cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polyphenolic disaccharides endow proteins with unusual resistance to aggregation

Protein aggregation is a common problem during the purification and formulation of therapeutic proteins. Here we report that polyphenolic disaccharides are unusually effective at preventing protein aggregation. We find that two polyphenolic glycosides-naringin and rutin-endow diverse proteins with the ability to unfold without aggregating when heated, as well as the ability to refold without aggregating when cooled at low glycoside concentrations (<5 mM). This extreme solubilizing activity is a synergistic combination of the glycone and aglycone moieties, as combinations of polyphenols and sugars fail to suppress aggregation. Moreover, the activity of polyphenolic disaccharides is remarkably specific since their monosaccharide counterparts (as well as other common excipients such as arginine, trehalose, and cyclodextrin) fail to prevent aggregation at similar concentrations (<25 mM). We expect that polyphenolic disaccharides will be valuable additives for enhancing the solubility of proteins in applications plagued by protein aggregation.
Essential hypertension : part II: treatment.

The goal of antihypertensive treatment is to reduce overall CVD risk and thus its morbidity and mortality rates. In any given patient, the decision to begin treatment is governed by the risk of CVD, which is determined by the magnitude of the BP elevation and the presence or absence of target organ disease and/or additional CVD risk factors. Recent consensus committees, including JNC VI and the World Health Organization–International Society of Hypertension (WHO-ISH) Guidelines Subcommittee, have modified traditional treatment recommendations in several important ways3,35 : (1) Criteria for initiation of treatment now take into consideration total cardiovascular risk rather than BP alone, such that treatment is now recommended for persons whose BP is in the normal range but still bear a heavy burden of CVD risk factors or established CVD. (2) Systolic BP is recognized as an important target for treatment, particularly in older persons, because it is an even more important determinant of CVD risk than diastolic BP. (3) More aggressive BP goals are recommended for hypertensive patients with comorbid conditions such as diabetes mellitus or renal insufficiency. (4) The importance of tailoring the choice of antihypertensive drug treatment to the patient’s individual profile of concomitant CVD risk factors/comorbid conditions is emphasized. (5) The role of simultaneous reduction of multiple CVD risk factors in improving prognosis in hypertensive patients is stressed. (6) Home and ambulatory BP measurement has been recommended because of its value in guiding therapy and enhancing adherence to treatment. (7) Greater reliance on evidence-based medicine (ie, results of randomized controlled trials with CVD outcomes) in making treatment decisions has been endorsed. JNC VI has arrived at an empirical classification that stratifies hypertensive patients into risk groups for therapeutic decisions (Table 4⇓). Risk group A includes patients who do not have clinical CVD, target …
Filamentous Influenza Virus Enters Cells Via Macropinocytosis

Influenza virus is pleiomorphic, producing both spherical (100-nm-diameter) and filamentous (100-nm by 20-μm) virions. While the spherical virions are known to enter host cells through exploitation of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, the entry pathway for filamentous virions has not been determined, though the existence of an alternative, non-clathrin-, non-caveolin-mediated entry pathway for influenza virus has been known for many years. In this study, we confirm recent results showing that influenza virus utilizes macropinocytosis as an alternate entry pathway. Furthermore, we find that filamentous influenza viruses use macropinocytosis as the primary entry mechanism. Virions enter cells as intact filaments within macropinosomes and are trafficked to the acidic late-endosomal compartment. Low pH triggers a conformational change in the M2 ion channel protein, altering membrane curvature and leading to a fragmentation of the filamentous virions. This fragmentation may enable more-efficient fusion between the viral and endosomal membranes.
Concise synthesis of spergualin-inspired molecules with broad-spectrum antibiotic activity

There is a growing need to identify new, broad-spectrum antibiotics. The natural product spergualin was previously shown to have promising anti-bacterial activity and a privileged structure, but its challenging synthesis had limited further exploration. For example, syntheses of spergualin and its analogs have been reported in approximately 10 linear steps, with overall yields between 0.3 and 18%. Using the Ugi multi-component reaction, we assembled spergualin-inspired molecules in a single step, dramatically improving the overall yield (20% to 96%). Using this strategy, we generated 43 new analogs and tested them for anti-bacterial activity against two Gram-negative and four Gram-positive strains. We found that the most potent analogue, compound 6, had MIC values between 4 and 32 μg/mL against the six strains, which is a significant improvement on spergualin (MIC ∼ 6.25 to 50 μg/mL). These studies provide a concise route to a broad-spectrum antibiotic with a novel chemical scaffold.
STUDIES ON NUCLEAR STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN TETRAHYMENA PYRIFORMIS III. Comparison of the Histones of Macro- and Micronuclei by Quantitative Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis

Histones were extracted from isolated macro- and micronuclear fractions and from nucleohistone fibers which were prepared from the isolated macronuclear fraction. Analysis of these histones by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that there are electrophoretic differences between the histones of macro- and micronuclei.
Adhesion of rice flour-based batter to chicken drumsticks evaluated by laser scanning confocal microscopy and texture analysis

The convenience and appeal of battered or breaded products have resulted in a sales increase of 100% since 1980. Because of the rapid growth of the Asian-American population and increasing consumption of rice and rice products, rice flour is a logical alternative for wheat flour in traditional batter formulation. The effects of ingredients used in rice flour-based batters on adhesion characteristic for deep-fat fried chicken drumsticks were studied by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and texture analysis. Raw chicken drumsticks were predusted with egg albumin powder before dipping into batters prepared from combinations of rice flour, yellow corn flour, oxidized cornstarch, methylcellulose, or xanthan gum. The drumsticks were fried at 175 +/- 5 C until the internal temperature reached at least 71 C. For LSCM, samples were fixed overnight and were sectioned by vibratome (200 micrometer) before viewing. Batter adhesion was determined using an attachment specifically designed for chicken drumsticks. Microstructural analysis showed that batter formulated with a 50:50 mixture of rice and corn flours adhered better to drumsticks than batter with other rice flour ratios. Xanthan gum (0.2%) or methylcellulose (0.3%) alone had poor adhesion to chicken skin. However, when combined with other ingredients, xanthan gum increased the amount of batter pick-up before frying by increasing viscosity. Egg albumin significantly facilitated batter adhesion. The results from texture analysis supported the microstructural studies. As rice flour ratio increased from 50 to 70%, the binding force decreased. Rice flour showed potential as an alternative to wheat flour for batter formulas when the appropriate levels of oxidized starch, xanthan gum, and methylcellulose were included in the formulation.
Active Message Oriented Adaptation Middleware for Collaborative Applications in Heterogeneous Environments

Adaptation middleware is becoming widely used to build adaptive collaborative applications. However, collaborative applications requiring real-time services are intolerant of the long reconfiguration time of the existing adaptation middleware, which is in a range of seconds or even tens of seconds. In this paper, we present MARCHES, which is active message oriented adaptation middleware that reduces the reconfiguration time. Different from the traditional middleware that supports the single component-chain based application architecture, MARCHES maintains multiple component chains or actuators. Then the process of architecture reconfiguration is done by a new method of switching active and inactive actuators, which replaces the traditional method of modifying the single-chain architecture. An active message based synchronization protocol is proposed according to the new method to reduce the communication overhead and reconfiguration time. Experiment results demonstrate that MARCHES improves the packet delivery ratio and throughput of collaborative applications. Results also show that the reconfiguration time achieved by MARCHES is in a range of hundreds of microseconds and the extra costs introduced by the multi-actuator architecture are extremely low.
Memory training for individuals with Alzheimer's disease improves name recall.

Alzheimer’s disease is clinically characterized by a variety of progressive cognitive deficits, most notably an impaired ability to acquire new information, such as name recall. Eleven demented patients and 11 controls participated in a 4 week memory program that included training in name–face recall. Individuals were taught strategies for name–face rehearsal, and administered task specific and standardized tests to assess the intervention efficacy. During the memory training patients improved recall of names and faces (p
Attributable costs and length of stay of an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVES To determine the costs of the interventions aimed at controlling the 4-month outbreak and to determine the attributable length of stay (LOS) associated with infection and colonization with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. DESIGN A retrospective cost analysis was conducted from the hospital perspective. A micro-costing approach was employed. The LOS of four groups of hospitalized patients were compared with each other. National Perinatal Information Center criteria were used to stratify infants for severity of risk. The LOS of each group was compared with that of a national sample of similarly stratified infants. SETTING A level III-IV, 45-bed neonatal intensive care unit. PATIENTS Infant groups were infected (n = 8), colonized (n = 14), concurrent cohort (n = 54), and prior cohort (n = 486). RESULTS The cost of the outbreak totaled 341,751 dollars. The largest proportion of costs was related to healthcare worker time providing direct patient care (2,489 hours at a cost of 146,331 dollars). Infected and colonized neonates had longer LOS than either the concurrent cohort or the prior cohort (P < .001). Compared with the national sample, infected infants had a 48.5-day longer mean LOS (95% confidence interval [CI95], 1.7 to 95.2), whereas the prior cohort's mean LOS was 6 days shorter (CI95, -9.4 to -2.9). CONCLUSIONS This study increases the understanding of the burden of these multidrug-resistant organisms. Further research is needed to estimate the societal costs of these infections and the cost-effectiveness of preventive interventions.
The monoclonal antibody FDC-M1 recognizes possible follicular dendritic cell precursors in the blood and bone marrow.

Antigen transport cells (ATC) 1 transport immune complexes to the follicles of draining lymph nodes for longterm retention by the follicular dendritic cell (FDC) antigen-retaining reticulum (ARR). The purpose of this study was to determine the antigenic phenotype of ATC to further explore the relationship of ATC to FDC. For more detail on antigen transport refer to the accompanying paper by Szakal et al., in this volume.
Study on Modeling and Simulation of Intermediate Heat Exchanger

Modeling and simulation of intermediate heat exchangers(IHX)is very important for designers of the thermal-hydraulic and IC system of liquid metal fast breeder reactor plant(LMFBR).In this paper,a model composed of steady state algorithm and transient state model is developed for IHXs'analysis using Matlab/ Simulink software.The steady state algorithm includes two approaches,i.e.equal segment length and equal heat transfer methods.The difference of temperature distribution calculated from both approaches is little in direction of IHXs'length.The maximum difference between actual outlet temperature and calculated one is about 3K.On every segment,ordinary form of energy conversation equations are established,and so transient state model is developed.Loss of primary flow transient is simulated to evaluate this model,and it operates well.
The Influencial Factors of Carotid intimal medial Thickness in Essential Hypertension

Objective To analyze the influencial factors of Carotid intimal medial thickness in es- sential hypertension.Methods According to the IMT(mm)measured by color Doppler ultrasound,246 hy- pertensive patients were divided into three following groups:IMT1(IMT≤0.8),IMT2(0.8IMT1.2), IMT3(IMT≥1.2),Moreover,all the patients were divided into three groups group 1(hypertensive without di- abetes)、group2(hypertensive with IGT)、group3(hypertensive with diabetes).The correlation between IMT and BMI,blood pressure,pulse pressure,history of hypertension,age,average heart rate ,blood fat,blood uric acid(UA)and fasting plasma glucose(FPG),etc was analyzed.Results 1.There was no significant difference of BMI,history of hypertension,average heart rate ,blood fat,UA and FPG among IMT1,IMT2 and IMT3.2.The differences of age ,blood pressure ,pulse pressure among IMT1,IMT2 and IMT3 were sig- nificant(P0.001).3.The FPG was in positive correlation with IMT in groupl.Conclusion The IMT is tightly in positive correlation with age and pulse pressure in hypertensive patients.The FPG may be in posi- tive correlation with IMT in hypertensive patients without diabetes.
The New Economics of Child Health and Survival

To make clear what is new, one must first summarise the old – in this case, what one takes to be the ‘old economics’ of child health and survival. Essentially, the old view rested on three propositions: First, that child health and survival was closely related with household income, especially family poverty; Secondly, that improvements in health depended on increases in health services and thus on expenditure on health services.
Growth Inhibition by Glucose Oxidase of Selected Organisms Associated With the Microbial Spoilage of Shrimp ( Pandalus jordani ): In Vitro Model Studies.

The effect of glucose oxidase (GOX)-catalase with different GOX-catalase ratios and of the Chemicals produced by GOX, gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide, were evaluated on four microorganisms usually present in shrimp. Growth inhibition was independent of the enzyme ratio within the limits tested. Hydrogen peroxide inhibited Pseudomonas fluorescens , Hansenula polymorpha and Acinetobacter calcoaceticum . Only Corynebacter aquaticum was inhibited by gluconic acid but was not affected by hydrogen peroxide.
Ideengeschichte I: von der Antike bis zur Französischen Revolution

Die Darstellung der politischen Ideengeschichte von den griechischen Anfangen bis zur Franzosischen Revolution muss sich exemplarisch auf einen Hauptstrang konzentrieren, soll sie sich nicht auf die Auflistung von Dutzenden interessanten Autoren mit Hunderten nennenswerten Werken beschranken.
Conflicting Confinement Effects on the Tg, Diffusivity, and Effective Viscosity of Polymer Films: A Case Study with Poly(isobutyl methacrylate) on Silica and Possible Resolution

The glass transition temperature (Tg), in-plane diffusivity (D), and effective viscosity (ηeff) were measured for the same thin film system of poly(isobutyl methacrylate) supported by silica (PiBMA/SiOx). We found that both the Tg and D were independent of the film thickness (h0), but ηeff decreased with decreasing h0. We envisage the different h0 dependencies to be caused by Tg, D, and ηeff being different functions of the local Tg’s (Tg,i) or viscosities (ηi), which vary with the film depth. By assuming a three-layer model and that Tg(h0) = ⟨Tg,i⟩, D(h0) ∼ kBT/⟨ηi⟩, and ηeff(h0) = h03/3Mtot(ηi), where ⟨...⟩ denotes spatial averaging and Mtot is the mobility of the films, we were able to account for the experimental data. By extending these ideas to the analogous data of polystyrene supported by silica (PS/SiOx), a resolution was found for the long-standing inconsistency regarding the effects of confinement on the dynamics of polymer films.
Mechanochemically prepared reactive and energetic materials: a review

Reactive and energetic materials are typically metastable and are expected to transform into thermodynamically favorable reaction products with substantial energy release. Preparation of such materials by mechanical milling is challenging: They are easily initiated by impact or friction. At the same time, milling offers a simple, scalable, and controllable technology capable of mixing reactive components on the nanoscale. In most cases, for reactive materials milling should be interrupted or arrested to preserve the metastable phases. Arrested reactive milling was exploited to prepare many inorganic reactive materials, including nanocomposite thermite, metal–metalloid, and intermetallic systems. Prepared materials are fully dense composites with unique properties, combining high density with extremely high reactivity. Different milling devices were used to prepare reactive materials and an approach was developed to transfer the process conditions between different mills. Different milling protocols, such as milling at cryogenic temperatures or staged milling can be used to prepare hybrid reactive materials with different components mixed on different scales; it was also used to tune the particle size distributions of metal-based reactive material powders. Metal–halogen composites were prepared, with metal matrix stabilizing a halogen (e.g., iodine) at temperatures substantially exceeding its boiling point. Mechanochemically prepared reactive materials can be classified based on the energy of reaction between components and the energy of oxidation of the bulk material composition. Work on mechanochemical preparation of reactive and energetic materials is reviewed with the focus on unique properties and ignition and combustion mechanisms of the mechanochemically prepared reactive materials. An ignition mechanism for nanothermites involving preignition reaction leading to a gas release preceding rapid temperature rise is discussed. A combustion mechanism is also discussed, in which the nanostructure of the mechanochemically prepared material is preserved despite the very high combustion temperatures.
CHARACTERISTICS AND INCIDENCE OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IN US VETERAN CENTENARIANS

Background: Centenarians are the fastest growing segment of US population yet little is known about the incidence of cardiovascular illness and its impact on longevity We examined the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AFIB) in centenarians as compared with nonagenarians and octogenarians Methods:
A CHARACTERIZATION OF PSp4(3m) BY THE CENTRALIZER OF AN ELEMENT OF ORDER THREE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a characterization of PSp 4 (3 m ) by the centralizer of an element of order three. The proof uses a characterization of L2(3 2n ) as a Cθθ-group, which is stated below as a conjecture. Much work has been done in this area, and recent results suggest that the following conjecture is true. If G be a finite group which satisfies the following: (1) G contains an elementary abelian 3-group D of order q = 3 2n with C G (d) = D for all d ∈ D # . (2) G has at least 2 classes of 3-elements. (3) D is not normal in G. Then, [N G (D):D] = q – 1/2 and G ≅ L 2 (q).
From economic stagnation to systemic fragility

ABSTRACTAdvanced economies are in a rut of slow growth. Growth in emerging economies has also slowed. Explanations are meager and policies have not worked or have made problems worse. The Trump administration of hard-line billionaires will likely exacerbate problems. Jack Rasmus’s book Systemic Fragility in the Global Economy offers a penetrating analysis of economic stagnation in advanced economies by providing a sustained and systemic focus on the role of finance, an analysis that probes further than mainstream economic analysis. Rasmus has made a signal contribution to contemporary economics and provided a vitally important X-ray of the political economy of stagnation.
Making America Great (Again and Again): Certainty, Centrality, and Paranoiac Pedagogies of Social Studies Education in the United States

This chapter offers a consideration of paranoia as an affect that permeates the classroom space of social studies classrooms in the United States. I argue that social studies educators use particular affects transmitted between teachers and students to learn about their worlds through temporal, spatial, and cultural forms of certainty and centrality, two facets of a paranoiac affect. This paranoiac affect is captured in lessons of two student teachers I mentored as a social studies educator. Revisiting field notes I recorded from their time spent as student teachers, I return to these moments of classroom life to reflect on how paranoiac affects activated certain sensibilities for both the teachers and their students. For one teacher, Bryan, a paranoiac tendency surfaced in the way his teaching of US history took on an unassailable certainty of what is true and what is knowable about the past. For a different teacher, Scott, a related feature of paranoia animates and organizes the world for him and his students. Learning about the ‘other’ means coming to know one’s self as central to all life-forms in our world. For Scott, ‘the West is the best’ of all cultures because of beneficent affections he ascribes to the American nation.
Level of Entrepreneurship and Scanning Source Usage in Very Small Businesses

This study examined the relationship between entrepreneurship level and scanning source usage in an emerging industry composed of very small businesses. The sample included 450 randomly selected pr...
Acute-onset heart failure secondary to long-standing abuse of alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana: An instructive case and review of pathophysiology

Acute-onset heart failure in a young, otherwise healthy patient can be due to either acquired or congenital etiologies. While some diagnoses carry specific histologic hallmarks, many causes of myoc...
The Influence of Strain Rate on the Stress-Strain Behavior of EPS Geofoam

Modulus, yield and strength properties of EPS geofoam that are reported in standards and specifications vary by density and are typically derived from testing small size samples at 10% per minute strain rate. Such values are augmented by creep test data from published sources in design considerations. Average loading rates during construction and sustained dead loads in post construction induce much slower strain rates. Live loads from truck traffic and extreme events such as earthquakes occur at faster strain rates. The margin of higher strengths that could be justifiably allowed for extreme events of short duration has not been established. This investigation examined the effects of strain rates on moduli and strengths for different densities of EPS geofoam.
Tango, ergo sum

This paper shows the importance of Jean-Luc Nancy’s interpretations of Rene Descartes in Nancy’s deconstruction of Christianity, especially in the notions of bodily exposition and the impossibility of intactness. I argue that Nancy’s deconstruction of Christianity is prefigured and developed in his readings of the Cartesian ego as an ex-posited and intangible body. I then turn to Jacques Derrida’s critique of Nancy’s deconstruction of Christian intactness: Derrida argues that Nancy appeals to a key Christian trope of the proper or tactful touch and thus affirms a Christian metaphysics of presence. I propose the importance of historicizing the understandings bodily presence and intactness at stake in the difference between Derrida and Nancy, and turn to Descartes’ treatments of transubstantiation as an example. I argue that attending to the seventeenth-century debates concerning Cartesianism’s threat to the material and theological intactness of Eucharistic real presence historically situates the question of deconstructing Christianity. In response to Nancy and Derrida, I suggest that the question is not if Christianity is or is not intact, but rather how historically specific understandings of the nature and perception of bodies differently conceive bodily presence and intactness. Keywords: Jean-Luc Nancy, Jacques Derrida, Rene Descartes, deconstruction, Christianity, immanence, incarnation, haptics, transubstantiation
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are members of the nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily that respond to changes in lipid and glucose homeostasis. Three PPAR subtypes (α, β/δ and γ; NR1C1-3) have been identified in many species including humans. The manner in which PPARs regulate gene expression includes association with retinoid-X-receptor (RXR) and binding to specific response elements found on target genes. The subsequent alteration in gene expression by the PPARs is influenced by kinases, cofactors, and other tissue specific factors. Detailed examination of the structure–function of the PPARs allows for an understanding of certain polymorphisms within the human population and may also aid in the design of new therapeutic agents. The biological niches of PPARα, -β/δ and -γ are distinct, yet have many overlapping functions. PPARα is the cognate receptor for peroxisome proliferators as well as certain fatty acid and their metabolites. Through the extensive use of the PPARα-null mouse model, it is evident that this receptor plays a key role in lipid homeostasis, particularly in the fasted state. Important fatty acid oxidation enzymes, in peroxisomes and elsewhere, are regulated by PPARα. PPARγ has received much attention as the target for antidiabetic drugs, but also plays a role in responding to endogenous compounds such as prostaglandin J2. The ability of ectopically-expressed PPARγ to induce differentiation of adipocytes, macrophages, and other cells, underscores the importance of this protein in regulating cell fate and implies a role beyond fatty acid metabolism. PPARβ/δ remains a somewhat under-appreciated member of this subfamily of receptors. The endogenous ligands for PPARβ/δ are, as a group, relatively weak activators, but includes various fatty acids and metabolites. The phenotype of the PPARβ/δ-null suggests an important role in lipid homeostasis and this protein has received attention as a downstream target of growth regulatory genes, in particular in the colon. Together, the PPARs represent an important target for therapeutic and nutritional intervention due to their importance in maintaining cellular lipid homeostasis.
Widening and interpolation

Widening/narrowing and interpolation are two techniques for deriving a generalization about unbounded behaviors from an analysis of bounded behaviors. The purpose of both methods is to produce an inductive invariant that proves some property of a program or other discrete dynamic system. In the case of widening, we obtain a guess at an inductive invariant by extrapolating a sequence of approximations of the program behavior, either forward or backward. In the case of interpolation, we use the intermediate assertions in proofs of correctness of bounded behaviors. To contrast these approaches, we will view widening/narrowing operators as deduction systems that have been weakened in some way in order to force generalization. From this point of view, we observe some important similarities and differences between the methods. Both methods are seen to derive candidate inductive invariants from proofs about bounded execution sequences. In the case of widening/narrowing, we produce the strongest k-step post-condition (or weakest k-step pre-condition) derivable in the weakened proof system. By contrast, using interpolation, we derive candidate inductive invariants from a simple proof of safety a k-step sequence. The intermediate assertions we infer are neither the strongest nor the weakest possible, but are merely sufficient to prove correctness of the bounded sequence. In widening/narrowing there is an asymmetry in the treatment of the initial and final conditions, since we widen either forward or backward. In interpolation, there is no preferred direction. The initial and final conditions of the sequence are dual. The most salient distinction between the two approaches is in their inductive bias. Any kind of generalization requires some a priori preference for one form of statement over another. In the case of widening, this bias is explicit, and given as an a priori weakening of the deduction system. In interpolation, we do not weaken the deduction system, but rather bias in favor of parsimonious proofs in the given system. This can be viewed as an application of Occam's razor: proofs using fewer concepts are more likely to generalize. The inductive bias in interpolation is thus less direct than in widening/narrowing as it derives from the chosen logic, and some notion of cost associated to proofs.
Modern Stone Science

Introduction and Objective Our current understanding of the complex spectrum of urolithiasis is quite profound. In this chapter, we will review how we have gotten to our current state-of-the-art knowledge. The scientific method includes the forums where knowledge was propagated, at meetings. In addition, certain basic groups have always found a common ground for generating specific interests by fostering cross-fertilization of ideas.
The Macroevolution of Phyla

Macroevolution is taken to deal with the origins of novel branches of the tree of life at levels above that of species, and with the processes that produce and regulate changes within those branches as they wax and wane through geologic time. This stands in contrast to microevolution, which deals with the processes that produce and regulate heritable change within populations and species, and that can lead to speciation.
Public Signals and Persuasion for Road Network Congestion Games under Vagaries

Abstract In the context of road network congestion, public provision of information is a way to convince drivers to act more socially by shifting their Wardrop equilibrium. In this paper we establish a framework to pose the problem in a road traffic approach and characterize the disclosure mechanism. The games considered are single-commodity road networks subject to independent vagaries. An omniscient controller partially discloses his information to a population of non-cooperative drivers, in a message at the entrance of the network. For the two-route network with single vagary case, we provide a complete characterization of the optimal public signaling policy and, in particular, identify situations where neither full nor no-disclosure is optimal. We also show how to extend the framework of Bayesian persuasion to the context of road networks under multitple independent vagaries.
Improvement of Evaluation of 3-D Characteristics of a Diode-Pumped Alkali Laser

It has been proved that a diode-pumped alkali laser (DPAL) is one of the potential candidates to achieve the output power with kW-order or more. However, the theoretical analyses of a DPAL are still incomplete although some regimes have been developed to evaluate the spatial characteristics of a DPAL. It is necessary to build a mathematical model to analyze the tridimensional features of a DPAL system with the much higher output power. By combining the procedures of heat transfer and laser kinetics, we developed a new algorithm to simultaneously evaluate the three-dimensional (3-D) lasing characteristics and the 3-D thermal features of a cesium-vapor laser end-pumped by a laser diode. The 3-D population density distributions of the quasi-five-level of atomic alkali, temperature distribution, and distributions of the absorbed power and laser photon density inside a vapor cell have been systematically obtained and analyzed. The theoretical results of the output characteristics coincide with the experimental ones. The results are thought to be meaningful for the realization of a high-powered DPAL in the future.
Reliability of Informant-Report Measures of Executive Functioning in Children With Down Syndrome.

Abstract The current study evaluates the psychometric properties of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) with children with Down syndrome. Caregivers of 84 children with Down...
All the Tea in China: Interaction Design Inspirations

We picture various forms of engagement with Tea (and Coffee). The images are selected from a large and ongoing collection of street photography and posed images along this theme. The images as presented here are prompts to interaction design inspirations, after the style of [1]. The text is deliberately minimal, as part of a focus on visually rich content for and advancement of the form of primarily photographic pictorials in HCI.
III-V Vertical Nanowires Grown on Si by Template-assisted Selective Epitaxy for Tandem Solar Cells

We demonstrate a growth approach that enables connecting III-V nanowires ―with precise control of shape, position and size by standard Si nanofabrication techniques― to a bottom silicon solar cell for the next generation of photovoltaics.
Correlates of men's bystander intervention to prevent sexual and relationship violence: the role of masculine discrepancy stress

Extant literature suggests that men may be less likely than women to engage in prosocial bystander behavior to interrupt sexual and relationship violence. However, there has been little consideration of the influence of masculine gender role discrepancy and masculine discrepancy stress (i.e., stress that occurs when men perceive themselves as falling short of traditional gender norms) on men's bystander beliefs and behaviors. The current study fills an important gap in the literature by assessing the influence of masculine gender role discrepancy and masculine discrepancy stress on a range of prosocial bystander behaviors through their influence on the bystander decision-making process. Participants were 356 undergraduate men recruited from two different Southeastern U.S. universities who completed online surveys assessing self-perceptions of gender role discrepancy, consequent discrepancy stress, bystander decision-making, and bystander behavior in sexual and relationship violence contexts. Path models indicated significant conditional indirect effects of masculine gender role discrepancy on proactive bystander behaviors (i.e., behaviors related to making a plan in advance of being in a risky situation) and bystander behavior in drinking situations across levels of masculine discrepancy stress. Specifically, men who believed that they are less masculine than the typical man reported more pros to intervention in sexual and relationship violence than cons, and thus reported intervening more, but only if they were high in masculine discrepancy stress. Findings suggest that bystander intervention programs should explicitly address and challenge rigid expectations of what it means to be "manly" to transform gender expectations perpetuating sexual and relationship violence.
Collective Action and Vulnerable Populations: Interorganizational Collaboration for Undocumented Immigrants’ Disaster Safety Following Hurricane Irma 2017

AbstractThis qualitative case study aims to gain a greater understanding of collective action among organizations assisting undocumented immigrants in South Apopka, Florida, following Hurricane Irm...
Privacy Practices Below the Lowest Common Denominator: The Federal Trade Commission's Initial Application of Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Authority to Protect Consumer Privacy (1997-2000)

In this paper, the author reviews the first six actions taken by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to safeguard consumers' privacy under the agency's authority to prosecute unfair or deceptive trade practices. Six conclusions can be made from these cases: First, the FTC has chosen to take enforcement actions only in cases with strong merits. Second, the protection of children's online activities is a priority of the FTC. Third, deception is the principal theory on which the FTC has relied to enforce violations of the FTCA against online businesses. Fourth, it is possible for the FTC to pursue a privacy claim under an unfairness theory. However, the unfairness theory is more likely to be successful when pursuing violations of children's privacy. Fifth, a strong showing of consumer harm is not required for an action based on unfairness. Merely misrepresenting privacy practices or violating a guarantee of privacy is sufficient to actuate agency action. Under the deception theory, there is no requirement to demonstrate harm. Last, monetary damages have not been assessed in FTC privacy actions against online businesses.
Design timelines: Concrete and sticky representations of design process expertise

This paper presents findings from the analysis of data from 177 individuals who solved 401 separate design problems. The findings from this body of research show that individuals with more expertise have processes that are more complex, consider a broader set of information, spend more time problem solving and are more likely to demonstrate a cascade pattern in their design activities. This paper also demonstrates the utility of a commitment to a single research methodology, creating a design timeline representation that is both concrete (visible) and sticky (memorable), and using that representation to tell a consistent story about design processes. Examples of using the timelines to teach about design processes demonstrate timelines are indeed sticky for students of design.
Estradiol Metabolism: Crossroads in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a debilitating and progressive disease that predominantly develops in women. Over the past 15 years, cumulating evidence has pointed toward dysregulated metabolism of sex hormones in animal models and patients with PAH. 17β-estradiol (E2) is metabolized at positions C2, C4, and C16, which leads to the formation of metabolites with different biological/estrogenic activity. Since the first report that 2-methoxyestradiol, a major non-estrogenic metabolite of E2, attenuates the development and progression of experimental pulmonary hypertension (PH), it has become increasingly clear that E2, E2 precursors, and E2 metabolites exhibit both protective and detrimental effects in PH. Furthermore, both experimental and clinical data suggest that E2 has divergent effects in the pulmonary vasculature versus right ventricle (estrogen paradox in PAH). The estrogen paradox is of significant clinical relevance for understanding the development, progression, and prognosis of PAH. This review updates experimental and clinical findings and provides insights into: (1) the potential impacts that pathways of estradiol metabolism (EMet) may have in PAH; (2) the beneficial and adverse effects of estrogens and their precursors/metabolites in experimental PH and human PAH; (3) the co-morbidities and pathological conditions that may alter EMet and influence the development/progression of PAH; (4) the relevance of the intracrinology of sex hormones to vascular remodeling in PAH; and (5) the advantages/disadvantages of different approaches to modulate EMet in PAH. Finally, we propose the three-tier-estrogen effects in PAH concept, which may offer reconciliation of the opposing effects of E2 in PAH and may provide a better understanding of the complex mechanisms by which EMet affects the pulmonary circulation–right ventricular interaction in PAH.
Thyroid hormone receptor beta is critical for intestinal remodeling during Xenopus tropicalis metamorphosis.

Thyroid hormone (T3) is critical for development in all vertebrates. The mechanism underlying T3 effect has been difficult to study due to the uterus-enclosed nature of mammalian embryos. Anuran metamorphosis, which is dependent on T3 but independent of maternal influence, is an excellent model to study the roles of T3 and its receptors (TRs) during vertebrate development. We and others have reported various effects of TR knockout (TRα and TRβ) during Xenopus tropicalis development. However, these studies were largely focused on external morphology. We have generated TRβ knockout animals containing an out-frame-mutation of 5 base deletion by using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and observed that TRβ knockout does not affect premetamorphic tadpole development. We have found that the basal expression of direct T3-inducible genes is increased but their upregulation by T3 is reduced in the intestine of premetamorphic homozygous TRβ knockout animals, accompanied by reduced target binding by TR. More importantly, we have observed reduced adult stem cell proliferation and larval epithelial apoptosis in the intestine during T3-induced metamorphosis. Our data suggest that TRβ plays a critical role in intestinal remodeling during metamorphosis.
Treating post-trauma nightmares and posttraumatic stress disorder in an individual with psychosis

Post-trauma nightmares often persist, even following intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Davis, DeArellano, Falsetti, & Resnick, 2003;Scurfield, Kenderdine, & Pollard, 1990). Research finds that directly targeting post-trauma nightmares is effective in reducing their frequency and severity, as well as improving related symptoms (Augedal, Hansen, Kronhaug, Harvey, & Pallesen, 2013; Casement & Swanson, 2012; Ho, Chan, & Tang, 2016; Krippner & Taitz, 2017; Rousseau & Belleville, 2018). Most efforts exploring the efficacy of interventions for post-trauma nightmares have not been evaluated in individuals with psychosis. However, recent research suggests that individuals with psychosis experience frequent nightmares and comorbidity with traumatic stress disorders (Sheaves, Onwumere, Keen, Stahl, & Kuipers, 2015). The current study evaluated the efficacy of a combination of two treatments, Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy (Davis, 2009) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (Resick, Monson, & Chard, 2017), for an individual with visual and tactile hallucinations, nightmares, and PTSD. Results indicated that the participant tolerated all treatment aspects, including written exposure to the content of the post-trauma nightmares. Further, the combined treatment resulted in improvement in trauma-related nightmare frequency and severity, PTSD symptoms, negative posttraumatic cognitions, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality and quantity. Findings suggested that individuals with frequent nightmares, PTSD, and psychosis may benefit from direct treatments targeting these conditions.
Enterobacterales Infection after Intestinal Dominance in Hospitalized Patients.

ABSTRACT The Enterobacterales order of Gram-negative bacteria includes the common nosocomial pathogens Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, and Enterobacter species. Intestinal domination by some colonizing bacterial taxa is associated with subsequent infection, but 16S rRNA gene sequencing is too costly and slow to be used in a clinical setting. The objectives of this study were to develop a PCR-based assay that can measure Enterobacterales density, validate it against 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and measure the association between Enterobacterales dominance and subsequent infection. Two quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays that were developed to quantify the absolute and relative abundance of Enterobacterales had good correlation with 16S rRNA sequence analysis (P IMPORTANCE Increasing antibiotic resistance has resulted in infections that are life-threatening and difficult to treat. Interventions that prevent these infections, particularly without using antibiotics, could save lives. Intestinal colonization by pathogens, including vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (part of the order Enterobacterales) is associated with subsequent infection, and increased colonization density is associated with increased infection risk. Therefore, colonization offers a window of opportunity for infection prevention if (i) there are rapid and inexpensive assays to detect colonization, (ii) there are safe and effective interventions, and (iii) the risk of infection outweighs the risk of the treatment. Fecal transplants are proof of principle that manipulating the microbiome can reduce such colonization and prevent infections. This study demonstrates the feasibility of implementing rapid and inexpensive assays to quantify colonization and measures the strength of association between Enterobacterales dominance and subsequent infection. The approach described here could be a valuable tool in the prevention of antibiotic-resistant infections.
Evaluation of the relationship of cholinergic metabolites in urine and urgency urinary incontinence.

To investigate differences in urine cholinergic metabolites in women with urinary urgency incontinence (UUI) and responders (R) and non-responders (NR) to anti-cholinergic medications (AC). Patients with UUI and age-matched controls were evaluated pre- and post-treatment using OABSS, UDI-6 and IIQ-7. Controls were defined as having a cumulative OABSS of zero. Patients with UUI were treated with AC and followed for 12 weeks. Responders were those with a > 50% decrease in the total OABSS score. Urine samples were collected from all participants for evaluation. Metabolite detection was accomplished using commercial assay kits. Wilcoxon-rank sum test and Fisher’s exact test were used to express differences between groups. Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between acetylcholine (Ach), choline (Ch), acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and questionnaire scores. We recruited 39 with UUI and 33 controls. We found concentrations of Ch [29.0 (IQR: 24.2–42.5) μmol vs. 15.2 (IQR: 7.5–24.1) μmol] and Ach [65.8 (IQR: 30.4–101.8) nmol and 33.1 (IQR: 11.9–43.8) nmol] were higher in the UUI group compared to controls (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively] and no differences in AchE concentrations. In the UUI group, 43.6% responded to AC after 12 weeks of therapy. There were no differences in Ch or AchE levels between R and NR; Ach levels were higher in the R group [82.1 nmol (IQR: 54.8–118.1) vs. 50.3 nmol (IQR: 29.9–68.2), p = 0.007]. Ch and Ach were positively associated with pre-treatment OABSS parameters. Urine Ach is higher in responders to anti-cholinergic therapy, and urine cholinergic metabolites were higher in the UUI patients compared to controls.
Lipid Mediators and Their Metabolism in the Brain

Chapter 1. Metabolism and roles of eicosanoids in brain.- Chapter 2. Recent Developments on the neurochemistry of docosanoids.- Chapter 3. Metabolism, roles, and involvement of lyso-glycerophospholipids in neurological disorders.- Chapter 4. Platelet activating factor in brain: its metabolism, roles and involvement in neurological disorders.- Chapter 5. Cannabinoids in the brain: their metabolism, roles, and involvement in neurological disorders.- Chapter 6. Neurochemical aspects of 4-hydroxynonenal.- Chapter 7. Isoprostanes and other non-enzymic polyunsaturated fatty acid-derived lipid mediators in the brain.- Chapter 8. Ceramide and ceramide 1-phosphate in the brain.- Chapter 9. Sphingosine and sphingosine 1 phosphate in brain.- Chapter 10. Cholesterol and hydroxycholesterol in the brain.- Chapter 11. Perspective and direction for future research on lipid mediators