cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Targeting GPCR-Mediated p70S6K Activity May Improve Head and Neck Cancer Response to Cetuximab

Purpose: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression is correlated with decreased survival in head and neck cancer (HNC) where the addition of EGFR inhibition to standard chemoradiation approaches has improved treatment responses. However, the basis for the limited efficacy of EGFR inhibitors in HNC is incompletely understood. G-protein–coupled receptors (GPCR) have been shown to be overexpressed in HNC where GPCR activation induces HNC growth via both EGFR-dependent and -independent pathways. We hypothesized that targeting GPCR-induced EGFR-independent signaling would improve the efficacy of EGFR inhibition. Experimental Design: Using a high-throughput phosphoproteome array, we identified proteins that were phosphorylated in HNC cells where EGFR expression was downmodulated by RNA interference (RNAi) in the presence or absence of a GPCR ligand. We confirmed the findings from the array by Western blotting followed by in vitro and in vivo phenotypic assays. Results: p70S6K phosphorylation was elevated approximately sixfold in EGFR siRNA-transfected cells treated with a GPCR ligand. In addition to RNAi-mediated EGFR downmodulation, GPCR-mediated phosphorylation of p70S6K was modestly increased by EGFR inhibitor cetuximab approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Biopsies from cetuximab-treated patients also displayed increased phospho-p70S6K staining compared with pretreatment biopsies. HNC cells were growth inhibited by both genetic and pharmacologic p70S6K targeting strategies. Furthermore, p70S6K targeting in combination with cetuximab resulted in enhanced antitumor effects in both in vitro and in vivo HNC models. Conclusions: These results indicate that increased phosphorylation of p70S6K in cetuximab-treated patients may be due to increased GPCR signaling. Therefore, the addition of p70S6K targeting strategies may improve treatment responses to EGFR inhibition. Clin Cancer Res; 17(15); 4996–5004. ©2011 AACR .
Recent advances on terrain database correlation testing

Terrain database correlation is a major requirement for interoperability in distributed simulation. There are numerous situations in which terrain database correlation problems can occur that, in turn, lead to lack of interoperability in distributed training simulations. Examples are the use of different run-time terrain databases derived from inconsistent on source data, the use of different resolutions, and the use of different data models between databases for both terrain and culture data. IST has been developing a suite of software tools, named ZCAP, to address terrain database interoperability issues. In this paper we discuss recent enhancements made to this suite, including improved algorithms for sampling and calculating line-of-sight, an improved method for measuring terrain roughness, and the application of a sparse matrix method to the terrain remediation solution developed at the Visual Systems Lab of the Institute for Simulation and Training. We review the application of some of these new algorithms to the terrain correlation measurement processes. The application of these new algorithms improves our support for very large terrain databases, and provides the capability for performing test replications to estimate the sampling error of the tests. With this set of tools, a user can quantitatively assess the degree of correlation between large terrain databases.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
An Emerging Model of Behavior Change in Women Maintaining Weight Loss

This study is based on and expands Newman's theory of health as expanding consciousness with women who maintained weight loss for at least 1 year. The researcher engaged in two in-depth interviews with twenty women. Individual patterns for participants who maintained weight loss revealed a personal journey of self-discovery and control with initial chaos, choice, and then emergence of behaviors reflecting expanded consciousness. Looking across participants, six patterns emerged from the data with evolution of a model of change that has implications for nursing practice at defined times within the change process of weight loss.
Acute pain mechanisms.

When stimuli threaten the homeostatic integrity of tissue, either directly or indirectly by disrupting the vasculature, typically autonomic (i.e., changes in blood pressure and heart rate) or hormonal (i.e., adrenal and pituitary secretion) responses and the subjective sensation of pain are generated. These stereotypical responses are, for the most part, independent of the modality and source of the insult. This article discusses several of the components of the physiology and pharmacology involved in the generation of the acute pain state. Emphasis is placed on the primary afferent fiber and spinal elements, as the properties of these linkages provide useful insights into the pain state generated by tissue injury stimuli as exemplified by postoperative pain.
Mechanics of the antebrachial interosseous membrane : Response to shearing forces

Abstract The interosseous membrane functions to maintain the structural integrity of the forearm; however, the age-related mechanical properties of the intact membrane are incompletely defined. The purpose of this study is to quantify the mechanical properties of the interosseous membrane by applying a quasi-equilibrium shearing force between the radius and ulna. A 5-cm section of the central (main and accessory bundles) fiber from 11 (5 male and 6 female) fresh-frozen cadaver arms (age, 74 ± 6.9 years) was isolated with the radial and ulnar attachments, measured, and positioned into the testing apparatus. A shear force was applied at 12.7 mm/min to produce a quasi-equilibrium state, and the applied force and elongation were monitored. The average ultimate force, ultimate strength, and elastic modulus were 1101 ± 191 N, 13.98 ± 4.85 MPa, and 135.29 ± 41.57 MPa, respectively. Age-related changes were also noted with an increase in thickness by 0.056 mm per year of age and a decrease in fiber stiffness of 4.78 MPa/yr. The age-related mechanical properties of the intact interosseous membrane are necessary for modeling forearm stability in normal and pathologic conditions. This information is required for analysis of repair or reconstructive procedures. (J Hand Surg 2001;26A:733-741. Copyright © 2001 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.)
NDT Planning for Fatigue Sensitive Structures Under Uncertainty

Timely maintenance actions on deteriorating structures depend on the quality of the non-destructive testing (NDT) method. Damage detection with less delay can lead to less maintenance delay. The efforts to detect existing fatigue cracks and predict fatigue crack propagation reliably will contribute to reduce the damage detection delay, and furthermore to establish optimum maintenance and management strategies of fatigue sensitive structures. In this paper, a probabilistic approach for optimum NDT planning for deteriorating structures subjected to fatigue is presented. The optimum NDT plan is obtained by minimizing the expected damage detection delay. Uncertainties associated with fatigue damage occurrence / propagation and quality of the NDT are considered to formulate the damage detection delay. Effects of number and/or quality of the NDT on optimum planning are studied. The approach presented is illustrated using a realistic example of a fatigue sensitive structure.
The Impact of Venture Capital on the Life Cycles of Startups

How do VCs select startups to fund over multiple rounds? To study this question, I develop a dynamic two-sided matching model of VC funding. Using a hand-collected database including both VC-funded and non-VC-funded startups, I estimate the joint determinants of investment selection and the effects of post- investment influence in a Bayesian framework. The results show that selection depends on startups’ quality and VCs’ influence – VCs may choose to invest in a startup with lower quality if their subsequent impact is large. Importantly, previously funded startups are of higher quality and thus are more likely to get additional funding. A simulation experiment shows that initial random differences in startups can magnify significantly under the joint effects of the selection and influence of VC funding.
Treatment of acute diarrhea in children.

Abstract: Replacement of fluid and electrolyte losses is critical to prevention of potentially serious complications.
Abstract 3950: Neuropilin-2, a transmembrane glycoprotein receptor, protects prostate cancer cells from stress

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States. Definitive treatment consists of either radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy followed by androgen deprivation. Although majority of the prostate cancers usually responds to these therapies and can be cured, some of them will eventually relapse. It is believed that the relapsed cancers obtained new ability that facilitates their resistance to these therapeutic stresses. Increased expression of VEGF-C and its receptor Neuropilin-2 (NRP-2) in hormone-refractory and metastatic prostate cancers indicates that the VEGF-C/NRP-2 axis could play an important role in the progression of prostate cancer. Indeed, we observed VEGF-C/Neuropilin-2 axis promotes survival of prostate cancer cells during stress induced by hydrogen peroxide or radiation. Detail signaling events downstream of neuropilin-2 for this stress-resistant function have also been determined. Our findings therefore demonstrated a novel and distinct function of NRP-2 in protecting cancer cells from stress-induced cell death, thereby facilitating cancer recurrence and metastasis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3950.
Analysis of the Stray Parameter in Multiple Secondary Windings Transformer of the PSM HV Pulse Power Supply

In order to protect the loads of the PSM high voltage pulse power supply,it is necessary to reduce the stored energy of the power supply system.The energy is mainly stored in the output filter and stray capacitances.The energy stored in filter can be calculated easily,so the stray parameters of the multiple secondary windings are important to the whole system,especially the stray capacitance.Some results have been got by simulation.We described the corresponding relation between the stray capacitance voltage and the output DC voltage,and presented the corresponding relation among the stored energy,stray capacitance and output voltage.The maximum value of the stray capacitances can be got from these relations.The multiple secondary windings transformers were developed and one PSM power supply unit was built.The results of the test show that the stray capacitance in the developed transformer can meet the design requirements of the system and the construction of the whole system is reasonable and feasible.
The Use of a Radiopaque Grid in Transabdominal Periaortic Node Dissection

Abstract A flexible radiopaque grid was helpful during transabdominal periaortic node dissection. Other potential uses for the grid are considered.
Willingness-to-pay for value-added freshwater prawns

ABSTRACTThis article utilizes sensory analysis and auction experimental design to examine consumer willingness-to-pay for value-added freshwater prawns relative to the standard freshwater prawn. Although the combination of these two techniques has been previously applied to other food products, this is the first time that prawns have been the focus of such a study. Consumer willingness-to-pay was found to be significantly enhanced by two alternative salt processes, salt acclimation and marination. Results also show that salt acclimation had a stronger effect than marination on consumer bids, with flavor being the most significant sensory attribute.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Related Parkinsonian Disorders

Progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome (PSP-S) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS) are dementing movement disorders most often caused by an underlying four-repeat tauopathy. These “parkinsonian” syndromes can be distinguished from Parkinson disease (PD) by their clinical unresponsiveness to treatment with levodopa, their differential involvement of basal ganglia structures, and a likely underlying cause of four-repeat tauopathy as opposed to alpha synuclein pathology in PD. Patients with PSP-S exhibit supranuclear gaze palsy, posture and gait instability, axial rigidity, apathy, and executive dysfunction. Patients with CBS demonstrate asymmetric rigidity, dystonia, and bradykinesia, often with prominent myoclonus and cortical sensory loss. Brain atrophy and pathology in PSP-S are most evident in the midbrain, cerebellum, pallidum, subthalamic nucleus, and posterior medial frontal cortex, whereas CBS affects primary and association motor and sensory cortices and the striatum. In this chapter, we describe the overlapping symptoms, anatomy, pathological causes, and genetics of PSP-S and CBS from a network-based perspective.
Signaling Pathways of Purinergic Receptors and Their Interactions with Cholinergic and Adrenergic Pathways in the Lacrimal Gland.

Abstract Purpose: Purinergic receptors play a key role in the function of the lacrimal gland (LG) as P1 purinergic receptors A1, A2A, and A2B, P2X1–7 receptors, and many of the P2Y receptors are expressed. Methods: This review examines the current knowledge of purinergic receptors in the LG as well as the signaling pathways activated by these receptors. Results: These receptors are expressed on the acinar, ductal, and myoepithelial cells. Considerable crosstalk exists between the pathways activated by P2X7 receptors with those activated by M3 muscarinic or α1D adrenergic receptors. The mechanism of the crosstalk between P2X7 and M3 muscarinic receptors differs from that of the crosstalk between P2X7 and α1D adrenergic receptors. Conclusions: Understanding purinergic receptors and how they modulate protein secretion could play a key role in normal and pathological responses of the LG.
Self-Esteem in Learning-Disabled Children with ADHD

The level of self-esteem was measured, using the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, in 143 special education students at high risk for ADHD in the school year 1995, at a school district in Northern Florida.
Ecological Invalidity of Existing Gaydar Research: In-Lab Accuracy Translates to Real-World Inaccuracy: Response to Rule, Johnson, & Freeman (2016)

In recent years, several empirical studies have claimed to provide evidence in support of the popular folk notion that people possess “gaydar” that enables them to accurately identify who is gay or lesbian (Rule, Johnson, & Freeman, 2016). This conclusion is limited to artificial lab settings, however, and when translated to real-world settings this work itself provides evidence that people’s judgments about who is gay/lesbian are not pragmatically accurate. We also briefly review evidence related to the consequences of perpetuating the idea of gaydar (i.e., “the gaydar myth”). Although past claims about accurate orientation perception are misleading, the work that gave rise to those claims can nevertheless inform the literature in meaningful ways. We offer some recommendations for how the evidence in past “gaydar” research can be reappraised to inform our understanding of social perception and group similarities/differences.
Positively Impacting Maternal Stress and Parental Adjustment through Community-Based Relationship Education (RE)

Relationship education (RE) is a brief, strength-based psychoeducational intervention for couples that demonstrates strong outcomes to decrease individual and couple stress. The current study exami...
The Difficult Child

One of the more common problems confronting the consultant is that of the uncooperative or difficult pediatric inpatient, whose non-compliance threatens recovery and whose behavior disturbs the ward and its staff. The differential diagnosis of such “problem” cases includes various organic states, inadequate education and preparation by staff, anxious or depressive responses to illness and hospitalization, pre-existing psychopathology, the influence of problematic parental styles, maladaptive adolescent attempts to cope with dependency and helplessness, and mature decisions to refuse treatment. The multifaceted assessment and management of such cases are discussed.
Tissue oxygen tension and other indicators of blood loss or organ perfusion during graded hemorrhage.

Currently employed clinical indicators of perfusion provide inadequate warning of developing hazards caused by marginal perfusion in certain vital organs or "peripheral" tissues that are pivotal to postsurgical wound healing. In this study, mean arterial blood pressure, cardiac output, and transcutaneous and subcutaneous oxygen tensions (PtcO2 and PsqO2) were investigated during serial hemorrhage, as indicators of the degree of both hypovolemia and perfusion to specific tissues. Blood was removed in stages (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 55%, 60%, and 65% of original volume) from anesthetized dogs. Injections of variously radiolabeled microspheres allowed assessment of blood flow at each stage of hemorrhage in bone, brain, colon, heart, kidney, liver, muscle, pancreas, skin, small intestine, spleen, stomach, and subcutaneous tissue. PsqO2 was correlated more highly with blood volume lost than was PtcO2. Furthermore PsqO2 was more sensitive to blood loss than was either cardiac output or PtcO2 and, also during the early loss (0% to 40%), was more sensitive than mean arterial pressure. Some organs (e.g., pancreas) appeared to lose considerable blood flow with only small loss of blood volume, but their blood flow then stabilized at a low level despite further hemorrhage. Other organs, notably the kidney, appeared to be relatively unaffected by substantial loss of blood volume (20% to 40%), after which, however, their blood flow quite abruptly became sensitive to further hypovolemia. This explains why blood flow-related performance of the kidney (e.g., urine volume) may not adequately predict a developing hazard or peripheral perfusion. Some indicators were found to be better indexes of blood flow in some organs than in others (e.g., cardiac output and PsqO2 correlated more closely with skin, spleen, and intestinal flows [and one another] than with vital organ flows).
Characterization of Genetically Encoded FRET Biosensors for Rho-Family GTPases

Genetically encoded FRET-based biosensors are increasingly popular and useful tools for examining signaling pathways with high spatial and temporal resolution in living cells. Here, we show basic techniques used to characterize and to validate single-chain, genetically encoded Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensors of the Rho GTPase-family proteins. Methods described here are generally applicable to other genetically encoded FRET-based biosensors by modifying the tested conditions to include additional/different regulators and inhibitors, as appropriate for the specific protein of interest.
Editorial Commentary: Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement: Outcomes May Be Depressing.

Hip arthroscopy can be an extremely effective treatment for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome. As with any surgery, our clinical outcomes are directly related to proper patient selection. As orthopaedic surgeons, we often focus on the functional and painful history complaints, the physical examination maneuvers, and radiographic studies to determine whether patients will respond well to surgical treatment. However, we oftentimes overlook the overall well-being of our patients and forget how psychosocial factors may limit surgical outcomes. Patients need to be counseled about the importance of medically maximizing their overall well-being and addressing any underlying stress, anxiety, or depression. Although psychosocial factors are not a contraindication to surgery, they certainly play a major role in our ultimate goal of improving our patients' quality of life and function.
A Comparison of Waveform Model Re-Tracking Methods Using Data from CYGNSS

The CYGNSS mission is a new GNSS-R ocean remote sensing constellation of eight small spacecraft. The measurements from CYGNSS allow for the first time a large, densely sampled, and calibrated GNSS-R dataset to be used for ocean surface altimetry. Re-tracking of the reflected signal correlation waveform is one of the most significant performance limiting components of ocean altimetry retrievals. This work demonstrates the use of empirical methods and physical scattering delay/delay-Doppler waveform models, fit to the measured correlation functions in a least-squares sense, to retrieve the specular reflection delay. We examine the performance of waveform modelling methods as compared to single-point re-tracking methods for the first time with a spaceborne dataset. Particular attention is given to the presence of narrow waveforms in the data set, indicative of coherent, rather than purely diffuse reflection. Re-tracking performance is quantified with statistics of the accuracy and precision and examples are presented for returns demonstrating both diffuse and coherent characteristics.
Thermal performance and economic study of an energy piles system under cooling dominated conditions

Abstract The rapid modernization has been mainly based on non-renewable fossil-fuels sources with the associated uncontrolled release of greenhouse gases impacting negatively on our environment. New renewal energy technologies, like shallow geothermal systems can help to solve this problem. This method harnesses constant and moderate ground temperature that is used to assist in the air conditioning of buildings. This technology is growing rapidly because it consumes less conventional energy for operation, which in turn results in fewer CO2 emissions. A group of energy piles was installed and instrumented as part of the foundation system of a new five-story building constructed in Texas A&M University, USA. This setup is used in this research to explore the performance of this technique to control the building temperature under cooling-dominated weather conditions. This study found that integrating energy piles in building foundations could be an economical and environmentally friendly solution also under such climate conditions, but attention should be paid to the thermodynamic efficiency of the system when unbalanced pile-ground heat-transfer cycles take place through the year.
Peace agreement design and public support for peace: Evidence from Colombia:

Conflict negotiations are often met with backlash in the public sphere. A substantial literature has explored why civilians support or oppose peace agreements in general. Yet, the terms underlying ...
Comparing Photovoice to Traditional Reflection to Identify Student Learning on a Medical Mission Trip.

Objective. To compare the effectiveness of photovoice with traditional reflection as a methodology to identify student learning during an international advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE). Methods. Over seven years, seven cohorts of two to three pharmacy students completed an APPE in which they participated in a medical mission trip to Guatemala. Cohorts were assigned to use either photovoice or traditional reflection techniques to identify and document their learning. After returning from the mission trip, a focus group was conducted with each cohort of students. Students’ comments were audio-recorded and the audio recording was transcribed and the text was qualitatively analyzed. In addition, all students completed the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals (IAPCC-SV) before and after travel. Results. All 18 students who participated in the mission trips, (nine in each group) agreed to participate in the study. Several themes were identified when the transcripts of the focus group sessions were reviewed. Students in both groups emphasized learning about the enhancement of pharmacy skills, cultural appreciation, and self-examination in their reflections. However, students in the photovoice group emphasized three additional areas that were not emphasized by students in the traditional reflection group: emotional impact, critical reflection on privilege, and ethical distribution of health resources. Students’ post-intervention mean scores on the IAPCC-SV increased more for the photovoice group (8.5 points) than the reflection group (6.8); however, this difference was not significant. Conclusion. Students who used photovoice focused more on the connection between their learning and emotional or moral experiences than did students who used traditional reflection techniques. Photovoice may represent a promising methodology for deeper reflection into affective learning domains because of students’ connection between visual images and their lived experiences.
‘Un bruttissimo affare’: Francesco Guccini and Loriano Macchiavelli’s Literary Inquiry into the Biennio 1943–1945:

In this essay I argue that Francesco Guccini and Loriano Macchiavelli’s Tango e gli altri. Romanzo di una raffica anzi tre (2008) calls into question a popular narrative that converts the Resistenz...
Wnt-Pathway Directed Compound Targets Blast Crisis and Chronic Phase CML Leukemia Stem Progenitors.

Abstract Abstract 2168 Poster Board II-145 The deregulated tyrosine kinase associated with t(9;22) fusion protein BCR-ABL is efficiently targeted by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (Imatinib, Nilotinib and Dasatinib). It is generally believed that most patients have residual disease. The inability to eliminate the refractory leukemia stem cell in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is not well understood. The refractory stem cell is present despite effective inhibition of the BCR-ABL kinase in these cells, and dissociation between kinase inhibition and cell death implies lack of dependency on BCR-ABL aberrant kinase activity, unlike the one seen in more mature CML cells. Thus the oncogene addictive dependency of these leukemia stem cells may be overcome by intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors/pathways. One such pathway involved in hematopoeitic stem cell maintenance is the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. BCR-ABL signaling is known to directly activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The loss of function of a negative regulator of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, known as GSK3β is associated with CML progression from chronic phase to the blast phase. Lastly, the loss of β-catenin in murine models impairs the self renewal capacity of both the normal and the BCR-ABL+ leukemia stem cell. Thus this pathway is important during various stages of the disease. We explored the effect of Wnt inhibition using a novel Wnt pathway inhibitor (AG-214, University of Michigan). AG-214 is structurally related to a previously reported Wnt-inhibitor. AG-214 is able to antagonize β-catenin/TCF in luciferase reporter assays, and expression of Wnt targets in colon cancer cell lines. We utilized a serum free culture system with 5 added cytokines and treated both CML blast crisis CD34+ as well as chronic phase CD34+ cells with AG-214. Our in vitro experiments show that primary blast crisis CD34+ cells are induced to undergo apoptosis at an IC-50 of approximately 2 μM. Furthermore, combination of 1.25 μM of AG-214 with 2 μM Imatinib achieved greater than 50% apoptosis. Analysis of chronic phase CML CD34+ cells showed that targeting of Wnt/β-catenin pathway requires higher concentration of the Wnt-inhibitor (>2.5 μM), and that the addition of Imatinib can cooperate to enhance the apoptotic response. Furthermore, chronic phase progenitors (Lin-CD38+/CD34+) are more sensitive to lower concentrations of AG-214 whereas 5 μM is required to induce significant apoptosis of ∼70% in the primitive leukemia stem cell (Lin-/CD38-/CD34+) population, and addition of 2 μM Imatinib increased their apoptotic response to ∼84%. Normal CD34+ cells do not undergo significant apoptosis with 5 μM of AG-214 (∼10%) even when combined with 2 μM Imatinib (∼20%). Targeting of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway enhances apoptosis in both blast crisis and chronic phase CML progenitors and leukemia stem cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Ribosomal RNA fragmentation into short RNAs (rRFs) is modulated in a sex- and population of origin-specific manner

The advent of next generation sequencing (NGS) has allowed the discovery of short and long non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in an unbiased manner using reverse genetics approaches, enabling the discovery of multiple categories of ncRNAs and characterization of the way their expression is regulated. We previously showed that the identities and abundances of microRNA isoforms (isomiRs) and transfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are tightly regulated, and that they depend on a person’s sex and population origin, as well as on tissue type, tissue state, and disease type. Here, we characterize the regulation and distribution of fragments derived from ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs). rRNAs form a group that includes four (5S, 5.8S, 18S, 28S) rRNAs encoded by the human nuclear genome and two (12S, 16S) by the mitochondrial genome. rRNAs constitute the most abundant RNA type in eukaryotic cells. We analyzed rRNA-derived fragments (rRFs) across 434 transcriptomic datasets obtained from lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) derived from healthy participants of the 1000 Genomes Project. The 434 datasets represent five human populations and both sexes. We examined each of the six rRNAs and their respective rRFs, and did so separately for each population and sex. Our analysis shows that all six rRNAs produce rRFs with unique identities, normalized abundances, and lengths. The rRFs arise from the 5′-end (5′-rRFs), the interior (i-rRFs), and the 3′-end (3′-rRFs) or straddle the 5′ or 3′ terminus of the parental rRNA (x-rRFs). Notably, a large number of rRFs are produced in a population-specific or sex-specific manner. Preliminary evidence suggests that rRF production is also tissue-dependent. Of note, we find that rRF production is not affected by the identity of the processing laboratory or the library preparation kit. Our findings suggest that rRFs are produced in a regimented manner by currently unknown processes that are influenced by both ubiquitous as well as population-specific and sex-specific factors. The properties of rRFs mirror the previously reported properties of isomiRs and tRFs and have implications for the study of homeostasis and disease.
A inserção das TICs como ferramenta facilitadora do processo de ensino-aprendizagem: contribuição da língua inglesa

RESUMO: Este artigo tem por objetivo analisar a insercao das tecnologias da informacao e comunicacao como ferramenta facilitadora do processo de ensino e aprendizagem da lingua inglesa. A metodologia utilizada para atingir este objetivo foi a pesquisa qualitativa com abordagem bibliografica. Partindo da premissa de que se os alunos sao usuarios das tecnologias moveis e das midias sociais, entende-se que eles estao utilizando a lingua inglesa, uma vez que comumente podemos observar palavras, expressoes, textos deste idioma tanto nos aparelhos quanto nos aplicativos. Neste sentido, o uso das TICs faz a ponte, entre o ingles dos curriculos escolares e a vida do aluno, pois a partir do momento que o aluno consegue entender o ingles existente em seu cotidiano ele conseguira associa-lo ao ingles aplicado na sala de aula e em sua vida. Neste sentido, podemos inferir que a lingua inglesa podera contribuir para um melhoramento na qualidade de traducao, escrita e fala deste idioma que e parte destas tecnologias da informacao e comunicacao da sociedade digital do seculo XXI. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Tecnologias. Midias sociais. Lingua inglesa.
Promoting the Integration of Psychodynamic and Emotion-Focused Psychotherapies Through Advances in Affective Science and Neuroscience

Psychodynamic psychotherapy (PDT) and emotion-focused therapy (EFT) have much in common and much to offer one another. Yet, their differing theoretical foundations create challenges when attempting to integrate the two. PDT is founded on concepts such as the dynamic unconscious, defenses, a developmental perspective and recurrent patterns including transference that are not included in EFT theory. By contrast, EFT is founded on basic affective science rather than clinical observations, a focus on experiencing affect fully rather than simply overcoming defenses and an emphasis on gestalt methods such as 2-chair work rather than working mainly within the experiential field of the therapeutic dyad. If one were to aim for a more balanced integration key psychodynamic concepts would need to be reconceptualized in more empirically-tractable terms and concepts. The central thesis of this paper is that psychodynamic concepts could have broader and more generalized application and potential for integration with other modalities if they were updated in light of advances in affective science and neuroscience. Specific core concepts addressed in this way include unconscious processes, development, conflicts, defenses and the mechanisms of therapeutic change. These conceptual refinements highlight the importance of observable behavior, emotional experiencing and learning in defining the nature of clinical problems and their treatment.
Video Genre Inference Based on Camera Capturing Models

On-line video collection is getting larger nowadays. It becomes difficult for users to go through the whole collection to find the video of their interest. To allow efficient browsing, search and retrieval, one intuitive solution is to cluster video clips according to their genres automatically. Then, users’ choices can be narrowed down. Besides on-line video repositories, other applications include managing television broadcasting archives, video conferencing records, etc. The goal of video classification is to automatically place each video title in different categories, such as news, sports, etc. The classification process involves extracting the information from the video clips and classifying them into different classes. In this chapter, we first review related work in this field. Then, two novel features based on the camera shooting process is proposed for video genre classification. These new camera based features exploit the fact that a different genre tends to have different camera effects and user perception. Although a lot of work has been proposed with the consideration of cinematic principles, most extracted features are low-level features without much semantic information.We propose a feature that estimates the number of cameras used in a short time interval. Then, we propose another feature by calculating the distribution of the camera distance, which is approximated by the normalized foreground area of each frame. The block-based motion vector field is adopted to reduce the complexity involved in foreground/background modeling. Preliminary experiment results show that the proposed features capture additional genre-related information so that the video genre can be inferred from the proposed features well.
Swatch Group and Francogeddon

This case illustrates how exchange rate shocks affect international businesses. The focus is on one recent stark example: the effect on Swatch Group of the Swiss National Bank's January 2015 decision to end its policy of putting a ceiling on the euro/Swiss franc exchange rate. It is useful for an introductory class that defines different exchange rate concepts, illustrates why managers should care about exchange rates, and motivates/previews the study of the macroeconomics of exchange rates, capital flows, and monetary policy. This case is appropriate for use in a first-year MBA course that deals with international economics or finance, though it is written to be standalone and thus could also be employed in an advanced undergraduate or master's level course on international macroeconomics or finance. Excerpt UVA-GEM-0167 Oct. 29, 2018 Swatch Group and Francogeddon “The Swiss National Bank has decided to discontinue the minimum exchange rate of CHF 1.20 per euro with immediate effect and to cease foreign currency purchases associated with enforcing it.” Thomas Jordan, Chairman, Swiss National Bank With that one sentence uttered on a cold Zurich day in early 2015, Thomas Jordan ended the Swiss National Bank (SNB) policy to hold the Swiss franc (CHF) down against the euro (EUR). The policy, which had been in place since September 2011, had SNB purchasing foreign currency in exchange for the Swiss franc in order to maintain a floor of CHF1.2 per euro (or, equivalently, a ceiling of EUR0.83 per franc). Within a week of removing this policy, the franc appreciated over 20% and the stock price of Swatch Group, a Swiss watch manufacturer and exporter, fell by over 20% (Figure 1). Swatch CEO Nick Hayek Jr. proclaimed, “Words fail me! Jordan is not only the name of the SNB president, but also of a river and today's SNB action is a tsunami; for the export industry and for tourism, and finally for the entire country.” . . .
Costly induction of defense reduces plant growth and alters reproductive traits in mixed-mating Datura stramonium

Herbivory shapes plant trait evolution by altering allocation to growth and defense in ways that affect plant reproduction and fitness. Initiation of these trade-offs may be particularly strong in juvenile plants with high phenotypic plasticity. Herbivory costs are often measured in terms of plant size or flower numbers, but other herbivore-induced floral changes can alter interactions with pollinators and have important implications for mating systems. In mixed-mating plants that can both self-fertilize and outcross, herbivory can maintain mating system variation if herbivore damage and defensive induction change a plants likelihood of selfing versus outcrossing. Here, I use mixed-mating Datura stramonium to evaluate how early defensive induction and herbivory result in trade-offs among plant defense, growth and reproduction. I used a 2x2 factorial manipulation of early chemical defense induction and season-long insecticide in the field. Growth costs of chemical induction were seen even before plants received damage, indicating an inherent cost of defense. Induction and herbivory changed multiple aspects of floral biology associated with selfing or outcrossing. This including reduced floral allocation, earlier flowering, and reduced anther-stigma separation (herkogamy). Although these floral changes are associated with decreased attractiveness to pollinators, plants exposed to natural herbivory did not have decreased seed set. This is likely because their floral morphologies became more conducive to selfing (via reduced herkogamy). These vegetative and floral changes following damage and defensive induction can impact interactions among plants (by altering mating environment) and interactions with pollinators (via changes in floral allocation and floral phenology).
Do Bank-Affiliated Analysts Benefit from Lending Relationships?: do bank-affiliated analysts benefit from lending?

This paper investigates whether private information from lending activities improves the forecast accuracy of bank-affiliated analysts. Using a matched sample design, matching by affiliated bank or borrower, we demonstrate that the forecast accuracy of bank-affiliated analysts increases after the followed firm borrows from the affiliated bank. We also find that the increase in forecast accuracy is more pronounced for borrowers with greater information asymmetry and bad news, and for deals with financial covenants. Last, we find that the informational advantage of bank-affiliated analysts exists only when the affiliated banks serve as lead arrangers, not merely as participating lenders. Overall, our evidence suggests that information flows from commercial banking to equity research divisions within financial conglomerates.
Comparison of Object Detectors for Fully Autonomous Aerial Systems Performance

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are gaining popularity in many governmental and civilian sectors. The combination of aerial mobility and data sensing capabilities facilitates previously impossible workloads. UAVs are normally piloted by remote operators who determine where to fly and when to sense data, but operations over large areas put a heavy burden on human pilots. Fully autonomous aerial systems (FAAS) have emerged as an alternative to human piloting by using software combined with edge and cloud hardware to execute autonomous UAV missions. The compute and networking infrastructure required for autonomy has significant power and performance demands. FAAS deployed in remote environments, such as crop fields, must manage limited power and networking capabilities. To facilitate widespread adoption of FAAS, middleware must support heterogeneous compute and networking resources at the edge while ensuring that the workloads quickly produce effective and efficient autonomous flight paths. Object detectors are a vital component of FAAS. FAAS flight mission goals and flight path generation are often focused on locating and photographing phenomena identified using object detectors. Given the importance of object detection to FAAS, it is paramount that object detectors produce accurate results as quickly and efficiently as possible to elongate FAAS missions and save precious energy. In this poster, we analyze the performance of different object detection techniques for facial recognition, a core FAAS workload. We analyzed the accuracy and performance of three facial recognition techniques provided in SoftwarePilot, an FAAS middleware, on two architectural configurations for FAAS edge systems. These findings can be used when selecting an object detector for any FAAS mission type and hardware configuration.
Onboarding Materials as Cross-functional Boundary Objects for Developing AI Assistants

Deep neural networks (DNNs) routinely achieve state-of-the-art performance in a wide range of tasks, but it can often be challenging for them to meet end-user needs in practice. This case study reports on the development of human-AI onboarding materials (i.e., training materials for users prior to using an AI) for a DNN-based medical AI Assistant to aid in the grading of prostate cancer. Specifically, we describe how the process of developing these materials changed the team’s understanding of end-user requirements, contributing to modifications in the development and assessment of the underlying machine learning model. Importantly, we discovered that onboarding materials served as a useful boundary object for cross-functional teams, uncovering a new way to assess the ML model and specify its end-user requirements. We also present evidence of the utility of the onboarding materials by describing how it affected user strategies and decision-making with AI in a study deployment to pathologists.
EXC-4/CLIC, Gα, and Rho/Rac signaling regulate tubulogenesis in C. elegans

The Rho-family of small GTPases, which play crucial roles in development and disease, are regulated by many signal-transduction cascades, including G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-heterotrimeric G-protein (G/{beta}/{gamma}) pathways. Using genetic approaches in C. elegans we identified a new role for G and Rho/Rac signaling in cell outgrowth during tubulogenesis and show that the Chloride Intracellular Channel (CLIC) protein EXC-4 is an evolutionarily-conserved player in this pathway. The gene exc-4 was identified by its role in tubulogenesis of the excretory canal (ExCa) cell: a unicellular tube required for osmoregulation and fluid clearance. We identified a new exc-4 loss-of-function allele that affects an evolutionarily conserved residue in the C-terminus. Using this mutant we identified genetic interactions between exc-4, G's and Rho-family GTPases, defining novel roles for G-encoding genes (gpa-12/G12/13, gpa-7/Gi, egl-30/Gq, and gsa-1/Gs) and the Rho-family members ced-10/Rac and mig-2/RhoG in ExCa outgrowth. EXC-4 and human CLICs have conserved functions in tubulogenesis, and CLICs and G-Rho/Rac signaling regulate tubulogenesis during blood vessel development. Therefore, our work defines a primordial role for EXC-4/CLICs in G-Rho/Rac-signaling during tubulogenesis.
Minimally-invasive lensless computational microendoscopy leveraging modal decomposition

We demonstrate a lensless epi-fluorescence c omputational microendscope composed of a coded-aperture and multicore fiber. We find significant improvement in reconstructed image quality through modal decomposition of the fluorescence collected in each core of the fiber.
Analogs of marinopyrrole A show enhancement to observed in vitro potency against acute Toxoplasma gondii infection.

The apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, a globally distributed infection with severe clinical consequences for immunocompromised individuals and developing fetuses. There are few available treatments, and these are associated with potentially severe adverse effects. Marinopyrrole A, a compound discovered in a marine Streptomyces species, has previously been found to exhibit potent antimicrobial activity, prompting our interest in exploring efficacy against Toxoplasma gondii. We found that marinopyrrole A was a highly potent anti-Toxoplasma molecule, with an in vitro 50% maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.31 μM corresponding to a higher potency than that of the current standard of care (pyrimethamine); however, addition of 20% serum led to abrogation of potency, and toxicity to human cell lines was observed. Yet, application of marinopyrrole A to an in vivo lethal acute infection model facilitated significantly enhanced survival at doses of 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg. We then tested a series of marinopyrrole A analogs-RL002, RL003, and RL125-demonstrating significantly increased potency in vitro, with IC50 values ranging from 0.09-0.17 μM (3.6-6.8X increase relative to pyrimethamine). No detectable cytotoxicity was observed up to 50 μM in human foreskin fibroblasts, with cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells ranging from ∼28-50 μM, corresponding to >200X selectivity for parasites over host cells. All analogs additionally showed reduced sensitivity to serum. Further, RL003 potently inhibited in vitro-generated bradyzoites at 0.245 μM. Taken together, these data support further development of marinopyrrole A analogs as promising anti-Toxoplasma molecules to further combat this prevalent infection.
Skeletal Muscle Wasting: The Estrogen Side of Sexual Dimorphism.

The importance of defining sex differences across various biological and physiological mechanisms is more pervasive now than it has been over the last 15-20 years. As the muscle biology field pushes to identify small molecules and interventions to prevent, attenuate or even reverse muscle wasting, we must consider the effect of sex as a biological variable. It should not be assumed that a therapeutic will affect males and females with equal efficacy or equivalent target affinities under conditions where muscle wasting is observed. With that said, it is not surprising to find that we have an unclear or even a poor understanding of the effects of sex or sex hormones on muscle wasting conditions. Although recent investigations are beginning to establish experimental approaches that will allow investigators to assess the impact of sex-specific hormones on muscle wasting, the field still has not established enough published scientific tools that will allow the field to rigorously address critical hypotheses. Thus, the purpose of this review is to assemble a current summary of knowledge in the area of sexual dimorphism driven by estrogens with an effort to provide insights to interested physiologists on necessary considerations when trying to assess models for potential sex differences in cellular and molecular mechanisms of muscle wasting.