Affairs: A National Perspective on.

Thirty-eight U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs's (VA) residential treatment programs for posttraumatic stress disorder took part in a formative evaluation of their programmatic services, including perceptions of effective treatment. From July 2008 through March 2011, face-to-face qualitative interviews were conducted with over 250 VA residential staff. A wide variety of perceived effective treatment elements were noted. The most frequently mentioned elements were evidence-based treatments, frequency and intensity of milieu, staff cohesion, varied programming, and individualized treatment. Implications for VA managers and policy-makers as well as non-VA health care systems and health care providers are discussed. Language: en
Reductive activation of the coenzyme A/acetyl-CoA isotopic exchange reaction catalyzed by carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from Clostridium thermoaceticum and its inhibition by nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide.

The final steps in the synthesis of acetyl-CoA by CO dehydrogenase (CODH) have been studied by following the exchange reaction between CoA and the CoA moiety of acetyl-CoA. This reaction had been studied earlier (Pezacka, E., and Wood, H. G. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 1609-1615 and Ramer, W. E., Raybuck, S. A., Orme-Johnson, W. H., and Walsh, C. T. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 4675-4680). The CoA/acetyl-CoA exchange activity was determined at various controlled redox potentials and was found to be activated by a one-electron reduction with half-maximum activity occurring at -486 mV. There is approximately 2000-fold stimulation of the exchange by performing the reaction at -575 mV relative to the rate at -80 mV. Binding of CoA to CODH is not sensitive to the redox potential; therefore, the reductive activation affects some step other than association/dissociation of CoA. We propose that a metal center on CODH with a midpoint reduction potential of less than or equal to -486 mV is activated by a one-electron reduction to cleave the carbonyl-sulfur bond and/or bind the acetyl group of acetyl-CoA. Based on a comparison of the redox dependence of this reaction with that for methylation of CODH (Lu, W-P., Harder, S. R., and Ragsdale, S. W. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 3124-3133) and CO2 reduction and formation of the Ni-Fe-C EPR signal (Lindahl, P. A., Munck, E., and Ragsdale, S. W. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 3873-3879), we propose that the assembly of the acetyl group of acetyl-CoA, i.e. binding the methyl group of the methylated corrinoid/iron-sulfur protein, binding CO, and methyl migration to form the acetyl-CODH intermediate, occur at the novel Ni-Fe3-4-containing site in CODH. CO has two effects on the CoA/acetyl-CoA exchange: it activates the reaction due to its reductive capacity and its acts as a noncompetitive inhibitor. We also discovered that the CoA/acetyl-CoA exchange was inhibited by nitrous oxide via an oxidative mechanism. In the presence of a low-potential electron donor, CODH becomes a nitrous oxide reductase which catalytically converts N2O to N2. This study combined with earlier results (Lu, W-P., Harder, S. R., and Ragsdale, S. W. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 3124-3133) establishes that the two-subunit form of CODH is completely active in all reactions known to be catalyzed by CODH.