cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential Localization of Rho Gtpases in Live Cells Regulation by Hypervariable Regions and Rhogdi Binding

Determinants of membrane targeting of Rho proteins were investigated in live cells with green fluorescent fusion proteins expressed with or without Rho-guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI)α. The hypervariable region determined to which membrane compartment each protein was targeted. Targeting was regulated by binding to RhoGDIα in the case of RhoA, Rac1, Rac2, and Cdc42hs but not RhoB or TC10. Although RhoB localized to the plasma membrane (PM), Golgi, and motile peri-Golgi vesicles, TC10 localized to PMs and endosomes. Inhibition of palmitoylation mislocalized H-Ras, RhoB, and TC10 to the endoplasmic reticulum. Although overexpressed Cdc42hs and Rac2 were observed predominantly on endomembrane, Rac1 was predominantly at the PM. RhoA was cytosolic even when expressed at levels in vast excess of RhoGDIα. Oncogenic Dbl stimulated translocation of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-Rac1, GFP-Cdc42hs, and GFP-RhoA to lamellipodia. RhoGDI binding to GFP-Cdc42hs was not affected by substituting farnesylation for geranylgeranylation. A palmitoylation site inserted into RhoA blocked RhoGDIα binding. Mutations that render RhoA, Cdc42hs, or Rac1, either constitutively active or dominant negative abrogated binding to RhoGDIα and redirected expression to both PMs and internal membranes. Thus, despite the common essential feature of the CAAX (prenylation, AAX tripeptide proteolysis, and carboxyl methylation) motif, the subcellular localizations of Rho GTPases, like their functions, are diverse and dynamic.
The Plug Domain of the SecY Protein Stabilizes the Closed State of the Translocation Channel and Maintains a Membrane Seal

Proteins are translocated across membranes through a channel that is formed by the prokaryotic SecY or eukaryotic Sec61 complex. The crystal structure of the SecY channel from M. jannaschii revealed a plug domain that appears to seal the channel in its closed state. However, the role of the plug remains unclear, particularly because plug deletion mutants in S. cerevisiae are functional. Here, we demonstrate that plug deletion mutants in E. coli SecY are also functional and even efficiently translocate proteins with defective or missing signal sequences. The crystal structures of equivalent plug deletions in SecY of M. jannaschii show that, although the overall structures are maintained, new plugs are formed. These lack many interactions that normally stabilize the closed channel, explaining why the channels can open for proteins with signal-sequence mutations. Our data show that the plug domain is required to maintain a closed state of the channel and suggest a mechanism for channel gating.
Comparative Leaf Phenology of White Oak and Northern Red Oak

In the landscape, loss of interveinal tissue in developing leaves (leaf tatters) is common for white oak (Quercus alba L.), but not northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.). Previous research identified the cause of leaf tatters, as exposure of unfolding leaves, to low concentrations of chloroacetanilide herbicides. Both white oak and northern red oak were injured by these herbicides at the leaf unfolding stage. Reports from landowners suggest white oak is injured more often than red oak, leading us to theorize that white and northern red oak leaves emerge at different times, and white oaks were more likely to be at the leaf unfolding stage when chloroacetanilide herbicides are applied. A study of comparative leaf phenology of white and northern red oak was done at three sites in Urbana, IL. Identifying oak pairs was challenging, and at each location, four to six paired mature white oak and northern red oak trees were used to observe phenological events. Key development stages (swollen bud, leaf unfolding, or fully expanded leaf stages) were considered to have occurred when reached by greater than 50% of the canopy. Northern red oak expanded leaf stage occurred earlier when compared to white oak. Time between phenological events was similar for both species. Although northern red oak leaves emerged earlier, there was a range of emergence times within short distances. Difference between locations illustrates the problem in predicting tree phenology even among populations a few kilometers apart. Leaf phenology alone does not explain leaf tatters, and other factors including distribution differences in oak species must explain landowner observations of tree injury. There was a strong correlation between growth phases of the two oak species with cumulative growing degree days, cumulative rainfall, and day length.
The Efficacy of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Managing Self-Injurious Behaviors Among Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review

Self-Injurious Behaviors (SIB) in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) form a constellation of particularly pervasive and harmful symptoms signifying high morbidity for children and adolescents. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) has been proposed as a last resort for particularly severe and treatment-resistant forms of SIB, yet has received little acceptance in mainstream clinical psychology. This paper summarizes findings of four studies investigating the efficacy of ECT in treating SIB in ASD inflicted youth. This paper also evaluates the research on potential side-effects and ethical implications of ECT use. I conclude that while extensive further research is required to understand the implications of usage, that ECT may bear the potential to benefit an erstwhile untreated population. Themal Ellawala is a Psychology major with a special interest in the intersection of Clinical Psychology and social justice. He is particularly interested in the prevalence of mental health issues in racial and sexual minorities, and how stigma and discrimination leads to poorer outcomes among such demographics. He is currently involved in studies in Clark’s Hyatt School of Psychology examining internalized psychopathology, effective interventions to mediate relationship stress, and volunteers in Clark’s CAVE program. He hails from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and hopes to use his research to create greater awareness of sexual minorities who live in the shadows of his country.
Association of Notch signaling pathway expression in liposarcomas with outcome, and targeting with gamma-secretase inhibitors

10526 Background: The Notch pathway directs normal fat cell development, but its aberrant activation may promote the development of sarcomas. The expression of the Notch pathway in liposarcoma (LPS), however, is unknown. We examined Notch signaling components in LPS's and suppressed Notch activation with drug targeting in LPS cell lines. Methods: RNA was isolated from 18 normal fat and 140 LPS tissue samples from five LPS subtypes: well-differentiated (33%), de-differentiated DD (25%), myxoid (12%), round cell (6%), and pleomorphic (13%), and were hybridized to Affymetrix U133A arrays. Microarray data were normalized with the RMA method. Correlation analysis identified genes expressed between sample classes, using Empirical Bayes t-test, and genes associated with survival, using Cox regression. The Notch pathway in two LPS lines, DDLS and LS141, was suppressed with a novel gamma-secretase inhibitor (GSI) or with siRNA to Notch receptors. Viability was assessed by colony formation, apoptosis by DAPI staini...
Globalization and Los Angeles

In some respects, Los Angeles is the most global city in the world. It does not have the highest foreign-born population share (although it is close), but it has the most varied. Hollywood, and everything that it means, probably has the most dominant global cultural penetration. The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach vie for supremacy with Hong Kong and Singapore. On the other hand, not one Fortune 500 company is headquartered there; in terms of the “world city hypothesis” criteria, it fails miserably. How can we explain this paradox? According to Kevin Starr (the premier historian of California), Los Angeles is on the frontier of global urban life. Or, if we believe the views of Ed Soja, Allen Scott, Mike Davis and others, it is dysfunctional, with a bifurcated income distribution that is a direct result of globalization. The paper will explore some of these issues.
Plasma Estrogen, Progesterone and Luteinizing Hormone Levels During the Estrous Cycle in Pigs

Plasma estrogen progesterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) were det ermined during the estrous cycle in 6 pigs and during 24 hours on the 1st day of estrus (Day 0) in 4 pigs. Estrogen was low (less than 20 pg/ ml) during the cycle until Day 16 or 17 when it increased to a maximum of more than 50 pg/ml 1-2 days prior to estrus. Progesterone increased from 5.1 to 25.2 ng/ml between Days 2 and 6 and reached a maximum of 33.2 ng/ml by Day 12. Estrogen levels increased only after progesterone levels began to fall. LH decreased from 2.5 ng/ml on Day 0 to below 1 ng/ml until the next estrus when it increased to more than 5 ng/ml while estrogen was greater than 20 pg/ml and progesterone remained at 1 ng/ml.
A novel hybrid approach for level set characterization and tracking of non-planar 3D cracks in the extended finite element method

Abstract In this paper, the limitations associated with implicit and explicit representations of cracks in the extended finite element method (XFEM) is recapitulated via numerical explorations followed by the development of a novel hybrid approach for the characterization of non-planar 3D cracks along with its capability demonstration. In the XFEM, the crack geometry is independent of the structural mesh, and is often described implicitly by means of two level set functions. The implicit representation is very convenient for purposes of computing the crack front velocity and for handling situations where the crack front is concave and the velocity vectors may cross. The main difficulty of this implicit description is the formulation of an efficient and robust update scheme for the level set values after a propagation step. On the other hand, the crack geometry can be described by an explicit triangulated mesh which can be easily updated after a propagation step. The explicit representation has its own shortcomings, e.g., difficulties in handling crack overlaps and extraction of crack local coordinates. Given the difficulties associated with the use of either implicit or explicit method for the geometric description of complex crack geometry, a novel hybrid method is developed by a combination of an implicit level set representation of the crack and an explicit triangulated mesh representation. In the hybrid approach, the implicit representation is updated after each propagation step and disconnected crack surfaces are removed using a paint-fill algorithm based on the current explicit representation of the crack. Then, an updated explicit representation is constructed based on the updated implicit representation using the marching cubes algorithm. Finally, the implicit representation is rebuilt from the explicit representation. The use of the explicit representation ensures that the data in the level set representation is generated from a consistent crack description. The effectiveness of the developed hybrid approach is demonstrated by analyzing several 3D crack propagation problems including a quarter-circular crack in a complex helicopter component, a U-shaped crack and an inclined elliptical crack in cuboids, and an inclined edge crack in a three-point bending beam.
Interspecific Mating in Blattaria

No matings occurred in the laboratory between species of 4 genera (Blaberus, Byrsotria, Eublaberus , and Archimandrita) of Blaberinae. Although several matings took place among 4 species of Blaberus , and among 5 species of Blattella , mechanisms responsible for reproductive isolation were quite effective among the above genera of Blaberinae, 4 species of Blaberus , and 7 species of Blattella . Almost invariably, eggs deposited by interspecifically mated females did not develop.
Optimization Layout of Turbocharger for a Two-Cylinder Diesel Engine

For the failure that the turbine housing neck area is cracked,the dynamic characteristics study by ANSYS showed that the major cause was the 1st and 2nd natural frequencies of system in the range of engine excitation frequencies,causing a turbo system resonance.In order to increase the natural frequencies,two optimized schemes were proposed.According to the modal analysis and the reliability test,the final results show that the 1st natural frequency in optimal scheme increases98 percent,meeting the design targets.The parts pass the reliability test.
Tandem Mass Spectrometry in the Detection of Inborn Errors of Metabolism for Newborn Screening

Tandem mass spectrometry has been used for determinations of enzyme activities in biological samples. Activities in rehydrated dried blood spots of lysosomal enzymes glucocerebrosidase, acid sphingomyelinase, galactocerebroside beta-galactosidase, acid-alpha-galactosidase, acid alpha-glucosidase, and alpha-D-iduronidase are measured simultaneously by multiple-reaction monitoring of ion dissociations from cations produced by electrospray ionization of enzymatic products. Simple and inexpensive assay protocols are described that are readily adopted for handling multiple samples in 96-well microtiter plates, employing simple separation steps, and using less than or equal to 3 micromol of synthetic or commercially available substrates, and less than 25 nmol of internal standards per analysis. The assays have the potential of being used for large-scale screening of newborns for the detection of inborn errors of metabolism.
Interaction of Environmental Lighting, Age, and Genetic Background Influencing the Estrous Cycle

An outstanding characteristic of the DA strain and its fertility problem was the suspension of cyclic estrus early in adult life among segregated females and replacement of cycles by more or less continuous vaginal cornification. This persistent vaginal “estrus” when well established was associated with the presence in the ovaries of prominent vesicular follicles and the absence of corpora lutea. Cycling DA females also rapidly developed the condition when exposed to continuous illumination. In addition, there were certain seasonal influences relating to the length of daily illumination as detailed below.
Aircraft loss-of-control arrest autopilot using trajectory linearization control

In this paper, an automatic flight control system (autopilot) is designed for Loss-of-Control (LOC) arrest, i.e. stopping the progression of a LOC upset and regain control authority and airborne of the aircraft. The LOC arrest philosophy is to protect healthy aerodynamic angles at all cost, even temporarily abandoning the flight mission. The LOC arrest controller is designed as an add-on to an autonomous six Degree-of-Freedom (6DOF) baseline controller for the mission trajectory tracking. The LOC arrest controller is switched on when the onset of LOC is detected. The performance of the switching-mode control system is shown by a simulation test of a fixed-wing aircraft model in the presence of wind-induced LOC. Under the same wind conditions, the comparison of the results demonstrates that the proposed control design is able to arrest the aircraft from upset promptly, while LOC occurs to the nominal mode system.
Dueling Nationalities: Dual Citizenship, Dominant & Effective Nationality, and the Case of Anwar Al-Aulaqi

The U.S. government ended a two-year manhunt in September 2011 when armed drones operated by the Central Intelligence Agency “crossed into northern Yemen and unleashed a barrage of Hellfire missiles” at a car carrying, among others, Anwar al-Aulaqi (also spelled “al-Awlaki”) – a dual U.S.-Yemeni citizen. Formerly a moderately religious Muslim, al-Aulaqi had become a leader for radical Muslims abroad over the past decade, inspiring jihadist attacks against the West and playing an increasing role in the operations and planning of attacks by al Qaeda’s affiliate organization based in Yemen. Al-Aulaqi’s death made waves among news media, politicians, and law professors, sparking national debate over the legality of killing an individual with American citizenship. For its part, the Obama Administration defended the strike, claiming that an internal review – involving senior lawyers from across the administration – determined that the killing of al-Aulaqi was legal. Customary international law has long recognized the anomaly of dual citizenship. In doing so, however, international tribunals have been faced with problems that arise when an individual’s dual set of rights or dual set of duties conflict. To deal with these legal difficulties, customary international law precedent dictates that when hearing a case in which an individual’s citizenship has bearing either on jurisdiction to hear the case or on the merits of the claim itself, a tribunal must first determine, as a threshold matter, the individual’s “dominant and effective” nationality. Building on a long line of precedent from international arbitration claims tribunals, this Paper argues that when hearing a case involving a suspected terrorist who holds dual citizenship (as was the case with al-Aulaqi, would-be Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, and others), a domestic court should first determine, as a threshold matter, the dominant and effective nationality of the accused. This determination is significant because a dominant foreign national can essentially be treated as a non-citizen, for the purposes of adjudication, and may not be entitled to the full rights and protections of domestic citizenship. This Paper looks at the al-Aulaqi affair as an illustrative case study, applying the doctrine to determine al-Aulaqi’s dominant and effective nationality. Further, this Paper argues that even beyond al-Aulaqi’s case, the doctrine of dominant and effective nationality could prove valuable to the United States in its continued fight against terrorism. This Paper also includes a brief discussion on the legality of targeted killing under international law, more generally.
Treatment of Paraphilic Disorders

As in any therapeutic population, individual paraphilic patients may vary widely in their personal goals of therapy and in which treatment modalities they wish to consider. Modalities typically include various forms of psychotherapy and/or medication therapy. Along with serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, other psychiatric medications and androgen deprivation therapy will be reviewed as we describe management and treatment options in both non-coercive and coercive paraphilic patients. The reader will note that emphasis will be placed on the two diagnostic categories about which there has been the most research and writing: transvestic fetishism and pedophilia. These two paraphilias make up the majority of the apprehended sexual offenders.
Optical atomic phase reference and timing.

Atomic clocks based on laser-cooled atoms have made tremendous advances in both accuracy and stability. However, advanced clocks have not found their way into widespread use because there has been little need for such high performance in real-world/commercial applications. The drive in the commercial world favours smaller, lower-power, more robust compact atomic clocks that function well in real-world non-laboratory environments. Although the high-performance atomic frequency references are useful to test Einstein9s special relativity more precisely, there are not compelling scientific arguments to expect a breakdown in special relativity. On the other hand, the dynamics of gravity, evidenced by the recent spectacular results in experimental detection of gravity waves by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, shows dramatically that there is new physics to be seen and understood in space–time science. Those systems require strain measurements at less than or equal to 10 −20 . As we discuss here, cold atom optical frequency references are still many orders of magnitude away from the frequency stability that should be achievable with narrow-linewidth quantum transitions and large numbers of very cold atoms, and they may be able to achieve levels of phase stability, Δ Φ / Φ total ≤ 10 −20 , that could make an important impact in gravity wave science. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Quantum technology for the 21st century’.
The emergence of psychosis in a patient with severe hypothyroidism: A case report and literature review

Hypothyroidism is associated with changes in mental state that can range from mild cognitive impairment to depression to florid myxedema coma. A few cases have linked the occurence of psychotic symptoms in the context of severe hypothyroidism, an event referred in the literature as “myxedema madness”. We describe the case of a 48-year-old male with no past psychiatric history and a past medical history of hypertension and hypothyroidism who presented to the psychiatric unit for management of new-onset psychosis, particularly paranoid delusions. On basic medical screening, the patient was found to have severe hypothyroidism manifested by a TSH level of 51.85 and a free T4 level less than 0.4. The patient was treated with both an antipsychotic and thyroid hormone replacement, after which his hypothyroid symptoms and his psychosis improved. Liothyronine was also prescribed to speed up the recovery course, as his delusions were thought to be due to his hypothyroidism. The aim of this poster is to shed light on the possibility of development of psychosis concomitantly with severe hypothyroidism, given the rarity of such events, as well as to illustrate the importance of treating the underlying medical cause rather than only focusing on the treatment of the psychiatric symptoms. The use of Liothyronine proved to be beneficial in this case, as the patient's symptoms drastically improved after its administration. This could potentially illustrate the importance of using Liothyronine particularly in the treatment of delusional disorder in severe hypothyroidism.
Detecting discrete spacetime via matter interferometry

If the structure of spacetime is discrete, then Lorentz symmetry should only be an approximation, valid at long length scales. At finite lattice spacings there will be small corrections to the Dirac evolution. In particular, the lattice structure will be reflected in a modification of the free-particle dispersion relation. We show that these can produce a surprisingly large phase shift between the two arms of a nonparallel interferometer. This method could be employed to test any model that predicts a direction-dependent dispersion relation. Here, we calculate the size of this phase shift for a particular model, the three-dimensional quantum walk on the body-centered cubic lattice, which has been shown to give rise to the Dirac equation in the continuum limit. Though the details of this model will affect the size of the shift, its magnitude is set largely by dimensional analysis, so there is reason to believe that other models would yield similar results. We find that, with current technology, a modest-sized neutron interferometer could detect lattice spacings as small as ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}31}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}$, 13 orders of magnitude smaller than the scale probed by the LHC. A suitably scaled-up experiment could possibly detect lattice spacings even at the Planck scale.
A Computational Framework for Complementary Situational Awareness (CSA) in Surgical Assistant Robots

Robotic surgical systems have contributed greatly to the advancement of minimally invasive surgery (MIS). More specifically, telesurgical robots have provided enhanced dexterity to surgeons performing MIS procedures. However, current robotic teleoperated systems have only limited situational awareness of the patient anatomy and surgical environment that would typically be available to a surgeon in an open surgery. Although the endoscopic view enhances the visualization of the anatomy, perceptual understanding of the environment and anatomy is still lacking due to the absence of sensory feedback. To address these limitations, we present an algorithmic software framework to provide Complementary Situational Awareness (CSA) in a surgical assistant. This framework aims at improving the human-robot relationship by providing elaborate guidance and sensory feedback capabilities for the surgeon in complex MIS procedures. Unlike traditional teleoperation, this framework enables the user to telemanipulate the situational model in a virtual environment and uses that information to command the slave robot with appropriate admittance gains and environmental constraints. Simultaneously, the situational model is updated based on interaction of the slave robot with the task space environment. We provide various high-level and mid-level components to provide CSA and illustrate the necessary capabilities required for any robotic platform to readily incorporate CSA. We also demonstrate the use of our framework for constrained model-mediated teleoperation using the open-source da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) hardware.
A phylotranscriptomic backbone of the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae (Arachnida, Araneae) supported by multiple methodological approaches.

Abstract The orb-weaving spider family Araneidae is extremely diverse (>3100 spp.) and its members can be charismatic terrestrial arthropods, many of them recognizable by their iconic orbicular snare web, such as the common garden spiders. Despite considerable effort to better understand their backbone relationships based on multiple sources of data (morphological, behavioral and molecular), pervasive low support remains in recent studies. In addition, no overarching phylogeny of araneids is available to date, hampering further comparative work. In this study, we analyze the transcriptomes of 33 taxa, including 19 araneids – 12 of them new to this study – representing most of the core family lineages, to examine the relationships within the family using genomic-scale datasets resulting from various methodological treatments, namely ortholog selection and gene occupancy as a measure of matrix completion. Six matrices were constructed to assess these effects by varying orthology inference method and gene occupancy threshold. Orthology methods used are the benchmarking tool BUSCO and the tree-based method UPhO; three gene occupancy thresholds (45%, 65%, 85%) were used to assess the effect of missing data. Gene tree and species tree-based methods (including multi-species coalescent and concatenation approaches, as well as maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference) were used totalling 17 analytical treatments. The monophyly of Araneidae and the placement of core araneid lineages were supported, together with some previously unsound backbone divergences; these include high support for Zygiellinae as the earliest diverging subfamily (followed by Nephilinae), the placement of Gasteracanthinae as sister group to Cyclosa and close relatives, and close relationships between the Araneus + Neoscona clade and Cyrtophorinae + Argiopinae clade. Incongruences were relegated to short branches in the clade comprising Cyclosa and its close relatives. We found congruence between most of the completed analyses, with minimal topological effects from occupancy/missing data and orthology assessment. The resulting number of genes by certain combinations of orthology and occupancy thresholds being analyzed had the greatest effect on the resulting trees, with anomalous outcomes recovered from analysis of lower numbers of genes.
Consultation Process in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison in Pediatrics

The development of the child’s concept of the body and illness is outlined. Seven clinical categories of consultation requests, including emergencies, differential diagnosis of somatoform symptoms, collaborative care of children with stress-sensitive illnesses, psychiatric symptoms following somatic illness, chronic illness, reactions to major pediatric treatment techniques, and reactions to pediatric illnesses (including known risk factors for psychological disturbances that may arise) are noted. Models of consultation that flow from these considerations are described. A basic, general approach to child and adolescent psychiatric consultation on a pediatric ward, including issues of availability, relationships, levels of consultation, preparation, procedure, report, confidentiality, and follow-up are described. Impediments to consultation-liaison in pediatrics and research directions are noted.
Recruitment behavior in Camponotus socius (Hym. Formicidae)

1. Scout ants of Camponotus socius set chemical “sign posts” (hindgut material) around newly discovered food sources. They lay a hindgut trail from the food source to the nest, however the hindgut material does not have a recruitment effect on nestmates. 2. Inside the nest the recruiting ant performs a “waggle” motor display when facing nestmates head on. The vibrations with the head and thorax last 0.5–1.5 seconds (6–12 strokes in a second) (Fig. 5). Nestmates are alerted by this behavior and subsequently follow the recruiting leader ant to the food source. Up to approximately 30 ants can be stimulated successively during one recruitment performance inside the nest. 3. Mass foraging is organized by the behavioral activity of individual recruiting ants. 4. By closing the abdominal tips of recruiting ants with collophonium wax it was possible to separate the “waggle” display from the chemical signals. Thereby it could be shown that only those ants which were stimulated by a recruiting ant would follow an artificial hindgut trail. 5. A leader ant is important to keep the recruited followers excited. It was possible to replace the leader ant by a microsyringe which discharged a mixture of poison gland secretion and hindgut material. Hindgut material seems to serve as long lasting orientation signals whereas poison gland content or formic acid respectively keeps the followers excited. 6. Essentially the same behavioral patterns are involved during recruitment to new nest sites. The main differences are that the motor display is more a “jerking” movement (Fig. 11), furthermore males are also recruited and do respond to the signals and finally that non-responding nestmates are carried to the target area.
Heat Shock Proteins and the Cytoplasmic-Nuclear Trafficking of Steroid Receptors

Transcription factors, such as steroid receptors, must move through the cytoplasm to the nucleus and subsequently within the nucleus in a precisely targeted manner. Experiments carried out twenty years ago in intact cells exposed to metabolic inhibitors suggested that glucocorticoid receptors (GR) that have entered the nucleus (then defined as the low speed particulate fraction of the ruptured cell) are subsequently returned to the cytoplasm in an energy-dependent cycle (Munck et al, 1972; Ishii et al, 1972). This receptor cycle has been studied in detail in the laboratory of Allan Munck (Munck and Holbrook, 1984; for review, see Orti et al, 1992), and the shuttling of steroid receptors into and out of the nucleus in intact cells has recently been directly demonstrated by Guiochon-Mantel et al (1991) and Chandran and DeFranco (1992) using immunofluorescence to visualize the receptor protein.
Leptonic Decays of Neutral Vector Mesons and ρ-ω Interference

The effect of $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\omega}$ interference on the leptonic decay of photoproduced neutral vector mesons is shown to be much larger than previously estimated. The experimental determination of the leptonic branching ratio of the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ is shown to be sensitive to the amount of interference of the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and $\ensuremath{\omega}$.
Logical machines: Peirce on psychologism

This essay discusses Peirce�s appeal to logical machines as an argument against psychologism. It also contends that some of Peirce�s anti-psychologistic remarks on logic contain interesting premonitions arising from his perception of the asymmetry of proof complexity in monadic and relational logical calculi that were only given full formulation and explication in the early twentieth century through Church�s Theorem and Hilbert�s broad-ranging Entscheidungsproblem.
Digital PCR-Based T-cell Quantification–Assisted Deconvolution of the Microenvironment Reveals that Activated Macrophages Drive Tumor Inflammation in Uveal Melanoma

Uveal melanoma progression can be predicted by gene expression profiles enabling a clear subdivision between tumors with a good (class I) and a poor (class II) prognosis. Poor prognosis uveal melanoma can be subdivided by expression of immune-related genes; however, it is unclear whether this subclassification is justified; therefore, T cells in uveal melanoma specimens were quantified using a digital PCR approach. Absolute T-cell quantification revealed that T-cell influx is present in all uveal melanomas associated with a poor prognosis. However, this infiltrate is only accompanied by differential immune-related gene expression profiles in uveal melanoma with the highest T-cell infiltrate. Molecular deconvolution of the immune profile revealed that a large proportion of the T-cell-related gene expression signature does not originate from lymphocytes but is derived from other immune cells, especially macrophages. Expression of the lymphocyte-homing chemokine CXCL10 by activated macrophages correlated with T-cell infiltration and thereby explains the correlation of T-cell numbers and macrophages. This was validated by in situ analysis of CXCL10 in uveal melanoma tissue with high T-cell counts. Surprisingly, CXCL10 or any of the other genes in the activated macrophage-cluster was correlated with reduced survival due to uveal melanoma metastasis. This effect was independent of the T-cell infiltrate, which reveals a role for activated macrophages in metastasis formation independent of their role in tumor inflammation. IMPLICATIONS: The current report uses an innovative digital PCR method to study the immune environment and demonstrates that absolute T-cell quantification and expression profiles can dissect disparate immune components.
Farm adoption of embodied knowledge and information intensive precision agriculture technology bundles

On-farm adoption of individual and groups of precision agriculture technologies has grown in the past 15 years. Based on a sample of 545 farm observations collected by the Kansas Farm Management Association, farm adoption of bundles of embodied knowledge and information intensive technologies was analyzed using a Markov transition approach. Three separate analyses estimated transition probabilities to show the adoption of bundles of embodied knowledge technologies, the adoption of bundles of information intensive technologies, and the adoption of variable rate technologies contingent on prior adoption of embodied knowledge and/or information intensive technologies. Each analysis was estimated for two separate time periods (2009–2012) and (2013–2016). The probability that farms retain the same bundle or transition to a different bundle by the next time period are reported. The results indicate that persistence with the same technology bundle is the predominant behavior and that this behavior has strengthened in the study’s most recent time period.
Advance Care Planning Among Patients With Advanced Cancer.

Purpose:Advance directives (AD) have been heralded as vehicles to promote patient autonomy and have been decried as ineffective. Efforts to improve advance care planning (ACP) and AD documents are wide ranging but have not been prospectively studied.Materials and Methods:In an institutional review board–approved, single-blind, randomized, controlled trial, we compared an interactive, educational ACP decision aid to standard ACP among patients with advanced cancer. We hypothesized that use of the decision aid would increase physician awareness of patients’ health care wishes and increase physician adherence to patients’ end-of-life wishes compared with standard ACP.Results:A total of 200 patients were randomly assigned to two study arms. We analyzed data from medical records and interviews with physicians and family members for 121 patients who died by August 2016. No differences in physician awareness or adherence were found between the ACP decision aid and standard ACP groups. End-of-life treatment wishe...
The Cold War and Missile Defense

The Cold War (1945–1991) was a nontraditional conflict between two conflicting ideologies—communism and democracy. The Soviet bloc countries (USSR) were pitted against the US-led Western powers. Rather than manifesting as a traditional conflict waged through extensive use of weapons, the Cold War was conducted using propaganda, political hostility, and threats. America’s free-market capitalism was used as a powerful positive force against communism, a form of socialism. Most importantly, the two superpowers leading the charge both possessed weapons of mass destruction. Many major crises occurred during the Cold War decades, a few bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war.
Automated Clustering for Data Analytics

ABSTRACT Today, auditors must consider the risks of material misstatement due to fraud during the financial statement audit (Messier, Glover, and Prawitt 2016). Current audit guidance recommends th...
Imaging the nonreactive collisional quenching dynamics of NO (A2Σ+) radicals with O2 (X3Σg-).

Nitric oxide (NO) radicals are ubiquitous chemical intermediates present in the atmosphere and in combustion processes, where laser-induced fluorescence is extensively used on the NO (A2Σ+ ← X2Π) band to report on fuel-burning properties. However, accurate fluorescence quantum yields and NO concentration measurements are impeded by electronic quenching of NO (A2Σ+) to NO (X2Π) with colliding atomic and molecular species. To improve predictive combustion models and develop a molecular-level understanding of NO (A2Σ+) quenching, we report the velocity map ion images and product state distributions of NO (X2Π, v″ = 0, J″, Fn, Λ) following nonreactive collisional quenching of NO (A2Σ+) with molecular oxygen, O2 (X3Σg−). A novel dual-flow pulse valve nozzle is constructed and implemented to carry out the NO (A2Σ+) electronic quenching studies and to limit NO2 formation. The isotropic ion images reveal that the NO–O2 system evolves through a long-lived NO3 collision complex prior to formation of products. Furthermore, the corresponding total kinetic energy release distributions support that O2 collision coproducts are formed primarily in the c1Σu− electronic state with NO (X2Π, v″ = 0, J″, Fn, Λ). The product state distributions also indicate that NO (X2Π) is generated with a propensity to occupy the Π(A″) Λ-doublet state, which is consistent with the NO π* orbital aligned perpendicular to nuclear rotation. The deviations between experimental results and statistical phase space theory simulations illustrate the key role that the conical intersection plays in the quenching dynamics to funnel population to product rovibronic levels.Nitric oxide (NO) radicals are ubiquitous chemical intermediates present in the atmosphere and in combustion processes, where laser-induced fluorescence is extensively used on the NO (A2Σ+ ← X2Π) band to report on fuel-burning properties. However, accurate fluorescence quantum yields and NO concentration measurements are impeded by electronic quenching of NO (A2Σ+) to NO (X2Π) with colliding atomic and molecular species. To improve predictive combustion models and develop a molecular-level understanding of NO (A2Σ+) quenching, we report the velocity map ion images and product state distributions of NO (X2Π, v″ = 0, J″, Fn, Λ) following nonreactive collisional quenching of NO (A2Σ+) with molecular oxygen, O2 (X3Σg−). A novel dual-flow pulse valve nozzle is constructed and implemented to carry out the NO (A2Σ+) electronic quenching studies and to limit NO2 formation. The isotropic ion images reveal that the NO–O2 system evolves through a long-lived NO3 collision complex prior to formation of products. Furth...
Free-surface flow of confined volatile simple fluids driven by a horizontal temperature gradient: From a comprehensive numerical model to a simplified analytical description

Abstract We study the flow in a confined layer of volatile simple liquid subjected to a horizontal temperature gradient. The somewhat unusual feature of this problem is that the gas layer, which contains a mixture of vapor and air, plays a very important role. Due to phase change occurring at the free surface, the mean flow in the liquid layer and its stability are controlled almost entirely by the mass and heat transport in the gas phase. To explain why this is the case, we use numericae simulations based on a comprehensive two-sided transport model to motivate a simplified analytical description of transport in the gas phase for high-aspect-ratio geometries. This simplified description allows us to compute the interfacial temperature and hence the thermocapillary stresses at the free surface which control the flow in the central region of the cavity and to predict the net heat and mass flux in the direction of the applied gradient. The analytical solutions are found to agree quite well with the results of our numerical simulations as well as the results of relevant previous studies.
The logic of American nuclear strategy: why strategic superiority matters: by Matthew Kroenig, Oxford, England, Oxford University Press, 2018, 280 pp., $31.95 (hardcover), ISBN: 978-0-19-084918-4

Dr. Matthew Kroenig’s The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy is, in many ways, an answer to a central observation of one of the formative works on nuclear policy – Robert Jervis’s The Illogic of Am...
Saudi Arabia’s Role in the Yemen Crisis

The Saudi war in Yemen is the signature policy initiative of the Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Saudis were alarmed by the rapid Houthi advances in 2015, fearing Iran was acquiring a proxy ally on their southern border. The reckless decision to intervene has created a humanitarian catastrophe for Yemenis and an expensive strategic quagmire for the Saudis. The Saudis have enjoyed the support of two American Presidents, which has protected them from potential international costs. The Crown Prince has stifled all dissent, including killing Jamal Khashoggi. The Congress is determined to limit US support for the war and a crisis in Saudi Arabia’s ties with Washington is coming.
Fatal and Nonfatal Snakebite Injuries Reported in the United States.

Objectives Venomous and nonvenomous snakes are found throughout the United States. Two families of venomous snakes are indigenous to this country: the Viperidae, or pit vipers (rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads), and the Elapidae (three species of coral snakes and a sea snake). Bites from captive nonindigenous venomous snakes such as cobras also may present at medical facilities, given the interest in exotic pet ownership in the United States. Even "dry," nonenvenomating snakebites and those from nonvenomous snakes can result in puncture wounds that require medical evaluation. This article presents updated national estimates of snakebite injuries treated in US emergency departments (EDs). Methods Data on nonfatal snakebite injuries were abstracted from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program (2001-2015). Variables included age, sex, body part affected, cause, disposition, and treatment month. The snake species were coded based on narrative comments. Estimates were weighted and analyzed with SAS 9.4. Data on fatal snakebites were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiological Research (1999-2017). Results From 2001-2015, an estimated 137,800 snakebite injuries were treated in US EDs (crude rate: 3.0 individuals per 100,000 population). The majority of patients were male (70.7%; crude rate 4.4/100,000 population). Arms/hands (46.8%) and legs/feet (46.1%) were the primary body parts injured. The majority of patients were treated and released (67.1%); however, nearly 30% were hospitalized or transferred to another hospital. Two-thirds of the cases involved a nonvenomous or unknown snake (67.7%). Among venomous encounters, 70.3% involved a rattlesnake. For fatal snakebites, an average of 6 deaths per year was reported (range 2-12). Conclusions Although rare, nonfatal snakebites in this study resulted in an estimated average of 9192 annual visits to EDs (roughly 1 visit per hour) and an average of 6 fatal snakebites per year. Epidemiologic data on snakebite injuries provide healthcare providers, public health officials, and veterinarians with information on populations at risk for snakebites, species of snakes likely to be encountered, and guidance for prevention efforts.
Modulating glutathione thiol status alters pancreatic β-cell morphogenesis in the developing zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo.

Abstract Emerging evidence suggests that redox-active chemicals perturb pancreatic islet development. To better understand potential mechanisms for this, we used zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos to investigate roles of glutathione (GSH; predominant cellular redox buffer) and the transcription factor Nrf2a (Nfe2l2a; zebrafish Nrf2 co-ortholog) in islet morphogenesis. We delineated critical windows of susceptibility to redox disruption of β-cell morphogenesis, interrogating embryos at 24, 48 and 72 h post fertilization (hpf) and visualized Nrf2a expression in the pancreas using whole-mount immunohistochemistry at 96 hpf. Chemical GSH modulation at 48 hpf induced significant islet morphology changes at 96 hpf. Pro-oxidant exposures to tert-butylhydroperoxide (77.6 μM; 10-min at 48 hpf) or tert-butylhydroquinone (1 μM; 48-56 hpf) decreased β-cell cluster area at 96 hpf. Conversely, exposures to antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (bolsters GSH pools; 100 μM; 48-72 hpf) or sulforaphane (activates Nrf2a; 20 μM; 48-72 hpf) significantly increased islet areas. Nrf2a was also stabilized in β-cells: 10-min exposures to 77.6 μM tert-butylhydroperoxide significantly increased Nrf2a protein compared to control islet cells that largely lack stabilized Nrf2a; 10-min exposures to higher (776 μM) tert-butylhydroperoxide concentration stabilized Nrf2a throughout the pancreas. Using biotinylated-GSH to visualize in situ protein glutathionylation, islet cells displayed high protein glutathionylation, indicating oxidized GSH pools. The 10-min high (776 μM) tert-butylhydroperoxide exposure (induced Nrf2a globally) decreased global protein glutathionylation at 96 hpf. Mutant fish expressing inactive Nrf2a were protected against tert-butylhydroperoxide-induced abnormal islet morphology. Our data indicate that disrupted redox homeostasis and Nrf2a stabilization during pancreatic β-cell development impact morphogenesis, with implications for disease states at later life stages. Our work identifies a potential molecular target (Nrf2) that mediates abnormal β-cell morphology in response to redox disruptions. Moreover, our findings imply that developmental exposure to exogenous stressors at distinct windows of susceptibility could diminish the reserve redox capacity of β-cells, rendering them vulnerable to later-life stresses and disease.
Yoga/Sāṃkhya, Memory Modifying Technologies, and Authenticity.

Patanjali famously states that “yoga is the cessation of the movements of the mind-stuff.” That succinct aphorism is embedded in a complex and highly sophisticated body of historically deep ideas/p...
Vascular Issues in Complex Surgical Resection of Chondrosarcoma

Surgical resection of pelvic and lumbar spine chondrosarcomas remains the mainstay of therapy. Such tumors are often large when initially diagnosed and not uncommonly involve adjacent arterial, venous, and other visceral structures. Given this, careful preoperative evaluation by orthopedic, vascular, and general surgery teams is critical to optimizing surgical outcomes. Appropriate preoperative imaging with a combination of plain radiographs along with computer tomography angiograms and magnetic resonance angiograms allows for detailed planning for these complex resections and reconstructions. A variety of different surgical approaches can be made to facilitate safe, complete tumor resection and orthopedic and vascular reconstruction as needed. Postoperative care following these complex reconstructions should also be done in a multidisciplinary fashion to optimize outcomes.