cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Angiotensin II-induced NADPH Oxidase Activation Impairs Insulin Signaling in Skeletal Muscle Cells

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the development of insulin resistance and its related complications. There is also evidence that angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced generation of ROS contributes to the development of insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, although the precise mechanisms remain unknown. In the present study, we found that Ang II markedly enhanced NADPH oxidase activity and consequent ROS generation in L6 myotubes. These effects were blocked by the angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker losartan, and by the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin. Ang II also promoted the translocation of NADPH oxidase cytosolic subunits p47phox and p67phox to the plasma membrane within 15 min. Furthermore, Ang II abolished insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1), activation of protein kinase B (Akt), and glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) translocation to the plasma membrane, which was reversed by pretreating myotubes with losartan or apocynin. Finally, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-specific gene silencing targeted specifically against p47phox (p47siRNA), in both L6 and primary myotubes, reduced the cognate protein expression, decreased NADPH oxidase activity, restored Ang II-impaired IRS1 and Akt activation as well as GLUT4 translocation by insulin. These results suggest a pivotal role for NADPH oxidase activation and ROS generation in Ang II-induced inhibition of insulin signaling in skeletal muscle cells.
OverQoS: offering Internet QoS using overlays

This paper proposes OverQoS, an architecture for providing Internet QoS using overlay networks. OverQoS empowers third-party providers to offer enhanced network services to their customers using the notion of a controlled loss virtual link (CLVL). The CLVL abstraction bounds the loss-rate experienced by the overlay traffic; OverQoS uses it to provide differential rate allocations, statistical bandwidth and loss assurances, and enables explicit-rate congestion control algorithms.
In Vitro Antibiotic Activity on Cecal Anaerobes with Emphasis on Uric Acid-Utilizing Bacteria

A total of 741 individual colonies or representative colonial types were isolated on basal-hlf-uric acid (UA) agar plates containing various antibiotics and on two types of control media. All of the antibiotics utilized in this study were capable of reducing bacterial numbers and/or bacterial groups in vitro when compared to the control plates. None of the antibiotics were selective for the uric acid bacteria. The majority (96%) of the cecal isolates utilizing uric acid were gram-positive. The basal-half-uric acid agar was a nonselective growth medium and supported the growth of virtually every bacterial group reported to be present in the avian cecum. The cecal flora of the adult White Leghorn hens tested was observed to be composed of 23% G+ (gram-positive) rods, 24% G- (gram-negative) rods, 26% G+ cocci, 9% G- cocci, and 18% G+ coccal-bacilli.
Know-how and asset complementarity and dynamic capability accumulation : The case of R&D

Dynamic capabilities enable firms to create new products and processes and respond to changing market conditions. This empirical investigation of dynamic R&D capabilities deals with the role of complementary know-how and other assets in the context of changing conditions in the U.S. petroleum industry during the 1970s and early 1980s. The analysis suggests that, in response to rising oil prices, firms with larger amounts of complementary technological knowledge and physical assets also undertook larger amounts of R&D on coal conversion (a synthetic fuels process). © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Crushing motor patterns in drum (Teleostei: Sciaenidae): functional novelties associated with molluscivory.

This study explores the evolution of molluscivory in the marine teleost family Sciaenidae by comparing the motor activity patterns of the pharyngeal muscles of two closely related taxa, the molluscivorous black drum (Pogonias cromis) and the generalist red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Muscle activity patterns were recorded simultaneously from eight pharyngeal muscles. Electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded during feeding on three prey types that varied in shell hardness. Canonical variate and discriminant function analyses were used to describe the distinctness of drum pharyngeal processing behaviors. Discriminant functions built of EMG timing variables were more accurate than muscle activity intensity at identifying cycles by prey type and species. Both drum species demonstrated the ability to modulate pharyngeal motor patterns in response to prey hardness. The mean motor patterns and the canonical variate space of crushing behavior indicated that black drum employed a novel motor pattern during molluscivory. The mollusc-crushing motor pattern of black drum is different from other neoteleost pharyngeal behaviors in lacking upper jaw retraction by the retractor dorsalis muscle. This functional modification suggests that crushing hard-shelled marine bivalves requires a ‘vice-like’ compression bite in contrast to the shearing forces that are applied to weaker-shelled fiddler crabs by red drum and to freshwater snails by redear sunfish.
Macropolitical consensus and lateral autonomy in industrial policy: the nuclear sector in Brazil and Argentina

Levels of macropolitical consensus and sectoral institutional autonomy both influence industrial policy. Different combinations of high or low consensus and autonomy help anticipate the respective explanatory relevance of generic industrial models, sectoral agencies' trajectories, and bureaucratic politics. Industrial policy choices thus are not always determined by international market opportunities, relevant domestic endowments, or the political strength of industrial entrepreneurs. The nuclear sectors in Brazil and Argentina are examined in light of this argument. A relatively strong consensus over the generic industrial model and a centralized decision-making process explain state entrepreneurship and foreign technology in Brazil. In contrast, Argentina's emphasis on domestic private entrepreneurial and technical resources can be traced to an absence of macropolitical consensus and to sectoral institutional autonomy. These differences had implications for the process of bargaining with foreign technology suppliers. Levels of consensus and autonomy influence the process of bargaining with foreign technology suppliers through their impact on the size of domestic win-sets, on risks of involuntary defection, on credibility of commitments, and on reduction of uncertainties.
The rapid use of gender information: Evidence of the time course of pronoun resolution from eyetracking

Eye movements of listeners were monitored to investigate how gender information and accessibility influence the initial processes of pronoun interpretation. Previous studies on this issue have produced mixed results, and several studies have concluded that gender cues are not automatically used during the early processes of pronoun interpretation (e.g. Garnham, A., Oakhill, J. & Cruttenden, H. (1992). The role of implicit causality and gender cue in the interpretation of pronouns. Language and Cognitive Processes, 73 (4), 231‐255; Greene, S. B., McKoon, G. & Ratcliff, R. (1992). Pronoun resolution and discourse models. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 182, 266‐283). In the two experiments presented here, participants viewed a picture with two familiar cartoon characters of either same or different gender. They listened to a text describing the picture, in which a pronoun referred to either the first, more accessible, character, or the second. (For example, Donald is bringing some mail to {Mickey/Minnie} while a violent storm is beginning. He’s carrying an umbrella….) The results of both experiments show rapid use of both gender and accessibility at approximately 200 ms after the pronoun offset. q 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Three Statistical Technologies with High Potential in Biological Imaging and Modeling

The three technologies that are surveyed here are (1) wavelet approximations, (2) hidden Markov models, and (3) the Markov chain Renaissance. The intention of the article is to provide an introduction to the benefits these technologies offer and to explain as far as possible the sources of their effectiveness. We also hope to suggest some useful relationships between these technologies and issues of importance on the agenda of biological and medical research.
Cardiac Disease Status Dictates Functional mRNA Targeting Profiles of Individual MicroRNAs

Background—MicroRNAs are key players in cardiac stress responses, but the mRNAs, whose abundance and translational potential are primarily affected by changes in cardiac microRNAs, are not well def...
Prognostic Molecular Subtypes of Low-Grade Cancer of the Appendix.

Background Appendiceal cancer (AC) patients treated with cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) often demonstrate an unpredictable variability in their survival outcomes. Biomarkers predictive of CRS/HIPEC efficacy could better guide treatment decisions. We hypothesized that variation in the transcriptional programming of AC tumors might distinguish molecular subtypes with differential outcomes after CRS/HIPEC. Study Design Gene expression profiles of 2 AC cohorts were analyzed using Affymetrix whole-genome expression microarrays. Hierarchical clustering methods, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox regression models were used to discover and validate prognostic molecular subtypes of AC. Gene set enrichment analysis was used to infer pathologic attributes of the molecular subtypes. Results Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis of tumor expression profiles revealed a 139-gene cassette that distinguished 2 molecular subtypes (based on low vs high expression of the gene cassette) with statistically significant survival differences (disease-specific survival, p = 0.0075; progression-free survival, p = 0.0072). In a second AC cohort, the 139-gene cassette reproducibly partitioned tumors into subtypes with significant survival differences. Tumors showing high relative expression of the genes comprising the cassette associated with poor survival outcomes (disease-specific survival, p = 0.047; progression-free survival, p = 0.0079), and exhibited gene expression patterns enriched for oncogenic processes and pathways. The prognostic value of the molecular subtypes was specific for low-grade appendiceal tumors (disease-specific survival, p = 0.028; progression-free survival, p = 0.0016), and remained significant in the presence of conventional prognostic markers, including grade, surgical resection score, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status, and age. Conclusions The 139-gene cassette can have actionable clinical utility for identifying low-grade appendiceal tumor molecular subtypes predictive of therapeutic efficacy of CRS/HIPEC.
Transfer of 131I and 95mTc from Pasture to Goat Milk

The behaviour of technetium-99 (99Tc) in food chains is of interest because of the release of this radionuclide to the environment from the nuclear fuel cycle [1]. Technetium (element 43) was predicted in the periodic table but was not studied until the advent of man-induced fission. Its principal isotope, 99Tc, is produced in high yields (~6%) from U-235 fission. Technetium-99’s long half-life (2·1 × 105 years) and potential mobility [2] make understanding its behaviour important in evaluating the radiological consequences of the operation of the nuclear fuel cycle.
Thoracic venous injuries: an imaging and management overview

Thoracic venous injuries are predominantly attributed to traumatic and iatrogenic causes. Gunshot wounds and knife stabbings make up the vast majority of penetrating trauma whereas motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of blunt trauma to the chest. Iatrogenic injuries, mostly from central venous catheter complications are being described in growing detail. Although these injuries are rare, they pose a diagnostic challenge as their clinical presentation does not substantially differ from that of arterial injury. Furthermore, the highly lethal nature of some of these injuries provides limited literature for review and probably underestimates their true incidence. The widespread use of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) has increased the detection rate of these lesions in hemodynamically stable patients that survive the initial traumatic event. In this article, we will discuss and illustrate various causes of injury to each vein and their supporting CT findings while briefly discussing management. The available literature will be reviewed for penetrating, blunt, and iatrogenic injuries to the vena cava, innominate, subclavian, axillary, azygos, and pulmonary veins.
New classification of nasal vasculature patterns in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Background Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a disorder characterized by the triad of recurrent epistaxis, telangiectasia, and a family history of the disease. Management of recalcitrant epistaxis in HHT remains a challenging problem for otolaryngologists. The precise coagulation of telangiectasias with the Nd-YAG laser has shown efficacy in the treatment:of HHT-associated epistaxis, but results can be variable and patient selection is critical in ensuring a successful outcome. We propose a new classification of nasal vasculature patterns in HHT as a means for selecting the Nd-YAG laser for photocoagulation treatment. Methods The records of 40 patients who underwent Nd-YAG laser photocoagulation for HHT were reviewed retrospectively. Outcomes after Nd-YAG laser treatment were correlated with three observed nasal vasculature patterns: (I) isolated punctate telangiectasias or individual small arteriovenous malformation; (II) diffuse interconnecting vasculature with "feeder" vessels; and (III) large solitary arteriovenous malformation, which may be associated with scattered telangiectasia. Results Types I and II were the most common vasculature patterns seen in this patient population. Patients with patterns I and III showed greater improvement in epistaxis after Nd-YAG laser photocoagulation. Patients with pattern II fared better with septodermoplasty. Conclusion These findings suggest that analysis of nasal vasculature patterns can improve therapeutic stratification of.patients with HHT. Proper patient selection using this new classification scheme may improve the management of epistaxis in patients with HHT.
Native Advertising Is the New Journalism : How Deception Affects Social Responsibility

Native advertising’s effectiveness lies in its ability to look like content produced by journalists. The potential for deceiving readers and proliferation of native advertising threaten journalism’s credibility along with its core boundary: the separation between editorial and advertising. For the press to function in a normative manner, as a watchdog, contributing to the public’s ability to self-govern, it simply cannot participate in deception. Therefore, 56 qualitative interviews were conducted with journalists, advertising, and public relations executives to examine the extent to which native advertising impedes on the social responsibility of the press. Perspectives revealed that all three professions agreed native advertising raises ethical concerns. Native advertising potentially deceives audiences who are unaware that native advertising is paid, persuasive content versus editorial, thus contributing to the diminishing credibility of journalism. Furthermore, if native advertising is done well, it i...
The Simple Bladder Neck

In the open surgery era, the bladder neck was often the final step of the resection if following a typical retrograde dissection. The balloon was palpated, and cautery used to cut down on the balloon at a site depending upon how much margin was desired. Then the balloon was deflated and the prostate lifted by the catheter at the bladder neck and apical ends. The poster bladder neck was identified and the ureters noted. The final plane could be felt and cauterized through to finish the resection. In this chapter, we consider the task of performing the same steps in an antegrade method, with emphasis on standard anatomic cues that the surgeon must detect with vision rather than palpation.
On the Chermak-Delgado lattices of split metacyclic p-groups

The Chermak–Delgado measure of a subgroup H of a finite group G is defined as mG(H) = |H||CG(H)|. The subgroups with maximal Chermak–Delgado measure form a poset and corresponding lattice, known as the CD-lattice of G. We describe the symmetric nature of CD-lattices in general, and use information about centrally large subgroups to determine the CD-lattices of split metacyclic p-groups in particular. We also describe a rank-symmetric sublattice of the CD-lattice of split metacyclic p-groups.
Religious voluntarism, political individualism, and the secular: nineteenth-century evangelical encounters in the Middle East

ABSTRACTIn 1819, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) began a mission in the Middle East. Though initially the missionaries sought to convert Muslims and Jews to the Christian faith, they soon turned to revitalizing their co-religionists. This puzzling situation of Christians proselytizing other Christians occurred because the two groups of Christians, American and Middle Eastern, held very different cultural and political notions of what that identity meant. In the end, the American mission remained minimally effective at conversion but influential in its secular goals of educating, furthering religious freedom, and modernization. Counter-intuitively, the missionaries’ religious proselytizing became implicated in a kind of secularization.
Teaching Clergy and Religious

The community of clergy and religious orders totals more than 350,000 people in the USA alone (Wells, Probst, McKeown, Mitchem, & Whiejong, 2012), comprising a diverse range of individuals with widely varying professional responsibilities and roles. Churches and religious organizations have varied expectations and requirements for members of the clergy (e.g., celibacy) which can present challenges for the development and maintenance of social support networks. Mindfulness-based programs can provide strategies that assist clergy and members of religious orders in maintaining appropriate forms of self-care and facilitating effective engagement in valued life activities even when intensive time demands and complex roles and responsibilities threaten to reduce opportunities for reflection and contemplation.
The upward spiral: Using neuroscience to reverse the course of depression, one small change at a time, by Alex Korb: New Harbinger Publications, 2015, 225 pp., $16.95 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-62625-120-5

In April, 2015, a few days before the release of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the director of the National Institute of Mental Health announced a ...
A 'Traditional' and 'Behavioral' Law-and-Economics Analysis of Williams v. Walker-Thomas Furniture Company

Williams v. Walker-Thomas Furniture Company is a casebook favorite, taught in virtually every first-year Contract Law class. In the case, the D.C. Circuit holds that courts have the power to deny enforcement of contract terms if the terms are "unconscionable," and it remands the case to the lower court to consider whether the facts of the case meet this standard. This article, written for a session of the 2004 AALS Annual Meeting sponsored by the Contracts Section, analyzes the question that the D.C. Circuit posed to the lower court in Williams - and that Contracts teachers routinely pose to their students - from a "traditional" law-and-economics perspective, and from a "behavioral" law-and-economics perspective.
Alternative Treatment for POEMS Syndrome: A Lazarus Response to Lenalidomide

Introduction: POEMS syndrome is characterized by chronic progressive polyneuropathy (P) with constellation of other symptoms including organomegaly (O), endocrinopathy (E), serum monoclonal protein (M), and skin changes (S). Other features not included in the acronym include sclerotic bone lesions, Castleman disease, papilledema, thrombocytosis, peripheral edema, ascites, fatigue and clubbing. With limited available data, autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant (APBSCT) is probably the mainstay of therapy in good performance status patients. Case Description: A 37 year old male presented to the Mayo clinic with a three year history of progressive severe peripheral neuropathy leaving him wheelchair bound, as well as lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, diabetes, proteinuria, monoclonal gammopathy and hyperpigmentation. Patient also had significant pain from diffuse sclerotic lesions, blurry vision due to papilledema and generalized edema. Based on the above findings, a diagnosis of POEMS was suspected. The diagnosis was confirmed by a biopsy of a left axillary node showing plasma cell Castleman’s disease. Patient’s bone marrow was negative for multiple myeloma and amyloidosis. Patient underwent APBSCT and had a remarkable clinical improvement that persisted over three years. Patient was able to live a normal, active life during those years. After three years, patient developed ascites, massive splenomegaly and pancytopenia. Patient was referred again to our institution for possible splenectomy. On further evaluation, he was found to have significant portal hypertension and underwent TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt) procedure with some improvement in his symptoms. Patient remained in observation for another 18 months but returned oxygen dependent with worsening ascites, peripheral neuropathy, and encephelopathy. Further evaluation confirmed worsening POEMS. Patient’s ECOG performance status was poor therefore repeat APBSCT was not considered an option. Lenalidomide was started at 10mg/day for 21 days of a 28 day cycle with once weekly dexamethasone 40mg. The dose of lenalidomide was gradually increased to standard 25mg dose which the patient tolerated well. By the second month patient was on therapy, his performance status improved to ECOG 1, his ascites and encephalopathy resolved, the splenomegaly improved and he no longer required oxygen. Patient has currently completed a total of 10 cycles and feels as good as 10 months post-APBSCT. The only side effect experienced by the patient is weight gain due to chronic dexamethasone therapy. Dexamethasone was weaned and discontinued after which lenalidomide continued as a single agent. Conclusion:: Lenalidomide is a less toxic but effective alternative treatment for POEMS syndrome. The Lazarus response to the use of lenalidomide supports the principle that POEMS is a cytokine-mediated syndrome
Disorder strengthening of ordered L12 alloys by face centered cubic (A1) precipitates

Abstract We present a new theory of strengthening (disorder strengthening) of a crystallographically ordered L1 2 matrix by spherical, coherent crystallographically disordered fcc (A1) precipitates. There are two versions of the theory, each involving different approximations for the length of the chord, inside the precipitate, subtended by the trailing dislocation in the super-dislocation pair. Each of these versions incorporates two other assumptions involving the statistics of dislocation-precipitate interactions, which determine the average spacing of the precipitates along the super-dislocation. All versions of the theory predict a peak-strength condition at small particle sizes, followed by an extended period of overaging in which the strength decreases slowly with increasing particle size. We compare the quantitative predictions of the theory with both computer-simulated and experimentally generated data on inverse Ni-base γ′-type superalloy matrices strengthened by γ precipitates. In all cases at least one version of the theory is in excellent agreement with the data. The predicted strengthening is significant, the order of 85–110 MPa in the computer simulated results and 40–80 MPa in model precipitation strengthened inverse superalloys containing small volume fractions (≤0.04) of γ precipitates. The results are discussed in light of the statistics of dislocation-precipitate interactions and the resistance of individual γ particles to shearing by the super-dislocation pair; this resistance depends on the ratio of maximum force required to break free of the precipitate and the line tension of the dislocation pair.
Implementing an evidence-based tobacco control program at five 2-1-1 call centers: an evaluation using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

Introduction The Smoke-Free Homes (SFH) Program is an evidence-based intervention offered within 2-1-1 information and referral call centers to promote smoke-free homes in low-income populations. We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to conduct a mixed-methods analysis of facilitators and barriers to scaling up SFH to five 2-1-1 sites in the United States. Methods Data were collected from staff in 2015-2016 via online surveys administered before (N = 120) and after SFH training (N = 101) and after SFH implementation (N = 79). Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted in 2016 with 25 staff to examine attitudes towards SFH, ways local context affected implementation, and unintended benefits and consequences of implementing SFH. Results Post-implementation, 79% of respondents reported that SFH was consistent with their 2-1-1's mission, 70% thought it led to more smoke-free homes in their population, 62% thought it was easy to adapt, and 56% thought participants were satisfied. Composite measures of perceived appropriateness of SFH for 2-1-1 callers and staff positivity toward SFH were significantly lower post-implementation than pre-implementation. In interviews, staff said SFH fit with their 2-1-1's mission but expressed concerns about intervention sustainability, time and resources needed for delivery, and how SFH fit into their workflow. Conclusions Sites' SFH implementation experiences were affected both by demands of intervention delivery and by SFH's perceived effectiveness and fit with organizational mission. Future implementation of SFH and other tobacco control programs should address identified barriers by securing ongoing funding, providing dedicated staff time, and ensuring programs fit with staff workflow. Implications Smoke-free home policies reduce exposure to secondhand smoke. Partnering with social service agencies offers a promising way to scale up evidence-based smoke-free home interventions among low-income populations. We found that the SFH intervention was acceptable and feasible among multiple 2-1-1 delivery sites. There were also significant challenges to implementation, including site workflow, desire to adapt the intervention, time needed for intervention delivery, and financial sustainability. Addressing such challenges will aid future efforts to scale up evidence-based tobacco control interventions to social service agencies such as 2-1-1.
“Thou Hast It Now”: One-on-Ones and the Online Community of Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More

Punchdrunk’s immersive theater project Sleep No More (SNM) is a loose combination of Macbeth and Hitchcock’s films Vertigo and Rebecca; lacking substantial dialogue, it is art installation meets dance meets video game, with audiences free to wander anywhere and﻿ touch anything, as long as they do not speak and wear a mask. But is this amalgamation Shakespeare? This essay uses both academic and popular responses to SNM to argue that while the production is not substantively Shakespeare, it uses one-on-one experiences to prompt participants to reach back to the Shakespearean text, to analyze their experiences, to consider what makes them Shakespearean, and to ponder Shakespeare’s status in their own lives.
Plasticity of Antioxidant Defense Pathways in Response to Aging and Cadmium in Glutathione-Deficient Mice

Maintaining cellular homeostasis is an important determinant of health throughout the lifespan. The Nrf2 (NFE2L2) transcription factor is one of the most important for cellular defense and survival. Nrf2 and its orthologs have been shown to decrease aging associated pathology and increase longevity in a number of species. Two important Nrf2-regulated genes are glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic (GCLC) and modifier (GCLM) subunits, which are critical for the synthesis of the antioxidant glutathione (GSH). Gclm null mice are severely deficient in GSH compared to wild-type mice (~ 10% of WT). To compensate for low GSH, Gclm null mice have increased many Nrf2-regulated genes, and exhibit greater resistance to some but not all stressors. Young Gclm null mice also display a lean phenotype, resistance to high fat diet-induced diabetes and obesity, and improved glucose homeostasis. Since Nrf2 signaling has been reported to attenuate with aging, we hypothesized that older Gclm null mice would display greater susceptibility to exogenous stressors. We challenged Gclm WT, heterozygous and null mice with cadmium (Cd) because of its association with type 2 diabetes in several species, and its canonical role as an oxidative stress-inducing heavy metal. During aging and acute Cd administration, we unexpectedly found that Gclm null mice continue to maintain improved GSH redox, increased Nrf2 target gene expression and inducibility, and improved parameters of glucose homeostasis, relative to Gclm wild-type mice. These surprising findings suggest that chronic adaption to severely compromised GSH levels, likely due to continuous upregulation of Nrf2 mediated responses, persists throughout the lifespan in these mice. Dietary or other interventions that upregulate the Nrf2 pathway could thus improve late-life insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis, and promote an improved healthspan.
Is It My Luck or Loyalty? The Role of Culture on Customer Preferences for Loyalty Reward Types:

Travel companies execute loyalty reward programs to enhance customer retention and loyalty. However, research examining customer loyalty in a cross-cultural setting is scant. To bridge that gap, th...
Inflammasome activation and assembly at a glance

Inflammasomes are multimeric protein complexes that typically comprise a sensor, an adaptor and the zymogen procaspase-1. An inflammasome assembles in response to a diverse range of pathogen-associated or danger-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs or DAMPs). The inflammasome platform leads to activation of caspase-1 through proximity-induced self-cleavage, which further induces maturation of interleukins 1β and 18 (IL-1β and IL-18) through proteolytic cleavage of pro-IL-1β and pro-IL-18. Activated caspase-1 also cleaves gasdermin D, which leads to a particular form of cell death called pyroptosis. Mutations in genes that encode inflammasome components are associated with many inflammatory disorders, and studies in the past decade have highlighted the importance of appropriate activation of the inflammasome in homeostasis and disease pathogenesis. Therefore, much attention is being paid to uncover the modulators and regulators of inflammasome assembly and pyroptosis. This Cell Science at a Glance article and accompanying poster outlines the concepts in the activation of inflammasome sensors and assembly of the inflammasome platform. We also discuss recent insights into the mechanisms of regulation of inflammasome activity and the induction of cell death by pyroptosis.
Understanding item parameters in personality scales: An explanatory item response modeling approach

Abstract Although item parameters are essential in psychometric frameworks, such as item response theory (IRT), few theories are available to guide their psychological interpretation. Moreover, the meaning of item parameters is generally harder to interpret for personality scales than for ability scales. The current study provides a comprehensive way to interpret personality item parameters, Generalized Linear and Nonlinear Models (GLNMMs). The GLNMMs model the effect of item features on psychometric properties, such as item discrimination and item location. Distinct from previous studies which use a two-step approach, the GLNMMs produce smaller standard errors of item features' coefficients, and allow examination of person covariates. The current study examines four item features – negative wording, subtlety, social desirability, and miscomprehension. In general, item discrimination negatively correlated with item subtlety, social desirability, and miscomprehension; item easiness positively correlated with subtlety and miscomprehension, and negatively correlated with negative wording.
J.-Sp. puertas de rey (es) 'royal courts'

The expression puertas de rey (es) , documented in only three versions of a single ballad collected on the Island of Rhodes in 1911, corresponds to Old Spanish puerta del rey 'king's court', which occurs in Calila e Dimna and the Libro de los cient capitulos . The semantic correspondence puerta = corte is known in many Near Eastern languages, both ancient and modern: Classical Arabic bāb al-malik ; Ottoman Turkish qāpu ; Persian and Urdu darbār ; Assyrio-Babilonian bābu ; Hebrew sa'ar and Aramaic ṭĕra' ; Late Egyptian 'ryt ; Old Persian * duvar ; Classical Greek thurai ; North African Latin porta . The Old Spanish form doubtless originated in the Arabic source of Kalila wa-Dimna , while the Judeo-Spanish expression is a semantic caique (loan translation) based on Turkish qāpu , in line with numerous other Turkish and Pan-Balkan influences on Eastern Judeo-Spanish.
MATERIAL ISSUES FOR CURRENT AND ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTOR DESIGNS

In all engineering applications, design and materials together determine the functionality and reliability of a device. This is particularly important in nuclear systems where the materials are pushed to their limits and phenomena not present anywhere else occur. In nuclear systems a combination of high temperature and pressure, stress, corrosive environment and high radiation environment combined causes significant materials challenges. Majority of commercial LWRs today are licensed for 40 years of operation, but many of them undergo lifetime extension to 60 or possibly 80 years. Materials degradation has always been a significant issue. However, due to the lifetime plant extension, finding materials that could sustain prolonged exposure to these extreme conditions has become a significant problem. In addition to the materials challenges in current LWRs, advanced reactors usually deal with even more difficult issues due to their operational requirements. Unusual heat transport media, such as liquid metals, liquid salts or other types of coolants, lead to a whole new set of material challenges. While corrosion has been the main issue, much higher operating temperatures create additional difficulties. In this paper, we present an overview of materials issues for current and advanced nuclear reactor designs.
Molecular characterization of hepatitis C and E viruses

The molecular features of each of the major viruses of non-A, non-B hepatitis, namely hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) are briefly described. The organization of the genome of each of these viruses is discussed and compared to those of other related or distantly related viruses that contain single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genomes. HCV has been tentatively classified as a separate genus within the Flaviviridae, whereas HEV has been loosely associated with caliciviruses and subsequently assigned to the Caliciviridae, although it does possess unique genetic features not found in other caliciviruses.
The relationship between personal epistemology and accountability on critical thinking disposition

The intent of this study was to examme the relationship between personal epistemology, complexity of thought given three different levels of accountability instruction, and critical thinking dispositions. Each of these areas has been examined in the literature separately, but the relationship between them has never been investigated. The participants consisted of 128 undergraduates, 81 female and 47 male, all of whom had earned sbcty or more semester credits and were all enrolled in a required interdisciplinary seminar at a small private liberal arts college in the midwest. Personal epistemology was measured by the Learning Environment Preference (Moore, 1987), which is based on William Perry's stages of intellectual development. The integrative complexity of thought was measured by the Integrative Complexity Code developed by Schroder, Driver, & Streufert (1967). Critical thinking dispositions were measured by the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (Facione, & Facione, 1992). The study was a 2 x 3 factorial design. The data were analyzed using an analysis of variance to compare personal epistemology, complexity of thought, and critical thinking dispositions. Correlations were also computed to examine relationships between demographic variables and the other variables. Significant results showed participants who hold the personal epistemological belief that knowledge is constructed or relativistic have stronger dispositions toward critical
PRUF: a language for the representation of meaning in natural languages

PRUF--an acronym for Possibilistic Relational Universal Fuzzy--is a designation for a novel type of synthetic language which is intended to serve as a target language for the representation of meaning of expressions in a natural language.
Direct Observation of Raman Spectra in Black Phosphorus under Uniaxial Strain Conditions

In this paper, we systematically studied the Raman vibration of black phosphorus (BP) transferred onto a germanium (Ge)-coated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate, which generates a much higher contrast in BP. This engineered flexible substrate allowed us to directly observe a much thinner BP layer on the flexible substrate at the desired location. Therefore, it enabled us to perform Raman spectroscopy immediately after exfoliation. The Raman spectra obtained from several BP layers with different thicknesses revealed that the clear peak shifting rates for the Ag1, B2g, and Ag2 modes were 0.15, 0.11, and 0.11 cm−1/nm, respectively. Using this value to identify a 2–3-layered BP, a study on the strain–Raman spectrum relationship was conducted, with a maximum uniaxial strain of 0.89%. The peak shifting of Ag1, B2g, and Ag2 caused by this uniaxial strain were measured to be 0.86, 0.63, and 0.21 cm−1/Δe, respectively.
Knee Joint Pain

The knee’s numerous strong ligament attachments provide stability throughout its range of motion. Damage to any of these ligamentous structures, either by direct or rotational forces, leads to hallmark pathological knee conditions. Intra-articular injections and nerve blocks are common conservative treatments for knee pain.
Reconsidering the Educational Restructuring Process: An Exercise in Retrospective Sense-Making.

The restructuring movement in American public education has been underway for several years. No longer is it enough, reformers argue, to improve schools as we know them; the very organizations in which teaching and learning are imbedded must be restructured. Yet like so many words associated with reform, restructuring has come to mean everything and nothing. The full significance of the word is often overlooked, its richness lost, as educators and policymakers alike equate any and all change efforts with restructuring. A cursory review of the literature attests to this ambiguity and to the scarcity of conceptual work on the topic. While works on specific restructuring initiatives are prevalent, few focus on the meaning and organizational implications inherent in restructuring efforts. Motivated by this scarcity of conceptual literature, the purpose of this endeavor is to provide both researchers and practitioners a framework for thinking about the restructuring process in educational settings. While not a...
Analysis of the whole process quality control on the management of Biobank

Objective To analyze how to establish a quality control(QC) procedure covering the whole samples process within a hospital. Methods To analyze how the different sample handling stage require specific QC methods according to the processing demond of different stage. Results The QC at the original stage help to select proper sample type of specific disease according to its research purpose. The QC at the process stage help to ensure the proper handling procedure of disease samples according to the biological characteristics, which would provide reliable samples for the research. The feedbacks of sample research results to biobank help the biobank to obtain more understanding and more resource to ensure its sustainable development. Conclusions Analysis of the whole process QC on the management of biobank will facilitate and maintain the biobank with high quality and ultimately support the translational medical research. Key words: Biobank; Quality control; The whole process
Hyperketonemia GWAS and parity-dependent SNP associations in Holstein dairy cows intensively sampled for blood β-hydroxybutyrate concentration

Hyperketonemia (HYK) is a metabolic disorder that affects early postpartum dairy cows; however, there has been limited success in identifying genomic variants contributing to HYK susceptibility. We...
Abstract 5849: Association between annexin-A6 expression and metabolic vulnerabilities of TNBC cells and their response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors

PURPOSE: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and the basal-like TNBC subtype, accounts for ~20% of all breast cancer (BC) cases, and is particularly prevalent in younger patients of African-American and Hispanic descent. The importance of annexin A6 (AnxA6) as a tumor suppressor in various cancers has been widely investigated, but the mechanisms by which AnxA6-induced basal-like triple negative breast cancer progression remain largely unknown. Physiological changes such as hypoxia, metabolic acidosis, and oxidative stress in the tumor microenvironment (TME) during cancer progression endow cancer cells with malignant properties, ultimately leading to metastatic dissemination that remains the major cause of death in cancer patients. By linking the altered expression status of AnxA6, with changes in metabolic output of the tumor cells and the efficacy of the otherwise ineffective epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), these metabolic vulnerabilities can be targeted to attenuate the growth and/or motility of this hard-to-treat breast cancer subtype. DESIGN METHODS: AnxA6-high (BT-549) and AnxA6-low (MDA-468) TNBC cell lines were cultured in hypoxic conditions (94%N2; 1%O2; 5%CO2; 37°C) using a Bactrox Hypoxia Chamber (Terra Universal Inc., Fullerton, CA). TNBC cells were treated with EGFR-TKI Lapatinib (Biovision Inc., Milpitas, CA). RESULTS: We demonstrate that exposure of AnxA6-high (BT-549) and AnxA6-low (MDA-468) TNBC cell lines to acute hypoxia (1% O2; ≤24 hrs.) is associated with down-regulation of AnxA6 while chronic hypoxia (1% O2; >24 hrs.) led to a consistent up-regulation of AnxA6. AnxA6, FABP4, and HIF-1α downstream genes GLUT1 and PGK-1, mRNA levels were upregulated in chronic hypoxic conditions. AnxA6 metabolic studies reveal that contrary to AnxA6-high, down regulation of AnxA6 in TNBC cells increased lactate production, glucose consumption, and ATP-synthesis and lipid metabolism under hypoxia. In addition, chronic hypoxia sensitized TNBC cells to EGFR-TKIs. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the transition from AnxA6-high to AnxA6-low may be dependent on hypoxia in the TME and consequently, TNBC cell survival and resistance to EGFR-targeted therapies. Supported by NIH/NIGMS 1SC1CA211030 (AMS) Citation Format: Stephen D. Williams, Amos M. Sakwe. Association between annexin-A6 expression and metabolic vulnerabilities of TNBC cells and their response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 5849.
Pricing EV charging service with demand charge

Abstract Pricing electric vehicle (EV) charging services is difficult when the electricity tariff includes both time-of-use energy cost and demand charge based on peak power draw. In this paper, we propose a pricing scheme that assigns a session-specific energy price to each charging session at the end of the billing period. The session price precisely captures the costs of energy, demand charge, and infrastructure congestion for which that session is responsible in that month while optimizing the trade-off between inexpensive time-of-use pricing and peak power draw. While our pricing scheme is calculated offline at the end of the billing period, we propose an online scheduling algorithm based on model predictive control to determine charging rates for each EV in real-time. We provide theoretical justification for our proposal and support it with simulations using real data collected from charging facilities at Caltech and JPL. Our simulation results suggest that the online algorithm can approximate the offline optimal reasonably well, e.g., the cost paid by the operator in the online setting is higher than the offline optimal cost by 9.2% and 6.5% at Caltech and JPL respectively. In the case of JPL, congestion rents are enough to cover this increase in costs, while at Caltech, this results in a negligible average loss of $18 per month.
Existence of a leaky dominant mode on microstrip line with an isotropic substrate: theory and measurement

The authors have found that a leaky dominant mode is present at higher frequencies on conventional microstrip line with an isotropic substrate. They have confirmed its existence both theoretically and experimentally. The leaky mode exists independently of, and in addition to, the customary bound dominant mode. This new mode leaks power away from the line into the TM/sub 0/ surface wave supported by the surrounding grounded substrate, and may be responsible for spurious microstrip performance at higher frequencies. This could have important implications for millimeter-wave circuits. >