cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Global Financial Crisis of 2008: What Went Wrong?

The current financial crisis that threatens the entire world has created an ideal opportunity for educators. A number of important lessons can be learned from this financial meltdown. Some are technical and deal with the value of mathematical models and measuring risk. The most important lesson, however, is that unethical behavior has many consequences. This debacle could not have occurred if the parties involved had been socially responsible and not motivated by greed. Conflicts of interest and the way CEOs are compensated are at the heart of this financial catastrophe that has wiped out trillions in assets and millions of jobs. The authors present a set of lessons as teaching opportunities for today's students and tomorrow's decision makers.[A modified version of this paper appeared as H.H. Friedman, L.W. Friedman, "Lessons from the Global Financial Meltdown of 2008," Journal of Financial Transformation, vol 28, 2010, pp.45-54.]
Converting Cancer Genes Into Killer Genes

Over the past decade, it has become clear that tumorigenesis is driven by alterations in genes that control cell growth or cell death. Theoretically, the proteins encoded by these genes provide excellent targets for new therapeutic agents. Here, we describe a gene therapy approach to specifically kill tumor cells expressing such oncoproteins. In outline, the target oncoprotein binds to exogenously introduced gene products, resulting in transcriptional activation of a toxic gene. As an example, we show that this approach can be used to specifically kill cells overexpressing a mutant p53 gene in cell culture. The strategy may be generally applicable to neoplastic diseases in which the underlying patterns of genetic alterations or abnormal gene expression are known.
Chorismate mutase:prephenate dehydratase from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. Purification, properties and immunological cross-reactivity.

The bifunctional P protein (chorismate mutase: prephenate dehydratase) from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus has been purified. It was homogeneous in polyacrylamide gels and was more than 95% pure on the basis of the immunostaining of purified P protein with the antibodies raised against the P protein. The native enzyme is a homodimer (Mr = 91000) composed of 45-kDa subunits. A twofold increase in the native molecular mass of the P protein occurred in the presence of L-phenylalanine (inhibitor of both activities) or L-tyrosine (activator of the dehydratase activity) during gel filtration. Chorismate mutase activity followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a Km of 0.55 mM for chorismate. L-Phenylalanine was a relatively poor non-competitive inhibitor of the mutase activity. The chorismate mutase activity was also competitively inhibited by prephenate (reaction product). Substrate-saturation curves for the dehydratase activity were sigmoidal showing positive cooperativity among the prephenate-binding sites. L-Tyrosine activated prephenate dehydratase strongly but did not abolish positive cooperativity with respect to prephenate. L-Phenylalanine inhibited the dehydratase activity, and the substrate-saturation curves became increasingly sigmoidal as phenylalanine concentrations were increased with happ values changing from 2.0 (no phenylalanine) to 4.0 (0.08 mM L-phenylalanine). A sigmoidal inhibition curve of the dehydratase activity by L-phenylalanine gave Hill plots having a slope of - 2.9. Higher ionic strength increased the dehydratase activity by reducing the positive cooperative binding of prephenate, and the sigmoidal substrate-saturation curves were changed to near-hyperbolic form. The happ values decreased with increase in ionic strength. Antibodies raised against the purified P protein showed cross-reactivity with the P proteins from near phylogenetic relatives of A. calcoaceticus. At a greater phylogenetic distance, cross-reaction was superior with P protein from Neisseria gonorrhaeae than with that from the more closely related Escherichia coli.
RADIOGRAPHIC CHANGES IN AN EQUINE PATELLA FOLLOWING MEDIAL PATELLAR DESMOTOMY

Medial patellar desmotomy has been considered a benign surgical treatment in horses with suspected upward fixation of the patella. Our clinic has previously observed radiographic changes in the equine stifle following medial patellar desmotomy but preoperative radiographs were not made and the changes therefore could not be directly associated with the desmotomy. In this report we describe a case with normal stifle radiographs before medial patellar desmotomy. Radiographs made 3 months later demonstrated degeneration of the patella with enthesophytes, osteolysis and bone fragments. It is hypothesized that the lesion developed as a result of lateral rotation of the patella creating stress concentration in the subchondral bone of the distal articular surface of the patella. The pathogenesis of the patellar lesion is thought to be similar to the “gull wing” lesion on the distal palmar aspect of the third metacarpal bone. We recommend a more prudent approach to medial patellar desmotomy in the horse.
Facial Image Associative Memory Model

Facial image associative memory takes a facial input image and returns associated faces pre-embedded in memory. This paper proposes a three-phase implementation process: a) sensory pre-processing, b) information interfusion, and c) association with existing faces. This paper reports on the simulation and performance of the proposed first phase, sensory preprocessing, based on multiple neural network structures to translate image sensory pre-processing into transformed information. The multi-network structure is tested by 46 faces of 21 individuals. The result shows the first phase can produce acceptable associations at 89.1% of all test faces with less than 0.02 energy error at above 0.60 facial image pixel-based correlation (closeness).
The differential effects of nitrazepam on certain inhibitory and excitatory behaviors

Nitrazepam, mixed with food, was orally administered to rats in doses of 0, 10, and 50 mg/kg. Both doses, but especially the higher one, had obvious arousal-reducing effects in most Ss. Paradoxically, however, the 50-mg dose produced apparent “rage” behavior in several rats while seeming to “tranquilize” or depress the others. At the higher dose, there also was a marked depression in locomotor, postural, or righting behavior. Despite these obvious overall effects, neither dose had any reliable effect on spontaneous alternation, a response highly related to hippocampal damage or malfunction. Our results are at least consistent with the idea that the drug alters the function of the amygdala, but they are decidedly in opposition to suggestions in the literature that nitrazepam either inhibits or enhances the function of the hippocampus.
Use of Genetic Algorithms as an Aid in Modeling Deep Bed Filtration

Abstract Deep bed filtration (DBF) is a very dynamic, complex process involving the capture and release of fine particles within a porous medium, dependent upon the chemistry state of the liquid phase. This paper presents a general model for permeability loss within a DBF process and then applies the model to the specific system of secondary oil recovery. The use of a genetic algorithm (GA) allows for the determination of the model parameters based on an efficient set of experimental data. GAs are optimization algorithms, based on the mechanism of natural selection. The explanation, benefits and development of the GA coding are included. The results found model the process with >97% accuracy for permeability loss up to 90%. The GA format allows for easy adaptation of this model to represent other filtration systems and further illustrates the usefulness of GAs in transport phenomena.
Ameliorating effects of auricular electroacupuncture on rectal distention-induced gastric dysrhythmias in rats.

Gastric slow waves (GSW) are known to regulate gastric motility and are impaired with rectal distention (RD). Electroacupuncture (EA) at body acupoints, such as ST 36, has been shown to improve gastric dysrhythmias; however, little is known about the possible effects of auricular electroacupuncture (AEA) on GSW. To study effects and possible mechanisms of AEA on RD-induced gastric dysrhythmias in rats, ten male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats implanted with gastric serosal electrodes were studied in two different experiments in fed state. Four sessions were performed in experiment 1 as follows: control (RD, no stimulation), RD+AEA, RD+EA at body points and RD+sham AEA. Two sessions were included in experiment 2 to study mechanisms of AEA: RD + atropine and RD + atropine + AEA. It was found that 1) RD significantly decreased the percentage of normal GSW from 89.8±3.5% to 76.0±3.3% (P<0.05); 2) AEA increased the percentage of normal GSW during RD to 94.0±2.1% (P<0.05 vs. RD) via a reduction in the percentages of tachygastria and arrhythmia (P<0.05 vs. RD); 3) atropine blocked the ameliorating effect of AEA on RD-induced gastric dysrhythmias. Our results demonstrated that RD induces gastric dysrhythmias in fed state in rats. AEA improves RD-induced gastric dysrhythmias via the vagal pathway. AEA may have a therapeutic potential in treating gastric dysrhythmias.
Mechanisms of disuse muscle atrophy: role of oxidative stress

Prolonged periods of skeletal muscle inactivity lead to a loss of muscle protein and strength. Advances in cell biology have progressed our understanding of those factors that contribute to muscle atrophy. To this end, abundant evidence implicates oxidative stress as a potential regulator of proteolytic pathways leading to muscle atrophy during periods of prolonged disuse. This review will address the role of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress as potential contributors to the process of disuse-mediated muscle atrophy. The first section of this article will discuss our current understanding of muscle proteases, sources of reactive oxygen in muscle fibers, and the evidence linking oxidative stress to disuse muscle atrophy. The second section of this review will highlight gaps in our knowledge relative to the specific role of oxidative stress in the regulation of disuse muscle atrophy. By discussing unresolved issues and suggesting topics for future research, it is hoped that this review will serve as a stimulus for the expansion of knowledge in this exciting field.
Abstract 3377: Glutamine mediated aggressiveness and drug sensitivity in ovarian cancer cells

Platinum-based drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin and xoaliplatin hav been introduced into clinical trials and their outcomes has progressed the treatment on several tumors, including ovarian cancer. However, cancer cells acquire chemo-resistance in the long term incubation of drugs, which turns out to be the major limitation for cancer therapy. Recent studies have shown that cisplatin can accumulate in mitochondria and induce cytochrome C release, thereby resulting in apoptosis. We found that glutamine plays a vital role in maintaining mitochondrial integrity and function by regulating NAD+ and NADH. Using bioenergetics and isotopomer analysis we show that chemodrugs in presence of glutamine affect oxidative phosphorylation in drug sensitive parental ovarian cancer cells. Addition of NAD+ substrates increased NAD/NADH ratio abrogating cisplatin9s effect on cell death and mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, drug resistant cancer cells had relatively higher glutamine dependence when compared with parental cells. Importantly, we found that when glutamine9s entry into TCA cycle was inhibited ovarian cancer cells became more sensitive to chemotherapy. Our findings are based on the quantification of metabolites, related to glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, the TCA and urea cycles, and amino acids and nucleotide metabolism, and comparison of these pathways fluxes in drug sensitive and drug resistant ovarian cancer. The insights obtained present a unique opportunity for overcoming the drug resistance limitation in clinical trials in ovarian cancers. Citation Format: Lifeng Yang, Tyler J. Moss, Juan C. Marini, Selanere Mangala, Stephen Wahlig, Julia Win, Dan Su, Anil K. Sood, Prahlad T. Ram, Deepak Nagrath. Glutamine mediated aggressiveness and drug sensitivity in ovarian cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3377. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3377
Scaling Down SOA to Small Businesses

The adoption of SOA in business computing environments is growing due to the promise of significant cost reduction in the planning, deployment and operation of IT projects. However, the organic transformation from legacy enterprise applications to SOA applications has occurred mostly in large enterprises. Small businesses have largely been left out of the SOA transformation. For small businesses and organizations, SOA is a mysterious technology little related with their business. This paper proposes a new way of scaling SOA services dubbed "outsidein" SOA that makes it possible for small business to enjoy the benefit of service orientation and service mashups to best fit their business needs. This "outsidein" SOA approach could unleash a SOA tsunami that will lead to the adoption of business-oriented Web services in a way similar to the adoption of the Web 2.0 that took place in the consumer market. This paper also demonstrates a few use cases how such a service delivery model could benefit small businesses and discusses the technical and social challenges of the adoption of this approach.
Possible rates of entropy convergence

We introduce entropy convergence rates as isomorphism invariants for measure-preserving systems and prove several general facts concerning these rates for aperiodic systems, completely ergodic systems and rank-one systems. We will for example show that for any completely ergodic system into two sets we have , whenever such that is integrable.
Glomus Tumor of the Kidney: Case Report and Literature Review

Glomus tumor is a benign mesenchymal neoplasm of the subcutaneous tissue of the distal extremities and head and neck region. Glomus tumor rarely occurs in the visceral organs. This study reports the sixth case of a glomus tumor arising in the kidney in a 62-year-old man who presented with weight loss and an incidental kidney lesion detected by computed tomographic scan. Radiologically, the tumor was difficult to differentiate from a malignant lesion and was therefore excised by partial nephrectomy. The tumor was challenging to diagnose by routine hematoxylin and eosin microscopic examination, necessitating immunohistochemical analysis. Immunoreactivity was demonstrated for smooth muscle actin, vimentin, collagen IV, and CD57, with little to no expression of neuroendocrine, endothelial, or epithelial markers. To date, the tumor has followed a benign course without evidence of local recurrence or metastasis.
Axial and Centrifugal Compressor Mean Line Flow Analysis Method

This paper describes a method to estimate key aerodynamic parameters of single and multistage axial and centrifugal compressors. This mean-line compressor code COMDES provides the capability of sizing single and multistage compressors quickly during the conceptual design process. Based on the compressible fluid flow equations and the Euler equation, the code can estimate rotor inlet and exit blade angles when run in the design mode. The design point rotor efficiency and stator losses are inputs to the code, and are modeled at off design. When run in the off-design analysis mode, it can be used to generate performance maps based on simple models for losses due to rotor incidence and inlet guide vane reset angle. The code can provide an improved understanding of basic aerodynamic parameters such as diffusion factor, loading levels and incidence, when matching multistage compressor blade rows at design and at part-speed operation. Rotor loading levels and relative velocity ratio are correlated to the onset of compressor surge. NASA Stage 37 and the three-stage NASA 74-A axial compressors were analyzed and the results compared to test data. The code has been used to generate the performance map for the NASA 76-B three-stage axial compressor featuring variable geometry. The compressor stages were aerodynamically matched at off-design speeds by adjusting the variable inlet guide vane and variable stator geometry angles to control the rotor diffusion factor and incidence angles.
Logic synthesis for VLSI

The authors present the current state of art of logic synthesis within IBM and some aspects developed at IBM Essonnes Component Development Laboratory. The application domain of logic synthesis is defined. Some high-level design languages are presented, since their practical features are essential in this process. The current synthesis approaches are detailed, with an emphasis on algebraic techniques. Examples are given of IBM machines designed with logic synthesis, and of an application to the optimization of an ASIC library. >
Human CD14+ leukocytes acquire the phenotype and function of antigen-presenting dendritic cells when cultured in GM-CSF and IL-4

The combination of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) induces the growth of antigen-presenting cells (APC) from adherent peripheral blood leukocytes. These cells have been characterized as dendritic cells (DC), yet many questions exist regarding their relationship to other DC populations and the nature of their progenitors. To address these issues, we utilized a combination of immunomagnetic depletion, cell sorting, and cell culture to isolate four distinct APC populations; macrophages expressing high levels of CD14 (CD14bright macrophages), DC produced by culturing adherent cells in GM-CSF and IL-4 (cultured DC), and two different subsets of fresh DC that express low levels of CD14 (CD14dim DC). Each population exhibited a unique morphology and a unique profile of cell surface markers. In contrast to macrophages,all three DC populations expressed the DC marker CD83, as well as highlevels of MHC molecules and the costimulatory molecules B7-1 (CD80) and B7-2 (CD86). In addition. all three DC populations presented soluble tetanus toxin antigen and stimulated T cell proliferation to levels far superior to that of macrophages. Blocking studies demonstrated a costimulatory role for B7-1, B7-2, and CD40 in antigen presentation, although B7-2 expression was the single most important factor. To identify the progenitors of cultured DC, we sorted the adherent fraction of PBMC into discrete subpopulations prior to exposure to GM-CSF and IL-4. DC activity derived entirely from CD14+ precursors and was equally demonstrable using either the CD14dim or CD14bright subsets. Although these DC precursors lost expression of CD14 in culture, they maintained most of their other myeloid features. We conclude that human CD14+ leukocytes acquire the phenotype and function of DC when cultured in GM-CSF and IL-4.
Prevalence of Thelohania solenopsae (Microsporidia: Thelohaniidae) Infection in Monogyne and Polygyne Red Imported Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract We determined the prevalence of natural field infections of the fire ant pathogen Thelohania solenopsae Knell, Allen, and Hazard in the monogyne and polygyne social forms of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, in three pastures in Florida. Social form was determined by examining the genotype of ants at the Gp-9 locus. The monogyne form contains a single fertilized queen per colony, and colony members have a genotype of Gp-9BB. In contrast, the polygyne form contains many fertilized queens per colony, and all three genotypes of Gp-9BB, Gp-9Bb, or Gp-9bb can be present within a colony. Among the study sites, ratios of monogyne:polygyne colonies ranged from 3:55–28:22, and infections rates were 42–78% when both social forms were included in the samples from each site. However, T. solenopsae infections were restricted to colonies of the polygynous social form. While T. solenopsae was only detected in polygynous colonies in the field, T. solenopsae infections were found in ants with t...
Let-7 regulates cardiomyocyte regeneration

In May of 2015, Kuppusamy et al . described a microRNA (miRNA)-driving maturation process in stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) (1). This process elucidated the metabolism shifting through down-regulation of the phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/AKT protein kinase/insulin pathway to an up-regulation of fatty acid metabolism, and provided a foundation for potential heart regeneration therapy using human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs).
Aeolian processes and dune fields in estuaries

Dunes occur in numerous locations in estuaries despite constraints to active aeolian transport caused by the paucity and small size of sand beaches. Examination of dune characteristics in two large...
Antiretroviral agents: the next generation.

Despite dramatic progress over the past few years, antiretroviral therapy continues to have limitations. Currently available drugs often have
Three-dimensional microstructural characterization of bulk plutonium and uranium metals using focused ion beam technique

Abstract Nuclear forensics requires accurate quantification of discriminating microstructural characteristics of the bulk nuclear material to identify its process history and provenance. Conventional metallographic preparation techniques for bulk plutonium (Pu) and uranium (U) metals are limited to providing information in two-dimension (2D) and do not allow for obtaining depth profile of the material. In this contribution, use of dual-beam focused ion-beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) to investigate the internal microstructure of bulk Pu and U metals is demonstrated. Our results demonstrate that the dual-beam methodology optimally elucidate microstructural features without preparation artifacts, and the three-dimensional (3D) characterization of inner microstructures can reveal salient microstructural features that cannot be observed from conventional metallographic techniques. Examples are shown to demonstrate the benefit of FIB-SEM in improving microstructural characterization of microscopic inclusions, particularly with respect to nuclear forensics.
A Mutation at the I Locus in an Inbred Line of White Leghorns and its Effect on Growth Rate

Abstract INTRODUCTION INTEREST in the effects associated with the gene for dominant white, I, has been stimulated by its extensive use in commercial broiler crosses. A number of studies have indicated that the dominant white gene is associated with a reduced rate of growth. Superiority of the recessive (ii) genotype in growth rate was observed by Jerome, Slinger, Huntsman and Pepper (1956), Jaap and Grimes (1956), Collins and Hubbard (1958) and Merat (1959). On the contrary, Williams, Krueger and Quisenberry (1959) found the heterozygote (Ii) to give growth superior to the recessive homozygote. The superiority of the recessive genotype in growth rate has been attributed by various workers to (1) linkage of growth genes with the I locus, (Jerome et al., 1956), (2) pleiotropic effects of the I gene, (Jerome et al., 1956; Merat, 1959), and (3) interaction of I with the dominant alleles of the genes for extended black (E), …
A NEW ANTI-GALLOPING DEVICE AND INVESTIGATION ON ITS MECHANISM

A new anti-galloping device is presented,and a single-degree-freedom dynamic model is employed to investigate the anti-galloping mechanism of this device.A typical finite element model of transmission lines including iced conductor and the anti-galloping devices is set up by the computational mechanics method.The galloping in the case without an anti-galloping device and the galloping inhibition as the anti-galloping devices are mounted on the typical line are numerically simulated based on the aerodynamic coefficients of the iced quad-bundled conductor varying with attack angles determined by wind tunnel tests.Furthermore,the parameter optimization of the anti-galloping device is numerically carried out.The numerical results show that the effect of the new anti-galloping device is evident and the device is prospective in engineering applications.
Drag-Reducing Polymer Enhances Microvascular Perfusion in the Traumatized Brain with Intracranial Hypertension

Current treatments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) have not focused on improving microvascular perfusion. Drag-reducing polymers (DRP), linear, long-chain, blood-soluble, nontoxic macromolecules, may offer a new approach to improving cerebral perfusion by primary alteration of the fluid dynamic properties of blood. Nanomolar concentrations of DRP have been shown to improve hemodynamics in animal models of ischemic myocardium and ischemic limb, but have not yet been studied in the brain. We recently demonstrated that DRP improved microvascular perfusion and tissue oxygenation in a normal rat brain. We hypothesized that DRP could restore microvascular perfusion in hypertensive brain after TBI. Using in vivo two-photon laser scanning microscopy we examined the effect of DRP on microvascular blood flow and tissue oxygenation in hypertensive rat brains with and without TBI. DRP enhanced and restored capillary flow, decreased microvascular shunt flow, and, as a result, reduced tissue hypoxia in both nontraumatized and traumatized rat brains at high intracranial pressure. Our study suggests that DRP could constitute an effective treatment for improving microvascular flow in brain ischemia caused by high intracranial pressure after TBI.
THE ETHOS OF A SCIENTIFIC HISTORIAN: Fustel de Coulanges

[Insisting that “Patriotism is a virtue and history a science, and the two should not be confounded,” N. D. Fustel de Coulanges (1830–1889) broke with the earlier traditions of French historiography and sought to foster the scientific study of history in France. In his teaching, first at Strasbourg and, after the defeat of 1870, in Paris, he called for a proper historical method, which would emphasize the scrupulous study of original texts and cultivate a historical sense which would see the past in its uniqueness and not as a backward projection of the present. His best known work, The Ancient City (1864) reinterpreted the life of Greek and Roman cities by analyzing the relations of religious beliefs to political and economic institutions. In his monumental Histoire des institutions politiques de l’ancienne France (6 vols., 1875–1892) he described the historic origins of medieval France without becoming a partisan in the old controversy concerning the relative importance and merit of Latin versus Germanic influences on the development of France.
Response to My Critics

It is a relief to survive the strict scrutiny of these five great scholars of history, constitutional law, family law, religious law, and religious liberty. These are the five main disciplines, alo...
Deletion of Fak in Hematopoietic Stem Cells Leads to Enhanced Engraftment.

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) can be induced to leave the bone marrow (BM) and such mobilized hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) enriched cell populations when infused intravenously rapidly home back to the marrow and transmigrate into the extravascular compartment where they lodge in specialized niches. Niche induced signals coupled to intrinsic factors, promote HSC maintenance and regulate HSC localization, migration and/or differentiation. A better understanding of molecular pathways governing these HSC fate decisions could identify new targets for ex vivo HSC expansion and improvement of transplantation. Focal adhesion kinase (Fak) is a non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase, whose function has been well studied in fibroblasts, where it plays an important role in cell adhesion, survival and motility. Fak is also differentially expressed in HSPC, with highest expression in long-term HSCs (LT-HSCs, Lin-Sca-1+c-Kit +CD34-). Its functional role in hematopoiesis has not been well studied due to early embryonic lethality (E.8) of Fak−/− mice. We have generated conditional Fak deleted mice (Fakfl/flMx1-Cre+) to define how Fak signaling contributes to different components of HSC transplantation. We observed that the total cellularity in BM was comparable between Fak knockout (Fak−/−Mx1-Cre+) and control (Fakfl/fl) mice. The frequencies of both Lin-Sca-1+c-Kit + cells (LSKs) and short-term HSCs (ST-HSCs, Lin-Sca-1+c-Kit +CD34+) increased 2-fold in BM of Fak knockout mice compared to WT controls (n=5; p<0.05), while LT-HSCs appeared unaffected. Moreover, the number of LSKs in the spleens of Fak knockout mice increased by 3-fold relative to controls (n≥7, P<0.01). In vitro colony-forming assay also showed that the functionally defined progenitor cell numbers significantly increased in Fak knockout mice spleen. However, Fak deletion did not affect HPC populations including common myeloid progenitors (CMP), granulocyte macrophage progenitors (GMP), megakaryocyte erythrocyte progenitors (MEP) and common lymphoid progenitors (CLP). Importantly, in the competitive repopulation assay Fak−/− HSCs exhibited 2-fold enhanced engraftment for 20 weeks post-transplant, while lineage reconstitution in peripheral blood (PB) was similar between wild-type and knockout donor-derived cells suggesting Fak deletion did not affect PB mature B, T and myeloid cell survival under non-stress conditions. These findings indicate that FAK may play an important role in HSC homeostasis and that targeting the FAK pathway ex vivo may lead to innovative approaches in human HSPC transplantation.
Structural Organization and Communicatory Functions of Olfaction in Nonhuman Primates

Our knowledge of primate chemical communication lags far behind that of visual and vocal patterns. This is not surprising, considering the limitations placed on the human observer by his own sensory capacities. Because of his relatively poorly developed sense of smell, the human observer is much more likely to record a visual or vocal pattern of communication than an odor. Therefore, much of the chemical communication possibly going on in a primate group escapes notice during direct observation. In spite of these limitations, evidence for the use of chemical signals in primate communication has accumulated during recent years.
Autoimmune Movement Disorders: a Clinical and Laboratory Approach

Autoimmune movement disorders are caused by an aberrant immune response to neural self-antigens. These disorders may be paraneoplastic, parainfectious, or (most commonly) idiopathic. The neurological presentations are diverse, and sometimes multifocal. Movement disorders can occur as part of the spectrum with phenotypes including chorea, myoclonus, ataxia, CNS hyperexcitability (including stiff-person syndrome), dystonia, and parkinsonism. Symptoms are subacute in onset and may have a fluctuating course. The best characterized disorders are unified by neural autoantibodies identified in serum or cerebrospinal fluid. The antibody specificity may predict the association with cancer and the response to immunotherapy. In this article, we review autoimmune-mediated movement disorders, associated cancers, diagnosis, and treatment.
Identification and characterization of a 20β-HSDH from the anaerobic gut bacterium Butyricicoccus desmolans ATCC 43058

Members of the gastrointestinal microbiota are known to convert glucocorticoids to androstanes, which are subsequently converted to potent androgens by other members of the gut microbiota or host tissues. Butyricicoccus desmolans and Clostridium cadaveris have previously been reported for steroid-17,20-desmolase and 20β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSDH) activities that are responsible for androstane formation from cortisol; however, the genes encoding these enzymes have yet to be reported. In this work, we identified and located a gene encoding 20β-HSDH in both B. desmolans and C. cadaveris The 20β-HSDH of B. desmolans was heterologously overexpressed and purified from Escherichia coli The enzyme was determined to be a homotetramer with subunit molecular mass of 33.8 ± 3.7 kDa. The r20β-HSDH displayed pH optimum in the reductive direction at pH 9.0 and in the oxidative direction at pH 7.0-7.5 with (20β-dihydro)cortisol and NAD(H) as substrates. Cortisol is the preferred substrate with Km , 0.80 ± 0.06 μM; Vmax , 30.36 ± 1.97 μmol·min-1; Kcat , 607 ± 39 μmol·μM-1·min-1; Kcat /Km , 760 ± 7.67. Phylogenetic analysis of the 20β-HSDH from B. desmolans suggested that the 20β-HSDH is found in several Bifidobacterium spp, one of which was shown to express 20β-HSDH activity. Notably, we also identified a novel steroid-17,20-desmolase-elaborating bacterium, Propionimicrobium lymphophilum, a normal inhabitant of the urinary tract.
Sphingosine-1-phosphate: waging a battle in the diabetic blood vessel.

See related article, pages 731–739 A key question in unlocking the mystery of accelerated atherosclerosis that often accompanies types1 and 2 diabetes and leads to increased incidence and severity of heart attacks and strokes is, what are the precise biochemical and molecular signaling pathways that perturb the diabetic blood vessel leading to acceleration of vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis? Extensive evidence implicates elevated levels of glucose as a critical culprit in these phenomena. Beyond a critical threshold, it is apparent that increased glucose levels significantly exceed homeostatic requirements, and divert fundamental pathways leading to untoward nonphysiological effects in the cells. Glucose may be dangerous, not solely because of its direct effects, but because of its long-term consequences. The studies of the Diabetes Control Clinical Trials (DCCT) and the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Research (EDIC) Groups showed definitively that earlier rigorous glycemic control, despite eventual normalization of glucose levels compared with conventionally-treated type 1 diabetic subjects, exerted long-term protection against surrogate (carotid intima-media thickness) and frank end points (cardiovascular events and death) of cardiovascular disease.1–2 Why is the diabetic vessel so vulnerable to increased glucose? A plausible hypothesis is that it’s not just glucose; rather, excessive glucose is accompanied by clever accomplices in the pathways leading to irreversible vascular injury, some of which may be directly influenced by adverse signals emitted by hyperglycemia. For example, the nonenzymatic glycation and oxidation of proteins and lipids results in the generation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs), key signaling species that perturb endothelium, smooth muscle cells and monocytes to ignite vascular inflammation and contribute to accelerated atherogenesis and the development and progression of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques.3 AGEs, by virtue of their interaction with Receptor for AGE (RAGE), trigger generation of oxidative species and activation of downstream proinflammatory and prothrombotic pathways. Importantly, …
Transcription factors CEP‐1/p53 and CEH‐23 collaborate with AAK‐2/AMPK to modulate longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans.

A decline in mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) function has long been implicated in aging and various diseases. Recently, moderate mitochondrial ETC dysfunction has been found to prolong lifespan in diverse organisms, suggesting a conserved and complex role of mitochondria in longevity determination. Several nuclear transcription factors have been demonstrated to mediate the lifespan extension effect associated with partial impairment of the ETC, suggesting that compensatory transcriptional response to be crucial. In this study, we showed that the transcription factors CEP-1/p53 and CEH-23 act through a similar mechanism to modulate longevity in response to defective ETC in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genomewide gene expression profiling comparison revealed a new link between these two transcription factors and AAK-2/AMP kinase (AMPK) signaling. Further functional analyses suggested that CEP-1/p53 and CEH-23 act downstream of AAK-2/AMPK signaling and CRTC-1 transcriptional coactivator to promote stress resistance and lifespan. As AAK-2, CEP-1, and CEH-23 are all highly conserved, our findings likely provide important insights for understanding the organismal adaptive response to mitochondrial dysfunction in diverse organisms and will be relevant to aging and pathologies with a mitochondrial etiology in human.
Leverage Persistence and Corporate Dynamic Tradeoff Behavior

We investigate the dynamics of observed and target leverage ratios and deviations from the targets. The cross-sectional persistence in observed leverage ratios is driven by highly persistent targets, whereas the time series variation is driven by transitory deviations from targets. Deviations are less persistent for firms that are overlevered and firms that are smaller, younger, focused, or have lower credit ratings. In recessions, excess leverage is less persistent for larger firms and is more persistent for smaller firms. Thus, consistent with dynamic trade-off theories, persistence is higher when the costs of deviating from targets are likely to be lower and when the costs of adjustment are likely to be higher.
Promotion bureau warehouse system design. Case study in University of AA

The warehouse becomes one of the important parts in an industry. By having a good warehousing system, an industry can improve the effectiveness of its performance, so that profits for the company can continue to increase. Meanwhile, if it has a poorly organized warehouse system, it is feared there will be a decrease in the level of effectiveness of the industry itself. In this research, the object was warehousing system in promotion bureau of University AA. To improve the effectiveness of warehousing system, warehouse layout design is done by specifying categories of goods based on the flow of goods in and out of warehouse with ABC analysis method. In addition, the design of information systems to assist in controlling the system to support all the demand for every burreau and department in the university.
The Phenomenology of Intersubjectivity

Contemporary continental philosophy has moved away from phenomenology, especially Husserlian phenomenology with its transcendental subject. Currents in contemporary theory that have been called “post-structural” and “postmodern” share the rejection of the Husserlian theory of subjectivity. “Post-structuralism” and “postmodernism” are also post-phenomenological. Levinas, Derrida, Lyotard and Kristeva, for example, criticize Husserl’s conception of the subject. Of course, Husserl’s immediate successors, Heidegger, Sartre, and Merleau-Ponty also rejected his conception of the transcendental subject. Returning to different versions of Hegel’s dialectical conception of subjectivity, some contemporary theorists challenge the Husserlian notion of a unified transcendental subject by insisting that the subject is not only fragmented or decentered and embodied, but also that it is the result, even the effect, of relationships to something or someone other than itself.
Retrospective and Prospective Examination of Outpatient Mental Health Utilization and Military Career Impacts

United States (U.S.) military personnel express concerns about the potential impact of seeking mental health care on their careers. To date, there is a lack of empirical data on the association between mental health treatment utilization at a military treatment facility and career-related outcomes.
Which experimental systems should we use for human microbiome science

Microbiome science is revealing that the phenotype and health of animals, including humans, depend on the sustained function of their resident microorganisms. In this essay, I argue for thoughtful choice of model systems for human microbiome science. A greater variety of experimental systems, including wider use of invertebrate models, would benefit biomedical research, while systems ill-suited to experimental and genetic manipulation can be used to address very limited sets of scientific questions. Microbiome science benefits from the coordinated use of multiple systems, which is facilitated by networks of researchers with expertise in different experimental systems.
Intergenerational effects of dietary restriction on insulin/IGF signaling and reproductive development

The roundworm C. elegans transiently arrests larval development to survive extended starvation (1), but such early-life starvation reduces reproductive success (2, 3). Maternal dietary restriction (DR) buffers progeny from starvation, increasing reproductive success (4). It is unknown why early-life starvation decreases reproductive success and how maternal diet modifies this process. We show here that extended starvation in first-stage (L1) larvae followed by unrestricted feeding results in a variety of abnormalities in the reproductive system, including glp-1/Notch-sensitive germ-cell tumors and uterine masses that express neuronal and epidermal markers. We found that maternal DR reduces the penetrance of starvation-induced abnormalities, including tumors. Furthermore, we show that maternal DR reduces insulin/IGF signaling (IIS) in progeny, and that daf-16/FoxO and skn-1/Nrf, transcriptional effectors of IIS, are required in progeny for maternal DR to suppress abnormalities. daf-16/FoxO activity in somatic tissues is sufficient to suppress starvation-induced abnormalities, suggesting cell-nonautonomous regulation of reproductive system development. This work reveals complex inter- and intra-generational effects of nutrient availability mediated by IIS with consequences on developmental integrity and reproductive success.
Markov Breaks in Regression Models

This article develops a new Markov breaks (MB) model for forecasting and making inference in linear regression models with breaks that are stochastic in both timing and magnitude. The MB model permits an arbitrarily large number of abrupt breaks in the regression coefficients and error variance, but it maintains a low-dimensional state space, and therefore it is computationally straightforward. In particular, the likelihood function can be computed analytically using a single iterative pass through the data and thereby avoids Monte Carlo integration. The model generates forecasts and conditional coefficient predictions using a probability weighted average over regressions that include progressively more historical data. I employ the MB model to study the predictive ability of the yield curve for quarterly GDP growth. I show evidence of breaks in the predictive relationship, and the MB model outperforms competing breaks models in an out-of-sample forecasting experiment.
Variability in Age of Initial Shortening and Uplift in the Central Andes, 16–33°30′S

The north-trending Andean Cordillera is the highest landmass in the Southern Hemisphere. Lenters et al.1 and Lenters and Cook2 used general circulation model (GCM) experiments to show that the high elevation of the Andes combines with their narrow width to generate marked perturbations in South America’s climate, even though the far-field effects on global climate are small. By extrapolation, topographic uplift of the Andean chain probably perturbed the paleoclimate of South America. This paper summarizes the history of that uplift between 16° and 33°3O′S (Fig. 1), a zone that spans the tropics, a subtropical high-pressure belt, and the northern margin of the westerlies.3
Isomerization Reactions at Aqueous Interfaces

In this paper we discuss the transfer of small, flexible molecules across the water-hexane interface. The study is motivated by the biological and pharmacological importance of this process in water-membrane systems. We focus on three main issues: (a) what are the free energy profiles for transferring molecules across the interface, (b) how conformational equilibria at the interface differ from those in the bulk phases, and (c) how the rates of isomerization compare to the rates of transfer across the interface. We investigate these problems by molecular dynamics simulations of two systems — 1,2-dichloroethane and alanine dipeptide. Both molecules exhibit a free energy minimum at the interface. As a consequence, the molecules encounter an apparent “interfacial resistance”, in violation of the solubility-diffusion model. For 1,2-dichloroethane the relaxation time of the isomerization reaction was calculated from the transition state theory and corrected for dynamic effects which included a contribution from quasi-periodic trajectories. This time was found to be much shorter than the lifetime of the solute at the interface, indicating that the conformational equilibrium in this region is readily reached during the transfer. For alanine dipeptide it was found that conformations present in water and in hexane are all populated at the interface, but energy barriers between them are markedly reduced. The description of the transfer across the interface by a simple diffusion model was tested. The model gives satisfactory results for 1,2-dichloroethane but is less accurate for alanine dipeptide.
Preventing Infidelity: A Theory of Protective Factors:

The purpose of this study was to identify a theory that explains how married persons maintain monogamy. Ten participants were interviewed twice using a semistructured interview format. Grounded the...
A mission to converge for inclusion? The smart city and the women of Seelampur:

Based on ethnographic research in New Delhi, this article critically examines the promise of inclusion of the smart city, new governance program Mission Convergence for marginalized residents, espe...
Contemporary changes in localized and metastatic prostate cancer incidence by geographic area following decreased PSA screening.

1567Background: In the setting of decreased PSA screening, the incidence of metastatic prostate cancer has been increasing in the United States. This was chronologically proceeded by decreasing loc...
Identifying Fraction Measures as Screeners of Mathematics Risk Status

This study investigated the accuracy of three fraction measures (i.e., fraction number line estimation accuracy, general fraction concepts, and fraction arithmetic) for screening fourth graders who...
CO2 and calcification processes in fish

All teleost fish calcify and produce structures known as otoliths confined by saccular epithelia in the inner ear. These structures enable detection of acceleration/movement, equilibrium, pressure changes and sound vibrations. In addition, all marine teleosts produce CaCO3 precipitates in the intestinal lumen to serve osmoregulation. The precipitation reaction in the intestinal lumen of marine fish is vital for their survival and the precipitated CaCO3, which they void to the environment, is a substantial contribution to the inorganic carbon cycle. Both calcification processes are enhanced by exposure to elevate environmental CO2, also at levels relevant for short-term climate change, although species differences in sensitivity exists. The present chapter summarizes what we know about the mechanisms of both calcification processes and how elevated CO2 affects them and their related functions. Fish produced CaCO3 is generally Mg-rich and relatively soluble compared to other biogenic CaCO3. Consequently, the fate of voided CaCO3 is relatively uncertain. Although fish produced CaCO3 has been observed in sediments at shallow depths it appears that the majority of the voided CaCO3 dissolves and contributes to elevated titratable alkalinity with depth in ocean waters.