cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of critical domains and putative partners for the Caenorhabditis elegans spindle component LIN-5.

Successful cell division requires proper assembly, placement and functioning of the spindle apparatus that segregates the chromosomes. The Caenorhabditis elegans gene lin-5 encodes a novel coiled-coil component of the spindle required for spindle positioning and chromosome segregation. To gain further insights into lin-5 function, we screened for dominant suppressors of the partial loss-of-function phenotype associated with the mutation lin-5(ev571ts), and isolated 68 suppressing mutations. Eight out of the ten suppressors sequenced contained intragenic missense mutations immediately upstream of the lesion in lin-5(ev571ts). These probably help to stabilize protein-protein interactions mediated by the coiled-coil domain. This domain was found to be required for binding to several putative LIN-5 interacting (LFI) proteins identified in yeast two-hybrid screens. Interestingly, interaction with the coiled-coil protein LFI-1 was specifically reduced by the lin-5(ev571ts) mutation and restored by a representative intragenic suppressor mutation. Immunostaining experiments showed that LIN-5 and LFI-1 may co-localize around the kinetochore microtubules during metaphase, indicating potential interaction in vivo. The coiled-coil domain of LIN-5 was also found to mediate homodimerization, while the C-terminal region of LIN-5 was sufficient for interaction with GPR-1, a recently identified component of a LIN-5 spindle-regulatory complex. A single amino-acid substitution in the N-terminal region of LIN-5, encoded by the e1457 allele, abolished all LIN-5 interactions. Taken together, our results indicate that the spindle functions of LIN-5 depend on interactions with multiple protein partners, and that these interactions are mediated through several different domains of LIN-5.
MODEL PREDICTION OF RUTTING IN ASPHALT CONCRETE

A new elastoplastic model is presented for predicting the stress-strain response of asphalt concrete under cyclic loading. The model utilizes multiyield surfaces and isotropic hardening. Rowe's stress dilatancy theory is used to obtain the relationship between the permanent volumetric and vertical strains as well as the hardening law for the changes in the sizes of the plastic moduli caused by cyclic loading. These relationships considerably simplify the task of predicting the plastic deformation under cyclic loading of both triaxial compression and extension tests. A complete description of the plastic deformation of asphalt concrete under cyclic loading is treated, including the elastic, viscoelastic, and plastic components as well as the relationship between rutting and cracking. A computer program, called Rutting in Asphalt Concrete (RUT), determines the plastic deformation under cyclic loading. Good agreement exists between the model predictions and experimental data that include data published by other researchers.
Primary Care Physician Recommendations for Colorectal Cancer Screening: Patient and Practitioner Factors

Background: Current guidelines for colorectal cancer screening do not specify the role of age or comorbidity in patient selection. Reported screening practices may thus be influenced by patient, as well as physician, charcteristics. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to primary care physicians in 10 states to determine recommendations for fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) and sigmoidoscopy in 4 pairs of clinical vignettes that varied by patient age (65 or 75 years) and comorbidity (none, mild, moderate, and terminal). Results: Among the 884 respondents (50%), most physicians recommended FOBT in all vignettes except those with a terminal illness and fewer than half recommended sigmoidoscopy in any vignette. Physician recommendations were influenced by comorbidity, but one third still recommended FOBT for terminally ill patients and less than 50% recommended sigmoidoscopy for patients with no comorbidity. Differences in recommended screening between vignettes that differed only in patient age were small. Among all subgroups of physicians, at least 30% recommended FOBT in terminally ill patients and no more than 60% recommended sigmoidoscopy in healthy patients. Conclusions: Primary care physicians were much more likely to recommend screening with FOBT than sigmoidoscopy, regardless of patient and practitioner factors. Although physician recommendations were influenced by patient comorbidity and age, they frequently recommended FOBT in clinically inappropriate settings and failed to recommend sigmoidoscopy when appropriate. Broad-based interventions to improve appropriate screening practices may be needed. Arch Intern Med. 1997;157:1946-1950
The specific heats of submonolayers of 4He adsorbed on copper and on argon and neon monolayers on copper at low temperatures

Abstract Specific heats of 4 He adsorbed on copper, on argon-coated copper and on neon-coated copper have been measured between 0.6K and 4K. Near monolayer coverages the films show two dimensional Debye behavior. At lower coverages, down to 0.14 monolayers, the specific heat per atom is anomalous and is unexplained by any single phase model of the adsorbed system.
Factor analytic study of the test, What Kind of Person Are You?

A factor analysis of 645 responses to What Kind of Person Are You? test, a 50-item inventory of self-perception of creativity, yielded five factors: Acceptance of Authority, Self-confidence, Inquisitiveness, Awareness of Others and Disciplined Imagination. The analysis gives some support to the construct validity of the measure, providing a more sensitive appraisal of an individual's self-perceptions including creative and less creative orientations.
Targeting specific traditional risk factors to improve cardiovascular outcomes: Sound or flawed?

Current drugs used in cardiovascular medicine target specific traditional risk factors and mostly obtain their Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval by demonstrating in clinical trials that the improvement in a cardiovascular risk factor profile due to the administration of the drug translates into an improvement in cardiovascular outcomes. This system seems to have worked very well for most drugs on the market today. In recent times, this process has been neglected such that a drug that improves a particular cardiovascular risk profile is believed to also improve cardiovascular outcomes and hence prescribed as such, without any supporting evidence from clinical trials about its ability to also significantly reduce cardiovascular events.
Culture and the Structure of the International Hyperlink Network

This article explores the relationship between national culture and the structure of the international Internet linkage. World System Theory suggests that economic relations within nations are the primary organizing principles of international communication. However, recent research suggests that other factors may also impact the process. Using hyperlink data from Barnett and Park (in press), the current research examines the role of culture as an organizing mechanism of the Internet. The results indicated that national culture is significantly related to network centrality and its overall structure. The limitations of this research and the implications of the findings for globalization, a structural theory of international communication, and cultural convergence are discussed.
In CMC we trust: the role of similarity

This paper examines how different forms of linguistic similarity in a text-chat environment relate to the establishment of interpersonal trust. Sixty-two pairs played an iterative social dilemma investment game and periodically communicated via Instant Messenger (IM). Novel automated and manual analysis techniques identify linguistic similarity at content, structural and stylistic levels. Results reveal that certain types of content (some positive emotion words, task-related words), structural (verb tense, phrasal entrainment), and stylistic (emoticons) similarity characterize high trusting pairs while other types of similarity (e.g., negative emotion words) characterize low trusting pairs. Contrary to previous literature, this suggests that not all similarity is good similarity.
Dynamic model development of performance indices for planning of sustainable transportation systems

Sustainability has recently become a very important research area in transportation because of the dependencies between transportation, economic and environmental system. A lot of research is taking place in various aspects that try to understand the interdependencies. However, there is a need to capture the behavior of such systems over time. The research presented in this paper is the first attempt to build dynamic models that try to capture the interdependent behavior of these systems. The research is influenced and motivated by the predator-prey models developed by renowned researchers Lotka and Volterra. The current study is performed to capture the interaction between interdependent systems i.e. transportation system, activity system, and environmental system. To study the interactions from a macro-scale, this research emphasizes non-linear modeling techniques to capture the nominal behavior of all the three systems. The results indicate that the performance of transportation system and the activity system follow a periodic behavior with phase lag, while the performance of environment system decreases with time. The modeling approach proposed in this research will be helpful to other researchers so that they can modify and enhance such models for proper analysis of sustainable systems.
Attention enhances the retrieval and stability of visuospatial and olfactory representations in the dorsal hippocampus.

A key question in the analysis of hippocampal memory relates to how attention modulates the encoding and long-term retrieval of spatial and nonspatial representations in this region. To address this question, we recorded from single cells over a period of 5 days in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus while mice acquired one of two goal-oriented tasks. These tasks required the animals to find a hidden food reward by attending to either the visuospatial environment or a particular odor presented in shifting spatial locations. Attention to the visuospatial environment increased the stability of visuospatial representations and phase locking to gamma oscillations—a form of neuronal synchronization thought to underlie the attentional mechanism necessary for processing task-relevant information. Attention to a spatially shifting olfactory cue compromised the stability of place fields and increased the stability of reward-associated odor representations, which were most consistently retrieved during periods of sniffing and digging when animals were restricted to the cup locations. Together, these results suggest that attention selectively modulates the encoding and retrieval of hippocampal representations by enhancing physiological responses to task-relevant information.
The Struggle for Critical Teacher Education: How Accreditation Practices Privilege Efficiency Over Criticality and Compliance over Negotiation

In this article, the author uses a case study approach to explore and analyze a conflict within the Professional Education Unit (PEU) at her university. While the controversy seemed to focus on differing epistemologies concerning critical and traditional pedagogy for teacher preparation, the intensity of the clash suggested there were additional forces at work. The author argues that in this particular case, the undertow of a technical rational perspective, generated by an educational accrediting agency, privileged efficiency over criticality and compliance over negotiation. In addition, she suggests that the power structures embedded in the processes of accreditation interfered with unity supported by a common conceptual framework. The article concludes with recommendations on how an institution might use the educational ideals within their conceptual framework, required for accreditation, to liberate its authors from constrained communication that is bounded by a technical discourse.
Anatomic and Electromyographic Studies of the Costo-Pulmonary Muscles in the Cock

Abstract INTRODUCTION THE gross anatomy of the avian pulmonary diaphragm, with some speculation as to its function, has been described by a large number of investigators. Since a recent review of the literature concerning this structure has not been published and in view of the possible importance of this structure in the normal respiratory function in the bird, it is desirable to initiate this communication with a discussion of the observations of previous workers. The broad connective tissue sheet and the associated bundles of skeletal muscle which cover the ventral surface of the lungs of the bird have been termed the diaphragme pulmonaire by Sappey (1847), the diaphragmite anterieur by Milne-Edwards (quoted by Huxley, 1882), the pulmonary aponeurosis by Huxley (1882), and the pulmonary diaphragm by Muller (1907–08). Since the term “aponeurosis” is generally used to refer to a broad flat tendon and does not include any muscular elements, the…
DYNAMICS OF AN AGE‐STRUCTURED METAPOPULATION MODEL

We introduce a metapopulation model that includes both landscape changes (patch destruction and recre- ation) and age-dependent metapopulation dynamics. A thresh- old quantity is derived and related to the existence of an eco- logically nontrivial equilibrium, to the stability of the species- free equilibrium, and to weak and strong persistence of the species. We provide examples to illustrate how age-related changes in patch colonization and extinction rates can alter metapopulation persistence. Future field studies may need to address the temporal dynamics that characterize local popu- lations in fragmented landscapes.
PCB and Dioxin Binding to Cytosol Receptors: A Theoretical Model Based on Molecular Parameters

A model based on dispersion interactions is developed to interpret the cytosol-PCB binding data of Bandiera et al. [1]. The essential parameters in the model are the PCB polarizability and the receptor to PCB separation distance. An approximate linear free energy relationship is derived in terms of these parameters. It is suggested that the oxygens in PCDDs may lead to stabilizing hydrogen bonding with the receptor; this reasonably accounts for the unusual binding affinity of certain PCDDs. Finally, a derivation of [EC50] for the PCBs displacement reaction based solely on equilibrium theory is shown to lead to an expression consistent with the experimental correlation if the displaced TCDD aggregates with the solution PCB or any other cytosol component.
The benefit of carpal tunnel release in patients with electrophysiologically moderate and severe disease.

Purpose To compare change in numbness and pain after carpal tunnel release in patients with electrophysiologically moderate and severe disease. Methods We tested the primary null hypothesis that there is no difference in the total Carpal Tunnel Symptoms Scale score 3 months after surgery between patients with moderate and those with severe disease. Ninety-five patients (47 in the moderate cohort, and 48 in the severe cohort) who had miniopen carpal tunnel release between November 2011 and November 2013 were identified from our prospectively collected database. For each patient, the total Carpal Tunnel Symptoms Scale score, as well the numbness and pain subscale scores, at the preoperative and postoperative (2-wk, 1-mo, 2-mo, 3-mo, ≥ 1-y) visits were documented. The data were analyzed with repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results Three months after surgery, patients with moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) reported, on average, no symptoms, and patients with severe disease had reduced but unresolved symptoms. Although symptoms diminished in both groups from the preoperative assessment to the 2-week postoperative assessment, patients with severe CTS had comparatively more severe symptoms at all time points with the exception of pain at 2 weeks and 1 year or longer after surgery, at which times there was no significant difference. At 1 year or longer after surgery, 1 (2%) patient with moderate CTS and 9 (19%) patients with severe CTS reported continued symptoms. Preoperative electrodiagnostic severity was the factor most predictive of symptom scores. Conclusions Patients with severe CTS experience considerable reduction in symptoms after surgery but should be informed that recovery may be more prolonged and, in some cases, incomplete 1 year after carpal tunnel release, particularly with regard to numbness. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic III.
Wikipedia as an Ontology for Describing Documents

Identifying topics and concepts associated with a set of documents is a task common to many applications. It can help in the annotation and categorization of documents and be used to model a person's current interests for improving search results, business intelligence or selecting appropriate advertisements. One approach is to associate a document with a set of topics selected from a fixed ontology or vocabulary of terms. We have investigated using Wikipedia's articles and associated pages as a topic ontology for this purpose. The benefits are that the ontology terms are developed through a social process, maintained and kept current by the Wikipedia community, represent a consensus view, and have meaning that can be understood simply by reading the associated Wikipedia page. We use Wikipedia articles and the category and article link graphs to predict concepts common to a set of documents. We describe several algorithms to aggregate and refine results, including the use of spreading activation to select the most appropriate terms. While the Wikipedia category graph can be used to predict generalized concepts, the article links graph helps by predicting more specific concepts and concepts not in the category hierarchy. Our experiments demonstrate the feasibility of extending the category system with new concepts identified as a union of pages from the page link graph.
Development of a silicon outer fence mold actuator with human compatibility

In this paper, we propose a new type of soft actuator (silicon outer fence of mold actuator) that a sponge rubber is covered with silicon rubber. The structure of the sponge rubber is divided into two types. One is flat type actuator whose sponge form is flat shape and the other is clipping type actuator whose one sponge layer is cut by square shape. In order to clear the difference of characteristics of two actuators, we clear basic characteristics of the actuators and investigate both position control and trajectory control with the actuators. From some experimental results, the control performance of the clipping type actuator is clarified. Furthermore, in order to indicate the effectiveness of the actuator, we apply the actuator to a supporter for welfare machines. As the results, it is clarified that the burden degree of the body in leaning motion is reduced by making use of the supporter through some experimental results.
Synthesis of fluorine-containing isosteres of sphingosine as inactivators of protein kinase C

Abstract Syntheses of isosteres of D-sphingosine in which either the primary or the secondary hydroxyl group of the parent compound has been replaced by a fluorine substituent are described.
Altered Connectivity and Action Model Formation in Autism Is Autism

Internal action models refer to sensory-motor programs that form the brain basis for a wide range of skilled behavior and for understanding others' actions. Development of these action models, particularly those reliant on visual cues from the external world, depends on connectivity between distant brain regions. Studies of children with autism reveal anomalous patterns of motor learning and impaired execution of skilled motor gestures. These findings robustly correlate with measures of social and communicative function, suggesting that anomalous action model formation may contribute to impaired development of social and communicative (as well as motor) capacity in autism. Examination of the pattern of behavioral findings, as well as convergent data from neuroimaging techniques, further suggests that autism-associated action model formation may be related to abnormalities in neural connectivity, particularly decreased function of long-range connections. This line of study can lead to important advances in understanding the neural basis of autism and, more critically, can be used to guide effective therapies targeted at improving social, communicative, and motor function.
Developmental Biodynamics: Brain, Body, Behavior Connections

This special section, Developmental Biodynamics: Brain, Body, Behavior Connections, celebrates a renewed and revitalized interest in the study of motor development. The renewed interest has been sparked by advances in the neurosciences, biomechanics, and behavioral sciences and, importantly, in the attempts to integrate theories and findings across these disciplines. In this introduction to the special section, we consider the contributions that have led to a reinvigorated field of motor development and to its new interdisciplinary look. We highlight the papers in the special section by discussing how they illustrate related advances across research in the neurosciences, biomechanics, and behavioral sciences and how progress across these domains has come to define and characterize the emerging field of developmental biodynamics.
A Randomized Trial Comparing a Very Low Carbohydrate Diet and a Calorie-Restricted Low Fat Diet on Body Weight and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Healthy Women

Untested alternative weight loss diets, such as very low carbohydrate diets, have unsubstantiated efficacy and the potential to adversely affect cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore, we designed a randomized, controlled trial to determine the effects of a very low carbohydrate diet on body composition and cardiovascular risk factors. Subjects were randomized to 6 months of either an ad libitum very low carbohydrate diet or a calorie-restricted diet with 30% of the calories as fat. Anthropometric and metabolic measures were assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Fifty-three healthy, obese female volunteers (mean body mass index, 33.6 ± 0.3 kg/m2) were randomized; 42 (79%) completed the trial. Women on both diets reduced calorie consumption by comparable amounts at 3 and 6 months. The very low carbohydrate diet group lost more weight (8.5 ± 1.0 vs. 3.9 ± 1.0 kg; P < 0.001) and more body fat (4.8 ± 0.67 vs. 2.0 ± 0.75 kg; P < 0.01) than the low fat diet group. Mean levels of blood pressure, lipids, ...
Comparative Microbial Dynamics in Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin 1791) and Crassostrea ariakensis (Fujita 1913)

Abstract The proposed introduction of Crassostrea ariakensis along the mid-Atlantic Coast of the United States has sparked controversy regarding ecological, economic, and human health consequences. Previous research has focused primarily on the ecological and socioeconomic implications of this initiative, yet few studies have assessed the potential impacts on public health. This study compares rates of bioaccumulation, depuration, and post-harvest decay of Escherichia coli and Vibrio sp. between Crassostrea virginica and C. ariakensis. Our results suggest that (1) bioaccumulation rates of E. coli in C. ariakensis were significantly lower than those for C. virginica, (2) depuration of E. coli was variable between the two species, and (3) C. ariakensis post-harvest decay rates of E. coli were significantly lower than in C. virginica. This research provides a first comparison between C. ariakensis and C. virginica with regards to bacterial dynamics, an important consideration when determining appropriate she...
Electrochemical investigation of stainless steel corrosion in a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell

The lack of a fundamental understanding of the corrosion mechanisms in the electrochemical environments of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer and/or fuel cells (ECs/FCs) has seriously hindered the improvement of performance and efficiency of PEM ECs/FCs. In this study, a stainless steel mesh was purposely used as an anode gas diffusion layer that was intentionally operated with high positive potentials under harsh oxidative environments in a PEMEC to study the corrosion mechanism of metal migration. A significant amount of iron and nickel cations were determined to transport through the anode catalyst layer, the PEM and the cathode catalyst layer during the PEMEC operation. The formation/deposition of iron oxide and nickel oxide on the carbon paper gas diffusion layer at the cathode side is first revealed by both scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. The results indicate the corrosion elements of iron and nickel are transported from anode to cathode through the catalyst-coated membrane, and deposited on carbon fibers as oxides. This phenomenon could also open a new corrosion-based processing approach to potentially fabricate multifunctional oxide structures on carbon fiber devices. This study has demonstrated a new accelerated test method for investigating the corrosion and durability of metallic materials as well.
Diminished plasma 17-ketosteroid concentration in pregnancy.

Summary1. Plasma neutral 17-ketoste-roid determinations were made on control group of 33 normal men and women, and on experimental group of 30 pregnant women at term. 2. Adult controls showed mean plasma value of 61 μg/100 ml (S.E. = 5). No significant difference was found between values obtained on normal men vs. normal, nonpregnant women (P >.05). 3. Pregnant women showed a mean plasma value of 18 μg/ 100 ml (S.E. = 2). This value is significantly lower than the mean of control adults (P <.001). 4. From the results of plasma analyses it is concluded that there is a physiological reduction in maternal elaboration of 17-ketosteroids during the last 24 hours of pregnancy. The data of other workers on urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids in pregnancy (1-4) suggest that this finding may hold for the last third of pregnancy. Renal clearance studies will be necessary before final conclusions can be drawn. 5. It is postulated that the inner cortex of the fetal adrenal and/or the placenta take over production of...
Human retinal blood flow imaging with video-rate spectral domain optical Doppler tomography

We present high-resolution images of subsurface structure and flow obtained with spectral domain optical Doppler tomography. Continuous video-rate imaging is demonstrated at 29 frames per second in the human retina in vivo.
Visualizations of the Unsteady Wake of a Manta Ray Model

Fluid-body interaction of the pectoral fln of a manta ray is studied experimentally using a mechanical model consisting of an undulating ∞exible body replicating features of the fln. The evolution of the wake occurs in a manner that is distinct from wakes produced by nominally two-dimensional geometries. Details of the wake structures and their variation with non-dimensional frequency are discussed as well as implications for thrust production and propulsive e‐ciency.
Spectrophotometric Determination of Nickel in Stainless Steel Tube

[Objective]To establish the spectrophotometric determination of nickel in water-related stainless steel tube.[Methods]Nickel and dimethylglyoxime formed brown complex in strong alkali solution,with ammonium persulfate as oxidant.Spectrophotometry was adopted to determine nickel content in stainless steel tube.[Results]The relative standard deviations were 1.11%～3.37%,and the correlation coefficient r was 0.9994～0.9998.[Conclusion]This method is accurate and reliable,with simple operation,which can be widely used in determination of nickel content in stainless steel tube for guarantee of drinking water quality.
Clustering Consistency Analysis

Clustering techniques and related approaches to numerical classification have received a fair amount of attention by marketing researchers. Several articles have appeared in the various marketing journals utilizing such techniques in studies of market response functions (Sexton, 1974), world market classifications (Sethi, 1971), test market selection (Green & Frank, 1968), product positioning (Wind, forthcoming, 1982), general market segmentation (Frank, Massey & Wind, 1972), general market segmentation (Frank, Massey, & Wind, 1972), etc. Thus, even within marketing itself, the overall goals of the various users of clustering techniques have frequently been dissimilar.
Coker, C. (2015). The Improbable War, China, the United States, and the Logic of Great Power Conflict and Sandre, A. (2015). Digital Diplomacy: Conversations on Innovation in Foreign Policy

Christopher Coker has written a formidable assessment of one of the world’s most difficult problems—difficult to describe dispassionately, difficult in itself and in its region, and particularly di...
Analysis on testing results of the concentrated water quality in rural areas of Luchuang County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

[Objective] To investigate the sanitary quality of concentrated water supply in rural areas,and provide scientific basis for its supervision and management.[Methods]The collection and analysis of detected samples were based on the sanitary standard for drink water and national standard test method.[Results] A total of 402 water samples were detected,the qualified rate was 33.83%.The main unqualified items were microbial indicators,total coliform and fecal coliform contamination of concentrated water in was Serious.[Conclusion]The qualified rate of concentrated water supply samples of drinking water is low.The results indicate quality regulatory agency should take appropriate measures to ensure public health.
Bacterial N-nitrosation and gastric carcinogenesis in humans

It has been hypothesized that bacterially produced N-nitroso compounds cause the progression from chronic atrophic gastritis through intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia to gastric cancer. If this is true then various consequences follow. These consequences are discussed, together with the evidence for or against them. The conclusion is that there is much to support the hypothesis.
"No pictures from summer vacation": portrayals of pathologists in the printed media.

Public perceptions of pathologists can be shaped by individuals' direct contacts with these medical specialists, as well as by portrayals of them in the media. Few lay people, whether healthy or ill, have direct professional interaction with pathologists. Accordingly, media portrayals can assume great importance in shaping public views of pathologists and their profession. This report discusses how pathologists and the specialty of pathology are depicted in newspaper articles.
Navigating financial assistance options for patients receiving specialty medications.

The migration from fee-for-service to value-based reimbursement of healthcare services has placed an increasing focus on providers’ responsibility for their patients’ health. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has reinforced this shift by penalizing health systems for hospital readmissions, mandating
The Race against Protease Activation Defines the Role of ESCRTs in HIV Budding

HIV virions assemble on the plasma membrane and bud out of infected cells using interactions with endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRTs). HIV protease activation is essential for maturation and infectivity of progeny virions, however, the precise timing of protease activation and its relationship to budding has not been well defined. We show that compromised interactions with ESCRTs result in delayed budding of virions from host cells. Specifically, we show that Gag mutants with compromised interactions with ALIX and Tsg101, two early ESCRT factors, have an average budding delay of ~75 minutes and ~10 hours, respectively. Virions with inactive proteases incorporated the full Gag-Pol and had ~60 minutes delay in budding. We demonstrate that during budding delay, activated proteases release critical HIV enzymes back to host cytosol leading to production of non-infectious progeny virions. To explain the molecular mechanism of the observed budding delay, we modulated the Pol size artificially and show that virion release delays are size-dependent and also show size-dependency in requirements for Tsg101 and ALIX. We highlight the sensitivity of HIV to budding “on-time” and suggest that budding delay is a potent mechanism for inhibition of infectious retroviral release.
Abstract P66: Factors Associated With Treatment With Antihyperlipidemic Agents in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: Evidence From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

Background Despite widespread acceptance of NCEP guidelines, the extent of treatment of hyperlipidemia in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains poor. This analysis investigated factors associated with treatment with antihyperlipidemic agents in a US representative cohort of patients with evidence of CVD. Methods We used the 2005-2006 NHANES to explore the research question of interest. Self reports of physician diagnosis indicating the presence of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, angina, congestive heart failure, or stroke served as evidence of established CVD. We used multivariate logistic regression to examine factors independently associated with current antihyperlipidemic treatment, maintaining factors in the final model if p<0.15. Results Nearly 50% of the 561 subjects with established CVD were not taking any antihyperlipidemic agents. Compared with those not receiving treatment, greater percentage of those treated were male (58.8% vs. 42.2%), non-Hispanic whites (84.8% vs. 71.7%), aged 55-74 (56.3% vs. 30.4%), holders of private insurance (57.3% vs. 52.2%), Medicare insured (65.8% vs. 50.5%), and obese (47.4% vs. 39.4%). Greater percentage of untreated patients was African American (15.1% vs. 10.4%), had a break in their health insurance coverage in past 12 months (21.9% vs. 7.0%) & was current smoker (29.4% vs. 15.2%). In multivariate results, the following factors remained significantly associated (OR [95%CI]) with treatment: male gender (1.89 [1.06 -3.39]), White race (2.45 [1.53 - 3.95]), older age (P < 0.0001), high school education compared with less than 9th grade education (2.53 [1.35 - 4.71]), and anti-diabetic treatment (3.31 [2.20 - 4.99]). Conclusion Treatment with antihyperlipidemic agents in patients with CVD are related to individual (behavioral) and contextual (institutional, structural) factors. Further investigation is required to understand unmeasured factors associated with treatment initiation and to develop and test appropriate behavioral and contextual interventions to remove barriers to treatment initiation. Younger age groups, women, individuals with education < 9th grade and racial/ethnic minorities who have CVD should especially be the target of such intervention.
Focused Ultrasound Help Realize High Spatiotemporal Brain Imaging?—A Concept on Acousto-Electrophysiological Neuroimaging

We present a concept for integrating focused ultrasound (FUS) with electrophysiological neuroimaging, in order to achieve high spatiotemporal resolution brain imaging. This approach, which we are tentatively calling acousto-electrophysiological neuroimaging, leverages on the spatial focality and noninvasiveness of FUS and may potentially lead to a noninvasive human brain imaging modality with high resolution in both space and time domains. By the use of modulated FUS, spatial selectivity can be accomplished for high-resolution electrophysiological neuroimaging. Frequency shifting in resulting magnetic signals (using modulated FUS) may potentially open the door for a room temperature magnetoencephalography device.
The use of neuropsychological tests to assess intelligence.

AbstractObjective: We sought to derive a ‘neuropsychological intelligence quotient’ (NIQ) to replace IQ testing in some routine assessments. Method: We administered neuropsychological testing and a seven-subtest short form of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale to a community sample of 394 adults aged 18–96 years. We regressed Wechsler Full Scale IQs (W-FSIQ) on 23 neuropsychological scores and derived an NIQ from 9 measures that explained significant variance in W-FSIQ. We then compared subgroups of 284 healthy and 108 unhealthy participants in NIQ and W-FSIQ to assess criterion validity, correlated NIQ and W-FSIQ scores with education level and independence for activities of daily living to assess convergent validity, and compared validity coefficients for the NIQ with those of ‘hold’ and ‘no-hold’ indices. Results: By design, NIQ and W-FSIQ scores correlated highly (r = .84), and both were higher in healthy participants. The difference was larger for NIQ, which accounted for more variability in activ...
Oyster paleoecology and Native American subsistence practices on Ossabaw Island, Georgia, USA

Abstract We examined the shell size of 3262 eastern oysters ( Crassostrea virginica ) to assess diachronic patterns in shellfish exploitation on Ossabaw Island, Georgia. These measurements taken on shell size and morphology were compared between a Late Archaic shell ring, a Late Woodland shell-filled pit, and a Late Mississippian midden-mound to evaluate changes in oyster population ecology, as it related to large scale changing environmental conditions and Native America subsistence practices over time. Our results indicate stability in oyster populations during the Late Archaic with a following decrease in oyster size through the Late Woodland into the Late Mississippian. We attribute this decrease to combination to human predation and large-scale climate fluctuations, with the latter being the primary driver of this shift in size.
Dispersion and distortion in heavy group 2 and lanthanide decamethylmetallocenes: The (C5Me5)2(Sr,Sm) connection

Abstract Identification of the source(s) of the counterintuitive bending (non-linearity) in heavy group 2 (Ca–Ba) dihalides and metallocenes has long been in dispute, a difficulty compounded by the low values of energy involved (ca. ≲ 2 kcal mol−1). Analogous issues exist with compounds of the divalent lanthanides Sm(II), Eu(II), and Yb(II), despite the substantially different electronic structures of the metals involved. The assertion that the bent structure of (C5Me5)2Sr, for example, can be attributed exclusively to the operation of attractive dispersion forces between the ring methyl groups has been argued on the basis of molecular mechanics calculations, and more recently with the aid of DFT studies that employed dispersion-corrected density functionals (Organometallics, 32(5) (2012), 1265). In contrast, covalent interactions have been identified as the primary source of bending in the similarly distorted (C5Me5)2Sm. The case of bent (C5Me5)2Sr has been reinvestigated with the use of larger basis sets for strontium, and with the employment of the “dispersion-free” APF density functional. We find that given flexible enough basis sets, bending can be modeled even in the absence of explicitly included dispersion effects, and that both inherent electronic effects and dispersion interactions contribute to the bending of (C5Me5)2Sr.
The gut–brain interaction in opioid tolerance

The prevailing opioid crisis has necessitated the need to understand mechanisms leading to addiction and tolerance, the major contributors to overdose and death and to develop strategies for developing drugs for pain treatment that lack abuse liability and side-effects. Opioids are commonly used for treatment of pain and symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. The significant effect of opioids in the gut, both acute and chronic, includes persistent constipation and paradoxically may also worsen pain symptoms. Recent work has suggested a significant role of the gastrointestinal microbiome in behavioral responses to opioids, including the development of tolerance to its pain-relieving effects. In this review, we present current concepts of gut-brain interaction in analgesic tolerance to opioids and suggest that peripheral mechanisms emanating from the gut can profoundly affect central control of opioid function.
Orbital roof fractures as an indicator for concomitant ocular injury

Orbital roof fractures are a significant cause of morbidity in trauma and are associated with a spectrum of orbital and ocular injuries. This study aims to characterize orbital roof fracture patterns and quantify the rate of acute intervention as compared with non-roof involving orbital wall fractures. This study is a retrospective analysis of 340 orbital wall fractures diagnosed by CT imaging from August 2015 to October 2016. Orbital wall fractures were categorized as roof involving (N = 50) and non-roof involving (N = 290). Comparisons were made between these two groups to indicate a statistically significant difference in mechanism of injury, subjective symptoms, CT and exam findings, and final plan of care to include acute ophthalmologic intervention at the time of consultation. Assault (40.7%) was the most common cause of non-roof-involving fractures while falls from height (20.0%) were associated with a higher rate of roof fractures. Roof-involving orbital wall fractures were associated with a higher prevalence of corneal abrasions (16.3%), lid lacerations (23.4%), and traumatic optic neuropathy (10.4%). A reliable subjective exam on initial ophthalmic consultation was not achieved in a larger proportion of roof fracture patients (30%). Despite this, the rate of acute intervention in this group (34%) was almost double, including lateral canthotomy and cantholysis. Concomitant ocular injury is common in roof-involving orbital wall fractures, and may require more urgent ophthalmologic evaluation and acute intervention. As subjective patient data is often less readily available, a high index of suspicion and thorough investigation is warranted in caring for patients with roof-involving orbital wall fractures.
Phylogeny Recapitulates Learning: Self-Optimization of Genetic Code

Learning algorithms have been proposed as a non-selective mechanism capable of creating complex adaptive systems in life. Evolutionary learning however has not been demonstrated to be a plausible cause for the origin of a specific molecular system. Here we show that genetic codes as optimal as the Standard Genetic Code (SGC) emerge readily by following a molecular analog of the Hebb rule (neurons fire together, wire together). Specifically, error-minimizing genetic codes are obtained by maximizing the number of physio-chemically similar amino acids assigned to evolutionarily similar codons. Formulating genetic code as a Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) with amino acids as cities and codons as tour positions and implemented with a Hopfield neural network, the unsupervised learning algorithm efficiently finds an abundance of genetic codes that are more error-minimizing than SGC. Drawing evidence from molecular phylogenies of contemporary tRNAs and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, we show that co-diversification between gene sequences and gene functions, which cumulatively captures functional differences with sequence differences and creates a genomic memory of the living environment, provides the biological basis for the Hebbian learning algorithm. Like the Hebb rule, the locally acting phylogenetic learning rule, which may simply be stated as increasing phylogenetic divergence for increasing functional difference, could lead to complex and robust life systems. Natural selection, while essential for maintaining gene function, is not necessary to act at system levels. For molecular systems that are self-organizing through phylogenetic learning, the TSP model and its Hopfield network solution offer a promising framework for simulating emerging behavior, forecasting evolutionary trajectories, and designing optimal synthetic systems.
'Unhappy Contracts': The Structure and Effect of Telecommunication Interconnection Agreements

While most contracts are made between two parties in search of profit and without substantial government scrutiny, some are not so happy. This project examines one such species, the interconnection agreement entered into under the 1996 Telecommunications Act. After discussing the history and requirements of the statute, the paper hypothesizes that instead of the more typical profit maximization motive, the dominant party, in this case the incumbent local service provider, might seek to minimize losses. As in other cases where there is substantial uncertainty, parties to interconnection agreements might also be expected to cluster payment terms around some common patterns, or focal points. The empirical section of the paper investigates these hypotheses through the complete set of 140 contracts entered into in Michigan between various phone companies entering the local phone market, called CLECs, and one local incumbent provider, SBC. Not only does the paper look at what determines various contract terms, but also it examines through Michigan Public Service Commission minutes, litigated cases and contract amendments what characteristics predict whether the parties can successfully adjust over time or whether they continue to experience conflict.
Fluorine Magnetic Resonance in Biochemistry

Proton magnetic resonance (PMR) spectroscopy has proved to be an important tool in structural studies of biological macromolecules (Roberts and Jardetzky, 1970; Casy, 1971; Jardetzky and Wade-Jardetzky, 1971; Dwek, 1973; James, 1975; Wuthrich, 1976; Thomas, 1976). The magnetic fields currently available can provide resonance frequencies of 360 MHz or higher, and with the spectral dispersion available under these conditions, PMR is often the method of choice for examining small proteins and peptides in solution. In these situations it is usually possible to assign many of the signals observed to specific amino acids and thus have available a number of spectroscopic probes into the structure of the molecule; we take “structure” in this context to include not only sequence information but also details of conformational motions.
Chaotic Dynamics of Fluxons in Large-Area Josephson Junctions

The fluxon dynamics in inhomogeneous Josephson junctions under the action of ac driven bias current has been considered. The possibility of chaotic dynamics of a fluxon has been demonstrated, the criteria of chaos for various models of an inhomogeneity have been obtained.