cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reimagining What We Measure in Atherosclerosis—a “Phenotype Stack”

The term phenotype is so commonly used that we often assume that we each mean the same thing. The general definition, the set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of their genotype with the environment, is often left to the eye of the beholder. Whether applied to the multiple levels of biological phenomena or the intact human being, our ability to characterize, classify, and analyze phenotype has been limited by measurement deficits, computing limitations, and a culture that avoids the generalizable. With the advent of modern technology, there is the potential for a revolution in phenotyping, which incorporates old and new in structured ways to dramatically advance basic understanding of biology and behavior and to lead to major improvements in clinical care and public health. This revolution in how we think about phenotypes will require a radical change in the scale at which biomedicine operates with significant changes in the unit of action, which will have far-reaching implications for how care, translation, and discovery are implemented.
Race-based and sex-based differences in bioactive lipid mediators after myocardial infarction.

Aims Leucocyte-directed specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) are essential for cardiac repair, and their biosynthesis coincides with the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators; however, the precise quantitation during an acute myocardial infarction (MI) event is poorly understood in race-specific and sex-specific manner. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the USA. Although the prevalence of coronary heart disease is similar between Black and White patients, cardiovascular events (including MI), rehospitalization, and mortality are disproportionately higher in Black patients. Therefore, understanding differences in inflammation and resolution can enable the development of predictive, personalized, and precise treatment and attenuate sex/racial disparities. Thus, herein, we assess differences in bioactive lipids and SPMs, between Black and White patients experiencing an acute MI. Methods and results From the PRiME-GGAT cohort, we collected plasma after MI within 24-48 h from 22 Black (15 male and 7 female) and 31 White (23 male and 8 female) subjects for a comparative race-based and sex-based analyses. MI was confirmed using a biochemical measurement of plasma troponin and ST elevation. Plasma levels of three essential polyunsaturated fatty acids [arachidonic acid (AA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)] and a set of 40 bioactive lipid mediators with major emphasis on SPMs were quantified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. AA and DHA were higher in White male and female patients, and EPA was noted higher only in White male patients compared with White female and Black male and female patients. Lipoxygenase-mediated AA-derived 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (29-63%) and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (3-9%) and DHA-derived 17-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid (3-22%) and 14-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid (7-10%) were major bioactive lipid mediators in plasma. The SPM signature resolvin E1 was significantly lower in Black patients compared with White male and female patients, whereas protectin D1 was lower in White male patients compared with White female and Black male and female patients. Conclusion Our comparative analyses of fatty acids and respective cyclooxygenase-derived and lipoxygenase-derived SPM signatures capture the heterogeneity of disease pathology and elucidate potential mechanisms underlying sex-based and race-based differences following MI.
Economic Rivalry and Global War

Systemic wars mean many things to different analysts. Complex affairs lend themselves to a variety of interpretations—many of which may be plausible. Rather than attempting to sort out the analytical disarray, I propose to add to the interpretative cacophony (and the complexity) by stressing a feature of systemic wars that is often underappreciated. Systemic wars uniformly involve commercial/economic rivalries, have done so since the emergence of the global war format in 1494, and may well continue to do so into the immediate future. In particular, the effects of economic interdependence have been mixed. Conflicts may be constrained in some instances, but they can also be aggravated by the inherent natures of commercial exchange and industrial production. Singled out as particularly problematic in the past 500 years are tendencies toward closed markets, sectoral development similarities, access to raw materials, and perceived unfair practices—all of which have tended to promote intense conflict among major economic actors. Combinations of the four also have the potential to overwhelm any conflict constraining effects of economic interdependence. An analysis of the five global wars since the end of the fifteenth century suggests significant roles for these factors in a variety of combinations as causes for either war or war duration.
Lights, Camera, Education in Action!: Creating video discharge instructions to improve patient and caretaker knowledge of concussions in the pediatric emergency department

Background: From Instagram stories to viral YouTube clips, short and easily-shareable videos are now ubiquitous. By learning how to create like content, pediatric providers can better educate patients and caregivers on various diagnoses. Concussions frequently present to the pediatric emergency department (ED) immediately after injury. Studies have shown that, due to common misconceptions and media misrepresentations, many pediatric patients and caregivers are unable to identify the symptoms of a concussion and perceive concussions to be non-severe injuries. Video discharge instructions (VDI) may serve as an important educational tool …
Overwintering behavior reduces mortality for a terrestrial turtle in forests managed with prescribed fire

Abstract Prescribed fire is an essential management practice in pyrogenic ecosystems, but fire can also be a significant disturbance and source of mortality for both target and non-target species. Seasonal periods of animal inactivity may provide opportunities to design burn plans that minimize negative impacts to species of conservation concern, but few studies have rigorously examined this possibility. Using radiotelemetry, we studied overwintering behavior and interactions with fire in a forest-dwelling terrestrial turtle, the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina), over an eight-year period at two sites that use prescribed fire in forest management. Turtles at both sites selected predominantly hardwood forests and mesic habitats and avoided upland pine forests. Turtles buried deepest (2.9 – 3.2 cm) below the soil-litter interface in late February and then moved gradually shallower until emergence in early April. Emergence timing varied over a 58-day period, but was consistent within individuals from year to year. Turtles also maintained fidelity to refuge locations, but those overwintering in burned areas selected sites over twice as far from refuges used in previous years compared to those in unburned areas. The areas and habitats selected by turtles during winter served as refugia from fire, and those whose refuges did burn remained buffered from lethal temperatures even at shallow burial depths. The only fire-related injury or mortality occurred during seasons of surface activity. Timing burning and other forest management practices during periods of winter dormancy may thus minimize threats to turtle populations, but modifications to prescribed fire regimes must also be balanced with other management objectives.
Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric, Deteriorating Health Access, and COVID-19 in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas

The Rio Grande Valley of Texas has an exceptionally high number of COVID-19 cases and case fatality rate. The region makes up only 3% of the Texas population but, as of April 2021, accounted for 9% of the state's COVID-19 deaths. Additionally, during the summer of 2020, the Rio Grande Valley had one of the highest per capita infection rates in the United States. This paper explores the social-ecological elements that impact health-seeking behaviors in this community using interviews conducted with healthcare personnel and nonprofit leaders in the Rio Grande Valley between 2019 and 2020. Using this data, we found that anti-immigrant rhetoric has increased levels of fear among immigrants and mixed-status families, which has made them less willing to access healthcare. Additionally, we found that changes in the public charge rule has led to a decreasing number of children accessing government-provided health insurance. Our findings suggest that these outcomes likely contributed to the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Rio Grande Valley.
Effects of climate engineering on agriculture

Climate engineering can alter the radiation budget in different ways than greenhouse gases and possibly benefit crop yields.
Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome developing after an erenumab injection for migraine prevention

Background Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome is normally triggered by vasoactive compounds or illicit drugs. A new type of migraine preventive medication blocks calcitonin gene-related peptide utilizing monoclonal antibodies. Calcitonin gene-related peptide is a potent vasodilator for the cerebrovascular system. Could blocking calcitonin gene-related peptide be a trigger for cerebral artery vasospasm in patients susceptible to developing reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (migraine patients) or in individuals using vasoactive compounds? We present a case of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome occurring after calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibody treatment. Case report A 43-year -old woman with a history of episodic migraine developed an acute headache with orgasm two days after taking her second injection of erenumab. Ten days after erenumab injection she developed a thunderclap headache while completing a high intensity workout. These new headaches were only left sided. Computed tomography angiography demonstrated mild to moderate areas of narrowing involving the left middle and anterior cerebral arteries, concerning for reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. She denied exposure to any known reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome precipitant medication or illicit drugs. She did endorse recent exposure to high altitude prior to erenumab therapy. She was started on verapamil 40 mg three times per day and her headache ceased within 24 h of initiating treatment. A repeat CT angiogram completed 4 weeks after the initial study noted resolution of the areas of vessel stenosis. Conclusion A case of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome developing after treatment with a calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibody is presented. The timing of the new type of headache occurring 2 days post erenumab injection suggests a possible cause and effect relationship. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome as a possible treatment-related complication to the usage of calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibodies needs to be studied further.
Acute intermittent hypoxia and respiratory muscle recruitment in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A preliminary study

Abstract Respiratory failure is the main cause of death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Since no effective treatments to preserve independent breathing are available, there is a critical need for new therapies to preserve or restore breathing ability. Since acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) elicits spinal respiratory motor plasticity in rodent ALS models, and may restore breathing ability in people with ALS, we performed a proof-of-principle study to investigate this possibility in ALS patients. Quiet breathing, sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) and maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) were tested in 13 persons with ALS and 10 age-matched controls, before and 60 min post-AIH (15, 1 min episodes of 10% O2, 2 min normoxic intervals) or sham AIH (continuous normoxia). The root mean square (RMS) of the right and left diaphragm, 2nd parasternal, scalene and sternocleidomastoid muscles were monitored. A vector analysis was used to calculate summated vector magnitude (Mag) and similarity index (SI) of collective EMG activity during quiet breathing, SNIP and MIP maneuvers. AIH facilitated tidal volume and minute ventilation (treatment main effects: p
Long-term Impact of Contact Precautions Cessation for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).

Abstract Background: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Contact isolation has been traditionally implemented to stop transmission but its impact is increasingly questioned. Methods: A single center, retrospective, nonrandomized, observational, quasi-experimental study compared MRSA HAI rates between pre-/post discontinuation of MRSA contact isolation in a tertiary university hospital over 68 months. Data on primary outcomes, Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and MRSA LabID bacteremia events, were analyzed by interrupted time series design using segmented Poisson regression modeling. As secondary outcomes catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), surgical site infections (SSI) and hospital-associated pneumonia (HAP) were compared using Fisher's exact tests. Current savings due to discontinuation were calculated based on gown use. Results: 295 patients developed 399 HAIs. Infection rates between pre- and post-interventions were as follows: CLABSI: (0.02% vs. 0.02%; p-value= 0.64), MRSA LabID events: (0.01% vs. 0.02%; p-value= 0.32), HAP: (0.01% vs. 0.01%; p-value=0.64), CAUTI: (0% vs. 0.01%; p-value=0.56), VAP: (0.01% vs. 0.01%; p-value=0.32), SSI (0.55% vs. 0.15%; p-value= 0.03). Savings amount to $139,228 annually. Conclusion: Discontinuing CP did not negatively impact endemic MRSA HAI rates between pre-post discontinuation periods and saved costs for isolation materials.
Drawing and serializing graphs

Graphs tend to be inherently complex and correspondingly challenging to represent visually. Sometimes the process of analyzing a graph involves an ad hoc pipeline of tools and techniques. This necessitates that there be a way to represent the data that constitutes a graph in a standard format suitable for interchange between tools. As with RDF, there are a number of serialization formats for graph data. In this chapter, we will explore two topics. First, the general task of representing the data that describes nodes and edges without regard to any specific layout. Serializations may differ in syntax, but in essence they are just lists of nodes and some means to indicate whether, and in what direction, an edge exists between them. XML and JSON figure prominently among graph serialization formats. The remainder of this chapter is concerned with graph drawing and graph visualization tools. Graph serializations encode the model and its data. By itself, this data is incomprehensible to a human. But a human can make sense of a visualization of a graph. A graph can be drawn in many ways: a lattice, hierarchically, a random tangle, spread out according to rules that mimic gravity or magnetic attraction, fanned out in a circle, or represented in a 3D model that you could spin and fly around in. Interactivity, graph analytics, and the ability to filter nodes and edges play an important role in comprehending a visualization of a graph.
Methane seep ecosystem functions and services from a recently discovered southern California seep

The recent discovery of a methane seep with diverse microhabitats and abundant groundfish in the San Diego Trough (1020 m) off the coast of Del Mar, California raised questions about the role of seep ecosystem functions and services in relation to continental margins. We used multicorer and ROV grab samples and an ROV survey to characterize macrofaunal structure, diversity, and trophic patterns in soft sediments and authigenic carbonates; seep microhabitats and taxa observed; and the abundance and spatial patterns of fishery-relevant species. Biogenic microhabitats near the Del Mar Seep included microbially precipitated carbonate boulders, bacterial mats, vesicomyid clam beds, frenulate and ampharetid beds, vestimentiferan tubeworm clumps, and fields of Bathysiphon filiformis tubes. Macrofaunal abundance increased and mean faunal δ13C signatures decreased in multicorer samples nearer the seep, suggesting that chemosynthetic production enhanced animal densities outside the seep center. Polychaetes dominated sediments, and ampharetids became especially abundant near microbial mats, while gastropods, hydroids, and sponges dominated carbonate rocks. A wide range of stable isotopic signatures reflected the diversity of microhabitats, and methane-derived carbon was the most prevalent source of nutrition for several taxa, especially those associated with carbonates. Megafaunal species living near the seep included longspine thornyhead (Sebastolobus altivelis), Pacific dover sole (Microstomus pacificus), and lithodid crabs (Paralomis verrilli), which represent targets for demersal fisheries. Sebastolobus altivelis was especially abundant (6.5–8.2 fish·100 m−2) and appeared to aggregate near the most active seep microhabitats. The Del Mar Methane Seep, like many others along the world's continental margins, exhibits diverse ecosystem functions and enhances regional diversity. Seeps such as this one may also contribute ecosystem services if they provide habitat for fishery species, export production to support margin food webs, and serve as sinks for methane-derived carbon.
A Note on the Correspondence Between Complexity and Systems Theory

Complexity theory shares a common vocabulary with systems theory. Terms such as emergence, complexity, and adaptation appear in both traditions. Despite the similarities, complexity theory is not a misnomer for systems theory. Several points of departure exist in complexity's research agenda and methods. Moreover, while systems theory appears to have embraced interpretivist and critical philosophies, complexity theory remains firmly in the positivist camp, despite claims that it is a postmodern science.
The Economics and Sociality of Sharing Intellectual Property

Intellectual property law assumes that people need monetary incentives to create; to this end, it enables the formation of markets for intellectual works. Remarkably, however, sharing — i.e., socially mediated gifting without any expectation of payment — may work much better than markets for distributing the bulk of intellectual property. This Article explains why. While markets work by using money as the medium of exchange, money is actually a poor incentive for creative labors. Emerging research shows that payment in the currency of gratitude and social validation is a far more effective form of encouragement, and it is something sharing is exquisitely adapted to provide. In addition, sharing can offer a surprising efficiency advantage over markets by lowering net transaction costs.Despite its virtues, sharing of intellectual property rights has received scant attention in the literature. Thus, this Article provides a comprehensive account of intellectual property sharing, explaining what motivates people to share, how sharing compares to markets, what barriers may inhibit sharing, and how to overcome those barriers.The analysis provided here yields a variety of insights about the functioning of real-world transactional systems that deal in intellectual property entitlements. For example, the contemporary stock photography market appears to thrive despite the fact that most photographers receive only negligible remuneration. This Article resolves the paradox by showing that this “market” is better characterized as a dysfunctional sharing scheme — one that could be made more efficient by being transformed into an explicitly social, non-monetary enterprise. In addition, this Article examines Creative Commons, a nonprofit program that offers a suite of formal, standardized licenses to surrender selected copyright entitlements. This Article uncovers how the design of Creative Commons is not aligned with people’s natural motivations to share, but how, with some modification, it could be. Finally, this Article puts forward a different model for the distribution of rights to intellectual works: informal person-to-person sharing, which has great potential to build our society’s creative wealth.
System design for vehicle applications: GM/opel

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) offer the promise of low or emissions-free, high efficiency vehicle power trains. However, many challenges and trade-offs are inherent in the adoption of the PEMFC stack to a complete production automotive system. In this chapter, major vehicle requirements are considered. A brief survey of the characteristics of direct hydrogen fuel cell systems, some permutations to the basic system and the options available to a system designer, as well as a more detailed discussion of some of the key trade-offs, are presented. Keywords: automotive; applications; proton exchange membrane fuel cells; system design; system efficiency; thermal management; water management; air management
Periodic Table: Trends in the Properties of the Elements

The article gives examples of trends in properties of the elements, their ions, and their compounds, which can usefully be examined from the perspective of the periodic table as a whole, rather than by looking at one group of elements (or even individual elements) at a time. The properties discussed are those of great interest not only to inorganic chemists but also to research workers in allied fields, such as the other branches of chemistry, medicinal chemistry, environmental science, agricultural and geochemistry, industrial chemistry and safety, metallurgy, materials science, and surface chemistry. These trends can be organized, explained, and predicted on the basis of a small set of parameters of the elements and their ions, most notably the sizes of the ions, their charges (or oxidation numbers), and the Pauling electronegativities of the elements. Trends are emphasized in acid–base reactivity, precipitation and solubility trends, coordination chemistry, oxidation–reduction chemistry, and physical properties of the elements and their compounds. Much acid–base and precipitation chemistry can be predicted after calculating the pKa values of cations and the pKb values of anions, or simply predicting to which of the six acidity and basicity categories an ion belongs. Generally very useful in coordination chemistry are the chelate and macrocyclic effects and the Hard–Soft Acid–Base (HSAB) Principle. Oxidation–reduction chemistry of the elements can be summarized graphically in the form of Pourbaix diagrams or by redox predominance diagrams where the pH is set at the standard pH value of zero. Among physical properties, perhaps the most important for applications in materials science is whether a compound that might be synthesized is a solid with an extended structure; methods are given for predicting this on the basis of the radius ratios of the cations and anions (at least formally) contained in the compound. One physical property, metallic conduction, is discussed in further detail. As an example of chemical properties, trends in the acidity and basicity of oxides of the elements are discussed. Keywords: periodic trends; electronegativity; solubility; oxidation–reduction; materials; metallic properties; Pourbaix diagrams; acidity; basicity; coordination number; oxo anions; relativistic; Slater's rules
Regulation of hematopoiesis II: the role of polyamine inhibition on helper or suppressor influences of the thymus.

We have previously suggested in murine model systems, that two cell subpopulations with differing proliferative capacity, from the thymus, modify the growth of erythroid progenitor cells in vitro. In order to further characterize these populations, we have specifically inhibited polyamine biosynthesis; this pathway is essential for the process of cell replication. Thus, alpha-difluoromethyl ornithine (DFMO) was used to block the conversion of ornithine to putrescine, the first and rate- limiting step in polyamine biosynthesis. We observed a threefold increase in hematopoietic progenitors (CFU-S and CFU-E) from bone marrow in animals treated with DFMO. We further examined the effect of DFMO on accessory “helper” and “suppressor” cells from the thymus and observed an increase in helper activity with an elimination of suppressor activity. All of these effects of DFMO were specific for inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis, since simultaneous addition of the depleted biosynthetic product, putrescine, restored suppressor activity. We conclude that polyamine biosynthesis is required acutely for accessory cell regulation of hematopoiesis.
Materialisation Forecasting: A Data Mining Perspective

Have you ever wondered why airlines overbook planes? Or have you wondered why seat prices seem extremely variable, almost to the extent that you feel you could name the price? All of these facts come from dealing with a perishable commodity.
A conceptual design of Final Focus Systems for linear colliders

As a summary, a “cookbook” solution for designing SLC type systems is given below as a guide to the reader.
Synthesis of Proteins and Glycoproteins in Cells Infected with Human Cytomegalovirus

Abstract In cytomegalovirus-infected cells, the rate of protein synthesis was detected as two peaks. One occurred during the early phase of infection, 0 to 36 h postinfection, and the other occurred during the late phase, after the initiation of viral DNA synthesis. Double-isotopic-label difference analysis demonstrated that host and viral proteins were synthesized simultaneously during both phases. In the early phase, approximately 70 to 90% of the total proteins synthesized were host proteins, whereas approximately 10 to 30% were viral, even at a multiplicity of infection of 20 PFU/cell. Virus-related proteins or glycoproteins were referred to as infected-cell specific (ICS). Two ICS glycoproteins (gp145 and 100) were clearly detectable and were synthesized preferentially in the early phase of infection. Their synthesis was concomitant with stimulation of the protein synthesis rate. In the late phase of infection, approximately 50 to 60% of the total protein synthesis was viral and approximately 40 to 50% was host. The ICS proteins and glycoproteins detected during the late phase of infection were viral structural proteins. Infectious virus was not detectable until 48 to 72 h postinfection. An inhibitor of viral DNA synthesis, phosphonoacetic acid, prevented the appearance of the late-phase ICS proteins and glycoproteins, but there was little or no effect on early ICS glycoprotein synthesis. Radiolabeled ICS proteins and glycoproteins were identified by their relative rates of synthesis, by their different electrophoretic mobilities compared with those of host proteins and host glycoproteins, and by their similar electrophoretic mobilities compared to those of proteins and glycoproteins associated with virions and dense bodies of cytomegalovirus. Structural viral antigens in the infected-cell extracts were removed by immunoprecipitation, using F(ab′)2 fragments of cytomegalovirus-specific antibodies, and identified as described above. The last two criteria were used to identify viral structural ICS proteins and glycoproteins. Although approximately 35 structural proteins were found to be associated with purified virions and dense bodies, the continued synthesis of host cell proteins complicated their identification in infected cells. Nevertheless, seven of the nine structural glycoproteins were identified as ICS glycoproteins.
The Dialogue of Classical and Devotional Cultures in El Greco's Laocoön of Toledo

El Greco’s Laocoon and his Sons (ca. 1610–1614) illustrates a range of highly original pictorial choices that adhere to the Christian humanist thought flourishing in late sixteenth-century Toledo. El Greco painted his Laocoon at approximately the same time as Toledo’s humanist and Jesuit theologian Luis de la Cerda (1558–1643) published his erudite commentary on Virgil’s Aeneid , which dramatizes the Laocoon story and Troy’s destruction for moral emphasis. Whereas Cerda stressed the historical terms of the unity of classical and Christian principles as the core of his ethical construction of priesthood, El Greco instead expressed that a conjunction of classically-derived models, engravings, and sixth-century icon-portraits reaffirmed the Laocoon story in Toledo according to the mysteries of devotional art.
Insect herbivory and vertebrate grazing impact food limitation and grasshopper populations during a severe outbreak

1. Competition between herbivores often plays an important role in population ecology and appears strongest when densities are high or plant production is low. Phytophagous insects are often highly abundant, but relatively few experiments have examined competition between vertebrates and phytophagous insects. 2. In grassland systems worldwide, grasshoppers are often the dominant phytophagous insect, and livestock grazing is a dominant land use. For this study, a novel experiment was conducted examining competition between vertebrates and invertebrates, where both grasshopper densities and sheep grazing were manipulated inside 10-m2 caged mesocosms during a grasshopper outbreak. We examined how grasshopper densities and the timing of vertebrate herbivory affected grasshopper densities, if the effects of vertebrates on survival and reproduction changed with grasshopper density, and how a naturally occurring grasshopper outbreak affected grasshopper populations in the following year. 3. Densities of grasshoppers at the site peaked at 130 m–2. Food-limited competition was stronger in treatments with higher grasshopper densities and repeated or late livestock herbivory, leading to reduced survival, femur length, and functional ovarioles, a measure of future reproduction. Strong food-limited density-dependent reproduction and survival led to reduced hatching densities in 2001. 4. As competition was typically stronger with high grasshopper densities than with livestock grazing, competition from vertebrates could be relatively less important for phytophagous insect population dynamics during outbreaks. The experiment provides insights into how competition between insect and vertebrate herbivores influences insect population dynamics, and indicates that severe outbreaks can rapidly subside with strong competition from vertebrate and insect herbivores.
Hierarchically consistent test problems for genetic algorithms

The building-block hypothesis suggests that the genetic algorithm (GA) will perform well when it is able to identify above-average-fitness low-order schemata and recombine them to produce higher-order schemata of higher fitness. We suppose that the recombinative process continues recursively, combining schemata of successively higher orders as search progresses. Historically, attempts to illustrate this intuitively straight-forward process on abstract test problems, most notably the Royal Road problems, have been somewhat perplexing. More recent building-block test problems have abandoned the multi-level hierarchical structure of the Royal Roads, and thus departed from the original recursive aspects of the hypothesis. This paper defines the concept of hierarchical consistency, which captures the recursive nature of problems implied by the building-block hypothesis. We introduce several variants of problems that are hierarchically consistent and begin to explore aspects of problem difficulty with respect to these models.
Toxoplasma gondii Interferes with Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Activation by Mechanisms Distinct from Endotoxin Tolerance

We show in this study that Toxoplasma gondii infection induces rapid activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase MAPK, followed promptly by their deactivation in mouse macrophages. Nevertheless, when infected cells were subsequently subjected to LPS triggering, MAPK activation was severely defective, in particular in the case of p38 MAPK, which is required for LPS-triggered TNF-alpha and IL-12 production. Similar effects occurred during endotoxin tolerance, but the phenomena were distinct. LPS pretriggering failed to activate the major p38 MAPK kinase, MAPK kinase 3/6. Toxoplasma infection, in contrast, resulted in sustained activation of this kinase. Furthermore, endotoxin pre-exposure blocked IkappaBalpha degradation upon subsequent LPS triggering, but this was not the case for Toxoplasma preinfection. Endotoxin-mediated down-regulation of the LPS receptor, Toll-like receptor 4, has been suggested as one possible mechanism contributing to tolerance, and we found in this study that LPS down-modulated Toll-like receptor 4 expression. In contrast, Toxoplasma infection induced up-regulation of this pattern recognition receptor. Our results show that T. gondii blocks LPS-triggered cytokine production in part through MAPK inactivation, and that this occurs through pathways distinct from endotoxin-induced tolerance.
Hematological and serum biochemical indices in healthy bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata).

Background Blood reference values for bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) are limited. The goal of this study was to determine reference ranges for hematological and serum biochemical indices in healthy, socially housed bonnet macaques for males and females over a range of ages.
Synthesis of Carbonated Vernonia Oil

The research objective was to determine whether naturally occurring epoxy functional vernonia oil would result in lower viscosity compounds after converting the virgin oil into the cyclic carbonate using supercritical carbon dioxide as the reactant. The cyclic carbonate was produced using relatively mild conditions as described in the paper. Carbonated vernonia oil retains the characteristic low viscosity of vernonia oil, and offers potential as a valuable, biobased intermediate for synthesizing low viscosity resins.
Ldb1 complexes: the new master regulators of erythroid gene transcription

Elucidation of the genetic pathways that control red blood cell development has been a central goal of erythropoiesis research over the past decade. Notably, data from several recent studies have provided new insights into the regulation of erythroid gene transcription. Transcription profiling demonstrates that erythropoiesis is mainly controlled by a small group of lineage-restricted transcription factors [Gata binding protein 1 (Gata1), T cell acute lymphocytic leukemia 1 protein (Tal1), and Erythroid Kruppel-like factor (EKLF; henceforth referred to as Klf1)]. Binding-site mapping using ChIP-Seq indicates that most DNA-bound Gata1 and Tal1 proteins are contained within higher order complexes (Ldb1 complexes) that include the nuclear adapters Ldb1 and Lmo2. Ldb1 complexes regulate Klf1 , and Ldb1 complex-binding sites frequently colocalize with Klf1 at erythroid genes and cis -regulatory elements, indicating strong functional synergy between Gata1, Tal1, and Klf1. Together with new data demonstrating that Ldb1 can mediate long-range promoter–enhancer interactions, these findings provide a foundation for the first comprehensive models of the global regulation of erythroid gene transcription.
Acute effects of continuous infusions of human recombinant interleukin-2 on serum thyroid hormone concentrations in dogs

Abstract The effect of human recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) on serum thyroid hormone concentrations in dogs was studied. Four normal adult dogs received two consecutive weekly cycles of continuous infusions of 3 × 10 6 U m −2 daily for four days per week (days 1 to 4 and 8 to 11). The serum concentrations of IL-2, thyroxine (T4) and 3, 5, 3′- triiodothyronine (T3) were measured before and on days 2, 3 and 4, and 9, 10 and 11 of the infusions. There was a significant decrease in the mean serum concentrations of T4 and T3 at all times during the infusion of IL-2; the serum T4 concentrations decreased by 50 to 75 per cent and serum T3 by 70 to 80 per cent of the pretreatment concentrations in all the dogs. No antithyroglobulin antibodies were detected in the serum of any of the dogs on days 10 and 11 of the infusions. The concentrations of circulating thyroid hormones decreased rapidly in the dogs during the infusion of IL-2, as in the euthyroid sick syndrome.
The influence of reserpine upon the changes in femoral blood flow produced by stimulation of the lumbar sympathetic chain.

Die durch sympathische Nervenreizung ausgeloste Vasoconstriktion im Hinterbein des Hundes wird durch Reserpinvorbehandlung aufgehoben. Die dazu benotigten Reserpindosen entsprechen denen, die am Herzen Verlust der Nervenfunktion und des Noradrenalingehaltes hervorrufen.
Splenic abscess arising by direct extension from a perinephric abscess.

A case of a perinephric abscess invading the spleen in a 25-year-old woman with bladder extrophy is reported. Treatment utilized both percutaneous drainage and open surgery. Perinephric abscesses have not been previously reported to extend into the spleen.
Toward an anthropology of dogmatism: maladjustment, modernization, and Martin Luther King.

The paper has two main parts. The first presents research and prima facie reasons for suspecting inverse correlation between the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale and the Inkeles Overall Modernity Scale. The second part suggests (a) that the more “democratic,” “openminded,” “pluralistic,” and “tolerant” a society, the more maladjusted to it will be Traditional Man and (b) that an example of such a man is Martin Luther King.
Secularism, American-Style

The American approach to secularism is distinctive, differing from the laicite of the French or the Turks in its greater friendliness to the public expression of religious beliefs and sentiments. Such arrangements are challenging to sustain, requiring constant renegotiation of acceptable boundaries, but may also provide a more fruitful way of drawing on the moral energies and insights of religion while keeping them contained within appropriate limits.
A constitutive model for the nonlinear viscoelastic viscoplastic behavior of glassy polymers

Two features of the glassy state of an amorphous polymer, which play a key role in determining its mechanical properties, are the distributed nature of the microstructural state and the thermally activated (temporal) evolution of this state. In this work, we have sought to capture these features in a mechanistically motivated constitutive model by considering a distribution in the activation energy barrier to deformation in a thermally activated model of the deformation process. We thus model what is traditionally termed the nonlinear viscoelastic behavior as an elastic-inelastic transition, where the energetically distributed nature of inelastic events and their evolution with straining is taken into account. The thermoreversible nature of inelastic deformation is modeled by involving the notion of strain energy stored by localized inelastic shear transformations. The model results are compared to experimental data for constant true strain rate uniaxial compression tests (nonmonotonic) at different rates and temperatures; its predictive capability ties are further tested by comparison with compressive creep tests at different stress levels and temperatures
Characterization of Conformational Transitions in Src Kinase using the String Method with Swarms-of-Trajectories and Markovian Milestoning

Src tyrosine kinases are a family of signaling proteins playing key roles in intracellular signaling pathways. Dysregulation of Src activity has been implicated in several types of cancer. An important conformational change in Src involves the highly conserved DFG motif (Asp404, Phe405, Gly406) adjacent to kinase ATP-binding site. In the majority of available crystal structures, the DFG points into the ATP-binding site where it coordinates a magnesium ion (DFG-in conformation). A recent X-ray structure shows that c-Src is also able to adopt a DFG-out conformation, in which the DFG motif is flipped by approximately 180°. Understanding the factors controlling the flipping of the DFG motif is important for designing highly selective kinase inhibitors. We first determine atomistic pathway of DFG in-to-out transition using the string method with swarms-of-trajectories with all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Images along the pathway are then used as centroids to construct a complete Voronoy tessellation in the collective variables space, which then serve as a “basis set” to define the discrete micro-states and to build a reduced stochastic model. MD trajectories with “soft-wall” restraining hyper-plane potentials are launched to keep a system inside each Voronoy cell. By monitoring the wall-to-wall transitions among the walls separating the Voronoy cells, we estimate the free energy and mean first passage time (MFPT) of DFG flipping. An improved understanding of the interplay of the structure, dynamics and activity of Src kinase will help the development of new inhibitors for targeted cancer therapy. [Supported by NIH grant CA093577]
Innate and adaptive mechanisms to control of pathological intestinal inflammation

The intestine is the home of a tremendous number of commensal organisms that have a primary role in host metabolism. As a consquence, the gut mucosa has evolved multiple layers of protection. This review highlights both innate and adaptive mechanisms that prevent bacterial invasion and abnormal intestinal inflamamation, how a failure of these mechanisms may be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases, and discusses new findings implicating dendritic cells as central to the induction of active mucosal tolerance to commensal bacteria. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
XML document versioning

Managing multiple versions of XML documents represents an important problem, because of many applications ranging from traditional ones, such as software configuration control, to new ones, such as link permanence of web documents. Research on managing multiversion XML documents seeks to provide efficient and robust techniques for (i) storing and retrieving, (ii) exchanging, and (iii) querying such documents. In this paper, we first show that traditional version control methods, such as RCS, and SCCS, fall short from satisfying these three requirements, and discuss alternative solutions. First, we enhance RCS with a temporal page clustering policy to achieve objective (i). Then, we discuss a reference-based versioning scheme that achieves both objectives (i) and (ii) and is also effective at supporting simple queries. The topic of supporting complex queries, including temporal ones, meshes with the burgeoning interest of database researchers in XML as a database description language, and in XML query languages. In this context, the XML versioning problems are akin to those of transaction time management for databases of objects and semistructured information. Nevertheless, the need to preserve the natural ordering of XML documents frequently requires different techniques.
Real Estate Investment Funds: Performance and Portfolio Considerations

This paper presents the results of a study dealing with a number of issues regarding real estate investment. Utilizing a data set consisting of returns from two of the oldest, continuously operating commingled real estate funds (CREFs), questions relative to investment performance, inflation hedging attributes and diversification benefits are addressed. The methodology used in exploring these issues are variants of the traditional capital asset pricing model (CAPM), extended to consider uncertain inflation (CAPMUI) and an arbitrage pricing model in which real estate performance is judged relative to a more inclusive market index representing larger numbers of substitute investments. Finally, issues relative to portfolio performance are considered by constructing portfolios containing all possible combinations of real estate, stocks and bonds to assess the potential for diversification benefits and portfolio performance.
Expression and kinetic analysis of the substrate specificity of modules 5 and 6 of the picromycin/methymycin polyketide synthase.

Picromycin synthase (PICS) is a multifunctional, modular polyketide synthase (PKS) that catalyzes the conversion of methylmalonyl-CoA to narbonolide and 10-deoxymethynolide, the macrolide aglycone precursors of the antibiotics picromycin and methymycin, respectively. PICS modules 5 and 6 were each expressed in Escherichia coli with a thioesterase domain at the C-terminus to allow release of polyketide products. The substrate specificity of PICS modules 5+TE and 6+TE was investigated using N-acetylcysteamine thioesters of 2-methyl-3-hydroxy-pentanoic acid as diketide analogues of the natural polyketide chain elongation substrates. PICS module 5+TE could catalyze the chain elongation of only the syn diketide (2S,3R)-4, while PICS module 6+TE processed both syn diastereomers, (2S,3R)-4 and (2R,3S)-5, with a 2.5:1 preference in kcat/Km for 5 but did not turn over either of the two anti diketides. The observed substrate specificity patterns are in contrast to the 15−100:1 preference for 4 over 5 previously est...
CAB: a reactive wildcard rule caching system for software-defined networks

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) enables flexible flow control by caching policy rules at OpenFlow switches. Compared with exact-match rule caching, wildcard rule caching can better preserve the flow table space at switches. However, one of the challenges for wildcard rule caching is the dependency between rules, which is generated by caching wildcard rules overlapped in field space with different priorities. Failure to handle the rule dependency may lead to wrong matching decisions for newly arrived flows, or may introduce high storage overhead in flow table memory. In this paper, we propose a wildcard rule caching system for SDN named CAching in Buckets (CAB). The main idea of CAB is to partition the field space into logical structures called buckets, and cache buckets along with all the associated rules. Through CAB, we resolve the rule dependency problem with small storage overhead. Compared to previous schemes, CAB reduces the flow setup requests by an order of magnitude, saves control bandwidth by a half, and significantly reduce average flow setup time.
Comprehensive evaluation of positional candidates in the IL‐18 pathway reveals suggestive associations with schizophrenia and herpes virus seropositivity

Interactions between genetic variation and environmental factors have been invoked in schizophrenia genesis, but pathways linking them are uncertain. We used a pathway-oriented approach to evaluate six genes mediating IL18 function (IL-18, IL18BP, IL18R1, IL18RAP, IL12B, and IL12A). The first five are also localized to regions previously linked with schizophrenia. Fifty-four representative tag SNPs were selected from comprehensive sequence data and genotyped in 478 patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (DSM IV criteria) and 501 unscreened control individuals. Exposure to three herpes viruses previously suggested as risk factors for schizophrenia was estimated simultaneously among the cases. Five SNPs in four genes were associated with schizophrenia, most prominently rs2272127 at IL18RAP (P = 0.0007, odds ratio for C allele 1.49, 95% CI: 1.18-1.87; P = 0.03 following correction for multiple comparisons). Exploratory analysis revealed that rs2272127 was also associated with herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) seropositivity in cases (P = 0.04, OR for G allele 1.58, 95% CI: 1.04-2.39). Similar patterns were observed at another correlated SNP (rs11465702, P = 0.005 and 0.006, respectively for associations with schizophrenia and HSV1 seropositivity). We suggest plausible, testable hypotheses linking IL-18 signaling and HSV1 in schizophrenia pathogenesis.