cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Solution and estimation of linear rational expectations models

Abstract This paper addresses the issue of solution and estimation of linear rational expectations models. It confirms, via the method of undetermined coefficients, the finding that these models do not, in general, imply unique solutions for the variables they explain. But it provides evidence in the form of a Monte Carlo experiment that one may recover accurate estimates of the parameters that characterize the solution set with which the data were generated. The estimation strategy proposed and implemented is FIML subject to the restrictions placed on the final form by the structural equations, the hypothesis of rational expectations, and the assumption of a stable multivariate moving average representation for the endogenous variables.
Effect of ethanol on glucose and amino acid metabolism in brain.

Abstract Ethanol administration in hamsters altered glucose metabolism in the brain, resulting in increased glucose content and decreased incorporation of labeled carbon from 14C-glucose into the amino acids derived via the citric acid cycle and into lactate. In general, amino acid content of the brain changed little after ethanol, but there was a significant decrease in aspartate and an increase in glutamine. These changes in glucose and amino acid metabolism are enhanced by increasing ethanol doses. However, they seem to be an indirect effect of ethanol, since they do not appear until 20–30 min after ethanol injection, despite high blood ethanol levels throughout this period.
Conservatism, Racial Intolerance, and Attitudes toward Racial Assimilation Among Whites and American Indians

Summary Among samples of adult whites and American Indians in Seattle conservatism as measured by the Wilson-Patterson scale was inversely related to educational attainment, directly related to age, somewhat more evident among females than males, and not related to income. Factor analysis revealed four readily interpretable dimensions of conservatism among the whites (family and motherhood, religious factor, racial factor, and radical counterculture factor), but only two clearly interpretable factors among the Indians (religious factor, radical counterculture factor). The anticipated greater conservatism of the Indians did not appear; their cumulative conservatism scores were comparable to those of whites. The correlation between conservatism and support for Indian assimilation was positive, and stronger for whites than for Indians. There was a racial difference in the relation between conservatism and racial intolerance; among whites the conservatives were most likely to give intolerant responses about I...
Inside the quantum Hall effect

Recent ultracold atom experiments reveal the wavefunction dynamics in the quantum Hall regime.
Mathematics and sex

(1976). Mathematics and Sex. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 83, No. 8, pp. 595-614.
Patterns of antecedents of catastrophic reactions in nursing home residents with dementia in the United States.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to describe the patterns of antecedents of catastrophic reactions (CRs) in nursing home residents with dementia in the United States. Methods A total of 229 catastrophic reaction events were the sample for this study. Ten antecedent variables were selected and analyzed using cluster analysis to address the patterns of antecedents of CRs in dementia. Data were obtained from field observation and a structured recording form over a 6-week period covering all 7 days of the week and all three shifts (i.e., 21 shifts in total) in two nursing homes in the United States. Results This study showed that there were two distinct patterns of antecedent conditions at the time of, or immediately prior to, CRs in dementia: (a) a cluster of antecedents that consists of components of the physical environment including public location, olfactory stimulation, use of media, sundowning hours, and being in a dementia unit ("Stimulation in Early Evening"); and (b) a cluster of antecedents that is composed of mixed components of the physical and social environment including olfactory stimulation, activities of daily living (ADL)-related care activities, demands of tasks, and being in a dementia unit ("Stress due to Care, Tasks, and Odors"). Conclusion The findings suggest that elders who are exposed to overstimulation in sundowning hours or experience stress from care activities and task performance beyond their baseline competency are likely to be at risk of presenting with CRs. Health care providers need to be aware that a CR is a multi-factorial phenomenon in which multiple contextual antecedents are involved and that creation of a therapeutic physical and social milieu is an important nursing goal in preventing the occurrence of CRs in nursing home residents with dementia. [ Asian Nursing Research 2009;3(3):99–110]
Women’s Luteal-Phase Sexual Proceptivity and the Functions of Extended Sexuality

Women's sexuality, unlike that of most mammals, is not solely defined by sexual receptivity during the short window of fertility. Women demonstrate extended sexuality (in which they initiate and accept sexual advances outside of the fertile phase) more than any other mammalian female. In this light, surprisingly little research has addressed the functions of women's luteal-phase sexuality. On the basis of theory and comparative evidence, we propose that women's initiation of sex during nonfertile phases evolved in part to garner investment from male partners. If so, women should be particularly prone to initiate luteal-phase sex when the potential marginal gains are greatest. Results from a study of 50 heterosexual couples showed that women increasingly initiate sex in the luteal phase (but not the fertile phase) when they perceive their partners' investment to lag behind their own. These findings provide evidence for the distinct nature of women's extended sexuality and may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of women's sexuality.
Analyzing the dynamics of skill sets for the U.S. information systems workforceusing latent growth curve modeling

This paper attempts to track the changes in importance of IS skills from the perspective of 70 IS managers using latent growth curve modeling. The analysis identifies that the importance of many IS skills are continuously increasing, that wireless communication applications, mobile commerce applications/protocols, IT security, Web applications/services/ protocols, and data management are the top five growing skills and that IT security, data management, project management and other relevant business skills, Web applications/services/ protocols, and wireless communications/applications are expected to be the top five skill sets five years from today. Based on these results, the changing human resource needs of IS profession are discussed, and the challenges and recommendations for IS education are provided.
Modality-specific naming impairment after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Objective: To investigate neurocognitive and language functions in a single case presenting with modality-specific naming difficulties secondary to traumatic brain injury (TBI).Design: A comprehensive neuropsychological testing and specific assessment of naming and recognition functions were administered. Follow-up testing was administered 2 years post-injury to evaluate syndrome evolution. Rehabilitative intervention is described.Results: Ability to name visually presented objects was greatly impaired. The patient can describe or demonstrate the use of objects she cannot name and to sort them into their appropriate categories, indicating adequate non-verbal recognition. The impairment is specific to visual naming, as recognition through modalities different from vision is adequate (e.g. by touching the object, hearing its sound or being provided with verbal definition of it). This study and follow-up testing illustrated the evolution of the deficit, from a visual agnosic impairment to the co-occurrence o...
Exploring How Parents in Economically Depressed Communities Access Learning Resources

This qualitative study of parents in financially depressed communities in westside Atlanta examines parents' access to information technology and out-of-school learning resources through five dimensions of digital divide: technical apparatus, autonomy, social support, skill, and purpose. The context of this study is a broader research agenda to explore how technology impacts parents' knowledge and use of out-of-school learning resources for their children in low socioeconomic status neighborhoods. The findings contribute to a growing body of research on marginalized groups and provide a rich description of parents' digital access and technology practices in the context of education. Finally, we identify design implications that are specific to this community and can be extended to similar populations to support parents in finding more learning opportunities.
The transportation of nuclear waste: opinions and attitudes in the transportation corridor and metropolitan Portland

The US Department of Energy is in the process of planning the removal of transuranic waste from its Hanford, Washington facility. The current study is based on a randomly mailed survey to 600 respondents in the transportation corridor in Oregon (Baker, Malheur, Umatilla and Union counties) and 300 to the Portland metropolitan area. The survey form included questions on information, attitudes, issues related to shipping, responding to accidents, salience of waste removal, perception of risk, evaluating environmental conditions, and proposed solutions. Results show a remarkable concordance between the views of the transportation corridor and comparison samples. The public is strongly split over issues related to the transportation of nuclear waste. Pearson‐product moment intercorrelations, and t test for sex differences are reported for survey variables.
LATE-LIFE PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSIS IN DSM-IV

Age is an important variable in the consideration of psychiatric diagnosis. This applies particularly to the presentation of psychiatric disorders in late life. DSM-IV has made a start but much more could be done, particularly for some disorders. It is hoped that more attention to age, especially late life, will be paid in DSM-V and beyond.
Changing behaviour in the transborder information flow under different political circumstances

Global communication cannot be understood without taking international relations into account, since both are so dynamically intertwined that it is impossible to explore international information flow without looking at the political realities. In this article, content and translation in Chinese library and information science literature in different political circumstances (1890‐1949; 1949‐1962; 1963‐1976; 1977‐1989) were used to examine the changing behaviour in trans‐ border information flow. It was found that transborder information flow is dynamic and the direction of flow is heavily influenced by the political realities.
Estimation of the Acoustic-to-Seismic Coupling Ratio Using a Moving Vehicle Source

We present a simple passive technique for estimating the acoustic-to-seismic signal coupling ratio (SAR) in the ground using noise produced by moving vehicles. The seismic signal received on a geophone contains some energy that has propagated as seismic waves and some energy that couples from acoustic waves to seismic waves in the vicinity of the geophone. We use the frequency-domain coherence between the microphone and geophone signals to determine when the seismic signal is predominantly due to acoustic-to-seismic wave coupling. In frequency bands where the microphone and geophone coherence is above 0.8, the ratio of the seismic ground particle velocity to sound pressure-SAR-can be determined with less than 2 dB of error. The method is applied to data from a summer experiment with grass ground cover and at two winter experiments with snow-covered ground. At 100 Hz, the summer analysis yields a SAR value of 1.0 times 10-5 [(m/s)/Pa]. In addition, at 100 Hz, the two winter tests yield SAR between 0.1 times 10-5 and 1.0 times 10-5 [(m/s)/Pa]. In the later winter result, our vehicle-derived SAR estimate is shown to be in excellent agreement with SAR estimates obtained from blank pistol shots. Through the opportunistic exploitation background noise sources, our approach opens the possibility for automatic adaptation of unattended acoustic area, monitoring sensors to changing ground conditions.
A planning tool for integrating crop choices with weed management in the Northern Great Plains

Crop production in the Northern Great Plains is rapidly changing because of no-till practices; producers now grow a diversity of crops with winter wheat to increase production as well as to manage weeds. With the multitude of crops available, producers are asking for guidelines to sequence crops in rotations that help weed management. We developed a planning tool that lists various choices with crops when designing a rotation; the choices are arranged by impact on weed dynamics as quantified by research in the region. The tool includes choices among crops, such as varying crops with different life cycles, planting dates, or row spacing, and choices within an individual crop, such as varying cultivar or planting date. Choices among crops impact weeds the most, whereas choices within an individual crop are less effective and usually lead to lower crop yield. For example, rotations comprised of two cool-season crops followed by two warm-season crops can reduce weed populations six- to 12-fold. In contrast, replacing a standard-height cultivar with a taller cultivar that is more competitive with weeds, is often inconsistent for weed management, whereas crop yield may be less. Producers associated with the Northern Plains Sustainable Agricultural Society felt that the planning tool would encourage long-range planning as well as help integrate weed management with the design of cropping systems. The purpose of the tool is to encourage ecologically based weed management, which can reduce herbicide inputs by 50% for Northern Great Plains producers.
A 28-aa Pneumococcal Surface Adhesin A–Derived Peptide, P4, Augments Passive Immunotherapy and Rescues Mice from Fatal Pneumococcal Infection

Background. P4, a 28-aa peptide derived from pneumococcal surface adhesin A, is a multilineage cell activator in vitro. We hypothesized that P4-mediated activation of phagocytic cells could rapidly and substantially increase opsonophagocytosis of bacteria, which could be translated in vivo to reduced mouse morbidity from fatal pneumococcal infection. Methods. Reference in vitro opsonophagocytic killing and uptake assays were used with suitable effector cells and pathogen-specific antibodies. P4 peptide solution was added at the preopsonization stage. ND4-SW mice were infected intranasally with Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3 (WU2). At 72 and 96 h, infected mice received intraperitoneal or intravenous injection of gamma globulin, followed by an injection of P4. Results. P4 treatment enhanced in vitro opsonophagocytosis of bacterial pathogens by many fold, and this effect was dependent on complement, P4, and antibody concentrations. Treatment of highly virulent WU2-infected mice with the combination of P4 and serotype-specific antiserum resulted in 100% remission of bacteremia and rescued 80% of the animals (P <.05). Conclusion. P4 peptide in combination with pathogen-specific antibodies and complement enhances specific opsonophagocytosis and rescues mice from life-threatening pneumococcal infection. P4 peptide provides a fresh direction for therapeutic intervention through augmented passive immunotherapy.
COMMODITIZATION AND THE EMERGENCE OF KASTAM AS A CULTURAL CATEGORY: A NEW IRELAND CASE IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Cultural politics always turn on contests over the production and use of collective representations, especially representations that define and bound social entities nations, races, ethnic groups and, of course, cultures (Handler 1988:15). Keesing has inquired about the preconditions of such self-conscious symbolic activity: ' What are the circumstances under which a people can take a sufficient external view of themselves and their way of life to see their culture as a "thing", which they can proclaim adherence to, or reject?' (1982:300). He suggested in a general way that 'it is only the circumstances of colonial invasion' that allow the externalization or reification of culture. For under such circumstances, colonized peoples must necessarily come to terms with their relative powerlessness and peripheral status. The elaboration and reification of particular notions and/or practices is part of this process inasmuch as these notions and/or practices furnish the colonized with the means for explaining, resisting, or accepting their situation. The recent work of Pacific anthropologists and historians lends support to Keesing' s contention.1 Nicholas Thomas (1992, in press), for example, has argued on the basis of several different cases that the oppositional dynamics of colonial encounters have frequently provided the impetus for nominating certain local practices as definitive of local identity. That is, the colonial encounter engenders a reactive process of collective self-identification in which the colonized distinguish themselves from their colonizers by elaborating and reifying local practices taken to be inversions of the definitive values of the colonizers. Such reifications of local culture referred to by the pidgin word kastam (or kastom) throughout the southwestern Pacific have been shown to function as the instruments of anticolonial and sometimes even anti-Christian struggles (Keesing and Tonkinson 1982; Keesing 1989). Similarly, MacClancy (1982) and Philibert (1986) have discussed how in postcolonial Vanuatu the state itself has attempted to direct the process of collective self-identification by enlisting representations of kastam in the service of a fledgling nationalist ideology. In cases such as this, the reification of culture functions as much as an instrument for asserting a distinctive singular (national) identity as it does a means for promoting distinctive multiple (local) identities. Diverse local traditions (kastam) thus emerge as so many stylistic variations within a national repertoire of traditions (kastam) the familiar celebration of diversity within unity (Babadzan 1988; see liPuma and Meltzoff 1990 for the Solomons; lindstrom 1990 for PNG).
The Built Environment Induced Urban Heat Island Effect in Rapidly Urbanizing Arid Regions - A Sustainable Urban Engineering Complexity

As recently as 1950, 30% of the world's population lived in urban areas. By the year 2030, 60% of the world's population will live in cities, according to the United Nations (2001) World Population Prospects Revision Report. Urbanization is quickly transitioning communities from the natural rural vegetation to man-made urban engineered infrastructure. The anthropogenic- induced change has manifested itself in microscale and mesoscale increases in temperatures in comparison to adjacent rural regions which is known as the urban heat island (UHI) effect and results in potentially adverse consequences for local and global communities. One of the great challenges facing our current generation of scientists and engineers is how to support the growth of the new and existing arid urban centers in a sustainable manner. This is even more pronounced in arid regions, which will sustain the greatest rate of urbanization. This paper is focused on understanding the interdependency of the infrastructure used to support the growth of urban regions and their environmental, social and economic consequences with an emphasis on the rapidly urbanizing arid region of Phoenix, Arizona.
Cytotoxicity of Experimental Casting Alloys Evaluated by Cell Culture Tests

The cytotoxicity of a series of 29 experimental alloys and six pure metals was determined with cell culture techniques and succinic dehydrogenase histochemistry. The width of any ring of inhibition, optical density of the histochemically stained cells, and a visual ranking of the intensity of the blue color of the stained cells were compared for determination of cytotoxicity. Twenty-four of the 35 metals and alloys (-70%) had the same rankings by the three methods. Of the pure metals, Au, Pd, and Ti were the least cytotoxic, followed by Ag, then Ni, and finally, Cu. Single-phase alloys with moderately high Cu and without high Pd and Au concentrations had high cytotoxicity, as did multiphase alloys, even when they were high in Au and Ag. High Pd was more effective in maintaining the biocompatibility of alloys containing Cu than was Au. Single-phase alloys with compositions typical of those to be used for porcelain-fused-to-metal restorations showed good biocompatibility, as did those base metal alloys that...
Compact image coding from edges with wavelets

A second generation image coding algorithm based on multiscale edges is described. Edges are detected from the local maxima of the image wavelet transform. The original image can be reconstructed from the corresponding multiscale edge map. For coding purposes, the edges that are important for the image visualization are selected, and an efficient encoding of the corresponding data is described. High compression ratio can be obtained for images where the texture information is not important. Examples with compression ratios of around 30 are given. >
Systemic and anti-nociceptive effects of prolonged lidocaine, ketamine, and butorphanol infusions alone and in combination in healthy horses

Prolonged drug infusions are used to treat horses with severe signs of pain, but can be associated with altered gastrointestinal transit. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of prolonged constant rate infusions (CRI) of lidocaine (L), butorphanol (B), and ketamine (K) alone and in combination on gastrointestinal transit, behavior, and thermal nociceptive threshold in healthy horses. Eight healthy adult horses were used in a randomized, cross-over, blinded, prospective experimental trial. Interventions were saline, L, K, B, LK, LB, BK, and LBK as an intravenous CRI for 96 hours. Drugs were mixed or diluted in saline; following a bolus, CRI rate was 0.15mL/kg/hr with drug doses as follows: L – 1.3 mg/kg then 3 mg/kg/hr; B – 0.018 mg/kg then 0.013 mg/kg/hr; K – 0.55 mg/kg then 0.5 mg/kg/hr. Two-hundred plastic beads were administered intragastrically by nasogastric tube immediately prior to the bolus. Feces were collected every 2 hours, weighed, and beads manually retrieved. Behavior was scored every 2 hours, vital parameters every 6 hours, and thermal nociceptive threshold every 12 hours for 96 hours. Drug concentrations in the LBK solution were tested every 6 hours for 72 hours. Four of 64 trials (3 LBK, 1 BK) were discontinued early due to signs of abdominal discomfort. There were no apparent differences between groups in vital parameters or thermal threshold. Transit time was delayed for LB and LBK with a corresponding decrease in fecal weight that was most severe in the final 24 hours of infusion. Significant changes in behavior scores, vital parameters, or thermal threshold were not observed. The concentration of each drug in the combined solution declined by less than 31% over the sampling period. Drug combinations containing butorphanol cause an apparent delay in gastrointestinal transit in healthy horses without substantially affecting somatic nociception at the doses studied. Combinations of lidocaine and ketamine may have less impact on gastrointestinal transit than infusions combined with butorphanol. Further work is needed to determine the effects of these drugs in painful or critically ill patients.
Effects of Multiple Pulping Variables on the Molecular Weight and Molecular Weight Distribution of Kraft Lignin

The effects of pulping variables on the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of dissolved lignin have been studied. Kraft lignins were prepared by cooking Slash pine (Pinus caribaea) wood chips in a pilot-scale batch circulation digester. Four pulping variables, effective alkali, sulfidity, cooking temperature, and time-at-temperature, were arranged in a very broad input space under a central composite experimental design, and their effects on the molecular weight of dissolved lignin were examined by means of fifteen-parameter quadratic models. It was found that, generally, the molecular weight of dissolved lignin increases in both bulk and final phases as delignification proceeds. Prolonged cooking at the end of final phase delignification causes degradation of lignin in the liquor and reduces the molecular weight of Kraft lignin. Discussions of pulping effects on the molecular weight of dissolved lignin are presented in detail.
Robust, globally consistent and fully automatic multi-image registration and montage synthesis for 3-D multi-channel images.

Summary The need to map regions of brain tissue that are much wider than the field of view of the microscope arises frequently. One common approach is to collect a series of overlapping partial views, and align them to synthesize a montage covering the entire region of interest. We present a method that advances this approach in multiple ways. Our method (1) produces a globally consistent joint registration of an unorganized collection of three-dimensional (3-D) multichannel images with or without stage micrometer data; (2) produces accurate registrations withstanding changes in scale, rotation, translation and shear by using a 3-D affine transformation model; (3) achieves complete automation, and does not require any parameter settings; (4) handles low and variable overlaps (5‐15%) between adjacent images, minimizing the number of images required to cover a tissue region; (5) has the self-diagnostic ability to recognize registration failures instead of delivering incorrect results; (6) can handle a broad range of biological images by exploiting generic alignment cues from multiple fluorescence channels without requiring segmentation and (7) is computationally efficient enough to run on desktop computers regardless of the number of images. The algorithm was tested with several tissue samples of at least 50 image tiles, involving over 5000 image pairs. It correctly registered all image pairs with an overlap greater than 7%, correctly recognized all failures, and successfully joint-registered all images for all
Biology of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Nonmelanoma skin cancer is the leading cause of cancer in the United States. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is second only to basal cell carcinoma in prevalence and its incidence is increasing. The biology of squamous cell carcinoma is reviewed under the broad areas of etiology, immunobiology, biochemistry, metastatic potential, and therapy, with emphasis on prevention, diagnosis, and management.
Combining Inverted Echo Sounder and Horizontal Electric Field Recorder Measurements to Obtain Absolute Velocity Profiles

Abstract Profiles of absolute velocity are difficult to obtain in the ocean, especially over long periods of time at the same location. This paper presents a method of estimating full water column absolute horizontal velocity profiles as a function of time by combining historical hydrography with the measurements from two separate instruments, the inverted echo sounder (IES) and the horizontal electric field recorder (HEFR). Hydrography is used to construct temperature, salinity, and specific volume anomaly characteristics as functions of the independent variables pressure and seafloor-to-sea-surface round-trip acoustic travel time (τ). Each IES measured τ is combined with these two-dimensional characteristics to estimate the profile of specific volume anomaly, which then is integrated vertically to obtain profiles of geopotential height anomaly (Δϕ). Profiles of Δϕ from adjacent IES sites are differenced to yield vertical profiles of relative geostrophic velocity. Horizontal electric fields arising from ...
Multigene analysis suggests ecological speciation in the fungal pathogen Claviceps purpurea

Claviceps purpurea is an important pathogen of grasses and source of novel chemical compounds. Three groups within this species (G1, G2 and G3) have been recognized based on habitat association, sclerotia and conidia morphology, as well as alkaloid production. These groups have further been supported by Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers, suggesting this species may be more accurately described as a species complex. However, all divergent ecotypes can coexist in sympatric populations with no obvious physical barriers to prevent gene flow. In this study, we used both phylogenetic and population genetic analyses to test for speciation within C. purpurea using DNA sequences from ITS, a RAS-like locus, and a portion of beta-tubulin. The G1 types are significantly divergent from the G2/G3 types based on each of the three loci and the combined dataset, whereas the G2/G3 types are more integrated with one another. Although the G2 and G3 lineages have not diverged as much as the G1 lineage based on DNA sequence data, the use of three DNA loci does reliably separate the G2 and G3 lineages. However, the population genetic analyses strongly suggest little to no gene flow occurring between the different ecotypes, and we argue that this process is driven by adaptations to ecological habitats; G1 isolates are associated with terrestrial grasses, G2 isolates are found in wet and shady environments, and G3 isolates are found in salt marsh habitats.
Piezoelectric wafer active sensors for in situ ultrasonic‐guided wave SHM

In situ structural health monitoring aims to perform on-demand interrogation of the structure to determine the presence of service-induced damage and defects using non- destructive evaluation ultrasonic wave methods. Recently emerged piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) have the potential to significantly improve damage detection and health monitoring. PWAS are low-profile transducers that can be permanently attached onto the structure or inserted in between composite laminates, and can perform structural damage detection in thin-wall structures using guided wave methods (Lamb, Rayleigh, SH, etc.). This paper describes the analytical and experimental work of using PWAS-guided waves for in situ structural damage detection on thin-wall structures. We begin with reviewing the guided wave theory in plate structures and PWAS principles. The mechanisms of Lamb wave excitation and detection using PWAS is presented. Subsequently, we address in turn the use of PWAS to generate Lamb waves for damage (cracks and corrosion) detection in metallic structures. Pulse-echo, pitch-catch, phased array and time reversal methods are illustrated demonstrating that PWAS Lamb-waves techniques are suitable for damage detection and structural health monitoring. The last part of the paper treats analytically and experimentally PWAS excitation and tuning in composite materials. The research results presented in this paper show that in situ SHM methodologies using PWAS transducers hold the promise for more efficient, effective and timely damage detection in thin-wall structures.
Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68 Evades Host Cytokine Production via Replication Transactivator-Induced RelA Degradation

Cytokines play crucial roles in curtailing the propagation and spread of pathogens within the host. As obligate pathogens, gammaherpesviruses have evolved a plethora of mechanisms to evade host immune responses. We have previously shown that murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (γHV68) induces the degradation of RelA, an essential subunit of the transcriptionally active NF-κB dimer, to evade cytokine production. Here, we report that the immediately early gene product of γHV68, replication transactivator (RTA), functions as a ubiquitin E3 ligase to promote RelA degradation and abrogate cytokine production. A targeted genomic screen identified that RTA, out of 24 candidates, induces RelA degradation and abolishes NF-κB activation. Biochemical analyses indicated that RTA interacts with RelA and promotes RelA ubiquitination, thereby facilitating RelA degradation. Mutations within a conserved cysteine/histidine-rich, putative E3 ligase domain impaired the ability of RTA to induce RelA ubiquitination and degradation. Moreover, infection by recombinant γHV68 carrying mutations that diminish the E3 ligase activity of RTA resulted in more robust NF-κB activation and cytokine induction than did infection by wild-type γHV68. These findings support the conclusion that γHV68 subverts early NF-κB activation and cytokine production through RTA-induced RelA degradation, uncovering a key function of RTA that antagonizes the intrinsic cytokine production during gammaherpesvirus infection.
The Deficits of Deconstructionism

Deconstructionism is a theory regarding the interpretation of texts. Initially projected with regard to literary texts, its more ambitious exponents soon expanded its application to texts in general — historical, philosophical, what have you. Its essential core involves two theses, first, that a text always allows many alternative interpretative constructions whose elaboration is the proper mission of the interpretative enterprise, and second, that all these various interpretations are more or less co-equal in merit — that none can be rejected without much ado as unsuitable, inappropriate, incompetent. The enterprise of text interpretation thus always confronts us with an irrevocable plethora of alternative and more or less equivalent possibilities.
Language of Money

ABSTRACTThis article examines the relationship of personal finance in a narrative-based treatment strategy as applied to couples. It builds on behavioral economics as the undergirding of an approach to financial literacy. By matching the treatment strategy with the stages of readiness for change, couples are able to gradually adopt a financially prudent lifestyle. The authors argue that the couples’ conflicts about personal financial behaviors are a proxy of underlying problems in intimacy. The use of a narrative-based theory addresses how personal finances are used to control relationships.
Spot scanning proton therapy plan assessment: design and development of a dose verification application for use in routine clinical practice

The use of radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer has been carried out clinically since the late 1800’s. Early on however, it was discovered that a radiation dose sufficient to destroy cancer cells can also cause severe injury to surrounding healthy tissue. Radiation oncologists continually strive to find the perfect balance between a dose high enough to destroy the cancer and one that avoids damage to healthy organs. Spot scanning or “pencil beam” proton radiotherapy offers another option to improve on this. Unlike traditional photon therapy, proton beams stop in the target tissue, thus better sparing all organs beyond the targeted tumor. In addition, the beams are far narrower and thus can be more precisely “painted” onto the tumor, avoiding exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. To safely treat patients with proton beam radiotherapy, dose verification should be carried out for each plan prior to treatment. Proton dose verification systems are not currently commercially available so the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Mayo Clinic developed its own, called DOSeCHECK , which offers two distinct dose simulation methods: GPU-based Monte Carlo and CPU-based analytical. The three major components of the system include the web-based user interface, the Linux-based dose verification simulation engines, and the supporting services and components. The architecture integrates multiple applications, libraries, platforms, programming languages, and communication protocols and was successfully deployed in time for Mayo Clinic’s first proton beam therapy patient. Having a simple, efficient application for dose verification greatly reduces staff workload and provides additional quality assurance, ultimately improving patient safety.
Neural control of white, beige and brown adipocytes

Reports of brown-like adipocytes in traditionally white adipose tissue (WAT) depots occurred ~30 years ago, but interest in white adipocyte ‘browning’ only has gained attention more recently. We integrate some of what is known about the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) innervation of WAT and brown adipose tissue (BAT) with the few studies focusing on the sympathetic innervation of the so-called ‘brite’ or ‘beige’ adipocytes that appear when WAT sympathetic drive increases (for example, cold exposure and food deprivation). Only one brain site, the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH), selectively browns some (inguinal WAT (IWAT) and dorsomedial subcutaneous WAT), but not all WAT depots and only when DMH neuropeptide Y gene expression is knocked down, a browning effect is mediated by WAT SNS innervation. Other studies show that WAT sympathetic fiber density is correlated with the number of brown-like adipocytes (multilocular lipid droplets, uncoupling protein-1 immunoreactivity) at both warm and cold ambient temperatures. WAT and BAT have sensory innervation, the latter important for acute BAT cold-induced temperature increases, therefore suggesting the possible importance of sensory neural feedback from brite/beige cells for heat production. Only one report shows browned WAT capable of producing heat in vivo. Collectively, increases in WAT sympathetic drive and the phenotype of these stimulated adipocytes seems critical for the production of new and/or transdifferentiation of white to brite/beige adipocytes. Selective harnessing of WAT SNS drive to produce browning or selective browning independent of the SNS to counter increases in adiposity by increasing expenditure appears to be extremely challenging.
Beam-forming for burst interference suppression using virtual antenna

The arc length based virtual antenna beam forming method is proposed in this paper,for the purpose of overcoming the issue of the burst interference lying out of transformation areas that cannot be inhibited by utilizing the existing virtual antenna technique.The new virtual array is constructed with Vandermonde manifold to apply subspace approaches,and simultaneously its arc length change rate is equal to that of the real array.This can ensure the interpolation within the whole real array scanning area and a fairly minor transformation error,avoiding the situation the interference lies out of interpolation area.By employing the minimum variance distortionless response(MVDR) beam forming method on this virtual antenna array,the computer simulation results show that the nulls can also be generated in the burst interference directions,and the main lobe points to the desired signal direction.The conclusion indicates the method presented works effectively even in the situation that electromagnetic environment varies severely.
Protection Relay Modeling for Dynamic Simulation of Power Systems

In order to solve lack of accurate protection relay models for power system dynamic simulation and being unable to accurately reflect protection action characteristics,ageneral modeling method of protection relay based on virtual relay is proposed.Virtual relay is a kind of simulation for real relay and it is defined with specific rules of logic operation.With hierarchical structure and object-oriented modeling strategy,this method has the advantages of clean logic and convenient modeling.An open and transparent protection relay model library is developed and dynamic simulation calculation including protection relay models is realized.It's easy for users to modify models and expand its functions.The simulation results show that the dynamic simulation program including protection relay models can more accurately reflect dynamic performance of electric power system after disturbance.It can be used to analyze cascading failures caused by incorrect action of protection relays,replay the accident in a long time after a disturbance in power system,and study the essence cause of accident and find the correct anti-fault measures.
Paracrine Effects of Fetal Stem Cells

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent stem cells able to differentiate into cells belonging to all three germ layers. Unfortunately, the major problem with their application in the clinic is that they grow teratomas in the host tissues. Nevertheless, ESCs secrete also several soluble factors (peptides, bioactive lipids, extracellular nucleotides) as well small, spherical membrane fragments that are shed from the cell surface or secreted from the endosomal compartment; called extracellular microvesicles (ExMVs). These paracrine mediators play an important role in cell–cell communication and tissue/organ development and could be employed in regenerative medicine. Thus, until appropriate strategies that will harness in vivo application of ESCs in the clinic will be developed, conditioned media harvested from cultured in vitro ESCs, enriched in soluble factors and ExMVs, could be employed in regenerative medicine as therapeutics to treat damaged organs. ExMVs known as argosomes are also secreted during embryogenesis by some fetal cells and are involved in tissue patterning and organ development. In this chapter we will discuss potential applications of in vitro generated ESCs-derived paracrine factors as an option to harness therapeutic potential of these cells in regenerative medicine.
A study on the privacy and security of police body cameras deployments

There is a current interest towards outfitting police officers with body cameras while on patrol. While these systems can provide useful video recordings to serve as evidence, there are concerns that widespread deployment of these cameras will erode our individual privacy. This paper looks at the different guidelines for body cameras to identify the main privacy protection mechanisms, as well as suggest possible enhancements to their security.
Development of equivalent linear systems for single-degree-of-freedom structures with magneto-rheological dampers for seismic design application:

Numerous studies have been conducted for magneto-rheological dampers, but the application of magneto-rheological dampers in seismic design is limited due to the lack of a systematical design proced...
Transgender venous thrombosis

Cerebral venous thrombosis is a rare complication in transgender patients on cross-sex hormone therapy.
Electroconvulsive therapy for depression in a patient with an Inspire hypoglossal nerve stimulator device for obstructive sleep apnea: A case report.

Abstract Outcome objectives 1. To investigate the safety and efficacy of hypoglossal nerve stimulator device use in a patient undergoing electroconvulsive therapy 2. To investigate any need for device manipulation prior to or after completion of an electroconvulsive therapy session Methods This is a case report of a patient who underwent placement and initiation of a hypoglossal nerve stimulator device in the context of receiving electroconvulsive therapy for bipolar depression between February and September 2016. To our knowledge, this has not yet been reported in the literature. Outcome measurements included successful device activation and successful device use throughout electroconvulsive therapy. Results The patient underwent successful device implantation, activation, and use without disruption throughout electroconvulsive therapy sessions. No special device deactivation was required during electroconvulsive therapy sessions. Conclusion Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder that causes significant reduction in quality of life and is an independent risk factor for multiple comorbidities. Electroconvulsive therapy is an established treatment for medication-refractory depression with minimal risk in most patient populations. This is the first report in the literature of a patient undergoing ECT for bipolar depression with recent activation of Inspire hypoglossal nerve stimulator who had no disruption in the function of his implanted device.
Directed partial orders on unital algebras

In this note the simple conditions are provided to produce directed partial orders on a unital algebra A over a non-archimedean totally ordered field F to make A into a partially ordered algebra over F with a directed partial order. Mathematics Subject Classification (2010): Primary 06F25. Keywords: Directed partial order, partially ordered algebra
Intracellular Staining with Fluorescent Dyes

Classically, neuroanatomy has been studied using a variety of tissue-applied stains. Such stains vary in their ability to highlight cells. At one end of the spectrum most of the neurons present are stained to reveal the gross architecture of the brain. Speculations can then be made about the connectivity between those cells that appear to come into close association. At the other end of the spectrum individual cells are stained selectively, revealing the shapes of single cells as though they were taken from their environs.
13 – Diet and Fish Husbandry

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the culture methods, nutrient requirements, feed formulation, and feeding practices for several important commercial aquaculture species with diverse culture environments and technologies. These species include channel catfish, salmonids, tilapias, and penaeid shrimp. Farm-raised catfish are fed grain-based feeds, which give the fish a mild flavor, with the absence of a “fishy” odor. The flesh is mostly white muscle, which is free of intramuscular bones. There is considerable variation in feeding practices among commercial catfish farms. Some farmers feed a fixed amount of feed in the pond daily, whereas other farmers feed what the fish in each pond will efficiently consume each day, using a floating feed so feeding activity can be observed. Salmon and trout reared for market are raised in ponds, tanks, raceways, and net pens (cages). Transfer to sea cages must be done when the fish are undergoing smoltification and are able to osmoregulate in the marine environment. The salmonid fry are first fed a finely textured mash, and as they increase in size, the size of the feed particles increases. The small fry are fed almost constantly, and as their size increases, the feeding frequency decreases.
Interpolation Between Dimensions

A method is presented which allows one to interpolate between integer dimensions in a translationally invariant fashion using finite size transfer matrices. For the ferromagnetic Ising model an exact solution is presented for interpolation between isolated spins and d = 1, and finite strip calculations are presented for interpolation between d= 1 and d= 2. A possible application of this interpolation scheme is the numerical study of quantum spin systems.
Improving patient safety: Utilization of standardized radiation oncology simulation templates.

259Background: Increasing patient volume and treatment complexity in the field of radiation oncology has resulted in increased number of errors possibly affecting patient safety. Effective methods ...