cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elucidating the Structure, Dynamics and Functions of an Immature Retrovirus in Atomistic Detail

After infecting a cell, a retrovirus like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replicates its viral genome and produces copies of identical Gag polyproteins. These polyproteins will subsequently oligomerize themselves into a hexameric lattice commonly referred as the immature Gag lattice. Before an immature virus becomes infectious, it has to undergo maturation where the Gag proteins are proteolytically cleaved. Blocking any of the processes described above renders the virus dysfunctional. However, rational design of inhibitor requires an atomic structure of the immature Gag lattice, which has been elusive for many years.Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy have yielded high resolution density maps and, therefore, enabled computational modeling and simulations. Here we present the first atomic model of an immature Gag lattice, using Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) as the model system [1]. Particularly, we modeled and refined the spacer peptide (SP) domain, which is present in both RSV and HIV, using microsecond-long molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our model showed that the SP domain acts as a molecular switch in stabilizing the immature retroviral lattice and it is highly mobile with respect to the remaining of the lattice. In light of our results, we discuss the recently published microscopy-derived models of the immature capsids of RSV and HIV.Upon obtaining the atomic structure of the immature RSV lattice, we characterized the roles of key charged residues of RSV in virus assembly and infectivity through in vivo and in vitro biochemical experiments and all-atom MD simulations. We discovered a novel allosteric pathway that allows communication between residues more than 30 Angstroms apart in the Gag lattice.[1] Goh BC et al., Structure, 23:1414-1425 (2015).
Modeling and estimation for a wearable size sensor to monitor lower leg swelling

This paper presents a novel wearable leg size sensor for early detection of acute decompensated heart failure. The size sensor is based on the measurement of the magnetic field of an inductor and its variation with size. It has a simple and inexpensive construction involving two 3-axis magnetic sensors, an inductor and a microprocessor. In order to enable robust size estimation during rough real world use of the sensor, three estimation algorithms are developed based on models of the magnetic field variation over a cylindrical surface. The magnetic field models developed include those for a dipole and for a uniformly magnetized cylinder. The estimation algorithms used include a linear regression equation, a nonlinear regression equation and an extended Kalman filter. Experimental in vitro tests show that the size sensor performs accurately, with sub-millimeter estimation errors. The uniformly magnetized cylinder model yields the best performance that is robust to bias and misalignment errors. The developed size sensor can also be used for a number of other biomedical applications as well.
Workflow efficiency for the treatment planning process in CT-guided high-dose-rate brachytherapy for cervical cancer.

Abstract Purpose To investigate process efficiency, we present a prospective investigation of the treatment planning phase of image-guided brachytherapy (BT) for cervical cancer using a specific checklist. Methods and Materials From October 2012 to January 2014, 76 BT procedures were consecutively performed. Prospective data on the CT-based treatment planning process was collected using a specific checklist which details the following steps: ( 1 ) dosimetry planning, ( 2 ) physician review start, ( 3 ) physician review time, ( 4 ) dosimetry processing, ( 5 ) physics review start, ( 6 ) physics review, and ( 7 ) procedural pause. Variables examined included the use of a pre-BT MRI, clinic duty conflicts, resident teaching, and the use of specific BT planners. Analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, t -test, and analysis of variance. Results Seventy-five prospectively gathered checklists comprised this analysis. The mean time for treatment planning was 95 minutes (med 94, std 18). The mean intervals in the above steps were ( 1 ) = 42, ( 2 ) = 5, ( 3 ) = 19, ( 4 ) = 10, ( 5 ) = 6, ( 6 ) = 13, and ( 7 ) = 26 minutes. There was no statistical difference in patients who had a pre-BT MRI. Resident teaching did not influence time, p = 0.17. Treatment planning time was decreased with a specific planner, p = 0.0015. Conclusions A skillful team approach is required for treatment planning efficiency in image-guided BT. We have found that the specific BT planners can have a significant effect on the overall planning efficiency. We continue to examine clinical and workflow-related factors that will enhance our safety and workflow process with BT.
Human myelogenous leukemia: enhanced clonal proliferation in the presence of phorbol diesters.

Phorbol diesters, including 12–0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) at low concentrations, enhanced the clonal proliferation of a human myelogenous leukemia cell line (KG-1). TPA (1.0 X 10(-9) -5.0 X 10(-11) M) increased KG-1 clonal growth by four to tenfold in the presence of suboptimal concentrations of colony stimulating factor (CSF) and by two to fourfold in the presence of maximally stimulating concentrations of CSF. The ability of TPA analogs to enhance KG-1 clonal growth paralleled their reported ability to promote tumors in mice. Only slight CSF activity was detected in the conditioned medium from KG-1 cells cultured in liquid medium with TPA. TPA was unable to increase myeloid clonal growth of CSF-stimulated normal human model to study TPA enhancement of CSF-stimulated growth.
Tracer counterpermeation analysis of diffusivity in finite-length nanopores with and without single-file dynamics

We perform a tracer counterpermeation (TCP) analysis for a stochastic model of diffusive transport through a narrow linear pore where passing of species within the pore is inhibited or even excluded (single-file diffusion). TCP involves differently labeled but otherwise identical particles from two decoupled infinite reservoirs adsorbing into opposite ends of the pore, and desorbing from either end. In addition to transient behavior, we assess steady-state concentration profiles, spatial correlations, particle number fluctuations, and diffusion fluxes through the pore. From the profiles and fluxes, we determine a generalized tracer diffusion coefficient ${D}_{\mathrm{tr}}(x)$, at various positions $x$ within the pore. ${D}_{\mathrm{tr}}(x)$ has a plateau value in the pore center scaling inversely with the pore length, but it is enhanced near the pore openings. The latter feature reflects the effect of fluctuations in adsorption and desorption, and it is also associated with a nontrivial scaling of the concentration profiles near the pore openings.
Electromagnetic and thermal modeling of microwave drying of fine coal

The principle of microwave drying of fine coal is based on the selective absorption of microwaves by water. Coal is a poor absorber of microwaves. As a result, water can be removed from fine coal by selectively heating water molecules. One of the difficult problems during microwave heating is the exact determination of temperature in the core of the materials. The electromagnetic energy absorption in coal/water mixtures during microwave drying is controlled by several factors including the dielectric properties of the constituents. In this paper, electromagnetic and thermal models of coal are presented that can predict the energy absorption and temperature distribution during microwave drying.
Population, habitat, and marine location effects on early marine survival and behavior of Puget Sound steelhead smolts

Steelhead trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) smolts suffer high mortality rates during their rapid migration through the Salish Sea. Among-population variability in mortality rates may reflect (1) genetic fitness variation among populations, (2) freshwater environmental effects on fish condition, or (3) differences in local marine conditions upon seawater entry. A reciprocal transplant experiment was conducted to separate the influence of freshwater effects (combined effects of population and freshwater environment) from effects of local marine conditions on survival of two Puget Sound steelhead populations. Steelhead smolts from the Green River in Central Puget Sound (urbanized and hatchery-influenced) and the Nisqually River in South Puget Sound (less urbanized; no hatchery influence) were tagged with acoustic telemetry transmitters and released back into their natal river or transported and released into the other river. Population of origin had little influence on probability of surviving the migration through Puget Sound. However, smolts released into the Green River had higher survival through Puget Sound (17%) than smolts released into the Nisqually River (6%); the extra 64-km migration segment for the Nisqually-released fish accounted for most of the difference between the two release locations. Neither fork length nor translocation influenced survival, though release date did affect survival of Nisqually population smolts regardless of their release location. Residence time and behavior in the two estuaries were similar, and no effects of population of origin or release date were evident. Marine travel rates also did not differ between populations, release dates, or release locations. This study indicates that mortality occurring in the Salish Sea is likely driven by processes in inland marine environments, more so than intrinsic effects of population or freshwater-rearing environments.
A Methodological Evaluation of an Environmental Education Survey: Is There a Technological Advantage

Environmental education represents a conceivable way to counter the effects of youth’s lack of exposure to the natural environment. However, the effectiveness of these programs is often not evaluated, and when they are, the methods for doing so are not consistent. Without proper and reliable methods of data collection, the results may be inaccurate and lead to false claims. Middle school children were given surveys to measure interest in nature, importance of nature, and environmental stewardship. The students were split into two groups, one that took the survey through a conventional pencil-and-paper method and one that took the survey on a tablet computer (e.g., iPad). The results revealed a difference in how students responded based on how they took the survey. Children may be more willing to provide more truthful responses through digital means and may associate paper surveys with exams or other less desirable activities.Subscribe to JOREL
The new nutrition facts label in the print media: a content analysis.

Abstract A content analysis was conducted to evaluate the coverage of the new food labels in the print media from December 1, 1992, to August 30, 1993. We used newspaper, magazine, and health newsletter indexes to identify 59 newspaper articles, 16 magazine articles, and 7 health newsletter articles for examination. Articles were evaluated by four trained coders using a pretested coding form addressing 35 aspects of the nutrition label coverage. Twenty percent of articles were double-coded with at least 80% coder reliability. Analysis of the data indicated that health newsletters covered the topic in the most detail, followed by magazines and then newspapers. Ten of 59 (17%) newspaper articles named and defined the term percent daily value , whereas 6 of 7 (86%) health newsletter articles and 9 of 16 (56%) magazine articles provided this information. Analysis of quotes in the articles indicated that more than half of the quotes were from government and industry officials. In contrast, quotes from college and university faculty represented only 5% of total quotes and quotes from dietitians represented less than 8% of total quotes. Coders identified several errors resulting from oversimplification of complex concepts. These findings suggest that dietitians need to increase their exposure with the media and help the media translate complex nutrition labeling information to the public. J Am Diet Assoc. 1995; 95:348-351 .
Nonlinear Taylor rules: evidence from a large dataset

In this paper we estimate nonlinear Taylor rules over the 1986-2008 sample time period and augment the traditional Taylor rule by including principal components to better model Federal Reserve policy. Including principal components is useful in that they extract information about the overall economy from multiple economic indicators in a statistically optimal way. Additionally, given that uncertainty may influence Federal Reserve decisions, we incorporate an uncertainty index in the reaction function of the Federal Reserve. We find substantial evidence that the Federal Reserve responded to increases in macroeconomic uncertainty by cutting the Federal Funds rate over the sample period. We also find evidence that the Federal Reserve responded aggressively to increases in capacity utilization, especially when the inflation rate was above 2%.
Amenorrhoea and reversible infertility due to obstructive hydrocephalus: literature review and case report

Background: Endocrine abnormalities are well-recognized consequences of intracranial pathology such as pituitary tumours. Less commonly, hydrocephalus may lead to dysfunction of the endocrine syste...
Fresh Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation for Uncontained, Elongated Osteochondritis Dissecans Lesions of the Medial Femoral Condyle

Abstract Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions of the knee are a significant source of pain and disability. Although the pathologic process for this condition remains poorly understood, histologic studies suggest vascular insufficiency of the subchondral bone may be the underlying cause for focal necrosis and subsequent compromise of the overlying articular cartilage. These lesions most commonly affect the medial femoral condyle and can be found along the margins of the intercondylar notch. Because of significant bone involvement, osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation has emerged as a dominant treatment option for OCD lesions because it can accurately restore the entire osteochondral unit. Given the characteristic location and large, irregular shapes of these lesions, surgical management can be challenging. These lesions are often uncontained along the periphery of the condyle, which can compromise OCA graft fixation and healing. We describe our preferred technique for the treatment of large, uncontained OCD lesions of the medial femoral condyle using a unicompartmental OCA augmented with screw fixation.
Anticancer Therapy at the End of Life: Lessons From a Community Cancer Institute.

Introduction:Studies have shown aggressive cancer care at the end of life is associated with decreased quality of life, decreased median survival, and increased cost of care. This study describes t...
Ten Telltale Signs of Novice Cartography

Abstract. A telltale is a small flag on a sailboat that indicates the flow of air over the sail (figure 1). The flags perform an important function as they provide an immediate and accurate indication of optimum sail trim (that is, the angle of the sail compared to wind direction) and course to steer (Jasper, 1987). As a consequence, they are the most important thing for the helmsperson and crew to watch. In English, the idiom "telltale sign" means "an indication of something that has happened or exists, sometimes allowing a secret to be known" (Longman, 2019). An example is use of an N-shaped line symbol in a legend to indicate that ArcGIS software was used to make the map (figure 2). This cartographic convention was not often used before the software introduced this option as the default method for displaying line items in a legend. Most traditionally-trained map makers would not use this approach, so it became one way to identify the work of a generation of newer map makers who used default software settings even if they wanted others to think they were experienced map makers. In this paper, "a telltale sign of novice cartography" provides evidence of map making by someone who is still learning the best or correct way to make maps. It can be thought of as a typical cartographic blunder by a person who makes maps but does not fully know yet what she or he is doing. These telltale signs can help map makers to know what pitfalls to avoid when making maps, they can help educators to know what to teach when instructing others how to make maps, and they can help map readers to know what to look for to determine the veracity of a map. They can, in a sense, reveal secrets about the ability of the map maker. Through an informal email by this paper's author, nearly 150 cartographers worldwide from academia, government, and the private sector were asked to submit their own list of telltale signs of novice cartography. They were asked to share ten things they think of as signs that a map was made by someone who is still learning or perhaps has failed to learn. The cartographers were not asked to rank the items in the list, nor were they required to provide exactly ten items in the list – in fact, some offered more than ten items, and some offered fewer. Nearly 100 responses were received as of January 1, 2019. The responses were compiled into a single text document. Content analysis was used to analyse the responses by interpreting and coding the text. Additional responses continue to arrive – those responses will also be analysed. The final results of this analysis will be revealed at the International Cartographic Conference in 2019. The data will then be made available to others to explore and analyse.
Metabolomic profiling of oxalate-degrading probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus gasseri

Oxalate, a ubiquitous compound in many plant-based foods, is absorbed through the intestine and precipitates with calcium in the kidneys to form stones. Over 80% of diagnosed kidney stones are found to be calcium oxalate. People who form these stones often experience a high rate of recurrence and treatment options remain limited despite decades of dedicated research. Recently, the intestinal microbiome has become a new focus for novel therapies. Studies have shown that select species of Lactobacillus, the most commonly included genus in modern probiotic supplements, can degrade oxalate in vitro and even decrease urinary oxalate in animal models of Primary Hyperoxaluria. Although the purported health benefits of Lactobacillus probiotics vary significantly between species, there is supporting evidence for their potential use as probiotics for oxalate diseases. Defining the unique metabolic properties of Lactobacillus is essential to define how these bacteria interact with the host intestine and influence overall health. We addressed this need by characterizing and comparing the metabolome and lipidome of the oxalate-degrading Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus gasseri using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. We report many species-specific differences in the metabolic profiles of these Lactobacillus species and discuss potential probiotic relevance and function resulting from their differential expression. Also described is our validation of the oxalate-degrading ability of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus gasseri, even in the presence of other preferred carbon sources, measuring in vitro 14C-oxalate consumption via liquid scintillation counting.
One Voice Fits All?: Social Implications and Research Challenges of Designing Voices for Smart Devices

When a smart device talks, what should its voice sound like? Voice-enabled devices are becoming a ubiquitous presence in our everyday lives. Simultaneously, speech synthesis technology is rapidly improving, making it possible to generate increasingly varied and realistic computerized voices. Despite the flexibility and richness of expression that technology now affords, today's most common voice assistants often have female-sounding, polite, and playful voices by default. In this paper, we examine the social consequences of voice design, and introduce a simple research framework for understanding how voice affects how we perceive and interact with smart devices. Based on the foundational paradigm of computers as social actors, and informed by research in human-robot interaction, this framework demonstrates how voice design depends on a complex interplay between characteristics of the user, device, and context. Through this framework, we propose a set of guiding questions to inform future research in the space of voice design for smart devices.
Rethinking Community in Communication and Information Studies: Digital Community and Community ‘to Go’

Now that mobile phones, wireless computers, and other portable devices can be carried with us—even on us—all the time, we have near-continuous access to countless others. In this chapter, Mary Chayko explores the social dynamics, characteristics, and implications of digital ‘portable communities’, and in particular, their impact on modern everyday life. First, the study’s methodology (in-depth face-to-face and email interviews) will be described. The chapter will then provide an overview of the qualities and features of portable communities, including people’s continuous availability to one another, illustrated by excerpts from these interviews. The impact of modern forms of community on everyday life will be considered. Finally, the idea of community will be rethought as a simultaneously digital and physical phenomenon. In short, this chapter will look at the portability of community from a range of perspectives and will argue that a rigorous rethinking of community is very much needed in the modern technologised world.
3 – Radiation Hormesis

Publisher Summary This chapter introduces the concept of hormesis and discusses some pertinent animal and human studies that support radiation hormesis. Hormesis is defined as an adaptive response characterized by biphasic dose responses of similar quantitative features with respect to amplitude and range of the stimulatory response that are either directly induced or the result of compensatory biological processes following an initial disruption in homeostasis. Radiation hormesis is a lesser-known effect of low-dose radiation, which propounds that, on the basis of animal and human studies, toxic radiation acts like a stimulant (beneficial) in low doses. DNA repair at the molecular level is proposed as a possible mechanism for hormesis. According to this hypothesis, a low-radiation dose induces the production of special proteins that are involved in DNA repair processes. Low-dose radiation causes DNA double-strand breaks that activate induced resistance, which protects cells even against damage due to metabolism and thus may protect against cancer development. Free radical detoxification at the molecular level is proposed as a second possible mechanism for hormesis. Low doses of radiation cause a temporary inhibition in DNA synthesis, which gives irradiated cells a longer time to recover. The third mechanism for stimulation of the immune system occurs at the cellular level. Low doses of radiation stimulate the function of the immune system. It is reported that upon receiving low doses of radiation, the body produces more of those proteins that are involved in regulating the cell cycle, cyclones, kinases, enzymes responsible for DNA repair, and genes that induce cell proliferation.
Acoustic Modeling and Prediction of Ultrahigh-Speed Switched Reluctance Machines Based on Multiphysics Finite Element Analysis

High-speed switched reluctance machines (SRMs) have been a timely topic recently. However, for ultrahigh-speed SRMs over 100,000 rpm, the acoustic noise is a significant issue in many applications such as high speed spindles, compressors/ turbochargers, flywheels, and etc. In this article, a multiphysics acoustic modeling of ultrahigh-speed SRMs is presented based on finite element analysis (FEA). First, a three-dimensional electromagnetic FEA is conducted to calculate the radial force on the stator teeth. Then, a modal analysis and a harmonic response analysis are shown in the frequency domain to estimate the natural frequencies and vibration of the whole motor. An acoustic response analysis is done to estimate the sound pressure level (SPL) using the superposition of the surface vibration. To verify the model, experiments are done to measure and compare the natural frequencies and the SPL of a 4/2 ultrahigh-speed SRM at 100,000 rpm. The results show that the SPL of the motor is as high as 115 dB at 10 mm away from the motor, which matches the simulation result (113 dB) well. The impact of the bearing is proven to be negligible compared with the noise generated by the radial force. Finally, a parametric study example of using the proposed model to guide the design of SRMs has been conducted. It is shown that “hot dog” shaped motors have less noise than “pancake” shaped motors under the same motor volume, speed, and power.
Understanding the Challenges of Online Group Chat for Productive Discourse at Scale

Group chat allows multiple people in a remote setup to collaborate. As there can be many participants in a single chat conversation, it may be difficult for members of a group to keep up and stay grounded during the long stream of conversation generated by the participants. We conducted a need-finding study where we asked participants to work on various collaborative tasks in real-time chat software to learn about issues and behavioral patterns in a group chat conversation at a scale of five to ten people. We present the challenges in keeping up with messages, wasting effort due to a lack of cotemporality, and how challenges vary with the nature of collaborative tasks. We suggest a few design interventions that can address these challenges in chat software through temporal and spatial design changes.
Estimating Ω from Galaxy Redshifts: Linear Flow Distortions and Nonlinear Clustering

We propose a method to determine the cosmic mass density Ω from redshift-space distortions induced by large-scale flows in the presence of nonlinear clustering. Nonlinear structures in redshift space, such as fingers of God, can contaminate distortions from linear flows on scales as large as several times the small-scale pairwise velocity dispersion σv. Following Peacock & Dodds, we work in the Fourier domain and propose a model to describe the anisotropy in the redshift-space power spectrum; tests with high-resolution numerical data demonstrate that the model is robust for both mass and biased galaxy halos on translinear scales and above. On the basis of this model, we propose an estimator of the linear growth parameter β = Ω0.6/b, where b measures bias, derived from sampling functions that are tuned to eliminate distortions from nonlinear clustering. The measure is tested on the numerical data and found to recover the true value of β to within ~10%. An analysis of IRAS 1.2 Jy galaxies yields β=0.8+0.4-0.3 at a scale of 1000 km s-1, which is close to optimal given the shot noise and finite size of the survey. This measurement is consistent with dynamical estimates of β derived from both real-space and redshift-space information. The importance of the method presented here is that nonlinear clustering effects are removed to enable linear correlation anisotropy measurements on scales approaching the translinear regime. We discuss implications for analyses of forthcoming optical redshift surveys in which the dispersion is more than a factor of 2 greater than in the IRAS data.
Serverless Isn't Server-Less: Measuring and Exploiting Resource Variability on Cloud FaaS Platforms

Serverless computing in the cloud, or functions as a service (FaaS), poses new and unique systems design challenges. Serverless offers improved programmability for customers, yet at the cost of increased design complexity for cloud providers. One such challenge is effective and consistent resource management for serverless platforms, the implications of which we explore in this paper. In this paper, we conduct one of the first detailed in situ measurement studies of performance variability in AWS Lambda. We show that the observed variations in performance are not only significant, but stable enough to exploit. We then design and evaluate an end-to-end system that takes advantage of this resource variability to exploit the FaaS consumption-based pricing model, in which functions are charged based on their fine-grain execution time rather than actual low-level resource consumption. By using both light-weight resource probing and function execution times to identify attractive servers in serverless platforms, customers of FaaS services can cause their functions to execute on better performing servers and realize a cost savings of up to 13% in the same AWS region.
A standard monetary model and the variability of the deutschemark-dollar exchange rate

This paper uses a novel test to see whether the Meese (1985) and Woo (1985) models are consistent with the variability of the deutschemark-dollar exchange rate 1974–84. The answer, perhaps surprisingly, is yes. Both models, however, explain the month-to-month variability as resulting in a critical way from unobservable shocks to money demand and purchasing power parity. It would therefore be of interest in future work to model one or both of these shocks as explicit functions of economic variables.
Synthesis, characterization and electrochemistry of [Pd(PP)MeCl] compounds with 1,1′-bis(phosphino)ferrocene ligands

Abstract Three new [Pd(κ2-PP)MeCl] (PP = 1,1′-bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)ferrocene (dcpf), 1-diphenylphosphino-1′-ditert-butylphosphinoferrocene (dppdtbpf) or 1,1ʹ-bis(5-methyl-2-furanylphosphino)ferrocene (dfurpf)) compounds were prepared and characterized. The X-ray crystal structure of [Pd(dppdtbpf)MeCl] was obtained which allowed for unambiguous determination of the cis/trans- relationship between the methyl and chloride ligands with respect to the different phosphine groups. The oxidative electrochemistry of the three new compounds as well as that of the reported [Pd(κ2-PP)MeCl] (PP = 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppf), or 1,1′-bis(diiso-propylphosphino)ferrocene (dippf)) and [Pd(κ3-dtbpf)Me]Cl (dtbpf = 1,1′- bis(ditert-butylphosphino)ferrocene) was examined. The compounds with the κ2-bis(phosphino)ferrocene ligands react with sodium tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenylborate) to lose a chloride ligand and the catalytic activity of these compounds was investigated for the polymerization of phenylacetylene.
Early Right Ventricular Reverse Remodeling Predicts Survival After Isolated Tricuspid Valve Surgery

Abstract Background There are limited data on the impact of isolated tricuspid valve (TV) surgery on recovery of right ventricular (RV) function and RV reverse remodeling. Methods Among 223 patients who had isolated TV procedures between 2001 and 2017, 60 (27%) underwent TV repair and 163 (73%) received TV replacement. Indication for surgery was functional tricuspid valve regurgitation in 64%, lead induced in 18%, and primary leaflet dysfunction in 18%. RV reverse remodeling was assessed by echocardiography at a median of 11.3 months (interquartile range [IQR] 5.9-13.5) post-dismissal. Results Mean age was 67.3 ± 13.7 years, and 57% were female. Overall 30-day mortality was 2.7%. After a median follow-up period of 9.5 years (IQR 3.6-12.9), adjusted Cox regression analysis revealed comparable survival for TV repair and replacement and identified older age, and presence of RV dysfunction (hazard ratio [HR] 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-2.98; P = .01), as independent predictors of poor survival. Patients who exhibited RV reverse remodeling within 18 months postoperatively had significantly improved survival compared with those who did not (log-rank P = .005), and reverse remodeling was independently associated with improved survival (HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.24-0.74; P = .003). Lower preoperative right atrial pressure (odds ratio 0.83, 95% CI 0.73-0.94; P = .004) was predictive of early RV reverse remodeling. Conclusions Isolated TV surgery can be performed with acceptable outcomes (early mortality 2.7%), and overall survival is best in patients who receive the operation before developing RV systolic dysfunction. Adjusted survival was similar for patients undergoing TV repair or replacement. Early reverse remodeling of RV after surgery is associated with survival benefit.
Suppression of HIV-associated Macrophage Activation by a p75 Neurotrophin Receptor Ligand

Previous studies indicated that nerve growth factor (NGF) and proNGF differentially regulate the phenotype of macrophages and microglia via actions at tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) and p75 neurotrophin receptors (p75NTR), respectively. The ability of HIV gp120 and virions to induce the secretion of factors toxic to neurons was suppressed by NGF and enhanced by proNGF, suggesting the potential for neurotrophin based “anti-inflammatory” interventions. To investigate the “anti-inflammatory” potential of the p75NTR ligand, LM11A-31, we treated cultured macrophages and microglia with HIV gp120 in the presence or absence of the ligand and evaluated the morphological phenotype, intrinsic calcium signaling, neurotoxic activity and proteins in the secretome. LM11A-31 at 10 nM was able to suppress the release of neurotoxic factors from both monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) and microglia. The protective effects correlated with a shift in morphology and a unique secretory phenotype rich in growth factors that overrode the actions of HIV gp120. The protein pattern was generally consistent with anti-inflammatory, phagocytic and tissue remodeling functions. Although the toxic factor(s) and the source of the neuroprotection were not identified, the data indicated that an increased degradation of NGF induced by HIV gp120 was likely to contribute to neuronal vulnerability. Although substantial work is still needed to reveal the functions of many proteins in the mononuclear phagocyte secretome, such as growth and differentiation factors, the data clearly indicate that the ligand LM11A-31 has excellent therapeutic potential due to its ability to induce a more protective phenotype that restricts activation by HIV.
Seasonal Differences in Submicron Marine Aerosol Particle Organic Composition in the North Atlantic

Submicron atmospheric primary marine aerosol (aPMA) were collected during four North Atlantic Aerosol and Marine Ecosystem Study (NAAMES) research cruises between November 2015 and March 2018. The average organic functional group (OFG) composition of the aPMA samples was 72-85% hydroxyl group mass, 6-13% alkane group mass, and 5-8% amine group mass, which is similar to prior observations and to aerosol generated from Sea Sweep. The carboxylic acid group had seasonal averages that ranged from 1% for Winter, 8% for Late Spring, and 10% for Autumn. The carboxylic acid group mass concentration correlated with nitrate mass concentration and weakly with PAR above 100 W m-2, suggesting a substantial secondary organic aerosol contribution in sunnier months. The three sizes of aPMA aerosol particles (<0.18, <0.5, and <1 µm) had the same four organic functional groups (hydroxyl, alkane, amine, and carboxylic acid groups). The aPMA spectra of the three sizes showed more variability (higher standard deviations of cosine similarity) within each size than between the sizes. The ratio of organic mass (OM) to sodium (OM/Na) of submicron generated primary marine aerosol (gPMA) was larger for Autumn with project average of 0.93 ± 0.3 compared to 0.55 ± 0.27 for Winter, 0.47 ± 0.16 for Late Spring, and 0.53 ± 0.24 for Early Spring. When the gPMA samples were separated by latitude (47 - 60N and 18 - 47N), the median OM/Na concentration ratio for Autumn was higher than the other seasons by more than the project standard deviations for latitudes north of 47N but not for those south of 47N, indicating that the seasonal differences are stronger at higher latitudes. However, the high variability of day-to-day differences in aPMA and gPMA composition within each season meant that seasonal trends in organic composition were generally not statistically distinguishable.
Combined smoking and alcohol cues: Effects on craving, drug-seeking, and consumption.

BACKGROUND Alcohol and cigarettes are commonly used together, but little is known about their joint motivational impact. Cue reactivity studies have customarily examined alcohol and smoking cues in isolation, despite the potential for cues to elicit stronger motivational responses when combined. This study used a validated cue reactivity procedure (Choice Behavior Under Cued Conditions) systematically to disentangle the separate and joint effects of alcohol and cigarette cues on substance use motivation. METHODS Participants were 110 adults (Mage = 34.0, SD = 10.8) who consumed both cigarettes and alcohol. Participants completed 40 cue reactivity trials with four in vivo cue types: water, alcohol, cigarette, and combined cigarette and alcohol. Participants rated their craving prior to receiving opportunities to spend real money to gain access to the cues. Spending larger amounts of money increased the probability that the substance(s) would be available for consumption. When granted access, participants took one cigarette puff and/or sip of the beverage. A multimethod approach assessed three key motivational indices: craving, drug-seeking (spending, latency to access the cue), and consumption (puff duration, alcohol consumed). Effects of cue type and rates of substance use (cigarettes per day, drinks per day, relative frequency of co-use) were assessed using hierarchical linear models. RESULTS Both alcohol and smoking cues enhanced cue-specific craving but not craving for the alternative substance. In a novel finding, combined cues elicited higher craving and greater spending than single-drug cues. All drug cues elicited greater spending than water cues, and spending was moderated by the relative frequency of co-use. CONCLUSIONS We found that combined alcohol and cigarette cues provoke more powerful craving and drug-seeking responses and, therefore, may be more motivationally potent among individuals who use multiple substances.
A personal account from four decades of cardiac care: is there a case for mechanical heart rhythm management?

This chapter offers a personal account based on my nearly 40 years of providing cardiac care in emergency and critical care medicine, and anaesthesiology. First, I must tell you some of my background, since I was supposed to be a surgeon. Seven generations of my family have been in medicine, and the previous three generations were all very prominent surgeons in America. Forty years ago, I was a junior student at Temple University Medical School in Philadelphia, and had just begun my clinical clerkships. Strongly urged by my father to pursue a career in surgery, I decided on training in general and cardiac surgery at the Mayo Clinic. However, all that changed when my then wife informed me in late 1966 that she would enter Temple Medical School in the fall of 1967, the year I would began my internship. Also, Vietnam loomed on the horizon. I was in the Naval Reserves during Medical School, but was unable to obtain deferment to complete my training in General and Cardiac Surgery. Also, I feared service in Vietnam as a General Medical Officer just after my internship, especially in support of a marine combat unit. However, both the Navy and Marines needed trained anaesthesiologists, so I was able to get the necessary deferment to complete my Residency in Anaesthesiology and Fellowship in Pharmacology at Temple. Unfortunately, my first wife was killed in an automobile accident on her way to work at Merck, Sharpe and Dohme in April 1967. However, by then, I was committed to Anaesthesiology and the Navy deferment. In those days, we honoured such commitments. There was no turning back.
Medical information for the consumer before the World Wide Web

Abstract This chapter reviews the literature of professional librarianship between 1879 and 1993 to identify the dominant themes of medical information provision to the general public before the World Wide Web. The themes are organized into four dimensions: Libraries as organizations and institutions (what are the optimal library types for medical information provision? what access policies should be in place?); Librarians (what interpersonal challenges arise over medical information provision, and what roles are appropriate for the librarian providing it?); Patrons (what are their motivations for seeking medical information, and what demands does this place on staff time in libraries? will patrons self-diagnose with the information they are given? what are their expectations of the librarian who assists them?); and Content (what are the special problems of medical terminology? how does the library maintain a quality collection for different audiences? what books are “bad” versus actively harmful?). One surprising finding is that the often-expressed fear by librarians that they can be sued over provision of health information turns out to be more modern than expected, documented in the literature no earlier than 1978. However, for the most part, these challenges are timeless and have little to do with the medium or the technology involved in delivering the information. Rather, they are the result of longstanding sensitivities and fears on the part of libraries as institutions and librarians and patrons as human beings.
Regulation of Ryanodine Receptor Ion Channels Through Posttranslational Modifications.

Publisher Summary The ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are cation-selective channels that release Ca2+ from an intracellular Ca2+ storing compartment, the endo/sarcoplasmic reticulum, during an action potential in a process known as “excitation–contraction (E–C) coupling.” The released Ca2+ ions regulate a wide variety of biological functions. This chapter focuses on the regulation of the skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle RyRs by protein kinases and redox active species. The RyRsare 2200 kDa Ca2+-gated ion channels that are regulated, in addition to Ca2+ and endogenous effectors such as Mg2+ and ATP, by cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, calmodulin-dependent kinase II, protein kinase C, and protein phosphatases 1 and 2A. Thiols that serve as targets for reactive oxygen and nitrogen molecules determine the redox state and modulate the activity of the RyRs. There are three mammalian RyR isoforms. RyR1 is found in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane of skeletal muscle, while RyR2 is present in heart muscle. In mammalian cells, RyR3 is coexpressed with one or two of the other RyR isoforms at low levels. All three isoforms are present in smooth muscle and brain. The third mammalian RyR isoform, RyR3, contains putative phosphorylation and redox active sites; however, coexpression with the other mammalian RyR isoforms has hindered establishment of a specific cellular role.
Design of power system stabilizer based on LQG/LTR formulations

The design of power system stabilizers using linear quadratic Gaussian regulator methodology with loop transfer recovery (LQG/LTR) is considered. A one-machine infinite-bus system is used to test the effectiveness of the proposed stabilizer. The stabilizer is designed using a low-order linear model of the power system. A computer simulation was performed with a complete high-order nonlinear model. It is shown that the closed-loop system with the proposed stabilizer is very robust; i.e. it remained stable for a large amount of disturbance and/or perturbation. >
Childhood hypophosphatasia and the premature loss of teeth. A clinical and laboratory study of seven cases.

Abstract Hypophosphatasia, an inheritable metabolic disease, causes a premature loss of deciduous teeth. Because of the early dental exfoliation, the dentist is often consulted first. The diagnosis can be established by certain clinical features, x-ray findings, and chemical abnormalities. The childhood form of the disease is self-limiting and does not require treatment.
Information and the Existence of Stationary Markovian Equilibrium

We describe conditions for the existence of a stationary Markovian equilibrium when total production or total endowment is a random variable. Apart from regularity assumptions, there are two crucial conditions: (i) low information—agents are ignorant of both total endowment and their own endowments when they make decisions in a given period, and (ii) proportional endowments—the endowment of each agent is in proportion, possibly random, to the total endowment. When these conditions hold, there is a stationary equilibrium. When they do not hold, such an equilibrium need not exist.
Phospholemman expression induces a hyperpolarization-activated chloride current in Xenopus oocytes

A new type of chloride channel has been identified by functional expression of phospholemman, a 72-amino acid cardiac sarcolemmal protein with a single transmembrane domain. Xenopus oocytes injected with phospholemman RNA developed a chloride-selective current, which was activated by hyperpolarizing pulses. The current activated very slowly with a pronounced sigmoidal delay, did not inactivate, and increased in amplitude with trains of pulses, depolarized holding potentials, and low extracellular pH. Point mutations within the single transmembrane region abolished the sigmoidal delay of expressed currents. Phospholemman appears to be the smallest plasma membrane channel protein yet known. The structure is dissimilar to any chloride channel described thus far.
Electron interactions: Part II. Properties of a dense electron gas

Abstract This paper is concerned with the detailed calculation of the effects of the interaction on the properties of an electron gas. The lowest order exchange correction to the plasmon energy is computed and found to be small in all cases of physical interest. However, the lowest order contributions to the plasmon damping are seen to modify the observed cutoff for plasmon excitation in electron energy loss experiments in a not negligible way. In applying the formalism to such experiments we also discuss the stopping power of an electron gas and derive the exact lowest order contribution to the single particle damping rate. Using the self-energy method, the correction to the low temperature specific heat of an electron gas is computed exactly to one higher order in r s (the inter-electron spacing) beyond the calculation of Gell-Mann. It appears that the series in orders of r s converges reasonably well only for r s r s r s > 0.8 the specific heat is enhanced from this value. The change in sign appears to be a result of the Pauli Principle. We conclude from these calculations that the procedure of expansion in orders of r s gives useful results for values of r s r s