cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DISSECTING THE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF TCR ζ CHAIN DOWNREGULATION AND T Cell SIGNALING ABNORMALITIES IN HUMAN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Abnormal expression of key signaling molecules and defective function of T lymphocytes play a significant role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Probing on altered expression of genes that may predispose to SLE revealed that the expression of TCR ζ chain is defective in the majority of SLE patients. Current research has been directed towards understanding the molecular basis of TCR ζ chain deficiency and dissecting the T cell signalling abnormalities in SLE T cells. Latest developments suggest that interplay of abnormal transcriptional factor expression, aberrant mRNA processing/editing, unbiquitination, proteolysis, and the effects of oxidative stress as well as changes in chromatin structure invariably contribute to TCR ζ chain deficiency in SLE T cells. On the other hand, multiple factors, including altered receptor structure, modulation of membrane clustering, lipid-raft distribution of signaling molecules, and defective signal silencing mechanisms, play a key role in deliveri...
Simplified calculation of eigenvector derivatives

A simplified procedure is presented for the determination of the derivatives of eigenvectors of nth order algebraic eigensystems. The method is applicable to symmetric or nonsymmetric systems, and requires knowledge of only one eigenvalue and its associated right and left eigenvectors. In the procedure, the matrix of the original eigensystem of rank (/?-!) is modified to convert it to a matrix of rank /?, which then is solved directly for a vector which, together with the eigenvector, gives the eigenvector derivative to within an arbitrary constant. The norm of the eigenvector is used to determine this constant and complete the calculation. The method is simple, since the modified n rank matrix is formed without matrix multiplication or extensive manipulation. Since the matrix has the same bandedness as the original eigensystems, it can be treated efficiently using the same banded equation solution algorithms that are used to find the eigenvectors.
History and overview of CSNET

CSNET is the acronym for the Computer Science Research Network, a project supported by NSF to provide advanced computer network services to the computer research community. CSNET is a "logical net" -- a high-level communication environment spanning several physical nets, including the ARPANET, Phonenet, and Telenet. This paper reviews the history, the goals, the organization, the components, and the status of CSNET.
The Critical Role Played by Animal Source Foods in Human (Homo) Evolution

Wild primates take most of the daily diet from plant sources, eating moderate to small amounts of animal source foods (ASF). Plant materials make up from 87% to >99% of the annual diet of great apes, the closest living relatives of modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens). Reflecting their close genetic relationship, gut form and nutrient requirements of apes and humans (Hominoidea) are very similar, as is their pattern of digestive kinetics-one predicated on a relatively slow turnover of ingesta. In plant-eating mammals, in contrast to carnivorous mammals, greater body size is associated with lower dietary quality. Turning to ASF as a routine rather than occasional dietary component would have permitted the evolving human lineage to evade the nutritional constraints placed on body size increases in apes. Without routine access to ASF, it is highly unlikely that evolving humans could have achieved their unusually large and complex brain while simultaneously continuing their evolutionary trajectory as large, active and highly social primates. As human evolution progressed, young children in particular, with their rapidly expanding large brain and high metabolic and nutritional demands relative to adults would have benefited from volumetrically concentrated, high quality foods such as meat. Today, many humans, particularly those in high income nations, have a variety of high quality, non-ASF dietary alternatives, but such foods were not generally available to paleolithic human ancestors nor to many people today in low income nations. J. Nutr. 133: 3886S-3892S, 2003.
Chiorosulfonated block copolymers

Rubber-phase chlorosulforiated polystyrene-poly-(ethylene-butene-1)-polystyrene block copolymers were prepared by reaction of the block copolymer in solution with SO2 and C12. Sample compositions ranged up to 7 weight percent sulfur and 29 weight percent chlorine contents as determined by X-ray fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy. A series of chlorosulfonated derivatives of an analogue of the elastomeric midblock were prepared and analyzed in similar fashion. A comparison of dynamic mechanical and dielectric behavior of solvent cast films of the block copolymer and midblock polymer materials indicates the existence of sulfonyl chloride dipole-dipole complexes in the solid state. Further evidence for the presence of such aggregates was obtained from analysis by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. It appears that polystyrene domains in the block copolymer materials hinder this aggregation up to moderate concentrations of the sulfonyl chloride group as compared with the relatively unrestrained aggregate formation in the analogue midblock materials. At high levels of substitution, the formation of dipole aggregates disrupts the integrity of the polystyrene domain structure in the block copolymer materials, resulting in a reduction in mechanical strength.
Hazard-non-increasing gate-level optimization algorithms

This paper presents hazard-non-increasing optimization algorithms. These are optimizations on gatelevel logic without introduction of any further static nor dynamic hazards. Proofs are given for general theoretical results on hazard-non-increasing transformations which serve as the basis for these algorithms. The algorithms in this paper substantially augment the set of proven hazard-non-increasing optimization techniques in the literature. These algorithms are useful for hazard-free implementations of asynchronous designs.
Inducible Yeast System for Viral RNA Recombination Reveals Requirement for an RNA Replication Signal on Both Parental RNAs

To facilitate RNA recombination studies, we tested whether Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which supports brome mosaic virus (BMV) replication, also supports BMV RNA recombination. Yeast strains expressing BMV RNA replication proteins 1a and 2a(pol) were engineered to transiently coexpress two independently inducible, overlapping, nonreplicating derivatives of BMV genomic RNA3. B3Delta3' lacked the coat protein gene and negative-strand RNA promoter. B3Delta5' lacked the positive-strand RNA promoter and had the coat gene replaced by the selectable URA3 gene. After 12 to 72 h of induction, B3Delta3' and B3Delta5' transcription was repressed and Ura(+) yeast cells were selected. All Ura(+) cells contained recombinant RNA3 replicons expressing URA3. Most replicons arose by intermolecular homologous recombination between B3Delta3' and B3Delta5'. Such recombinants were isolated only when 1a and 2a(pol) were expressed and after transient transcription of both B3Delta3' and B3Delta5', showing that recombination occurred at the RNA, not DNA, level. A minority of URA3-expressing replicons were derived from B3Delta5', independently of B3Delta3', by 5' truncation and modification, generating novel positive-strand promoters and demonstrating that BMV can give rise to subgenomic RNA replicons. Intermolecular B3Delta3'-B3Delta5' recombination occurred only when both parental RNAs bore a functional, cis-acting template recognition and recruitment element targeting viral RNAs to replication complexes. The results imply that recombination occurred in RNA replication complexes to which parental RNAs were independently recruited. Moreover, the ability to obtain intermolecular recombinants at precisely measurable, reproducible frequencies, to control genetic background and induction conditions, and other features of this system will facilitate further studies of virus and host functions in RNA recombination.
An electrically coupled network of skeletal muscle in zebrafish distributes synaptic current.

Fast and slow skeletal muscle types are readily distinguished in larval zebrafish on the basis of differences in location and orientation. Additionally, both muscle types are compact, rendering them amenable to in vivo patch clamp study of synaptic function. Slow muscle mediates rhythmic swimming, but it does so purely through synaptic drive, as these cells are unable to generate action potentials. Our patch clamp recordings from muscle pairs of zebrafish reveal a network of electrical coupling in slow muscle that allows sharing of synaptic current within and between segmental boundaries of the tail. The synaptic current exhibits slow kinetics (τdecay ∼4 ms), which further facilitates passage through the low pass filter, a consequence of the electrically coupled network. In contrast to slow muscle, fast skeletal muscle generates action potentials to mediate the initial rapid component of the escape response. The combination of very weak electrical coupling and synaptic kinetics (τdecay <1 ms) too fast for the network low pass filter minimizes intercellular sharing of synaptic current in fast muscle. These differences between muscle types provide insights into the physiological role(s) of electrical coupling in skeletal muscle. First, intrasegmental coupling among slow muscle cells allows effective transfer of synaptic currents within tail segments, thereby minimizing differences in synaptic depolarization. Second, a fixed intersegmental delay in synaptic current transit, resulting from the low pass filter properties of the slow muscle network, helps coordinate the rostral–caudal wave of contraction.
Meat from dairy cows: possible microbiological hazards and risks.

Summary The authors provide an overview of the circumstances associated with culling of dairy cattle in the United States of America (USA) and focus on the possible significant microbiological hazards associated with meat from cull dairy cows. Cull dairy cows are an important source of food in the USA, accounting for at least approximately 17% of ground beef. The potential microbiological hazards for foodborne illness from cull dairy cows discussed here include Salmonella (with special attention to 5. Typhimurium DT104), Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus aureus. Possible sources and means of contamination are pointed out, as are the potential foodborne risks from Bacillus cereus and Aeromonas spp. In conclusion, widespread microbiological studies are needed to determine the prevalence and risk of foodborne pathogens in cull dairy cattle.
Alpha/beta interferon receptor signaling amplifies early proinflammatory cytokine production in the lung during respiratory syncytial virus infection.

Type I interferons (IFNs) are produced early upon virus infection and signal through the alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β) receptor (IFNAR) to induce genes that encode proteins important for limiting viral replication and directing immune responses. To investigate the extent to which type I IFNs play a role in the local regulation of inflammation in the airways, we examined their importance in early lung responses to infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). IFNAR1-deficient (IFNAR1−/−) mice displayed increased lung viral load and weight loss during RSV infection. As expected, expression of IFN-inducible genes was markedly reduced in the lungs of IFNAR1−/− mice. Surprisingly, we found that the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the lungs of RSV-infected mice were also greatly reduced in the absence of IFNAR signaling. Furthermore, low levels of proinflammatory cytokines were also detected in the lungs of IFNAR1−/− mice challenged with noninfectious innate immune stimuli such as selected Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. Finally, recombinant IFN-α was sufficient to potentiate the production of inflammatory mediators in the lungs of wild-type mice challenged with innate immune stimuli. Thus, in addition to its well-known role in antiviral resistance, type I IFN receptor signaling acts as a central driver of early proinflammatory responses in the lung. Inhibiting the effects of type I IFNs may therefore be useful in dampening inflammation in lung diseases characterized by enhanced inflammatory cytokine production. IMPORTANCE The initial response to viral infection is characterized by the production of interferons (IFNs). One group of IFNs, the type I IFNs, are produced early upon virus infection and signal through the IFN-α/β receptor (IFNAR) to induce proteins important for limiting viral replication and directing immune responses. Here we examined the importance of type I IFNs in early responses to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Our data suggest that type I IFN production and IFNAR receptor signaling not only induce an antiviral state but also serve to amplify proinflammatory responses in the respiratory tract. We also confirm this conclusion in another model of acute inflammation induced by noninfectious stimuli. Our findings are of relevance to human disease, as RSV is a major cause of infant bronchiolitis and polymorphisms in the IFN system are known to impact disease severity.
Stem Cell Factor Programs the Mast Cell Activation Phenotype

Mast cells, activated by Ag via FceRI, release an array of proinflammatory mediators that contribute to allergic disorders, such as asthma and anaphylaxis. The KIT ligand, stem cell factor (SCF), is critical for mast cell expansion, differentiation, and survival, and under acute conditions, it enhances mast cell activation. However, extended SCF exposure in vivo conversely protects against fatal Ag-mediated anaphylaxis. In investigating this dichotomy, we identified a novel mode of regulation of the mast cell activation phenotype through SCF-mediated programming. We found that mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells chronically exposed to SCF displayed a marked attenuation of FceRI-mediated degranulation and cytokine production. The hyporesponsive phenotype was not a consequence of altered signals regulating calcium flux or protein kinase C, but of ineffective cytoskeletal reorganization with evidence implicating a downregulation of expression of the Src kinase Hck. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a major role for SCF in the homeostatic control of mast cell activation with potential relevance to mast cell-driven disease and the development of novel approaches for the treatment of allergic disorders.
Converging agendas: AIDS and business.

505 WE NOW KNOW a tremendous amount about the scale and dynamics of the HIV and AIDS epidemics, but their daunting size can make it seem difficult to act. Globally, 2,600,000 deaths are expected this year alone, which means that 1 in every 20 people who died in the world in 1999 died of AIDS. We’re expecting about 5.6 million new infections this year— adding to the over 33 million people already living with HIV. As Desmond Tutu said at this forum last year, the numbers are numbing. Today, then, I hope we can focus on action. First I’m going to talk about the AIDS agenda and how this growing epidemic strikes productive adults hardest—the very people on whom the future of countries depends. I’m going to look at what needs to be done, not just in rich countries, but also in the developing economies, home to 95% of people living with HIV in the world, who bear the brunt of this ferocious disease. Then I’m going to turn to the business agenda, to the relationship between the AIDS epidemic and our chief engines of economic activity. Two decades into the epidemic, the global campaign against AIDS continues to be led by national governments and some very vigorous and innovative not-for-profit organizations. But I think it’s now time to mobilize the business community, and that’s the heart of what we’re talking about today. First, because it’s a fact that AIDS threatens the bottom line of business by undermining its work force and customer base. Second, business has core skills that can be used to great effect in the fight against AIDS. And third, for businesses keeping an eye on the future of the world economy, the fight against AIDS offers a real global opportunity to sharpen their message, improve their image, and extend their effectiveness. With this in mind, I’d like to sketch out the start of an agenda for action, which I hope will be discussed and developed during our time together this morning. I hope new partnerships between business, the public sector, and civil society will emerge from this process, so that the global campaign against AIDS can rest on three pillars, as business learns, in the words of filmmaker, Spike Lee, to do the right thing. In the past two decades, there have been many dozens of studies on the impacts of AIDS. Taken together, they clearly demonstrate that AIDS has a huge impact, not just in human terms but also in economic terms, and for three main reasons. First, there are lots of AIDS cases. Second, because the lion’s share, 80–90% of all AIDS-related illness and mortality, occurs among people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, which are the years when people are most productive and save for later in their lives. And finally, because the opportunistic infections that accompany AIDS (and I’m speaking about tuberculosis, pneumonia, meningitis, herpes, and so on) are so very expensive to treat.
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome: A Stepwise Deterioration to Sudden Death.

Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome can be associated with a malignant arrhythmia resulting in sudden death. Symptomatic patients have an estimated risk reported to be ≈0.25% per year, or 3% to 4% over a lifetime.1 In 1979, Klein et al2 reported 31 patients with WPW who had resuscitated ventricular fibrillation. During electrophysiological study, 25 of these patients had induction of atrial fibrillation that conducted rapidly via the accessory pathway. This finding supported the theory that rapid preexcited atrial fibrillation may result in ventricular fibrillation and sudden death. An …
The Green Eating Project: web-based intervention to promote environmentally conscious eating behaviours in US university students.

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of an online, interactive intervention, referred to as the Green Eating (GE) Project, to motivate university students to adopt GE behaviours. Design The study was quasi-experimental and integrated into courses for credit/extra credit. Courses were randomly stratified into experimental or non-treatment control. The 5-week intervention consisted of four modules based on different GE topics. Participants completed the GE survey at baseline (experimental, n 241; control, n 367) and post (experimental, n 187; control, n 304). The GE survey has been previously validated and consists of Transtheoretical Model constructs including stage of change (SOC), decisional balance (DB: Pros and Cons) and self-efficacy (SE: School and Home) as well as behaviours for GE. Modules contained basic information regarding each topic and knowledge items to assess content learning. Setting The GE Project took place at a public university in the north-eastern USA. Subjects Participants were full-time students between the ages of 18 and 24 years. Results The GE Project was effective in significantly increasing GE behaviours, DB Pros, SE School and knowledge in experimental compared with control, but did not reduce DB Cons or increase SE Home. Experimental participants were also more likely to be in later SOC for GE at post testing. Conclusions The GE Project was effective in increasing GE behaviours in university students. Motivating consumers towards adopting GE could assist in potentially mitigating negative consequences of the food system on the environment. Future research could tailor the intervention to participant SOC to further increase the effects or design the modules for other participants.
Team-Based Learning, Faculty Research, and Grant Writing Bring Significant Learning Experiences to an Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory Course

This biochemistry laboratory course was designed to provide significant learning experiences to expose students to different ways of succeeding as scientists in academia and foster development and improvement of their potential and competency as the next generation of investigators. To meet these goals, the laboratory course employs three different practices that support an ‘Integrated Course Design’ approach: (1) incorporating basic laboratory techniques with faculty research projects, (2) promoting team-based learning, and (3) developing, de novo, a mini-NIH grant proposal that serves as a capstone project. On course evaluations, students give the biochemistry laboratory course the highest ratings for course and teaching effectiveness, and these ratings are a higher percentage overall compared to similar chemistry laboratory courses offered in the program. Students also state that the practices of the laboratory course went beyond their prior experiences in traditional lab courses. They have reported th...
Creep Behavior of Spuitered TiN Films Using Indentation Testing

Tin films were deposited on silicon substrates by RF diode sputtering and the growth behavior of these films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The time dependent plastic flow behavior in these films were examined by performing indentation tests using a dcpth-scnsing hardness testing machine. Individual indentation experiments with different constant load segments were conducted and the creep characteristics of both sputtered films and bulk Sn were examined. The stress exponents determined from these tests were compared with those determined for bulk Sn from conventional creep tests. The influence of the substrate material on the creep properties of the film are described.
Bibliography and New Species of Philippine Fungi

(1916). Bibliography and New Species of Philippine Fungi. Mycologia: Vol. 8, No. 5, pp. 253-288.
Interferon response to mitogens and viral antigens in elderly and young adult subjects.

Comparaison de la reponse a l'interferon des lymphocytes du virus zona-varicelle, a l'herpesvirus simplex, au cytomegalovirus, a la phytohemagglutinine et a l'enterotoxine staphylococcique B
Is Beauty Good or is it Beastly? Tracking the Attractiveness Bias

Research has established that while physical attractiveness is generally beneficial in terms of workplace outcomes, such as hiring, personnel selection, and performance ratings (Hosoda, Stone-Romer...
Why Don't Periodical Cicadas Normally Live in Coniferous Forests?

An unusual occurrence of periodical cicadas in a white pine-hemlock plantation in Ohio is documented. Historical information suggests that cicadas invaded this plantation when intermixed deciduous species were available for oviposition. Subsequent studies show that hatching success is far better in deciduous plants than in pines. The reduction in pines is attributed to resin secretion, which seals the eggnests shut and prevents the eggs from hatching. Of the three evergreen species examined, hatching success was poorest in white pine, reasonably good in juniper, and intermediate in hemlock. The dense emergence in the pine-hemlock plantation indicates that the nymphs may be able to feed on the roots of hemlocks, pines, or both. If so, then poor hatching success in resinous twigs may be the only barrier preventing periodical cicadas from becoming economic pests in coniferous plantations and forests.
Should I be "friends" with my patients on social networking web sites?

First of all, kudos for getting involved in social media with the goal of promoting the health of your patients and collaborating with colleagues.
A Molecular Precursor to Phosphaethyne and Its Application in Synthesis of the Aromatic 1,2,3,4-Phosphatriazolate Anion

Dibenzo-7-phosphanorbornadiene Ph3PC(H)PA (1, A = C14H10, anthracene) is reported here as a molecular precursor to phosphaethyne (HC≡P), produced together with anthracene and triphenylphosphine. HCP generated by thermolysis of 1 has been observed by molecular beam mass spectrometry, laser-induced fluorescence, microwave spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In toluene, fragmentation of 1 has been found to proceed with activation parameters of ΔH⧧ = 25.5 kcal/mol and ΔS⧧ = −2.43 eu and is accompanied by formation of an orange insoluble precipitate. Results from computational studies of the mechanism of HCP generation are in good agreement with experimental data. This high-temperature method of HCP generation has pointed to new reaction chemistry with azide anion to produce the 1,2,3,4-phosphatriazolate anion, HCPN3–, for which structural data have been obtained in a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study. Negative-ion photoelectron spectroscopy has shown the adiabatic detachment ...
Effects of Androgen on Prolactin-Inducible Protein mRNA Expression in Human Prostate Cancer Cell Line

Objective: To determine prolactin-inducible protein (PIP) mRNA expression and effects of androgen in human prostate cancer cell lines. Methods: Prostate cell lines (LNCaP, PC-3, DU145) and breast tumor cell line (T47D) were treated by different concentrations (0, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 nmol/L) and different times (6, 24 and 48 h) of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or testosterone (T). The PIP and androgen receptor (AR) mRNA expressions were detected by RT-PCR. The PIP protein expression was determined by Western blot in four cell lines. Results: By RT-PCR and Western blot, PIP mRNA and protein expression were found in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell line LNCaP. PIP mRNA expression was increased along with concentrations of DHT or T in LNCaP. PIP mRNA level reached maximum peak in 10 nmol/L DHT or T. There was no significant difference in AR mRNA expression. There were no PIP mRNA and protein expressions in androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines PC-3 and DU145. Conclusion: The role of PIP may occur in the process of development of prostate cancer, and in the differentialdiagnosis of prostate cancer for the androgen dependence.
The safety and effectiveness of agkistrodon hemocoagulase in children with congenital heart disease operation

Objective To evaluate the safety and effectiveness for agkistrodon hemocoagulase used in congenital heart disease(CHD) pediatric patients intraoperative.Methods 60 pediatric patients with congenital heart disease scheduled for elective open-heart surgery were randomly divided into two group with 30 pediatric patients each group.Group A was given 1 U of agkistrodon hemocoagulase enzyme at the end of CPB after heparin antagonism,group B was given the same dose of saline.The bleeding wound,postoperative 24-hour chest drainage,bleeding time,the third day after operation of the blood routine,coagulation and liver and kidney function and adverse reactions of the two groups were compared.Results The bleeding time,wound bleeding and postoperative 24-hour chest drainage of group A were significantly lower than the group B(P 0.05).The group A,which of the clotting function,blood routine,liver and kidney function on the 3rd postoperative day compared with preoperative was not significant different,compared with the group B was not statistically different(P 0.05).The whole group had no adverse reactions.Conclusion Agkistrodon hemocoagulase in patients with congenital heart surgery in children is safe and effective.
P-001 evaluation of transfer times for emergent stroke patients from regional centers to a comprehensive center

Introduction Revascularization therapies for acute ischemic stroke are strongly time sensitive. Outcomes with IV tPA administration are clearly improved with earlier treatment. With increasing evidence of efficacy of endovascular stroke treatment, the rapidity of treatment initiation will also likely be critical to improving patient outcomes. As endovascular stroke treatment is unavailable at most centers that may first evaluate acute stroke patients, the efficient triage and transfer of these patients will be increasingly important. We sought to assess the transfer times from regional stroke-ready hospitals to our comprehensive center as a measure of current efficiency. Methods We evaluated the transfer times from six regional medical centers within a 120 mile radius to our comprehensive center. All transfers over the past year that were triaged as acute stroke with need for urgent transfer were included. Transfer time was defined as the interval between the initial call requesting transfer until arrival at our facility. These times were averaged for each referring hospital, and were compared to the driving time from our center to each site (using google maps). Any patient transfer that did not have precise arrival time was excluded from analysis. All data were derived from our hospital access center and patient records. Results Transfer times from six different regional hospitals were included, ranging from 18 to 119 miles from our comprehensive center. There were 70 patient transfers from these hospitals over the past year for which transfer time was recorded. Overall average transfer time was 97.8 min. All transfer times were significantly longer than expected driving times, with average differences per hospital ranging from 46 to 133 min. In general the furthest regional hospitals had the lowest time difference from expected driving times, likely because air transport was used more frequently. However in no instance was hospital-to-hospital transfer quicker than expected driving time, even when air transport was used. Conclusions The emergent transfer of stroke patients from regional medical centers to our comprehensive stroke center was extremely inefficient. The average time to transfer a patient was over an hour and a half, and some of the longest transfer times were from the nearest facilities. These findings suggest that increased efficiency in acute stroke care is needed, as clinical outcomes depend on rapid revascularization. Developing systems of care should focus on early stroke diagnosis and consideration of bypassing local hospitals to bring certain potential stroke patients directly to comprehensive centers. Disclosures M. Froehler: None. K. Espaillat: None.
Engineering of a second-order nonlinearity in silicon-dielectric multilayers

We demonstrate a way to engineer a second-order nonlinearity (χ(2)) in silicon-dielectric multilayers via the electric-field induced second-harmonic effect. The value of χ(2) measured using the Maker fringe method is 1.2 pm/V.
Marked Enteropathy in an Accelerated Macaque Model of AIDS

Enteropathy in HIV infection is not eliminated with combination antiretroviral therapy and is possibly linked to microbial translocation. We used a rapidly progressing SIV/pigtailed macaque model of HIV to examine enteropathy and microbial translocation. Histologic evidence of intestinal disease was observed in only half of infected macaques during late-stage infection (LSI). Combination antiretroviral therapy initiated during acute infection prevented intestinal disease. In the ileum and colon, enteropathy was associated with increased caspase-3 staining, decreased CD3 + T cells, and increased SIV-infected cells. CD3 + T cells were preserved in LSI animals without intestinal disease, and levels of CD3 staining in all LSI animals strongly correlated with the number of infected cells in the intestine and plasma viral load. Unexpectedly, there was little evidence of microbial translocation as measured by soluble CD14, soluble CD163, lipopolysaccharide binding protein, and microbial 16s ribosomal DNA. Loss of epithelial integrity indicated by loss of the tight junction protein claudin-3 was not observed during acute infection despite significantly fewer T cells. Claudin-3 was reduced in LSI animals with severe intestinal disease but did not correlate with increased microbial translocation. LSI animals that did not develop intestinal disease had increased T-cell intracytoplasmic antigen 1–positive cytotoxic T lymphocytes, suggesting a robust adaptive cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response may, in part, confer resilience to SIV-induced intestinal damage.
Prints charming: how fingerprints are trailblazing mainstream biometrics

This year, the smartphone celebrates its 10th anniversary, and with around 80% of UK adults owning a mobile phone and over 1.5bn smartphones sold each year, it is comfortably the most commercially successful consumer product in history. The evolution of the smartphone over the past decade has been well documented, and there have been countless column inches devoted to predicting how mobile phones will change in the years to come. But one of the most significant hardware developments within the smartphone has been the introduction of fingerprint readers. This article looks at why fingerprinting on phones has succeeded over other forms of biometric authentication, and the likely future applications of this technology.
Determining the Minimum Number of Pollen Grains Needed for Accurate Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colony Pollen Pellet Analysis

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony maintenance depends on foraging workers to obtain food resources from flowering plants year round. Because diverse floral diets have a positive impact on honey bee health, identifying the plants preferred by foragers provides valuable information to manage bee-friendly habitats. Recent studies have utilized palynology to better understand honey bee nectar foraging preferences. Futhermore, the International Honey Commission has established standards for analyzing honey samples. However, standards for studying the plant taxonomic composition of honey bee pollen pellets have not been established. The goal of this project was to determine the minimum number of pollen grains that need to be counted to obtain an accurate floral taxonomic representation in a pollen pellet sample. To do this, pollen samples were collected from pollen traps placed outside honey bee hives, and a pollen subsample foraged by each colony was acetolyzed and identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Cohorts of 100 pollen grains obtained from homogenized pollen samples from three different colonies were counted successively 5 times for a total count of 500 pollen grains per colony. This was repeated for each of the replicates from the three separate colonies. We found no statistically significant differences in the number or proportion of floral taxa found between the 200 and 500 pollen grain counts in two out of the three colonies sampled. Species diversity index analysis suggested that the higher number of floral taxa found in some 500-grain counts were attributed to a relatively low presence of minor pollen types. Thus, a 200 pollen grain count seems sufficient to assess the predominant, secondary and important minor plant taxa present in a pollen sample, while a 500-grain count may be needed to elucidate a more specific taxonomic assessment of additional minor taxa floral types to determine a sample's geographic origin.
INTERACTIONS OF FREE GLYCOSAMINOGLYCAN CHAINS AND OF NATIVE PROTEOGLYCANS SECRETED BY RAT LIVER FAT STORING CELLS WITH HEPATOCYTIC SURFACES

ABSTRACT The binding properties of 3 H -labeled free chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate glycosaminoglycans and of 35 S-labeled proteoglycans isolated from the medium of monolayer cultivated fat storing cells of rat liver to hepatocytes were studied. All glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans bind in a time- and concentration-dependent manner to hepatocytes. Low- and high-affinity binding sites could be discerned, binding constants and maximum binding capacities were calculated by Scatchard plots. Neither internalization nor degradation of surface bound CS, DS or proteoglycans was noted. Fat storing cell proteoglycans might act as anchors for parenchymal cells in the liver in situ. Their retention by hepatocytic surfaces might be an important mechanism by which an accumulation of these proteoglycans in fibrotic liver matrix is accomplished.
Game theory models for spectral band grouping and classifier ensembles for hyperspectral image classification

This paper investigates the utilization of game theory models for automated analysis of hyperspectral imagery. The author proposes three approaches to using strategic, competitive game theory models for groundcover classification using hyperspectral imagery, including the application of game theory models to (i) hyperspectral band grouping and (ii) pixel classification in a classifier ensemble system. Proposed model (i) uses conflict data filtering based on mutual entropy along with the Nash equilibrium as the means to find a steady state solution. Proposed model (ii) utilizes a strategic coalition game, specifically the weighted majority game (WMG). Both a models are implemented under the assumption that all players are rational. The author incorporates each of the proposed approaches, (i) and (ii), into a multi-classifier decision fusion (MCDF) system for automated ground cover classification with hyperspectral imagery. The paper provides experimental results demonstrating the efficacy of the proposed game theoretic approaches, presenting significant improvements over existing methods.
Computational Disease Subtyping based on Joint Analysis of Clinical and Genomic Data

Objective: To investigate application of non-negative tensor decomposition for disease subtype discovery based on joint analysis of clinical and genomic data. Data and Methods: Somatic mutation profiles including 11,996 genes of 503 breast cancer patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) along with 11 clinical variables and markers of these patients were used to construct a binary third-order tensor. CANDECOMP/PARAFAC method was applied to decompose the constructed tensor into rank-one component tensors. Definitions of breast cancer verotypes were constructed from the patient, gene and clinical vectors corresponding to each component tensor. Patient membership proportions in the identified verotypes were utilized in a Cox proportional hazards model to predict their survival. Results: Qualitative evaluation of the verotypes obtained by tensor factorization indicates that they correspond to clinically meaningful breast cancer subtypes. While some components correspond to the known HER2- or ER-positive breast cancer subtypes, other components correspond to a variant of triple negative subtype and a cohort of patients with high mutation load of tumor suppressor genes. Quantitative evaluation indicates that the Cox model utilizing computationally discovered breast cancer verotypes is more accurate (AUC=0.5796) at predicting patient survival than the Cox models utilizing random patient membership proportions in cancer subtypes (AUC=0.4056) as well as patient membership proportions in genotypes (AUC=0.4731) and phenotypes (AUC=0.5047) obtained by non-negative factorization of the somatic mutation and clinical matrices. Conclusion: Non-negative factorization of a binary tensor constructed from clinical and genomic data enables high-throughput discovery of breast cancer verotypes that are effective at predicting patient survival.
Optically-Controlled “Living Electrodes” with Long-Projecting Axon Tracts for a Synaptic Brain-Machine Interface

Achievements in intracortical brain-machine interfaces are compromised by limitations in long-term performance and information transfer rate. A biological intermediary between devices and the brain based on synaptic integration may offer a specificity and permanence that has eluded neural interfaces to date. Accordingly, we have developed the first living electrodes comprised of implantable axonal tracts protected within soft hydrogel cylinders to enable biologically-mediated monitoring and modulation of brain activity. Here we demonstrate the controlled fabrication, rapid axonal outgrowth, reproducible cytoarchitecture, and axonal conduction of these engineered constructs in vitro. We also present simultaneous optical stimulation and recording of neuronal activity in vitro, transplantation in rat cortex, and their survival, integration, and activity over time in vivo as a proof-of-concept for this neural interface paradigm. The creation and functional validation of living electrodes is a critical step towards developing a new class of neural interfaces using targeted, synaptic-based integration with native circuitry.
Canguilhem’s Concepts

In the 1950s, George Canguilhem became known in France as a vocal exponent of the philosophy of the concept, an approach to epistemology that treated science as the highest expression of human rationality and scientific concepts as the necessary preconditions for the manifestation of scientific truth. Philosophers of the concept, Canguilhem included, viewed concepts as the key to the study of science; and science, in turn, as the key to a substantive theory of reason. This article explains what concepts are for Canguilhem, how they are extracted from the history of the sciences, and why they continue to matter for contemporary debates in the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS).
Group Treatment for Sexually Abused Children: Clinical Wisdom and Empirical Findings

This article examines the development and current status of the group approaches for the treatment of child sexual abuse. A group model that integrates the clinical wisdom and empirical findings from the field, and a number of therapeutic guidelines for working with this population of children and adolescents and their caretakers, are also provided.
Evaluating the results of transcatheter versus surgical aortic valve replacement: the value of a core echocardiographic laboratory.

Echocardiography is widely used in both patient care and clinical research because of its entirely noninvasive nature, versatility, availability, portability, and suitability for serial studies. In clinical trials, echocardiography is used to determine study enrollment eligibility, to measure
Respiratory sinus arrhythmia: time domain characterization using autoregressive moving average analysis

Fourier-based techniques are mathematically noncausal and are therefore limited in their application to feedback-containing systems, such as the cardiovascular system. In this study, a mathematically causal time domain technique, autoregressive moving average (ARMA) analysis, was used to parameterize the relations of respiration and arterial blood pressure to heart rate in eight humans before and during total cardiac autonomic blockade. Impulse-response curves thus generated showed the relation of respiration to heart rate to be characterized by an immediate increase in heart rate of 9.1 +/- 1.8 beats.min-1.l-1, followed by a transient mild decrease in heart rate to -1.2 +/- 0.5 beats.min-1.l-1 below baseline. The relation of blood pressure to heart rate was characterized by a slower decrease in heart rate of -0.5 +/- 0.1 beats.min-1.mmHg-1, followed by a gradual return to baseline. Both of these relations nearly disappeared after autonomic blockade, indicating autonomic mediation. Maximum values obtained from the respiration to heart rate impulse responses were also well correlated with frequency domain measures of high-frequency "vagal" heart rate control (r = 0.88). ARMA analysis may be useful as a time domain representation of autonomic heart rate control for cardiovascular modeling.
Combining elemental analysis of toenails and machine learning techniques as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for the robust classification of type-2 diabetes

Abstract Described for the first time is the use of elemental analysis of diabetic toenails and machine learning techniques for the robust classification of type-2 diabetes. Aluminum, Cs, Ni, V and Zn concentrations in toenails were found to be significantly (p
A person-centered investigation of patterns in college students' perceptions of motivation in a course.

Abstract We investigated patterns of relationships among a sample of undergraduate students' motivation-related perceptions in an Introductory Psychology course. Using cluster analysis (N = 552), we identified person-centered profiles of students' perceptions of the course, including their beliefs about empowerment/autonomy, usefulness/utility value, expectancy for success, situational interest, and caring. We identified 4 profiles: (1) somewhat high class-based motivation with somewhat low success, (2) somewhat high class motivation with high empowerment and caring, (3) high class motivation, and (4) very high class motivation with high success. We examined whether the profiles were related to the course and instructor ratings, course effort, cognitive engagement, perceived cost, and choice of major. With a subsample of 355 students, we also investigated whether the profiles were related to students' learning and final exam scores. This study extends person-centered research on student motivation by providing a multidimensional and dynamic illustration of patterns in individuals' motivation-related perceptions.
Integrins as Signal Transducing Receptors

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of integrins as signal transducing receptors. The integrin-mediated contact of cells with extracellular matrices (ECM) promotes not only adhesion, spreading, and cytoskeletal organization but also regulates a variety of cell functions. Adhesion has been shown to affect the activation of platelets and leukocytes, differentiation and geneexpression in many cell types, and growth of all anchorage-dependent cells. More recent data, however, show that integrins can regulate intracellular second messengers. Such messengers provide another potential means by which ECM can control cell functions. In many cases, these effects can be distinguished from changes in cell shape or the cytoskeleton. The chapter discusses the metabolism of protein kinase C and inositol lipid.
Novel Insights on Sex-Related Differences in Asthma.

Asthma, a common respiratory disease that affects about 10% of the US population, represents a significant public health issue. In the last decade, cumulative evidence has demonstrated sex disparities in asthma, including significant differences in epidemiology, clinical presentation, response to therapies, and health outcomes. Understanding sex-related differences in asthma enables clinicians to provide personalized asthma care and improve asthma outcome. Recent studies on sex-related differences in asthma inform us on mechanism underlying asthma pathogenesis across all age groups. Sex hormones directly modulate immune pathways crucial in asthma pathogenesis and affect individual’s response to environmental triggers and medications, such as leukokotriene inhibitors. Not surprisingly, the use of external sex hormone supplementations appears to modulate asthma risk. Identification of sex-specific asthma risk loci through genome-wide association studies also provides supporting evidence on sex-related differences in asthma. There is an interaction between sex and obesity, an interaction that could place females at higher risk for systemic inflammation and, consequently, asthma. In this article, we review epidemiological and clinical studies on sex-related differences in asthma, with a special focus on the role of sex hormones, including hormonal therapies and the asthma-obesity interaction.
Who is entitled to what

With resources becoming scarcer, providers, payers, and governments alike are grappling with how to best use these resources to serve the American people. Should the focus be on caring for individual patients (microallocation)? Or should the focus be on how to best serve a group of people (macroallocation)? Whether tax monies or health insurance premiums, pooled resources are always limited resources. Macroallocation involves trade-offs and setting priorities, but in the end, rationing is an obligation.