cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reaction Time and Joint Kinematics During Functional Movement in Recently Concussed Individuals.

Abstract Objective To compare movement reaction time and joint kinematics between athletes with recent concussion and matched control recreational athletes during 3 functional tasks. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Laboratory. Participants College-aged recreational athletes (N=30) comprising 2 groups (15 participants each): (1) recent concussion group (median time since concussion, 126d; range, 28–432d) and (2) age- and sex-matched control group with no recent concussions. Interventions We investigated movement reaction time and joint kinematics during 3 tasks: (1) jump landing, (2) anticipated cut, and (3) unanticipated cut. Main Outcome Measures Reaction time and reaction time cost (jump landing reaction time–cut reaction time/jump landing reaction time×100%), along with trunk, hip, and knee joint angles in the sagittal and frontal planes at initial ground contact. Results There were no reaction time between-group differences, but the control group displayed improved reaction time cost (10.7%) during anticipated cutting compared with the concussed group (0.8%; P =.030). The control group displayed less trunk flexion than the concussed group during the nondominant anticipated cut (5.1° difference; P =.022). There were no other kinematic between-group differences ( P ≥.079). Conclusions We observed subtle reaction time and kinematic differences between individuals with recent concussion and those without concussion more than a month after return to activity after concussion. The clinical interpretation of these findings remains unclear, but may have future implications for postconcussion management and rehabilitation.
Energetic trade-offs and feedbacks between behavior and metabolism influence correlations between pace-of-life attributes

Correlations between behavioral, physiological, and morphological traits linked to life history have been given the label “pace-of-life syndrome” (POLS), hypothesized to arise through variation in the resolution of a trade-off between present and future reproduction. However, other trade-offs over energy allocation may also have effects and influence the present-future trade-off. We analyzed an optimality model of basal metabolic rate (BMR) across variation in food availability and two types of mortality. The model contained three major features: (1) feedback between activity and energy acquisition, (2) links between BMR and the use of energy for other traits, and (3) allocation trade-offs between BMR and all other traits, between activity and defense, and between defense against activity-related risk and activity-independent risk. The model produced an intermediate optimal BMR that was usually highest at an intermediate level of food availability. Food availability and both types of mortality risk interacted to influence the exact value of optimal BMR. Trait correlations expected in the POLS existed under some environmental conditions, but these correlations flipped sign under different conditions and were not always strong. Our model reproduces trait correlations consistent with the POLS, but also generated a “sloppy” syndrome with considerable non-POLS-like variation. In addition, among-individual, non-adaptive variation in BMR produced adjustments of the other traits. These fit a best-of-a-bad job strategy, and the adjustments further weakened trait correlations. The results emphasize that variation in resources and mortality risk creates a diversity of correlation structures. This complexity means the POLS is likely to be a variable construct. Many attributes important for reproduction and survival are associated. Such associations may arise through common physiological processes and correlated selection. We modeled metabolic rate within a system in which foraging behavior both depended on and mediated the acquisition of resources necessary for metabolism, while energy was allocated among multiple attributes. Variation in several environmental variables (food availability and two types of mortality risk) influenced basal metabolic rate, activity, and defenses against mortality risk. This variation affected the correlations between the traits in complex ways. When basal metabolic rate was non-optimal, evolution of the allocation of energy to other traits partially compensated, but this further eroded consistent trait correlations. Our results indicate that complexity in how energy is acquired and used can potentially disrupt trait correlations normally associated with the pace-of-life syndrome.
Single-Party Governments as a Cause and Coalitions as a Consequence of Coups in Turkey

Economic performance under coalition governments, especially under those involving both right- and left-wing parties, is not as good as under single-party governments. Investigating the 1950–2015 period historically, as well as empirically through descriptive statistics and regression analysis, it is shown that such governments in Turkey were created artificially by the military, using coups as a tool to design Turkish politics. The causes and consequences of such interventions are discussed. In particular, it is shown that adverse impacts of coups in Turkey were not restricted to the periods of military rule but continued far into the future through the chain of coalition governments they have engendered.
Spectacular Subjects: Abjection, Agency, and Embodiment in Indra Sinha’s Animal’s People

Through the critical lens of Julia Kristeva’s concept of abjection, this essay analyzes representations of the body in Indra Sinha’s 2007 novel Animal’s People, arguing that such representations encode the author’s conceptions of and responses to the marginalization of environmental justice communities in modern India and the Global South. Reading Sinha’s depictions of the bodies of disaster victims and their allies, I contend Sinha mobilizes the abject as an oppositional mode that offers a possible ground of resistance to neo-colonial configurations of power, configurations produced in part by the pervasive and increasing encroachment of multinational corporations on national sovereignty and individual rights. I also maintain that the bodies of the victims do not tell the whole story of Sinha’s complex response to the plight of these communities. Rather, Sinha also articulates important connections between bodily materiality, corporate personhood, and corporate guilt. Ultimately, I argue, Sinha’s effort ...
Regulation of Bacterial Pathogenesis by Intestinal Short-Chain Fatty Acids

The human gut microbiota is inextricably linked to health and disease. One important function of the commensal organisms living in the intestine is to provide colonization resistance against invading enteric pathogens. Because of the complex nature of the interaction between the microbiota and its host, multiple mechanisms likely contribute to resistance. In this review, we dissect the biological role of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are fermentation end products of the intestinal microbiota, in host–pathogen interactions. SCFA exert an extensive influence on host physiology through nutritional, regulatory, and immunomodulatory functions and can also affect bacterial fitness as a form of acid stress. Moreover, SCFA act as a signal for virulence gene regulation in common enteric pathogens. Taken together, these studies highlight the importance of the chemical environment where the biology of the host, the microbiota, and the pathogen intersects, which provides a basis for designing effective infection prevention and control.
Lightning: Electrical structure of lightning-producing clouds

The basic difficulty in determining how thunderclouds become electrified lies in the fact that they are large, complex, and short-lived phenomena that need to be examined both as a whole and in detail to understand how they function. The electrical processes are intimately related to the cloud dynamics or motions and to the microphysics of the cloud, namely, to the populations and interactions of the precipitation, cloud droplets, ice crystals, and other particles that make up the cloud. P. R. Krehbiel (1986) Introduction The primary source of lightning is the cloud type termed cumulonimbus, commonly referred to as the thundercloud. The term “cumulonimbus cloud” is often used in the literature, although it is redundant. Strictly speaking, not every cumulonimbus produces lightning (e.g., Imyanitov et al. 1971), that is, a thundercloud could be more properly defined as a lightning-producing cumulonimbus. Sometimes the term “thunderstorm” is used as a synonym for thundercloud, although a thunderstorm is usually a system of thunderclouds rather than a single thundercloud. Lightning produced by thunderclouds formed over forest fires or contaminated by smoke is considered in Section 5.2. The electrical properties of clouds other than the cumulonimbus (primarily stratiform clouds) are reviewed in Section 3.3, and further information can be found, for example, in the books by Imyanitov et al. (1971) and by MacGorman and Rust (1998: Chapter 2 and Section 8.4). Lightning-like electrical discharges can also be generated in the ejected material above volcanoes, in sandstorms, and in nuclear explosions (Section 20.7). Clouds on planets other than Earth as potential sources of lightning are discussed in Chapter 16.
SAFE: a statistical algorithm for F0 estimation for both clean and noisy speech.

A novel Statistical Approach for F0 Estimation, SAFE, is proposed to improve the accuracy of F0 tracking under both clean and additive noise conditions. Prominent Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) peaks in speech spectra are robust information source from which F0 can be inferred. A probabilistic framework is proposed to model the effect of additive noise on voiced speech spectra. It is observed that prominent SNR peaks located in the low frequency band are important to F0 estimation, and prominent SNR peaks in the middle and high frequency bands are also useful supplemental information to F0 estimation under noisy conditions, especially babble noise condition. Experiments show that the SAFE algorithm has the lowest Gross Pitch Errors (GPE) compared to prevailing F0 trackers: Get F0, Praat, TEMPO, and YIN, in white and babble noise conditions at low SNRs.
Pattern Regeneration in Coupled Networks

Many organisms such as planaria, axolotls and deer exhibit prodigious regenerative abilities, being capable of regenerating complex organs or entire body plans. An understanding of how these organi...
TCT-488 Risk of Mortality associated with use of mechanical support devices among comatose cardiac arrest patients

The impact of mechanical circulatory assist devices (MCS) has not been well studied in cardiac arrest survivors. We examined the association of MCS with risk of mortality among comatose arrest survivors. This is a retrospective cohort study of 1417 comatose adult cardiac arrest survivors that
Learning through experience: Using design based research to redesign protocols for blended synchronous learning environments

Abstract Blended synchronous environments offer benefits to learners in terms of flexibility, but there are technological and pedagogical challenges in implementing this approach. Protocols, which are highly structured discussion strategies designed to promote trust, equity, and diversity, have the potential to address some of these challenges. This exploratory study used a design based research methodology to iteratively design, implement, and assess a blended synchronous learning environment leveraging the use of protocols in a graduate education course. Across three iterations, a combination of qualitative data collection and analysis procedures were used to examine the influence of protocols on the experiences of the instructor and students in a blended synchronous environment. The findings included several assertions. Students appreciated taking on greater leadership roles through facilitating protocols when they perceived the outcome of their facilitation successful. Students became hyperaware of the time when the technology caused timing issues with the protocols. Trust of the protocol was hindered by the unpredictability of the blended synchronous learning environment. And, deep connections to texts were unachievable due to the multitasking required in blended synchronous settings. These findings resulted in a set of contextualized design propositions that contribute to the literature on both protocols and blended synchronous environments. The propositions included: (a) enabling active participation through distributed roles, (b) creating equity through flexible structures, (c) fostering trust through re-norming, and (d) prompting connections with texts by reducing task complexity.
An Adaptive Hybrid Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm for The Classification Problem

Classification is an important data analysis and data mining technique. Taking into account the comprehensibility of the classifier generated, an adaptive hybrid ant colony optimization algorithm called A_HACO is proposed which can effectively solve classification problem and get the comprehensible classification rules at the same time. The algorithm incorporates the artificial bee colony optimization strategy into the ant colony algorithm. The ant colony global optimization process is used to adaptively select the appropriate rule evaluation function for the data set given. Based on the classification rules obtained, the artificial bee colony optimization strategy is used to tackle the continuous attributes for further optimization of classification rules. This approach is evaluated experimentally using different standard real datasets, and compared with some proposed related classification algorithms. It shows that A_HACO can adaptively select the appropriate rule evaluation function and has better accuracy compared with related works.
May the (Mechanical) Force Be with AT2

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a fatal disease involving destruction of the lung alveolar structure. In this issue of Cell, Wu et al. (2020) show that impaired alveolar (AT2) stem cells produce mechanical tension that leads to spatially regulated fibrosis, initiating a new chapter in understanding what underlies the periphery to center progression of this lung disease.
Model-guided adaptive sampling for Bayesian model selection

We propose an adaptive design for variable selection in Bayesian modeling process. First randomly select some models to evaluate (e.g. by posterior model probability). Using these models, we predict the performance of all models in the candidate pool, based on which more models are selected and evaluated, in which models with good predicted performance or large prediction variances have high probabilities of being selected. Newly sampled models are used to update the performance predictions of candidate models. Repeat the process until informative models are not likely to be left unsampled in terms of the preset model selection criterion. When there are high-dimensional variables, we propose the use of highest-resolution-minimum-aberration-fractional-factorial design to select candidate-model sets to enable inferences on main effects and low-level interactions of variables. Simulations and a real data example have shown that the proposed adaptive design is efficient in finding informative models compared with other variable selection procedures.
Walker Percy’s The Moviegoer, a Signpost for Existentialism’s Reception in the American South

The writings of Walker Percy are an underrecognized and underappreciated part of the reception of existentialism in the United States. They are not common inclusions in anthologies of existentialism, even when selections are drawn from American fiction. For example, Robert Solomon’s Existentialism, which includes selections from Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, Philip Roth’s The Human Stain, and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, excludes Percy. Gordon Marino’s Basic Writings of Existentialism, which fittingly includes a selection from Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, also excludes Percy. Nor are Percy’s works commonly referenced in histories of or commentaries on existentialism. For example, Kevin Aho’s recent Existentialism: An Introduction ignores Percy despite making at least passing references to many American writers, including Chuck Palahniuk, Jack Kerouac, and Ellison. In fact, the scholarship on Percy’s work frequently acknowledges and explores the influence of existentialism on Percy, whose work consistently engaged—sympathetically—the writings of Soren Kierkegaard, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Gabriel Marcel, and—less sympathetically—the writings of Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. So, Percy’s general exclusion from the set of existential literature cannot be defended by citing a lack of connection between him and existentialism. Rather, if the exclusion can be defended, it must be for lack of distinction or importance. This chapter attempts to show that Percy’s work is a distinct and important part of the international reception of existentialism. More specifically, while neither an exhaustive overview of Percy’s reception of existentialism nor a particularly close reading of his novel The Moviegoer, this attempt makes a case for Percy as a distinct and important signpost for the reception of existentialism in the American South.
Chapter 16 – Synthesis of Mass-Exchange Networks: A Mathematical Programming Approach

Publisher Summary This chapter shows how optimization techniques enable designers to simultaneously screen all mass-separating agents (MSAs), even when there are no process MSAs, determine the minimum operating cost (MOC) solution and locate the mass-exchange pinch point, determine the best outlet composition for each MSA, and construct a network of mass exchangers with the least number of units that realize the MOC solution. The objective is to minimize the cost of MSAs that can remove pollutant from waste streams in a thermodynamically feasible manner. Because the flow rates of the MSAs are not known, the objective function as well as the material balances around composition intervals have to be written in terms of these flow rates. The solution of the optimization program determines the optimal flow rate of each MSA. The target compositions are only upper bounds on the outlet compositions and it may be necessary to optimize the outlet compositions. A shortcut method of optimizing the outlet composition is the use of “lean substreams.” Theoretically, an infinite number of substreams should be used to cover the whole composition span of each MSA. However, in practice, few substreams are needed. On the CID, the various substreams are represented against their composition scale. Having identified the values of all the flow rates of lean streams as well as the pinch location, now the number of mass exchangers for an MOC solution can be minimized.
Is There a Self Beyond Identity: An Abstract

In general, past research on identity focuses on group identity and the self as it relates to group identity (Belk 1988; Sheriff 1936; Thompson and Loveland 2015). There is relatively less focus on the distinction between the self and consumption per se and the self and consumption as mediated by identity. In this research, we ask the question, as to whether in the context of consumption, there is a self that is distinct from group identity. We explore how this self may be conceptualized and identify future directions in which this exploration may take place. According to Social Identity Theory, the individual identity “I” is a composite of many group identities “We.” Group identities are the result of categorization processes wherein the individual begins to view her (him) self as a category representative based on a similar perception by other members of the group. An individual typically perceives themselves and is perceived by others to belong to multiple categories and a particular category may be highlighted in a particular consumption context.
Characterization of Thin Film Enabled Engineered Substrate for RF Applications

Engineered substrate enabled by Permalloy (Ni 80 Fe 20 , Py) thin films has been well developed for RF applications with high and tunable permeability and moderate loss. A full investigation on the characteristics of the engineered substrate is presented in this paper. The loss and equivalent permeability generated by the Py patterns are characterized through a microstrip line model. Multiple factors of Py patterns are taken into consideration to define the performance of the engineered substrate, including filling density, thickness, dimensions, and locations. The analytical results give a detailed guideline for the design of engineered substrate.
Application and design considerations for 3'-end sequencing using click-chemistry.

Abstract Over the past 15 years, investigations into alternative polyadenylation (APA) and its function in cellular physiology and pathology have greatly expanded due to the emergent appreciation of its key role in driving transcriptomic diversity. This growth has necessitated the development of new technologies capable of monitoring cleavage and polyadenylation events genome-wide. Advancements in approaches include both the creation of computational tools to re-analyze RNA-seq to identify APA events as well as targeted sequencing approaches customized to focus on the 3′-end of mRNA. Here we describe a streamlined protocol for polyA-Click-seq (PAC-seq), which utilizes click-chemistry to create mRNA 3′-ends sequencing libraries. Importantly, we offer additional considerations not present in our previous protocols including the use of spike-ins, unique molecular identifier primers, and guidance for appropriate depth of PAC-seq. In conjunction with the companion chapter on PolyA-miner ( Yalamanchili et al., 2021 ) to computationally analyze PAC-seq data, we provide a complete experimental pipeline to analyze mRNA 3′-end usage in eukaryotic cells.
A Thoughtful Approach to IONM Outcomes Reporting

To explore how the different types of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM)—namely intermittent (I-IONM) and continuous (C-IONM)—differ from each other and to examine how these differences can affect expected outcomes from IONM. Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is an important surgical tool for assessment of nerve functional status during surgical procedures where a particular nerve is at risk of injury. IONM has evolved especially in the thyroid/parathyroid surgical space. Accurate use of IONM is dependent on correct set-up of the monitoring equipment and on the surgeon’s implementation and responsiveness to the information provided by the equipment. I-IONM and C-IONM are complementary and together facilitate an unparalleled window into intraoperative neural functional integrity. Rate of nerve palsy is not the only outcome to consider when designing a study to define the utility of IONM in surgery. Other outcomes that are important to consider include alterations in surgical decision making based on IONM data including staged surgical approaches and enhanced localization abilities (especially important for I-IONM techniques); temporal course of a nerve injury (especially important for C-IONM); and changes in surgical technique over time induced by intraoperative nerve functional feedback (especially important for C-IONM). The surgical team should be realistic about what they wish to achieve with IONM and choose the form IONM to be used based on these requirements.
The nucleoside antiviral prodrug remdesivir in treating COVID-19 and beyond with interspecies significance

Infectious pandemics result in hundreds and millions of deaths, notable examples of the Spanish Flu, the Black Death and smallpox. The current pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), is unprecedented even in the historical term of pandemics. The unprecedentedness is featured by multiple surges, rapid identification of therapeutic options and accelerated development of vaccines. Remdesivir, originally developed for Ebola viral disease, is the first treatment of COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. As demonstrated by in vitro and preclinical studies, this therapeutic agent is highly potent with a broad spectrum activity against viruses from as many as seven families even cross species. However, randomized controlled trials have failed to confirm the efficacy and safety. Remdesivir improves some clinical signs but not critical parameters such as mortality. This antiviral agent is an ester/phosphorylation prodrug and excessive hydrolysis which increases cellular toxicity. Remdesivir is given intravenously, leading to concentration spikes and likely increasing the potential of hydrolysis-based toxicity. This review has proposed a conceptual framework for improving its efficacy and minimizing toxicity not only for the COVID-19 pandemic but also for future ones caused by remdesivir-sensitive viruses.
Salmonella in Swine: Prevalence, Multidrug Resistance, and Vaccination Strategies.

An estimated 1.3 million Salmonella infections and 420 deaths occur annually in the United States, with an estimated economic burden of $3.7 billion. More than 50% of US swine operations test positive for Salmonella according to the National Animal Health Monitoring System, and 20% of Salmonella from swine are multidrug resistant (resistant to ≥3 antimicrobial classes) as reported by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System. This review on Salmonella in swine addresses the current status of these topics by discussing antimicrobial resistance and metal tolerance in Salmonella and the contribution of horizontal gene transfer. A major challenge in controlling Salmonella is that Salmonella is a foodborne pathogen in humans but is often a commensal in food animals and thereby establishes an asymptomatic reservoir state in such animals, including swine. As food animal production systems continue to expand and antimicrobial usage becomes more limited, the need for Salmonella interventions has intensified. A promising mitigation strategy is vaccination against Salmonella in swine to limit animal, environmental, and food contamination. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, Volume 10 is February 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Max-PIM: Fast and Efficient Max/Min Searching in DRAM

Recently, in-DRAM computing is becoming one promising technique to address the notorious ‘memory-wall’ issue for big data processing. In this work, for the first time, we propose a novel ‘Min/Max-in-memory’ algorithm based on iterative XNOR bit-wise comparison, which supports parallel inmemory searching for minimum and maximum of bulk data stored in DRAM as unsigned & signed integers, fixed-point and floating numbers. We then develop a new processing-in-DRAM architecture, called Max-PIM, that supports complete bit-wise Boolean logic and beyond. Differentiating from prior works, Max-PIM is optimized with one-cycle fast XNOR logicin-DRAM operation and in-memory data transpose, which are heavily used and keys to accelerate the proposed Min/Max-in-memory algorithm efficiently. Extensive experiments of utilizing Max-PIM in big data sorting and graph processing applications show that it could speed up ~ 50X and~ 1000X than GPU and CPU, while only consuming 10% and 1% energy, respectively. Moreover, comparing with recent representative In-DRAM computing platforms, i.e., Ambit [1], DRISA [2], our design could speed up ~ 3X - 10X.
Use of Epidemiology in Risk Assessment

Epidemiology is a branch of public health that evaluates relationships between exposures and adverse outcomes within specific populations. One of the critical areas of environmental and occupational epidemiology is the assessment and evaluation of potential causal associations between exposures of interest and identified adverse outcomes. Epidemiologists rely on a variety of tools to assess this relationship, and epidemiology has very useful applications in the risk assessment process. The integrative use of epidemiology in the risk assessment process not only assists in identifying and evaluating hazards, but it can also be used to better characterize situations and conditions for reducing, eliminating or mitigating the burden of disease through controlling hazardous exposures. Epidemiology (in conjunction with risk assessment) can play an integral role in the formulation of health policy and regulation.
Age influences the relation between subjective valence ratings and emotional word use during autobiographical memory retrieval

Recent research reveals an age-related increase in positive autobiographical memory retrieval using a number of positivity measures, including valence ratings and positive word use. It is currently unclear whether the positivity shift in each of these measures co-occurs, or if age uniquely influences multiple components of autobiographical memory retrieval. The current study examined the correspondence between valence ratings and emotional word use in young and older adults' autobiographical memories. Positive word use in narratives was associated with valence ratings only in young adults' narratives. Older adults' narratives contained a consistent level of positive word use regardless of valence rating, suggesting that positive words and concepts may be chronically accessible to older adults during memory retrieval, regardless of subjective valence. Although a relation between negative word use in narratives and negative valence ratings was apparent in both young and older adults, it was stronger in older adults' narratives. These findings confirm that older adults do vary their word use in accordance with subjective valence, but they do so in a way that is different from young adults. The results also point to a potential dissociation between age-related changes in subjective valence and in positive word use.
Living on the Margins: Minorities and Borderlines in Cambodia and Southeast Asia

Cambodia is undergoing dramatic political, economic and social changes, placing new pressures on minority groups and vulnerable peoples. Some changes are driven by Cambodia's uniquely troubled history. Other forces are global, affecting Cambodia and all other nations in the region. This essay introduces a volume of edited papers presented at an International Conference in Siem Reap, Cambodia, sponsored by the Center for Khmer Studies with the support of the Rockefeller Foundation as part of their Capacity Building in Cambodian Higher Education Program. Important insights can be gained by looking at the lives of those living on the margins. An appreciation of margins, minorities and borderlines teaches a number of object lessons, but it also suggests an enlightening method of analysis. Margins identify fault lines, demarcating borders where powerful tectonic plates rub against each other, whether these plates represent conflicting social institutions or the forces of transcendent, but ill-defined processes like nation-building, economic development or globalization. Engaging the lives of real people caught on these margins can lead to new understandings of the often invisible forces shaping and reshaping Cambodia and the region.The problems of ethnic groups are one concern. Transnational and cross-border influences are creating new challenges and opportunities for ethnic minorities. The Cham and other Muslim communities are reconnecting to international Islam. Labor markets cross national boundaries. Vietnamese migrant workers travel to Cambodia, as Cambodian workers travel to Thailand. International loans, agencies and programs targeting "development," itself an often disruptive cross-border force, are transforming many Cambodian institutions and redefining traditional social margins in the process. This clash of forces is most profoundly felt by the indigenous peoples of the northeast, but the papers also examine other minorities and vulnerable groups who have been systematically denied access to important social resources. Theories of social exclusion teach that the landless, street children, victims of domestic violence and gay and lesbian persons are on the margins of different Cambodian institutions and that borders are not only of a geographic nature.
Stimulation and Blockade of Prostaglandin Biosynthesis

An enzymic system of sheep vesicular gland which forms prostaglandins showed a time-dependent, concentration-dependent activation by phenol before full dioxygenase activity could be manifested. The activation process could be reversibly inhibited by o-phenanthroline. Aspirin and indomethacin did not instantly inhibit the dioxygenase, but acted in a time-dependent, concentration-dependent manner to block full activity of the synthetic system in an irreversible manner. The enzyme preparation was protected from the inhibitory action of these drugs by the presence of o-phenanthroline.
Sporulation of the “Thermophilic Anaerobes.”

A reasonable degree of synchrony in the sporulation of Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum 3814 was obtained by using three 10% transfers of 8-hr cultures in a medium containing 0.5% L-arabinose, 0.5% peptone, 0.5% yeast extract, and Gc minerals. Sporulation was stimulated by L-arabinose and L-xylose, but was repressed by glucose, mannose, fructose, and D-pentoses. Sporulating cells were long and thin, whereas repressed cells were shorter and thicker. The optimal pH for sporulation was in the range of pH 5.0 to 5.5. As sporulation continued, the accumulated acetate decreased. Label studies indicated that a significant amount of acetate-2-C(14) was incorporated into the spore lipid. The calcium, phosphorus, and dipicolinic acid (DPA) concentrations on a dry weight basis were 2.55, 2.60, and 7.25%, respectively. The molar ratio of Ca-DPA was 1.47.
Aridic Soils, Patterned Ground, and Desert Pavements

Pedogenic and geomorphic processes operating in deserts are inextricably linked. These linkages are particularly well expressed in the development of patterned ground and desert pavement. In addition, the nature and efficacy of hydraulic, gravitational, and aeolian processes on desert surfaces are strongly influenced by the physical and chemical characteristics of the underlying soils. As a result, the evolution of a diversity of desert landforms is either directly or indirectly linked to pedogenic processes.
A 4-compartment model based validation of air displacement plethysmography, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, skinfold technique & bio-electrical impedance for measuring body fat in Indian adults

Background & objectives: Many methods are available for measuring body fat of an individual, each having its own advantages and limitations. The primary objective of the present study was to validate body fat estimates from individual methods using the 4-compartment (4C) model as reference. The second objective was to obtain estimates of hydration of fat free mass (FFM) using the 4C model. Methods: The body fat of 39 adults (19 men and 20 women) aged 20-40 yr was estimated using air displacement plethysmography (ADP), dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), 4-skinfold technique and bio-electrical impedance (BIA). Total body water was estimated using isotope dilution method. Results: All the methods underestimated body fat when compared to 4C model, except for DEXA and the mean difference from the reference was lowest for DEXA and ADP. The precision of the fat mass estimated from 4C model using the propagation of error was 0.25 kg, while the mean hydration factor obtained by the 4C model was found to be 0.74 ± 0.02 in the whole group of men and women. Interpretations & conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that DEXA and ADP methods can provide reasonably accurate estimates of body fat, while skinfold and bio-electrical impedance methods require the use of population specific equations.
CASK: a novel dlg/PSD95 homolog with an N-terminal calmodulin-dependent protein kinase domain identified by interaction with neurexins

Neurexins are neuronal cell surface proteins with hundreds of isoforms. In yeast two-hybrid screens for intracellular molecules interacting with different neurexins, we identified a single interacting protein called CASK. CASK is composed of an N-terminal Ca2+, calmodulin- dependent protein kinase sequence and a C-terminal region that is similar to the intercellular junction proteins dlg-A, PSD95/SAP90, SAP97, Z01, and Z02 and that contains DHR-, SH3-, and guanylate kinase domains. CASK is enriched in brain in synaptic plasma membranes but is also detectable at low levels in all tissues tested. The cytoplasmic domains of all three neurexins bind CASK in a salt-labile interaction. In neurexin I, this interaction is dependent on the C-terminal three residues. Thus, CASK is a membrane-associated protein that combines domains found in Ca2+ - activated protein kinases and in proteins specific for intercellular junctions, suggesting that it may be a signaling molecule operating at the plasma membrane, possibly in conjunction with neurexins.
Identification of domains within the ϵ-subunit of the translation initiation factor eIF2B that are necessary for guanine nucleotide exchange activity and eIF2B holoprotein formation

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor, eIF2B, is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) composed of five dissimilar subunits. eIF2B is important for regenerating GTP-bound eIF2 during the initiation process. This event is obligatory for eIF2 to bind initiator methionyl-tRNA, forming the ternary initiation complex. In the current investigation, deletion mutants of the catalytic subunit, eIF2B epsilon, were constructed to identify regions that are necessary for eIF2B catalytic activity and formation of the holoprotein. We used the baculovirus expression system to coexpress wild-type and truncated forms of the epsilon-subunit of mammalian eIF2B (eIF2B epsilon) with the other four subunits (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) of the protein in Sf9 cells. Removal of either the N- or the C-terminal conserved domains of eIF2B epsilon resulted in a significant loss of GEF activity and reduced or abolished interaction with the alpha-, gamma- and delta-subunits of eIF2B. Removal of the C-terminal 552 amino acids of eIF2B epsilon markedly reduced its interaction with the beta-subunit of eIF2 whereas loss of the N-terminal 431 amino acids did not. The results suggest that intact eIF2B epsilon is required for full catalytic activity and formation of the eIF2B holoprotein. In contrast, the C-terminal domain of eIF2B epsilon is sufficient alone for binding the beta-subunit of its substrate, eIF2, in vitro.
Towards Realistic Networks for Simulating Large-Scale Distributed Systems

Research in large-scale distributed systems, such as P2P systems, often relies critically on simulations to validate research results. Though systems such as PlanetLab can be used to test on real networks in some cases, there are still significant practical challenges to evaluating large-scale distributed systems on actual hardware. Actual measured datasets such as the ones measured with King's method also have an important role, but often do not provide enough scale or are not representative of the network for which the research is intended. Typically, in such cases, tools such as GT-ITM are used to generate network topologies for the evaluation simulation. These tools work reasonably well at generating physical topologies that are representative of real systems. The behavior of distributed systems, however, depends not just on the physical topologies, but also the routing policies and other factors that affect latency and bandwidth. These aspects may have a considerable impact on any evaluation performed on the generated network, and can lead to significant differences between simulated performance and actual performance. In particular, triangle inequality violations and path inflation can adversely impact large-scale distributed systems. In this paper, we present techniques and approaches for adding such real-world effects to generated networks, in a parametrized approach. We show the parameters can be varied to generate a variety of networks with different characteristics, and compare them to measured datasets.
Impact of Cytomegalovirus Infection on Organ Transplant Recipients

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the single most important infectious agent affecting recipients of organ transplants, with at least two-thirds of these patients having CMV infection 1-4 months after transplantation. Latently infected allografts are the major exogenous source of CMV infection in transplant recipients, although leukocyte-containing blood products can also transmit the virus. Three patterns of CMV infection are recognized: primary infection, reactivation infection, and superinfection. Primary infection has the greatest clinical impact. The clinical effects of CMV infection include infectious disease syndromes such as pneumonia and chorioretinitis; an immunosuppressed state that predisposes to potentially lethal opportunistic infection; and the initiation of a process that can result in allograft injury. Progress has been made in controlling CMV infection; hyperimmune anti-CMV globulin and certain antiviral drugs appear promising for prophylaxis, and the combination of hyperimmunoglobulin and ganciclovir appears promising for therapy.
Clinical Experience with Image-guided Robotic Radiosurgery (the Cyberknife) in the Treatment of Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors

The Cyberknife is an image-guided “frameless” dedicated radiosurgical device. This instrument has several distinct advantages over frame-based systems, including improved patient comfort, increased treatment degrees of freedom, and the potential to target extracranial lesions. Clinical results thus far with respect to the treatment of malignant intracranial tumors has been promising. Additionally, the Cyberknife will likely revolutionize the application of radiosurgery to extracranial sites. A description of the components, treatment planning, and clinical results of the Cyberknife will be reviewed.
Arrhythmogenic Mechanisms in Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia Linked to RyR2 Loss-of-Function Mutation

To date, classical mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis in CPVT require spontaneous Ca2+ release via hyperactive RyR2 channels affected by gain-of-function mutation. Here, we report novel arrhythmia mechanisms in a CPVT-linked RyR2-A4860G mutation that depresses channel activity. Murine RyR2-A4860G cDNA was expressed in CHO cells to the same level than wild-type (WT), but recombinant RyR2-A4860G protein displayed dramatically reduced channel activity by [3H]ryanodine binding assay and direct single channel activity recording. Mice heterozygous for RyR2-A4860G mutation (RyR2-A4860G+/-) exhibited basal bradycardia without cardiac structural alterations; no homozygotes were detected at birth, indicating the mutation is phenotypically too strong to be harbored in two alleles. Anesthetized RyR2-A4860G+/- mice injected with arrhythmogenic cocktail (120mg/kg caffeine, 2mg/kg epinephrine) displayed ECG alterations of QRT alternans, premature ventricular complexes and bidirectional ventricular tachycardia, while ECGs of WT mice remained uneventful. Simultaneous recording of action potentials (APs) and [Ca2+]i transients in isoproterenol-stimulated RyR2-A4860G+/- ventricular myocytes showed prolonged APs and interspaced bursts of altered Ca2+ release consisting of normal peak followed by a second, prolonged phase of release. Remarkably, early afterdepolarizations (EADs) were observed only during the prolonged phase of Ca2+ release, and were abolished by NCX inhibitor CB-DMB or intracellular Ca2+ chelator EGTA. SR Ca2+ load was higher in RyR2-A4860G+/- cells before EADs but decreased to levels comparable to WT after EADs. Simultaneous recording of ICa,L and [Ca2+]i transients showed decreased transient amplitude and prolonged Ca2+-dependent-inactivation of ICa,L in RyR2-A4860G+/- cells. In conclusion, RyR2-A4860G loss-of-function mutation decreases Ca2+ release amplitude and impairs ICa,L inactivation, both of which gradually overload SR. The resultant SR overload then causes bursts of prolonged Ca2+ release, activating electrogenic NCX activity during APs and triggering EADs. The RyR2-A4860G mutation reveals novel pathways by which RyR2 channels engage membrane currents to produce life-threatening arrhythmias.
Saturation behavior of superoxide dismutation catalyzed by the iron containing superoxide dismutase of E. coli B

Summary The iron containing superoxide dismutase from E. coli B is shown to catalyze superoxide dismutation by a mechanism which exhibits saturation kinetics. This behavior is quite different from that observed previously with bovine Zn/Cu- and iron-containing superoxide dismutase from P. leiognathi . Two parameters of catalysis were measured in the pH range 7.2 to 10.4: kcat was found to be independent of pH and Km varied with the function Km = Km(low pH) [1 + exp(pH — 8.8)]. These results implicate a group in the catalytic mechanism which ionizes with pKa = 8.8.
The bitter taste of infection

The human innate immune response to pathogens is complex, and it has been difficult to establish the contribution of epithelial signaling in the prevention of upper respiratory tract infection. The prevalence of chronic sinusitis in the absence of systemic immune defects indicates that there may be local defects in innate immunity associated with such mucosal infections. In this issue of the JCI, Cohen and colleagues investigate the role of the bitter taste receptors in airway epithelial cells, and find that these are critical to sensing the presence of invading pathogens.
The acoustic startle response as a measure of behavioral dependence in rats.

A series of experiments was conducted to assess the sensitivity of the acoustic startle response to chronic morphine administration and naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. Rats were implanted with two subcutaneous pellets containing either 75 mg each of morphine or containing only placebo. In experiment 1, withdrawal induced by 0.05–0.2 mg/kg naloxone dose-dependently decreased the magnitude of the startle response. Physical dependence was confirmed by a naloxone-induced acute weight loss seen in morphine-implanted rats, but naloxone had no effect on startle or body weight in nondependent animals. In experiment 2, a modified procedure with fewer trials per session and fewer test days was employed. Naloxone (0.2 mg/kg) given 4–5 days after implantation induced large startle-response decreases in morphine-dependent rats while having no effect in placebo-implanted rats. Post-naloxone saline tests revealed no significant differences in startle between morphine and placebo groups. Startle scores were significantly higher in morphine-implanted rats than in placebo rats during a saline test given 3 days following pellet implantation. In a separate group of animals, however, acute IP injections of morphine from 0.3–10 mg/kg had no significant effect on startle amplitude. The effect of repeated pairings of withdrawal with the startle environment was assessed in experiment 3. Morphine-dependent rats startled significantly less if naloxone injections were given before the startle session than if they were administered 4 h later. Conditioned withdrawal effects, expressed during a final test session when all rats received saline, were observed for the body-weight measure but not for the startle response. These results suggest that the acoustic startle response may be a useful objective measure in evaluating physical dependence produced by substances of abuse.