cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insights into the CtrA Regulon in Development of Stress Resistance in Obligatory Intracellular Pathogen Ehrlichia chaffeensis

Ehrlichia chaffeensis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis. Ehrlichiae have a biphasic developmental cycle consisting of dense-cored cells (DCs) and reticulate cells (RCs). Isolated DCs are more stress resistant and infectious than RCs. Here, we report that a response regulator, CtrA was upregulated in human monocytes at the late growth stage when DCs develop. E. chaffeensis CtrA bound to the promoters of late-stage transcribed genes: ctrA, ompA (peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein), bolA (stress-induced morphogen), and surE (stationary phase survival protein), which contain CtrA-binding motifs, and transactivated ompA, surE, and bolA promoter-lacZ fusions in Escherichia coli. OmpA was predominantly expressed in DCs. E. chaffeensis binding to and subsequent infection of monocytes were inhibited by anti-OmpA IgG. E. chaffeensis BolA bound to the promoters of genes encoding outer surface proteins TRP120 and ECH_1038, which were expressed in DCs, and transactivated trp120 and ECH_1038 promoter-lacZ fusions. E. chaffeensis bolA complemented a stress-sensitive E. coli bolA mutant. E. coli expressing E. chaffeensis surE exhibited increased resistance to osmotic stress. Our results suggest that E. chaffeensis CtrA plays a role in coordinating development of the stress resistance for passage from the present to the next host cells through its regulon.
ResBoost: characterizing and predicting catalytic residues in enzymes

Identifying the catalytic residues in enzymes can aid in understanding the molecular basis of an enzyme's function and has significant implications for designing new drugs, identifying genetic disorders, and engineering proteins with novel functions. Since experimentally determining catalytic sites is expensive, better computational methods for identifying catalytic residues are needed. We propose ResBoost, a new computational method to learn characteristics of catalytic residues. The method effectively selects and combines rules of thumb into a simple, easily interpretable logical expression that can be used for prediction. We formally define the rules of thumb that are often used to narrow the list of candidate residues, including residue evolutionary conservation, 3D clustering, solvent accessibility, and hydrophilicity. ResBoost builds on two methods from machine learning, the AdaBoost algorithm and Alternating Decision Trees, and provides precise control over the inherent trade-off between sensitivity and specificity. We evaluated ResBoost using cross-validation on a dataset of 100 enzymes from the hand-curated Catalytic Site Atlas (CSA). ResBoost achieved 85% sensitivity for a 9.8% false positive rate and 73% sensitivity for a 5.7% false positive rate. ResBoost reduces the number of false positives by up to 56% compared to the use of evolutionary conservation scoring alone. We also illustrate the ability of ResBoost to identify recently validated catalytic residues not listed in the CSA.
Effect of Maintaining Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy on AIDS Events among Patients with Late-Stage HIV Infection and Inadequate Response to Therapy

Background We evaluated the effect of maintaining highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on the development of new acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related events in patients with late-stage human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who had suboptimal CD4+ cell count and viral load responses to HIV therapy. Methods In patients with pretreatment CD4+ cell counts of Results For period 2 patients with CD4+ cell counts 100,000 copies/mL, the rate of AIDS-related events (39.3 events per 100 person-years) was significantly lower than that for period 1 patients with CD4+ cell counts 100,000 copies/mL (29.5 events per 100 person-years; P=.01). Similarly, for patients with CD4+ cell counts of 100-200 cells/mm3, there were fewer AIDS-related events in period 2 (7.8 events per 100 person-years) than in period 1 (34.5 events per 100 person-years; P=.001); even for patients in period 2 with viral loads >100,000 copies/mL (15.4 events per 100 person-years; P=.04). Conclusions Our data suggest that, even among patients with late-stage HIV infection and inadequate CD4+ cell count and viral load responses to HIV therapy, maintaining HAART may reduce the incidence of AIDS-related events.
Decoding in neural systems: stimulus reconstruction from nonlinear encoding

The encoding of information about the outside world in the temporal activity of sensory neurons is an extremely complex process that has eluded the understanding of the scientific community for decades. The reconstruction of sensory stimuli from observed neuronal activity provides a basis within which we might ascertain the nature of the sensory information encoded by the cells. We present a decoding strategy for predicting the sensory stimulus from the neuronal response that is based on the mechanisms of encoding. For a class of encoding mechanisms characterized by a linear function followed by a memoryless nonlinearity, referred to as Wiener systems, the Bayesian estimator is derived from the transformational properties of the nonlinearity. The result is a reconstruction paradigm in which the ability to predict sensory stimuli from the neuronal response depends heavily upon how well the encoding process has been characterized, and thus provides a measure or our understanding of the underlying physiological process.
Microstratigraphy of the Lower Mississippian Sunbury Shale: A record of solar-modulated climatic cyclicity

Microstratigraphic analysis of the Sunbury Shale has yielded a high-resolution record of probable short-term climatic changes in the Early Mississippian central Appalachian basin. The formation is a laminated black shale that contains pervasive millimetre-thick couplets composed of alternating thin black and thick dark gray laminae, and decimetre-thick bands that are alternately dark and light. Total organic carbon content varies at length scales corresponding to both orders of cyclicity, and correlation of total organic carbon values to X-radiograph gray-scale densities permitted rapid stratigraphic analysis of millimetre-scale lithologic variation in the 5.0-m-thick formation. Spectral analysis of gray-scale density time series revealed strong power concentrations at intervals of 23 ±2 and 70 ±5 couplets. These results are interpreted to represent varved deposition of the Sunbury Shale modulated by the ∼22 yr Hale and ∼70-90 yr Gleissberg solar activity cycles. These cycles were probably recorded because of deposition in a stratified anoxic environment that was sensitive to short-term climatic fluctuations and subject to high sedimentation rates (4.5 mm/yr).
A Unified Viscoplastic Model for Creep and Fatigue-Creep Response Simulation of Haynes 230

A Chaboche-based unified viscoplastic constitutive model, including features of strain range dependence, strain rate-dependence, static recovery, and mean stress evolution is developed and evaluated for simulating fatigue-creep and creep responses of Haynes 230. In other words, this constitutive model attempt to simulate not only strain-controlled fatigue and fatigue-creep responses of Haynes 230, but also stress-controlled creep responses. After investigating various flow rules and kinematic hardening rules, a unified viscoplastic constitutive model is developed for simulating both the fatigue-creep and creep responses. The parameter determination for this constitutive model, however, requires a robust optimization algorithm. The proposed unified constitutive model can adequately simulate fatigue-creep responses, and creep responses up to the secondary creep regimes. However, with the introduction of damage modeling features the constitutive model can simulate the tertiary creep regime responses, but with some limitations in simulating fatigue-creep responses. Nonetheless, the unified viscoplastic constitutive model with or without damage modeling features has shown to be able to capture the stress-controlled creep responses while still maintaining high fidelity in capturing the strain-controlled fatigue and fatigue-creep responses.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Partisanship Suppressed: Judicial Decision-Making in Ralph Nader's 2004 Ballot Access Litigation

IN 1993, JEFFREY Segal and Harold Spaeth published The Supreme Court and the Attitudinal Model. Within this text the authors made the following prediction: “if a case on the outcome of a presidential election should reach the Supreme Court . . . the Court’s decision might well turn on the personal preferences of the justices” (Segal and Spaeth 1993, 70; 2002, 1). Seven years later, such a scenario presented itself in Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 (2000). The Supreme Court’s 5–4 decision to halt Florida recounts was controversial for a number of reasons. Most notably, this decision was the equivalent of declaring George W. Bush presidentelect, and the majority consisted of the Court’s most conservative members—all of whom were appointed by Republican presidents. The two justices appointed by a Democratic president, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, did not favor this remedy and would have allowed more time for recounts.1 As one federal judge noted, the outcome in Bush “just seemed so politically partisan” (Greenhouse 2000, A32). Some legal scholars, too, recognized the partisan nature of the Court’s decision and chastised the majority for indulging in the “low” politics of partisan favoritism (Balkin 2001, 1408; Balkin and Levinson 2001, 1061; Gillman 2001a, 7; Levinson 2001, 8). And one political scientist claims that three forces motivated the majority’s decision—“partisanship, partisanship, and partisanship . . . ” (Geer 2002, 85). Strangely, issues relating to election law and partisanship receive relatively little attention in the judicial behavior literature. As Bush v. Gore clearly demonstrated, courts have the ability to influence the outcome of a presidential election. If the courts can influence a presidential election then, to use the cliche, nothing is sacred. Courts throughout the country regularly decide a plethora of election-related legal issues. The issues judges confront vary in complexity. Some election law issues are rather simple, such as determining whether a polling location should be open past the mandated closing time. Other issues are more complex, such as determining which candidates appear on the ballot for a given election. This study considers the latter. When a potential candidate wishes to run for elected office, he must file candidate petitions with the state (or county) election authority (e.g., secretary of state or the board of elections).2 The election authority then determines
Levels of Elevated Circulating Endothelial Cell Decline after Tumor Resection in Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Aim: To evaluate circulating endothelial lineage cells (ELCs) as biomarkers of tumor neovascularization in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Materials and Methods: ELCs were isolated from the peripheral blood of patients with PDAC (n=14) or controls (n=17) before and after tumor resection/surgery and quantified using flow cytometry. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placental growth factor (PlGF) were detected in tumor using immunohistochemistry and in plasma using an ELISA technique. Results: Circulating ELC levels were increased in patients with PDAC compared to controls. After PDAC resection, ELC levels declined. ELC level increases were associated with cancer recurrence. VEGF and PlGF were identified in cancer cells and exocrine pancreas cells. Only PlGF was detected in tumor-associated inflammatory cells. Plasma levels of PlGF were higher in patients with PDAC compared to controls. Conclusion: Circulating ELCs are a potential biomarker of PDAC neovascularization, and PlGF may be an important target in treatment of PDAC.
Level of ‘outness’ and pornography use among men who have sex with men: results from an online survey

Higher levels of ‘outness’ – a fundamental experience of people who experience same-sex attraction or engage in same-sex relationships – have been associated with increased community engagement, improved self-worth and relationship satisfaction. Pornography viewing is common among men who have sex with men (MSM), and may be associated with outness. Current literature lacks analyses of outness and pornography viewing among MSM. In data taken from a 2009 online survey 1995 MSM participants reported accessing pornography via the Internet (58.8%), video/digital versatile disc (32.3%) and magazines (10.4%). Viewing of pornography portraying only safer sex encounters (oral sex, mutual masturbation and/or anal sex with condoms) was reported by 49.4%; 4.5% reported exclusively viewing high-risk sex (anal sex without condoms with/without oral sex or mutual masturbation); and 46.1% reported viewing both safer sex and high-risk pornography. In multivariable modelling – compared to the other two groups – men who watc...
Solving non-zero sum multiagent network flow security games with attack costs

Moving assets through a transportation network is a crucial challenge in hostile environments such as future battlefields where malicious adversaries have strong incentives to attack vulnerable patrols and supply convoys. Intelligent agents must balance network costs with the harm that can be inflicted by adversaries who are in turn acting rationally to maximize harm while trading off against their own costs to attack. Furthermore, agents must choose their strategies even without full knowledge of their adversaries' capabilities, costs, or incentives.In this paper we model this problem as a non-zero sum game between two players, a sender who chooses flows through the network and an adversary who chooses attacks on the network. We advance the state of the art by: (1) moving beyond the zero-sum games previously considered to non-zero sum games where the adversary incurs attack costs that are not incorporated into the payoff of the sender; (2) introducing a refinement of the Stackelberg equilibrium that is more appropriate to network security games than previous solution concepts; and (3) using Bayesian games where the sender is uncertain of the capabilities, payoffs, and costs of the adversary. We provide polynomial time algorithms for finding equilibria in each of these cases. We also show how our approach can be applied to games where there are multiple adversaries.
Ultrasonography of Normal Adrenal Gland

Ultrasonography of adrenal lesions is usually difficult because of its high location in the posterior abdomen. On the posterior scan, it may be easily obscured by ribs; on the anterior scan, by stomach or bowel gas (especially on the left side) as well as ribs. Multiple approaches from anterior, posterior and poster-lateral positions and longitudinal, transverse and oblique directions may be necessary to delineate the adrenal area. Ultrasonography of the normal adrenal gland is most difficult because the normal adrenal gland is usually only 3 to 6 mm in thickness. However, with careful scanning and different approaches, it is frequently possible to delineate the normal adrenal gland and adrenal masses as small as 1.3 cm in size may be identified.
Ultrasonic Radiation and Yeast Cells

A system capable of producing a series of high frequency waves in fluid may be constructed by placing a piezoelectric crystal of carefully prepared quartz in a di-electric liquid such as xylol. A pair of electrodes is then placed upon opposite sides of the quartz crystal and should be connected with a high frequency oscillator. Such an arrangement of apparatus allows one to set up compression waves even of radio frequency in the liquid. A system similar to this has been described by Wood and Loomis.1 Radiation by the resultant ultrasonic vibration has been shown by Wood and Loomis1 to be destructive to certain varieties of organisms including algae, but it was their opinion that bacteria are not injured by such treatment. Radiation by ultrasonic vibration may be attended by cavitation of included gases and it is considered probable by Johnson2 and by Schmitt and Uhlemeyer3 that this mechanical expulsion of the gases is the cause of disruption of living cells. Recent observations of Wu and Liu4 indicate th...
The Effect of Lead Time of Collision Warning Messages on Driver Performance

Collision warning systems (CWSs) are in development in the intelligent transportation system domain to reduce collision accidents. The lead time of warning messages is a crucial factor in determining system effectiveness in the prevention of accidents. The present experiment studied the effects of controlled lead time at 16 levels (predetermined time headway from the subject vehicle to the collision location when the warning message was issued) and lead vehicle conditions (without vs. with lead vehicle) on driving behaviors in various collision scenarios. The results indicated the controlled lead time and lead vehicle conditions significantly affected driver performance. Maximum effectiveness of warning messages was achieved when the controlled lead time was within the range of 4.5s to 6s. When the warning messages were relatively late, the existence of a lead vehicle brought greater safety benefits and more abrupt deceleration. Potential applications of the results in designing of CWSs are further discussed.
Ewing sarcoma with extensive neural differentiation: a clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular analysis of three cases.

Objectives Three patients with Ewing sarcomas showing extensive neural differentiation are presented. Methods The patients were two women and one man between the ages of 15 and 35 years. Anatomically, one tumor was in the lung, one in the testis, and one in the cervix uteri. The symptoms were determined by the location of the neoplasm and included respiratory symptoms, testicular pain, and pelvic manifestations, respectively. Complete surgical resection of the tumors was performed. Results Histologically, all neoplasms showed similar characteristics-namely, a neoplastic cellular proliferation arranged in sheets and composed of small blue cells with round to oval nuclei and inconspicuous nucleoli typical for Ewing sarcoma. In addition, in two cases, there were areas characterized by the presence of neuropil, ganglion cells, and small cells most compatible with ganglioneuroblastoma, while in one tumor, the neural component was characterized by the presence of small cells with prominent perivascular pseudorosettes more closely resembling ependymoma. Immunohistochemical studies in all cases and molecular analysis in two tumors were in keeping with a diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma. Conclusions The recognition of such histologic variants is important in the diagnostic assessment of these tumors to avoid misinterpretation, especially in small biopsy specimens.
Complications of flexible fiberoptic sigmoidoscopy: a conceptual approach

This paper presents an overview of the potential risks associated with the use of the flexible fiberoptic sigmoidoscope. A reasonable review of the literature on endoscopy reveals few instances of admitted complications. We draw upon a decade of personal observations and experience with over 10,000 examinations to substantiate the actual and potential hazards of flexible fiberoptic sigmoidoscopy. A conceptual approach to recognizing and avoiding the consequences of complications is presented.
Couples Living with HIV: Men’s Reproductive Intentions, Practices, and Attitudes

Background:Desires to have children are not lessened by a woman’s HIV status. Couples may lack information to conceive safely, and men may be especially uninformed. This study examined reproductive...
Pynchon in Life

I know where Pynchon lives. Once no fact would have been more luminous to me. Now, although my friend called me as soon as he learned and I listened as breathlessly as I ever would have, knowing where Pynchon lives finally doesn't matter so much. I'm not going there to try to spot him. I've lived too long with the desire to learn something, anything, about the actual human being. Learning something so spectacular now, and so accidentally, makes me realize how knowledge of Pynchon has come to represent a certain sort of elusive, unwanted knowledge about myself.
Sharing a Man: Insights From Research*

Research on the black male/female marital process has been limited and polarized into discussions on the impacts of culture or structure on the black family. This has taken place largely without a discussion on how the cultural influences or the structural realities have affected the lives of the people involved. In the case of black women and marriage, it has too often been the case that they have been talked about, but not talked to. The research we have conducted to date asks black women about their experiences and perceptions on the availability and marriageability of the black men in their lives, asking them directly about their lives and their relationships (Browning and Miller, 1 999; Browning and Miller, 2000). Our exploration into the black male/female relationship literature and research has provided insights into how marriages and marital-like relationships are formed between black men and women. It has led to some initial understandings on how the structural constraints placed on blacks in American society have resulted in the adaptation of an alternative family form for many in the black community. This alternative family form has mimicked the traditional marriage form of one woman and one man, and has created a framework which has resulted in the black woman settling for a piece of a man sharing a man, thereby allowing the woman to experience the "normalcy" of being part of a couple. This paper will review insights from our research to date, as well as previous literatures in an attempt to advance the discussion on how black women adapt to a shrinking marriage pool.
How do we sequence urgent cases

Because the medical deadline is determined in hours, there is a precise mathematical definition for OR efficiency, and the impact on patient delays can be estimated. The priorities described above will give a single answer to a sequence of urgent cases.
New Transgenic Technologies

Transgenic tools for genome modification can be used to produce animal models of human movement disorders. Genetic changes that cause disease can be introduced into mouse and rat chromosomes with great facility by a number of methods, including transgenesis that adds genes, gene-targeting in embryonic stem cells that produces conditional alleles, and nuclease-mediated gene knockouts and knockins. The use of inducible transgene expression in combination with Cre/loxP technology provides control over gene expression so that the timing of gene expression or ablation during the life of an animal is under experimental control. Next-generation sequencing methodologies and genome-wide association studies provide processes for the continuous discovery of candidate genes responsible for human disease. Mutations found in patients can be replicated with great facility in mouse and rat models. The challenge for the future is translating findings in animal models into treatments that ameliorate illness.
Tagging: Deviant behavior or adolescent rites of passage?:

Tagging is a category of graffiti defined as a stylized signature, monogram, word, or name marked on public and private physical spaces. It is an illegal action seen as a disfigurement to many communities, yet it remains a pre-occupation for adolescents worldwide. This theoretical article explores the hidden aspects of taggers and their subculture. We argue that tagging is a ritualistic act that is part of a psychological growth process suggestive of Arnold van Gennep and Victor Turner’s research on traditional rites of passage practices. We use the developmental theories of Winnicott and Erikson to investigate how these rites of passage experiences are integrated into the adolescent tagger’s psyche. Graffiti writing gives taggers the freedom to discover different aspects of the self; a dynamic interaction with unconscious processes that mirror traditional rites of passage rituals.
Reliability of CVD Cu buried interconnections

CVD Cu, which is both highly conductive and reliable, has been investigated as an interconnection material. Cu/sup 1+/ (hfac)(tmvs) is the precursor used in this work. Excellent conformality, which is required for reliable high aspect ratio buried interconnection, has been observed and quantified by simulations. Cu diffusion through TiW as thin as 25 nm has been investigated using large area diodes. Drift of Cu through various dielectrics has been observed, demonstrating the necessity of diffusion barriers. Electromigration studies indicate that Cu interconnections are more reliable than Al alloys. >
Integrating Design of Experiments and Principal Component Analysis to Reduce Downstream Cost of Goods in Monoclonal Antibody Production

We present a framework to prioritize strategies for monoclonal antibody (mAb) second-generation process development, or post-approval optimization. Design of experiments (DoE), in conjunction with principal component analysis (PCA), were employed to identify process parameters that had the most impact on downstream purification cost of goods. Statistically significant parameters were identified through a DoE study, while the PCA characterization was applied as an independent tool to further elucidate the relative importance of these parameters. A stochastic approach incorporating process uncertainties was used to illustrate the distribution of downstream cost of goods under different process conditions. This framework offered insights on the relative contribution of each parameter to downstream cost of goods, and generated frequency distribution of the downstream cost of goods by incorporating process uncertainty. Such systematic approach to prioritize development strategies under compressed timelines could be useful for biopharmaceutical companies to achieve a competitive advantage.
Blue Phosphorescent Zwitterionic Iridium(III) Complexes Featuring Weakly Coordinating nido-Carborane-Based Ligands.

We report the development of a new class of phosphorescent zwitterionic bis(heteroleptic) Ir(III) compounds containing pyridyl ligands with weakly coordinating nido-carboranyl substituents. Treatment of phenylpyridine-based Ir(III) precursors with C-substituted ortho-carboranylpyridines in 2-ethoxyethanol results in a facile carborane deboronation and the formation of robust and highly luminescent metal complexes. The resulting nido-carboranyl fragments associate with the cationic Ir(III) center through primarily electrostatic interactions. These compounds phosphoresce at blue wavelengths (450–470 nm) both in a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix and in solution at 77 K. These complexes display structural stability at temperatures beyond 300 °C and quantum yields greater than 40%. Importantly, the observed quantum yields correspond to a dramatic 10-fold enhancement over the previously reported Ir(III) congeners featuring carboranyl-containing ligands in which the boron cluster is covalently attached t...
Fluorescent cobalamin analogs for molecular imaging

3173 Two new types of optical molecular imaging agents that incorporate the structure of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) have been designed, synthesized, and evaluated. Type-I cobalamin analogs are highly fluorescent in spite of the potential for severe singlet quenching by the corrin ring of cobalamin, whereas type-II cobalamin analogs are designed to fluoresce only after the molecule enters a cancer cell and is processed by a lysosomal protease. In general, cancer cells show an increased avidity for cobalamin and its analogs, as compared to normal cells. The increased uptake of cobalamin by cancer cells can be used to target the delivery of optical markers to cancer cells for in-vivo and ex-vivo diagnostic purposes, and to facilitate the intraoperative identification of tumor micromargins. In type-I fluorescent cobalamin analogs, a rigid linker has been placed between cobalamin and the fluorophore to prevent through-space quenching of the excited singlet state of the pendant fluorophore by the corrin ring of cobalamin. Type-I fluorescent cobalamin conjugates exhibit a higher fluorescent quantum yield than the corresponding conjugate that is constructed by tethering the fluorophore to cobalamin with a flexible linker. Type-II fluorescent cobalamin conjugates feature a flexible dipeptide linker between the corrin ring and the fluorophore. This construct takes advantage of the efficient singlet quenching afforded by the corrin ring to mask the fluorophore until the dipeptide linker is cleaved by a lysosomal protease within the cell, thereby separating the cobalamin and fluorophore moieties and unmasking the fluorophore. Type-I fluorescent cobalamin conjugates with fluorescein, Rhodamine-6G and Cy5 fluorophores have been synthesized, chemically characterized, and tested in vitro and in vivo. Type-II fluorescent cobalamin conjugates have been constructed with Cascade Blue and Cy5 as pendant fluorophores, and a dipeptide linker that is recognized by the intralysosomal enzyme, cathepsin B. Type-I and Type-II fluorescent cobalamin analogs represent two novel classes of optical tumor markers. Each class overcomes the problem of severe fluorescence quenching that limited the investigation of clinical applications of earlier fluorescent cobalamin conjugates.
Memories from the Dykeaspora

Memories help us to define our pasts and shape our identities. The author begins this essay with childhood memories that are traced from the Caribbean to the U.S. in order to situate her burgeoning queerness. She then discusses the importance of giving voice to unspoken and silenced memories, particularly for Black queers, who tend to be erased from the collective memory. Giving voice to unspoken memories is doubly important for the Black queer diaspora that is expunged from both the national and diasporic collective memory.
Adipose triglyceride lipase protein abundance and translocation to the lipid droplet increase during leptin-induced lipolysis in bovine adipocytes

Abstract Proper regulation of lipid metabolism is critical for preventing the development of metabolic diseases. It is clear that leptin plays a critical role in the regulation of energy homeostasis by regulating energy intake. However, leptin can also regulate energy homeostasis by inducing lipolysis in adipocytes, but it is unclear how the major lipases are involved in leptin-stimulated lipolysis. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine if (1) leptin acts directly to induce lipolysis in bovine adipocytes, (2) the potential lipases involved in leptin-induced lipolysis in bovine adipocytes, and (3) increases translocation of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) during leptin-stimulated lipolysis in bovine stromal vascular cell–derived adipocytes. As hypothesized, leptin induced a lipolytic response ( P = 0.02) in isolated adipocytes which was accompanied by an increase in phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 ( P = 0.03), a well-documented secondary messenger of leptin, and ATGL protein abundance ( P P > 0.05). Immunostaining techniques were employed to determine the location of HSL and ATGL. Both lipases translocated to the lipid droplet after 2 h of exposure to isoproterenol ( P P = 0.04), indicating ATGL may be the active lipase in leptin-stimulated lipolysis. In summary, leptin stimulates lipolysis in bovine adipocytes. The lack of phosphorylated HSL and translocation of HSL to the lipid droplet during leptin-stimulated lipolysis suggest minimal activity by PKA. Interestingly, leptin-stimulated lipolysis is accompanied by an increase in ATGL protein abundance and translocation to the lipid droplet, indicating its involvement in leptin-stimulated lipolysis either due to an increase in protein abundance or through a novel lipolytic cascade.
The Performance of Vignettes in Focus Groups and Cognitive Interviews in a Cross-Cultural Context

Survey researchers conducting pretesting via cognitive interviews or focus groups often use vignettes to evaluate questions and answer categories in order to identify possible measurement problems, particularly for reporting situations that are relatively rare or for sensitive topics. Although research has compared the performance of vignettes in Spanish and Asian languages in cognitive interviews, there is little research that compares the performance of vignettes across pretesting methodologies in languages other than English. To address this gap, we investigated the performance of a vignette about a homeownership question that was administered in focus groups and cognitive interviews conducted in seven languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, and Arabic. We coded the cognitive interviews and focus group summaries to quantify the responses and the types of comprehension problems respondents had, and we compared the vignette response data from cognitive interviews to the data from focus groups, by language. We find that administering the vignette in cognitive interviews was more effective than administering the vignette in focus groups for uncovering difficulties respondents had with the survey question, particularly for Spanish- and Arabic-speakers. We conclude that using vignettes in focus groups without cognitive interviews may not reveal problems with survey questions as effectively. Regardless of methodology, the vignette task was challenging for certain language groups, and further research is needed on the cross-cultural adaptation of vignettes.
Particle filtering with analytically guided sampling

Particle filtering (PF) is a popular nonlinear estimation technique and has been widely used in a variety of applications such as target tracking. Within the PF framework, one critical design choic...
On the instability and degeneracy of deep learning models

A probability model exhibits instability if small changes in a data outcome result in large, and often unanticipated, changes in probability. This instability is a property of the probability model, given by a distributional form and a given configuration of parameters. For correlated data structures found in several application areas, there is increasing interest in identifying such sensitivity in model probability structure. We consider the problem of quantifying instability for general probability models defined on sequences of observations, where each sequence of length N has a finite number of possible values that can be taken at each point. A sequence of probability models results, indexed by N, and an associated parameter sequence, that accommodates data of expanding dimension. Model instability is formally shown to occur when a certain log-probability ratio under such models grows faster than N. In this case, a one component change in the data sequence can shift probability by orders of magnitude. Also, as instability becomes more extreme, the resulting probability models are shown to tend to degeneracy, placing all their probability on potentially small portions of the sample space. These results on instability apply to large classes of models commonly used in random graphs, network analysis, and machine learning contexts.
Opaque pricing over vertically differentiated servers

We study a pricing problem for a service firm facing delay-sensitive customers. Servers are quality-differentiated, where the quality can be improved based on the servers’ past experience. In such ...
Genetic aspects of immunoglobulin A deficiency.

Selective IgA deficiency, one of the most common of the primary immunodeficiencies, was first described in 1964 (Rockey et al. 1964). In this deficiency, serum IgA levels are usually 5 mg/dl or less (normal ranges for adults are 90–450 mg/dl), while the other serum immunoglobulins, IgG and IgM, are normal. Despite the fact that selective IgA deficiency is a common immunologic abnormality, and many immunologic and chromosomal analyses have been performed to elucidate the reason for this deficiency, no simple cause or associations have emerged. Selective IgA deficiency has been linked to various deletion syndromes of chromosome 18, and in rare cases to deletions of the IgAl or IgA2 gene and selected IgG heavy-chain genes on chromosome 14. Other data point to a still hypothetical controlling region of the major histocompatibility complex. Much exciting data have emerged from these studies, but a unifying theme for the cause of IgA deficiency in the majority of cases remains elusive.
De Oratore and the Development of Controversia

When teaching Cicero’s De Oratore, I begin by asking my students to cite a favorite passage in the dialogue There are usually some standard choices: the outline of the three duties or offices of rhetoric (2.29.128–30), Antonius’ method of invention by impersonation (2.24.102–3), and invariably Crassus’ denunciation of “the absurd and unprofitable and reprehensible severance between the tongue and the brain, leading to our having one set of professors to teach us to think, and another to teach us to speak” (3.16.61).1 These are all weighty moments, and they usually lead to engaging class discussion.2 When my turn comes to cite a favorite passage, however, my choice routinely meets with stares and silence For I choose an inconspicuous moment at the outset of the dialogue when Scaevola, a relatively minor character, contradicts the impassioned opening statement of Licinius Crassus, the man whom Cicero calls the most illustrious orator of his day (Brutus 38.143).
Relict Sand Bodies and Bedforms of the Northern Bahamas: Evidence of Extensive Early Holocene Sand Transport

Recent studies along the shallow margins of the northern Bahama Banks have strongly indicated that sand transport has been and continues to be one of the dominant processes determining the character of these platform edges and distal lagoons (Hubbard et al. 1976, Hine 1977, Hine and Neumann 1977, Harris 1979, Palmer 1979, Hine et al. 1981a, b, Wilber 1981). The recent acquisition and analysis of high quality space and aerial imagery (see acknowledgements) show extensive fields of relict, large-scale bedforms. These large bedforms (maximum size: spacing — 1 km, length — 10 km, height — 5 m) are generally covered and stabilized with sparse to dense benthic flora and are thus termed “relict” — that is, the original sediments and depositional topography are no longer in equilibrium with the modern environment. This suggests that sand movement was more vigorous and pervasive earlier in the Holocene on the bank tops and margins than at present.
Do Dogs Know Bifurcations

(2007). Do Dogs Know Bifurcations? The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 38, No. 5, pp. 356-361.
4- and 5-nitro-2-benzoylbenzoic acid

The structures of two isomeric nitro 2-benzoylbenzoic acids have been determined. 4-Nitro-2-benzoylbenzoic acid, C14H9NO5, monoclinic, P21/c, a = 9.455(5), b = 6.632(2), c = 21.333(7)A, β = 107.96(3)°, Z = 4, V = 1270.6(9)A3, 5-nitro-2-benzoylbenzoic acid, C14H9NO5, monoclinic, P21/c, a = 10.201(6), b = 8.515(4), c = 14.573(7)A, β = 101.35(4)°, Z = 4, V = 1241.1(11)A3. Both carboxylic acids form the usual H-bonded dimers across crystallographic centers of inversion. The nitro groups are essentially in the ring planes, and the interplanar angle between the mean planes described by the atoms of the benzoyl substituents and those of the benzoic acid aryl rings are 69(1)° and 84(1)°, respectively. The lower cell volume, higher density, and lower solubility in ethyl ethanoate correlates with the greater packing efficiency in 5-nitro-2-benzoylbenzoic acid.
Topological Graph Metrics for Detecting Grid Anomalies and Improving Algorithms

Power grids are naturally represented as graphs, with buses as nodes and power lines as edges. Graph theory provides many ways to measure power grid graphs, allowing researchers to characterize system structure and optimize algorithms. We apply several topological graph metrics to 33 publicly-available power grids. Results show that a straightforward, computationally inexpensive set of checks can quickly identify structural anomalies, especially when a broad set of test networks is available to establish norms. Another application of graph metrics is the characterization of computational behavior. We conclude by illustrating one compelling example: the close connection between clique analysis and semidefinite programming solver performance. These two applications demonstrate the power of purely topological graph metrics when utilized in the right settings.
The Crucial Role of Turnover Intentions in Transforming Moral Disengagement Into Deviant Behavior

Researchers have established the role of self-regulatory processes in the propagation of interpersonal and organizational deviance behaviors at work, leading us to examine moral disengagement as a ...
Standing Wave Considerations in the Link Model of 60 GHz Directional Surface Wave Arrays

This paper proposes an improvement of the link model of 60 GHz directional surface wave antenna arrays. Since the transmit and receive arrays share the grounded substrate, the total coupling power is contained in both space and surface waves. The dominant TM 0 mode of the grounded substrate contributes to the surface wave coupling. In addition, it is shown that the finite extent of the substrate creates a TM 0 standing wave. This wave is responsible for oscillations in the power coupling between the arrays as a function of their separation.
Mining environmental chemicals with boosted trees

In response to scientific reports and legislative actions, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched an Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). The overarching aim of this program is to develop novel analytical and computational tools and methods for the detection of environmental chemicals causing aberrations in estrogen, androgen, or thyroid hormone systems. As a result of this program, over 700 diverse environmental chemicals have been tested in in vitro and in vivo assays and deposited into public databases. In this work, machine learning classifiers were developed to predict putative disruptors of the human sodium/iodide symporter that plays a crucial role in the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones. Two powerful ensemble algorithms, Random forest and eXtreme Gradient Boosting Tree, were trained with EDSP experimental data and evaluated by repeated cross-validation as well as by retrospective validation. Within its applicability domain, Boosted Tree classifier achieved high performance and discriminated between inhibitors and noninhibitors with an accuracy of 87%, precision of 85% and recall of 63%. Additionally, 98 inhibitors were also predicted among 1,741 human endogenous and exogenous metabolites, including approved oral drugs. Further experimental studies will be needed to validate these predictions and elucidate the mechanism of interactions.
A genetic unraveling: book review of Making Sense of Genes by Kostas Kampourakis

Despite the growing consensus among molecular biologists that individual genes cannot determine traits (i.e., phenotypes) such as intelligence, shyness, or affinity for addictive substances – or ev...
Online sentence processing impairments in agrammatic and logopenic primary progressive aphasia: Evidence from ERP.

Abstract Evidence from psycholinguistic research indicates that sentence processing is impaired in Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), and more so in individuals with agrammatic (PPA-G) than logopenic (PPA-L) subtypes. Studies have mostly focused on offline sentence production ability, reporting impaired production of verb morphology (e.g., tense, agreement) and verb-argument structure (VAS) in PPA-G, and mixed findings in PPA-L. However, little is known about real-time sentence comprehension in PPA. The present study is the first to compare real-time semantic, morphosyntactic and VAS processing in individuals with PPA (10 with PPA-G and 9 with PPA-L), and in two groups of healthy (22 young and 19 older) individuals, using event-related potentials (ERP). Participants were instructed to listen to sentences that were either well-formed (n = 150) or contained a violation of semantics (e.g., *Owen was mentoring pumpkins at the party, n = 50), morphosyntax (e.g., *The actors was singing in the theatre, n = 50) or VAS (*Ryan was devouring on the couch, n = 50), and were required to perform a sentence acceptability judgment task while EEG was recorded. Results indicated that in the semantic task both healthy and PPA groups showed an N400 response to semantic violations, which was delayed in PPA and older (vs. younger) groups. Morphosyntactic violations elicited a P600 in both groups of healthy individuals and in PPA-L, but not in PPA-G. A similar P600 response was also found only in healthy individuals for VAS violations; whereas, abnormal ERP responses were observed in both PPA groups, with PPA-G showing no evidence of VAS violation detection and PPA-L showing a delayed and abnormally-distributed positive component that was negatively associated with offline sentence comprehension scores. These findings support characterizations of sentence processing impairments in PPA-G, by providing online evidence that VAS and morphosyntactic processing are impaired, in the face of substantially preserved semantic processing. In addition, the results indicate that on-line processing of VAS information may also be impaired in PPA-L, despite their near-normal accuracy on standardized language tests of argument structure production.
Telecommunications Deregulation and the Motives for Mergers

Abstract We study mergers in the regulated telecommunications industry to test theories of merger gains. We find that mergers yield positive returns to the combined firms. Because this effect is consistent with the collusion, competitive advantage and anticipation hypotheses, we study returns to rivals to differentiate the hypotheses. Our results indicate that rival firms earn positive abnormal stock returns upon the announcement of an industry merger and that returns exhibit substantial cross-sectional dispersion. Rivals that become targets in subsequent mergers earn significantly greater announcement returns than do subsequent non-targets. Financial characteristics of initial target firms and subsequent targets are statistically indistinguishable. Finally, rival abnormal returns are insignificantly related to market concentration and horizontal vs. vertical deal status. These results are consistent with predictions of the anticipation hypothesis and inconsistent with collusion. Thus, our findings indicate that deregulation did not foster collusion in mergers in the telecom industry but, instead, merger gains are due to merger-induced efficiencies.
Gallstone Ileus Treated by Incidental Meckel's Diverticulectomy.

Gallstone ileus is an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction in the elderly. It is typically recognized on computed tomography by the presence of pneumobilia and a gallstone in the right iliac fossa. Nonetheless, it is important to consider that gallstone ileus may represent the presentation of another pathology rather than an entity on its own. Here, we report successful retrieval of a gallstone that was causing ileus. Intraoperatively, the gallstone was noted lodged in the terminal ileum distal to an incidentally noted Meckel's diverticulum. The gallstone was milked proximally into the Meckel's diverticulum and the base was transected. This case illustrates a rare, but unique, surgical technique utilizing a small bowel diverticulum as a vector for stone removal.