cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sire Differences in Sex Ratio of Progeny

Abstract Sex ratio, the percentage of progeny that are males, was studied among sires by gross ratio, mean weighted difference, and least squares procedures. The sex ratio among over one-half million single births was 52.9%, about 1% higher than that for an extensively edited subset of 14,559 progeny by 94 bulls used to examine sire differences. The ranges of gross ratios and mean weighted differences for these bulls were from 38.7 to 64.4% and –13.8 to 18.0%. Each sire had 80 or more progeny, and sire differences from the assumed population means of 51.7% and 0 were about as large as expected by sampling. Corresponding ranges for a subset of 60 bulls used in the least squares analyses were 23 and 21%; range for least squares constants was 25%. Heritability estimates near zero indicated that additive genetic variance is small or zero. However, the possibility that such tests may be inapplicable to the detection of rare bulls with real differences in sex ratio of progeny is discussed.
Studies of Subsoil Pollution in Relation to Possible Contamination of the GroundWater from Human Excreta Deposited in Experimental Latrines

The manner and degree of pollution of the subsoil from human excreta deposited above the zone of saturation assumes practical importance because of the possibility of contamination reaching flow both through unconsolidated soils and more particularly through rock formation. From our previous investigations1 it is clear that the general course and approximate distance of penetration of intestinal bacteria with the ground water flow through unconsolidated soils may be prognosticated in any particular instance. But flow through rock formation?because of crevices due to fractures and faults, to seams along bedding planes, or to solution channels which may reach stream proportions in limestone regions-?may carry fecal pollution along conduits of varying size and complexity, the course of which cannot readily be determined or is impossible to trace. It is here obvious, as attested by the literature of waterborne diseases, that dangerous pollution may travel for considerable distances before the influence of dilution and the agencies affecting the death rate of intestinal organisms may render the contamination innocuous.
The Type III Toxins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Disrupt Epithelial Barrier Function

The type III secreted toxins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are important virulence factors associated with clinically important infection. However, their effects on bacterial invasion across mucosal surfaces have not been well characterized. One of the most commonly expressed toxins, ExoS, has two domains that are predicted to affect cytoskeletal integrity, including a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) domain, which targets Rho, a major regulator of actin polymerization; and an ADP-ribosylating domain that affects the ERM proteins, which link the plasma membrane to the actin cytoskeleton. The activities of these toxins, and ExoS specifically, on the permeability properties of polarized airway epithelial cells with intact tight junctions were examined. Strains expressing type III toxins altered the distribution of the tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin and were able to transmigrate across polarized airway epithelial monolayers, in contrast to DeltaSTY mutants. These effects on epithelial permeability were associated with the ADP-ribosylating domain of ExoS, as bacteria expressing plasmids lacking expression of the ExoS GAP activity nonetheless increased the permeation of fluorescent dextrans, as well as bacteria, across polarized airway epithelial cells. Treatment of epithelial cells with cytochalasin D depolymerized actin filaments and increased permeation across the monolayers but did not eliminate the differential effects of wild-type and toxin-negative mutants on the epithelial cells, suggesting that additional epithelial targets are involved. Confocal imaging studies demonstrated that ZO-1, occludin, and ezrin undergo substantial redistribution in human airway cells intoxicated by ExoS, -T, and -Y. These studies support the hypothesis that type III toxins enhance P. aeruginosa's invasive capabilities by interacting with multiple eukaryotic cytoskeletal components.
Field validation supports novel niche modeling strategies in a cryptic endangered amphibian

Many studies employ ecological niche models (ENMs) to predict species’ occurrences in undersampled regions, generally without field confirmation. Here, we use field surveys to test the relative utility of four potential refinements to the standard ENM approach: 1) altering model complexity based on AICc, 2) selecting background points from a biologically informed region, 3) using target-group background to account for sampling bias in existing localities, and 4) using many rangewide localities (global model) versus fewer proximal localities (local model) to construct geographically restricted range predictions. We used Maxent to predict new localities for the California tiger salamander Ambystoma californiense, an endangered species that often goes undocumented due to its cryptic lifestyle. We followed this with a field survey of 260 previously unsampled potential breeding sites in Solano County, CA and used the resulting presence/absence data to compare all factorial combinations of the four model refinements using a new application of the Kruskal–Wallis test for ENM outputs. Our field surveys led to the discovery of 81 previously undocumented breeding localities for the California tiger salamander and demonstrated that ENMs could be significantly improved by utilizing target-group background to account for spatial sampling bias and local models to focus model output on the subregion of the range being surveyed. Our results clearly demonstrate the potential for local models to outperform global models, and we recommend supplementing traditional Maxent global models that utilize all known localities with local models, particularly when species occupy geographically structured, heterogeneous habitat types. We also recommend using target-group background since the improvement we observed when including it in our models was significant and very similar to that documented by previous studies. Most importantly, we emphasize the importance of field verification to enable rigorous statistical comparisons among models.
Climate Response of the Equatorial Pacific to Global Warming

Abstract The climate response of the equatorial Pacific to increased greenhouse gases is investigated using numerical experiments from 11 climate models participating in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. Multimodel mean climate responses to CO2 doubling are identified and related to changes in the heat budget of the surface layer. Weaker ocean surface currents driven by a slowing down of the Walker circulation reduce ocean dynamical cooling throughout the equatorial Pacific. The combined anomalous ocean dynamical plus radiative heating from CO2 is balanced by different processes in the western and eastern basins: Cloud cover feedbacks and evaporation balance the heating over the warm pool, while increased cooling by ocean vertical heat transport balances the warming over the cold tongue. This increased cooling by vertical ocean heat transport arises from increased near-surface thermal stratification, despite a reduction in vertical velocity. The stratification respo...
Elevated Concentrations of Nonesterified Fatty Acids Increase Monocyte Expression of CD11b and Adhesion to Endothelial Cells

Objective— Monocyte proinflammatory activity has been demonstrated in obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes, metabolic conditions that are frequently associated with elevated levels of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA). We therefore tested the hypothesis that NEFA may induce monocyte inflammation. Methods and Results— Monocytes exposed to NEFA for 2 days demonstrated a dose-related increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and adhesion to endothelial cells. All of these effects were inhibited by the coaddition of antioxidants such as glutathione or butylated hydroxytoluene, by inhibition of ROS generation by NADPH oxidase inhibitors, and by inhibition of protein kinase C, a recognized stimulator of NAPDH oxidase. Monocytes exposed to NEFA also demonstrated a significant increase in CD11b message expression. Stimulation of monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells by NEFA was inhibited by addition of neutralizing antibodies to either CD11b or CD18. Finally, surface expression of CD11b increased significantly on monocytes as measured by flow cytometry, after their incubation with NEFA. Conclusion— These studies indicate that elevated concentrations of NEFA may enhance integrin facilitated monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells and these effects appear mediated, in part, through activation of NADPH oxidase and oxidative stress.
Tenascin-C Suppresses Rho Activation

Cell binding to extracellular matrix (ECM) components changes cytoskeletal organization by the activation of Rho family GTPases. Tenascin-C, a developmentally regulated matrix protein, modulates cellular responses to other matrix proteins, such as fibronectin (FN). Here, we report that tenascin-C markedly altered cell phenotype on a three-dimensional fibrin matrix containing FN, resulting in suppression of actin stress fibers and induction of actin-rich filopodia. This distinct morphology was associated with complete suppression of the activation of RhoA, a small GTPase that induces actin stress fiber formation. Enforced activation of RhoA circumvented the effects of tenascin. Effects of active Rho were reversed by a Rho inhibitor C3 transferase. Suppression of GTPase activation allows tenascin-C expression to act as a regulatory switch to reverse the effects of adhesive proteins on Rho function. This represents a novel paradigm for the regulation of cytoskeletal organization by ECM.
Plasma homocysteine, dietary B vitamins, betaine, and choline and risk of peripheral artery disease

Objective: Few studies have examined the roles of homocysteine and related nutrients in the development of peripheral artery disease (PAD). We examined the associations between plasma homocysteine, dietary B vitamins, betaine, choline, and supplemental folic acid use and incidence of PAD. Methods: We used two cohort studies of 72,348 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS, 1990e2010) and 44,504 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS, 1986e2010). We measured plasma homocysteine in nested matched caseecontrol studies of clinically recognized PAD within both cohorts, including 143 PAD cases and 424 controls within the NHS (1990e2010) and 143 PAD cases and 428 controls within the HPFS (1994e2008). We examined the association between diet and risk of incident PAD in the cohorts using a food frequency questionnaire and 790 cases of PAD over 3.1 million personyears of follow-up. Results: Higher homocysteine levels were positively associated with risk of PAD in men (adjusted IRR 2.17; 95% CI, 1.08e4.38 for tertile 3 vs. 1). There was no evidence of an association in women (adjusted IRR 1.14; 95% CI, 0.61e2.12). Similarly, higher folate intake, including supplements, was inversely associated with risk of PAD in men (adjusted HR 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82e0.98 for each 250 mg increase) but not women (HR 1.01, 95% CI, 0.88e1.15). Intakes of the other B vitamins, betaine, and choline were not consistently associated with risk of PAD in men or women. Conclusion: Homocysteine levels were positively associated and dietary folate intake was inversely associated with risk of PAD in men but not in women. 2014 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
Electric Potential Stability and Ionic Permeability of SAMs on Gold Derived from Bidentate and Tridentate Chelating Alkanethiols

The interfacial electrochemical properties of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold derived from a structurally tailored series of monodentate, bidentate, and tridentate chelating alkanethiols were investigated. Specific adsorbates included 1-hexadecanethiol (C16), 2-tetradecylpropane-1,3-dithiol (C16C2), 2-tetradecyl-2-methylpropane-1,3-dithiol (C16C3), 2,2-ditetradecylpropane-1,3-dithiol (C16C16), and 1,1,1-tris(mercaptomethyl)pentadecane (t-C16). Reductive desorption of the SAMs as a function of potential was probed by voltammetric measurements, which indicated the following relative order of electric potential stability: t-C16 > C16C2 ≈ C16C3 ≈ C16C16 > C16. The ionic permeability was investigated under various applied cathodic potentials by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). An examination of SAMs prepared at room temperature and accessed by EIS at open-circuit potential showed that the ionic permeability increased in the order C16C2 < C16 < C16C3 < C16C16 < t-C16. The ionic permeabilit...
Narrative Conscience and the Autoethnographic Adventure: Probing Memories, Secrets, Shadows, and Possibilities

This article explores the common practice in families of keeping secrets close, allowing them to develop a life of their own. The problem with this practice is that the secrets often won‘t stay put, emerging into everyday life as (sometimes unwelcome) interruptions in the flow of healthy living. Indeed, secrets and memories—if they remain untold stories—may, at times, be crippling. In this article, the author discusses the process of storying family secrets as a way to engage personal and family healing. In the writing of autoethnographic research, the relationship between the researcher and his or her significant others becomes a primary locus of ethical action. Relational research ethics, informed by narrative conscience, calls the researcher to embrace new layers of complexity in the search for the right story, written with care, while offering narrative and dialogic methodologies for dealing with the dilemmas that come with the territory.
The Politics of Search: A Decade Retrospective

In “Shaping the Web: Why the Politics of Search Engines Matters,” Introna and Nissenbaum (2000) introduced scholars to the political, as well as technical, issues central to the development of online search engines. Since that time, scholars have critically evaluated the role that search engines play in structuring the scope of online information access for the rest of society, with an emphasis on the implications for a democratic and diverse Web. This article describes the thought behind search engine regulation, online diversity, and information bias, and it places these issues within the context of the technical and societal changes that have occurred in the online search industry. The author assesses which of the initial concerns expressed about online search engines remain relevant today and discusses how technical changes demand a new approach to measuring online diversity and democracy. The author concludes with a proposal to direct the research and thought in online search going forward.
Inhibitor-sensitive FGFR2 and FGFR3 mutations in lung squamous cell carcinoma

A comprehensive description of genomic alterations in lung squamous cell carcinoma (lung SCC) has recently been reported, enabling the identification of genomic events that contribute to the oncogenesis of this disease. In lung SCC, one of the most frequently altered receptor tyrosine kinase families is the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) family, with amplification or mutation observed in all four family members. Here, we describe the oncogenic nature of mutations observed in FGFR2 and FGFR3, each of which are observed in 3% of samples, for a mutation rate of 6% across both genes. Using cell culture and xenograft models, we show that several of these mutations drive cellular transformation. Transformation can be reversed by small-molecule FGFR inhibitors currently being developed for clinical use. We also show that mutations in the extracellular domains of FGFR2 lead to constitutive FGFR dimerization. In addition, we report a patient with an FGFR2-mutated oral SCC who responded to the multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor pazopanib. These findings provide new insights into driving oncogenic events in a subset of lung squamous cancers, and recommend future clinical studies with FGFR inhibitors in patients with lung and head and neck SCC.
Design of linear-phase adaptive heterodyne filters

Modern broad-band communications systems as well as complex control systems and high-quality audio often require the removal of narrow-band interference through an adaptive band-stop filter with highly linear phase throughout its pass-band. High-Quality fixed linear phase filters can be designed using the Parks-McClellan technique, but these filters require a large number of coefficients and thus are difficult to make tunable or adaptive. Through the use of a new heterodyne approach involving complex heterodyne signals it is possible to take any linear-phase filter and make it adaptive. The process requires a new Nyquist filter that removes signals from the lower half of the z-plane (negative frequencies) and two heterodyne operations that shift the signal to the fixed linear-phase filter and back. Detailed designs are developed for adaptive center-frequency band-stop filters. These filters retain the linear-phase property of the original filter yet are fully adaptive over the range from DC to the Nyquist frequency.
Hybrid control for visibility-based pursuit-evasion games

Pursuit-evasion games in complex environments have a rich but disconnected history. Continuous or differential pursuit-evasion games focus on optimal control methods, and rely on very intense computations in order to provide locally optimal controls. Discrete pursuit-evasion games on graphs are algorithmically much more appealing, but completely ignore the physical dynamics of the players, resulting in possibly infeasible motions. In this paper, we present a provable and algorithmically feasible solution for visibility-based pursuit-evasion games in simply-connected environments, for players with dynamic constraints. This is achieved by combining two recent but distant results.
Inferior Vena Cava Thrombus Removal Using Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest in Two Patients with Osteosarcoma

In this case report, the technique of deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest (DHCA) is used to successfully extract extensive symptomatic tumor thrombus from the inferior vena cava (IVC) in two patients with osteosarcoma. This is the first description of the use of this modality for treatment of osteosarcoma involving the IVC. Osteosarcoma and the use of DHCA are discussed.
Isolation and introgression in the Intermountain West: contrasting gene genealogies reveal the complex biogeographic history of the American pika (Ochotona princeps)

Aim We studied the history of colonization, diversification and introgression among major phylogroups in the American pika, Ochotona princeps (Lagomorpha), using comparative and statistical phylogeographic methods. Our goal was to understand how Pleistocene climatic fluctuations have shaped the distribution of diversity at mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) loci in this alpine specialist.
Multiscale immunomagnetic enrichment of circulating tumor cells: from tubes to microchips

We review the rare cancer cell sorting technologies, with a focus on multiscale immunomagnetic approaches. Starting from the conventional magnetic activated cell sorting system, we derive the scaling laws of immunomagnetic assay and justify the recent trend of using downscaled systems for CTC studies. Furthermore, we introduce recent work on combining the immunomagnetic assay with microfluidic technology for enhanced separation. We summarize different types of in-channel micro-magnetic structures that can further increase the local magnetic field without lowering the system throughput. Related design concepts, principles, and microfabrication techniques are presented and evaluated.
Predictors of institutionalization in Latinos with dementia

The present study identified predictors of time to institutionalization among elderly Latinos suffering from dementia, and determined how these predictors varied when compared to Caucasians and African-Americans. The sample included 324 Latino, 701 African-American, and 7,100 Caucasian dementia patients and their caregivers recruited from eight catchment regions in the U.S. and were assessed over a 3-year period. Potential predictors considered in the event history analyses included context of care and indicators of care recipient cognitive and functional status, caregiver stress and depression, and caregiving resources. Cox proportional hazards models revealed that various indicators of sociodemographic context, caregiver well-being, and community-based service utilization influenced time to institutionalization among Latinos. Cross-ethnic/racial comparisons also identified statistical variations in site, living arrangement, intensity of informal care provision, caregiver depression, and adult day service use across the Latino, Caucasian, and African-American samples when predicting time to nursing home placement. The findings emphasize the need to explore time to institutionalization across racial and ethnic contexts, and suggest future variables to consider when analyzing nursing home placement in diverse situations.
Silent and voiced/unvoiced/mixed excitation (four-way) classification of speech

An algorithm is presented for automatically classifying speech into four categories: silent and speech produced by three types of excitation, namely, voiced, unvoiced, and mixed (a combination of voiced and unvoiced). The algorithm uses two-channel (speech and electroglottogram) signal analysis and has been tested on data from six speakers (three male and three female), each speaking five sentences. An overall correct classification accuracy of approximately 98.2% was achieved when compared to skilled manual classification. This is superior to previously reported automatic classification schemes. If word boundary errors, including the beginning and ending of sentences, are excluded, then the algorithm's performance improves to 99.5%. >
Uncoupling of Vaginal Opening and the First Ovulation—An Indication of an Alteration in the Pituitary-Gonadal Axis

The onset of puberty in the female rat has been defined as vaginal opening and/or the first ovulation. The present study examines the effects of types of caging upon the events of puberty and the cycle. ARS Sprague Dawley rats were received at 18 days of age and housed in either plastic translucent cages with filter tops or metal cages and exposed to 14L:1OD. Plasticcaged animals exhibited vaginal opening earlier (33.9 ± 0.5 days) than metal caged animals (36.6 * 0.6), but the first vaginal estrus occurred at similar ages. Thus, the two events were coincident in 12 of 16 metal caged animals but only 8 of 20 plastic. Rats completed one full vaginal cycle and were autopsied at the second metestrus. Ovarian histology revealed two sets ofcorporaand a recent set of ova. Metal caged animals had 7.9 ± 0.3 ova per ovary while plastic caged had 5.8 ± 0.5. The decrease can be accounted for by a decrease inthe total number of follicles matured and by the occurrence of 1.3 ± 0.5 ova trapped in stimulated or partially luteinized follicles. Serum hormone measurements revealed higher estrogen and lower progesterone, LH and FSH in the plastic caged animals. Thus, the uncoupling of the events of puberty may be an indication of an alteration in the pituitary-gonads! axis which continues through the second cycle.
Evolutionary relationships of deep-sea vent and cold seep clams (Mollusca: Vesicomyidae) of the "pacifica/lepta" species complex

Vesicomyid clams are among the dominant invertebrates of chemosynthesis-based communities found at deep-sea cold seeps and hydrothermal vents, yet there is considerable taxonomic confusion within the family Vesicomyidae. The present study examined phylogenetic relationships among vesicomyid clams be- longing to a cryptic-species complex that includes Ve- sicomya (previously Calyptogena) pacifica (Dall, 1891) and Vesicomya lepta (Dall, 1896). Mitochondrial (mt) COI sequences from clams collected between 1991 and 2001 along the western margin of North America from the San Clemente Basin (32� N latitude) to the Juan de Fuca Ridge (48� N latitude) revealed five discrete evolutionary lineages: V. pacifica (mt-type I), V. lepta (mt-type IV), and three undescribed species defined by mttypes II, III, and V. Separation of the three lineages defined by mt-types I, II, and III was also revealed by an independent nuclear gene (ribosomal ITS-1), and by DNA sequences from vertically transmitted bacterial endosymbionts found in the gills of these clams. Lin- eages I, II, and III occur in Monterey Bay, California, and the data suggest that bathymetric segregation may have played a role in their isolation and divergence.
A DNA Polymerase ε Mutant That Specifically Causes +1 Frameshift Mutations Within Homonucleotide Runs in Yeast

The DNA polymerases δ and e are the major replicative polymerases in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that possess 3′ → 5′ exonuclease proofreading activity. Many errors arising during replication are corrected by these exonuclease activities. We have investigated the contributions of regions of Pole other than the proofreading motifs to replication accuracy. An allele, pol2 - C1089Y , was identified in a screen of Pole mutants that in combination with an exonuclease I ( exo1 ) mutation could cause a synergistic increase in mutations within homonucleotide runs. In contrast to other polymerase mutators, this allele specifically results in insertion frameshifts. When pol2 - C1089Y was combined with deletions of EXO1 or RAD27 (homologue of human FEN1 ), mutation rates were increased for +1 frameshifts while there was almost no effect on −1 frameshifts. On the basis of genetic analysis, the pol2 - C1089Y mutation did not cause a defect in proofreading. In combination with a deletion of the mismatch repair gene MSH2 , the +1 frameshift mutation rate for a short homonucleotide run was increased nearly 100-fold whereas the −1 frameshift rate was unchanged. This suggests that the Pol2-C1089Y protein makes +1 frameshift errors during replication of homonucleotide runs and that these errors can be corrected by either mismatch repair (MMR) or proofreading (in short runs). This is the first report of a +1-specific mutator for homonucleotide runs in vivo. The pol2 - C1089Y mutation defines a functionally important residue in Pole.
Black-White Differences in Nonverbal Behavior in an Interview Setting.

The majority of systematic research on nonverbal behavior has used white college students as subjects. The present investigation examined both white and black subjects’nonverbal behavior and also independently varied the race of the person with whom the subject interacted. The experimental setting was an actual employment interview. Twenty black and 20 white female undergraduates were individually interviewed by either a black or white male interviewer. White subjects tended to maintain more visual interaction with interviewers of both races than did black subjects. Moreover, black interviewers were visually interacted with less, and given shorter glances. Racial, in contrast to nonracial, questions elicited longer glances; and subjects hesitated longer before answering them.
Using open-source hardware to support disadvantaged communications

During a disaster, conventional communications infrastructures are often compromised, which prevents local populations from contacting family, friends, and colleagues. The lack of communication also impedes responder efforts to gather, organize, and disseminate information. This problem is made worse by the unique cost and operational constraints typically associated with the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) space. In response, we present a low-cost, scalable system that creates a wide-area, best-effort, ad-hoc wireless network for emergency information. The Communication Assistance Technology over Ad-Hoc Networks (CATAN) system embraces the maker and do it yourself (DIY) communities by leveraging open-source and hobbyist technologies to create cheap, lightweight, battery-powered nodes that can be deployed quickly for a variety of operations. CATAN enables geographically separated users to share information on standard interfaces, i.e. web and SMS, over commonly-used communication interfaces, i.e. GSM and Wi-Fi. These interfaces enable CATAN to accommodate a variety of digital devices while leveraging the global ubiquity of cellular devices. By emphasizing simple, mature, technologies, CATAN avoids many problems that hinder many general purpose ad-hoc technologies. We have tested our infrastructure in a variety of environments and have open-sourced the entire project to encourage collaboration with the greater HADR community.
Self-reported sexual and reproductive health information/services received by adolescents and young adults with perinatally acquired HIV: what are their needs?

ABSTRACTAdolescents and young adults (AYA) living with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) are now living well into young adulthood due to medical advances in the treatment and management of HIV. Research indicates that AYA with PHIV engage in developmentally expected sexual behaviors yet little is known about the type of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information/services this cohort receives from HIV health care providers. Thirty-five AYA with PHIV engaged or formerly engaged in care at two pediatric infectious disease clinics in the southeastern United States were interviewed to assess the SRH information/services received from providers. Mean age of participants was 20.7 years (range 15–30). Most were African American (n = 27, 77.1%) and female (n = 23, 69.7%). The majority of participants were sexually active (71.4%) and used contraceptives (64.0%). The most frequently discussed SRH topics included sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention (75.8%), condom use (72.7%) and information about STDs ...
Legal Institutions and Security of Economic Transactions in Post Socialist Countries: The Case of China

Reformers in post-socialist transition economies face the challenge of developing legal institutions to mitigate the risks and transaction costs which usually accompany market economic activity. This challenge is not only technical (i.e., law-writing and institution design) but also political. Legal reforms are products of political bargaining among different interest groups; the effects of these reforms are limited by the degree of support by various political groups. This study addresses the political aspect of legal reform and presents empirical information on both the adjustments of new legal institutions to political reality and their effect on economic activities and market practices. Aggregate data on commercial litigation in China since the late 1980s are used to identify broad trends in the development of China's legal system, especially the part governing economic transactions. This macro-level analysis will be followed by an analysis of 250-400 published court cases. These cases are expected to offer more detailed and subtle clues as to how the emerging Chinese legal system works to mitigate risk in economic transactions. The micro-level analysis will identify: (1) systemic and institutional causes for economic disputes; (2) ways in which new legal institutions shape the strategies of economic actors in coping with what may be called institutional/legal uncertainties (i.e., how these new institutions resolve economic frictions); and (3) how emerging legal institutions adapt to the political and economic reality of a transition economy.
Single chip 52 Gb/s PAM4 transmission through −58 and +10 ps/nm chromatic dispersion using directly modulated laser

We present successful transmission of 52Gb/s PAM4 through −58 and +10 ps/nm of SMF using a single chip and directly modulated laser. The receiver sensitivities are compared using APD and PIN PD at the receiver.
The role of creative monography in the biodiversity crisis

The increasing size and activities of the human population have resulted in pressure on the survival of other life forms. In the face of extinction of many of these organisms, we need to learn as much about them as quickly as possible. One level of understanding can be achieved through monographic studies, which contain basic descriptive information about organisms and their distributions. Monographs also contain predictive classifications and usually also evolutionary and biogeographic hypotheses for use by systematic biologists and society in general. The current rate of disappearance of the world's biota suggests need for increased ?levels of creative monographic activity. Funding for botanical monography in the United States, however, is declining, and fewer graduate students are being trained with these interests and skills. Large-scale monographic projects with established workers and postdoctoral associates together focusing on large taxa (i.e., 50-100 species) are advocated as one solution to the problem.
Cyclic ADP-ribose and related compounds activate sheep skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release channel

It has been suggested that adenosine 5'-cyclic-diphosphoribose (cADPR) can activate only nonskeletal isoforms of the ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ release channel. We now demonstrate that cADPR is an ef...
The TNF Receptor Superfamily in Co-stimulating and Co-inhibitory Responses

Cytokines related to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) provide a communication network essential for coordinating multiple cell types into an effective host defense system against pathogens and malignant cells. The pathways controlled by the TNF superfamily differentiate both innate and adaptive immune cells and modulate stromal cells into microenvironments conducive to host defenses. Members of the TNF receptor superfamily activate diverse cellular functions from the production of type 1 interferons to the modulation of survival of antigen-activated T cells. Here, we focus attention on the subset of TNF superfamily receptors encoded in the immune response locus in chromosomal region 1p36. Recent studies have revealed that these receptors use diverse mechanisms to either co-stimulate or restrict immune responses. Translation of the fundamental mechanisms of TNF superfamily is leading to the design of therapeutics that can alter pathogenic processes in several autoimmune diseases or promote immunity to tumors.
Tricuspid Valve: Tricuspid Regurgitation

Tricuspid regurgitation is defined by retrograde blood flow from the right ventricle to the right atrium due to an insufficient valve. The most common cause of tricuspid regurgitation is left sided heart failure, which results in increased right ventricular volumes and a subsequent functional regurgitation. Tricuspid regurgitation is typically associated with a holosystolic parasternal murmur that increases in intensity with inspiration (Carvallo sign) but decreases in intensity with handgrip maneuvers. Poor prognostic factors for tricuspid regurgitation include pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular dysfunction. Management of tricuspid regurgitation generally involves treatment of the underlying cause though surgical intervention may be necessary in cases of severe regurgitation.
When Is Laparoscopic Liver Resection Preferred Over Open Resection

Laparoscopic liver resection is being safely performed by surgeons worldwide for multiple indications. When compared to open liver resection, laparoscopic liver resection is associated with improvements in short-term outcomes such as decreased blood loss, transfusion rate, perioperative complications, length of stay, and overall cost. When laparoscopic is performed for malignancies such as hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic colorectal cancer, oncological adequacy needs to be assured in order to avoid detrimental effects in long-term outcomes such as disease-free survival and overall survival. Current evidence suggests that in well-selected patients, the long-term oncologic outcomes achieved with laparoscopic liver resection are equivalent to those obtained with open liver resection. To date, there are no published randomized trials comparing laparoscopic to open liver resection, although two trials are ongoing.
Optimal execution strategy and liquidity adjusted value-at-risk

The value-at-risk (VaR) model has been implemented at major financial institutions as required by regulatory authorities, e.g. Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (2006), Basel Committee on Bank...
Modeling Singlet Fission in Rylene and Diketopyrrolopyrrole Derivatives: The Role of the Charge Transfer State in Superexchange and Excimer Formation

Singlet fission (SF) is being explored as a way to improve the efficiency of organic photovoltaics beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit; however, many aspects of the SF mechanism remain unresolved. The generally accepted mechanisms provide simplified models of SF that equivocate over whether a charge transfer (CT) state is involved in SF. A one-step superexchange model allows the CT state to act as a virtual state, reducing the effect of large Gibbs free energy values from SF rate calculations. Also, extending superexchange to an excimer-mediated process allows for further refinement of the triplet formation model. Application of the superexchange and excimer-mediated models to a variety of rylene and diketopyrrolopyrrole derivatives provides new insights into the role of the CT and excimer states, providing a semiquantitative description of SF that is dictated by the CT state energy.
The effects of type of instruction, animacy cues, and dimensionality of objects on the shape bias in 3‐ to 6‐year‐old children

Robust evidence exists for the shape bias, or children's tendency to extend novel names and categorize objects more readily on the basis of shape than on other object features. However, issues remain about the conditions that affect the shape bias and its importance as a linguistic device. In this research, we examined how type of instruction (common noun naming, proper noun naming, same kind, and goes with), animacy of objects (animate, inanimate), and dimensionality of objects (two-dimensional, three-dimensional) affect the shape bias in 3- to 6-year-old children. Overall, all children showed strong use of the shape bias with categorization (same kind, goes with) instructions, the former in line with the shape-as-cue theory. Additionally, the shape bias was quite robust in the inanimate condition, regardless of type of instruction or dimensionality of objects. However, in the animate condition, a proper noun naming instruction coupled with an animate object cue reduced the shape bias across both two- and three-dimensional objects. Implications of these findings are presented. Highlights This study assessed the “shape bias,” a linguistic strategy young children routinely use when confronted with the task of extending a novel name from one object to another. Novel name extension and categorization tasks were used in this study. Shape bias was affected by the type of instructions, animacy of objects, and dimensionality of objects.
Computerized textural analysis of lung CT to enable quantification of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in NSCLC.

11584Background: Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are a part of the dynamic immune microenvironment. Clinical trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors report significant increase in TILs in responders in follow up tumor biopsies. Monitoring TILs on treatment using radiomic features extracted from routine follow up computed tomographic (CT) images can be a non-invasive surrogate to biopsy to detect early response. We conducted a proof of concept study to find out if radiomic features extracted from CT images can identify patients with high and low TILs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A cohort of 50 consecutive patients who underwent lobectomy for early stage NSCLC were identified and TIL were characterized using routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&Es) slides. TILs were quantified on a previously reported scale of 0 to 3 based on intensity of TIL. Of the 50 cases 17 outliers who had high TILs (3+) or low TILs (0) were identified. The study team was provided with CT images from 4 patients w...
Learning Word Representations with Regularization from Prior Knowledge

Conventional word embeddings are trained with specific criteria (e.g., based on language modeling or co-occurrence) inside a single information source, disregarding the opportunity for further calibration using external knowledge. This paper presents a unified framework that leverages pre-learned or external priors, in the form of a regularizer, for enhancing conventional language model-based embedding learning. We consider two types of regularizers. The first type is derived from topic distribution by running LDA on unlabeled data. The second type is based on dictionaries that are created with human annotation efforts. To effectively learn with the regularizers, we propose a novel data structure, trajectory softmax, in this paper. The resulting embeddings are evaluated by word similarity and sentiment classification. Experimental results show that our learning framework with regularization from prior knowledge improves embedding quality across multiple datasets, compared to a diverse collection of baseline methods.
Use of Self-management Interventions for Chronic Pain Management: A Comparison between Rural and Nonrural Residents

Individuals with chronic pain who live in rural communities often lack access to pain specialists and rely on primary care providers who may be less prepared. Research has indicated that rural residents with chronic pain are more likely to receive an opioid prescription than nonrural residents. Although self-management approaches are available for chronic pain management, it is unclear to what extent rural residents use these interventions. This study compares usage of self-management interventions and opioid-based analgesics for chronic pain management between rural and nonrural residents. This study is a secondary analysis of baseline data from a randomized controlled trial evaluating a telehealth intervention for chronic pain management. Participants, recruited from primary care clinics, were 65 rural residents and 144 nonrural residents with similar demographic characteristics. Differences in the use of self-management interventions, pain intensity, and opioid dose were evaluated between rural and nonrural residents. Rural residents (n = 50, 77%) were less likely to use self-management interventions compared with nonrural residents (n = 133, 92%) (p = .019). Opioids were taken for pain relief by 76% of the rural residents compared with 52% of the nonrural residents. A disparity exists in the use of self-management interventions for chronic pain management by rural residents compared with nonrural residents. Further study is needed to determine if this is related to the lack of access to specialists and/or pain management training of primary care providers. Nurses can play an essential role in addressing this disparity by educating patients about self-management interventions.
Serum-based biomarkers and liver metastases in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

372Background: Metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients with liver metastases have a poor prognosis. No large studies to date have investigated the clinical and biochemical parameters associated with liver metastases in this population. Methods: Patient data was obtained from 1,281 men with mCRPC that were enrolled on to three phase III clinical trials for the treatment of their disease. This clinical trial data was obtained from Project Data Sphere (www.projectdatasphere.org), an initiative of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer's Life Sciences Consortium. Multiple logistic regression was performed on clinical and biochemical baseline variables to test their association with the presence of liver metastases on baseline CT/MRI imaging. Variables assessed included prior docetaxel exposure, ECOG performance status, albumin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), prostate specific antigen (PSA), and total bilirubin...
Bright light induces retinal degeneration by a transducin-independent mechanism.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) represents a collection of genetically diverse inherited retinal degenerations involving mutations in more than 140 different genes. Despite mutational differences, end stage photoreceptor cell death occurs by apoptotic mechanisms (Chang et al., 1993; Portera-Cailliau et al., 1994; Reme et al., 1998). Blocking apoptotic photoreceptor cell death might provide a therapeutically useful treatment regimen. However, relatively little is known about the apoptotic pathway or the pathological changes that trigger apoptosis in the course of the disease process.
Microtubule-Associated Protein 1 Light Chain 3B, (LC3B) Is Necessary to Maintain Lipid-Mediated Homeostasis in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium.

Like other neurons, retinal cells utilize autophagic pathways to maintain cell homeostasis. The mammalian retina relies on heterophagy and selective autophagy to efficiently degrade and metabolize ingested lipids with disruption in autophagy associated degradation contributing to age related retinal disorders. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) supports photoreceptor cell renewal by daily phagocytosis of shed photoreceptor outer segments (OS). The daily ingestion of these lipid-rich OS imposes a constant degradative burden on these terminally differentiated cells. These cells rely on Microtubule-Associated Protein 1 Light Chain 3 (LC3) family of proteins for phagocytic clearance of the ingested OS. The LC3 family comprises of three highly homologous members, MAP1LC3A (LC3A), MAP1LC3B (LC3B), and MAP1LC3C (LC3C). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the LC3B isoform plays a specific role in maintaining RPE lipid homeostasis. We examined the RPE and retina of the LC3B-/- mouse as a function of age using in vivo ocular imaging and electroretinography coupled with ex vivo, lipidomic analyses of lipid mediators, assessment of bisretinoids as well as imaging of lipid aggregates. Deletion of LC3B resulted in defects within the RPE including increased phagosome accumulation, decreased fatty acid oxidation and a subsequent increase in RPE and sub-RPE lipid deposits. Age-dependent RPE changes included elevated levels of oxidized cholesterol, deposition of 4-HNE lipid peroxidation products, bisretinoid lipofuscin accumulation, and subretinal migration of microglia, collectively likely contributing to loss of retinal function. These observations are consistent with a critical role for LC3B-dependent processes in the maintenance of normal lipid homeostasis in the aging RPE, and suggest that LC3 isoform specific disruption in autophagic processes contribute to AMD-like pathogenesis.
CXCL10 production in equine monocytes is stimulated by interferon-gamma.

Abstract C–X–C motif ligand 10 (CXCL10) is a pro-inflammatory chemokine and has been extensively evaluated in people and mice. In horses, CXCL10 and its involvement in host immunity has rarely been analyzed due to the lack of specific antibodies. We generated a mAb specific for the equine chemokine CXCL10 using hybridoma technology. Antibody specificity was confirmed by intracellular staining and flow cytometric analysis of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells expressing equine rCXCL10, while CHO cells expressing equine rCXCL9 were not detected. Native CXCL10 expression in PBMC from horses of different age groups was analyzed by flow cytometry after in vitro stimulation. CXCL10 expressing PBMC were characterized by triple staining of CXCL10 combined with cell-surface markers. Stimulation with IFN-γ for 5 h similarly induced CXCL10 production in cluster of differentiation (CD)14+CD16− MHCIIhigh monocytes of adult horses and weanlings. The newly generated mAb enables the quantitative intracellular analysis of CXCL10 by flow cytometry and provides a new valuable tool to improve the evaluation of inflammatory responses in horses.